Illeon looked at the knights from the corner of his eye. Jeremy's knights will keep this scene in their minds and go out to spread the word.
So, he couldn't just leave the knights, who would be the faithful supporting characters in this play, to die.
“We had a conversation just to confirm.”
Illeon answered with a kind smile.
“She is a woman renowned for being beautiful, so why did she decide to become His Highness the Crown Prince’s mistress? I didn’t know if there was something else going on, so I decided to approach her and find out.”
He heard someone swallowing. It didn't matter to Illeon whether it was the knight's or Jeremy's.
Illeon touched his chin and continued speaking.
“But this is what she said to me who was doubting me. She said she did not want to be His Highness's mistress.”
At those words, the knights' eyes became bloodshot. Just one word was enough to turn repulsion into resentment and hatred.
“It was unfair that she was imprisoned on charges of assassinating the Emperor, but she was very angry that soon after she was released, she suddenly became the Crown Prince’s mistress.”
"...”
“She asked me to help her. I wondered if she had done this to me, seeing her for the first time, but I refused because I was on His Highness’s side.”
Jeremy's expression changed by the minute.
First, he felt anger, then resentment and betrayal.
“Did my mistress really say that to the Duke? She didn’t want to be my mistress?”
“Is there any reason for me to lie to you?”
Jeremy gritted his teeth. Illeon saw his purple eyes flashing.
Jeremy couldn't find anything suitable to throw because he was throwing random objects in the room.
Jeremy, unable to control his anger, pulled out his hair with his hands.
His torn golden hair fell to the floor.
“Does the Duke know where my mistress is now!”
“I ran into her before coming to your palace, and it seemed like she was heading towards the mansion where Duke Calypso is staying.”
Jeremy's patience crumbled. He grabbed his face and shouted to the knights.
“I will say this only once. Go to Dietrich's mansion right now and bring Seliya with you. If you want to save your life like a fly.”
The blood in the knights' bodies seemed to be boiling with repulsion against Jeremy.
Illeon, seeing this, shook his head and signaled to the knights not to provoke the Crown Prince.
“I accept.”
All the knights in the hallway left, along with the knight who was cleaning the room.
“Duke, I must expedite my coronation as Emperor as much as possible.”
“...How much of a rush are we going to be in?”
“Schedule it in a week. And, heal my face in it.”
Jeremy said with a crazy look on his face.
“If you do a good job, I will give you a big reward.”
"Your Highness. Before that, may I express my opinion?”
“Tell me.”
“If Your Highness goes around showing that face like that right now, there will be a strong backlash among the people. How about you wear a mask until your face returns to normal?”
Mask.
Jeremy repeated the words softly.
The glimpse he saw of himself in the mirror seemed like something out of a nightmare. However, wouldn't it be okay if he wore a mask that covered his entire face?
At least until the face completely returns.
“Then can the Duke prepare a mask for me?”
Illeon bowed his head and answered.
“I will.”
“Just leave now.”
At Jeremy's command to congratulate Illeon, he put his body back without a word.
“Your Highness, don’t worry too much. Isn't it just about me, but also about Her Majesty the Empress?"
Jeremy said nothing.
The bait has been thrown, now all that remains is to wait.
Illeon left Jeremy's palace with light steps.
Like this... It's so easy.
Isn't it for no reason that his ancestors made an oath not to take the throne, and that is why he, his descendant, is suffering so much?
Illeon felt like he wanted to grab his ancestors by the collar.
What would you do if you heard that you were more like an Emperor than an Emperor?
In fact, the one who takes the throne is someone with royal blood.
'Seliya Brillion.'
Thanks to that woman killing the Emperor, things went a lot easier.
The deep darkness hidden beneath the beauty that makes him feel like he's being sucked into it.
How did she retain such deep darkness?
Illeon left the Crown Prince's palace and walked through the garden where he first spoke with Seliya.
The light sleeves waved following Illeon's movements.
The garden full of roses and gladiolus was beautiful, perhaps because it was carefully maintained by the palace gardener.
Seliya's face, smiling brightly under the fireworks that decorated the night, is vivid.
- I am no one's person.
He can't even tell whether it's cold or hot, but she has such a bright smile.
If she had just held his hand, she would have been comfortably cared for in his palace by now.
Illeon couldn't understand Seliya, who was trying to take the difficult path.
So he mixed truth with lies. In reality, Seliya did not ask for his help, but the Crown Prince misled her.
In a space with no crossroads, he decided to take his time and watch how Seliya came out.
As Illeon entered deeper into the garden, someone appeared as if he had been waiting.
“What happened?”
Illeon asked without looking back.
“When we got to the port, he noticed that we were following him and changed course, but he came back completely without any breathing room.”
“They say he was once a first-class knight, but he can’t lie about his age.”
Illeon quietly closed his eyes and smiled.
“What about the ruby jewel I gave him?”
“He held it tightly in his hand and wouldn’t let it go until the moment he died.”
“Good.”
Illeon's subordinate tilted his head, unable to understand what he meant.
