The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 146

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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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The Phantom Bride of the Abandoned Prince — Chapter 146

“Looks like things went smoothly here too.”
Age, whose appearance was somewhat disheveled, surveyed the surroundings as he spoke.
He had Teleported into the forest with Pedro and fought a decisive battle.
Though it had taken some time, a Dragon over seven hundred years old could never lose to a mere human.
“My apologies for the delay! I was held up bringing Sebastian here!”
Habier approached Lucian’s group hurriedly alongside Sebastian.
Sebastian noticed that Leopold was severely wounded and tactfully channeled Holy Power into him.
“Your overall condition is not good. It seems you’ll need to receive Holy Power regularly.”
Leopold had already received healing Magic from Kaiser and Lia once, so his external injuries were gone, but he had been weakened considerably from having his Soul suppressed by Leon for so long.
“Quite a commotion the moment I wake up.”
Leopold, having regained some vigor after receiving Holy Power, smiled with a pale expression.
“I know you’re confused right now, but I’ll explain everything slowly.”
“…All right. I understand.”
Moved by his younger brother’s sincerity, Leopold placed his hand over the back of Lucian’s hand that gripped his own.
Not long after, Leopold’s eyes began to grow heavy.
Everyone present understood that exhaustion from expending so much energy was bringing sleep.
“Your Majesty, I shall attend to you.”
Sebastian ordered the priests who had come with him to take Leopold to a safe place.
“Wait—aren’t there still Black Mages swarming outside?”
“Don’t worry about that. We’re mopping up the remnants as we speak.”
Age answered Kaiser’s concern.
“Thanks to your efforts, Age and Sebastian, we were able to break the Black Mages’ momentum.”
While Sebastian had used Holy Power to neutralize the Black Magic, Age had thrown Pedro’s severed head among the Black Mages, crushing their morale.
Black Mages without their leader were nothing but a rabble.
Since Habier had brought several mages as well, they would soon be able to dispel the Barrier spread across the Imperial Palace.
“Ha, getting wrecked fighting just one Black Mage? The White Dragon’s lost all his dignity.”
Kaiser glanced at Age’s condition and snickered mockingly. Age shot back with an expression of pity.
“And you look like you’ve been through the wringer yourself. Seems you couldn’t handle the First Emperor alone after all?”
“Hmph! You didn’t see? That bastard’s dead because I went all out! Look at this!”
Kaiser thrust forward a display of White Flame, and Age’s eyes widened slightly.
Now that he looked closely, Kaiser’s presence was markedly different from before they’d parted. The power within him seemed far more vast than it had been.
Examining Kaiser carefully, Age sensed the Dragon Heart of Karserin resonating within him.
His eyes widened for a moment, then he grasped what had happened and slowly closed them.
Then he reached up and placed a rough hand on Kaiser’s head.
As he ruffled his hair roughly, Kaiser squirmed, asking what he was doing.
“Well done.”
His words were matter-of-fact, yet laden with acknowledgment, and Kaiser stopped his fussing to beam broadly.
“Yeah!”
While the two Dragons reunited, Lucian rose and worked with Habier to use the priests to clean up the current crisis.
“Move my brother to my quarters for now. Don’t show the Black Mages any mercy—dispatch them on the spot. Make sure there are no stragglers.”
“May we take the leaders into custody? We still have much we need to extract from them.”
“Yes, do as you see fit.”
Various other matters were discussed. Lia, watching them converse, sensed multiple presences approaching.
Naturally, they were not enemies.
“…Lucian!”
At the familiar voice, Lucian turned. Dio, Harry, and James came rushing over, their expressions a tangle of worry, joy, and relief.
As they ran, they spotted Leopold being carried by a priest.
They halted abruptly. Harry, in particular, stiffened, his trembling eyes fixed on Leopold.
“Surely Leopold isn’t…?”
“He’s safe. You don’t need to worry anymore.”
Harry, who had begun speaking in a negative tone, fell silent at Lucian’s words.
His body trembled, and soon he could no longer hold back his tears.
“Why are you crying on a day like this?!”
Dio teased, patting Harry gently, though tears had already gathered in his own eyes.
Having longed for Leopold’s safety as much as Lucian did, his friends’ hearts were easy to understand.
As Lucian was comforting his weeping friends, he spotted another group approaching in the distance.
“…Lucian.”
It was Ruber and Serena.
The moment they appeared, Kaiser’s gaze sharpened.
Lucian and Lia had been too engaged in their struggle to know what had happened between them.
“Leopold really…?”
Serena wavered at the sight of the hall, which looked as though a fierce battle had taken place.
Their manner of speaking, as though they knew everything, caused Lucian to furrow his brow.
“My apologies. It was a situation impossible to hide.”
James’s words helped Lucian understand what had transpired.
‘So they’ve learned everything,’ Lucian thought.
Lia watched the two of them quietly. Their complexions were quite pallid.
Had they been shocked by the revelation that the First Emperor had been alive all this time? Or by the fact that Black Mages had occupied the Imperial Palace? Or perhaps by learning that Lucian had long been connected to Leopold?
Regardless of the reason, it was just as well. He’d been growing irritated with these people who spouted their own positions without understanding what Lucian was struggling to accomplish.
‘If they have any conscience, they won’t mistreat Lucian carelessly now.’
If they did mistreat him, she would no longer hold back. Lia folded her arms and watched to see how they would respond.
“Lucian…”
Ruber spoke first. But he could say nothing more.
Trembling lips, eyes darting aimlessly, hesitation in every movement—Lucian felt keenly that their bearing had changed entirely from yesterday.
Lucian closed his eyes, then opened them.
“There is nothing more for you to worry about.”
