The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 160

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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 160

“This year there was a major incident during the April boat outing, wasn’t there? There was nonsense talk about the Crown Prince’s ability to defend the capital, which brought up security issues. So unlike last year’s succession ceremony, the changes made are here and here…”

Following the Empress’s relentless flow of words, Rita found her mind filled with theories and knowledge about the laurel wreath succession ceremony and the role of the Coronator.

This too was a strangely familiar pattern. As expected of Aunt Olivia.

After the storm-like time passed, Empress Ophelia moved locations with her.

“This is Laurea Hall. It’s the historic place where the first Emperor received his laurel wreath. The annual founding day banquet is also held here. This is your first time, isn’t it, Noblewoman?”

It was a building that rose majestically in the center of the Imperial Palace’s central garden. The walls and pillars decorated with black marble and gold were both solemn and splendid.

A space consisting of an oval corridor on the outer edge directly connected to the garden, semicircular seating arranged in tiers that allowed one to look down at the central floor, a floor space wide enough to hold a ball and a towering ceremonial altar positioned north of the seats.

Upon entering the hall, the altar could be seen between the pillars of the outer corridor, which were wrapped with reliefs in the shape of laurel branches.

Around the altar, a massive black dragon with spread wings embracing the platform with its front paws was carved in black marble, and in the center of the altar, pure gold was inlaid to create a laurel wreath pattern.

Sunlight passing through the glass window in the center of the domed ceiling fell precisely on the laurel wreath pattern atop the black altar, shining like radiance.

The light reflected off the gold reached the yellow gemstones embedded in the eyes of the black dragon embracing the altar, making the sculpture appear alive.

Lillieta followed Ophelia with small exclamations of admiration at the scene that felt almost sacred.

The Empress approached the altar and spoke as if suddenly remembering something.

“This is also where I first met the Crown Prince, Noblewoman.”

“You first met here?”

“Yes, it was during a laurel wreath succession ceremony. I had seen his face a few times before, but that was the first time I properly spoke with that child. The Crown Prince had been registered under me, but the Previous Emperor kept him by his side all day, so I had no opportunity to see him separately before then.”

She added with a bitter expression.

“And I didn’t particularly try to go see him either.”

* * *

When the Previous Emperor was alive, Emperor Lawrence diligently attended to state affairs. He had no choice with his fearsome and stern father glaring at him.

He also performed the laurel wreath succession ceremony as a duty. Lawrence himself didn’t consider Empress Ophelia his companion in the slightest, but with the Previous Emperor watching, he had no choice but to make her his Coronator.

Ophelia at that time had resigned herself to everything.

She had been quite active right after becoming Empress, but as Lawrence’s inferiority complex, Nina’s irresponsibility, and the Previous Emperor’s indifference continued after he failed to change Lawrence through marriage to Empress Ophelia and decided to focus on his genius grandson instead, she lost all motivation.

‘I’ll just live like this, enjoying hobbies and such. If I try to step forward and do something, it only troubles my heart.’

As she was roughly placing the golden laurel wreath on Lawrence’s stupid head while thinking such thoughts, Ophelia’s eyes suddenly caught sight of young Gideon sitting in the very front of the semicircular seating.

The Crown Prince, only 7 years old, sat in neat ceremonial attire with proper posture unsuited to his age, but his complexion was particularly pale.

In that state, perhaps trying to wipe away sweat, the child unconsciously raised his left hand, and his face momentarily contorted in pain. The child lowered his raised left hand and lifted his right hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

‘The gloves on both hands are different.’

The Crown Prince’s gloves were both black, but their shape, material, and thickness all appeared different.

While his ceremonial attire was perfect, the mismatched gloves felt very awkward. As did his pained expression when he tried to raise his left hand.

Even though she had tried not to care about how the Imperial Family operated or state management anymore, Empress Ophelia couldn’t bear how the young Crown Prince’s strange appearance bothered her.

