The Wind Calms the Fire - Chapter 49

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 49
Carrion drew in a measured breath.
What he was about to say had not been rehearsed in advance, nor had it been discussed with the princess.
He had understood it the moment she appeared.
Among fifteen women dressed in similar garments, she stood apart, unmistakably distinct.
There was something that naturally captured the eye.
Though her face was hidden behind a veil, people could not tear their gaze from her.
Even the Empire’s elite, accustomed to far greater stimuli, found themselves drawn.
Then why would the Emperor be any different?
The instant that realization struck, Carrion felt a visceral revulsion.
Because it brought back memories of his own mother, forced to stand in such a place decades before.
The princess of Northia, Nela, had been brought to the Empire as a hostage in her role as heir to the throne.
When her kingdom lost the war and became a Tributary State, her status within the Empire was nothing more than that of a captive.
And the Emperor had been young then, eager to display his supremacy.
So she had been forced to share his bed without consent, and to bear his child.
No one had ever told Carrion the circumstances of his birth, but he had pieced together the truth from what he observed and heard as he grew.
What guarantee was there that the Emperor would not do to the princess what he had done to his mother all those years ago?
Before the Emperor could reveal his avarice toward her, he would seize her first and shield her from it.
“Your Majesty. Though Zephyros has bowed its head before your authority, suspicion and caution must remain. Surrender ends with a document, but Subjugation is sealed through people. I would bind the princess of Zephyros to the Imperial Household through an Engagement, ensuring her loyalty. Grant me this duty, I beseech you.”
The moment his words ceased, the Hall of Judgment fell silent.
Orbin, standing toward the back, shut his eyes tightly.
‘A public proposal.’
Orbin’s mind reeled as he beheld his lord committing an irredeemable act.
The Emperor, upon hearing this unexpected request, narrowed his eyes and studied Carrion, then the woman standing foremost among the Zephyros delegation, alternating his gaze between them.
He harbored no suspicion whatsoever that there was any emotional bond between the Fourth Prince and the princess who had come as the delegation’s representative.
Until now, the Fourth Prince had kept his distance from women in a way that set him apart from his brothers, spawning rumors that he carried some physical defect or harbored unusual tastes.
Yet this request contradicted his usual conduct.
This matter warranted further scrutiny over time.
“The Fourth Prince, who thinks not merely of personal desire but of the Empire’s future—he is indeed My faithful servant. I shall consider this carefully and render judgment.”
The Emperor’s answer was neither approval nor refusal, but a studied ambiguity.
Even so, Carrion felt relief wash over him.
The Emperor was a libertine.
Women who caught his eye he would draw into his chambers by whatever means necessary.
Though many women threw themselves at the Emperor willingly, it was equally common for women to become his bed-warmer for a night against their will.
Because the Emperor was vain about his charm as a man, he would find it wounded pride to openly covet a woman whom a prince had publicly claimed he would marry.
And regardless, the Emperor had granted what he sought—he had said so.
He would not renege on words spoken from his own mouth.
The Emperor would never diminish his own authority in such a manner.
“Separate from this matter, I shall bestow a special reward upon the Fourth Prince.”
“I am deeply honored.”
When the Emperor rose, all present bowed their heads.
After the Emperor descended the dais and vanished beyond the bronze doors, the chamberlain led the Zephyros delegation from the hall.
After a brief silence, the Hall of Judgment erupted into commotion.
“Phew…”
Carrion exhaled a quiet sigh.
‘For now, I’ll have to wait and see how this unfolds.’
The Surrender Document has been presented, the Emperor has accepted it—this spectacle is merely ceremony.
A lengthy process of coordination between the Zephyros Kingdom and the Empire still lay ahead.
It could conclude swiftly or drag on far longer than expected.
As the delegation’s representative, the negotiations she conducted with the Empire’s diplomatic officials would be hers to manage.
‘Since His Majesty has publicly demonstrated goodwill, the diplomats won’t pressure Zephyros aggressively.’
Behind the departing Carrion walked Cedric, Luke, and Orbin.
Luke remained unflappable as ever, while the other two concealed their turmoil, though their distress was evident.
Enoch, watching Carrion’s figure recede, clenched his fists.
He gritted his teeth to keep from crying out and venting his fury.
‘What is this about?’
Why had the Zephyros Kingdom suddenly appeared?
