The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 97
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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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Episode 97
‘Huh? That’s Fiona!’
Why was she here when she should be at the Second Prince’s Palace? I only wondered for a moment.
‘Perfect! If it’s Fiona, she’ll know where Lionel is right now.’
“Brother! Just give me a moment!”
“Huh? Cecil, where are you going!”
Leaving behind my brother who was trying to hold me back, I grabbed my skirt and ran toward Fiona.
“Fiona, Fiona!”
“Huh? …Ah! Lady Duchess!”
Fiona, who had been wandering around the venue with a tired face, showed a pleased expression when she saw me.
“It’s been so long! Have you been well?”
“Yes. I’ve been fine. But why are you here, Fiona? You belong to the Second Prince’s Palace.”
“I was transferred, or rather, demoted.”
“What? Why, why?”
“It’s not just me. Everyone who worked at the Second Prince’s Palace ended up the same way.”
Everyone who worked at the Second Prince’s Palace was demoted.
“Don’t tell me the Second Prince’s Palace has already been cleared out?”
Fiona nodded her head.
“Currently, there’s no staff managing the Second Prince’s Palace. That place won’t be the Second Prince’s Palace anymore.”
According to Fiona, her position change happened a week ago.
In other words, the Empress had started clearing out the Second Prince’s Palace even before Lionel had returned.
“That’s too much….”
“Shh! Be careful. You never know who might be listening where.”
The Empress had always been a sensitive person, but after the Emperor’s death, she had become even more irritable.
If anyone spoke even slightly complainingly about her, they would be arrested immediately.
“If the Second Prince’s Palace has already been cleared out, where is Lionel preparing for the coronation?”
“The coronation? No…. I heard His Highness the Second Prince left the Imperial Palace.”
“He left?”
At my question, Fiona carefully nodded her head. I was bewildered by this unexpected situation.
‘Outside the Imperial Palace? Where outside the Imperial Palace?’
“Actually, Her Majesty the Empress didn’t want His Highness the Second Prince to return to the Imperial Palace in the first place.”
“….”
“Honestly, even from my perspective knowing nothing, His Highness the Second Prince attending His Highness the First Prince’s coronation is a bit….”
Fiona trailed off, but I roughly understood what she was trying to say.
‘Oracle or whatever, anyway, it’s practically the same as stealing the throne that was meant for Lionel by taking advantage of the Emperor’s death.’
Moreover, Lionel had an oracle. An oracle that he would ascend to a lofty position.
Of course, that oracle came with the condition that it would be regardless of his own will, but from the Empress’s perspective, it must have felt unsettling.
So she drove him to the temple to become a different kind of lofty figure.
‘Hmph, does she think I’ll just let things go her way?’
“Thank you for telling me, Fiona. It was really helpful.”
“Not at all. You’re going to see His Highness the Second Prince, aren’t you?”
“How did you know?”
I touched my face wondering if it showed, and Fiona looked at me and winked as if asking how she could not know.
“By now, His Highness the Second Prince might have arrived at the temple. Hurry and go see him, Lady.”
“Yes! Thank… Wait. The temple?”
“Huh? Yes. Probably so.”
“So he received an order to take refuge in the temple…. And obediently went to the temple…?”
Was the aura emanating from my body ominous? Fiona hesitated a little.
“Y-yes. Probably so? Since an imperial command was issued.”
“…Ha!”
This is unbelievable, really.
‘He told me we should have a proper engagement ceremony!’
Just because some imperial command was issued, he obediently went to the temple? Without even thinking of somehow nullifying that order? Abandoning me this easily?
‘No, no. Stay calm. I don’t know yet.’
Maybe he went to our house. He might be desperately searching for me.
So getting angry is premature. …For now!
“I’ll really go check. See you later, Fiona!”
“Ah, yes.”
Leaving Fiona behind, I ran to my brother and said,
“Brother! I’m going somewhere!”
“Alright. If you’re going to cause trouble, keep it to a manageable level for cleanup.”
Tsk. That’s a rather difficult request.
Just then, Father and Mother were entering through the door together.
I rolled up my skirt with both hands and ran to them.
“Father! Mother!”
“Oh my, Cecil?”
“What if you fall running like that….”
“I! I want to be a Duke!”
“What did you say?”
Surprised by my sudden statement, Father and Mother looked at me with wide eyes.
Whether my sudden bombshell declaration was interesting or they were also flustered, I could feel gazes flying from all directions.
I didn’t care and spoke to them.
“Of course, I only studied magic so I don’t know anything about estate management. But I’ll bring a son-in-law who will manage the estate incredibly well in my place.”
Beside Father, who was just blinking with a bewildered face, Mother burst into loud laughter.
Soon, Mother looked at me with eyes curved like a crescent moon and patted my head.
“Yes. Make sure to bring a smart and sincere man.”
“Yes! I’ll be back!”
I immediately rushed outside and found the carriage I had arrived in, jumping inside.
Then Uni, who had been waiting inside the carriage, looked at me with surprised eyes.
“Lady? Why are you out already?”
“Let’s go, Uni!”
“Huh? Where to?”
Where else would it be?
“To catch my man!”
The temple or our house.
‘It would be fortunate if he went to our house, but if he obediently accepted the imperial command and went to the temple….’
He’s dead, really!
* * *
After leaving the Imperial Palace, Lionel headed straight to the Dark District. There, Fry had already assembled the forces within the Dark District.
“Have you arrived, Leader?”
Though Lionel hadn’t said a word yet, Fry was extremely tense and swallowed nervously.
Though he appeared emotionless as usual on the surface, the aura emanating from him felt as threatening as the blade of a taut guillotine.
“We could only gather about half of our total forces due to the urgency, but I believe this number of people would be sufficient to occupy the Imperial Palace.”
Though the Imperial Knight commanders would have scoffed at such words, this was by no means an exaggerated statement.
Lionel’s grandmother, the Former Empress, was the hidden contributor who had made her husband Emperor with her own hands.
However, very few people knew this fact. Rather than revealing her achievements and showing off her abilities, she chose to conceal them. It was to hide the power she possessed.
As part of this, she sent her private soldiers to the Dark District.
Thus, she was able to hide a military force unknown even to the Emperor in this capital, right under the nose of the Imperial Palace….
Until the Former Empress fell seriously ill and went into seclusion, the elite military force she had operating as the shadow of the Imperial Palace came into Lionel’s hands.
Each member of this military force possessed overwhelming martial prowess while being trained to have blind loyalty toward their leader.
Therefore, naturally, even with such a momentous undertaking as rebellion before them, not a single person refused the order or tried to flee.
With just the leader’s command, whether it be the Emperor’s head or the Empress’s head, they would cut down everyone who stood in their way and bring it back.
“The coronation ceremony will be held soon, and after the coronation, there will be a commemorative banquet… When night falls deep, the guards will become lax. That would be the time to strike.”
Tonight.
Though he wanted to rush to the Imperial Palace right now and break that bastard calling himself his brother’s elbow, Lionel decided to be patient.
He knew very well how outrageous what he was about to do was.
There would be only one chance. He had to be careful.
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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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