Youngest on Top - Chapter 155

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 155

I was startled by an unexpected sight.

‘…!’

My eyes met Shuri’s.
No, to be precise, it wasn’t my eyes that met his.

‘…It was Prince Roiland’s eyes meeting his in the past.’

This was Prince Roiland’s memory, after all.

Shuri turned his head as if he hadn’t seen Roiland at all.
A deep shadow fell across his face.
Someone stood in front of Shuri.
And—

“Roi!”

The sharp, scream-like voice shattered the vision before my eyes.
Grizelda was holding the unconscious Roiland’s body.

I examined Prince Roiland’s condition.

“He’s fine. He’s simply lost consciousness.”
“Lost consciousness? Why suddenly—.”
“He’s a child who lived without any external stimulation, cut off from the outside world. Suddenly witnessing the past must have been quite a shock to his mind.”
“It’s like someone who lived in darkness for years being shocked by sunlight.”

At Ilay’s words, Grizelda swallowed hard.

“Then what should we do?”
“As he continues to see it, he’ll become accustomed to it.”
“Roi….”

Grizelda gently caressed her younger brother’s cheek.
Perhaps it was because he had locked the door to the world.
Prince Roiland appeared far younger than his actual age.
I watched him in silence for a moment.

Half of what I said just now was right, and half was wrong.
Roiland wasn’t simply traumatized by the past.

‘Was that scene I witnessed earlier the reason Prince Roiland lost his voice?’

Memories carry emotions within them.
As I witnessed the memory alongside him, the emotions Roiland had felt at that time were transmitted to me as well.

‘Fear, dread, anxiety, unease, confusion, worry, self-loathing….’

Emotions far too cruel for a child to endure.
But what troubled me more was—.

‘Shuri… hid him.’

Shuri had hidden Prince Roiland.

‘From whom?’

And why?

‘…Perhaps that scene is connected to the curse that afflicts Shuri.’

I gazed at Roiland, who lay unconscious as if asleep.
If I could unlock the door Roiland had sealed shut and digest that memory—

‘I might be able to discover who placed such a curse upon Shuri.’

* * *

On the way back to my room.
Dmitri asked me something.

“What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?”
“Honeybun looks deflated.”
“It’s not deflated at all.”
“I may not know about others, but I know.”

Dmitri tapped my forehead lightly.

“Is it because that prince collapsed?”
“….”
“Ever since the prince collapsed, Honeybun’s been like this~! All droopy.”

Dmitri had always been perceptive.

“…I also saw the prince’s memories, but it wasn’t a pleasant scene.”
“So you’re seeing unhappy scenes? Wasn’t it a statue that shows happy memories?”
“It’s a blessing. It’s supposed to show happy memories.”
“Did I perhaps find the wrong one?”

Edmund asked with a worried expression.

“Eddie found it perfectly. From now on, Prince Roiland will be able to see happy memories.”

What I saw were memories before the blessing fully settled in.
In other words, the scene that Roiland had been trapped in and continuously witnessing.
It simply became more vivid when it met with Enrik’s power.

‘So the prince has been unable to escape from that day’s memories all this time.’

What on earth happened for him to be so traumatized?
I was this shaken just from witnessing it in secret—what about Shuri, who experienced it directly?

That was when it happened.
Dmitri suddenly placed his hand on my shoulder and pulled me toward him.

“Whoa!”
“It’s still okay!”

Dmitri grinned at me with a wide smile.

“You’ve been through something unpleasant, but now that you’ve resolved it for me, everything will be fine.”
“I haven’t actually resolved it yet.”
“Yes, but it will be resolved eventually.”

Dmitri’s teal eyes were filled with certainty.

“Whenever Honeybun gets involved, things have never turned out badly.”

Dmitri ruffled my hair vigorously.

“Is it because of the honey? Everything tastes better with honey added to it.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Hmph, how childish.”

Edmund scoffed.

“But, well. It’s not entirely wrong.”
“Right?”

Dmitri grinned widely.
Edmund did not smile.

“Take your hands off the youngest. How undignified.”
“Heh, are you jealous?”
“J-Jealous?!”

Listening to the two of them bicker, I felt as though I had returned home.
Though I was still staying in the imperial palace, and I would need to overcome the mountain of the branch vote before returning to the Temple.

‘Well, it’s not so bad after all.’

* * *

A few days later.
Saelika received an invitation.
Well, she had been receiving invitations continuously since returning to the capital after concluding the Kaston trade agreement.
But this one was special.

“Akastel…!”

The gold-embossed crest was exquisitely refined.
Akastel—the exclusive social club of the realm’s most influential power brokers.
And an invitation had arrived from that very place.

