The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 344

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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 191

“Mother, you cannot leave like this. How can you abandon your son alone overnight without a word…!”

Juan wailed.

His eyes were swollen from crying all night, and his voice was hoarse like metal scraping.

Gone was his usual gentle and dignified demeanor—the 3rd Prince had completely lost his reason.

“Your Highness, you must pull yourself together at times like this. The Queen Mother would not want to see you like this either. Please, sob, for this old man’s sake at least…”

Count Montfort grabbed the coffin and helped up his collapsed grandson.

‘His Majesty is watching. If Juan also falls from His Majesty’s favor, we’re finished.’

He noticed the growing anger in Perdickas II’s eyes at Juan’s heart-wrenching cries.

‘Catherine, you foolish girl. How are your father and Juan supposed to live after you made such a choice?’

The Count’s hair had also turned completely white overnight.

Deep wrinkles were carved into his face as if decades had been etched all at once.

As if he couldn’t remember his past self who had once mocked Eratosthe, Empress Eleanor’s father.

“Of all people, the Queen Mother, that proud woman, would make such a choice…”

Whispers leaked from various corners of the funeral hall.

As expected, the Queen Mother’s end was far more pitiful than Empress Eleanor’s funeral, who had also ended her life by suicide.

The number of attending nobles, the amount of funeral flowers offered—nothing came close to Eleanor’s funeral.

“Hmph. She must have had her sins. Did you see how the 1st Prince spared his enemies? Didn’t she take responsibility first before the 3rd Prince’s faction was slaughtered, her feet getting cold?”

Confusion and surprise. And mostly cold silence followed.

“She mocked the Empress who died raising another’s child, but her own precious biological son is actually… tsk tsk.”

The 1st Prince Chezare, an adopted son who shared not a drop of blood with Empress Eleanor, had given her a proper state funeral despite the Emperor’s displeasure.

But now, the biological son the Queen Mother had been so proud of seemed busy struggling and gasping in his grief.

“If this is how it is, I’d rather raise an adopted son myself. Oh my, was I too harsh with my words?”

People giggled at this contradiction.

These were people who once dared not breathe properly in the Queen Mother’s presence.

But now they spoke of her death without hesitation and mocked her.

“Tsk. Why is the air so stifling?”

Perdickas II frowned and spat out phlegm with a harsh sound.

The thick fragrance of incense filling the funeral hall stung his nose.

“I can’t stand it anymore. Dowager Empress, my body is unwell so I’ll withdraw first. You handle the rest. You two probably had much to say to each other anyway.”

The Dowager Empress was momentarily speechless.

Thanks to Angelique tugging at her sleeve, she barely came to her senses and agreed.

“Yes, yes. Your Majesty… Please leave this place to me and rest comfortably…”

Even so, she was a woman he had spent a lifetime with, yet he was so heartless.

Watching the Emperor turn his back on the funeral hall because the incense bothered him, the Dowager Empress didn’t know what to say.

Did that man truly have a heart made of iron?

“Mother, why act surprised now? Is the Late Emperor someone who would show courtesy to the now-useless Queen Mother or Juan?”

After completing the ceremony to the end in the Emperor’s place,

Princess Angelique spoke to her mother who was staring blankly at the Queen Mother’s coffin.

“I felt it keenly when we were exiled to the frontier. The only thing important to the Late Emperor is himself.”

Angelique’s voice was tinged with cold cynicism.

“If it brings no benefit, it doesn’t matter whether it’s family or blood relatives.”

“Angelique, this mother is frightened.”

The Dowager Empress unconsciously wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

Her body trembled at the imperial family’s ruthlessness she felt once again on her skin.

“Don’t worry. Still, not everyone in Cazen is as heartless as the Late Emperor. It will be different when the 1st Prince ascends the throne.”

“Doesn’t Chezare also have Cazen blood flowing through him?”

“But by his side is Valdina’s daughter.”

Yes. Valdina’s daughter, Medeia had changed everything.

The 1st Prince, and even this empire’s situation.

Angelique looked up.

Under the bright sky, the sun blazed golden.

“Everyone is probably waiting only for that day.”

* * *

The 1st Prince’s palace annex.