Why had they become connected to the Fourth Prince?
Enoch whipped his head around to glare at his close aide.
The aide’s face had gone deathly pale, and he lowered his eyes.
Enoch began walking with long, purposeful strides, and his aide followed behind with a rigid expression.
During the walk to Sanmok Garden, Enoch said nothing at all.
The aide, terrified by his master’s silence, felt as though he couldn’t breathe.
Once inside the Study, Enoch placed both hands on the desk and drew in ragged breaths.
From continuously suppressing his rage, the veins in his forehead stood stark and prominent.
“This is…….”
Enoch grabbed whatever was within reach on the desk and hurled it across the room.
“Like this!”
The Stone Paperweight flew through the air and struck the aide’s forehead.
The aide staggered from the impact but quickly steadied himself.
Blood streamed down from his forehead.
“Summon them all at once!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The aide bolted from the room as if fleeing. His body moved of its own accord, oblivious to the pain in his forehead.
Bang!
Enoch, unable to contain his fury, brought his fist down hard against the desk.
Failure and despair—tastes he was experiencing for the first time in his life—drove him to the edge of madness.
The conquest of Zephyros Kingdom was an operation he had carefully orchestrated over the span of five years.
He had believed that seizing that small kingdom—the one failure of the Emperor, the one realm the Emperor had never conquered—would become the stepping stone for him to ascend the throne.
But the problem lay in a Mystical Artifact possessed by the kingdom.
Enoch had not dismissed the kingdom’s Mystical Artifact as mere rumor.
He had spent countless hours and resources conducting a covert investigation into what had transpired when his father invaded the kingdom.
Through this effort, he had confirmed that the kingdom’s Mystical Artifact undoubtedly existed.
To repeat his father’s failure would mean losing everything he possessed.
Enoch had chosen an indirect route rather than a direct assault.
Intrigue suited his temperament better than outright war.
He had covertly sent people into the insular kingdom to approach the Queen Dowager and persuaded her with promises of granting her complete authority over the realm.
He had selected a handsome actor, instructed him to pose as an imperial prince, and tasked him with seducing the princess.
Everything had been proceeding perfectly.
Once the princess destroyed the Mystical Artifact and sent the signal, the Empire’s elite forces would swiftly breach the Royal Palace, and all he would need to do was eliminate the king.
But on that fated day, the promised signal never came.
Those waiting in reserve positions had no choice but to withdraw.
And from the following day onward, all contact with those who had infiltrated the Royal Palace was severed.
Within a short time, news arrived that the Queen Dowager and all her forces had been purged.
About half a year ago, Enoch had received a report that five years of effort had been swept away like an ebbing tide.
He could not fathom why everything had crumbled overnight.
Should there not be signs before a plan fails?
He needed to know where things had first gone wrong.
But the already insular kingdom had sealed itself off even more thoroughly.
Enoch had been continuously attempting to insert competent intelligence operatives into Zephyros.
Then, out of nowhere, a delegation from Zephyros appeared today and presented a Surrender Document to the Emperor.
It was as though he had been struck a devastating blow from behind.
‘Pathetic fools. Are you telling me no one knew that so many people came all the way from Zephyros to the Imperial Capital?’
Enoch ground his teeth together.
He would not be satisfied even if he ground his incompetent subordinates to dust.
* * *
‘Why did he do that?’
Lea was deeply flustered by Carrion’s sudden declaration in the Hall of Judgment.
She had intended to meet the Emperor first and conclude negotiations between the two nations before even giving thought to marriage.
For now, she wanted to focus on studying the Empire’s culture and customs under a good teacher she had recently begun learning from.
She would attend several gatherings to test what she had learned, establish her presence in Imperial society to some degree, and through sufficient conversation with him, come to an agreement on the terms of marriage…….
Her mind contained a methodical plan, phase by phase.
But he had overturned everything.
If he were standing before her right now, she would raise her voice and demand an explanation.
‘He should have told me beforehand. There were plenty of opportunities.’
Lea did not suspect for a moment that he had acted on impulse.
The man as she understood him was absolutely not the type to do such a thing.
‘Still……what am I even supposed to say? I’m mortified.’
Having left the Hall of Judgment and moved to another location to await the Empire’s diplomatic officials, Lea ignored the piercing stares of her entourage.
This was neither the place for a detailed conversation nor did she have words to offer anyway.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————