Chapter 67
After passing through the checkpoint, the carriage finally stopped at the entrance to the imperial Palace.
With Bian’s teleportation, we moved towards the knights escorting the carriage.
In the distance, Dad and Agasa were already passing through the iron gate of the Imperial Palace.
“Princess, Prince. Now really…”
“Shh. I’ll reveal my identity to Dad once we get inside the Imperial Palace. So, pretend you didn’t see us until then.”
When I widened my eyes and warned, the knights looked at each other.
It was the Princess’ order, so it couldn’t be helped.
“Please enter.”
When Cassis entered the entrance, the gatekeeper immediately recognized his face and passed right through.
After that, Agasa, the knight commander, and escort knights entered.
We passed through the entrance of the castle between the escort knights.
Finally, it was the Imperial Palace.
My mouth opened a little on a larger scale than I had imagined.
A white snowflake-like castle could be seen among the flowers that the gardener had carefully trimmed.
Nobles dressed in fancy clothes roamed between the castles.
Unlike the duchy, where the only noble was Vallois, large and small banquets were held in the Imperial Palace throughout the day.
It was so large that it could be called a socialite garden.
‘In my previous life, I hadn’t been there except when I was executed.’
“…No big deal!”
Sweat broke out, but I pretended to be confident on the outside.
Grabㅡ
Even so, I was scared and held Bian’s hand tightly while looking around.
“Although you arrived here in any way, us escort knights must be waiting outside the palace.”
It was then.
I was going to follow Dad, but one of the knights at the edge closed his eyes tightly and said.
“You must inform His Grace immediately.”
Bian smiled at the knight who listened to his words to the end.
“Mm. Great job.”
“Thank you. Mister Knight.”
I held out my hand and the knight knelt down in the midst of haste.
“If you get a promotion later, I’ll tell Dad well.”
I was moved by his loyalty and patted him on the shoulder.
“…That’s not the problem. Now that it has somehow turned to this, please quickly go. And you can’t take the dog with you.”
“…Woooof, woof. Bark!”
“Ah, right. Brother Kai!”
It was so quiet I forgot!
When I hurriedly opened the zipper of my bag, a wad of white cotton popped out as if waiting.
“Bark!”
Maybe he’s angry because he has been stuck in my bag for a long time.
“Bark! Barrkkk!”
Kai huffed and ran behind a nearby tree, turned into a human and chased after us.
“Geez, why did it take so long!”
So we started following Dad in earnest.
As Cassis walked around, the nobles around him started whispering.
The dad I saw from afar was different from the person I knew.
He’s a hand taller than average.
Calm black hair and a mysterious aura on a huge figure forged by war.
Isn’t he really a villain and main character at the same time?
‘I didn’t know it when I saw him in the duchy, but Dad is definitely eye-catching.’
Yet the culprit didn’t seem to care.
With a nonchalant expression on his face, Dad passed between the huge castles and crossed the Imperial garden.
From here, the movements of the nobles changed.
Colorful clothes are by nature.
“They said that the trial will be held at 2 o’clock, right?”
“I suppose so.”
The nobles, dressed in relatively static clothes, moved to where Dad was heading, as if they had promised.
“If the Imperial Palace carries out the crimes of the hostage prince they care for. Isn’t that obvious?”
“They seem to care a lot about that pawn prince. I think the penalty has already been decided.”
“He must be exiled, right?”
“It’s obvious. It looks like he will be sent to study abroad just because he’s exiled.”
The chatter of nobles spread all over the place.
I pricked up my ears.
Pawn prince.
Currently, there are no hostages other than Peter, so everyone is going to the trial.
I’m trying to follow the rushing crowd to the entrance of the trial.
“It’s not a place for young children to enter.”
“We’re Vallois.”
Kai and Bian answered with arrogant expressions at the blocked position.
“…Please go in.”
The gatekeeper, who looked confused, eventually allowed entry.
He seemed puzzled by the brothers, who had no evidence.
However, seeing the family head of Vallois sitting in front of the hearing, it seemed that he was afraid of the aftermath that would unfold to him if he kicked us out.
“Whoa. If you’re Vallois, you can do it all.”
I expected it, but was it this much?
“We knew that at the Academy.”
“That’s right.”
The older brothers responded as if it was no big deal.
“Anyway, Dust. You better tell Dad from now on.”
“Right. It’s going to be a headache if we hide and get involved with other nobles.”
Come to think of it, there was a commotion in the hall because of the onlookers.
Holding my hands side by side, my older brother passed through the onlookers.
And when we quietly tried to sit in the back seat of Dad.
“You managed to come.”
Oopsㅡ
The three of us, who were about to take a seat, stopped in the same pose at the low tone.
The purple eyes that turned his head were fixed firmly.
‘We’re doomed.’
Aside from us panicking, the surrounding nobles behind us were excited.
He was the duke of the 4th generation family.
Contrary to rumors that he was a lunatic, his attitude toward children was calm, so it was understandable.
Among them, there were young ladies who blushed and whispered.
“…Dad, you knew?”
“Ever since you got on the carriage. I tried to stop it because I was afraid you would fall, but looking at the reactions of the escort knights, it didn’t look serious.”