The 1st Prince’s palace, which had boasted relative quietness being separated from the imperial palace, recently had no time for dust to settle on carriages.

“I hear the First Prince’s Wife likes kumquats?”

A noble from the 3rd Prince’s faction knocked on the annex door.

He was one of the wealthy individuals known for solid finances in the capital.

“My estate’s specialty just arrived… I thought of Her Highness’s health and brought some.”

“Step aside. Trying to win favor with mere food?”

Another noble beside him bowed. He smiled and offered a box.

“This is a tiara. It has sapphire diamonds carefully crafted one by one by dwarves. For the coronation, no, whenever Your Highness feels inclined to use it, that alone would be an honor our family would treasure for life.”

Their faces glistened as they fawned.

“Count Neryl, you use a sword, don’t you? Our family has an heirloom passed down for generations that I absolutely want to gift to you.”

“Our Duke was impressed by Saya’s beautiful character. He wants to adopt Saya as his daughter—what do you think?”

While approaching Neryl and Saya, who were the First Prince’s Wife’s close associates, they tried to please both of them.

“Hmph, when did they pretend not to see our Highness under pressure from the imperial consorts?”

Looking at the pile of gifts that overflowed to one side after filling all the annex’s storage, Saya grumbled.

The Cazen nobles’ change of sides was remarkably swift.

Now they were bowing and scraping, unable to properly meet the eyes of someone who was merely a commoner maid.

The times when they tried to isolate Medeia now felt like the distant past.

“Even so, we are His Highness’s face. We must not show weakness even at times like this.”

“I know, Count Menil. That’s why they can’t even get close to His Highness the 1st Prince and only come to us.”

The 1st Prince’s ruthless nature was not lenient enough to accept those who had changed sides belatedly.

Especially nobles belonging to the 3rd Prince’s faction persistently visited the annex as if they had never tried to hold the 1st Prince’s funeral, seeking their own survival.

“After His Highness Chezare threw one of the 3rd Prince faction’s high-ranking members headfirst into a ditch, the number of those desperately clinging in front of the annex definitely decreased.”

“Still too many. Now the Mercenaries of Pasad openly come and go from the annex too. Right, Garo?”

The weapon merchant who dominated the continent was also revealed to be the 1st Prince Chezare’s right hand, so what would being thrown into a ditch matter?

“Yes. So he should have killed that noble. It’s not like the boss to show mercy, and now it’s become troublesome.”

“Garo, grow up. If he had done that, would they have sought the annex instead of the imperial palace? Her Highness also said the momentum is shifting to our side, so don’t act rashly.”

“If Her Highness said so, well… I should listen.”

At Terrence’s rebuke, Garo scratched his head.

“Just organize the upcoming play well. We need to catch those worthless fish properly. Is this the time for you to be fooling around so leisurely?”

“Ah, I got it! We played together, so why are you only scolding me?”

* * *

The annex’s outdoor garden.

The outdoor theater within was filled with golden candlelight.

The secretive space that rarely allowed outside access had been opened. An outdoor stage was set up in front.

It was a stage for the masquerade play the First Prince’s Wife had opened by inviting artists.

“What was the theme again?”

“It was one of the continental legends… the story of the Dawn Queen and the Black Dragon?”

“The story where the Dawn Queen shared her light with a human hero to save the world.”

The attendee nodded.

“Right. Since the atmosphere in the imperial palace has been quite ominous after the Queen Mother’s passing, Her Highness is holding such an entertaining event to comfort people’s hearts.”

They all praised the First Prince’s Wife, saying she truly had the qualities of an empress.

Today, the Dowager Empress and the 4th Princess also attended to grace the occasion.

It was fair to say that almost all the influential families dominating Cazen had attended.

Since the Queen Mother’s funeral was recent, everyone wore black veils signifying mourning or had white chrysanthemums pinned to their chests.

However, it was difficult to hide the lively and excited atmosphere.

“Why do you only tell us the theme and keep everything else a secret? No matter how much I begged, you wouldn’t tell me anything, so I was dying of curiosity. Is it a new play?”

Princess Angelique’s playful complaints were brief,

“The play begins!”

They quickly became absorbed in the performance.

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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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