Dduk, dduk-!
They thought they heard the faint sound of wings flapping, as if they were ringing transparently in their ears, and then, one by one, butterflies began to fly towards the carriage in which the First Prince and his wife were riding.
"Look over there! Butterflies...!"
Then dozens of them fluttered, and soon a wave of butterflies appeared on the street.
"Protect Her Highness the First Princess!"
Hundreds of butterflies filled the sky, swirling around the carriage.
As the wings of the flock of butterflies sparkled in the sunlight, the veil on the First Princess' head appeared to spread across the sky, creating a spectacular sight.
The sight of butterflies swarming the royal procession left both the commoners and nobles breathless and speechless at the sight they had never seen before.
Then, someone shouted.
"What a good omen! What a good omen! Are not heaven and earth welcoming Her Highness the First Princess?"
Since ancient times, the Middle Continent has regarded butterflies as noble and harmless beings, pure objects inhabited by souls or spirits.
The perception of the imperial people here was no different.
"The noble one has come to our empire, and now this land will also enjoy long prosperity!"
People nodded at those words.
"Now that I think about it. It may be all thanks to Her Highness the Princess that the small kingdom of Valdina was able to develop so quickly into a new empire!"
"And now the lucky owner is our Katzen!"
"What are you talking about? It's just a coincidence."
At that moment, someone retorted with a sour expression. He was a low-ranking servant of the 3rd Prince's faction.
He continued, swatting away the butterflies fluttering about nervously with his hand.
"Have you forgotten that the Princess of Valdina was once called the cursed child who ate even her own parents?"
"That's right. She almost became the bride of the evil dragon! What luck!"
Someone agreed. Coincidentally, it was one of the North Empress's people.
They didn't know what kind of master they served, but their goal today was the same.
Forming a negative public opinion about the Crown Princess.
"So, it would be fortunate if that ominous atmosphere did not spread to our empire..."
"If you do that, what is that happening right before your eyes?"
"..."
Those who were refuting the claim have shut their mouths.
Even they had a hard time dismissing the spectacle of a flock of butterflies surrounding the First Prince and his wife as a mere natural phenomenon, even as they passed by and moved farther away.
"You guys, think as you wish! Becoming a sacrifice to the oracle means that you have fulfilled the will of the goddess!"
"Why are you so anxious that you can't belittle something that is not an omen, but rather a good omen that will bring prosperity to our empire?"
The bearded older man retorted.
He was the one who waved his hand at length until the carriage carrying the First Prince and his wife left the street.
His expression and demeanor clearly showed his weariness with life.
The man looked very displeased with the humans who were ruining the slope that had finally bloomed.
"That's right! I've been having a hard time lately with the monster wave and the country being in shambles, but seeing those sparkly butterflies makes me feel better! After all, it means that the goddess's will is not in Valdina, but in our Katzen!"
"That's right, that's right! The Goddess's will is on our Katzen!"
The lives of the people who occupied the lowest levels of the pyramid, including Katzen and Valdina, were ultimately the same.
It didn't really matter whether it was true or not, whether that future would actually come.
What really mattered was a reason for them to get through the hard day. A little hope that 'tomorrow will be better than today' was enough.
Even if that hope had already proven effective in other countries, wouldn't it be all the more credible?
"The goddess protects us! Katzen's prosperity will last forever!"
The people's passionate cries spread like wildfire. The voice of the man who had initially objected disappeared without a trace.
"Long live the First Princess!"
"Please bring us wealth and rest!"
The shouting continued until the carriage of the First Prince and his wife left the street.
The bearded man who had been annoying the Empress's men and the man who had been the first to shout "Long Live" both disappeared into the crowd at some point.
A fox-shaped brooch the size of a fingernail quietly shone on their chests as they walked briskly.
***
"Long live the First Princess!"
Leaving behind the cheers that echoed from afar, Cesare glanced at the First Princess sitting in the carriage.
"Why?"
Medea shrugged, realizing from Cesare's glances back and forth between her and the railing that he had noticed the inside story of this strange phenomenon.
"It wasn't bad, was it?"
"As bad as it is, it couldn't have been better."
Cesare answered with only the corners of his lips raised.
As long as the people regard her as a symbol of good luck, this will serve as another shield that the Emperor cannot mess with.
'Even if Dea isn't declared a Saint.'
He raised the corners of his mouth.
'I wonder what the Emperor's face looks like.'
Katzen Imperial Palace.
"How can the noise of those little rascals be so loud?"
As he expected, news of the march also reached the ears of Perdiccas II.
Even if he hadn't been curious, he couldn't have ignored the commotion that seemed to indicate that the capital was about to leave.
"...It is said that a festival was held on the streets of the capital."
When the chamberlain briefly explained the situation, Perdiccas II's face distorted.
"What are those little creatures, stupid things? My people are all foolish!"
It was heartbreaking to think that Valdina's daughter was being treated as the guardian spirit of her country, let alone bringing the Philosopher's Stone.
"Not a single thing that has been turned over is broken... I don't like anything about it. I guess Peleus, that bastard's family, is really like that. It's already so unpleasant to see this."
He struck the armrest of the throne, his expression distorted.
However, the chamberlain relayed everything that happened at the coronation.
"She paid her respects to the dead Empress?"
"Yes, originally it was meant to be offered to His Majesty, but since there was no throne, the remaining rites were offered to Her Majesty the Empress."
"Ha, even a ridiculous excuse is good!"
Perdiccas II snapped sharply.
"I don't even want to see their faces. For the time being, don't tell me any news about them. I'll reject any audience requests."
"But, Your Majesty..."
"I don't want to hear it. They are my subordinates in my land, whether they are guardians or prosperous. Who dares say that I should be mindful of their feelings?"
He shook his head roughly. His beard twitched nervously.
However, the chamberlain noticed that his momentum had diminished compared to before.
"...Eleanor."
The quiet Emperor muttered absentmindedly.
***
Meanwhile, the carriage that had finished its parade through the streets for the coronation headed not to the imperial palace located in the north of the city, but to the southeastern outskirts.
The spacious palace there welcomed Medea.
"Here..."
Unlike the splendid golden palace, the smooth black stone walls without any decoration were impressive.
"It's a villa. Cesare has stayed here ever since he came of age."
Terence whispered from the side.
After Cesare's victory and triumph in the Continental War, his father Perdiccas II feared that his eldest son's sword, which had become too powerful, might be aimed at him.
Since the Empress had just passed away, the Emperor made excuses and sent Cesare out of the palace.
"But it was better for us."
By breaking away from the Emperor's grasp and creating a separate stronghold within the castle, the First Prince was able to freely increase his power.
Terence added as if explaining, as Medea glanced at the large wall that was twice as high as the white mansion of Valdina and the knights in black armor.
"But we cannot be completely at ease. His Majesty the Emperor is not the only one targeting this place."
Perhaps for this reason, the restrained lines and elaborate layout of the villa made it look more like a fortress than an imperial palace.
"Don't worry, if this place gets breached, it means the palace has already fallen."
Cesare brushed Terence aside as if telling him not to worry, and placed a hand on Medea's shoulder.
"Come here, Dea."
He took Medea's hand and pulled her forward. He showed her the official bedroom of the First Prince and his wife, Medea's private bedroom, the library, and the reception room.
Medea stopped in her tracks at the sight.
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