<Episode 35>
***
I walked like flying and arrived at my palace.
“Edith.”
“Oh, Asha… No Your Highness the 2nd Prince.”
But Ashamed was standing in the garden of the palace where I was staying.
I almost inadvertently called him by his name like I did when it was just the two of us.
I looked at the maids behind Ashamed and quickly gave him a formal greeting.
After Ashamed retained his former position, he could no longer be called by his first name in public.
“What’s going on?”
Roberick was very displeased with my engagement to the second prince, who had been imprisoned after his fake death, but there was no other way out.
There was no room for him to interfere in the marriage arranged by the spirit kings.
Roberick, who was particularly unsatisfied with Ashamed, told her that since she was betrothed to the second prince and not the crown prince, there was no need for her to be educated in the palace, so she should stay at the Archduke’s residence as before.
‘No, I do not want.’
‘Edith…!’
I hated it.
It was different from what I had first planned, but anyway, I was the second prince’s fiancée.
Looking at the precedents, it was said that there were many cases where daughters who were betrothed to a prince other than the crown prince grew up together in the imperial palace from childhood, so there was no problem with me staying in the villa attached to the second prince’s palace.
In other words, there was no longer any need to live inconveniently in the Grand Duke’s residence where Chastia and Allea stayed.
As for the Emperor not only had he been treated harshly by the Spirit Kings, but the disappearance of the Fire Spirit King Phoenix and the fraud of the crown prince as a spirit king master had all been revealed.
The Emperor’s prestige both internally and externally had been greatly reduced, so he was unable to treat me as leisurely as before.
When it was revealed that the Crown Prince had not received the blessing of any spirit, the Spirit King of Fire disappeared anyway, even his position was in jeopardy due to public opinion that the crown prince should be replaced by His Highness the Second Prince, who received the blessing of the Spirit King of Ice. The crown prince was not even a rival.
One way or another, the imperial palace was better in many ways than the grand duke’s residence.
Oh yes.
Since I was officially awarded the title of princess, one of the big reasons why I had to stay at the Grand Duke’s residence has disappeared.
“……I was just feeling bored.”
Ashamed answered in a calm voice.
“Oh, then, since you’re here, let’s have dinner together.”
I smiled brightly and grabbed Ashamed’s hand.
Ashamed, who was quietly looking at me, followed obediently.1You are done for😂
***
As time passed, Ashamed and I became quite close.
Because we became a partners, whether willingly or not, we needed each other at least until we came of age.
Whether Ashamed really pushes out Valerian and becomes The Crown prince.
Whether I break off the engagement with Ashamed and claim the inheritance of the Grand Duke of Hailian.
⋯⋯No matter what the future holds, we were together until then.
“So, I decided to ask Count Jupes to receive an invitation letter from Litera. It hasn’t been decided yet, but I think there’s a good chance it will succeed.”
Ashamed, who had come to live in a normal environment, no longer showed the same eerie side as before.
The side where as soon as he saw someone, he would grab them by the neck, and every time he spoke, he basically threatened people.
“Are you going to go to Litera once the invitation comes?”
The voice returned, softer than before.
“Yes. Because I want to know about the Spirit King who blessed my mother.”
I answered softly, remembering the story that Count Jupes had told me.
“…Then I want to go too.”
huh?
I blinked and looked back at Ashamed, and saw the boy who had grown a little taller than before, staring at me.
Why do you want to go together?
“Have you become interested in spirits too?”
It didn’t seem like that at all, but perhaps his passion for learning had increased in the meantime?
“…No, that’s not it.”
But Ashamed’s reaction was strange.
Wasn’t he looking at me dissatisfied with his eyebrows furrowed and narrowed as if he didn’t like something?
What, why was it like that?
“Then why do you want to go with me?”
Ashamed bit his lip and answered as if he was chewing it.
“-Because I don’t want to be separated from you.”
“What?”
…What did I just hear? I frowned and asked back.
Then Ashamed’s eyes widened and he turned his head away.
“Litera exists outside the empire… If you leave to go there, you won’t be able to return for two months.”
The voice that had been trying to suppress its emotions returned.
“…….yes.”
I know that too.
“So I don’t like it.”
I opened my mouth as the words hit me right away.
The cold, ghastly gaze was directed at me again.
“…How am I going to go on without you?”
Contrary to the cold light, Ashamed’s eyes showed a slight tremor.
“Even if I tell you not to go, you’ll go. Then I’d rather go with you. I’ll follow you.”
No… if anyone heard our interaction, they would think that I’m leaving forever.
“Ahaha.”
It was absurd, but the earnest look in Ashamed’s eyes when he said that was a little funny.
I ended up laughing slightly.
If Ashamed wanted to go with me, there was nothing wrong with that.
He received the blessing of the Ice Spirit King that was well known not only in the Roshan Empire but also in other countries, and at the same time he possessed dark attributes.
There was a lot of noise due to rumors about the 2nd prince, who used to be known as dead.
If the rumored royal family were to come, wouldn’t Litera be able to give permission more easily?
…And there was no need to hide my purpose from Ashamed.
“Okay. Let’s go together.”
I responded calmly.
Ashamed looked at me blankly without answering.
He didn’t say anything, but he seemed somewhat relieved.
***
“What business does His Majesty, the Emperor of the Roshan Empire, have for us criminals of Nisha?”