“Excellent! This brings us one step closer to establishing a branch of the Temple in the imperial capital!”

Sacred Maiden Saelika, who had been excitedly proclaiming this, suddenly froze.
The invitation bore a specific name as its sender.

‘This person is…!’

Saelika’s eyes widened considerably.

Alasia Duchess.
The most prominent figure in the imperial capital’s high society.
And most importantly—

‘The very person who holds the authority to open a vote for establishing a Temple branch!’

She had personally sent the invitation to Saelika.

.
.

Agnes Countess was among those most indignant about Saelika’s invitation.

“Does this make any sense? Do you understand what Akastel is?”
“Exactly. Isn’t it a place reserved only for the most noble bloodlines, where only the truly qualified may attend?”
“And yet they say she’s a child with no known origins, no lineage whatsoever?”
“Who on earth invited such a commoner…!”

On the day of Akastel’s regular gathering.
Agnes held forth passionately alongside those who shared her sentiments.

No one enjoyed watching a pebble trampled underfoot suddenly rise to their own level.

“Who exactly sent the invitation?”
“Did she receive the consent of the committee members?”

To receive an invitation to Acasfel, unanimous consent from all the council members was required.

“The Duke said he would not consent.”
“Then isn’t she an uninvited guest who couldn’t even obtain the council members’ approval?”

At those words, Agnes wore a cold smile.

“Perhaps she needs to be humiliated once to understand her place.”

That was when it happened.

“Look over there! Look!”

At the whispered voice, Agnes turned her head.
Sacred Maiden Saelika was entering the hall.
And beside her was—.

“Oh, Duchess Alasia?!”

Who was Duchess Alasia?
Even among the powerful figures gathered at Acasfel, she was an elderly noblewoman who commanded respect.
The true leader of Acasfel!

“Why would the Duchess come with that lowborn—”
“Lower your voice, Agnes Countess.”

At the sudden interruption, Agnes looked to her side in surprise.
Princess Grizelda was gazing at Agnes while fanning herself with her fan.
Agnes snorted.

‘She associates with that vulgar woman, so the Princess has lost her taste too.’

“What do you mean, Princess? Isn’t what I said correct? She’s lowborn, isn’t she?”
“Can’t you see what’s happening?”
“…?”
“Duchess Alasia personally invited Sacred Maiden Saelika to Acasfel.”
“…!”

Even Agnes couldn’t help but be shocked at these words.

“Ah, did Duchess Alasia send the invitation personally?”
“Why else would she come along?”
“But the Duchess has never sent a personal invitation before!”
“That’s what makes it special.”

Grizelda laughed softly as she looked down at Agnes.

“Countess, be careful too. Questioning Sacred Maiden Saelika’s qualifications is an insult to Duchess Alasia’s judgment.”

With those words, Grizelda left her seat.
Agnes, left behind, clenched her fists tightly.

‘How on earth did that lowborn wretch become acquainted with the Duchess!’

* * *

At that moment, in the Imperial Palace.
The Emperor gazed out the window while smoking from his long pipe.

“It must be time for Akastehl’s regular gathering.”
“Your Majesty, you concern yourself with such matters?”

Duke Makandor, smoking alongside him, asked.

“Ha, I sent a gift today, you see.”
“A gift? Your Majesty’s gift, no less. How fortunate the members of Akastehl must be.”
“No, no, I didn’t send a gift to Akastehl.”
“…?”
“I gave a child I’ve been watching an invitation to Akastehl as a gift.”
“….”
“Shouldn’t an Emperor know how to give gifts different from those of his Empresses?”

At those words, Duke Makandor’s eyes narrowed.

“I’ve won, Your Majesty.”
“Eh?”

The Emperor looked at the chessboard.
Somehow, Duke Makandor’s bishop had already put the King in check.

“W-what kind of move is that, Duke!”
“It is Your Majesty’s fault for not concentrating.”
“Just teach me one more move, just one!”
“This is already the third time. I cannot.”

.
.

At the same moment, in Maxina’s quarters.
Maxina nodded with satisfaction as she carefully prepared her fruit tea.

“So, the Duchess Alasia and that child entered together, you say?”
“Yes, surely this is all thanks to Your Majesty’s efforts with the Duchess Alasia.”
“Hehe, indeed. The Duchess Alasia was being stubborn, but she ultimately agreed to my request.”
“That child will surely know of Your Majesty’s kindness.”
“Then will she now join me for a cozy cup of fruit tea?”

Maxina added with a satisfied smile.

“Discarding Adelin’s cake and all.”

