Chapter 77. The Person I Want to Meet
“You must have been quite shocked.”
Amidst the barrage of accusing stares, a clear voice rescued the emperor. He quickly turned toward the sound that rang close by.
The moment he saw the figure with neatly draped white hair and a tidy ceremonial robe, the emperor’s eyes widened.
“This person is…!”
“I greet the Emperor of Termina.”
Before the emperor could lash out, the crown prince quickly stepped in, as if to cover the emperor’s grimacing mouth.
“Thankfully, he has honored your request and made the difficult journey here.”
“I didn’t—!”
*Your Majesty. That day, during the council.
The crown prince silently mouthed the words toward the furious emperor. Faced with his son’s desperate expression, the emperor, who had been about to erupt, reluctantly closed his mouth.
That day, during the council?
These days, most meetings were so trivial he remembered nothing. Still, Jeremy’s pitiful pleading was so pathetic that the emperor’s anger cooled, somewhat satisfied. He decided to deal later with the sin of dragging someone out of the prayer room.
As the emperor calmed, the High Priest, having taken a breath, finished his greeting.
“It has been a while.”
With eyelashes as white as his hair and a gentle smile, the High Priest radiated holiness. It was as though purity had descended upon the hall.
Even as everyone nodded at the High Priest’s graceful handling of the emperor’s rudeness, the emperor alone remained sulky.
The High Priest offered a soft nod of understanding.
“Do not worry, Your Majesty. I am aware that the prayer you mentioned is not yet complete. Once today’s matter is done, I shall return immediately.”
All eyes once again turned to the emperor.
The tyrant who had, for the first time in continental history, imprisoned a High Priest.
The mad ruler who, blinded by jealousy, had slaughtered the empire’s sword and shield. The contempt in people’s gazes toward the emperor only deepened.
“Though I was impatient and interrupted midway, I ask for your generous understanding.”
“Of course, His Majesty will understand as well.”
Before the emperor could shout, the crown prince quickly chimed in, and the High Priest gave a slight nod.
The matter between the emperor and the High Priest seemed momentarily set aside, but the issue with the Duke of Baloch remained unresolved. And as proof…
“Now then, where should I go?”
The Duke stood nearby, his lips twisted in a crooked smile.
His eyes were no longer on the emperor, they were fixed on the High Priest.
The gaze was anything but friendly. His normally radiant golden eyes now glinted like a predator on a midnight hunt.
“I’m not a priest, so the temple would be inappropriate.”
“Duke Baloch, please don’t say that.”
“And since when has the Holy Nation had the authority to meddle in imperial affairs?”
The High Priest’s serene expression wavered ever so slightly.
“Come to think of it, may I ask why the High Priest was summoned here in the first place, Your Majesty?”
“That’s because…!”
Just when he seemed calm, the emperor shot to his feet again, face flushing as he strained his voice in response to Jillian’s sharp question.
Now he remembered why he’d called the High Priest.
“To determine whether the Duke of Baloch’s disgrace stems from lack of skill or if he’s been corrupted by demonic energy!”
Good grief.
This time, groans echoed throughout the hall. The nobles no longer bothered to hide their disdain.
There was no greater fool than this. Did the emperor even understand what it meant to be ‘corrupted by demonic energy’?
Demonic beasts devoured anything that moved. The venom they released could melt iron and stone with its acidic power. As terrifying as they were already, the worst part was the demonic energy, the aura they emitted.
Wherever they lingered, life withered and turned black with death.
Survivors who were exposed to demonic energy were never the same. Some lost control of their limbs.
If their heads were exposed, their minds were damaged beyond repair—turning people into imbeciles. These were the unmistakable signs of demonic contamination.
“To think I’ve been contaminated by demonic energy.”
Jillian let out a low chuckle. The sound, echoing through the Sun Hall, was bright, but had the threat of a beast’s growl beneath it.
The nobles involuntarily shuddered. Some rubbed their necks, others wiped sweat from their palms, trying to endure the tension. No one dared speak to Jillian Baloch.
The emperor’s accusation was beyond outrageous. He had already killed the father and handed over his daughter to hush things up last autumn.
And now, not even waiting till the end of winter, he was stirring trouble again. But did he not realize?
Jillian Baloch was no pushover.
He had, of his own volition, declared he would submit to imprisonment. If he were to truly step back from the Wave, the empire would be the one in trouble.
The nobles’ anxious gazes turned toward the High Priest. He quietly stared at Jullian, his white eyelashes lowered.
Then…
Jillian abruptly pulled Bianca behind him, shielding her with his back.
Though he had a slim build that often led people to misjudge him, Jullian was quite large for a northerner.
His long legs, lean without excess flesh, stood firm like those of a stag, and his taut waist had the strength of a slow-grown pine.
Even Bianca, taller than most imperial women, disappeared entirely behind him. Only now did people truly observe Jillian again.
