The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 196

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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 196

5. Origin

July 11th, 1770, 8 PM.

Under the darkening sky, low and heavy bell tolls echoed. It was the sound announcing a state funeral.

To the north of the capital lies the ‘Resting Place.’ An underground cemetery where the stone coffins of past emperors and empresses are laid to rest, with well-maintained flower gardens above ground and a grand temple for funeral ceremonies.

Like the previous emperors, Lawrence el Redert Kairam’s funeral was held here.

The reddish sunset illuminated the massive coffin on the altar. Before that coffin, a silver-haired saint with a shining halo clasped her hands together and quietly offered funeral prayers.

Normally, the Empire’s state funerals are presided over by the high priest of the capital Lamcard, but since Saint Seraphina happened to be visiting the Empire, she naturally took charge of the Emperor’s funeral.

‘It wasn’t exactly natural though, was it.’

Olivia den Luna Blen glanced at Duke Adickl. He was masking his uncomfortable expression with one of mourning.

Duke Adickl, knowing that the saint was favorable to the Crown Prince, had opposed this appointment. However, refusing the saint’s ceremony without special justification would be tantamount to disrespecting the authority of the Shadea Order, so he ultimately had to accept it.

For the Crown Prince’s faction, including Beacon, it was at least good news. Thanks to this, they could block the Duke’s interference in the funeral procedures and details, and the saint could oversee the investigation into the Emperor’s cause of death.

Everything else had to be considered bad news.

‘It was certain that the Emperor died to a demon beast.’

While the succession ceremony was being held, he had holed up alone in something called Nina’s Cottage and was instantly killed by a demon beast that emerged, unable to put up any significant resistance.

‘He died too peacefully for what he did. Damn old bastard.’

However, the circumstances of how a demon beast had infiltrated Nina’s Cottage deep within the Imperial Palace remained unclear.

For Beacon, who had fought the demon beasts directly, it was an all-too-obvious truth, but officially speaking, that’s how it was.

The saint’s prayer ended. The next procedure was the flower offering. Placing flowers on the coffin where the corpse lay.

According to custom, the person closest to the Emperor, the Empress, began the first flower offering.

In Imperial funerals, mourners typically recite a short eulogy before the flower offering.

The Empress, dressed in a black dress as mourning attire, stood before the Emperor’s coffin, holding a white lily in one hand, and recited her eulogy quietly but clearly enough for everyone in the temple to hear.

“Your grown son shall inherit your great work, so rest in peace.”

Low murmurs spread like ripples before settling into silence.

On June 27th, when the Mad Queen flew across the sky filled with paper lanterns and card soldiers covered the capital’s streets, after ‘The Red Founding Festival,’ Crown Prince Gideon disappeared.

The Empress claimed this was a disappearance due to an accident, while the Duke claimed it was death.

Empress Ophelia had just officially revealed that conflict which had continued beneath the surface throughout the chaos.

Through her eulogy, she denied the Crown Prince’s death and firmly declared that the Crown Prince was the legitimate successor to the throne.

The Empress would never acknowledge the Duke’s ascension to the throne. Not until the Crown Prince’s body was found.

Olivia suppressed a sneer as she watched the Duke’s mourning expression deepen.

‘A fake corpse won’t work, Your Grace. Not with Sera and me here.’

Duke Adickl, who rose next after the Empress, placed a dark red rose on his cousin’s coffin and recited loud enough for all to hear.

“I shall not let your empire be shaken by vacancy, so rest in peace.”

So where is that Crown Prince? In a situation where such tragedy has occurred and monsters called demon beasts are stirring, how long do you intend to leave the Empire’s throne empty?

It was a eulogy that fully revealed the Duke’s position.

Again, small disturbances arose. The nobles of the Crown Prince’s faction and the Duke’s faction subtly glared at each other.

‘From now on, it’ll be walking on thin ice.’

Olivia suppressed a sigh and raised her head.

That day, after the news of the Emperor’s death echoed with the end of the Red Founding Festival, she heard about Gideon’s disappearance from Lillieta.

Olivia, who had essentially been acting as Gid’s strategist, immediately thought of concealment upon hearing that story.

“These documents Ethan brought, the Duke must never find out about them.”

“Revealing this without Gid would only be seen as agitation. From now on, the Duke’s side, which has a ‘legitimate successor,’ will lead state affairs.”

