Episode 142. The Legacy of the Second Lion
Locard took a beautifully crafted glass vial from his bosom and offered it to the Emperor. It was the "legacy" of Drake, the Second Lion.
Orl's pupils dilated, capturing the sight of the vial passing from Locard to the Emperor's hand.
As the Emperor accepted it, Orl swallowed dryly. His hand reached out of its own accord, as if yearning.
"Your Majesty, that..."
"Is it true you inflicted your own illness, Orl?"
"No, Your Majesty! I never did!"
"Is it true you inflicted your own illness to avoid participating in the Battle of Armata?"
"No! It was Grayon's plot! Grayon fed me a vile poison..."
Crunch.
Orl froze, his mouth agape, as the sound of the vial shattering beneath the Emperor's shoe was distinctly audible.
Orl sank to the floor, craving the medicine spreading across the floor. He simply reached out his hand blankly toward the broken glass strewn on the floor.
The Emperor gazed at his son with contempt. His turning away gesture was a denial.
He spoke to Grayon as if in anger.
“The hunt is over. Grayon is the winner.”
After the Emperor withdrew with a violent, storm-like energy, the two brothers locked eyes.
Grayon looked down at Orl, and Orl lifted his chin at Grayon.
Orl’s face twitched with a spreading convulsion, then began to let out a grotesque, beast-like roar.
“Aaaaah!”
Locard roared outside.
“What are you doing! Take His Highness Orl out!”
It was confinement.
Locard took a beautifully crafted glass vial from his bosom and offered it to the Emperor. It was the "legacy" of Drake, the Second Lion.
Orl's pupils dilated, capturing the sight of the vial passing from Locard to the Emperor's hand.
As the Emperor accepted it, Orl swallowed dryly. His hand reached out of its own accord, as if yearning.
"Your Majesty, that..."
"Is it true you inflicted your own illness, Orl?"
"No, Your Majesty! I never did!"
"Is it true you inflicted your own illness to avoid participating in the Battle of Armata?"
"No! It was Grayon's plot! Grayon fed me a vile poison..."
Crunch.
Orl froze, his mouth agape, as the sound of the vial shattering beneath the Emperor's shoe was distinctly audible.
Orl sank to the floor, craving the medicine spreading across the floor. He simply reached out his hand blankly toward the broken glass strewn on the floor.
The Emperor gazed at his son with contempt. His turning away gesture was a denial.
He spoke to Grayon as if in anger.
“The hunt is over. Grayon is the winner.”
After the Emperor withdrew with a violent, storm-like energy, the two brothers locked eyes.
Grayon looked down at Orl, and Orl lifted his chin at Grayon.
Orl’s face twitched with a spreading convulsion, then began to let out a grotesque, beast-like roar.
“Aaaaah!”
Locard roared outside.
“What are you doing! Take His Highness Orl out!”
It was confinement.
***
16. Those Left Behind
The one who guarded Empress Leora Tagar until the end was, unexpectedly, Locard Kydel.
The Emperor dismissed all the palace servants except one maid and cut off all communication with the outside world.
Sitting alone in the empty palace, the Empress understood the meaning of this silence.
She hadn't asked for anything. She had simply summoned Locard Kydel.
Locard walked alone through the ornate hallway, thinking that the Empress's palace seemed even more spacious than before. His footsteps echoed louder and more eerily than before.
Locard opened the door to the Empress's drawing room and entered. She was sitting in the center of the sofa.
Her pink hair was tied up in a bun, and she wore a gorgeous dress with heavy makeup. She had taken out her most expensive jewels and draped them over her body, but there was no place for a necklace.
Locard, not hiding his reluctance to be here, asked very softly,
"Why did you summon me, Your Majesty?"
"Because you are my only friend."
"..."
"Because the Duke is the only one left in the world who knows Drake, who shares my memories. Would you like to sit here?"
"This place is sufficient."
Locard didn't move from where he stood. Sympathy and compassion were meaningless to this woman.
"And Miriam?"
"The Viscountess Rene and her husband died in the mansion fire."
“...Is that so?”
The Emperor wanted to keep this matter buried.
The First Prince had poisoned himself to avoid war. And the Empress had orchestrated it. It was something that could never be revealed to the world.
