Youngest on Top - Chapter 198

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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 198

Even as the Emperor displayed a subtle displeasure, Perardin Noishurael Duke remained unmoved.
With the same composed and indifferent expression as always, he opened his mouth.

“You heard correctly, Your Majesty.”
“Ha.”

The Emperor let out a short laugh.

“How dare you—how dare you suggest that my son has lost his mind?”
“You understood perfectly.”

The Emperor’s gaze and the Duke’s gaze clashed fiercely in the air between them.
It was truly a clash between dragon and tiger!
The nobles around them shrank their necks like turtles retreating into their shells.

‘Why on earth is this happening all of a sudden…!’

I came here at the Emperor’s summons to watch the broadcast together.
I was excited when the Emperor personally invited me to view it with him.
I never expected such a trap awaited!

‘I should have claimed I was ill and excused myself!’
‘But could I have really escaped by saying I was sick? He summoned me to boast about my child competing in the Sacred Maiden Tournament!’
‘If I claimed hemorrhoids prevented me from sitting, surely His Majesty would have understood?!’
‘…!’

The nobles’ eyes widened in surprise.

‘That’s….’
‘Actually a brilliant idea?!’

Indeed, the instinct for survival surpassed noble dignity.
But it was already too late.

“Perardin Noishurael Duke!”
“I hear you perfectly well, Your Majesty.”

We were already standing in the middle of the battlefield where the tiger and dragon clashed.
Now all that remained was for us to be crushed like shrimp caught between them.
Sweat kept beading on my forehead.

‘Just moments ago, weren’t the Emperor and the Perardin Noishurael Duke in foul moods?!’

The Nobles swallowed their tears and recalled what had happened just before.

.
.

During the broadcast, Sacred Maiden Saelika chose number 30, and the Sacred Maidens who had chosen earlier numbers fell into the trap.
Until that moment, the atmosphere had been cheerful.

“Ah, Sacred Maiden Artemia truly possesses remarkable strategy.”
“If I had known this would happen, I should have cultivated deeper ties with the Artemia Temple long ago.”
“I should have recognized it when Admiral Ekellan, who despised temples, began treating Artemia specially.”

When the Artemia Temple established its imperial branch, the high-ranking Nobles had shown considerable interest.
But over the past several years, the Artemia Temple had remained quiet and unremarkable.
So they gradually lost interest and focused more on other temples.
Yet such a result had come to pass.

“That dress was a gift from Admiral Ekellan, wasn’t it?”
“Admiral Ekellan has openly stamped his sponsorship on her.”
“The Admiral truly is impressive—.”
“Ahem.”

At the heavy clearing of a throat, the Nobles stopped speaking and turned their heads.

‘The Perardin Noishurael Duke?’
‘Did we say something that displeased him?’

The Nobles blinked in confusion.
Then, a Noble sitting beside the Duke spoke up, sensing the mood.

“Ah, now that I think about it, that hair ornament Sacred Maiden Saelika wore—there were rumors that it was a gift from Your Grace?”
“Really, is that so?”

Perardin Noishurael Duke lifted his chin with arrogance.

“Well, the rumors weren’t baseless.”
“…!”

The nobles were truly astonished.
Perardin Noishurael Duke, who had cultivated connections with temples of all kinds.
The fact that he was already openly sponsoring a specific Sacred Maiden was remarkable in itself.
But then.

‘Making such a display! That ice-cold Northern Duke!’

The nobles understood how to navigate high society.

“Y-yes, truly worthy of Your Grace! To already forge such intimate ties with Sacred Maiden Saelika!”
“Well, intimate might be overstating it.”
“Surely Sacred Maiden Saelika adorning herself so beautifully is a sign she wishes to grow closer to Your Grace.”
“Hmm, is that so? Now that you mention it, we did watch the broadcast together last time.”
“You see! Sacred Maiden Saelika clearly wishes to accompany Your Grace!”
“Ahem.”

The Duke furrowed his brow and cleared his throat.
Yet everyone present witnessed it.
The subtle way the corners of the Duke’s mouth lifted upward.

‘What? The Duke is reacting that much?’