A languid voice hidden in a black shadow asked a question.
On the streets of Nisha in a dark night.
A man wearing a white robe roughly took off his robe, revealing an appearance resembling a brilliant flame that did not match the darkness.
The person in front of him wearing a black hood whistled softly.
The expression of the man resembling a flame got distorted.
The Emperor of the Roshan Empire, Oswald Tristan Ruairi, gestured to his subordinates and placed a large chest on the ground.
“It’s an advance payment. If you complete my request, I will give you a reward dozens of times greater than this.”
A voice that barely suppressed the harsh atmosphere came out.
“Open it.”
When the Emperor’s command was given, those who had hidden their presence as if they were part of the shadows approached and opened the chest.
“Wow, I guess this is the fire spirit stone handed down in the Roshan Empire? It’s said to contain the souls of dead spirits.”
The other person held a stone in his hand, the red spirit stone emitted a dazzling bright light that seemed to brighten up the entire night.
The head of Ellipse, the underworld guild that rules Nisha of the Night, spoke with admiration.
“But… it’s so strange.”
Tuk–
As if his interest had waned, the spirit stone that was emitting a bright red light was thrown onto the dirt road.
“what-!”
At that moment, the Emperor was indignant at the rude manner in which the person in front of him treated something so significant.
The person wearing a black hood walked up to the Emperor’s nose and tilted his face.
“I wonder why the supreme Emperor of Roshan would ask me to kill his own son.”
The Emperor’s knights, who were drawing their swords that glowed with flames and shimmered like the sun, stopped their actions.
The Emperor glared harshly at the opponent whose face was hidden behind a pitch-black cloth that didn’t show a single trace of his face.
“Tell me. Why, in the whole noble and glorious country of Roshan, would you entrust the commission of killing your own son to the criminal guild of Nisha, whom you despise so much?”
“…Wasn’t this a group of people who would do anything as long as you gave them money?”
“Haha, you speak harshly.”
He said, stepping back lightly.
“That’s because the risk of the request is too high. Especially when the 2nd Prince of Roshan and the princess of Heilian are on their way to Litera!”
While complaining with excessive gestures, he raised one finger and quietly recited.
“You kidnapped the second prince and secretly killed him. Did that get in your head? Have you forgotten how great of an Elementalist the Grand Princess of Heilian is?”
The Emperor clenched his hands and squeezed them without answering.
The gray eyes hidden by the hem of the black cloth astutely noticed the Emperor’s change.
“Would the young grand princess just sit by and watch when her fiancé was kidnapped right in front of her eyes? Considering the story I heard about what happened last year, it seems like your personality is not normal.”
Ah, that lowly thing.
I felt sick.
Oswald clenched his jaw fiercely and scolded.
“So I guess I’ll leave it to you guys. I heard that the 4th prince of the Sharan Kingdom was also assassinated. Wouldn’t you guys be able to subdue even a small child? Don’t make a fuss and accept the request.”
Scarlet flames swirled around the Emperor’s body as he spoke.
“If you don’t accept it… not a single one of you will be able to return alive today.”
“Wow, so scared. Even though the Fire Spirit King hid his existence, the pride of the Roshan Empire still remains.”
The head of Ellipse responded sarcastically and turned around.
Just as the Emperor was about to lash out at his insulting words.
“I will accept that request.”
A quiet voice returned.
Then a voice full of mockery flew towards the Emperor, who stopped moving.
“Did you prepare the compensation you promised?”
Before he could answer, a black curtain passed before his eyes.
“………”
Only the Emperor and his minions remained in the quiet streets of the night.
***
Fifteen days later, Count Jupes returned with two invitations.
His grandson, whose face and name I did not know, succeeded in persuading the chairman.
I thanked the boy in my heart and read the invitation addressed to me with great joy.
Finally, the opportunity to find out more about Mariette’s past had come.
“Edith, you’re leaving on that long journey… I’ll go with you. It might be dangerous.”
However, on the day I left the imperial palace with Ashamed, Roberick grabbed me with an anxious look.
The good feeling fell into the abyss in an instant.
“…Is there a problem that I cannot solve, even if it is dangerous?”
What was the reason for going to Litera?
I wanted to investigate Mariette’s past and the Spirit King of Wisdom, but it was clear that if Roberick followed along, my actions would be limited.
“……..”
I never had any intention of going with him.
When I refused Roberick calmly, he was unable to say anything anymore.
I turned away from Roberick and got into the carriage.
“Edith! Still, if anything happens, send Ilipia to your father! Then…”
“Please leave!”
Tuk–
The large door of the carriage used by the 2nd Prince and the Grand princess on their trip closed without a warning.
Roberick’s voice quieted down.
Ashamed, who was sitting across from me and quietly watching us, asked.
“Do you hate Archduke Hailian that much?”
“Of course… as much as you hate the Emperor.”
As we were talking, some memories came to mind and disturbed my thoughts.
“So much so.”
The disgusting obsession and devotion that Roberick showed me cannot make everything he did disappear as if it had never happened.
“……okay?”
Ashamed looked at me with wide eyes and then turned his head.
The low-pitched voice felt somewhat strange, but I was about to say something.
Would it be bad for me if something bad happened to Roberick?
***
TL:
Sorry for the late update, I was busy yesterday.
Enjoy ~
