TCIWTFY - Part 2 Chapter 131

"Why me, why am I being dragged there?! No! I didn't do anything wrong! I was fooled! You were fooled!!"

A long, rending scream echoed through the dark prison cell.

***

The Capital of Katzen, Persepolis.

The clear sky shone high above the cathedral spire.

A large crowd of people was seen streaming into the streets outside the cathedral's doors, which were unusually wide open.

They were all citizens who had gathered to watch the coronation of the First Prince.

The situation was no different for the nobles.

There were so many nobles taking their seats that the cathedral was almost full.

They don't know how much power and connections the nobles used to watch the coronation.

"Today I will see the famous Princess of Valdina."

A magnificently dressed noblewoman opened her peacock feather fan with a loud noise.

"She was designated as the bride of the evil dragon by the oracle, so I can't even imagine how vicious she would be if she completely destroyed the evil dragon."

"How arrogant must one be to be so loved by the Emperor, who is one's own brother."

"Even so, Valdina, who has just grown in size, will be nothing compared to our great Katzen. It will be very difficult."

The woman shook the fan more vigorously.

The opal-colored peacock feathers swayed dynamically with her powerful hand movements.

"Besides, that Princess didn't receive proper education when she was young. What good does it do if her brother loves her so much? If she can't keep up with Katzen's education, then she's a total loser. Hmm."

The noblewoman snorted. She was the Countess Delgano, the Empress Dowager's sister-in-law.

"With the dirty blood of the Claudians flowing through her body, where would the nature of the mean people go? The Princess would be the same. Isn't that right, Your Majesty, the Empress?"

The noble ladies' gaze turned to the beautiful woman sitting next to the Countess of Delgano.

The woman sitting in a dignified posture was the Empress Dowager of Katzen. Although they were of similar age, the Empress Dowager looked almost like the daughter of a Countess.

"It is my eternal regret to have let those insect-like things live."

A low, poisonous voice flowed out, not matching her beautiful face.

"Of course. Even though the Empress Dowager had bestowed special favors on his mother and daughter, weren't they ungrateful people who didn't realize the favor and ran away to Valdina?"

"How beautiful Your Highness's heart is like silk? If I were you, I would not feel satisfied even if I cut off the heads of those pitiful things."

The noble lady next to her made a face of disgust.

Recently, Samon Claudio, a collateral member of the Valdina royal family, fled to Katzen with his family after marrying the 4th Princess, Angelique.

And he tried to settle down in Katzen somehow.

The method he chose was to bow down to the arrogant and haughty Katzen nobles. The first noble to take root in Katzen was Count Raju, a noble from Valdina.

So, the Kazenites assumed that the Princess of Valdina would be no different.

At that very moment. Western Empress walked in.

"Your Majesty, the Western Empress! Welcome!"

The noble ladies who had been gathering in groups of three or four in front of the East Empress Dowager a moment ago and chatting away now gathered like clouds in front of the West Empress Dowager, beaming with joy.

"On an auspicious day like today, the presence of Western Empress Dowager will further enhance the grandeur of the coronation."

"The reason His Highness the Third Prince's dignity stands out so much is because the Empress Dowager is present. With the dignity of the mother and son standing side by side, we cannot help but feel honored."

"Today's coronation is for the First Prince and his wife, so it is not the time to discuss our mother and son."

The Western Empress Dowager responded coldly as usual.

Then, without even glancing at them, she slowly sat down in her seat.

Eastern Empress Dowager, who had suddenly lost all attention, quietly grabbed her handkerchief.

It was she who excelled in beauty and monopolized the Emperor's favor.

Still, the people were impatient because they could not please the Western Empress.

"..."

Eastern Empress Dowager knew the reason all too well.

Even though it has been several years since Princess Angelique was sent into exile, the Emperor still has not called her back.

People took it as a sign.

'In His Majesty's heart, the 4th Princess has long since fallen. And, the remaining 1st Prince...'

The First Prince's personality was cold-hearted and merciless.

'He didn't hesitate to kill the loyal servants who raised him, so how could we be an exception?'

He is a cruel person who even repays the grudge that has passed and wipes out the enemy's seeds.

He was a person who would not be assimilated by their petty flattery, but would laugh and cut off their hands and feet.

'His Majesty hates him so much that he will never be appointed as Crown Prince.'

Then, among the Emperor's children remaining in Katzen, the one closest to the Crown Prince is...

"There is only the Third Prince, the son of the Western Empress!"

Moreover, rather than joining the 1st Prince faction, whose power was already solid, helping and supporting the Third Prince faction, which is still fighting a tough battle against him, can increase their own value.

It is the instinct of those who pursue power to take advantage while avoiding risk.

So these days, the Katzen nobles were turning their attention to the Third Prince.

Naturally, attention was also focused on the Third Prince's mother, Southern Empress Dowager.

'Why should I care about the feelings of the Empress Dowager, who has no children to place on the throne anymore?'

No matter how much the Emperor favors the Eastern Empress, the throne will still fall into the hands of the son born to the Western Empress.

When they thought of the Emperor, whose madness was growing worse day by day, that day did not seem so far away.

Another noblewoman continued, smiling quickly.