But the astonishment didn’t end there.
The Crown Prince appeared on the massive crystal screen.
And quite dramatically at that.

“….”
“….”

An awkward silence filled the venue.
All the high-ranking nobles present knew full well how fearsome a figure Crown Prince Kaishurit was.
They felt it keenly every time they faced him directly.

But that Crown Prince was bound by rose vines with his clothes completely torn, his eyes glistening with moisture as he pleaded for rescue?
And he was asking to be saved?!

Thud.
The cigarette holder slipped from the Emperor’s hand.

“Has that bastard truly lost his mind…?”

The shock was so profound that the Emperor’s true thoughts spilled from his lips.
The Emperor stared blankly at the image stone filled with his son, unaware he had even dropped the cigarette holder.
His son was embracing Sacred Maiden Saelika in absolute pandemonium.

‘Displaying every conceivable charm and cunning….’

Sacred Maiden Saelika’s loss of balance and fall were undoubtedly orchestrated by his son’s scheming.
I don’t know exactly what he did, but given his abilities, he’s definitely a repeat offender.

‘Truly… infuriating.’

Of course, he had marked Sacred Maiden Saelika as a prospective daughter-in-law long ago.
But seeing that dangerous one—not some other son—acting so shamelessly made him feel….

‘Is it even right to support this?’

Such thoughts were unavoidable.
Moreover, Kaishurit had subtly even cradled Sacred Maiden Saelika like a princess.

That was the moment.

Crack—!
Inside the Imperial Palace conference chamber, surrounded by multiple layers of defensive magic.
The marble table began to fracture.
There was only one being in this room capable of such an act.

“Y-Your Grace…!”
“Before His Majesty, Your Grace!”

The Nobles rushed to restrain Perardin Noishurael Duke in horror.
A cold smile played at the corners of the Duke’s lips as he gazed upon the Emperor.

“The Crown Prince has lost his mind.”
“…!”
“What did you just say, Perardin Noishurael Duke?”

.
.

And so, back to the present.
Perardin Noishurael Duke spoke with a cool expression.

“Why are you so angry, Your Majesty? I was merely agreeing with what you said.”

The Emperor stammered in confusion.

“…No, I was the one who said he’d lost his mind first.”
“We cannot let such a madman roam free in this world. Issue a ban on his movements. Ensure he cannot approach anyone again.”
“No matter what, calling my own son a madman—!”
“Hmm, would it be better if I said ‘son’ instead of ‘madman’?”
“A mad son? Absolutely not!”
“I was merely, as your vassal, expressing agreement with your thoughts.”
“Ah, of course I said he’d lost his mind. I did call him my son. But—.”

The Emperor fell silent.
His gaze had shifted past Perardin Noishurael Duke and fixed upon the crystal viewing stone.
More precisely, upon his son cradled in Sacred Maiden Saelika’s arms like a princess.

“Is he really that mad?”

The Emperor muttered unconsciously.

* * *

The Emperor’s third mission broadcast viewing event ended thus.
The nobles left the hall with pale, sickly faces, their legs trembling.

“I truly thought I would die….”
“My daughter is getting married next week, and I thought I wouldn’t even be able to attend the wedding, and I…. Sob!”

It was truly terrifying.
The Crown Prince cradled in Saelika’s arms like a princess.
The sight itself was frightening, but it was forgotten in the face of mortal danger.
A tremendous aura of fury erupted and expanded from Perardin Noishurael Duke.

“Why is Perardin Noishurael Duke so enraged?”
“Hmm, perhaps he judged the Crown Prince far too frivolous for an imperial heir.”
“To that ice statue of a man, the Crown Prince’s behavior must have been quite the shock.”
“Indeed, he even cast out his own son Mikhail in an instant for being frivolous….”

The nobles shook their heads in disbelief.

.
.

Meanwhile, inside the grand hall where the nobles had emerged.
Precious artifacts lay shattered everywhere—it was utter chaos.
The Emperor remained seated, having not yet left his place.

The attendant studied the Emperor’s expression with careful eyes.
Even for Perardin Noishurael Duke, this was too much.

‘To display such force before His Majesty the Emperor himself.’

It was natural that His Majesty the Emperor sat in such grave silence.