His wide, straight shoulders and the coat that framed his solid build marked him unmistakably as a battle-hardened knight.
Standing tall, he resembled a war legend—beautiful, ruthless, and stronger than any.
“I told you there would be no second chances.”
With a merciless, icy look, the Duke aimed his warning—not at the emperor, but at the High Priest.
People didn’t understand why Duke Baloch was acting this way, but no one dared intervene. Whatever he said or did, they resolved not to see, not to hear.
In this moment, all they wished for was the Duke’s safe return. Whether it was the emperor or the High Priest, either was expendable, as long as he would just go home.
“You recognize me, I see.”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
The Duke now spoke down to the High Priest, no less.
First the emperor, now even the Duke. To see someone treat the Holy Nation’s highest authority so disrespectfully—many nobles wished they could faint on the spot.
Meanwhile, the conversation between the two men turned colder and sharper.
“Because it’s different this time.”
“Different? You’re always one step too late, just circling around like before.”
“How can you be so sure whether I’m late or not?”
“Cut the bravado. You of all people should know that I wouldn’t let go of something once it’s in my hands.”
“But does she know that?”
Jillian’s fierce gaze wavered for just a moment. As if that were the signal, the High Priest smiled even more deeply.
“Have you thought about how she’ll take this later?”
All eyes were on them, but Duke Baloch and the High Priest continued their cryptic conversation without pause.
Even the Emperor, who had been throwing tantrums relentlessly, found this interesting enough not to interrupt and watched closely.
How long had this subtle standoff between the two lasted?
A clear yet delicate voice rang out.
“I appreciate the concern, but I’ll decline.”
It was Bianca.
Since he hadn’t released her hand, she stood behind Jillian, staring only at his broad back. But her voice was more than enough to capture everyone’s attention.
“Even if he once had a hidden agenda, I don’t see what relevance that has now.”
“Princess…”
“High Priest, please watch your words. By the order of His Majesty the Emperor of Termina, I have long been the other master of the Baloch domain.”
Her sweet voice tickled the ears, but it was firm and resolute.
“So you see, if there’s a problem between us, we’ll handle it. You’d do better to direct your mercy elsewhere, High Priest.”
What followed was the cold voice of Jillian Baloch. The hearing had now descended into complete chaos.
Everyone wore an intrigued expression, trying to guess what had occurred between Jillian and the High Priest.
Once the atmosphere collapsed, it was nearly impossible to continue the hearing.
The Sun Hall was filled with murmurs.
Now, pressuring Duke Baloch further without clear justification could bring grave consequences for the Emperor.
Eclipse clenched his teeth and finally spoke.
“What do you all think you’re doing? Do you really not understand why I called for this hearing? It was to keep Baloch in check and properly reorganize Wave!”
He belatedly tried to cover for the hearing with a plausible excuse, shouting in frustration, but the broken mood didn’t return.
The nobles looked at each other, then, as if coordinated, all fell to one knee and cried out,
“Your Majesty, please grant permission for Duke Baloch to return to the battlefield!”
“Give him another chance to prove his loyalty. Allow him the honor of protecting the Empire.”
Flattering words followed, but the message was clear: Let Duke Baloch return.
The Emperor’s shallow scheme had backfired spectacularly due to Jillian’s intense reaction and the High Priest’s unexpected appearance. Now, nothing was left in his hands.
“Permission granted.”
All that remained was a mumbled semblance of mercy.
Baloch left after giving a short bow. If anything good came out of this mess, it was confirming that Baloch had clearly taken to Bianca.
How he shielded her behind his back like that…
“Right. She is the Empire’s most beautiful woman.”
Eclipse muttered under his breath, his blue eyes gleaming dangerously.
If Baloch truly cared for Bianca, it opened up many possibilities—too many.
Lost in dangerous thoughts, Eclipse didn’t notice the two pairs of eyes fixed on him: the Crown Prince’s and the High Priest’s.
Neither gaze held a trace of warmth.
***
“Jillian, are we really leaving just like this?”
Bianca’s voice trembled with unease.
“Of course we are. Didn’t you hear him say we could go?”
“But…”
Wasn’t this the palace that had tormented her all her life? Wasn’t that the tyrant Emperor? And yet, it was ending so abruptly?
She couldn’t wrap her head around it. Even with Jillian’s assurance, she couldn’t fully relax.
She didn’t know what words Jillian had exchanged in private with the Emperor after destroying Rosevena.
Could they really just leave…?
“Still…”
“Am I the only one desperate to go home?”
“Of course not. It’s just…”
Just as Bianca hesitated, Jillian gently tugged her wrist.
As they moved, the jewel boxes in her pocket clinked together softly. That’s when Bianca remembered the earrings she meant to give Deborah.
“…Guess I won’t get to see her.”
“Why? Is there someone else you wanted to see?”
Jillian looked back at her, his expression colder than ever.