Instead of answering, Illeon picked a red rose from the garden and held it in his hand.
Crushed rose petals fluttered in the wind in his hands.
However, as soon as the wind disappeared, the petals fell straight to the ground. Illeon, who was looking down at the rose petals, gave an order to his subordinate.
“Seliya Brillion. Find out about her.”
“....”
“All records before entering the imperial palace. Where and what did she do before joining the Brillion family?”
“I follow your orders.”
“After all, I didn’t see Duke Calypso at the banquet.”
Gabriel looked up at the towering imperial palace with a face dripping with regret. Hariel said, patting Gabriell on the shoulder.
“I’m sure even Duke Calypso would have fallen in love if he had seen you.”
“Mom too.”
Gabriel smiled and wrapped her arms around Hariel.
“By the way, I heard Seliya gained a lot of weight, maybe because she ate well and slept well. You can’t tell how fortunate she is that His Highness the Crown Prince has given her something like that.”
“It’s truly unfortunate. Seeing as how he has her as his mistress rather than wife, I guess he sees her as a toy to play with.”
Gabriel twitched her cheek.
Even though the mother and daughter had finished the banquet last night, she had not returned to the Viscounty.
Instead, the two slept in the most expensive lodging near the imperial palace and woke up late to explore the streets of the capital.
Unlike the border territories, the capital where the imperial palace was located had a lot to see.
On a lively street, Gabriel exclaimed excitedly after spotting a boutique with a pink sign saying Eclair.
“Mom, this is the boutique I was talking about! I heard that Duke Gregrick’s Princess also makes custom-made clothes here.”
"Oh. Let’s get one together.”
The two entered the boutique, chatting away.
Jinglang-
“Welcome..."
When the bell on the door rang, the hostess of Eclair, thinking that the guest she had been waiting for had arrived, was about to welcome her, but when she saw Gabriel and Hariel, she expressed her disapproval.
“Excuse me, but our Eclair does not accept anyone other than designated guests. The rule is that even if you are a designated guest, you are not allowed to enter at all unless you have made a reservation in advance.”
Gabriel showed a package full of gold coins from his arms.
“Even like this, Madam?”
Gabriel had no qualms about spending money, perhaps because she earned it by auctioning off Seliya to the men.
“If you don’t have enough money, I can give you as much more as I want.”
“...”
“Can you show me the dress?”
The hostess, with signs of age visible around her eyes, began to struggle between the rules she had set and the gold coins that were equivalent to a year's worth of profits.
Eclair was a boutique frequented by very high-class customers, the nobles among the nobles.
In response to the demanding tastes of the customers, she puts great effort into customizing one-of-a-kind clothes. However, since the hostess does all the processes from measuring to processing herself, it takes from as little as a month to as long as half a year to make a dress.
The reputation was high, but the amount of money she received was not that much, probably because she used a lot of materials to make a dress that lived up to that reputation.
Despite how she built up her reputation, she couldn't break the rules and accept anyone as a guest just because she wanted that gold coin.
After organizing her thoughts, the hostess spoke firmly.
“I’m sorry, but you should try finding another boutique.”
As the owner of a famous boutique, she knew several boutiques that made really good dresses.
“If you go all the way to the right, there’s a white brick house covered with ivy and the owner is a very crafty person.”
The hostess's words did not reach Gabriel.
The glimpse he saw of himself in the mirror seemed like something out of a nightmare. However, wouldn't it be okay if he wore a mask that covered his entire face?
At least until the face completely returns.
“Then can the Duke prepare a mask for me?”
Illeon bowed his head and answered.
“I will.”
“Just leave now.”
At Jeremy's command to congratulate Illeon, he put his body back without a word.
“Your Highness, don’t worry too much. Isn't it just about me, but also about Her Majesty the Empress?"
Jeremy said nothing.
The bait has been thrown, now all that remains is to wait.
Illeon left Jeremy's palace with light steps.
Like this... It's so easy.
Isn't it for no reason that his ancestors made an oath not to take the throne, and that is why he, his descendant, is suffering so much?
Illeon felt like he wanted to grab his ancestors by the collar.
What would you do if you heard that you were more like an Emperor than an Emperor?
In fact, the one who takes the throne is someone with royal blood.
'Seliya Brillion.'
Thanks to that woman killing the Emperor, things went a lot easier.
The deep darkness hidden beneath the beauty that makes him feel like he's being sucked into it.
How did she retain such deep darkness?
Illeon left the Crown Prince's palace and walked through the garden where he first spoke with Seliya.
The light sleeves waved following Illeon's movements.
The garden full of roses and gladiolus was beautiful, perhaps because it was carefully maintained by the palace gardener.
Seliya's face, smiling brightly under the fireworks that decorated the night, is vivid.
- I am no one's person.
He can't even tell whether it's cold or hot, but she has such a bright smile.
If she had just held his hand, she would have been comfortably cared for in his palace by now.
Illeon couldn't understand Seliya, who was trying to take the difficult path.
So he mixed truth with lies. In reality, Seliya did not ask for his help, but the Crown Prince misled her.
