“First, you should pay respects and greet His Majesty properly,” I said to Redian, who was kneeling before me. “As I’ve mentioned before, he is now the one you owe your loyalty to.”
“…”
Only then did Redian look towards the emperor. But the gaze was neither looking up in reverence nor directed towards a family member. It was just his characteristic cold and indifferent stare.
“Had the outcome required me to leave Master, I would not have participated in this ritual.” His piercing blue eyes cut off abruptly, and then turned back to me. “I returned following Master’s command…” Moreover, his voice had become strangely insistent compared to before he entered the lake.
“Such admirable loyalty.” The emperor muttered as if to add a comment.
What? Despite experiencing this disregard for the first time, the emperor seemed almost amused.
“You don’t have to kneel before me, and you don’t have to talk like that.”
“…”
But I had no time to grasp the emperor’s intentions as I had to focus on Redian.
“The only reason I wished to ascend to a higher position was for one thing alone.”
Among the many people present, only I existed in those blue eyes.
“You promised, Master, not to abandon me.” His tone was desperate yet resolute as if exerting force through his words.
“I’m not leaving you behind, Redian.” I tried to calm him down as usual, adopting a friendly demeanor. “By passing the ritual, our positions have now changed, so it’s about adhering to the appropriate etiquette.” Then, I elevated my tone.
It wasn’t about cutting off all ties, but naturally, as he had become the crown prince, some distance was to be expected.
“Then stay by my side, Master. Within my sight.”
“…”
His eyes, still pale from the cold of the lake, looked up at me.
What should I do? It would have been better for me to kneel before him and bow my head. With Redian kneeling and pleading before me in front of the imperial family, how could I…
“I quite understand Redian’s position.”
At that moment, the emperor, letting out a soft cough, spoke up.
“Having just awakened and feeling abandoned in a strange place, his body has not yet fully recovered from the ritual.”
His handsome face, as if he were a young man himself, was full of sympathy.
“Isn’t that right, attendants?”
At his glance, the attendants following Redian bowed deeply. “Yes. His Highness had nightmares all night, and his body temperature dropped due to being submerged in the lake, which was very dangerous. The doctor also insisted on a period of adaptation.”
“Well then, it seems for a while, Princess must assist him.”
“…Pardon?”
“From today, you’ll enter the imperial palace daily. If you wish, I can arrange a chamber for you near the crown prince’s chamber.”
It felt like I was being ensnared by the Rixon’s web all of a sudden.
“With the announcement of the resort destination development, there’s a lot of things that Princess and I need to discuss directly.”
Yet, listening to the emperor, the opportunity seemed to present itself.
Right. After all… There were other Norma left aside from Redian. Francis, Vallentin, and Inein. I planned to gradually expose them to the emperor’s eye and send them up to the core of the empire. Getting a bit closer to the imperial family through this opportunity wouldn’t be bad.
“Understood, Your Majesty. I will take charge of His Highness’s etiquette until his official ascension.”
Until the official ascension, it would be at least a month to three months. It wasn’t a bad period.
“So, Your Highness.” I turned my gaze back to Redian. “Stand up and show proper respect to His Majesty.”
Teaching the Norma’s noble etiquette for the award ceremony was for days like today.
“Come on, Redian.”
Only then did Redian stand up.
“…May the goddess’s blessings be upon you.”
As he performed the proper gesture, the emperor smiled broadly. “A fine pair, I mean, teacher indeed.”
* * *
“As you all know, since the goddess has recognized Redian Hyu Rixon as the son of Izel….”
Not long after, the emperor gathered the high nobles and ministers.
“The temple and the imperial family will also honor her will by appointing Redian Hyu Rixon as the crown prince.”
“…”
The reaction to the sudden appearance of a crown prince was divided. While the citizens were more than blessing him, almost worshiping him, the stance of ministers and nobles was somewhat different.
“The whole process has moved too quickly after the empress’s sudden announcement. They rushed it to give us no chance to react.”
“What’s the use of us discussing among ourselves now when he’s already been acknowledged by the goddess’s lake?”
However, within the well-orchestrated flow of events, no one could easily raise an objection.
“Your Majesty, it is utterly shocking that the late royal princess is pregnant while known as a virgin.”
