The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 299

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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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Part 2, Chapter 146

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The First Prince’s Palace.

Medeia sat in front of the vanity.

Her reflection in the mirror showed her wearing an elegant, lustrous dress.

Medeia reached for the jewelry box and picked up a pearl-studded necklace, holding it up to her neck.

Since she hadn’t decided on accessories yet, various necklaces that Saya had laid out were neatly arranged in front of the vanity.

“Is it today? The Dowager Empress’s tea party?”

At the voice that reached her ears, Medeia reflexively looked up.

Chezare was leaning leisurely against the doorframe with the corners of his mouth turned up.

The clear morning air flowing through the open window gap gently tousled his fine hair.

“I thought you’d already left.”

He had been leading such a busy daily life that he would leave early in the morning and return only when night fell deep.

Medeia was also busy spending her days with reports from her subordinates and duties as an imperial consort, so the two had recently been seeing each other’s faces only when the day was nearly over.

“My wife is entering the wolf’s den. I’m worried, so my feet won’t move.”

With a languid voice mixed with playfulness, he strode inside.

Warm lips touched Medeia’s temple and then withdrew.

She hesitated.

Since that day in the imperial garden when she had first kissed his cheek, perhaps taking that moment as a sign of permission, his kisses had been becoming more frequent.

However, the contact was always fleeting, lightly touching only with the tip of his lips before cleanly withdrawing, so Medeia had no justification to stop him.

Chezare also seemed to know that permission extended only to her cheek, never approaching close to her lips.

‘It’s not like this hasn’t happened before.’

Moments when his lips had touched hers when she dealt with Jared or when she inherited the oracle flashed through her mind like fragments.

“This would be good.”

Then, Chezare picked up a diamond necklace from the jewelry box and placed it around Medeia’s neck.

The heat from his fingertips intertwined with the cold metal, and a strange sensation seeped deeply into her skin.

Behind Medeia’s shoulders, she could clearly feel the texture of the man’s crisp uniform and the presence of firm muscles that would be positioned beneath that thick fabric.

Without realizing that she was becoming accustomed to his touch, Medeia gazed at herself reflected in the mirror.

Diamonds and green sapphires were intertwined like petals on a chain as fine as silver thread.

The dazzling brilliance and breathtakingly exquisite craftsmanship drew admiration, and it was such a masterpiece that one wouldn’t know where to look first.

She couldn’t deny that it suited her hair and eye color, but…

“This necklace… isn’t it too much?”

“If you can’t avoid attention anyway, isn’t it better to properly dazzle those eyes?”

He replied nonchalantly.

His tone was as if he knew that today was her testing stage prepared by the Dowager Empress.

“Dea, shall I escort you there?”

“Are you planning to make me even more of an eyesore?”

Medeia was incredulous.

A husband personally escorting his wife to a trivial tea party would make even commoners laugh, let alone that cruel First Prince?

It seemed he wanted to confirm that the Emperor’s criticism about his son being wrapped around his daughter-in-law’s skirts was true.

“It’s your first time at the Crown Prince’s Palace.”

The gradually slowing low voice was gentle.

“If you get lost in the vast imperial palace and are late to the tea party, wouldn’t my consort be in trouble?”

Through the hand he had caught, straight fingers tickled Medeia’s tender palm as if brushing against it.

It was subtle contact and voice like a devil’s whisper.

Medeia gave him one look and then coldly pushed him away. Chezare let out a light laugh as if he had expected it.

“Then just go wild as you please. You can eliminate a few if you feel like it.”

He whispered while gently wrapping a few strands of silver hair that had fallen on his wife’s nape around his index finger.

“Your husband is best at that kind of cleanup.”

Go wild. Medeia unconsciously burst into a small laugh.

Their methods were truly different.

If Medeia quietly created gaps between people and gradually destroyed relationships, he was someone who crushed opponents by displaying overwhelming power.

That was because he had the backing of power to handle the consequences.

“I don’t like such flashy methods.”

When Medeia spoke calmly, Chezare smiled.

“Right. You… prefer something more secretive.”

Only the parties involved in the scheme would go mad,

But the world couldn’t even guess at their rotting insides, slowly tightening the noose.

That’s how it was with Claudio, and that’s how it was with Jason. They didn’t even know a snare was around their necks until their breath was suddenly cut off.

“Have fun, Dea.”

Chezare whispered while kissing his wife’s white cheek again.

* * *

The Dowager Empress’s residence, Kazen Palace.

The amphitheater located behind it was a space the Dowager Empress had prepared to enjoy performances with the Emperor.

Befitting a palace owned by the Emperor’s favored consort, the theater wasn’t large in scale, but it was meticulously decorated.

Refined golden decorations and red curtains embedded with exquisite purple and jewel ornaments enhanced the stage’s dignity.

“Ah, you with golden blood flowing, you are the world’s glory, light, and life—”

A clear lady’s voice echoed across the stage.

Befitting their reputation as top talents in the capital, their attire was as refined and splendid as noble young ladies’.

A dancer moved her supple body gracefully like a butterfly to the lady’s song and the musician’s melody.

However, that magnificent stage failed to capture the audience’s attention.

