A Blend of Romance and Fantasy - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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22.
As Eucal rose from the golden chair, a murderous aura flooded the room.
“You dare interrupt my time? Do you take me for some doddering relic relegated to the back rooms? Have you grown so weary of life?”
“Your Majesty! How could anyone think such a thing!? Never, absolutely never. It’s simply an urgent matter….”
The man, speaking earnestly, remained prostrate on the ground and raised a letter above his head.
The letter, shimmering in pink, began to form the emblem of a lioness in the air.
“Isn’t this a letter from that creature in Sincester?”
“Yes, he says it’s an urgent matter.”
Throughout history, every Emperor of Blake had viewed his princes with profound suspicion.
Each one a potential threat, ready to tear out his throat and seize the throne.
They were not merely nobles—they were ‘sons’.
They harbored no qualms about becoming patricides, and the Emperor showed equal ruthlessness in becoming a father willing to murder his own blood.
Thus, when Leonard departed for Sincester as an envoy, Eucal had ensured his own men accompanied him.
Eucal snatched the letter from the man and hurried through its contents.
Before he could even finish reading, Eucal burst into laughter so thunderous the room seemed to shake.
“Your… Your Majesty?”
“Well, I never expected Leonard to do something like this….”
“What has the Sixth Prince done, Sire?”
Eucal tossed the letter to the man, a twisted pleasure gleaming at the corners of his crooked smile.
“My sixth son, Leonard, is to marry Charlotte Sincester, the Princess of the Holy Kingdom.”
“What!?”
Eucal laughed with genuine delight at the man’s shocked expression.
“Leonard I can understand, but that young Pope… sending his beloved sister here? What scheme is he plotting?”
Though he had been called a Tyrant King twenty years ago, Eucal now understood his own position.
He was already a relic of the past.
Yet he could still calculate which son to place upon the throne to ensure his own survival.
“Summon the elders of the Four Great Houses of Blake to the Imperial Court!”
Eucal rose from his seat, light returning to his clouded eyes.
“It seems the time has come to decide who shall be the next Emperor.”
* * *
Blueheart—the territory where spring never comes.
At the heart of this domain, where bitter winds howled from the frozen sea, stood Oceano Castle in solitary grandeur.
Its master was the 1st Prince, Demian.
The Sixth Prince Leonard, too, was no stranger to scandal with his sharp gaze, yet he knew how to smile when occasion demanded.
But Demian was different.
He stood gazing out the snow-swept window with a face so frozen it seemed devoid of all warmth, as though smiles had no place in his world.
“So that creature is truly getting married? And to the Princess of Sincester, no less?”
“Yes, Demian.”
“A death-devouring demon falling head over heels and marrying… It’s absurd. There must be some hidden bargain. Go and uncover it, Camilla.”
Camilla departed without a word, and the room fell silent once more.
But soon, a tremendous commotion erupted beyond the door.
The sharp voice and the clang of knights’ armor clashing as they tried to stop such a woman.
Presently, a surge of powerful magical energy was felt, and the door burst open.
The uninvited guest was the noblest lady in Blake, yet a tragic woman who had failed to place even one son upon the throne.
It was Graecia Blueheart, the Empress.
“My son.”
“…Mother.”
Though magic preserved her youth, her venomous nature trampled upon her beauty.
“Have you fallen behind that lowborn wretch again? How could that vermin possibly take the Princess of Sincester as his wife!?”
“…I believe I warned you not to use magic carelessly within my castle. Especially not against my knights.”
Ignoring Graecia’s words, Demian gazed at the knights collapsed before the door.
They cried out in pain, their arms, legs, and backs frozen solid.
Without swift treatment, frostbite would set in and their skin would rot away, yet Demian withdrew his gaze.
“They brought this upon themselves by daring to obstruct me. Besides, their pathetic skill is a sin worthy of death.”
“…And? You didn’t come here merely to criticize my knights’ abilities. Why have you come?”
“Kill that Princess!”
The voice rang out shrilly through the castle.
“Before we reach the Empire, pin her death on that wretch and be done with her. I cannot bear that that lowborn creature will gain the backing of Sincester’s glory.”
“…If it were that simple, that man would have died by my hand long ago. Leonard is one who has been recognized by His Imperial Majesty and risen from a criminal’s status to that of a prince. The Imperial Court itself is maintaining his silence.”
“Then you intend to let that vermin continue his ascent? If so, the Blackwood Family will seize the throne!”
Her shrill voice continued to reverberate through the office.
A vein or two appeared and disappeared on Demian’s forehead.
“Mother, do not test my patience. I cannot tell who is truly loud and vulgar.”
“…!”
At his harsh remark, Graecia faltered momentarily. She bit her lip slightly and gripped her dress hem.
“I became excited for a moment before you, my son. I apologize.”
“….”
“But my meaning is clear. Our Blueheart Family must continue to hold the throne. And to do so, we must stop Leonard.”
“Do not worry, Mother. I am resolved to become Emperor by any means necessary. Have I not done everything required thus far?”
Demian’s tone was flat, yet something heavy lingered beneath it.
“Then you intend to bring him to our side? How?”
“There is a way, so worry not and simply manage the Imperial harem well. I hear there is a recently insolent concubine.”
Graecia’s eyes narrowed.
“…You are well-informed about Imperial affairs. Yet you remain in the distant Blueheart Territory.”
“It is the same principle as you keeping informed of my matters, Mother.”
It was a conversation devoid of any warmth between mother and son. Yet in Blake, it was exceedingly common.
Children born from the union of noble men and women were merely commodities for maintaining power.
“…I apologize for taking your time. I shall take my leave now.”
With those words, Graecia left the room.
As silence returned to the office, Demian gazed upon the documents on his desk.
The documents were filled with information about Charlotte.
Demian ran his finger across the papers, muttering to himself.
“…Why on earth did you choose that man, Princess? What’s your scheme?”
* * *
“The Punishment Unit….”
Back in my Study, I sat at my desk and twirled the quill pen idly.
Before my eyes lay documents that the White Owls had compiled, investigating everything about Leonard Blake.
Though ‘everything’ amounted to less than a single page, each detail was nonetheless astounding.
-Served as commander of a unit in Thanatos.
-Appeared suddenly in the Imperial Court as the ‘Sixth Prince’ at the Blake Sword Tournament in L.D. 211.
-The original Sixth Prince had brown hair and brown eyes, and his name was James.
-James was being secretly raised by the Blackwood Family for some reason.
-However, after James died for some reason, he appeared before the Emperor as the Sixth Prince in his place.
“Why are there so many ‘some reasons’!”
Moreover, the last detail was even more absurd.
-Favorite food: spicy saury stew. Dislikes: all sweet foods.
“Well, that’s very Korean of him. He likes spicy food.”
I sighed and sank back into my chair.
What was I to do with this suspicious man?
Should I chase after him right now and demand to know what he did in the past?
If we’re going to cooperate, shouldn’t we know each other’s histories?
But if I did that, I would have to reveal everything I had done as well.
“Aside from the inconvenience, it’s a matter of the Imperial Court. I can’t speak of it.”
And hearing the words ‘Punishment Unit,’ what immediately came to mind was that it was a place where.
people who had committed sins grave enough to warrant death were sent, and.
their lives consisted of nothing but war until they died.
Those two horrifying facts.
If it was true, then were all his playful antics merely a mask?
How could he smile?
How had he managed to become a prince from such a terrible life?
The more I pondered, the more solemn I became, until I could think of nothing at all.
‘How am I supposed to face him from now on?’
It was as I sighed that a strange sound came from the window.
Startled, I turned my head and saw a familiar face.
“Leonard Blake?!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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