But the Emperor’s wrath could not be hidden. The First Prince’s servant, Viscount Rene, and the Empress’s maid, Viscountess Miriam, were burned to death in their home.
“Where’s Ankart?”
“A large amount of tax evasion was discovered, and he was stripped of his title and his property confiscated. Kalin Ankart fled, and her whereabouts are unknown.”
Only the Empress knew that Kalin would likely never be found.
“I see.”
“Aren’t you going to ask about His Highness Orl?”
“...”
Orl was confined in the First Prince’s Palace, suffering from a high fever. The psychological shock had exacerbated his symptoms. Without an antidote, he was now destined to live a life of semi-cripple.
He had been confined to escape his father’s extreme wrath because he was already in a punishment from which he could not escape.
Locard felt a sense of disgust at the Empress, who seemed to have erased Orl's existence at this very moment when Orl truly needed his mother.
"How is His Majesty?"
"As usual."
"Ha! Yes... That's right. Will you go and tell His Majesty? Tell him to repay his debt to me?"
"..."
At Locard's silence, the Empress's face twisted grotesquely, and her eyes widened.
She slammed her fist into the armrest of her chair and screamed.
"Go and tell him, Locard! Tell that damned Emperor Tagar to repay his debt to me!"
But Locard didn't answer. He didn't move.
The Empress gasped as he remained motionless, pushing back against the chair to keep herself from collapsing.
"Do you know how shameless your Emperor is? Do you know what kind of beast he is?"
"..."
"He is a beast. He is a monster who slaughtered his brothers and devoured his parents!"
"..."
As Locard's gaze wavered, she laughed, her eyes wide with madness.
"He is a coward! Even though he was covered in his brother's blood, he couldn't bear to do anything to his own father, so he groaned every night. The previous Emperor refused to forgive his fratricide! That's why I stepped forward. Even without saying a word, I knew that was what he wanted!"
Locard unconsciously took a step back, thinking that he shouldn't have entered this room.
“I bribed Empress Queenna’s maid to poison the Emperor’s tea. Do you know what he whispered to me in his bedroom the day his father died?”
“...”
“‘You are my flesh and blood, Leora. I owe you a debt I can never repay.’ So pay it! Show yourself before me at once!”
16. Those Left Behind
The one who guarded Empress Leora Tagar until the end was, unexpectedly, Locard Kydel.
The Emperor dismissed all the palace servants except one maid and cut off all communication with the outside world.
Sitting alone in the empty palace, the Empress understood the meaning of this silence.
She hadn't asked for anything. She had simply summoned Locard Kydel.
Locard walked alone through the ornate hallway, thinking that the Empress's palace seemed even more spacious than before. His footsteps echoed louder and more eerily than before.
Locard opened the door to the Empress's drawing room and entered. She was sitting in the center of the sofa.
Her pink hair was tied up in a bun, and she wore a gorgeous dress with heavy makeup. She had taken out her most expensive jewels and draped them over her body, but there was no place for a necklace.
Locard, not hiding his reluctance to be here, asked very softly,
"Why did you summon me, Your Majesty?"
"Because you are my only friend."
"..."
"Because the Duke is the only one left in the world who knows Drake, who shares my memories. Would you like to sit here?"
"This place is sufficient."
Locard didn't move from where he stood. Sympathy and compassion were meaningless to this woman.
"And Miriam?"
"The Viscountess Rene and her husband died in the mansion fire."
“...Is that so?”
The Emperor wanted to keep this matter buried.
The First Prince had poisoned himself to avoid war. And the Empress had orchestrated it. It was something that could never be revealed to the world.
But the Emperor’s wrath could not be hidden. The First Prince’s servant, Viscount Rene, and the Empress’s maid, Viscountess Miriam, were burned to death in their home.
“Where’s Ankart?”
“A large amount of tax evasion was discovered, and he was stripped of his title and his property confiscated. Kalin Ankart fled, and her whereabouts are unknown.”
Only the Empress knew that Kalin would likely never be found.
“I see.”
“Aren’t you going to ask about His Highness Orl?”
“...”