It was at that moment.
“How can the royal princess of the great Meteora Empire be so shameless…”
Ron from the Benio family spoke in a lamenting tone. “How can the crown prince have proper legitimacy when we don’t even know who the father is?”
At those words, the emperor, who rarely showed his emotions, frowned. “Isn’t surviving from Goddess’s Lake proof enough of legitimacy?” Yet, as always, he replied in a calm voice.
“Ah, I’ve heard that many participants came from the orphanage sponsored by the Benio family.”
“…”
The emperor, leaning back in his chair, smiled as if amused. “Seeing that they all sank in the lake, it means they carried false insignias. I’m curious who instilled such false hopes in them.” His gaze shifted towards Grand Duke Benio, who was sitting next to Ron. “What does Grand Duke think?”
“The will of the Goddess is always beyond human prediction, Your Majesty.” The grand duke deflected smoothly as usual. “I cannot predict what conclusion the goddess will reach…” But for the first time, he looked at the emperor with a stern expression.
After realizing that the golden insignia Luna had brought was fake, the grand duke barely contained his anger. It was all fake. The woman and the piece she brought.
“I wonder why the benevolent love of the Goddess, which spreads evenly throughout Eunomia, never seems to reach us.” The grand duke’s meaningful words brought a momentary silence to the room.
As the sharp gazes of the emperor and the grand duke clashed in the air.
“It must be because your loyalty is false.” This time, the emperor laughed first.
And that day.
“Father!”
“Your Excellency!”
As soon as he returned to his castle, Grand Duke Benio raised his sword and struck down the statue of the Goddess. “If the Goddess falsely denies our Benio family…”
Looking down at the shattered pieces with a crashing sound, the grand duke smiled chillingly. “Then we have no choice but to deny the Goddess as well.” His eyes were chilling as if he had resolved something.
* * *
Time flew by quickly from the day I accepted to take charge of Redian’s etiquette. But within a few days, I realized I had fallen into a trap.
“Where have you been, Princess?!”
“Instructor! The crown prince!”
“Yes, yes. I’m coming. Let’s go.”
Despite being an instructor, I had to stay by Redian’s side, almost like a personal secretary. It was because I was the only one who could control him.
The emperor was even ready to give me a room close to Redian’s quarters in the Crown Prince’s Palace. But it wasn’t that Redian had trouble adapting to the imperial palace or acted immaturely.
Where would that noble blood and nature go?
In fact, he quickly found his place as the crown prince, even faster than I expected. It was as if he knew that was his rightful position from the start. But…
“Princess, you’re here!”
“Shh.”
When I arrived at the Crown Prince’s Palace, the attendant who found me looked tearfully relieved as if he had found a savior.
How did he hide that temper when he was under me?
The problem was that no one in the imperial family could control his increasingly growing ego.
“…Please be quiet for a moment.” I silenced my presence and peeked through the slightly open door.
Oh my gosh.
It was definitely Redian, but it didn’t seem like the ‘Rere’ I knew. His outstanding looks became even more pronounced even when he was covered in blood. But more than that, his eyes and expression… He feels unfamiliar.
Had I been mistaken in thinking I knew Redian well after spending a considerable amount of time with him?
“There’s a two-hour gap.”
His gaze at the knight kneeling before him was calm.
“If I can’t know what she did and whom she met during that time, then there’s no reason to keep you…”
“T-That, I missed her because an unexpected schedule came up, and it deviated from the path I was tracking.”
It seemed as if Redian wasn’t listening to the knight’s excuses.
“Then that useless leg of yours is no longer needed.”
The moment a chillingly calm voice reached my ears.
“Please spare me, Your Highness!”
Missed? Who did he miss?
The door, which had been slightly open, creaked further with a gust of wind.
“I’m sure I said to let no one in.”
“Ah…”
At the same time, Redian’s eyes, filled with annoyance, met mine.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
That face was unfamiliar, but I had to get used to it now.
“It seems you are having an important conversation, so I will leave now.”
“Master.”
Just as I naturally tried to leave.
“Where are you going?”
Redian called out to stop me.
“You also left two hours early yesterday. Who did you meet?”
The voice reaching my back was…
Did I raise a wolf cub instead of a puppy?
Very calm and gentle.
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