☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The moment Reinhardt realized what Erich had handed to the Emperor, he felt his mind come to a halt.
‘How could that bastard have…’
Rothbart’s diary was a record that should never be revealed to the world.
Within it lay not only his inferiority complex towards the first Emperor but also detailed accounts of how he deceived the royal family to build the Archduke family.
However, the Archduke of Tarrant had not destroyed that diary.
The reason was because of Rothbart’s will and the protective magic he had cast, as well as the value of the “true history” contained within the diary.
Rothbart, who had a strong sense of self-awareness, wished for his achievements to be remembered by his descendants even after his death, and he hoped that they would seize the opportunities he had created for them.
That opportunity was the succession to the throne obtained through a contract with Carlos.
And Reinhardt had lived diligently for the throne, just as his ancestors wished.
The plan to obtain the black-haired imperial family, who possessed the blood of heroes, was just an added bonus.
‘Only I know the value of that.’
But the secret he had tried so hard to hide had been exposed to the entire world.
And it was done by none other than Erich Blant, whom he had wanted to keep the secret from.
Enraged, Reinhardt unconsciously raised his voice.
“Erich Blant, how dare you—!”
But Erich, unfazed, spoke to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, please read the next page.”
The Emperor nodded and continued reading the letter.
“I inherited only the violet eyes from my father. But my father said that black hair was the proof of his power and the key to making the Empire prosperous. But in the end, that woman died, and the victor was I, Carlos. Therefore, I plan to manipulate not only the records about Colette but also those about her mother, the Empress… Wait, what is this?”
It was at that moment that the Emperor was in shock.
Someone approached the Emperor and spoke.
“Your Majesty, as you can see, the current history has been distorted by the victors.”
He was a renowned scholar known for his extensive knowledge in various fields.
And what he said could not be taken lightly.
“Distorted? Are you implying that the current royal family has been distorted by the second Emperor?”
At the Emperor’s question, the scholar bowed his head and replied.
“Yes, the first Emperor had two wives. The first wife was the Empress, who was the mother of Princess Colette and a spirit master, while the second wife was the Empress Odette, whom he married to win over the indigenous powers of this land. And the great magician Rothbart, known as the first Emperor’s brother, is the biological brother of Empress Odette.”
The fact that the current royal family was not of direct descent but rather from a secondary line was shocking enough, but the revelation that the Archduke of Tarrant was not a bloodline of the first Emperor but rather from a mere Empress’s family left the people in disbelief.
Only the two, Erich and Reinhardt, showed indifferent reactions as if they already knew.
‘How does it feel to have your secret exposed?’
‘Erich Blant, that bastard has truly dug up the secrets of our family!’
While the two were engaged in a tense staredown, the scholar continued.
“And the first Emperor believed that black hair was the sign of a hero who inherited his blood.”
“Is there definitive evidence for this?”
“The evidence is not only in the letters but also in the recently unearthed stele at the border. This is the rubbing of it. It states, ‘The black-haired Emperor chosen by the gods creates a vast empire.’”
Finally, the scholar said,
“And thanks to Duke Blant, I have already verified that both the diary and the letters are genuine.”
The conference hall erupted in commotion at the scholar’s words.
“The implication that the Archduke of Tarrant is from the Empress’s family… means they are not of royal blood, right?”
“The current royal family is of a secondary line, and furthermore, black hair is a mark of a hero’s manifestation…”
“Then that means the next Emperor should be Her Highness the Princess, right?”
Reinhardt glared at the root of all this trouble.
‘Erich Blant, you’re really going to bring me down.’
He wanted nothing more than to snap the man’s neck right then and there.
However, Reinhardt was a calculating person who valued his own safety.
He couldn’t afford to lose everything in a fit of rage.
‘Right, I’ve come this far; I can’t let it all go to waste.’
He had to find a way to navigate this situation.
So, Reinhardt quickly began to think.
Finally, he spoke to Erich.
“How dare you expose the royal family’s secrets that our family has protected!”
At that, the Emperor frowned.
“What do you mean by protecting the royal family’s secrets?”
Reinhardt hurriedly lowered his head.
“Your Majesty, as you saw in the letter, our family has been thoroughly guarding the royal family’s secrets as per the contract with His Majesty the Second Emperor.”
The Emperor scoffed at this plausible claim.
“So, it was for the sake of keeping the secret?”
“Yes, if the royal family’s secrets were revealed, it could undermine not only your dignity, Your Majesty, but that of the entire royal family.”
