I’m Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 178

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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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Chapter 178
With her hair entirely pinned up beneath an ornate headdress of flowers and feathers, her pristine, porcelain neckline was fully exposed.
The off-shoulder Neckline was adorned with exquisite Lace, and beneath it, a form-fitting blue chiffon dress complemented her eye color beautifully.
Clad in long white silk gloves that extended to her forearms and escorted by Duke Flone, she appeared utterly elegant.
Kaiden swallowed hard, his throat dry.
[Don’t act like a fool. Get yourself together.]
Had it not been for Jenas’s voice echoing in his mind, he would have nearly made a spectacle of himself.
He’d almost kissed Margaret, forgetting entirely that Duke Flone and others were present.
Why did Margaret have to be so beautiful?
With her thick lashes trembling as she gazed up at him, her gentle smile could convince anyone she was an angel descended from heaven itself.
Kaiden’s brow furrowed slightly.
His chest stirred unbearably.
It was a strange sensation—heat rushing to his face, though he couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason why.
Margaret had always been beautiful, but today she displayed a murderous loveliness that made him want to lock her away in the Magic Tower and keep her for his eyes alone.
‘Damn it.’
Kaiden felt a burning thirst consume him. Simply gazing at her left his entire body tense and aching.
“This won’t do. Buy me some time by stalling. If Margaret sees my condition, she’ll worry.”
The dizziness was still far too severe.
[Why should I do that?]
“Listen here, old man. Don’t get confused. You’re my slave right now.”
[Insolent brat.]
Jenas replied in a voice barely containing his anger, but there was no other option.
“That’s an order. It’ll only take a moment.”
Before Jenas could even respond, Kaiden had already transferred control of the body to him.
Jenas stood somewhat reluctantly before Kaiden shouted “Manifest” and imprinted a seal, leaving him no choice but to go greet Margaret as commanded.
* * *
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s mood had been thoroughly unsettled throughout.
It was acceptable that Margaret had rejected his partner request. She had also rejected Kaiden’s, after all.
Standing at the entrance to the Banquet Hall, which only the Imperial Family could access, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid watched intently as Margaret and Kaiden arrived.
Margaret, Duke Flone, and Kaiden entered the Banquet Hall together.
Officially, Duke Flone was Margaret’s partner. Yet Kaiden appeared alongside them, behaving familiarly toward Margaret in a way that made him seem like her true partner to any casual observer.
It was clear that Kaiden was deliberately exploiting this perception. The cunning wretch.
Frustration clenched Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s fist. The whispers of the nobles watching them reached his ears with stark clarity.
“Was Lady Flone acquainted with the Lord?”
“How unexpected. I thought Lady Flone only had eyes for the Crown Prince.”
“Surely it’s time she considered other men. She’s reached a suitable marriage age, after all.”
“True enough. His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t seem fond of Lady Flone anyway.”
“Small wonder. Lady Flone pursued him like a stalker and pestered him relentlessly. I’d lose interest too.”
“Perhaps she lacks feminine charm. Or maybe there’s something wrong with her that drives her to such obsession?”
Now the gossip turned toward Margaret herself. Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s mood darkened considerably.
Yet there was nothing false in what they said. In the past, he had genuinely despised Margaret, and that was an undeniable fact.
How could he change people’s perception in a way that would benefit Margaret? Everyone needed to know that now, Margaret was all he had.
“You arrived early.”
At that moment, the Emperor and Empress arrived and spoke to Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid.
The Crown Prince Uniform that Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid wore was more resplendent than ever before. Since the Imperial Family had lost face due to the Crown Prince’s disappearance, this was a direct order from the Emperor to restore the Imperial Family’s authority.
The Emperor wished to restore the Imperial Family’s honor and send a warning to the hostile nations they had fought and the forces that had kidnapped the Crown Prince.
Because of such a firm resolve, the Empress also refrained from speaking, her eyes narrowing with displeasure as she scrutinized Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid. But the moment their eyes met, she offered a warm, affectionate smile.
“You look particularly splendid today. Thanks to you, the Imperial Family’s authority will shine.”
At the Empress’s words, the Emperor chuckled and patted Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid’s shoulder.
“Enoch, you are now my hope. So do not disappoint me. Remember how you climbed to this position, and do not become like your brother.”
At the Emperor’s words, the Empress, who had momentarily lost control of her expression, glared at him before hastily turning her head away in embarrassment. The Emperor simply smiled as if he hadn’t noticed. Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid nodded calmly.
“I shall bear that in mind.”
Thus they finished all preparations to enter the Banquet Hall. As a fanfare sounded, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid entered the Banquet Hall slowly alongside the Emperor and Empress.
Inside were gathered all the high-ranking nobles of the Langrid Empire, and there were also people from the Papal Court. Centered around the Rohade Family were members of the Mage Association, yet Marquis Rohade himself was nowhere to be seen.
Those presumed to be from the Peony Faction had gathered in large numbers, and with so many people at the party, it was ideal for gathering information about them.
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid observed them carefully and wondered why Marquis Rohade was not visible at the party.
‘If it’s Kaiden, he might know.’
Among the Peony Faction, there were key figures at the center: Marquis Rohade, the Empress, and the Pope.
It was not unusual for the Pope to abstain from parties hosted by the Imperial Family, but Marquis Rohade, a noble of the Langrid Empire, was different. Why had he not come to this party?
