Even in front of the Emperor with a confused face, the Marquis remained confident throughout.
He could not forgive the Prince for not only breaking into his mansion and arbitrarily stealing his granddaughter while he was away but also visiting the scene of the murder and an entertainment establishment that was still open for business.
With the tension flowing, Dorothea eventually put down the card she was holding without hesitation.
"Grandfather."
The Marquis's stiff face softened at his granddaughter's call.
Meanwhile, the Emperor quietly gave instructions to the guard.
“Free the Prince.”
The imprisoned Prince was held by the Emperor's side, and Dorothea was held in the arms of the Marquis.
The two quickly left the place without saying goodbye, ignoring each other, taking with them the people they were supposed to protect.
“I guess so. If we both raised our voices, we would have spit in each other’s faces.”
That's right, the Prince secretly lured the daughter of the Marquis and took her to the scene of the murder in the middle of the night, and the daughter of the Marquis followed the Prince to an entertainment establishment.
It has been a long time since both of them gave up their social reputation and reputation, let alone keeping the rules.
“Still, I’m glad you both got away with it.”
It was fortunate that the imperial family and the prestigious family, which was the second-best sword in the empire, joined forces, so even a huge scandal could be covered up without a single word being spoken.
The moment anyone mentions this incident, they will be in trouble not only with the Marquis but also with the imperial family.
“I don’t mind.”
The soldier of the security force, who had to detain the sons of noblemen of the highest status in the empire every time, wiped his tired face.
“Both of you, please... I hope you don’t come here anymore.”
The atmosphere of his colleagues around him became solemn due to his earnest sincerity.
At that time, Ben's wishes, who were very concerned about his only daughter's deviation, were also similar to theirs.
“Thea, this father is really...”
I don't know how to raise you.
Dorothea, looking at her father with a very troubled face and eyes full of worry, smiled vaguely and said nothing.
Instead, she just put a piece of fruit she was eating into Ben's mouth.
“Well, thank you.”
What he wanted to say was already written all over his face.
Even though Dorothea guessed her father's concern, she did not say things like 'I will never do it again' or 'This is the last time.'
It was better not to promise anything than to disappoint the other person with an empty promise.
The moment your expectations are shattered, it is not just your expectations that collapse, but also your entire heart that you have given to the other person.
“Is there any other reason why you’ve been going out more often these days?”
Dorothea silently lowered her eyes at the question hesitatingly asking.
Five years ago, someone's meticulous malice that had seeped into this mansion was dispelled without anything being revealed.
Those who used poison committed suicide, and those who handled the poison committed suicide and hid their tails without even the mice or birds knowing.
However, the opponent did not give up.
They just humbled themself for a moment.
'They've been targeting the family for much longer than expected.'
Searching through Colin's memories, she discovered the possibility that even Ellen's death was touched by suspicious people.
Her opponents were extremely patient, expert at erasing traces, and possessed the backbone to cover up a murder in broad daylight with ease.
And, in addition, they are those who have dabbled in gold and alcohol.
She remembered Hertia's final moments, her soul burning under the black flames.
It was like a warning message that only Dorothea could see and that was just for her.
'There's no way they would believe me if I told them that crazy thing was involved.'
Even if they believe it, it still doesn't help. They say that not everyone can see the same scenery as she does anyway.
“Now, do you want to eat this too?”
The hand giving her the piece of fruit was very rough.
The man who chose to join his dead wife's family for the sake of his only daughter did not let go of the sword he grabbed.
His efforts to abandon the way he had lived until now and blend in here were indescribable.
Just for her.
It was her first time receiving such love.
It was only after receiving it that she could finally understand what it was like.
Thanks to that, she learned how to love someone.
'So you and this place that accepted you and me.'
Dorothea wasn't going to let it get ruined by someone else's hands.
"Dad."
It was rare for Dorothea to hear a childish title that could only be used by a child.
A look of confusion appeared on Ben's face at his daughter's call.
Dorothea, with a gentle smile on the corner of her mouth, spit out random words that had no context or understanding, as always.
“Everything will be okay. No problem.”
Ben looked into his daughter's eyes, which showed no signs of anxiety, and slowly nodded.
“Of course it is. Of course.”
Even if a problem arose, he had no intention of letting her be in danger.
Ben stroked his daughter's head affectionately, as he always did.
***
“I don’t like it. Not our Thea.”
“...”
The Emperor's, who was glaring at the Marquis who spoke clearly, sighed.
Did they say that the Emperor is the father of all people?
He thought that the child he gave birth to was a stranger, but the loyal subjects and close friends he cared for and trusted that they would never be spoiled once in their lives were also unreasonable.
“Listen carefully. She had no teacher and had never obtained a separate spirit stone and performed a ritual, but this was an ability that manifested itself naturally. That child is one of the greatest talents not only in the empire but also on the continent.”
“You don’t have to tell me that my granddaughter is good, but I know.”
“You know the landscape, right? The empire's talented people should demonstrate their abilities for the country they belong to. That child is even the daughter of a great nobleman who should be an example to others.”
Despite the Emperor's command that he could not be left to do only what he wanted, the Marquis remained steadfast.
His sunken eyes looked sincerely at his lord, to whom he had been loyal all his life.
