Chapter 122
The hallway fell silent, as if they’d made a pact.
Neither of them avoided confrontational gazes, but continued their search at a respectful distance.
The taut nerves created a suffocating tension, as if a stabbing would happen at the first sign of either of them.
It was Regent Locke who broke the silence first.
“You look like you deserve it.”
Valar let out an involuntary chuckle. A half-bared smile of flesh spilled out.
“Regent Locke.”
“Archduke Halbern.”
Valar had a vague idea that she would run into him someday, but not in this place.
He’d expected to find him in the middle of a battlefield.
“I wonder what a shabby man would do in such a precious place.”
“I don’t know who the real shabby person is.”
Their gazes seemed to spark as they met in the air.
“Someone uglier than me, of course.”
“…”
Valar had guessed that Regent Locke would be in Albrecht, as Edward had warned, but he hadn’t expected him to dare show himself in front of him.
Valar smiled pleasantly, and Ludwig’s expression turned sour.
Ludwig’s gaze flicked to Valar’s cheeks.
The “Well Done” stickers, which had apparently come as a set since birth, were so ostentatiously displayed that most people now ignored them without caring, but Ludwig was not immune.
“What the hell are you wearing on your cheek?”
HeI’d seen it in the newspaper, but it was even more bizarre in person. Ironically, it looked good on him, which only made it more annoying.
“Ah.”
Valar’s eyes widened and he smiled a melt-in-your-mouth smile.
“My daughter gave it to me.”
“…”
“Envious?”
Ludwig’s eyebrows twitched.
He gave him a pathetic look, as if he could be jealous of such a thing, but she bragged about it anyway. The sticker he’d gotten today was <Well done>.
“Is this a sentiment that those who don’t have daughters don’t understand?”
Ludwig raised one eyebrow at Valar’s blatant casting of ‘You don’t have a daughter, do you?’
“Ha.”
Ludwig burst out laughing.
The whole situation was simply ridiculous. He’d heard the rumors, and he knew the man was insane, but he hadn’t expected this.
‘This is Sione’s treasure.’
Whether or not his green eyes turned grim at him, Valar fiddled with the sticker on his cheek.
A strange sense of security enveloped him, as if his daughter were with him even though she wasn’t.
Strange and uncanny.
The visions that had been plaguing Valar suddenly disappeared. His blurred vision returned to focus, and his disoriented senses became properly sharp.
‘This doesn’t sound like something that can be fixed.’
He never expected it to be fixed, but as the time he spent with Arellin grew longer and longer, Valar sometimes thought he was becoming ‘normal’.
He’s sure he’s mistaken.
Anyway, that’s not what matters now.
Valar smirked, revealing his half-subdued liveliness again.
The one that had taken his sister from him.
It was hard to hold back the killing intent that threatened to leak out in the face of a man he could never like.
“I never dreamed that Regent Locke, the man who practically rules the Southern Empire, could be so stupid as to wander into enemy territory on his own.”
Ludwig snorted at Valar’s sarcasm.
“Enemy territory? Who decided that?”
“Me.”
Neither of them had weapons in their hands, as weapons were not allowed in the auction house, but it was a close call.
Valar thought.
If Regent Locke is the problem, why don’t they just get rid of him here and now?
The rest of it was none of his business. As long as Valar could protect Arellin, he didn’t care what else happened.
“Should I kill you here?”
“Do you think you can handle it?”
“I can’t do anything when I think about it.”
“Interesting.”
Ludwig smiled genuinely.
“To think that underneath all that sophistication and coldness, she has a brother as impulsive and selfish as you.”
A sword flew out of a rift in the air, aiming for Ludwig’s forehead.
Boom!
The black shadow that appeared beside Ludwig parried the sword and stayed by his side like an escort.
Catching the flying sword and holding it in his hand, Valar pointed the sword at him once more.
“Do not speak of my sister.”
“She is also my wife.”
“Why are you here? What do you want to see?”
“You.”
