Episode 51. Unannounced Visit
The priest, sweating profusely at the urging of the knights, arrived and stood on the platform at the end of the flower path.
“Shall we go?”
Bercheria raised her hand and gently placed it on Lacrahan’s fingertips.
He carefully took her hand and began to walk down the flower path.
Just as the two were about to take their first step, a trumpet sound, as if it had been waiting for it, signaled the opening of the portal.
The portal opened, and the Emperor’s procession marched out.
Wyatt and the knights galloped furiously at the trumpet sound, arriving at the portal.
“Captain, that foul-tempered Emperor isn’t going crazy again, is he?”
Wyatt wiped the sweat from his forehead and glared at the portal entrance.
Most of the knights were imperial, so they knew everything about the Emperor and Lyone.
They knew best how significant an event Gerard was personally transporting himself through the portal to the North.
Gerard had become Emperor at a relatively young age, but he had only ever ventured outside the palace walls a handful of times.
He never observed the people or interacted with the nobles.
Despite being the Emperor, he never fulfilled the role of Emperor.
He lived the most reclusive life of all the Emperors.
Rumors even circulated among the knights that he had become Emperor for his own self-satisfaction.
In the rare instances of a truly critical situation outside the palace walls, Gerard would sometimes appoint the Empress to lead the way.
The innocent and kind Empress, without a husband, cared for the people alone, traveling the arduous paths without a word.
Needless to say, Gerard would often tuck himself into bed with his mistress, Lyone.
Gerard's entire life was optimized for the imperial court, and he rarely saw the people except during audiences. Therefore, few outside the palace walls knew his face.
Then, the Emperor arrived in the North, completely unannounced.
And it was in the middle of the night.
Of all days, it was Bercheria and Lacrahan's wedding day.
When Emperor Gerard emerged from the portal, Wyatt and the other knights bowed politely.
Then, they led the arrogant Emperor north to Lacrahan's castle.
The Emperor and his entourage finally appeared in front of Lacrahan's castle gates.
Lacrahan was waiting for the Emperor just behind the gate.
Lacrahan's gaze sharpened as he gazed at the wedding hall, now useless after a full day of preparation.
"But Your Highness, is it okay to leave the square as it is?"
"It doesn't matter now, does it?"
"Yes."
Timothy sighed deeply, unable to hide his regret.
As soon as Lacrahan finished speaking, a murmur came from the entrance.
A long procession, led by a magnificent carriage, formed along the usually quiet road.
"It's beginning."
Lacrahan looked up at the room where he had just seen her off.
What could she be thinking about behind the curtains?
Lacrahan reached into his pocket, where the ring he'd never dared give her was still in his hand.
"Thank you. I truly appreciate you wanting to help me."
Bercheria's words in the waiting room kept lingering in his mind.
"Why of all people?"
He hadn't confessed to her in front of her; he'd merely confided in Wyatt at the library entrance.
It was a confession so clear that no one could justify it.
What on earth was going through her mind as she listened? Lacrahan couldn't fathom why she'd responded with gratitude to the word "like."
Judging by her behavior since then, during their time together, she didn't seem to dislike him, and on the other hand, she was such a polite person that she seemed to be trying to avoid making him feel awkward.
"This is driving me crazy. Saying such things is pointless."
"His Majesty the Emperor is coming!"
Lacrahan's eyes instantly cooled as the Imperial Guard shouted.
He stared at the castle entrance with a meticulous gaze.
It wasn't yet clear what preparations Gerard had made, but Lacrahan was by no means an easy opponent.
He had no intention of losing Bercheria to Gerard here in the north, his own land. He hadn't even considered the slightest possibility.
Kung.
The grand gate blocking the castle entrance rang out loud as it opened.
And soon, the Emperor's entourage entered Lacrahan's castle.
Gerard, accompanied by his mistress, Lyone, led the way, leisurely riding a white horse.
Just behind them were the Captain of the Guard and another man he was carrying.
"Grand Duke, look over there."
The priest, sweating profusely at the urging of the knights, arrived and stood on the platform at the end of the flower path.
“Shall we go?”
Bercheria raised her hand and gently placed it on Lacrahan’s fingertips.
He carefully took her hand and began to walk down the flower path.
Just as the two were about to take their first step, a trumpet sound, as if it had been waiting for it, signaled the opening of the portal.
***
The portal opened, and the Emperor’s procession marched out.
Wyatt and the knights galloped furiously at the trumpet sound, arriving at the portal.
“Captain, that foul-tempered Emperor isn’t going crazy again, is he?”
Wyatt wiped the sweat from his forehead and glared at the portal entrance.
Most of the knights were imperial, so they knew everything about the Emperor and Lyone.
They knew best how significant an event Gerard was personally transporting himself through the portal to the North.
Gerard had become Emperor at a relatively young age, but he had only ever ventured outside the palace walls a handful of times.
He never observed the people or interacted with the nobles.
Despite being the Emperor, he never fulfilled the role of Emperor.
He lived the most reclusive life of all the Emperors.
Rumors even circulated among the knights that he had become Emperor for his own self-satisfaction.