Orl was confined in the First Prince’s Palace, suffering from a high fever. The psychological shock had exacerbated his symptoms. Without an antidote, he was now destined to live a life of semi-cripple.
He had been confined to escape his father’s extreme wrath because he was already in a punishment from which he could not escape.
Locard felt a sense of disgust at the Empress, who seemed to have erased Orl's existence at this very moment when Orl truly needed his mother.
"How is His Majesty?"
"As usual."
"Ha! Yes... That's right. Will you go and tell His Majesty? Tell him to repay his debt to me?"
"..."
At Locard's silence, the Empress's face twisted grotesquely, and her eyes widened.
She slammed her fist into the armrest of her chair and screamed.
"Go and tell him, Locard! Tell that damned Emperor Tagar to repay his debt to me!"
But Locard didn't answer. He didn't move.
The Empress gasped as he remained motionless, pushing back against the chair to keep herself from collapsing.
"Do you know how shameless your Emperor is? Do you know what kind of beast he is?"
"..."
"He is a beast. He is a monster who slaughtered his brothers and devoured his parents!"
"..."
As Locard's gaze wavered, she laughed, her eyes wide with madness.
"He is a coward! Even though he was covered in his brother's blood, he couldn't bear to do anything to his own father, so he groaned every night. The previous Emperor refused to forgive his fratricide! That's why I stepped forward. Even without saying a word, I knew that was what he wanted!"
Locard unconsciously took a step back, thinking that he shouldn't have entered this room.
“I bribed Empress Queenna’s maid to poison the Emperor’s tea. Do you know what he whispered to me in his bedroom the day his father died?”
“...”
“‘You are my flesh and blood, Leora. I owe you a debt I can never repay.’ So pay it! Show yourself before me at once!”
Damn it.
Where did Tagar’s blood go wrong?
Locard gritted his teeth to stifle his revulsion.
Was that why the Emperor, against his nature, had turned a blind eye to the Empress’s infidelity and tolerated the growth of the Empress’s faction?
But the Emperor he knew was not such a docile man.
Locard spat it out as if chewing.
“His Majesty instructed me to convey this message: ‘The Empress must protect Tagar’s honor.’ That is all I have to say.”
Locard turned resolutely and left.
Before the door closed, Empress Leora’s piercing screams clawed at his back.
When the warm sunset bathed the Empress's palace balcony, she regained her senses.
Not even the last maid appeared, fearful of her. She realized the Emperor had taken her sound away. The footsteps of the maids in the hallway, the voices of the knights and guards milling about outside, the guests impatient to see her...
This silence was death. It was the first and last music her husband, Emperor Tagar, had ever sent her.
She leaned her head against the back of her chair and hummed a song. It was a song Drake had composed for her long ago.
The lyrics teased her, so she had frowned at it then, but now, after all this time, how sweet it sounded...
Leora loved being the Empress of Tagar. And for that reason, she loved and was loyal to the Emperor. The Emperor's enemies were her enemies.
One day, Drake Omalan had intruded into that predator's life, wafting fragrance and humming a tune.
In his smile, she realized: She said she was a woman too. Like a fragile girl, overflowing with emotions and desires, yearning for love.
Her love with him was not a ritual aimed at procreation, but an act of passion and happiness. It was a shocking world she had never known.
“Ahh... Drake.”
She pictured his face in the crimson sky as the sunlight faded. The color was like ‘red tears.’
She opened a small bottle and drank the medicine. It was the poison Milliora had once consumed.
"So, why can’t I go? Why can’t I see your sister? I want to play with Lorisha, too."
“Shanla, I understand you don’t use the Imperial dialect, but please stop speaking informally to me.”
"You speak informally to me too."
“You always speak informally... I’m the Crown Prince...! Please, Locard. Say something!”
But Prince Kydel smirked and turned away from him.
Crown Prince Grayon barely managed to control himself, pressing his temples.
“So what do you want? Do you want to meet Milliora, or do you want to hang out with Lorisha?”
"That’s different? I want to go south too. The Crown Prince seems to have a bit of a hard time understanding.
I’m a bit of a brat who often disregards etiquette and swears, but the future Crown Princess of Shanla was a bit extreme. Even though she was a Princess of a nation from birth.
