The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 172

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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 172

The Duke flinched at the cold rebuke. He turned to look at the Empress with a hardened expression.

“Then you’re telling me to smile and keep my place even though my son was threatened in what should be the safest location, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“It was merely an attempt that failed. I didn’t expect the Duke to overreact to such a trivial matter. Is your loyalty to the Imperial family so easily shaken?”

“Even if it was just an attempt, it was a matter where my child’s life could have been in danger. Your Majesty the Empress may feel I’m overreacting since you’ve never given birth to children, but as a parent, I cannot take such matters lightly.”

The Duke threw out insulting words openly and twisted his lips into a smirk.

“And Your Majesty, even if I don’t attend the succession ceremony ‘presided over by His Highness the Crown Prince,’ my loyalty won’t be misunderstood. His Majesty the Emperor will understand us.”

“…!”

Empress Ophelia gritted her teeth. Certainly, Emperor Lawrence, who wasn’t even present at this event, would unconditionally take the Duke’s side.

The Duke immediately turned his gaze to Hanna, who was between Lavinia and Annemarie.

“Hannerina, you come here too.”

Hanna hesitated, then reluctantly rose from her seat at the Duke’s gesture. Duke Adickl led the Duke’s son and daughter and gave a light bow to the Empress.

“Then, glory to the descendant of the Black Dragon.”

The Empress did not acknowledge the greeting, but the Duke didn’t wait and left immediately. The ballroom became chaotic as several nobles from the Duke’s faction subtly followed them.

The atmosphere became very unsettled.

Watching this scene, Lillieta had an intuition.

‘A monster will appear near here during the succession ceremony.’

If the Duke left the succession ceremony venue with his children and close associates, citing ‘safety concerns,’ and then monsters appeared during the ceremony causing casualties among those who remained.

It would be an extremely advantageous incident for the Duke. He’d be even happier if the monsters killed some key nobles from the Crown Prince’s faction while they were at it.

‘But canceling the succession ceremony here… would be an even worse move.’

It would be tantamount to officially admitting that the Imperial Palace’s security was compromised.

Lillieta took a deep breath and fidgeted with the bracelet that served as a holster.

‘I’ll have to wait and block it immediately. It’s okay, we’ve anticipated this kind of situation too.’

And even if it’s difficult right now, later when the guards interrogate the fake assassin they captured and reveal it was the Duke’s staged act, the incident would be overturned.

Even if they couldn’t get a proper statement, since they knew this would happen, Gideon had secretly added magical inspection procedures that didn’t exist before to the Imperial Palace entry process.

When cross-referenced with those inspection records, evidence would emerge that it was the Adickl family who brought that person in.

Gid had finished all preparations to counterattack the Duke based on this incident.

‘So we just need to successfully block the monster attack.’

All the Beacons in this place seemed to have made the same judgment.

Below, she could see Olivia and Seraphina quietly moving to a corner. Lucas, who had been with the Winterfield Margrave family, also subtly moved to position himself near the entrance.

Outside Laurea Hall, the Tritoma Special Knights would be moving.

The sun was setting.

Sunset light seeped into the hall, and the succession ceremony began.

Lillieta descended the stairs wearing a veil.

Crown Prince Gideon entered the ballroom dressed in splendid ceremonial attire. He crossed the hall receiving admiring gazes and stepped onto the altar overlooked by the Black Dragon sculpture.

Just like during practice, in front of the pure gold laurel wreath pattern.

Sunset light fell from the glass of the dome ceiling, adorning him.

The ceremonial officer recited verses from the founding myth announcing the start of the succession ceremony.

Lillieta took the golden laurel crown that a servant respectfully offered on a cushion with both hands, stepped onto the altar, and approached him.

The Crown Prince, welcoming the Coronator who appeared from the Black Dragon’s embrace, removed her veil.

As he did so, he whispered low and quickly.

“Rita, it seems a monster will appear during the succession ceremony. So…”

His words trailed off. His eyes shook mercilessly upon seeing her appearance revealed from beneath the veil.

Rita lowered her voice and replied to him.

“I guessed from what the Duke was doing. I’m prepared, so don’t worry.”

“…Uh, yeah.”

