The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 133
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 133
“Ah, yes. That boy.”
Only then did the people recognize Theo.
The young rebel who had cried out for justice with his voice raised high, who had stirred their hearts.
The Princess personally bent her waist to meet Theo’s eyes.
“I know your courage was for Valdina today. As a Princess of this nation, I promise not to turn away from your call as a citizen of Valdina.”
Exclamations of admiration could be heard here and there at the Princess’s magnanimity in embracing even the rebels.
Theo too, if he hadn’t known that the Princess before him was the vicious mastermind who had threatened him with his sister’s life and orchestrated this performance, might have fallen for those sweet words.
But he knew.
That despite her gentle tone, not once had laughter touched the green eyes looking down at him.
The performance wasn’t over yet. Theo trembled.
“Your Majesty. Though this child was involved with the rebels, he realized the harm and risked his life to report the Regent’s treason.”
Medeia turned toward Peleus with a serene expression as if she hadn’t noticed his fear.
“Also, the Valdina Army’s ability to suppress the rebels was because this child unhesitatingly beheaded the corrupt leader. It’s difficult to recognize wrongdoing, but correcting it requires even greater courage. Therefore, I ask Your Majesty to pardon this child’s crimes.”
Peleus’s blue eyes briefly alternated between Medeia and Theo.
“Do as the Princess wishes.”
Permission was granted. Medeia slightly bowed her head toward Peleus as if expressing gratitude.
Meanwhile, a knight untied the rope binding Theo’s hands.
Thud. The thick rope fell away.
Theo looked down at his freed hands.
“…”
The metallic taste of blood lingered between his bitten and torn lips.
Rage surged toward the opponent who had held his family’s lives hostage to break his will.
However, he couldn’t deny that there was also instinctive relief at having survived.
Amid self-loathing and resentment toward the Princess, Theo had to acknowledge it.
That there was nothing he could do then, and nothing he could do now.
This game had been created in the Princess’s hands from the beginning, and he was merely a chess piece she held.
“I am grateful… for Your Majesty’s and Princess… Your Highness’s magnanimity.”
‘Are you satisfied now?’
As he barely managed to bow his head while suppressing his rising indignation, Medeia gently raised the corners of her mouth.
“How fortunate that you get to ‘live.'”
It meant not to forget that the price for the performance had been fully paid.
Theo, understanding the Princess’s hidden meaning, bit his lip again.
“…Yes, I will not forget that grace.”
After barely managing to spit out the greeting through his throat, he bowed his head.
Though it looked like a loyal greeting, it was actually to avoid Medeia’s gaze.
He could no longer meet those beautiful green eyes.
Unaware of Theo’s turbulent feelings, the people were impressed.
“Truly our Princess. What a radiant example of Valdina.”
“And what of His Majesty’s magnanimity in pardoning that boy?”
The sight of righteous citizens and the House of Valdina saving them brought to mind an epic poem.
However, the uplifted people had to feel displeasure before they could fully experience that overwhelming emotion.
“P-Princess Your Highness. Please save me too. Please, let me live too.”
The criminals, realizing through Theo’s example that the King, who had been like an impenetrable ice wall, would at least listen to his sister’s requests, shamelessly reached out to the Princess.
Among them, the most shameless was the Regent.
“Medeia, forgive me. I, your uncle, must have been temporarily blinded. Don’t you know how much this uncle cherished you-”
He tried to approach Medeia without giving up, squinting his bleeding eye, but tumbled backward.
“Do you want to lose your remaining eye too?”
Peleus’s sharp sword had blocked his path.
The Regent hastily covered his good eye protectively and stumbled backward.
“Uncle has no need to plead with me.”
As if mocking him, Medeia spoke calmly.
“If Uncle is truly the heaven-chosen owner of this land, wouldn’t the Goddess naturally arrange things accordingly?”
“Wh-what?”
“Heaven knows and earth knows! That I, Hoakin de Valdina, am truly destined to be the owner of this land! Why do you think Valdina has fallen to this state! It’s all because I’m not the King! The Goddess has sent punishment!”
