Chapter 176
As if drawn by something, my head turned.
In one corner, I saw an old object about the size of a palm.
Its center was slightly concave, and its round shape made it resemble a compass at first glance, but since it lacked a needle, its exact purpose was unclear.
Yet, I could feel a tremendous magical power radiating from it.
The moment I became aware of it, the stench of blood pierced my nose.
Only then did I realize what that object was.
‘A relic of the demon!’
The unexpected realization made my breath catch in my throat.
I already knew the Emperor possessed a demonic relic.
But that I would recognize it…
“Adriana…?”
At that moment, Clara, who had been following the Emperor, called my name.
The Emperor, who had been leading the way, also noticed I had stopped. Tilting his head in confusion, he followed my gaze—then, startled, he exclaimed:
“We’d best leave this place now.”
His tone was different from the calm demeanor he’d shown me until now.
There was something hurried in his attempt to conceal something, and it left me with a strange, uneasy feeling as I slowly began to walk again.
***
Meanwhile, at that very moment…
Upon hearing the news that the Grand Princess of Belus was having an audience with the Emperor, another uproar broke out in the Princess’s palace.
It hadn’t been long since the chaos that followed the ball on the first night of the founding festival had calmed, and now, without a moment’s rest, the Princess was throwing another hysterical fit. The maids anxiously watched the door to her bedroom.
Crash!
Another sound of something shattering to pieces came from inside.
“Sh-shouldn’t someone go in and stop her…?”
A maid who hadn’t been assigned to the palace for long asked in a frightened voice.
The other maids stared at her with cold eyes.
They were clearly thinking, ‘You go in there if you’re so brave, none of us are getting torn apart today.’
And their judgment was spot on.
“Aaaah!”
Serphin, panting heavily, looked around her wrecked room for something else to throw. Unable to hold back her rage, she screamed.
She felt like she was going mad.
No matter how much she drank, she couldn’t get Lucio’s face looking at the Grand Princess out of her mind.
A beautiful man, yet cold and distant.
The Lucio she knew was someone who would never accept anyone else into his heart.
But the Lucio she saw that day wasn’t the cold, unreadable man she remembered.
The affection in his blue eyes, the gentle smile tugging at his lips, it was all unbearably sweet.
The moment she saw that face—one she had never seen before—rage surged inside her, uncontrollable.
She wanted to slap the Grand Princess across her sickeningly pink-haired face.
But Serphin hid her twisted anger when confronting her.
She wasn’t foolish enough to lash out at someone untouchable.
However…
⟨For this year’s Honored Dance, I choose Nicholas. You’ve worked hard this year.⟩
⟨May I request the Honored Dance with the Grand Princess?⟩
The moment the Emperor bestowed the Honored Dance on Nicholas, Serphin sensed something was going wrong.
And when she heard the Emperor had gifted a tiara to the Grand Princess, she immediately understood his intentions.
“I always said he was mad—but to think he was this far gone…”
Serphin cursed her father, the Emperor, under her breath, clenching her teeth.
Her mother, who had no love or expectations for her husband, didn’t care if he took a pink-haired woman or had an illegitimate child.
But Serphin was different.
“He doesn’t care about his own daughter, but gifts a tiara to someone else?”
It was beyond frustrating, it was outrageous.
“Is he trying to put that woman in the Empress’s seat in place of the late Duchess?”
She had already been displeased with the Emperor involving Nicholas more in state affairs, but now this?
Serphin’s eyes burned red at the thought that she might lose the throne she believed was rightfully hers.
But…
“Lucio. Lucio Elard.”
Serphin trembled.
The fact that he loved the Grand Princess—that, above all else, was what truly drove her insane.
She hated the idea of the Grand Princess marrying Nicholas and stealing the throne.
But more than that, she couldn’t bear to lose Lucio.
She wanted both.
She wanted them both so badly it hurt.
“Aaaah!”
Faced with an impossible dilemma and emotions that wouldn’t calm, Serphin screamed once more.
***
Meanwhile…
Nicholas appeared at the luncheon at the exact time the Emperor had hinted at beforehand.
Throughout the meal, he kept stealing glances at the Grand Princess sitting across from him.
He had known Lucio for a long time, but had never once seen him reveal his true feelings.
But just earlier, Lucio had unexpectedly spoken candidly, and Nicholas couldn’t help but smile and feel flustered.
Yet, at the same time, he felt confused.
He wasn’t sure whether Lucio had meant the Grand Princess when he said ‘my person,’ or if he had meant Lady Elard.