Ruber and Serena flinched at his words.
“I’ve driven out the First Emperor’s Spirit that was in my brother’s body. Now, with Cardinal Sebastian, we’re apprehending the Black Mages. The only concern is that the Barrier spread across the Imperial Palace may have unsettled the Empire’s citizens.”
“…Lucian.”
“Things will be busy from tomorrow. The Palace needs repairs, the remaining Black Mages hiding within it must be rooted out, and the troublesome nobles who’ll complain about ill omens must be dealt with. For now, I’ll need Mother’s support. Until my brother recovers, I’ll handle the work…”
“Lucian!”
Ruber suddenly shouted, and only then did Lucian stop his steady stream of words.
“This is not the time for such talk…”
“Then what should I say?”
“How you came to know Leopold, why you agreed to our request despite knowing everything, and why you tried to bear such danger alone…”
There seemed to be more he wanted to say, but Ruber’s throat tightened and he could continue no further.
Through the fingers covering his face, something transparent glimmered.
“You should have told us sooner. We’re still your parents…”
Serena spoke through her tears. At the sight of them, Lucian’s expression grew somewhat impassive.
As if choosing his words carefully, Lia gently took Lucian’s hand. Lucian turned to look at her.
“Say what you want to say.”
Lucian’s eyes widened, then he smiled. Gripping the joined hand firmly, he set his expression with resolve.
“There seemed little point in speaking. It wouldn’t help me in the slightest.”
Ruber and Serena went rigid with shock.
“Everything I’ve done thus far has been entirely of my own will. My brother is the only family who has shared my pain and apologized for it. So when I heard he had collapsed for the first time, I came without hesitation.”
Ruber was reminded of when he first met Lucian.
When Lucian was four years old, wondering how the young boy was faring, he had briefly visited the Cold Palace where he lived.
Seeing his son in a condition worse than that of an Orphan, he had felt rage. But the moment the child instinctively called him “Father,” his heart ached.
Yet thinking it couldn’t be this way, he coldly shook off the boy clinging to his robes and never visited again.
The Lucian before him now and the small, fragile Lucian of four years ago seemed to overlap, yet they were entirely different people.
“Though I didn’t intend to stay so long, I don’t regret the time spent for my brother’s sake. And once he recovers, I’ll leave this place at once.”
As Lucian spoke of leaving, his expression appeared entirely unburdened. There was not a trace of reluctance in his eyes.
‘We did this to him.’
We failed to be a secure shelter for the child, failed to be the adults guiding him toward a righteous future, failed in our duty as parents while demanding a son’s obedience.
“…Do you resent us?”
“I’m not sure. I can’t say.”
Lucian shrugged casually, but the gesture only deepened the ache in their chests.
If only he would hurl accusations, they could accept them—but his detachment seemed to say that even such emotional expenditure was a luxury he could not afford for them.
Then Ruber’s gaze fell on Lia and Kaiser at Lucian’s side.
Both of them glared at Ruber and Serena with wary eyes.
“I see. You already have family.”
Lucian’s “family” did not include Ruber and Serena. His family was these two people.
They had turned away using the excuse that they shared blood, that he was their child, but now that reality could not be denied.
More than despair, the thought that they had driven Lucian to this state left them speechless.
“What are you saying? Family? Lucian is our family! We are his parents!”
It was then that Serena, trembling, burst out with words filled with anguish.
Ruber realized she still could not face reality.
“Lucian, we were wrong all this time. We’ve given you wounds that can never be healed. Let’s correct everything that went wrong. I’ll reveal your existence to the world! So even if you hand the throne to Leopold, you can remain in the Palace…”
“Enough.”
“Your Majesty, we cannot let Lucian leave like this! Don’t you understand how terribly we’ve erred? That a mother doesn’t even know what her own child is thinking…!”
“Serena!”
Ruber cut off Serena’s words with a loud voice. Her trembling eyes found Ruber’s expression—one of quiet despair.
“…Stop. Don’t you see that your actions are only tormenting Lucian further?”
Serena bit her trembling lips and shook her head. Ruber understood that she knew everything but was stubbornly denying it.
But he knew well that clinging to Lucian like Serena was doing would not be for his good.
“…Leave this matter to me. Thank you for all your efforts so far.”
With those words, Ruber turned away hastily. Serena looked between Lucian and Ruber before finally following him.
Watching them disappear, Lucian was silent.
“Ugh, acting so damn self-righteous.”
But his two companions were not. Kaiser clicked his tongue in mockery.
“Hypocrites, the both of them. One more word and I would’ve killed them.”
Lia spoke viciously, exuding killing intent.
Lucian’s eyes widened, and then he burst into laughter at the sight of the two of them.
“Ha ha ha ha! I’m fine, so why are you two making such a fuss?”
“Because you’re acting like everything’s fine, that’s why! Are you an idiot?! I should’ve cursed them to high heaven!”
“No, actually it’s better this way. Let’s not deal with those people anymore, not get involved with them. There’s enough good in the world to keep us occupied without worrying about them…”
Lia covered Lucian’s ears and comforted him, while Kaiser stomped around the floor indignantly, venting his anger.
It was quite pleasant to have people angry on his behalf.
Lucian smiled and pulled Lia and Kaiser into a tight embrace. The two blinked and turned to look at him.
“…Thank you for staying by my side.”
The affection in his words was clearly different from what he had shown Ruber and Serena.
Lia and Kaiser exchanged a look and held Lucian tightly in return.
“Let’s be happy from now on.”
The future that lay ahead would surely be filled only with days of brilliant sunshine, untouched by shadow.

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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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