Celebrity Lady - Chapter 149

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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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Celebrity Lady
Chapter 149
* * *
After the tragedy of the New Year Festival.
Everyone was in turmoil trying to contain the upheaval that had swept through the nation.
The greatest issue was not the revelation of the Second Prince’s crimes, but the fact that the Spirit King’s Blessing, which had endured since the kingdom’s founding, had vanished.
Emperor Leonard had taken to his sickbed from that day onward, shutting himself away from the world.
“Mother…….”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At his side was Endleton, who was to him as a mother.
“It must have been because of me that you left the palace all those years ago, wasn’t it?”
“…….”
“I understand. Others will think it was for different reasons, but I know. It was surely because of me. The emperor I became is not the crown prince Mother knew back then.”
During his time as crown prince, Leonard had been far more human than he was now.
“I too once argued with Father, wanting to change that cursed marriage law just like Lark did.”
“Hehe. That’s right. You were such an ambitious crown prince.”
“The turning point where I decided I had to change was after I confined my half-brother to Baden Island with my own hands.”
The fierce struggle for the throne had occurred in his generation as well.
Leonard had been betrayed by the brother he cherished most, and ultimately imposed upon him a punishment—eternal confinement, akin to execution for royalty.
“Once I took this seat, I understood that I could not afford useless sentiment, nor could I afford to act foolishly. From that point on, I endeavored to become cold, and I demanded the same of Lark.”
“…….”
“Yet I remember it all. How I scolded twelve-year-old Lark severely for wanting to see just one festival, how I coldly drove away seven-year-old Nathan when he came to my chamber weeping and pleading. Every bit of it.”
Leonard closed his eyes tightly.
“If only I had chosen one path……. Either become a ‘father’ capable of showing affection despite my weakness, or remain an ’emperor’ for whom the nation came before his children.”
“…….”
“Now in my old age, I have grown clumsy, and only regret remains—and with it, I have made a grave error. In the end, I will be remembered as the worst of both worlds.”
“Your Majesty…….”
“Mother, I am.”
Lying in bed, Leonard turned to look at Endleton, who sat beside him.
As he opened his eyes, a single tear slid down his cheek.
“Neither a good emperor nor a good father…….”
* * *
Late night.
After two weeks of deliberation, Lark visited the Emperor’s private chamber to deliver the Nobility Council’s decision regarding Nathan’s punishment.
Lark spent time with the Emperor, who had grown visibly gaunt in the interim.
“The Nobility Council has reached a unanimous decision: exile to Baden Island. Based on the consensus, Nathan is scheduled to be brought to trial two weeks hence.”
“Did you not speak of abolishing the Royal Family Privilege Law?”
“Such matters take time, Your Majesty. As you yourself do not wish for Nathan’s execution, obtaining approval will be no easy matter. Most importantly, since Nathan’s Spirit has vanished—the greatest threat we faced—for now we are satisfied with exile.”
“……I see.”
The Emperor answered listlessly, then turned and handed a document from his bedside table to Lark.
“This is……”
“A Delegation Document. I have grown old and weak, my vigor is not what it once was, and I can no longer remain on the front lines. From this day forward, I entrust all my authority to you.”
“…….”
“And I wish you to proceed with my Abdication in the near future.”
“Your Majesty?”
Lark was taken aback, but the Emperor merely fixed his gaze upon the ceiling and continued with words he had prepared.
“The loss of the Spirit King’s Blessing that my ancestors preserved is my responsibility entirely, and my failure to protect my children is my own grave fault. How could I shamefully cling to this seat until the day I die?”
“Your Majesty, surely this is too sudden……”
“I am grateful, and I am sorry.”
The Emperor cut off Lark’s words and, turning to face him, offered a bitter smile.
“I am but a failed father, burdening you to the very end and fleeing.”
The Emperor closed his eyes, and no further words passed between them.
Lark simply stood at his side for a long while with an indescribable expression.
* * *
One week later.
A month had passed since the tragedy of the New Year Festival.
A trial date was also set for the Second Prince Nathan and Molga, the Grand Duchess of the Diolus family.
Of course, before ascending the judgment seat, the right to interrogate her fell to Lark, the Crown Prince…….
Even now, Molga remained trapped in an Illusion in the Underground Prison of the Annex Palace.
Fortunately, Leonard’s abilities as a Spirit Practitioner remained intact.
Among the members of the Duke’s family, only Rubetria and her twin had lost their golden eyes.
“Seems you have a good deal of leisure time, Your Highness. The nation is in shambles, yet the Crown Prince finds time to waste away…….”
Duke Diolus glanced up from the documents he was reviewing, eyeing the unexpected visitor.
Leonard, emerging from a long seclusion, had thrown himself into his duties as Head of Household once more.
“Leisure? You have the audacity to say that to someone who hasn’t left the palace in a month and hasn’t slept a wink for all the work? How inconsiderate.”
“Ah, so the moment you found leisure, you came rushing here?”
“Your daughter seems terribly busy. I thought I might see her today.”
“Busy indeed. Word is she’s trying to open another branch of the enterprise in the Belcan Kingdom—that’s kept her grind to a halt these days.”
Rubetria had thrown herself into business operations the moment she could stand, barely resting.
Though it pained Leonard to see her running herself ragged without sleep, her face looked best when she was working, so he couldn’t bring himself to tell her to stop.
“I see. She’s working hard.”
