Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Unrevealed Enemy
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“To fresh air for the Kasir Kingdom, and bloody rule for all other kingdoms!”
“Sit down.”
In a secret chamber of the Rasoni Kingdom.
Several people were seated around a long table. Among them, a woman occupied the head seat. She sat leaning back with her legs crossed, reviewing documents. Everyone summoned there watched her tensely.
“Let’s begin the meeting.”
At her words, each person stood and began their reports. They were all clad in black outfits that covered their entire bodies, with masks concealing even their mouths. The woman listened to her subordinates’ words languidly before stopping them in a low voice.
“There’s only one thing I want to know.”
“……”
“What about Princess Canibella?”
A man wearing a monocle stood and politely handed her some documents. Then he began his explanation.
“As you instructed, we investigated that possibility, but the results are the same.”
He presented the medical opinion from the doctor who had examined Canibella at the time of the fall accident. The woman stared at it intently.
“Princess Canibella is definitely the age of a child.”
The woman roughly tossed the documents onto the table. Her green eyes blazed fiercely.
“To think my judgment could be wrong—it’s truly strange.”
“We’re sorry.”
“No. It’s a doctor’s opinion. What could we possibly suspect?”
Even as she said that, the woman remained suspicious. The agile movements she had witnessed in Canibella that day were so clean and perfect that they reignited doubts about whether all her prior behavior had been an act.
But there was no evidence. The opinion might have been falsified, but that doctor was already dead. At that moment, a woman burst into the meeting room.
“I have a report!”
“What is it?”
Terrified by the woman’s green eyes that seemed to promise death for useless talk, the intruder prostrated herself and trembled as she spoke.
“According to the latest news, Princess Canibella has gone missing! And Ekill, whom we sent to watch her, was found dead there.”
“What?”
The meeting room buzzed. Ekill was an A+ rank organization member with S-rank level skills. He was no weakling who would die a meaningless death.
Yet he was dead?
The woman bit her lip. She hadn’t expected to lose an A+ rank so pointlessly. A+ ranks were rare and valuable. They held significant authority in the organization, second only to S-ranks, and could even fill in for them when needed.
“And apparently, there was something strange at the scene. From the way Ekill was stabbed with a sword, it looks like he was taken down by two people.”
The woman’s expression darkened. Among those who had accompanied Princess Canibella on her journey to the kingdom, no one except the knights could wield a sword competently. So there was no way any of those knights had the skill to kill Ekill.
“Then……”
The meeting room erupted in murmurs. Countless speculations flew back and forth. Once again, Canibella became suspicious. But nothing could be confirmed right then.
Before the room overheated, the woman clapped her hands to calm everyone. She ordered them to find the princess at all costs.
“Yes!”
Then, another person entered.
“Boss, it’s time for you to go now.”
“Tch… Fine. Tell Mother I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes.”
The woman pressed her brow and rose from her seat. For the first time in a while, she made a girlish expression befitting her age. All to ensure her foolish mother noticed nothing.
“Today’s meeting is adjourned.”
“To fresh air for the Kasir Kingdom, and bloody rule for all other kingdoms!”
Now it was time for other duties.
* * *
Lainen felt uneasy as Princess Canibella’s stiffened expression at his words came to mind. He temporarily handed the party’s proceedings to the emperor. Then he began scouring the banquet hall. But she was nowhere to be seen.
Soon, he stepped outside and roamed the palace haphazardly. His breath came up to his throat, but he couldn’t stop. If he stopped here, he feared she might leave like his mother or brother.
‘Please, don’t go!’
Just then, a pumpkin carriage detached from the banquet hall and sped away at tremendous speed. He caught a silhouette. Something about it seemed familiar.
Looking closer, it was Lady Mariya!
She gazed at the moon through the window, ignoring the noisy banquet hall filled with music. She wasn’t looking at him.
A wave of despair crashed over him in an instant. He felt a hole larger than any before tear open inside him.
No, I can’t lose you. Please, please don’t leave me!
He quickly grabbed a passing horse and raced after the carriage. Fueled by his desperate longing to reach her, the horse galloped swiftly. He caught up in moments.
“Where, where are you going!”
Startled by his shout, she glanced his way. Then she looked at him with heartbreaking eyes. He could almost hear her inner thoughts.