She immediately sent Ethan, who had finished treatment, to check the situation at the Vineyard Manor.

The manor was burning. It was too large a fire to be caused by the explosive round Rita had fired to deal with the Joker at the end.

It seemed the Duke had set up a device to burn down the entire manor to eliminate evidence of the conspiracy while disposing of Hanna.

‘Probably also a ploy to position himself as an innocent victim.’

Ethan infiltrated through the flames and left half-burned paper scraps among the fragments of the exploded safe. To make it appear that the documents in the safe had burned in the flames as the Duke intended.

Thus they concealed and kept the weapon to strike at the Duke. Because that weapon couldn’t be wielded by just anyone.

“Hide them? Those materials?”

“Then who’s going to bring them out and make accusations? Her Majesty the Empress? If Her Majesty presents this now, the Duke who has seized the Imperial Palace will drive her to mental incompetence and claim it’s fabricated evidence. If it eventually leads to civil war, we’ll effectively be in the position of rebels. Rebellion without even a focal point to serve as an alternative.”

When she explained why they needed to hide the evidence now, Lillieta, who had been frozen pale, slowly opened her mouth.

“So you’re saying we need Gid?”

“Yeah, without him we’re completely screwed. The only remaining successor besides him is that bastard Joseph.”

When a new emperor ascends, imperial family members of the same generation lose their succession rights and can no longer use the surname Kairam.

Just like when the previous emperor, who was the second son, ascended and the displaced eldest son was adopted into his maternal family, Adicl.

It was a law designed to suppress additional succession disputes while preventing the number of imperial family members using imperial assets from growing excessively.

Therefore, Duke Adickl, being the Emperor’s cousin, had no legal succession rights to begin with.

Hannelina, being an illegitimate child, was not imperial family even as the Duke’s daughter. Illegitimate children are only recognized as imperial family when they are the Emperor’s own children, like Gideon.

In contrast, Joseph, the Duke’s legitimate son, was included in the scope of imperial family and, being of the same generation as Crown Prince Gideon, retained full succession rights.

“Since legitimacy is on their side, there’s no answer unless we completely replace the Empire’s imperial house. If we acknowledge Joseph, we’ll slowly wither and die, and if we deny that bastard, we’ll only face civil war, exhausting national power before all perishing together in disaster.”

“But Gid is, right now…”

“So you bring him back.”

“What?”

“Rita, you go find our crazy leader and bring him back. Who else but you could do this?”

At her words then, Rita had bitten her lips while turning deathly pale. It was the first time Oli had seen such a despairing expression on her friend’s face, and she had to struggle to hide her surprise.

‘Normally, before I could say anything, she would have said she’d find Gid and bring him back herself…’

She realized then that her friend had parts she hadn’t told her about, but she didn’t bother pointing that out. She judged there was no need to nitpick such things in this situation.

‘I don’t know what circumstances there were, but if Rita is acting like this, hearing about it would only make me more confused.’

Because she wasn’t a direct witness, there was advice she could give. Olivia spoke calmly, based only on the revealed facts.

“Friend, you said Gid transformed into a demon beast before your eyes and ran away. But you’re still fine right now, aren’t you? Ode’s punishment didn’t activate either. Isn’t that proof that he didn’t completely become a demon beast?”

“I want to believe that too. But—”

“That’s enough, if you believe that, it’s fine. We’ll definitely be able to reverse it.”

“What are you saying? Isn’t this the first time we’ve seen a case of a human transforming into a demon beast? No one, no one has ever come back! If it can’t be reversed, we have to face this situation with cold objectivity!”

“But no matter what, you can’t be objective, can you? Because it’s Gid.”

“…!”

“Objectivity and all that nonsense—you unconditionally want to believe that you can bring Gid back, right? We’ve known each other for how many years? I can see right through you, friend.”

“I…”

“Don’t force yourself to try. I’ll handle the cold judgment and such from behind, so you just follow your intuition.”

“…”

“It’s okay, Rita. You’re someone who can accomplish what you believe in. You’ve already proven that.”

“Me?”

“Back when Gid went berserk. Even though we all told you to give up, asking if you were crazy, you believed you could do it. Then you jumped into that chaos and brought him back intact—well, not exactly intact, but anyway, you brought him back.”

“…”

“Go with your instincts. That’s always been the right answer.”

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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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