Leonard chuckled as he watched Lark, who was muttering to himself while keeping an eye on him.
The reason the Crown Prince had come rushing over the moment the situation was resolved was obvious.
He wanted the Marriage Proposal Letter.
“So my daughter truly intends to marry you, Your Highness?”
Leonard asked with what seemed like a teasing expression, resting his chin on his hand.
“……Yes?”
“Hmm. I’ve heard a somewhat different story.”
“What?”
Lark froze.
“Not long ago, a Marriage Proposal Letter arrived at the ducal residence…….”
As Lark’s expression hardened, Leonard rummaged through a drawer and produced a single document.
Lark rushed over and examined it, his eyes widening in shock.
“As you can see, it is a Marriage Proposal Letter sent directly by the Prince of the Belcan Kingdom to our Rubetria, along with a personal handwritten letter.”
“She can simply refuse it.”
“What say do I have in the matter? This is a proposal that has come to my daughter—she must decide for herself.”
“Did your daughter not refuse?”
“She is considering it. The Prince of Belcan has even entered the country a week ago to see Rubetria’s face, and as far as I understand, she went to meet him today.”
Lark’s jaw fell open.
“You’re joking.”
“Why would I jest about such a thing?”
At Leonard’s furrowed expression, Lark found himself at a loss for words.
“That can’t be……. She wouldn’t…….”
Lark murmured as if his very soul had been drained from him.
Next came a loud bang as he slammed the desk. “Where are they meeting?”
“Fine Restaurant. But surely you’re not thinking of barging in and causing a scene? It would be unseemly to interfere with a promising young couple.”
“That makes no sense. She is my beloved, and we have not parted ways.”
“Is marriage a trifle? It is a matter of choosing a lifetime partner—surely it deserves careful deliberation.”
“No…….”
Lark’s expression grew indignant and his lips trembled, but then he crumpled the Belcan Prince’s proposal letter in his fist and turned toward the door.
He yanked it open to find a startled Biego standing there.
“Your Highness?”
Biego’s eyes quickly darted to the marriage proposal in Lark’s hand.
A proposal letter bearing a foreign seal.
Biego understood perfectly what it was.
“Wait. About that letter……”
But Lark paid him no mind and rushed off without a word.
Given the shock on Lark’s face, it was clear he had badly misunderstood the situation.
Returning to his study, Leonard sat with his hands covering his eyes, barely containing his laughter.
“Father, exactly what did you tell His Highness?”
“Nothing, hehe, nothing much.”
“You certainly did something. How can you tease an emperor of a nation this way?”
At Biego’s reproach, Leonard clicked his tongue and produced another Marriage Proposal Letter from somewhere.
This one he had prepared to give to Lark.
“Why shouldn’t I have a little fun? I’m not pleased with how easily he’s taking my daughter.”
* * *
Fine Restaurant.
Sweat beaded on Lark’s brow as he took the stairs two at a time.
‘He’s joking, right?’
This was truly a bolt from the blue.
Everything had come to a conclusion, and since yesterday, Lark had been deliberating with his ministers about the Abdication.
Naturally, the State Marriage had to precede the Abdication.
For that purpose, Lark had intended to put forward a marriage proposal to the Diolus family, but since Leonard had said he would wait until the proposal letter arrived…….
Yet suddenly, Rubetria had received a proposal from another man and gone off to meet him?
‘Of course he’s joking.’
Though the shock struck him, Lark did not fully believe Leonard’s words.
Rather, it was that he believed in Rubetria.
Was she the type to hastily weigh other suitors?
“Oh.”
But the moment Lark reached the Third Floor and saw two figures laughing together, his world shattered.
In a window seat on the Third Floor of the restaurant overlooking a panoramic view of the city—their special place, filled with memories—Rubetria was now sitting across from another man, smiling brightly.
“Your Highness?”
Rubetria, noticing Lark’s sudden appearance, gasped in surprise.
It can’t be.
There must be some misunderstanding.
Even as he approached, Lark convinced himself of this.
“What brings you here so suddenly?”
“My lady, what is…….”
“Oh my, forgive me. I should introduce you first. This is Prince Helios von Belcan, who has come from the Belcan Kingdom.”
Rubetria turned to address the man who sat across from her with an awkward expression, and Lark’s gaze followed.
The Prince Helios, with jet-black hair and blue eyes, had a youthful face that looked barely into his twenties.
But…….
‘Broad shoulders.’
His shoulders were quite broad. He carried himself with the bearing of someone meticulously maintained—an impressive physique.
In a word: exactly Rubetria’s type.
“Your Highness, this is the Crown Prince I mentioned to you.”
“Ah!”
Helios rose with a beaming smile and bowed respectfully.
“Crown Prince, it is an honor to meet you at last. I am Helios von Belcan of the Belcan Kingdom.”
“……Yes, a pleasure. Lark van Rashmah Deccard.”
“The lady has spoken of you quite often.”
Spoken of him? What could she have said?
Lark’s anxiety surged. “What were you two……, doing?”
“Hmm? Ah.”
As Helios released his grip from the handshake, he exchanged a glance with Rubetria and flashed a brilliant smile.
“Today is quite a milestone day. I have been granted the honor of spending a lifetime together with the lady.”
“……?”
“Haha, you flatter me, Your Highness.”
The two smiled at each other.
And Lark, caught between them,
felt his chest begin to collapse.
Thump-thump, thump-thump…….
His entire world crumbled around him.

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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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