A Blend of Romance and Fantasy - Chapter 81

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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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81.
Upon returning to my room from the Empress’s Palace, an unexpected visitor awaited me at the door.
“That person is….”
Prince Chris Redford.
I found myself frozen in place, as though enchanted, before I could even draw near to him.
It wasn’t because he was handsome.
Well, he was handsome, but I didn’t suffer from some incurable affliction that rendered me paralyzed before every beautiful face.
Whether it was because I stood between Leonard and Cedric, or because I’d sensed something fundamentally unsound in every handsome man from Blake I’d encountered thus far, this particular malady had never seized me before now.
The reason I froze was because of Prince Chris’s aura.
Hadn’t he said he had no interest in war?
If James was a pacifist, then this man was a nihilist. There was not a trace of greed visible in his eyes.
‘Is he truly of the Dragon Clan? I heard Blake’s territory was divided into four factions warring amongst themselves.’
When I came to my senses, he had already stopped before me.
“Sixth Prince’s Wife, is something the matter? Why have you stopped?”
I panicked and quickly lowered my head.
“It is nothing. I apologize for not greeting you at once.”
“…I should be the one apologizing for arriving so abruptly.”
He then fixed his gaze upon me with such intensity and fervor that even Abigail beside me felt compelled to clear her throat awkwardly.
“Your Highness, why… are you looking at me that way?”
“Sixth Prince’s Wife. Could you spare me a moment? There is something I must discuss with you in private.”
The moment I sat upon the sofa and offered him tea, he requested that my attendants and maidservants withdraw.
It was preposterous.
The man before me was a Tier 1 Wind Mage—the supreme authority in wind-attribute magic.
“That is impossible. Your Highness is a Wind Mage, so your casting speed surpasses all others. In the blink of an eye—.”
“I could kill the person in front of me as well. So whether the Consort’s maidservants or knights remain at her side is irrelevant.”
This man spoke such terrifying words without the slightest hesitation.
Chris quickly glanced around the room.
“If the Duke Myers were here, there might be some possibility of resistance, but he is not. Is it because of Yeon Mun-seol?”
“…It is not that I have kept him away because of that. He was forced to participate in my ascetic practice, so I merely told him to rest.”
“Then you must choose one of two paths. Either summon someone as exceptional as the Duke immediately, or trust in yourself and simply converse with me.”
“Are you provoking me now?”
“I am merely stating facts.”
Did everyone in this place have some disease that killed them if they didn’t provoke others?
I grumbled inwardly while maintaining a composed smile.
“I am not inclined to take unnecessary risks. Besides, how could I know whether your rudeness in arriving without notice might escalate into a threat?”
“…?!”
At my words, Prince Chris’s eyes widened, and then he laughed softly.
Yes, he laughed, and….
‘Good heavens. He’s far too beautiful. Is he truly male?’
His eyes, which had seemed so austere, curved into crescents, and his thin lips, which had been pressed into a rigid line, now formed an elegant arc—honestly, it put most women to shame.
However, Prince Chris’s brilliant smile vanished in an instant.
“I’ve heard you have quite the personality, but are you hiding rudeness behind confidence, or confidence behind rudeness?”
“Well… that is…”
No, there’s no way she could be a woman.
Chris had been proven to be a boy during his baptism ceremony as a child, when he removed his upper garments and had holy water poured over him. Magic couldn’t be used at that age anyway.
Besides, this country had never been without a female emperor, so there was no particular need for her to disguise herself as a man.
‘But whenever something like this happens, the flags just keep stacking up.’
I suppressed a perverse urge to unravel those layers of uniform and let out a slight laugh.
“Does it matter either way? In any case, please return.”
That was when it happened.
“Your Highness, the Sixth Prince has arrived.”
Leonard had arrived at a perfectly opportune moment.
“How convenient. Since we’re already here, why don’t the three of us spend time together?”
* * *
Leonard seemed quite surprised that Prince Chris had come to visit.
“Chris, rather than coming to see me directly, you’ve come to see my wife instead—is there some particular reason?”
“Not really. I simply came to see you, but you weren’t here. Besides, the Sixth Prince’s Wife will be governing alongside you in the future, so I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to tell her in advance.”
“Tell her what?”
Prince Chris fell silent for a moment, then tapped his fingers against the table.
His nails were neatly trimmed, but his fingertips were blunt, as if hardened by countless hours of training.
“I’ll be direct about it. I have no intention of succeeding to the throne.”
“……”
“Pardon?”
Unlike the expressionless Leonard, my eyes widened in surprise.
Then he turned his gaze toward me.
“You look surprised. You must have heard the rumors about me.”
“But… aren’t you the lord who has been leading the Redford Territory all this time, and the son of the First Empress Consort?”
And this empire is divided by your territory, with factions vying for power.
As if reading my thoughts, he turned his gaze to Leonard and spoke.
“It’s true that the Redford House accumulated wealth and built its power through the minerals produced in the southern mines. Our family is also the largest financial backer of the Galatia Bank, which spans the entire continent.”
“……”
“But I believe that wars are not won by money alone.”
Then Chris exhaled sharply.
“A knights’ order with military power. And their loyalty. That is the driving force that grasps victory.”
“……”
“The Redford House, bound together only by money, lacks that. Silverstone had it, on the other hand. Though it’s all crumbled now.”
He was as calm as an evening forest, yet there was a coldness within him.
“Now that you and Demian have split Silverstone between you, no matter how much I might win in the succession struggle, the future is clear to see. Unlike our family, I’m not a fool.”
“Then…”
The moment Leonard murmured softly, Chris spoke.
“I will withdraw from the succession to the throne.”
“!”
“However, only if you agree to three conditions.”
At Chris’s words, Leonard’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“Three conditions?”
“Why, does it seem wasteful to give anything to a fading minor sun? But you too must consider the succession to the throne. If I involve myself in that struggle, it will be difficult for you.”
“….”
“Even rotten fish is still fish. Redford is the white snake of the Southern Region. It lulls you into complacency and devours you from behind.”
Chris showed the back of his gloved hand.
Ash-gray mines on both sides, and a coiled white snake in the center. Behind it, three arrows were drawn.
The snake’s crimson eyes seemed to glare at me, sending a chill down my spine.
“That sounds like even if I agree to your conditions, you’ll still bite my throat.”
“Once you hear them, you’ll think differently.”
Leonard fell silent for a long moment.
I understood the meaning of that silence. This situation deviated far from the original story.
「Chris and James clash in the succession to the throne.
But before Chris can fight James, Demian stabs him in the back and kills him.
The misunderstanding spreads, and Redford attacks both James and Blackwood.」
“Very well, let me hear them.”
“…The children.”
Prince Chris turned his head toward me and asked.
“How many children are you planning to have, Sixth Prince’s Wife?”
“…Pardon?”
He’s suddenly asking about family planning? Why?
As I stood frozen, unable to speak, Leonard’s cold voice came from beside me.
“Why are you asking about such private matters between spouses? That’s quite rude.”
“Because the Redford line will end.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I will not marry anyone, nor will I produce any heirs. Then Redford will no longer be a threat to you.”
Gasp.
‘That’s true.’
The First Empress’s only child was Prince Chris standing before me.
The Fifth Prince, who had also been a successor to the throne, died of plague several years ago.
There were other collateral branches, but their blood was too diluted to claim succession.
“When I die, there will be no more Redford line in the Imperial Court. Then your son or daughter can rule the Redford Territory. That’s why I asked how many children you plan to have.”
As he gazed directly at me, the world seemed to spin before my eyes.
In the end, without thinking, I blurted out whatever came to mind.
“Many! I’m going to have many.”

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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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