‘He must be deliberating how to severely punish Perardin Noishurael Duke.’

Then, the Emperor’s lips parted.

“So it was real after all.”
“…Pardon?”
“That thing between Kaishurit and Sae. We saw them flirting in the park before, didn’t we?”

Wait, had he been seriously contemplating that all this time?!
The attendant was utterly bewildered.

“After that, there was no real point of contact between them, so I wondered if I’d been mistaken. But Kaishurit getting involved in something like that doesn’t make sense either.”
“It’s certainly absurd that His Highness the Crown Prince would have feelings for someone.”
“But what if he really did have something going on, and it’s been continuing all this time?”
“…Surely not.”
“Though it seems like Kaishurit is the one pushing things one-sidedly? Did he get rejected before and is trying to win her over again?”

The Emperor tilted his head.

“Kaishurit has a flawless exterior, I’ll give him that…. Well, if it’s Saelika, she would’ve figured out long ago that he’s a lunatic.”
“But about the Duke’s matter….”
“Ah, forget it. When has Perardin Noishurael Duke ever cared about propriety? Just demand compensation. This works out well. I can get a fortune out of this.”
“….”

Wait, is this really something that gets resolved so easily?
Isn’t the Duke’s situation more serious than the matter between Kaishurit and Saelika?

“I don’t understand why His Highness the Duke was so furious. He’s normally indifferent to whatever happens, isn’t he? Except when it concerns his lost daughter.”
“Well, he probably got angry because the Sacred Maiden he’d claimed got involved with my son.”
“…Pardon?”
“Anyway, there are many rivals. King Dantalion covets our Sae, and even Perardin Noishurael Duke….”

Shake, shake.
The Emperor shook his head as if it gave him a headache.

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The Attendant tilted his head with an uneasy expression.

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He didn’t pay much attention to Grand Prince Demian or Prince Mikhail.
The only person Perardin Noishurael Duke cared about and worried over.
His lost daughter.

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“Send skincare items to that bastard Kaishurit’s palace.”

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The two had known each other since childhood.
The only Sacred Maiden coronation ceremony the Crown Prince attended.
That was Sacred Maiden Saelika’s coronation.
The two reunited at the ceremony, and they attended as partners, no less!
*Sacred Maiden Saelika was the Crown Prince’s first partner in his entire life!*
If limited to formal social gatherings, the Crown Prince was also Sacred Maiden Saelika’s first partner.
For reference, until then, Sacred Maiden Saelika’s partners had only been two godfathers (both handsome) and the High Priest (I really need to see him in person if I get the chance. I can’t believe his age. He must be a vampire).
In other words, they were both practically each other’s first partner in life.
This was when Sacred Maiden Saelika was twelve years old.
But that wasn’t the end of it.

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“The masses naturally believe only what they see.”
“Still, approval ratings have risen exponentially. Especially among the younger demographic.”
“Hasn’t the Imperial support among younger generations been declining day by day? Yet with this incident—.”

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Wasn’t he famous for rarely appearing at official events despite being the Crown Prince?

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-Haha, they just wrote a romance novel in one go.
-I had no idea the two of them had a connection from way back.
-Their faces match perfectly. They should get married!
└I think the same.
-Please broadcast their wedding ceremony to our country too. Don’t let only the Empire see it.
└I shall consider it.
-I’m already imagining their children making their debutante debut.
└I would like to see that sight as well.
-What’s with that person commenting while possessed by the Emperor since earlier lolololol
└Aren’t they going to get arrested like that?? lololol
└But if the Emperor agrees, he’d probably forgive them.
-Why are you like that, it could actually be the Emperor lololol
└?? How did you know I exist?
└This person’s commitment to the bit is incredible
-Haven’t there been any sightings of the two of them on a date?

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“…No. Leave it as is.”
“Are you certain?”

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It was better that only Kaishurit himself knew about her.
Besides, there was nothing false about what I said.
Especially the comment reactions were heading in quite the right direction.

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“M-Master, are you spraying perfume right now?”
“Why are you taking off your clothes and putting them back on over and over again?!”

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Kaishurit’s retainers widened their eyes as they watched his behavior.

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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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