Surviving as the Wife of the Swordsmanship Clan’s Troublemaker - Chapter 125

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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 125

The conference chamber of the Western Empire’s imperial palace stood sealed shut.
Four emperors sat around an enormous circular table. The Western Empire Emperor spoke first, his cold gaze fixed upon Maximus, the Northern Emperor.
“Northern Emperor. I’ll ask you directly—are you properly fulfilling your duties to guard Seraphim’s Paradise?”
At the sudden mention of Paradise, Maximus’s brow twitched.
“…Is this why you summoned me through the Holy Church?”
“This question must be answered before we can proceed with any meaningful discussion.”
Maximus clenched his teeth and exhaled heavily. It was an issue he would have to face eventually anyway.
“I acknowledge that. Due to severe troop losses from border defense, I confess we have been somewhat negligent in our duties to guard Paradise.”
The Western Empire Emperor immediately pressed further.
“Border defense? You lost a war and, unwilling to pay reparations, sought to start another conflict, did you not?”
“Are you bringing up war through this talk of security? Did you convene an international conference for such a reason?”
At that excuse-laden question, the Western Empire Emperor let out another hollow laugh.
“Is this truly a minor security matter? Rather than hear it from my own lips, it would be faster to hear from one who experienced it directly. Come in!”
The iron doors of the conference chamber, sealed tight, swung open. A red-haired man in armor walked in, escorted by Western Empire Knights.
The moment Maximus saw him, his face contorted in displeasure. It was a prince of Bloodmere, the family he found most loathsome at present. Maximus’s ominous gaze turned toward the man Nikolai had brought in chains. Nikolai then spoke.
“The Holy Church, long dismissed as mere legend, was real. And we captured an infiltrator who had embedded himself within our family.”
“An infiltrator?”
“Is this the one?”
“How did you capture this man?”
The emperors in the chamber each posed their questions.
Nikolai pointed to Morgan and continued his answer.
“This man is our family’s Household Guard captain of twenty years. He oversaw all entry and exit to our Dominion, managing everything inside and outside the Castle—he knew our family intimately.”
At those words, the conference chamber erupted in shock. A man who had sworn loyalty to the family was a traitor.
But it did not end there.
“He was born and raised in Bloodmere. So were his parents, and his parents’ parents.”
A chilling silence fell over the chamber like ice water. Those words meant that the Holy Church—that terrible heresy thought to have vanished centuries ago—had meticulously concealed its identity, indoctrinating faith from parent to child across generations, perpetuating that vile bloodline.
At that moment, the bound Morgan bit down on the gag in his mouth and made strangled sounds.
“What are you trying to say?!”
“Whatever he says will not be the truth.”
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to hear it?”
“He will bite through his own tongue. He has already confessed everything, and he does not know when a Holy Knight might appear to dispose of him.”
At those words, the emperors ceased urging him to remove the gag.
“For your information, those disposed of by Holy Knights have their souls trapped in the Demon Realm, condemned to eternal torment.”
At those words, the emperors ceased urging him to remove the gag, for they instantly grasped how horrifying the fate of a thoroughly brainwashed fanatic truly was.
Then Maximus suddenly rose from his seat.
“Do you all believe this? Have you lost your minds? You silence the accused and believe only the words of those Bloodmere dogs? Surely this is a fabrication concocted by those impious wretches to slander the Northern Empire, and you parrot it like mindless birds!”
As Maximus’s fury boiled over, the Western Empire Emperor raised his voice as well.
“Are you acting on emotion now? Enough with these baseless excuses!”
“I used truth incense when interrogating them.”
At the word that fell from Nikolai’s lips, Maximus’s forced expression crumbled entirely.
“Those who inhale that fragrance speak only truth, even as their minds burn with unbearable agony—surely you need no explanation of this.”
“That would be extraordinarily difficult to obtain. How did you even….”
“Difficult to obtain, yes, but not impossible. As for whether this is truly truth incense, I submit the remainder as evidence, since you seem curious.”
Nikolai stepped forward and drove his point home, cutting off the Northern Emperor’s words. Yet no one dared rebuke him for it.
“I also discovered what they desire.”
The reason was the statement that followed.
“To extinguish humanity’s bloodline. If we do not uproot them now, history’s anguish will repeat itself.”

