EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 152

Chapter 152

 

It had been a long time since Lucio had ordered surveillance on the Principality of Belus and its grand ducal family.

‘And yet, we missed this information.’

Nyx couldn’t bring himself to lift his head.

At that moment…

“Again.”

“…Pardon?”

“Say it again.”

Nyx looked bewildered.

His lord despised having things repeated, so there was no way Lucio hadn’t understood him properly.

Assuming this was his master’s way of chastising his incompetence, Nyx lowered his head even further, feeling utterly miserable.

“My deepest apologies. We received information that the grand ducal family’s ship had set sail, but we never imagined that…”

“Not that. The words you just said. Repeat them.”

This time, Lucio furrowed his brow as if warning Nyx not to say anything unnecessary.

Only then did Nyx realize that Lucio truly wanted to hear those words again, word for word.

Still in shock, he hesitated before speaking.

“The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, along with the Grand Princess, have arrived in the empire. They are expected to attend the welcome banquet prepared by the Imperial Palace today.”

“…Today?”

Even preparing a banquet at the palace would have taken considerable time.

Moreover, the imperial staff was already overwhelmed with preparations for the founding festival.

The grand duchy would not have visited without prior notice, meaning the ducal house must have received word in advance if what he said was true.

Lucio was stunned for a moment but quickly regained his composure, analyzing the situation rationally.

He concluded that the information he had received could not be true.

Yet, the next report caught him off guard.

“Nicholas?”

“Yes. According to the urgent message from His Highness the Prince, the sword mage of Belus personally met with His Majesty about two weeks ago. He apologized for the delay in reporting this information.”

“Hah.”

Lucio let out a dry laugh.

Sword mages, who wielded both magic and the blade, controlled mana far more delicately than ordinary knights.

Unless one was a sword master, even the most well-trained informants struggled to track them.

It was understandable that the intelligence network in Darel had failed to catch this.

“Any word from Ascart?”

“No, nothing.”

Lucio’s brows knit slightly.

“Elard Young Duke!”

A royal attendant from the Kingdom of Riven came running down the corridor, calling out to Lucio.

“What is it?”

“A letter from the empire has arrived for you. It seems urgent that you read it immediately…”

Panting, the attendant handed over a sealed envelope.

As soon as Lucio took the letter, Nyx dismissed the servant.

Lucio opened it, and his gaze darkened as he scanned the contents.

“What did His Grace write to you?”

Nyx, having already recognized the seal on the envelope as the Duke of Elard’s, cautiously inquired.

“What you just informed me of.”

Lucio gave a terse reply, though in truth, the letter contained more than that.

It also mentioned that Lia had used a teleportation scroll to visit the ducal estate to celebrate Diana’s birthday.

And that she had kept her visit to the empire a secret from the ducal household for the sake of a surprise.

The letter ended with an urging for Lucio to return as soon as possible.

After reading it, Lucio let out a slow breath and rubbed his face, looking weary.

Even as he clung to reason, his head throbbed as if he’d been struck by a hammer.

When he first heard Nyx’s report, the words had felt like nothing more than a meaningless string of sounds.

For a moment, he even wondered if he was hallucinating—because this was something he had longed for so desperately.

‘…So I can finally see her again.’

Lucio reread the line stating that Lia no longer needed to avoid Diana.

He had feared this indefinite waiting might never end. But now that the moment had arrived, he felt… strange.

‘This feeling…’

Yes.

It was happiness.

Lucio unconsciously touched the corners of his mouth, trying to assess his emotions objectively.

But the moment was short-lived.

“…**** it.”

Lucio pressed his fingers against his forehead.

Lia was in the empire, while he was stuck in the Kingdom of Riven.

“What the hell is this…”

It seemed that someone held a grudge against him.

Otherwise, how could they always be just slightly out of reach?

Lucio let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head.

Nyx, observing him, looked utterly baffled.

As Lucio’s closest aide, Nyx prided himself on understanding his master’s logical and cold nature better than anyone.

But now, Lucio had first smiled, then cursed—using language he normally never did—only to end up laughing to himself.

Had he been possessed?

Just then, Lucio, having regained control over his emotions, spoke in a calm voice.

“How much time is left on our schedule? The princess will likely return today or tomorrow. Adjust the calculations accordingly.”