She was returning exactly the mad outcry the Regent had bellowed earlier.
Before Peleus appeared. Before his belief that today heaven would become his was shattered to pieces.
The Regent ground his teeth. His remaining eye glared at Peleus and Medeia.
The siblings resembled each other remarkably. Even down to the arrogance of looking down on him with haughty pretense.
“Yes, mock me all you want. Your arrogance won’t last long either. How long can this Valdina, having made enemies of both the Duke and the 4th Princess, hold out against the Empire? Especially after the great defeat in the plains war!”
He spat out vicious curses.
“This tiny country will end with just one stomp of Kazen’s hooves! You’ll be trampled miserably! Ahahaha! In hell, I’ll be the one laughing at you!”
Peleus looked at the nearly mad Regent with disdain. One beautiful eyebrow rose questioningly.
“We suffered a great defeat…?”
As soon as the question that didn’t seem like a question fell, whoosh-!
The Agema raised their flags in unison.
“Th-those are the Lasai Tribe’s flags!”
“One, two, three… Good heavens, so many flags of the Plains Tribes…!”
Flags are the identity and symbol of an army.
Throughout the continent, no one willingly surrenders their flags, which are their pride, unless taken by the enemy.
Which meant…
A thread of possibility bloomed in the hearts of those watching the flags.
“The war is over, people! Our Valdina has won! The plains have become Valdina’s territory and will be this nation’s new future!”
Diangel followed with a loud cry.
“God has not abandoned Valdina! All the hardships until now will become fertilizer for our brilliantly shining homeland!”
“Wahhh! Victory! Our Valdina has won!”
“Wooooo! Long live Valdina! Long live His Majesty!”
Thunderous cheers rang out. It was full of shouts and exclamations.
Some danced joyfully, others collapsed in tears – all were moved by the fact that their homeland’s long-cherished wish had finally been fulfilled.
Only the Regent couldn’t enjoy that happiness.
“N-no way, that can’t be- Let go! Let go! It can’t end like this! It can’t end like this, Peleusss!”
The earth-shaking clamor buried even the desperate struggles of the Regent being dragged away by knights holding both his arms.
“Long live Valdina!”
It was a confident cheer for the first time in ten years.
* * *
A blind spot located below the tower on the opposite side of the city walls.
Chezare turned and leaned his back against the wall. The cheers reached even where he was.
“Boss, we need to go now. With the Agema here too, if we stay any longer, our presence will be discovered.”
Garo warned while glancing at Chezare’s empty hands. The dagger that usually spun around was nowhere to be seen.
“…”
“The Princess is safe now. You don’t need to worry, right?”
“Yes, Chezare. Don’t you have more urgent matters to attend to?”
“…”
It wasn’t difficult to find the gleaming silver hair in the crowd.
Chezare thought of Medeia.
The image of the girl who had never wavered, who had always been like a lighthouse, collapsing helplessly in her brother’s arms kept lingering in his mind.
Somehow it left a bitter taste.
A subtle sense of defeat he could grasp. A hollow laugh escaped between Chezare’s picture-perfect lips.
Had he hoped that the Princess would show exceptions only to him, and that he would be the only one to see such sides of the Princess?
“Garo.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Chezare’s golden eyes swept past Medeia to survey the entire Royal Palace.
“Prepare compensation to give to Valdina. Once the curse is resolved, we’ll need to pay a price equivalent to the Dawn’s Teardrop.”
“Of course, I’ve already started on it.”
Garo answered refreshingly. They intended to show all sincerity to this country that had bestowed the antidote for their lord.
That young and beautiful king would not know.
That he had been given a weapon called Facade by his side, more powerful and rare than anywhere else on the Continent.
“…I’m going back.”
Chezare turned his back.
Tap. Clack.
The sound of footsteps descending the stone stairs was soon drowned out by the distant cheers of “Hooray!” heard from afar.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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