IBYSRHML | Chapter 37

Episode 37

While Liliana was at the center of the commotion in the corner of the banquet hall, Alice was surrounded by noblewomen.

“You must have had a hard time traveling such a long way. My, I’ve never seen someone so beautiful. No wonder His Majesty went all the way to Trovancha to bring you.”

“How is life in the Empire? Compared to Trovancha, there are so many rules here—it must feel suffocating. Are you having trouble adjusting?”

“At least you have your siblings with you, so you won’t be lonely. Though historically, it’s rare for someone to bring so many relatives along.”

They kept talking without pause.

Some subtly belittled Trovancha, suggesting that its people were uncivilized and ignorant of proper etiquette.

Others cast disapproving glances at her for bringing her entire family.

But Alice didn’t care.

She had spent her life on the front lines, fighting criminals and invaders at sea, where blood and flesh splattered daily.

Idle gossip was nothing but noise to her.

“Isn’t it nice to be in the Empire? There aren’t many places as advanced as this.”

Alice responded to the condescending remark with her usual polite and composed smile.

“The scenery is different every day. I quite like that.”

A veiled jab would have been a satisfying way to counter their mockery, but with the wedding approaching, there was no need to stir unnecessary trouble.

Since she neither agreed nor denied their words, the noblewomen assumed she was merely putting on a show of pride, their expressions filled with smug superiority.

“You must be very busy preparing for the wedding, but may we invite you to a tea party once the royal marriage is complete?”

“Of course. It would be an honor.”

While Alice waged a silent war with the noblewomen, the men were eyeing her and whispering among themselves.

“She’s not even a princess of a small kingdom—she’s just some woman from Trovancha, a land so uncivilized it doesn’t even have a king. How can the Imperial bloodline be tainted with that of a barbarian?”

Duke Berg let out a sigh and added,

“What good does an alliance with Trovancha do for us? They may have strong abilities, but our Empire has mages and elite knights as well.”

“Exactly! Before the marriage becomes official, that woman must be expelled!”

Viscount Gressley voiced his agreement.

If they had grievances, they could have petitioned Marius, but they didn’t.

Or rather, they couldn’t.

Having spent their lives in aristocratic circles, they all remembered the bloody purges Marius had carried out.

He was a beast of a man—capable of relentless cruelty when he wished.

None of them dared to openly oppose him.

But that didn’t mean they welcomed Alice either.

If she bore a son, he would inherit her abilities and become an even more powerful emperor, tightening the noose around the nobility.

Furthermore, foreign relatives from Trovancha could gain political power in the Empire.

Thus, they had no choice but to remain wary of Alice.

“We have to stop this marriage. That woman needs to abandon the engagement and run away on her own.”

“How do you propose we do that, Duke Berg? Do you have a plan?”

“Barbarians take great pride in their abilities. If we strip her of them, she’ll have nothing left.”

“And how exactly do we do that?”

Duke Berg stroked his mustache, then grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.

“Since she isn’t royalty, she should at least undergo a basic examination, don’t you think?”

“A basic examination… Are you suggesting a hearing?”

Instead of answering, Duke Berg simply shrugged.

Viscount Gressley gasped in excitement.

“If it’s framed as a legal procedure for the good of the nation rather than a challenge to the imperial authority, His Majesty won’t be able to oppose it! As expected of you, Duke Berg!”

“Ahem. Then, Viscount Gressley, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes, leave it to me! I’ll gather people immediately and arrange for a hearing within days!”

Viscount Gressley hurriedly left to inform the other nobles.

Not long after, Count Ruman cursed under his breath as his son returned, crying in the hands of the Duchess of Berg.

“Stop crying, Chris! Not only did you lose to those barbarians, but you came back bawling? Have you no shame?!”

“Honey, I think we should contact Duchess Aykroyd separately. If we leave the young duke alone, something disastrous will happen!”

Count Ruman scolded his son, while Duke Berg smirked with a sinister glint in his eyes. The duchess fussed beside them.

Meanwhile, Marius observed the situation from a distance, sipping his champagne.

Leopold, having just returned after checking on Liliana and Edgar, let out a sigh.

“You’re not going to intervene, are you?”

“Alice needs to establish her authority herself. If I step in now, I’ll only undermine her position. My role is to support from behind.”