The current Emperor’s hair, as well as that of his predecessors, was platinum blonde.
This allowed Reinhardt to frame his actions as loyalty rather than disloyalty.
“Alright, I understand your point. But why did you choose to keep that secret without questioning it?”
“Because the first head of our family placed protective magic on this diary. I’ve tried to burn it and even submerged it in water, but it remained intact. If I couldn’t destroy it, I thought it best to keep it safe.”
Reinhardt quickly knelt and buried his head on the floor.
“Your Majesty, I do not deny that my predecessor committed disloyalty against the royal family. However, our descendants have remained even more loyal to the royal family to atone for that sin. Please acknowledge this fact.”
The nobles stirred at Reinhardt’s display.
“Indeed, a loyal family like the House of Tarrant is rare.”
“Isn’t it the family that took the lead during the invasion of outsiders? Honestly, questioning the sins of ancestors committed a thousand years ago seems a bit…”
With just a few words, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The Emperor clenched his fists at Reinhardt’s cleverness.
‘This sly bastard.’
But the Emperor was not someone to be easily swayed.
“Very well, I understand your point.”
Just as Reinhardt was about to raise his head with a smile, the Emperor continued.
“However, now that I know the truth that the House of Tarrant is unqualified, it would be right to revoke your family’s succession rights.”
Reinhardt bit his lip at the Emperor’s decisive action to revoke the succession rights.
‘This damn bastard!’
But protesting against that could be seen as disloyalty.
For now, it was best to pretend to accept those words and navigate the crisis.
‘Yes, it’s better than being accused of treason here.’
Reinhardt nodded and replied.
“Yes, please do as you see fit, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor then spoke.
“I will strip the House of Tarrant of its succession rights, which are not of royal blood! Furthermore, all the privileges enjoyed as royalty must be returned.”
Reinhardt clenched his fists tightly.
‘But losing everything here wouldn’t be fair.’
Reinhardt gazed at Cornelia.
‘Now, how can I win the princess’s heart?’
Since it was clear that his secret had been revealed, winning Cornelia’s heart was nearly impossible.
However, at least he could ensure that she wouldn’t give her heart to someone else.
‘Right, if I can’t have her, then no one should be able to, right?’
Reinhardt spoke again.
“Your Majesty, Erich Blant broke into my mansion and publicly revealed the royal family’s secrets without consulting you. Additionally, while the matter has been postponed, it’s clear that the duke is a fake.”
Erich glared fiercely at Reinhardt.
‘So, he’s determined to expose my secret as well.’
It was Reinhardt Tarrant who had initially monitored and investigated the duke’s family.
Moreover, hadn’t he even targeted the family head’s seal?
He had enough grounds to refute, but Erich remained silent.
If that happened, Reinhardt would have to bring up the fact that he extorted money from the Grand Madam using the excuse of his missing brother, which would force him to reveal his true identity.
In reality, revealing his identity wouldn’t significantly impact his position.
Reinhardt cleverly called him a fake, but he was a legitimate heir of the Blant family, just not “Erich.”
Yet, the reason Erich desperately tried to conceal this fact was simple.
‘She must have said that because he believes I’m my brother. She… trusts me.’
Just thinking of her and the child warmed his heart and made him feel alive.
This was the first time Erich truly realized what happiness was.
However, the man Cornelia trusted was “Erich Lennon Blant,” who visited her every day.
Not his twin brother, who had no name and grew up in obscurity.
‘Just when I’ve finally gotten close to her, if she finds out I’m not the real Erich… she’ll never want to see me again, will she?’
He was afraid. The thought that he might never see her again was terrifying.
That’s why he had to remain as “Erich Lennon Blant,” not as a “fake imitating his brother.”
It was better to acknowledge the mansion break-in and have his somewhat insignificant reputation tarnished than to reveal his identity and be rejected by her.
“I’ll clarify later that I’m not a fake, so I stand firm. However, breaking into the Archduke Tarrant’s residence…”
Just as Erich was about to admit the break-in, Cornelia interrupted.
“It was because of my request.”
Cornelia cut in, and the Emperor looked puzzled by her words.
“A request? What do you mean?”
Cornelia looked at Erich.
Then, she mouthed the words.
‘From now on, leave it to me.’
Just as Erich was about to ask what that meant, Cornelia glared at Reinhardt and raised her voice.
“I asked him to find evidence there. I had a suspicion that Reinhardt Adolf Tarrant was plotting treason.”