No. I can’t be with you.
He wanted to ask why not. They had been happy together for a week—had it only been him? He reached out to her, pouring his heart into the gesture.
‘Please don’t go. Hold onto me…’
But she didn’t take his hand. As if refusing to hear, she turned away. As if unwilling to listen, she closed the window.
Her actions shocked him. He called her name again. Still, she wouldn’t look at him.
“Close the gates!”
For a week, I was intoxicated by your sweet scent, loved the security and comfort you gave me, addicted to the fulfillment of being together. Now I can’t live without you.
He wanted to hold her by force if needed. He ordered the gates closed. They were shutting fast. But the carriage hadn’t even crossed the bridge fully.
Can we still be together now?
Then, white wings sprouted from the horses as they ran. The carriage she rode lifted into the air in an instant and vanished into the sky!
“No!”
He screamed. Despair gnawed at him, emptiness filled his chest. Standing there helplessly for a long while, he wandered in a daze and spotted a single glass slipper that had fallen.
Clutching it, he returned to the banquet hall. As he opened the door, all eyes turned to him.
“I won’t take any bride here. That’s all.”
Without accepting any objections, he departed. His declaration plunged the banquet hall into silence. No one dared speak.
Clack, clack.
“…We’ll discuss this matter later.”
The emperor made clear that Lainen’s words did not represent the imperial family’s official stance. Then he left the banquet hall with the empress. Only then did people stir.
“What on earth is His Highness the Crown Prince planning!”
“Now’s the time to solidify imperial authority even more…”
“Why won’t His Highness the Crown Prince marry?”
The crown prince faction argued that taking a consort would strengthen imperial power, while the noble faction shouted that the crown prince should be replaced with Leibu immediately. Their bickering turned the banquet into a political battlefield in moments.
“What a mess.”
A boy watching the chaotic scene from above muttered. He observed the pointless political squabble with a mocking expression.
And he deeply disliked how their useless actions would make the palace noisy once more.
“What could Brother be thinking, saying such things…”
The boy sighed. He had no intention of opposing Lainen—nor should he. He hated complications and desperately wished for an end to such wasteful fights. Thinking of the vanished Lainen, he took a sip of juice.
‘Brother… That will only give them false hope.’
* * *
Amid the chaos and pandemonium of the banquet hall, a silver-haired woman slipped away quietly. Having drawn countless stares earlier for briefly removing her mask, she now wore a plain one and headed to the terrace.
“The champagne here is exquisite.”
On the empty terrace, the woman gazed at the peaceful scenery. Then, a masked man appeared before her. After kissing the back of her hand, he spoke.
“Crown Prince Lainen’s skills were more useless than expected. Even without using imperial swordsmanship, it was pathetic.”
“Is that so? Did you follow my orders?”
The man nodded and described Lainen’s fighting patterns. The woman smirked inwardly. Conquering the Luminir Empire might be easier than thought.
But she didn’t voice it. Annoyed by the bothersome mask while reaching for champagne, she tossed it aside. Her stunning face emerged, radiant even without makeup.
“You must have suffered dealing with such a fool.”
She said to the man, who was the very assailant who had ambushed Lainen in the alley. And she—the beautiful woman who commanded such a dangerous subordinate—sat on the terrace railing and continued.
“It looks like a full-scale imperial succession struggle is brewing here. I’d like to plant one of ours. Ideally as the crown princess…”
“With the imperial family’s vigilance, is that possible?”
Entry to the palace required rigorous procedures. Yet the Luminir Empire, through some unknown method, thoroughly vetted and executed infiltrators without mercy. Spies had no chance.
If the agent they planted this time were exposed, security would tighten even more, making future infiltrations harder.
At the man’s concern, the woman chuckled.
“We’re not conquering this empire in a short time, so no need to rush. For now, just get a few into the Luminir Empire. Don’t we already have some natives?”
“Yes, the Ray and Reshinka siblings.”
“Then leave it to those two.”
“Understood. I’ll inform them.”
The man quickly grasped her intent, bowed deeply, and vanished. The woman murmured while gazing at the quiet, pitch-black night sky.
“From now on, the Luminir Empire belongs to Aremai.”
A woman’s dangerous ambition flowed onward.