Dad continued talking, completely ignoring the gaze of the people around him.
“I just left you alone because I thought you would never go back if you even went to lengths to hang on the carriage.”
“Oh my. So the troublesome three musketeers are here.”
Afterwards, Agasa turned his head and burst out laughing.
‘I thought he’d scold us more severely, though?’
“What did I say? You should have stopped the carriage in advance when we set out.”
“They aren’t hurt. They say they want to do it, and Vallois should have that extent of stance.”
(it means they should be unshaken but if you have any better wording that may fit here please put it on the comment)
“Pardon?”
“Enough. I can’t scold them anymore now that they’re here.”
Smirk.
He twitched the corners of his lips as if he was smiling, and passed without any further scolding.
“Instead, from now on, solo actions are prohibited. Sit tight in the back seat.”
“…Yes!”
“Yeah.”
“Got it.”
“Especially, Billie.”
Hiccup.
“Don’t get excited and go up on stage in the middle. From then on, Daddy will also restrain you myself.”
“…Yes.”
He must have said that with Sian in mind.
Nervous and stabbed for no reason, I sat upright with my shoulders narrowed.
In this way, all of Vallois’ bloodlines gathered at the hearing.
Suddenly, the back of my head stung.
I could feel the eyes of the nobles twinkling at Vallois’ friendly conversation.
It was then.
When the Empress and Emperor appeared, all eyes were directed toward the podium.
And a boy who seemed to be my age entered after me and stood on the podium.
It was Sian.
“Billie.”
As my hips moved involuntarily, a resolute bass sound struck.
Dad stopped me without looking back.
It was clear that he hadn’t brought me because he knew I would be shaken.
“Peter de Law, the fourth prince of the Law Kingdom, and the hostage of the current Imperial Family.”
The judge, standing like a shadow, called out his name.
“Prince Peter, a criminal, was transferred for rebellion, but it was judged that he didn’t commit the crime arbitrarily because he was used by black magic.”
The judge, who had been reading the passage quietly, answered one beat slowly.
“Dust. That’s all planned out.”
“Kai, quiet.”
When Kai, who was next to me, whispered to me, Bian warned.
“Prince Peter is sentenced to seven years of exile.”
For a moment the judge was quiet.
“The place of exile is set outside the territory of the Rolls Empire.”
“Seven years?”
“Even outside the Rolls Empire?”
A calm wave rose through the astonished crowd.
A wave arose among the crowd at the punishment that was stronger than expected.
At that time, the eyes of Cassis and the Empress met as if they were passing each other, and then dispersed.
He was still dissatisfied, but it seemed that he had decided to turn the case over during his long exile.
‘The Imperial Family must have made an excessive choice with the fact that the opponent was Vallois in mind.’
Whooㅡ
In the midst of the commotion, Kai let out a low whistle.
“How old is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Anyway, if he gets exiled out of the Rolls Empire, where will I go for seven years?”
Bian, who was languidly leaning back at his question, crossed his arms.
“Maybe he will go to the Free State. Spending seven years means he can’t establish his place here. Even if he’s a hostage, the Empress seems to care for him quite a bit, so what kind of place would accept a guilty yet talented criminal?”
“You know very well, Sir Bian.”
Agasa, who subtly turned his head, agreed.
“Perhaps the Imperial Family had that in mind and sent him out of the Rolls Empire. Since he can’t establish a position on the side of the Rolls Empire in the yard of exile, it must mean that he must establish his position in the Free State to the best of his ability.”
We weren’t the only ones in the heated debate over Sian’s punishment.
“What does that mean?”
“Are they going to abandon the hostage prince?”
“I’m not sure… Indeed, even if it’s the Empress, if he’s a bloodline connected to the crime of rebellion…”
But.
In fact, the party wasn’t interested.
The back of him who was sentenced to exile looked calm.
I suddenly remembered Sian’s face, which I had never seen before in Eillian’s basement.
He seemed uninterested in his own life,
Empty eyes floating in the light dust floating in the air.
He seemed to have lost the time he was with me.
The lighting was illuminating such an expressionless Sian as a sinner.
‘…But it’s not the death penalty.’
I also have to think positively.
It was a pity that the exile period was longer than expected, but I was relieved because I expected the death penalty.
But there was something that I suddenly caught on.
‘This may be our last meeting.’
When Sian leaves for exile, the path we take will be completely different.
“…”
One side of my heart was thumping and aching.
Watching him from a distance like someone who doesn’t matter made it feel real now.
It was then.
Did he notice my gaze?
His gaze, which had been staring at the pillar strangely enough, passed the audience seat where I was.
“!”
Our eyes widened as we met each other.
‘Still, I can say hello.’
I gave up my depressed heart for no reason and smiled.
I waved my hand like that.
…away.
“…Huh?”
What is he talking about?
Shaking my head, I pointed to my ear.
Perhaps he didn’t know I was coming, his dull face shook in an instant.
Sian’s gaze returned to the ceiling.
And from the desperately moving mouth shape.
…Run away
“…Run away?”
Realizing the meaning, I got up from my seat.
Boomㅡ!
When I realized that something was wrong, the ceiling of the building came crashing down on us along with the collapsed pillars.