Everything is just for the empire. Because he believed that was the way to protect the people he love.
“Your Majesty, I have dedicated my life only to the peace and stability of the empire.”
“...”
“Because I was living like that, I couldn’t even take care of my cubs, and I even pushed the cubs who were on the edge of the cliff to protect my principles. Don’t you know how my youngest daughter ended up?”
A voice full of regret echoed through the quiet corridor.
The Emperor was silent as he faced the Marquis wrinkled face filled with regret and guilt.
Both of them were thinking about the public conversation about marriage in the past.
The union of the youngest daughter of a Marquis family who has pledged loyalty for generations and the Crown Prince who will one day ascend the throne.
The Emperor was trying to give his young successor a strong backing, and the Marquis of Highclere, one of the most prestigious swordsmen in the empire, was a perfect match for him.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the Marquis' daughter disappeared before the marriage talks were officially announced.
If only the Marquis had recognized that ragged merchant back then, and Ben now, as her partner.
A gap would have appeared in the strong relationship between the imperial family and the Marquis, and even the vassals and royal nobles who followed them would have been shaken.
As the head of a Marquis family that supported the backbone of the empire, he had to callously cast away his beloved daughter to avoid the Emperor's wrath and prevent the family's standing from being shaken.
After persistently ignoring his daughter for fear of being hit by an even bigger fire if he continued to keep in touch, all that was left was his longing for his child whom he would never see again.
The Emperor, who was looking at the wrinkled brow, suddenly asked a question.
"Us... No, do you blame me?”
“I have regretted my choice, but I do not blame Your Majesty. “Everything was solely my choice.”
The eyes of the Marquis, who answered in a calm voice, contained many things.
“But for the sake of the stability of this empire and the respect of the imperial family, abandoning my daughter once is enough.”
“...”
“I don’t plan on doing anything I’ll regret again. If she doesn’t want it, I won’t ask for anything.”
The Emperor swallowed a sigh when he saw the Marquis with a determined face.
If you can't change your mind with a cause, you should at least try to cling to recognition.
Even that became difficult because of his son's accident.
He heard that the Prince who once saved Dorothea not only took her, who was not yet an adult, to a place where prostitution took place but also actively helped attack the scene.
'If you're going to take her secretly, you'd rather go somewhere nice.'
Well, the reason why they went and caught it because it was a good thing was that it was an illegal prostitution business.
'Furthermore...'
The Emperor's face darkened.
Another reason why the 7th Prince was unilaterally excluded from the investigation was also one of the reasons why his head was pounding.
The Emperor shook his head lightly to relieve his headache and attempted to negotiate.
“If that’s what she wants, I have no intention of sending her out to the public. However, this delegation...”
“How dare the Kingdom of Rohen make a fuss about meeting our Thea? Your Majesty, I have no intention of sending my daughter abroad to study, let alone get married.”
A vein rose on the Emperor's forehead as he looked at the stern face of the Marquis, who said that after living in his arms for a thousand years, he would find a good wife for himself.
This stupid human being.
“Ah, then you shouldn’t have been caught!”
The Emperor's voice, which had been politely lowered, rose to a roar.
“It was problematic that the Lady ran out and found the body at the height of a ball with numerous nobles, but everyone started paying attention to the fact that the Lady had started engaging in social activities!”
It might have been okay since she had been staying at the mansion all this time, using her health as an excuse, but everyone had already seen that Dorothea was fine.
“Besides, the police force is acting like it’s a playground, so why are they going in and out of there like they’re eating?”
The Emperor pressed his temples, took a breath, and continued speaking.
“The Kingdom of Lohen was already confident that her health had quickly recovered.”
Although he was using the Empress Dowager's well-being as an excuse to the outside world, it seemed like he had no intention of hiding his true feelings as he blatantly mentioned her name.
“That’s what they said. Hide a talented person like the Marquis’s granddaughter because it goes against the ‘agreement’ with our allies.”
The Kingdom of Lohen was never an easy country.
Not only was it the Empress Dowager's maternal family, but it was also a place that could exert strong influence among friendly countries, so no matter how much of an empire it was, it could not be ignored without justification.
“But that doesn’t work.”
"Ha...”
At a time when it seemed like there was no end to the battle, someone burst through the door and spoke loudly.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty! I will clean up all the unscrupulous things targeting Thea!”
The Emperor, who had been staring blankly at the appearance of a huge figure that filled his field of vision, asked anxiously as if to see if he would come in.
“How can you organize things?”
Aiden Highclere said with a triumphant look on his face while pretending to slit his throat with his finger.
“I will cut off their head.”
The Emperor smiled at the Marquis.
“That’s great. Everyone will praise you for raising a world-class villain who threatens world peace in the empire.”
Aiden, completely unaware of the situation, added, swinging his long, large spear menacingly.
“Emissaries or whatever, we will gouge out the eyes and tear out the mouths of those who argue against our Thea.”
“Thank you. It seems that the peace and well-being of the empire will end in my generation.”
No sooner had the Emperor finished speaking than Felix, the Marquis's eldest son and Aiden's older brother, slapped him and dragged him away.
“Your Majesty, I will see you again after the family meeting.”
After a long period of persuasion, the Marquis reluctantly left the palace with those words.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment