Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Princess and the Grand Duke (7)
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"The hunting dog is now barking that it will bite its master's throat."
His younger brother had staged a rebellion, and the situation was dire enough that the traitor had reached the emperor's presence.
Yet the emperor's expression didn't change in the slightest.
As if he had a way to turn this situation around.
"Is it really okay for someone who's about to die to stay so composed?"
"You've grown awfully insolent."
"I've always been like this. I was just pretending otherwise."
Kasian readjusted his grip on his sword into a stance ready for a charge.
"Is it because of the princess? Is that why you've gone mad enough to do this?"
"You already know, don't you?"
Kasian furrowed his brow. The one who had destroyed Erin's duchy stood right before him—the emperor.
If not for the emperor's orders, he wouldn't have had to put on that pathetic act and hurt Erin. Her nation and her parents would still be alive.
"I've known for a very long time. About you and that princess."
"...Then why? Why did you have to go and do all that...?"
"Wasn't it entertaining? I wanted to see the hunting dog tear apart everything belonging to the woman he loves. It was just some amusement to liven up this boring, dull life of mine."
There wasn't a shred of guilt in the emperor's demeanor. On the contrary, he boasted about toying with others' lives like playthings.
Witnessing this attitude, Kasian ground his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
At that moment, Theodore stopped the fingers that had been tapping on the armrest.
"Kasian, do you not understand why I'm sitting here so leisurely with you right in front of me?"
Suddenly, dark crimson demonic energy swirled behind the throne where the emperor sat, forming a massive shadow.
Rumble...!
Dark crimson shadows erupted from the floor where Kasian stood.
"Ugh...!"
Kasian clutched his chest and dropped to one knee.
The mana coursing through his veins surged backward, dyeing his vision red.
Theodore rose from his seat and slowly descended the steps.
"You're fated to spend your life barking at my feet. That's the only reason you survived out of all your siblings."
The emperor held a ornate dagger embedded with a red gem.
Kasian thrust his sword into the floor to hold himself up, but the pain of the mana reflux made it impossible to even twitch a finger.
"Little brother. There's still that woman you love waiting outside, isn't there? Surely you want to keep her alive."
The emperor smirked wickedly and aimed the dagger at Kasian's throat.
"Choose. If you die here, I won't let her go easily. I might not be particularly inclined, but I could always roll her around in my bed a few times."
"You dog...!"
"However, if you swear loyalty to me once more right here, I'll pretend none of today's events ever happened. How about it?"
Kasian's pupils trembled.
He had lived his entire life as a hunting dog at this man's feet.
He desperately wanted to break free from those suffocating chains now.
But if it meant Erin could live... even if it was a thorny path, he was prepared to walk it.
"Are you ready to speak now?"
"..."
"I won't touch the princess. So hurry up and swear your loyalty to me."
He didn't want to see her suffer.
He didn't want to hurt her.
He just wanted her to smile every day.
The moment Kasian, thinking of Erin, began to lower his head—
"Wait...!!"
A familiar voice echoed from behind, and he saw someone striding boldly toward them.
"Erin... don't come here!"
"No way, you idiot Grand Duke."
Just like fifteen years ago, despite Kasian's plea not to come, Erin ignored him and approached.
Soon after, the necklace hanging from her chest began to emit a dazzling white light.
"I'll never forgive you for destroying my country and tormenting Kasian his whole life."
The light pouring from Erin's body began filling the space.
"Wh-what is this...!"
The emperor's dark crimson shadows burst into flames and vanished upon touching the light. Consequently, the mana chains binding Kasian melted away in an instant.
A look of bewilderment crossed the emperor's face, who had been wearing such a relaxed expression.
He already knew about the item the princess possessed, but it shouldn't have had power anywhere near this level.
As if someone had amplified its power even further...
As that thought crossed his mind, the emperor stared ahead in stunned disbelief and locked eyes with a man watching from afar.
The emperor had seen that man before.
Or more precisely, in the records.
The ancient imperial records passed down through the royal family were filled with sketches and tales of that man.
"Why are you here...?!"
Like a man who had finally found what he'd long sought, Theodore tried to approach him in shock, but—
"Where do you think you're going, Your Majesty?"