Gid answered in a dazed tone. He was staring down at her blankly, looking somehow absent-minded. Frustrated, Rita frowned in a way only he could see and urged him.

“What are you doing? Kneel quickly so we can finish this.”

“Ah. Sorry.”

He apologized as if belatedly coming to his senses and hurriedly knelt before her. Lillieta raised the golden laurel crown high above his head and recited the practiced words.

“I place brilliant glory upon your head…”

Hushed gasps flowed from among the people who saw her fully revealed appearance as the veil was removed and the Crown Prince knelt.

Rita continued the words while focusing her attention on the situation outside the hall instead of the gathering gazes.

“…Know its weight, uphold honor…”

And at the moment she recited the final part.

“…Inherit the great work.”

Kyahahahahaha!

A sharp shriek resembling a woman’s laughter echoed from outside the hall.

“What, what is that?”

“What was that sound just now?”

Startled people murmured.

Olivia, who had been standing against the wall of the hall, quickly touched something with her hand and injected mana.

Green mana raced along the black marble wall surface, and a massive magic circle appeared on the ceiling. Just as people looked up at it in bewilderment.

With a thudding vibration, the hall shook. Then screams and cries erupted from inside and outside the hall.

“Aaaaah!”

“What is that!”

“Mon, monster!”

Through the glass window in the center of the dome ceiling, something huge and bright red was visible. Extremely grotesque and far too large, but unmistakably something like an eyeball.

Lucas, who had been lingering near the hall entrance, immediately threw off his jacket and rushed outside.

Lillieta threw the golden laurel crown carelessly aside instead of placing it on Gideon’s head and drew Silvergrass from the holster bracelet.

And Gideon rose from his position, looked down below the altar, and shouted.

“Everyone please remain calm! This hall is protected by magic!”

Then he shouted toward the guards who had gathered under the pretext of arresting the culprit.

“Guards! Guide the distinguished guests!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

The guards answered in perfect formation and began moving in unison, dividing the nobles and directing them to predetermined evacuation routes. Meanwhile, the hall shook once more.

Kyahahahahahat!

Sharp laughter and thunderous noise as if causing a rampage. However, the green magic circle shone across the entire ceiling, protecting the building.

After confirming the Empress evacuated safely, Gid jumped down from the altar and quickly received a sword offered by an approaching servant. Lillieta followed him down and said briefly.

“Red Queen.”

“We avoided the worst case.”

“Did we really avoid it?”

“It’s better than Malefic.”

“True.”

They exchanged words quickly and rushed out of the hall. There was no time to change clothes, so they went in their ceremonial attire.

Outside the hall, the well-maintained Imperial Palace garden had become a battlefield in an instant.

June 27th, 1770, evening.

Just before sunset, under the sky turning purple.

The Tritoma Special Knights in black uniforms emerged from everywhere, trampling flower beds as they drew their weapons. Lucas, transformed into a large blue beast, howled long.

Before them, so huge that the vast garden seemed narrow, so massive that the majestic Imperial Palace looked like a toy castle, so enormous it could look down on Laurea Hall’s dome ceiling, a giant form stood tall and burst out shriek-like laughter.

Kahahahahahahaha!

The monster’s dark red hair, disheveled and flowing, was thin and flat like cut and pasted paper.

The pale face revealed between it was actually two faces. Identical faces attached in perfect symmetry around the neck made it impossible to distinguish its front from back.

The long-torn bright red mouth was full of teeth, and the blood-red eyes bulged and moved constantly.

Just as there were two faces, there were four arms. Like a paper figure pasted on both sides.

The arms attached front and back each held something like grotesquely withered heart-shaped flowers in their right hands, and in their left hands held swords entangled with what might be blood vessels or thorny vines.

The body seemed to wear a dress painted alternately in black and red, but it wasn’t actually wearing anything – the monster’s body itself was dress-shaped. It had no feet under the skirt, and moved by swaying the skirt itself.

And atop the dark red paper-bundle-like hair sat a black thorn crown with gems as large as a bell tower’s bell and bright red, embedded within.

Codename, Red Queen.

It’s a named demon beast that caused the most casualties in the Ash-covered Era, presumed to be the result of magical playing cards becoming corrupted.

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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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