I felt like Prince Kydel should step up and give in. But instead, he gently wrapped his arm around my waist and signaled for me to step back.
Where did Tagar’s blood go wrong?
Locard gritted his teeth to stifle his revulsion.
Was that why the Emperor, against his nature, had turned a blind eye to the Empress’s infidelity and tolerated the growth of the Empress’s faction?
But the Emperor he knew was not such a docile man.
Locard spat it out as if chewing.
“His Majesty instructed me to convey this message: ‘The Empress must protect Tagar’s honor.’ That is all I have to say.”
Locard turned resolutely and left.
Before the door closed, Empress Leora’s piercing screams clawed at his back.
***
When the warm sunset bathed the Empress's palace balcony, she regained her senses.
Not even the last maid appeared, fearful of her. She realized the Emperor had taken her sound away. The footsteps of the maids in the hallway, the voices of the knights and guards milling about outside, the guests impatient to see her...
This silence was death. It was the first and last music her husband, Emperor Tagar, had ever sent her.
She leaned her head against the back of her chair and hummed a song. It was a song Drake had composed for her long ago.
The lyrics teased her, so she had frowned at it then, but now, after all this time, how sweet it sounded...
Leora loved being the Empress of Tagar. And for that reason, she loved and was loyal to the Emperor. The Emperor's enemies were her enemies.
One day, Drake Omalan had intruded into that predator's life, wafting fragrance and humming a tune.
In his smile, she realized: She said she was a woman too. Like a fragile girl, overflowing with emotions and desires, yearning for love.
Her love with him was not a ritual aimed at procreation, but an act of passion and happiness. It was a shocking world she had never known.
“Ahh... Drake.”
She pictured his face in the crimson sky as the sunlight faded. The color was like ‘red tears.’
She opened a small bottle and drank the medicine. It was the poison Milliora had once consumed.
***
"So, why can’t I go? Why can’t I see your sister? I want to play with Lorisha, too."
“Shanla, I understand you don’t use the Imperial dialect, but please stop speaking informally to me.”
"You speak informally to me too."
“You always speak informally... I’m the Crown Prince...! Please, Locard. Say something!”
But Prince Kydel smirked and turned away from him.
Crown Prince Grayon barely managed to control himself, pressing his temples.
“So what do you want? Do you want to meet Milliora, or do you want to hang out with Lorisha?”
"That’s different? I want to go south too. The Crown Prince seems to have a bit of a hard time understanding.
I’m a bit of a brat who often disregards etiquette and swears, but the future Crown Princess of Shanla was a bit extreme. Even though she was a Princess of a nation from birth.
I felt like Prince Kydel should step up and give in. But instead, he gently wrapped his arm around my waist and signaled for me to step back.
“Then we’ll be off.”
Prince Kydel gently pulled me, and I blurted out, “I’ll be off!” and followed him.
I worriedly said to Prince Kydel,
“Would it be okay if I left you two alone? It’s precarious.”
"His Highness the Crown Prince once declared that he must marry an honest woman. In my view, he's met his ideal woman... though perhaps a bit too honest."
Hmm. He seemed to have no choice but to say so, since she was his bride.
I frowned slightly and decided to forget about His Highness Grayon and Princess Shanla.
Regardless, the two of them had been strangely close from the start, and I believed there was nothing more useless than interfering in a man-woman relationship.
We left the palace exit, but the carriage hadn't yet arrived.
Prince Kydel said,
"I'll go and check."
Prince Kydel gently pulled me, and I blurted out, “I’ll be off!” and followed him.
I worriedly said to Prince Kydel,
“Would it be okay if I left you two alone? It’s precarious.”
"His Highness the Crown Prince once declared that he must marry an honest woman. In my view, he's met his ideal woman... though perhaps a bit too honest."
Hmm. He seemed to have no choice but to say so, since she was his bride.
I frowned slightly and decided to forget about His Highness Grayon and Princess Shanla.
Regardless, the two of them had been strangely close from the start, and I believed there was nothing more useless than interfering in a man-woman relationship.
We left the palace exit, but the carriage hadn't yet arrived.
Prince Kydel said,
"I'll go and check."
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