In the rare instances of a truly critical situation outside the palace walls, Gerard would sometimes appoint the Empress to lead the way.
The innocent and kind Empress, without a husband, cared for the people alone, traveling the arduous paths without a word.
Needless to say, Gerard would often tuck himself into bed with his mistress, Lyone.
Gerard's entire life was optimized for the imperial court, and he rarely saw the people except during audiences. Therefore, few outside the palace walls knew his face.
Then, the Emperor arrived in the North, completely unannounced.
And it was in the middle of the night.
Of all days, it was Bercheria and Lacrahan's wedding day.
When Emperor Gerard emerged from the portal, Wyatt and the other knights bowed politely.
Then, they led the arrogant Emperor north to Lacrahan's castle.
***
The Emperor and his entourage finally appeared in front of Lacrahan's castle gates.
Lacrahan was waiting for the Emperor just behind the gate.
Lacrahan's gaze sharpened as he gazed at the wedding hall, now useless after a full day of preparation.
"But Your Highness, is it okay to leave the square as it is?"
"It doesn't matter now, does it?"
"Yes."
Timothy sighed deeply, unable to hide his regret.
As soon as Lacrahan finished speaking, a murmur came from the entrance.
A long procession, led by a magnificent carriage, formed along the usually quiet road.
"It's beginning."
Lacrahan looked up at the room where he had just seen her off.
What could she be thinking about behind the curtains?
Lacrahan reached into his pocket, where the ring he'd never dared give her was still in his hand.
"Thank you. I truly appreciate you wanting to help me."
Bercheria's words in the waiting room kept lingering in his mind.
"Why of all people?"
He hadn't confessed to her in front of her; he'd merely confided in Wyatt at the library entrance.
It was a confession so clear that no one could justify it.
What on earth was going through her mind as she listened? Lacrahan couldn't fathom why she'd responded with gratitude to the word "like."
Judging by her behavior since then, during their time together, she didn't seem to dislike him, and on the other hand, she was such a polite person that she seemed to be trying to avoid making him feel awkward.
"This is driving me crazy. Saying such things is pointless."
"His Majesty the Emperor is coming!"
Lacrahan's eyes instantly cooled as the Imperial Guard shouted.
He stared at the castle entrance with a meticulous gaze.
It wasn't yet clear what preparations Gerard had made, but Lacrahan was by no means an easy opponent.
He had no intention of losing Bercheria to Gerard here in the north, his own land. He hadn't even considered the slightest possibility.
Kung.
The grand gate blocking the castle entrance rang out loud as it opened.
And soon, the Emperor's entourage entered Lacrahan's castle.
Gerard, accompanied by his mistress, Lyone, led the way, leisurely riding a white horse.
Just behind them were the Captain of the Guard and another man he was carrying.
"Grand Duke, look over there."
Lacrahan followed Timothy's finger and looked at the boy sitting in front of the Captain of the Guard.
He had a youthful face, completely out of place in the Emperor's procession.
Curly blond hair, red lips, a small, upturned nose.
"Who is he? I've never heard of anyone like him."
Lacrahan received periodic reports from those he had installed in the imperial court, but he had never heard of a boy with such an appearance.
Timothy lowered his voice and whispered, as if puzzled.
"But Grand Duke, that boy, doesn't he resemble Bercheria?"
Golden eyes with upturned cat-like corners.
Lacrahan's lips parted slightly.
The boy's face looked like a replica of Bercheria.
Both of them possessed a physical characteristic rarely seen in Periat.
“Huh. They look alike, but they look too alike?”
At Timothy’s words, Lacrahan’s gaze swept over the boy even more persistently.
***
Bercheria was looking out the window through the curtains, which were open just a hand’s width.
“There won’t be any problems if you stay here. I’ll take care of the rest, so don’t worry about it.”
Lacrahan, who had escorted her to the front of the room, didn’t seem particularly anxious or concerned about the Emperor’s arrival.
He was no different from usual, except for the fact that he kept fiddling with something in his pocket.
Bercheria removed the veil she was still wearing and placed it on the bed. She craned her neck and looked out the window, seeing a gate half the height of the castle descending, connecting the cliff and Lacrahan Castle.
The Emperor’s procession slowly ascended onto it. It was a spectacle Bercheria had never seen before: a magnificent carriage and dozens of royal knights in full uniform.
And the two white horses marching in front were not a common sight either.
“Emperor Gerard.”
The Emperor had a completely different appearance than she had expected.
She had expected him to be an old, grumpy old man, but Gerard was surprisingly young and handsome.
Of course, he looked far less handsome than Lacrahan.
While the Emperor was certainly handsome, his image seemed slight and small.
The woman riding a white horse beside him was Gerard’s mistress, Lyone, whom Lacrahan had mentioned.
Clad in a snow-white dress and a shawl of the same color, she was incredibly beautiful, not believable for having been the Emperor’s mistress for so long.
Following closely behind was the captain of the royal guard, responsible for the Emperor’s safety, and the one he was leading in front was...
“...?”
Bercheria’s brow furrowed.
Curly hair clung to his face, his slender face. Large eyes, each with a golden eye within them.
The boy’s face, curiously scanning the world, resembled her own.