The moment the Emperor finished his greeting, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid descended from the platform, intending to find Margaret. That is, if the Emperor had not found her first.
“Kaiden, Lady Flone. Come here. Are you not the guests of honor at today’s party?”
The Emperor gestured toward Margaret and Kaiden, who were conversing in a secluded corner.
The moment they were called upon, Margaret and Kaiden approached with reluctant expressions, like students unwilling to present, and slowly walked toward the center of the party.
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid stood in place, watching Margaret approach me, and momentarily held his breath.
Beautiful—such a clichéd word falls short of description. The water-blue dress that accentuated her gracefully extended neckline made her alabaster skin stand out, creating the illusion that a water nymph was walking toward us.
“You must have endured much hardship. I heard that while you were kidnapped on the Island, you underwent Divine Imprinting with the Divine Beast.”
At the Emperor’s following words, the party stirred with murmurs.
Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid stood beside the Emperor, quietly observing Margaret’s tense expression.
As she seemed to stumble slightly, Kaiden, standing beside her, caught her arm to support her weight. The two standing close together before the Emperor looked like lovers.
Watching this scene, Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid clenched his fists again. His body tensed. He suppressed the urge to rush forward, push Kaiden aside, and take his place.
“Could you display the Divine Beast before everyone? Let us prove to all that the Langrid Empire is a sacred nation blessed with a Divine Beast.”
The Emperor commanded Margaret quietly. This was the reason the Emperor had brought Eun-ji to the party.
Margaret hesitated for a moment, then looked at Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid. Their eyes met. When Enoch Aster Klaus Langrid quietly nodded, Margaret slowly withdrew Eun-ji from her dress pocket.
“Good heavens, a snake?”
“I cannot believe that is a Divine Beast.”
“How repulsive.”
At the unexpected appearance of the “Divine Beast,” the murmurs among the crowd grew louder. The thin serpent resting on Margaret’s two palms shrank back in fear.
Then the Emperor let out a hearty laugh and swept his gaze across the assembly.
“Did I not say that this serpent descended from the heavens? If it truly is a Divine Beast, is there evidence of divine blessing? I would be delighted if you could demonstrate it here.”
At the Emperor’s words, silence fell over the party. Even the orchestral accompaniment that had been playing ceased to be heard.
When Margaret’s face showed bewilderment, one of the Bishops dressed in the Papal Court’s clerical robes stepped forward, knelt before the Emperor, and his hat fell off in the process.
Enoch noticed the Peony Faction symbol carved into the nape of the man’s neck.
Kaiden, standing beside Margaret, also noticed it and exchanged a glance with Enoch.
“If I may be so bold, Your Majesty. Regarding the divine beast you mentioned, might the Papal Court present its position? That is not a divine beast, but a Magical Beast.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Deep bewilderment flashed across Margaret’s face. Enoch looked at the kneeling Bishop, then glanced at the Empress.
In that fleeting moment, he saw the Empress and the Bishop exchange a look.
Enoch’s brow furrowed in irritation. It seemed they had prepared to raise objections like this from the moment the Emperor commanded Margaret to bring the divine beast.
Enoch observed the situation calmly.
It would be better for Margaret, the owner of the divine beast, to step forward herself rather than for him to intervene and help her.
Any words would do. If Margaret spoke first, then he would step in to support her.
Kaiden, who was restraining his nature and standing quietly, likely shared the same thought.
The Bishop continued speaking.
“According to ancient records, a divine beast should emit Divine Power, not Mana. However, this serpent emits only Mana.”
At the Bishop’s words, one of the Elder Chairmen of the Mage Association who had been watching Kaiden’s reaction quickly knelt and added his voice.
“That is correct. This serpent certainly emits Mana.”
The murmurs of the gathered crowd grew louder. Kaiden’s menacing gaze fixed on the side of the Elder Chairman’s face.
While wiping cold sweat and watching Kaiden’s reaction, the Elder Chairman deftly retrieved something from his pocket. It was a transparent orb the size of a fist.
“This is a Mana Orb to prove it is a Magical Beast, not a divine beast. It is a sphere that measures the amount of Mana one possesses and is commonly used to test the aptitude of Mages. When someone with Mana places their hand on this orb, it glows purple.”
The moment he finished speaking, Enoch saw Margaret place her hand on Eun-ji’s head, as if sharing her Mana with the serpent.
“Very well. Then let us determine whether this serpent brought by Lady Flone possesses Divine Power or Mana.”
The Emperor nodded to the Elder Chairman of the Mage Association with an unreadable expression.
Margaret gently placed Eun-ji on the orb. As the serpent coiled around the fist-sized sphere, it began to glow with a purple light.
Startled gasps erupted from various corners of the hall.
The Bishop shouted as if he had been waiting for this moment, pointing at Eun-ji.
“Behold! As expected, this is a wicked Magical Beast! Lady Flone, who deceived Your Majesty with falsehoods and dared to impersonate a god, must face severe punishment. In the name of God, we must execute judgment. Please permit the Papal Court to take custody of the Young Lady so that she may answer for her crimes.”
Margaret was one of the survivors from Alea Island, and the cleric before them belonged to the Peony Faction. Their demand for custody of Margaret was transparent in its intent.
The white serpent flinched in surprise, coiling back and looking toward Margaret.
“That bas—!”
Just as Kaiden was about to curse in anger, Margaret stepped in front of 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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