“She’s only going to be Empress for ten years. Is all this effort really necessary?”

“Ten years is a long time.”

Despite their recent conflict over Edgar, Marius and Leopold remained close friends and loyal comrades who had endured countless hardships together.

So while their relationship was strained, exchanging dry words like this was no issue.

“You don’t look well, Marius.”

“……”

Instead of responding, Marius let out a deep sigh and pressed his fingers against his temples.

Exhausted, he quietly got up and moved to the balcony.

With only Leopold allowed near him, Marius’s true expression was finally revealed.

Gone was the cold emperor or the playful man—what remained was a man burdened with sadness and weariness.

“Something happened, didn’t it?”

“…Go check on Edgar.”

“Did you say something to him?”

“…Damn it. I think he overheard our conversation. The one we had on the day Alice visited the knights.”

“You can’t be serious.”

Leopold clenched his teeth, shutting his eyes tightly.

Marius couldn’t hide his guilt.

“It’s true that I was trying to keep my distance from Edgar, but I never wanted to hurt him like this.”

“You were already hurting him the moment you pulled away. You’re neither his brother nor anything else to him. I’ll be taking Edgar to the ducal house soon. From now on, stay away from him.”

With that sharp rebuke, Leopold left, unwilling to remain in Marius’s presence any longer.

Marius, now alone, collapsed into his seat, exhaling a heavy breath.

Thinking of the small child who had avoided his gaze left him feeling unsettled.

No, unsettled wasn’t the right word. He was devastated, tormented.

Edgar was just a child. A little boy who had turned seven today.

Edgar. It’s not that I dislike you. Truly, that’s not it.

He swore—he never hated him. He only wanted to keep his distance, nothing more.

In truth, it was because he loved him that he tried to stay away.

Because he didn’t want to punish Edgar in a fit of betrayal-fueled madness.

The champagne glass shattered in Marius’s hand.

Shards of glass flew, cutting into his palm, causing blood to drip down.

But he didn’t even register the pain.

Once again, that day—the one that haunted him every night since returning—unfolded in his mind.

That day, a fierce rainstorm raged.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and though it was daytime, thunder and lightning split through the gloom.

With each flash of lightning, the sky flickered ominously.

It was then that Max rushed in with an urgent report.

“Edgar is breaking Liliana Berchio out of the tower and escaping the palace.”

“What about the Tower Master?”

“François is in no condition to leave his quarters, so he likely hasn’t received the report yet.”

“We have to handle this before that bastard finds out. If he gets involved, Edgar’s life will be in danger.”

Marius didn’t care what the crazed Tower Master did outside.

Even when Leopold invaded Trovancha, and François had stormed the island under the pretense of studying abilities—only to abduct Liliana—Marius had let it slide.

François was more than a little unhinged, but what Marius wanted was the Tower Master’s power.

As long as François didn’t turn against him, Marius had no reason to interfere.

But Edgar crossing paths with François was a different matter.

François was obsessed with Liliana Berchio.

More than he had ever loved Rebecca, he was fixated on Liliana.

If Edgar was the one who freed her, François might actually kill him.

“What do you plan to do?”

“I need to punish Edgar myself before the Tower Master gets the chance. A month of house arrest, or sending him to the countryside for a couple of months should suffice.”

Though Edgar was his cousin, the age gap was so vast that Marius had practically raised him like a son.

What had started as a promise to his aunt, Princess Elizabeth, had turned into something deeper.

Before he knew it, this small and fragile existence had become everything to him.

He thought maybe what he felt for Edgar was paternal love.

He had never had children of his own, but the tenderness he felt toward Edgar was unlike anything he had experienced with his other siblings.

So when he heard Edgar had provoked the Tower Master, he had rushed to intervene. But…

“Edgar. Do you even understand what you’re doing?”

Edgar was a clever child.

He must have chosen this specific time, knowing the Tower Master was too consumed by his madness to leave the tower.

And since he had been caught, he had deliberately stepped forward as a distraction—

A decoy to buy Liliana enough time to escape the palace and flee far away.

But what Edgar was doing right now was not clever.

Rather than stepping aside—

He had dared—

No, he had the audacity—

To point a sword at him.