Kasian, having regained his senses thanks to Erin, blocked his path.
"Isn't it time for you to face punishment?"
Soon, a crisp yet resounding slap echoed through the entire space.
The emperor's head snapped to the side. Erin, standing beside Kasian, had struck his cheek with all her might.
"This is for my parents!"
Slap—
"This is for toying with the Grand Duke's life!!"
Slap—
A red bruise bloomed on the cheek of Theodore, emperor of the empire.
"And this is for destroying my country!"
Slap slap—
Overwhelmed by the humiliation and pain he'd never experienced before, the emperor collapsed to the floor in a daze.
"You crazy bitch, how dare you...!!"
Unable to contain his rage, the emperor glared at Erin, but—
"Now you finally understand how painful suffering is."
Kasian stepped in front of Erin, pressing the emperor further.
The emperor could instinctively sense it.
The weapon that suppressed his mana had already been destroyed by the princess's hand.
So, the only thing he could do now was—
"Ka-Kasian! Wait a moment. I was wrong! I'll give you half the empire! No, I won't treat you like a hunting dog anymore!!"
"What a generous offer."
Kasian looked at the emperor with rotten eyes.
Theodore, emperor of the empire, crawling pathetically and begging for his life.
The absolute being he had feared his entire life was, in truth, just an ordinary, pathetic man. It felt utterly hollow.
"You can't kill me anyway!! I spared your life, didn't I...? So you should spare mine too..."
But reading Kasian's eyes, the emperor couldn't continue.
"Didn't I tell you? That I would claim the throne."
He raised his sword high. Soon, blue mana swirled around the blade.
Slash—!
In a single strike, Kasian's sword pierced the emperor's heart.
In his final moments, Theodore's eyes widened as he reached toward the man he'd desperately sought, but he breathed his last without touching him.
The being who had made the princess and grand duke's lives the most miserable.
The empire's mad warmonger and symbol of dark clouds had vanished.
"Ah, that felt refreshing. I could hear the slaps all the way from here."
Luhan, who had been leaning against the entrance, clapped as he strolled in.
Not a single drop of blood stained his clothes. It was hard to believe he'd taken on hundreds of imperial guards outside.
"Your Grace! No, Your Imperial Majesty!"
Soon, Kasian's elite knights burst through the palace doors. Seeing the fallen emperor and Kasian standing tall before him, they knelt in unison.
"You've done it!!"
"We behold the empire's new sun!"
To the boisterously cheering soldiers, Kasian replied with an awkward smile.
"Thank you all. I could only accomplish this because of you."
"We didn't do much. It was basically one man handling the entire guard...!!"
Remembering Luhan's battle they'd just witnessed, the knights showered him with praise without stint.
"Ah, why don't we share hero stories among ourselves? For now, Your Grace and the princess should head to that terrace over there for some intimate time."
Luhan, surrounded by the knights, pointed out a nice spot to the grand duke.
Kasian nodded at the suggestion and took Erin's hand, leading her to a terrace overlooking the entire capital.
The capital's nightscape was breathtakingly beautiful.
A perfect atmosphere with the perfect person. And all the obstacles blocking their path had vanished.
This moment felt like a dream to Erin.
"This isn't a dream, is it...?"
Kasian chuckled at Erin pretending to be a scared squirrel and gently stroked her hair.
"If you're meeting me even in your dreams, you must really like me."
"Not just really—I like you a ton."
Erin beamed and drew closer to Kasian.
"I never imagined it would end like this. I thought we'd end up like tragic protagonists, fighting against power and dying miserably."
"Even in that miserable future, we would have been together."
"Ugh, seriously! Why are you being so cringey? Look, I have goosebumps on my arms."
The princess raised her left arm to show the grand duke.
Kasian stared at it for a long moment before suddenly grabbing her left hand.
"Wh-what are you doing...?"
"Your duchy had a tradition like this, right?"
Kasian pulled something from his pocket.
Erin's eyes widened at the sight.
The grand duke slid a ring embedded with the world's most beautiful gem onto her left ring finger.
"Kasian...?"
"Will you become my empress, Erin?"
He knelt and gazed into her eyes as he asked.
Erin swallowed her tears and answered.
"...Yes, my husband."