“Pardon? Why would Her Highness suddenly leave…”

“I wasted her time and bruised her pride a little.”

Given her arrogance, she would probably leave immediately, with no concern for whether it affected the delegation’s negotiations.

The princess only cared about securing power as empress. She had no intention of fulfilling any responsibilities that came with the role.

“Hmm, then the Kingdom of Riven will certainly make a fuss about it.”

Nyx hastily checked the schedule and scratched his head.

“They’re already uncooperative, and there are still many issues to negotiate. Even if we wrap things up as quickly as possible, it’ll take a bit longer than planned…”

“Stick to the schedule as much as possible. We need to return in time for the Founding Festival.”

Ignoring Nyx’s look of shock, Lucio spoke with firm resolve.

 

***

 

Inside the carriage headed for the imperial palace.

“Are you feeling nervous?”

I had been gazing out the window, lost in thought as I took in the familiar scenery of the empire, when I turned my head.

My father was watching me with a concerned expression.

“You have to attend a banquet as soon as we arrive. There will be far more people than at your debutante ball.”

“I’m fine.”

I smiled and answered briefly.

The golden palace was striking even from afar, but it wasn’t as if I was about to face a demon, just the emperor and some nobles. Hardly something to be nervous about.

Besides, I had my family by my side, supporting me. And waiting for me at the banquet were Diana and others I had longed to see.

Thinking about that, I wanted to arrive even faster.

“Honestly, this is so unnecessary.”

Unlike me, my parents seemed to think otherwise.

“The Founding Festival is just a few days away, and there will be a swordsmanship tournament too. We’ll see each other then—what’s the point of throwing a welcome banquet?”

“He’s always done whatever he wants. Seems to be getting worse with age.”

For once, my father wholeheartedly agreed with my mother’s grumbling.

The person they were both criticizing was…

“It’s not age. It’s because he’s the emperor.”

…none other than the emperor.

“Being annoying is his specialty.”

Hearing my mother’s sharp remark, I swallowed dryly.

It was a good thing I had placed a soundproofing spell on the carriage in advance.

No matter how powerful Belus was, the person they were speaking about was the emperor of the empire.

And they were saying all this on the way to the imperial palace…they were far too reckless.

Still, I could understand their frustration.

I had planned to stay quiet until the Founding Festival.

Since the festival was a major event that brought together envoys from various nations, I figured I could avoid unwanted attention.

But the emperor’s sudden decision to host a welcome banquet ruined that plan.

Then again, staying out of the radar had never really been an option.

Belus held a different status from other kingdoms, and I was a grand princess who had disappeared long ago and only recently returned—a mysterious figure who had yet to show herself in public.

‘I’m sure invitations have been pouring in from noble houses, not just the palace.’

The news of my arrival in the empire must have spread everywhere by now.

Realizing that, my mouth went dry.

Unconsciously, my hand tensed as it moved toward my throat.

‘They must know too, right?’

That I was here.

Of course, they would. No matter how carefully I had managed information, I couldn’t deceive their eyes and ears forever.

‘And now, instead of hiding, I’m making my presence known like this…’

But I had expected the demon worshippers to take notice the moment I decided to come to the empire.

That only meant my mission here was too important to ignore the risks.

‘I must get my hands on the relic.’

As I reminded myself of my goal, the anxiety slowly subsided.

I gently lowered my hand, which had been hovering near my necklace, onto my lap.

It was a relief that no one, not even my parents, could see the soul stone of the demon hanging from my neck.

Just then…

“If he dares to look at my wife like that again, emperor or not, I’ll cast a spell to blind him for ten minutes.”

My father declared in an uncharacteristically aggressive tone.

My mother reached out and held his hand as if to stop him.

“At least hold back until the third time.”

“What? My love, why are you being so lenient?”

Shocked, my father stared at her.

She smiled and replied, “I have two grown children now. I can’t just act on impulse forever. And I don’t need magic. I can handle it myself.”

“You’ll handle it yourself? Wouldn’t it be better if I just—”

My father mumbled, thinking his method would be the more peaceful solution.

I silently agreed but quickly turned my head when I saw my mother’s sharp gaze.

As my father hurried to soothe her, I stared out the window, once again reminded that my mother was the emperor’s first love.

‘I already knew about his obsessive infatuation…’

But learning about his past only made it all the more astonishing.