Their interest was endlessly drawn to the First Prince’s Wife sitting quietly below the stage throughout the performance.

“What the First Prince’s Wife is wearing… that’s Madame Debouar’s dress, isn’t it?”

A noble lady whispered low behind her spread fan.

Her eyes were fixed on the embroidery of the dress the First Prince’s Wife was wearing.

“Such delicate lace embroidery is Madame Debouar’s exclusive specialty, isn’t it? It must be.”

“How on earth did she get her hands on it? That woman doesn’t even accept commissions unless it’s someone she wants.”

“Is that all? I heard that the wedding, reception, and coronation dresses the First Prince’s Wife wore were all Madame Debouar’s works.”

“My goodness, then how much money did she spend…”

The ladies who had been counting on their fingers hastily hid their gaping mouths behind their fans.

“Since when has Valdina been so wealthy? It seems their sudden rise to a new empire wasn’t completely hollow…”

“It might be a gift from His Highness the First Prince. Could that proud Madame Debouar be summoned with money alone?”

Except for her spectacular appearance at the coronation, not much was known about the First Prince’s Wife.

Currently, while the major players in Kazen’s social circles were in a stance of ostracizing her,

The First Prince’s Wife didn’t even knock on that door, but rather built the walls higher and rarely came out of the palace.

To know the truth behind the growing imagination and rumors, one would have to delve into the fearsome First Prince’s Palace.

But since that was impossible, people’s curiosity only deepened.

Then, someone snapped irritably.

“Say something that makes sense. Would the wise First Prince indulge in such extravagance?”

The young lady pouting and frowning was the daughter of the Duke of the North, Princess Straus.

“Getting vulgarly excited and dressing up like that, she’s undermining all of His Highness the First Prince’s proud dignity.”

“…That doesn’t seem right, no, I mean. Princess Straus is correct.”

The noble lady who was about to refute the Princess’s words soon thought of her father, the Duke of the North, and quietly closed her mouth.

‘Duke Dong is currently bedridden, and the Duke of the West is preoccupied with monster waves. In the end, the Duke of the North will seize power.’

The North, which had recently changed owners, had successfully suppressed consecutive monster waves, shedding its past poverty and becoming prosperous both internally and externally.

Naturally, the position of the Duke of the North, who ruled the North, was also rapidly rising within the Empire.

‘That’s why the Dowager Empress called this girl, who isn’t even on the same side, to this place today.’

If the Duke of the North was likely to seize real power, they couldn’t let go of this connection either.

Unaware of the ladies’ calculations, Princess Straus took the silence as agreement and muttered triumphantly.

“Just watch, the Dowager Empress won’t just stand by and watch the imperial dignity crumble.”

Not a single person from the First Prince’s faction was present at today’s gathering.

It was all too clear that this was a stage set up to tear apart the First Prince’s wife.

A strange glint passed through Princess Straus’s eyes. A cruel anticipation arose in her almond-colored pupils.

Meanwhile, just as the Princess expected, the beautiful eyes of the Dowager Empress seated at the head table also sharply swept over the First Prince’s wife.

Particularly at the First Prince’s wife’s slender neck.

‘So that’s where it ended up being sold.’

The necklace that she had once even pestered Perdickas II to obtain but ultimately failed to get was hanging around that girl’s neck.

Whether that girl bought it herself or the First Prince gifted it to her, either way it was equally disgusting to look at.

‘Unlike our Angelique, you’re living quite luxuriously, aren’t you.’

A chill settled in the Dowager Empress’s eyes.

Meanwhile, the performance came to an end.

A bead of sweat trickled down the faces of the women who had finished their beautiful dance and song.

Despite everyone being lost in their own thoughts, the small banquet hall filled with the sound of applause.

“Now, since the performance is over, shall we go inside?”

The proper tea party to enjoy refreshments was scheduled to be held in the Crown Prince’s Palace glass greenhouse.

And the moment she stepped into that greenhouse, Medeia hesitated.

“Your Highness, please allow me to escort you this way.”

“…”

“Your Highness, First Imperial Princess?”

Medeia remained motionless as she stared at the Dowager Empress’s close maid.

All the seats inside the greenhouse were assigned.

And the seat the Dowager Empress’s maid guided Medeia to was next to the seats of the dancers who had just finished performing.

It was even positioned several steps below those seats, creating the impression that the dancers were people who sat at a higher position than her.

“…Why, why are our seats…”

Even the dancers seemed not to have expected this, as dismayed expressions appeared on their faces.

They realized why the Dowager Empress had summoned them today.

‘We’re just going to get caught in the crossfire of these high-ranking people’s power struggle.’

Saya, who was beside Medeia, also had fire flashing in her eyes.

‘These crazy bastards-! I wondered why they made the tea party procedures so complicated, but it was to deliver this kind of humiliation!’

A moment of bewildered atmosphere flowed among the attendees as well.

No matter how much she was the Dowager Empress, wasn’t seating the First Prince’s wife next to dancers excessively insulting?

Indeed, with the solid shield of the Emperor’s favor, she didn’t even fear the First Prince.

While it was something they themselves could never dare imagine doing, from a bystander’s perspective, it was an extremely entertaining spectacle.

How would the First Prince’s wife react?

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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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