So she came down from the platform and headed to where the Crown Prince was as soon as the full banquet began. She blocked the Previous Emperor’s loyal attendant who was trying to immediately leave the ballroom with the young Crown Prince.

“I would like to have a conversation with the Crown Prince.”

“Your, Your Majesty, that is…”

The attendant showed signs of hesitation, having apparently received some command from the Previous Emperor. Ophelia raised her chin and spoke arrogantly.

“Is there a problem with me, the Empress, having a brief conversation with my ‘son’?”

“…No, there isn’t. Then I shall wait for a moment.”

Under the watch of the Previous Emperor’s attendant, Ophelia took Gideon toward the outer corridor.

In a place where thick pillars would shield them, she bent down and grasped the boy’s hands, lifting them up.

“Ah.”

The moment she touched his left hand, the young Crown Prince let out a small groan. The Empress asked in surprise.

“Are you injured here, Crown Prince?”

“No, I’m fine.”

The child answered maturely, but couldn’t completely hide his pain. His small face contorted slightly. Ophelia stared down at Gideon as he hid his left hand behind his back, then commanded.

“Put out your left hand.”

“…”

The boy stubbornly closed his mouth and lowered his eyes. She could see his left arm trembling as he hid his hand behind his back.

“Crown Prince, I am the Empire’s Empress and legally your mother. Did the manners and refinement you learned teach you to ignore the Empress’s words like this?”

Ophelia deliberately spoke in a hard, strong tone. Then the child, whose complexion had grown even paler than before, hesitantly extended his left hand forward.

When Ophelia finally removed the child’s glove, her eyes widened.

“Good heavens, what on earth is this…”

While the right hand wore an ordinary soft leather glove, the left hand’s glove, which had felt strangely hard, had wire and small iron plates reinforced inside.

It was structured to prevent the fingers from bending, and because the Crown Prince had unconsciously kept moving his left hand, the wire’s position had shifted and seemed to be stabbing his hand.

The Empress looked back and forth between the wire scratches remaining on the soft hand of a mere 7-year-old child and the glove that was heavy even for her, an adult, to lift, with an expression of disbelief.

“Who put such a thing on the Crown Prince? What on earth is this?”

She ground her teeth and spat out the words in unconscious anger. The young Crown Prince meekly lowered his eyes.

“It’s a tool to correct my bad habit, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Bad habit?”

“Using my left hand primarily is foolish and ominous. This bad habit, just like Father’s, must be corrected as soon as possible.”

It was obvious who the words the boy mechanically recited had come from. Ophelia’s expression hardened.

‘To correct left-handedness? What on earth is the Previous Emperor doing to the Crown Prince? This isn’t discipline, it’s abuse.’

What should I do about this? I decided not to interfere anymore, so should I pretend not to see this too?

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, it’s time for your studies.”

The attendant who had been waiting at a distance approached and reported calmly.

Then the startled Crown Prince grabbed the glove Ophelia had been holding, quickly put it on his left hand, and bowed politely.

“I shall take my leave now, Your Majesty the Empress.”

The Previous Emperor’s attendant, seemingly accustomed to that bizarre glove, watched the scene with a calm face, then headed outside Laurea Hall with the Crown Prince.

The Empress stood there blankly for a long time. With her insides terribly disturbed.

* * *

“It took over a year for me to remove that glove from the Crown Prince’s hand. Around that time, the Previous Emperor became ill and grew negligent in managing the Crown Prince.”

Rita looked at the Empress with a pale face. Empress Ophelia continued speaking while keeping her gaze on one of the pillars in the corridor.

“The Previous Emperor passed away when the Crown Prince turned 10. So I thought the child might finally live comfortably, but this time His Majesty the Emperor.”

She didn’t bother to continue her words, but Lillieta understood.

‘After the Previous Emperor died, the Emperor openly hated and tormented Gid, feeding him poison and even setting fire to the palace.’

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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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