In a space with no crossroads, he decided to take his time and watch how Seliya came out.
As Illeon entered deeper into the garden, someone appeared as if he had been waiting.
“What happened?”
Illeon asked without looking back.
“When we got to the port, he noticed that we were following him and changed course, but he came back completely without any breathing room.”
“They say he was once a first-class knight, but he can’t lie about his age.”
Illeon quietly closed his eyes and smiled.
“What about the ruby jewel I gave him?”
“He held it tightly in his hand and wouldn’t let it go until the moment he died.”
“Good.”
Illeon's subordinate tilted his head, unable to understand what he meant.
Instead of answering, Illeon picked a red rose from the garden and held it in his hand.
Crushed rose petals fluttered in the wind in his hands.
However, as soon as the wind disappeared, the petals fell straight to the ground. Illeon, who was looking down at the rose petals, gave an order to his subordinate.
“Seliya Brillion. Find out about her.”
“....”
“All records before entering the imperial palace. Where and what did she do before joining the Brillion family?”
“I follow your orders.”
***
“After all, I didn’t see Duke Calypso at the banquet.”
Gabriel looked up at the towering imperial palace with a face dripping with regret. Hariel said, patting Gabriell on the shoulder.
“I’m sure even Duke Calypso would have fallen in love if he had seen you.”
“Mom too.”
Gabriel smiled and wrapped her arms around Hariel.
“By the way, I heard Seliya gained a lot of weight, maybe because she ate well and slept well. You can’t tell how fortunate she is that His Highness the Crown Prince has given her something like that.”
“It’s truly unfortunate. Seeing as how he has her as his mistress rather than wife, I guess he sees her as a toy to play with.”
Gabriel twitched her cheek.
Even though the mother and daughter had finished the banquet last night, she had not returned to the Viscounty.
Instead, the two slept in the most expensive lodging near the imperial palace and woke up late to explore the streets of the capital.
Unlike the border territories, the capital where the imperial palace was located had a lot to see.
On a lively street, Gabriel exclaimed excitedly after spotting a boutique with a pink sign saying Eclair.
“Mom, this is the boutique I was talking about! I heard that Duke Gregrick’s Princess also makes custom-made clothes here.”
"Oh. Let’s get one together.”
The two entered the boutique, chatting away.
Jinglang-
“Welcome..."
When the bell on the door rang, the hostess of Eclair, thinking that the guest she had been waiting for had arrived, was about to welcome her, but when she saw Gabriel and Hariel, she expressed her disapproval.
“Excuse me, but our Eclair does not accept anyone other than designated guests. The rule is that even if you are a designated guest, you are not allowed to enter at all unless you have made a reservation in advance.”
Gabriel showed a package full of gold coins from his arms.
“Even like this, Madam?”
Gabriel had no qualms about spending money, perhaps because she earned it by auctioning off Seliya to the men.
“If you don’t have enough money, I can give you as much more as I want.”
“...”
“Can you show me the dress?”
The hostess, with signs of age visible around her eyes, began to struggle between the rules she had set and the gold coins that were equivalent to a year's worth of profits.
Eclair was a boutique frequented by very high-class customers, the nobles among the nobles.
In response to the demanding tastes of the customers, she puts great effort into customizing one-of-a-kind clothes. However, since the hostess does all the processes from measuring to processing herself, it takes from as little as a month to as long as half a year to make a dress.
The reputation was high, but the amount of money she received was not that much, probably because she used a lot of materials to make a dress that lived up to that reputation.
Despite how she built up her reputation, she couldn't break the rules and accept anyone as a guest just because she wanted that gold coin.
After organizing her thoughts, the hostess spoke firmly.
“I’m sorry, but you should try finding another boutique.”
As the owner of a famous boutique, she knew several boutiques that made really good dresses.
“If you go all the way to the right, there’s a white brick house covered with ivy and the owner is a very crafty person.”
The hostess's words did not reach Gabriel.
“I want my dress tailored here at Eclair, not anywhere else.”
Hariel, who was next to her, raised her chin and spoke arrogantly.
“Madam, you know who my daughter is and you refuse to make the dress?”
“...I don’t know.”
“My daughter is the famous Brillion’s Angel.”
The mistress's expression hardened.
She is the Angel of Brillion. Her first love of all people.
She was familiar with her reputation for being beautiful, but when she saw her in the portrait, everything about her face, eye color, and even hair color was very different.
“Really, the daughter of the lady here is Brillion’s angel?”
“That’s right. Wouldn’t it be more profitable for Madame to have her custom-made dress made?”
Hariel shamelessly impersonated Gabriel as Seliya.
However, Gabriel was more perceptive than Hariel, so she quickly corrected Hariel's words.
“My mother was joking. The Angel of Brillion is not actually me, but my one and only sister.”
“...Yes."
She had a look on her face that made her understand that she was the mistress.
Although Gabriel did not show it on the outside, she was not deceived.
She felt like Seliya's shadow wherever she went.
In order to soothe her resentment, she had to wear a dress here.
At that time, something caught Gabriel's eye.
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