“What? My face and...”
It wasn’t like there weren’t people in Periat with blond hair like Bercheria.
Long ago, people with the same genes as Bercheria arrived in this land, and their blond hair and golden eyes were proof that they were descendants of a common ancestor.
What was unusual was that their body odor was so strong and intense that they possessed the power to seduce the opposite sex.
The weather goddess usually considers body odor first when selecting Awakened individuals.
That’s why all Bercheria Awakened individuals had become blond.
“Do they all look the same?”
Bercheria felt burdened by the thought of looking any further, so she flopped down on the bed.
“Why don’t I feel good?”
She reached inside her dress and found a small, transparent vial tightly sealed with a stopper.
It was a gift from Dipper, the god of the earth.
“If you need Muha and me, just throw this on the floor. We’ll run to you when we see the smoke. I think I’ll feel safe if you have it.”
“Muha.”
Bercheria clutched the small vial tightly.
As Gerard dismounted and approached Lacrahan, he bowed just enough to be polite.
“Lacrahan.”
“Your Majesty.”
Gerard greeted Lacrahan warmly, embracing him and patting his back as if he were meeting an old friend.
At first glance, the two seemed incredibly close.
“It’s been a while.”
The Emperor gave him a firm hug, then let him go.
Their smiles vanished, their faces expressionless as they faced each other.
“I wonder if you’ll bring up Princess Kelita first.”
He figured he probably would. Kelita would be a great preemptive strike for Emperor Gerard.
A few days ago, Lacrahan heard about how Kelita had passed through the portal.
It was an unprecedented incident, and everyone who heard the story was bewildered.
As a descendant of the family that had participated in the creation of the first portal, Lacrahan couldn’t understand it any better.
His ancestor had kept a detailed journal detailing the portal’s creation, and it was now in Lacrahan’s library.
Portals were incredibly delicate and sophisticated objects; if such a mistake had occurred, the portal would have collapsed long ago.
It was a gift from Dipper, the god of the earth.
“If you need Muha and me, just throw this on the floor. We’ll run to you when we see the smoke. I think I’ll feel safe if you have it.”
“Muha.”
Bercheria clutched the small vial tightly.
***
As Gerard dismounted and approached Lacrahan, he bowed just enough to be polite.
“Lacrahan.”
“Your Majesty.”
Gerard greeted Lacrahan warmly, embracing him and patting his back as if he were meeting an old friend.
At first glance, the two seemed incredibly close.
“It’s been a while.”
The Emperor gave him a firm hug, then let him go.
Their smiles vanished, their faces expressionless as they faced each other.
“I wonder if you’ll bring up Princess Kelita first.”
He figured he probably would. Kelita would be a great preemptive strike for Emperor Gerard.
A few days ago, Lacrahan heard about how Kelita had passed through the portal.
It was an unprecedented incident, and everyone who heard the story was bewildered.
As a descendant of the family that had participated in the creation of the first portal, Lacrahan couldn’t understand it any better.
His ancestor had kept a detailed journal detailing the portal’s creation, and it was now in Lacrahan’s library.
Portals were incredibly delicate and sophisticated objects; if such a mistake had occurred, the portal would have collapsed long ago.
“Ah. Let me say hello to Lyone. It must have been quite a while since she’s seen you.”
Lacrahan nodded to Lyone as well.
“Nice to meet you, Grand Duke Lacrahan.”
They hadn’t met many times, but every time he did, Lyone’s eyes were seductive.
There were women like that.
Women who instinctively wanted every man in the world to love her, even if she didn’t give her heart.
Lacrahan had always thought Lyone was one of those types.
But today, she was peeking behind him, as if searching for something.
Not overtly, but discreetly.
Lyone must have noticed his gaze and smiled at him as if she had always done so.
“Grand Duke Lacrahan. You’re still wonderful.”
“Thank you.”
Lacrahan brushed Lyone’s words aside and turned to Gerard.
“It’s late, Your Majesty. Please rest first, and we can discuss what we need to discuss tomorrow.”
As Lacrahan tried to walk ahead, Dylan, the captain of the guard, suddenly stepped forward from behind the Emperor and blocked Lacrahan’s path.
“How dare you! Block the Grand Duke!”
Lacrahan nodded to Lyone as well.
“Nice to meet you, Grand Duke Lacrahan.”
They hadn’t met many times, but every time he did, Lyone’s eyes were seductive.
There were women like that.
Women who instinctively wanted every man in the world to love her, even if she didn’t give her heart.
Lacrahan had always thought Lyone was one of those types.
But today, she was peeking behind him, as if searching for something.
Not overtly, but discreetly.
Lyone must have noticed his gaze and smiled at him as if she had always done so.
“Grand Duke Lacrahan. You’re still wonderful.”
“Thank you.”
Lacrahan brushed Lyone’s words aside and turned to Gerard.
“It’s late, Your Majesty. Please rest first, and we can discuss what we need to discuss tomorrow.”
As Lacrahan tried to walk ahead, Dylan, the captain of the guard, suddenly stepped forward from behind the Emperor and blocked Lacrahan’s path.
“How dare you! Block the Grand Duke!”
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