***

“Cough…!”
Black blood spilled across Auriel’s white uniform. His body convulsed once more before crumpling to the floor. The man who had just been shaking me in his grip had finally drunk the poison.
“Have you lost your mind?!”
I reflexively caught him as he fell, terror seizing me at the sight of him vomiting black blood, writhing in horrible agony before my eyes.
“You survived death only to wish for it again? Or are you trying to become immortal?”
At my words, his lips—caked with blood—moved.
“…Humans are fragile. If we continue like this, we’ll die soon.”
He showed not a shred of fear before death itself.
“So why! Why did you tell me to die! You said you’d die for me!”
“Lara.”
“What exactly are you! If you’re Holy Church, you could just dispose of me!”
As I shook him and demanded answers, Auriel twisted his blood-soaked lips with great effort.
“Figure it out yourself.”
Crash!
The moment his whisper ended, the firmly locked drawing room door burst open violently.
“Hallara!”
Francesca, drained of all color, rushed in with soldiers at her side. Behind her came May, the Shopkeeper, and the Northern knights who had been escorting the Northern Empire’s Crown Prince—all pouring in at once.
Yet the footsteps of those who had burst through froze solid in place, their initial momentum rendered meaningless.
“What… what on earth is happening….”
Francesca’s lips trembled as she took in the horrific scene.
Fragments of a shattered teacup.
The Crown Prince collapsed, vomiting black blood.
And me, gripping and shaking him roughly.
It was a situation perfectly designed for misunderstanding.
“What in the world….”
In that brief moment while everyone stood frozen in shock, Auriel, cradled in my arms and gasping for breath, whispered something infinitesimally small into my ear.
“See you again.”
With those words, Auriel’s head fell limp. He had lost consciousness completely. Watching his body go slack, I lost all reason.
“No, no, no… Please, call the Doctor! The Doctor, please!”
I clung to him, drenched in blood, and screamed through my tears. Only then did the Northern Empire’s Household Guard captain snap to attention, letting out a bestial cry as he rushed toward Auriel. With trembling hands, he caught the scent of blood at the Crown Prince’s lips and his eyes flew wide with horror.
“This is Black Death poison, is it not? That lethal toxin capable of killing even colossal demons with a single drop—how could this be…!”
The captain’s eyes blazed crimson as they snapped toward me with murderous intent.
“Poisoning! An assassination!”
The Northern Empire’s Knights drew their blades in unison, the steel gleaming as they leveled their weapons at me. Those razor-sharp edges looked ready to slice through my throat at any moment.
“Lower your blades before my daughter-in-law!”
Francesca rushed forward, positioning herself between me and the Knights.
“Stand down! How dare you draw steel without permission!”
Francesca shielded me behind her, her voice cutting like a whip.
“Child. Do not be afraid. Tell me—what happened here?”
She turned back to me, her tone gentle despite the chaos.
“It’s not poisoning, Mother. Please, we need the Doctor now! Or Casio!”
Those were the only words I could manage.
“That will suffice.”
Francesca turned her gaze upon the Northern Empire’s Knights with a look sharp enough to draw blood. Yet they refused to lower their weapons.
“You would shield the poisoner in such obvious circumstances!”
“We have no time for this quarrel, do we? Would you have the Crown Prince die?”
“Such reckless words!”
“The Crown Prince must live! Clear the way! I will summon the Doctor to the Castle at once!”
At Francesca’s command, the Knights hesitated.
One of them, having grasped the situation, cried out urgently.
“Hear this well. Should His Highness the Crown Prince perish, the Northern Empire will have cause to declare total war for regicide! Bloodmere will become the enemy of the entire continent—mark my words!”
He ground his teeth and shouted frantically to his subordinates.

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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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