"Yes, of course. I wondered where His Highness the Third Prince's fair and just nature came from. These are truly the words of a mother of a nation."

Even though there was no one in the Empress's seat, it was blatant fattery that revealed that the Southern Empress Dowager was the actual mistress of the imperial family.

A spark flew into Eastern Empress's eyes when she heard the last words, but they did not notice.

In fact, even if they had noticed, they would not have cared about the discomfort that the Eastern Empress might feel if it meant winning the favor of the Western Empress.

'It seems like they don't even have a liver or a gallbladder.'

As she thought about that, the Eastern Empress Dowager's face hardened.

This was because the Western Empress's seat was one level higher than her own, right next to the empty Empress's seat.

Boohoo. Boohoo.

Empress Dowager swallowed her anger as she grabbed the hem of her dress.

"Hey, if the 4th Princess were here, would they have dared to treat you like this?"

Countess Delgano wiped her eyes. The opalescent feather fan that had been spread out so splendidly had long since been folded shabbily.

"If it weren't for that woman, our poor Fourth Princess wouldn't have been kicked out."

At that moment, the Eastern Empress Dowager's face turned red.

This was because she noticed her fierce gaze as she glanced at the Western Empress Dowager.

The Western Empress quietly met her gaze and then raised the corners of her lips without saying a word.

'That's... laughing at me now? How much longer do you plan on acting arrogantly with the throne you haven't even held in your hands yet?'

The current ruler of this empire is not the son of that lowly woman!

The more she thought about it, the more her teeth chattered.

'Poor Angelique! Those leeches are sticking to her...!!'

When she thought of her daughter struggling alone in her hometown, she felt a burning sensation.

Even the cruel words of Claudio's family, which she heard later, could not completely appease the Empress Dowager.

She was filled with anger and humiliation at how she, who once dominated the royal family and social circles, had come to be like this.

"Your Majesty, why are you sweating so much?"

While Madam Delgano was diligently holding a handkerchief to the Empress Dowager.

"She's here! She's here! She's here. Valdina!"

The noise from the street could be heard inside the cathedral. Some nobles, who had become curious, forgot their manners and craned their necks to look out into the street.

A large carriage pulled into the street.

The flags of Valdina and Katzen were placed on both flagpoles of the carriage. Behind them followed the procession of Valdina people accompanying the Princess.

“Agemas!”

Dadadak. The intense sound of horseshoes hitting the stone floor sounded like drums on a battlefield.

The symbol of Agema, a running horse, glittered on the armor of the knight in the lead.

The elite knights who followed also all wore glossy, deep blue cloaks.

'They say they brought the famous plains tribes to their knees, but their momentum is truly formidable.'

The carriage they escorted was more than twice the size of a regular carriage.

The exterior of the carriage was gilded, as if it were covered in gold, and was decorated with white mother-of-pearl.

The wide canopy was adorned with pure gold thread, and the royal coat of arms of the Valdina family twinkled like starlight whenever the wind blew.

Looking at the carriage that was so extravagant and sophisticated that it almost seemed majestic, everyone had the same thought.

'When did Valdina become so wealthy?'

'They say they'll open the straits and sweep money from each country's top!"

A small country that had been relying on Katzen's aid for decades.

The Katzen people were stirred when they felt the changes in the brother nation of Valdina, which they had only heard about through word of mouth.

"See? Who's riding in the carriage?"

"Not a single one. The window is dark, so I can't see at all. But I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

The people who had gathered began to raise their arms one by one and crane their necks.

The closed windows, which left no clue as to what was inside, piqued their curiosity.

The fact that the young man and woman of the royal family were united in a strange relationship through a trust also added to people's curiosity.

"Princess Valdina, don't shr know? The personality of His Highness the First Prince?"

"Surely not. He's so famous. The goddess is also cruel. No matter how much power he has, how can you live with such a fearsome man? I can't do it. I can't do it."

"Hey, you guys, watch your mouth."

Finally, the carriage stopped in front of the cathedral.

But contrary to people's expectations, the first one to open the door and get out was the First Prince Cesare.

The black cloak fluttered around his tall and sturdy shoulders.

The imperial citizens who were watching straightened their backs as they felt an eerie feeling as if they were on a battlefield rather than a cathedral.

'Oh my, as expected."

People held their breath and lowered their heads without realizing it.

The nobles who sat in the cathedral were no different.

Even those who were busy flattering the Third Prince began to distance themselves from the First Prince when he appeared.

They held their breath and avoided eye contact like a child caught doing something bad.

When the First Prince's indifferent gaze passed over them, it felt as if the back of their necks were being crushed.

That was when.

'It's the Princess!'

A woman in a velvet formal dress, with the imperial emblem pinned to her shoulders, got out of the carriage.

A white face that shines transparently under the sunlight and silver hair that flows softly.

Even the magnificent diamond placed on top of the head seemed to lose its shine next to its owner.

'There has never been a word this beautiful?!'

Even those who had been holding back opened their mouths in surprise.

The moment when hundreds of eyes were focused on Medea like piercing blades, Cesare extended his hand.

His hand naturally moved towards the Princess's shoulders.

The moment a large, strong hand neatly fixed the brooch on the mantle, people rubbed their eyes now.

Is the First Prince serving her?

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