“…”
“I heard you had a daughter.”
Valar groaned uncontrollably at the insistent stare, as if trying to gauge something.
“No, should I say that I brought you a daughter?”
Ludwig twisted the corners of his lips into a smile.
“Because I’m suddenly curious. About your daughter.”
‘Before’ was ‘never’.
Such a thing as this man taking an interest in Arellin.
Valar’s fingertips grew cold with danger.
“Keep your eyes off my daughter. You pervert.”
Ludwig smirked in satisfaction as Valar snarled.
“I thought you were only interested in your sister. You flirted with her enough to start a war, and then you just cut it off.”
“Why, did you feel bad when she stopped giving you attention?”
That’s it.
He realized that he shouldn’t talk to her anymore, that he was giving her unnecessary information.
How could he leave this situation naturally?
It was a moment of timing for Valar.
Boom, boom, boom!
A huge explosion shook the auction house, drawing their attention back to the two of them.
***
The sudden explosion instantly sent the auction house into a panic.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?”
“Your Majesty!”
The incident occurred at an official Imperial event in the presence of the Emperor and Empress.
In a fortunate twist of fate, the hall where the dignitaries were seated was spared. The explosion was so loud that it shook the earth, and only a few people were slightly injured by the debris.
Mehen was one of them, injured in the arm by flying debris directed at Empress Ageni.
“Lord Mehen, are you all right?”
“Yes, I am fine. How is Her Majesty?”
“I’m fine, thanks to Lord Mehen.”
Emperor Edward also became contemplative, and was more concerned about Empress Ageni’s well-being than his own.
“Are you hurt?! Are you okay?!”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Emperor Edward, who was in a hurry, overheard the Empress’s answer and confirmed with his own eyes that Empress Ageni was okay, patted his chest.
“Empress…”
“Your Majesty, I’m still outside here.”
“Ah, Empress…”
Emperor Edward coughed at the hasty title change.
Luckily, with all the chaos around them, no one seemed to notice the couple’s hidden side.
The Imperial Guard recommended an immediate evacuation of the Palace, but Emperor Edward ordered that the situation be assessed and cleaned up first.
“The explosion must have occurred in an underground warehouse. Fortunately, the auction house building is strong, so the damage is not extensive.”
“A number of exhibits were caught in the blast and destroyed. We are investigating whether it was a crime targeting artifacts…”
Duke Sperom, the actual owner of the auction house, was indignant.
“No, what kind of bastards would…!”
Valar returned inside.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”
A messenger hurried to Emperor Edward’s side.
“They say that most of the capital’s major facilities have been attacked by an unknown group.”
“What?!”
Emperor Edward’s face hardened at the news that all major buildings, except for those protected by the cordon, had been attacked.
What an unfortunate time for such an attack to have occurred, especially in the midst of the grand celebration of the Founding Festival.
Just then, Duke Sperom’s secretary rushed in.
“Your Excellency, the Sperom Business Exhibition has been attacked…!”
The Duke of Sperom went on a rampage.
The auction house and the outbuilding where the business exhibition was being held were all Sperom’s personal property.
It was only today that the Duke of Sperom, who had suffered astronomical losses, felt dizzy.
The news was truly grim.
“It’s even worse over there, they say it’s been sealed off, and it’s impossible to get inside!”
“No, what?!”
Duke Sperom raised his voice, saying that they needed to call for the cooperation of the Matap immediately.
“Besides, His Highness the Crown Prince is there!”
A moment of silence descended.
The messenger continued, his face pensive.
“The Second Confucius of Mubisk, and…”
“…”
“And the Princess of Halbern.”
Mehen, who had been listening to the news next to Empress Ageni, reflexively looked toward the spot where Valar had been.
Valar had already left.
“I must go, too.”
“Lord Mehen.”
Empress Ageni looked at him worriedly. Mehen didn’t want to move in his injured state either, but…
“I must go.”
There was no one left to calm Valar if the bastard went mad, but himself.