‘The Grand Princess seems like the obvious answer… but didn’t he also say I should choose my partner freely?’
Unable to shake the feeling that Lucio may have guessed his intentions, Nicholas found himself too nervous to ask who he meant—and simply nodded without thinking.
“Hoho, Nicholas. If you keep staring like that, the Grand Princess won’t be able to eat properly, you know?”
The Emperor laughed heartily from the head of the table.
Startled, Nicholas quickly turned his head.
He had zoned out and ended up staring at her far too intensely.
As his face flushed with embarrassment, the Emperor laughed even louder.
“Ah, youth!”
Nicholas made a bitter face, then glanced back at the Grand Princess like he was gauging her reaction.
‘Her name was Adriana, right?’
Thinking she might be Lucio’s special someone made her appear different to him.
‘Before, she just seemed soft.’
But now, she exuded a cool, distant aura—despite her gentle appearance, she didn’t seem easy to approach.
Seeing Lia avoid his eyes, Nicholas suddenly regretted asking her to dance five times at the ball.
Tsk, tsk.
The Emperor clicked his tongue silently as he watched Nicholas, feeling pity.
He assumed Nicholas was sulking because Adriana wasn’t showing interest in him.
‘He’s a man. He should speak up instead of just staring and brooding like that.’
But time passed, and soon the luncheon was coming to an end.
Judging the mood, the Emperor opened his mouth naturally.
“Are you all heading to the finals of the swordsmanship tournament?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Ah! Perfect. I plan to go straight to the arena as well. Since we all came by royal carriage, we can…”
“Your Majesty, forgive me for interrupting but I’ve already arranged for a carriage, so there’s no need to trouble yourself.”
Lia’s polite refusal made the Emperor’s face stiffen awkwardly.
“Adriana, I wasn’t informed of this…”
Clara, flustered, quickly added that she hadn’t heard anything either. Lia nodded and said,
“There should be two carriages from the marquis’ house waiting at the palace. Take one of them ahead.”
“What? Alone?”
Leaving the stunned Clara behind, Lia turned her head back to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty. If it’s not too forward, may I request a private audience before I leave the palace?”
“A private audience?”
The emperor widened his eyes in surprise but soon gave a nod.
As the emperor and Lia headed to the audience chamber, Nicholas, who had been ordered to see off the Grand Princess, slowly left the dining hall.
He could feel the presence of a young lady following him from behind.
‘Clara Amber, was it?’
According to the information Lucio had given him, she had a decent reputation in high society. She was the only daughter of the Earl of Amber, who owned vast granary lands, and was generally known for being quiet.
It seemed she had no intention of inheriting her family estate, and the earl was apparently looking for a son-in-law to carry on the family name.
Although the Amber family itself lacked great power, many young nobles coveted it due to its ties with both the Marquisate of Diapel and the Grand Duchy of Belus…
“Um, Your Highness.”
Nicholas, lost in thought and not expecting to be spoken to, paused a moment late and came to a stop.
As he looked at her as if to ask what was the matter, Clara tightly gripped her dress and looked up at him with a face that seemed on the verge of tears.
“You probably don’t remember me, Your Highness, but I’ve been watching you from afar for a long time.”
“…Hm?”
Nicholas’s face showed surprise at the unexpected words.
Seeing this, Clara smiled inwardly in triumph. In truth, the night before, anxiety had consumed her over the possibility that Adriana might become the crown princess—or even the empress. So, she had made up her mind.
Since Adriana had refused the tiara gifted by the emperor, she would become its rightful owner instead.
Many noble ladies had spoken ill of Nicholas to please the imperial princess, but she had wisely stayed out of it. That decision now felt like a stroke of luck.
While mentally mocking those girls who had carelessly said things that might now come back to haunt them, she continued her act.
“…It’s an honor.”
Nicholas, seeming caught off guard by her confession, awkwardly responded with a shy smile.
Well, considering how most noble ladies had treated him like a ghost, this was probably the first time he’d heard anything like that.
He didn’t seem hard to win over, and Clara almost smiled. But instead, she maintained the pitiful expression she’d practiced all night.
“As you probably know, Adriana isn’t interested in Your Highness. She even dragged me here today against my will. That girl, she… she looks down on your birth—Ah!”
As Clara spoke with an expression full of sorrow, she appeared to slip up emotionally and hastily covered her mouth, as if she hadn’t meant to say that.
Then, looking cautiously at Nicholas’s hardened expression, she whispered,
“Please… don’t tell anyone I said that.”