.
.

Meanwhile, in Empress Adelin’s quarters.
Empress Adelin was deliberating over several cakes made by the pastry chef.
Her attendant maid asked with a smile.

“Why do you deliberate so? Whichever you choose, that child will eat it deliciously.”
“Still, I must choose the most delicious one, mustn’t I? There’s nothing quite like something sweet to win over a child.”
“But I suspect that child would treasure most the gift she is receiving ‘right now.'”
“Yes, she is enjoying the Acastel gathering with an invitation from the Duchess Alasia herself, no less.”

At those words, Empress Adelin laughed softly.

“I gave the Duchess quite a substantial gift in exchange for this favor. But it was worth it.”

Adelin spoke as she picked up a cake plate.

“I’ll go with this cake. That child won’t even glance at Maxina’s fruit tea and will come straight to me.”

* * *

Alasia Duchess held me firmly at her side as we walked.
To anyone watching, we must have looked quite close.
Even though we were meeting for the first time today.

‘I’ve heard the Duchess is a particular woman, so Admiral Ekellan must have gone to great lengths.’

“Akastel is notorious even among the elite nobility clubs for being unpleasant…. This won’t do. I need to cast a protective barrier around my apple.”

That was it.
I had wondered why Alasia Duchess invited me and stayed by my side to protect me, but there was a reason.

‘It was all Admiral Ekellan’s doing!’

Indeed, there’s no loss in befriending someone powerful!
I giggled and eagerly made acquaintances with the high-ranking nobles.
I couldn’t miss this opportunity!

While I was at it, I felt a steady gaze upon me.
When I turned around, Alasia Duchess was looking at me.

“Duchess?”
“I was wondering why everyone kept asking me to look at you.”
“The Admiral can be quite a handful, can’t she?”
“The Admiral too.”
“…?”
“Now that I’m looking at you, I think I understand the reason.”

At those words, I grinned widely.

“It seems I’ve caught the Duchess’s fancy?”
“I didn’t say that.”

Alasia Duchess dismissed me rather coldly.
I smiled and squeezed her arm more tightly.

“No amount of flattery will get you a blessing discount.”
“What?”
“And I can’t pull your waiting number forward either.”

Alasia Duchess glanced at me and let out a soft laugh.

“In all my years, I’ve never met a child quite like you.”
“Flattery won’t help, I’m telling you.”
“My goodness.”

Alasia Duchess turned her head away.
But I saw it.
The rigid line of her lips had softened into something gentle.

I pretended to glance around while observing Agnes.
She had been glaring at me with a fearsome expression and whispering with her entourage the whole time.

‘When will she come over….’

The moment I thought that, Agnes approached with her group.

I knew it would happen.
She hesitated for a moment under Alasia Duchess’s presence, but Agnes wouldn’t stay put like that.

“Alasia Duchess.”
“Agnes Countess.”

After exchanging greetings, Agnes glanced at me with a glare before speaking to the Duchess.

“Akaastel is a place we have all preserved the value of. Yet how can the Duchess who leads Akaastel invite someone without qualifications?”
“Are you questioning my authority, Countess?”
“Of course not. If one receives an invitation from the Duchess, one may attend this gathering without unanimous consent from the council members.”
“But.”
“Those who receive invitations must also have proper standing.”

Agnes looked down at Sacred Maiden Saelika.

“Any Sacred Maiden can participate in Acastel?”
“Any Sacred Maiden, you say.”
“To attend this gathering, one must at least hold a branch position within the system, surely.”
“….”
“With that level of capability, wouldn’t one gain qualification regardless of lacking proper credentials?”

Alasia Duchess nodded at those words.

“A fair point indeed.”

Agnes’s face brightened.

“Then—.”
“Why not simply establish a branch of the Artemisia Temple within the system?”
“…!”

Agnes’s eyes trembled.
I grasped Agnes’s hand with an expression of deep gratitude.

“Thank you so much, Countess Agnes! For proposing such a brilliant solution first!”
“What—.”
“Duchess Alasia, I humbly request that you hold a vote on establishing a Temple branch according to Countess Agnes’s wishes.”
“Wait, just a moment!”

Agnes cried out, but Alasia Duchess paid her no mind.

“I shall accept that request.”

The Duchess smiled and spoke to Agnes.

“To match the dignity of Acastel as the Countess suggests, we have no choice, do we?”
“…!”
“We cannot cast out someone already invited, after all.”

Agnes lost her words, her lips trembling slightly.

‘Thank you, Agnes. For creating the justification I needed.’

The Artemisia Temple’s institutional expansion.
The moment that expansion drew near.

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