Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Eve (4)
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Sultry and passionate tango music.
Beneath that melody and the dazzling lights, a man and a woman danced.
I lightly placed my hand on one of Leah's arms.
With my other hand supporting her, I spun her around.
She was as clever as ever.
Sensing the intent of my movement, she executed an elegant turn.
Her back no longer flinched at my touch.
Instead, she softly accepted it.
“Slowly entrust your body to me.”
Bending my knees, I leaned her back with one arm across her spine.
There, the princess's waist arched into a beautiful curve.
Leah gazed up at me intently with mature eyes.
I answered with a smile and gently stood her upright again.
Her feminine, beautiful form pressed close to me once more.
Our chests touched.
Leah giggled, clearly delighted by the spirited, passionate dance.
“How is it?”
“It's fun. It's a national loss that the upper crust has no idea this dance even exists.”
The upper class smiled at the sight of the First Imperial Princess laughing.
Relieved glances—they could see she was genuinely enjoying herself.
￣￣￣￣￣￣￣.
The music faded.
We matched its slowing rhythm, easing into our final pose.
As I stood firm like a pillar...
The princess wrapped her leg around my thigh.
I truly became the pillar.
And she softly entwined around me.
The dance concluded in that sensual pose.
“Haa...”
Leah lightly wiped her forehead.
Then, she sat with me at the nearest table.
Thirsty, perhaps—she grabbed the champagne sitting there.
Without pretense, she downed it in refreshing gulps.
“Good—.”
Eyes closed, she let out a satisfied exhale.
I watched her intently.
*If only she always looked this way, she'd just seem like a beautiful young lady.*
“How about it? Don't you feel like you could do anything now?”
As the princess exhaled deeply, her ample chest rose.
She gazed at me warmly and said,
“Yes, I feel much lighter now.”
Leah gently swept a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
That revealed a single mole on her neck.
“You had no idea about tango until just now. But you nailed the finale pose together.”
I praised the princess's dancing.
I'd never taught her, yet she'd instinctively followed every step.
“You supported me well.”
“Plenty of people would still crumble from fear, even with support.”
I chuckled in reply.
But...
“For example, who?”
My smile vanished.
The princess's sharp question came with a chilling smile.
“Looks like there's someone else you groped all the way down the back for too?”
I instinctively sensed killing intent in her words.
“N-No, of course not. I was just speaking from cases I've seen often.”
The princess chuckled and waved it off.
Thirsty again, she finished the rest of her champagne.
“Hey, I was kidding. What do I care who you dance with?”
*Is she really not bothered...?'
I'd definitely felt a chill down my spine for a moment.
The princess set her empty glass on the table.
“Like you said, now I feel like I could do anything.”
Her voice was much lighter now.
“I'll talk to Father properly.”
I looked into Leah's blue eyes.
Unlike from the balcony earlier, they sparkled with jewel-like clarity.
“Yes, it will surely go well.”
Seeing that, I lifted the corner of my mouth.
￣￣￣.
The music stopped.
The ballroom filled only with the laughter of young men and women.
Amid it, I picked up a glass of wine.
I took a light sip and glanced up at the second floor.
The grand doors of the imperial box.
An intense aura began emanating from there.
Soon, I realized.
Who it belonged to.
“...!”
I nearly spat out my wine.
“Are you all right?”
Leah looked at me, so I hurriedly shook my head.
“Y-Yes, I'm fine.”
I quickly stood.
Stepping back, I said,
“I-I'll go grab some water.”
“Go ahead.”
Leaving the princess behind, I put some distance between us.
Then, taking a glass from a waiter, I tried to act casual.
￣￣￣￣￣￣.
As I drank the water.
The firmly shut doors of the second-floor imperial box swung open.
With overwhelming presence, the emperor appeared.
「....」
Leonhardt entered the palace silently and looked down at Leah.
As if confirming who she had been with.
“E-Emperor... Your Majesty...!”
Gentlemen dancing on the first floor noticed him.
They bowed hastily, paying respects to the Conquest King overlooking from above.
“We greet the master of the empire!!”
Ladies followed, hands over hearts, curtsying demurely.
All paid homage to the empire's lord.
「Raise your heads.」
The vast ballroom fell silent at the emperor's words.
「....」
His face, majestic as a temple statue.
Surveying everyone, the emperor spoke.
「I've greatly interrupted your enjoyable time.」
His solemn voice echoed through the palace.
「I've come to encourage the eve festivities. Enjoy yourselves freely.」
Leaving those words, the emperor stepped back from the railing.
He settled into his massive throne.
“Your vast mercy—we thank you!!”
The highest-ranking duke among the gentlemen led the thanks.
Everyone bowed after him, and the ballroom slowly regained its merry atmosphere.
Yet all wore tense expressions, unlike before.
I glanced worriedly at Leah.
Even the innocent were intimidated by the emperor's aura.
But...
It was needless worry.
Emboldened by our dance, she rose confidently from her seat.
*As expected of Leah.*
No need for a daughter to fear her father.
If the father was a massive pride leader, the daughter was a maturing lioness ready to stand alone.
The princess reached the stairs with sensual steps.
Pausing, she turned back to me.
*Why me...?'
She flashed a bright smile.
Elegantly extending her hand, she commanded with her eyes.
「Aren't you coming to escort me?」
“Ahem...”
Clearing my throat, I scanned the surroundings.
Already in the same space as the daddy's girl emperor—escorting Leah here would...
*I'll just get on his bad side again!*
I cautiously checked around.
Was there someone else fit to accompany the First Imperial Princess?
But...
No matter how I looked, the ballroom held only noble gentlemen.
Most knights guarded the entrance.
The gentlemen all stared at me.
We'd danced together, sat at the same table.
Their eyes questioned why I wasn't staying by the princess's side.
*Damn...*
In the end, I approached Leah.
Gently taking her hand, I ascended the stairs with her.
「Come, Leah.」
The emperor addressed his long-unseen eldest daughter in a solemn tone.
Spotting me accompanying her, he furrowed his brow.
His expression screamed *Why are you with my daughter?*
Under that gaze, I forced a smile and stepped back.
“I accompanied her with a nearby knight, Your Majesty.”
Leah defended me.
But seeing his cool-headed daughter go out of her way, the emperor's mood soured further.
「I see... Quite the reliable knight.」
“Yes, a very reliable man.”
Leah smiled brightly at her father.
The emperor smiled too, but unlike her, it carried a hint of menace.
“It's been a while, Father.”
Now alone with the three of us in the imperial box, Leah spoke casually.
“What brings you to summon me?”
Perhaps relaxed from the tango.
She boldly questioned her father.
「I merely called to play a game of chess.」
Leonhardt pointed to the chessboard before his throne.
“Chess... you mean?”
Seeing the familiar board, the princess blinked.
It had been over fifteen years since receiving it from her father.
Yet they'd never played a single game.
At twenty-four, his sudden invitation to play felt alien.
「Yes. I wished to play a game with you after so long.」
The emperor cleared his throat awkwardly.
“...”
Leah stared blankly at her father's bold attempt.
Then, understanding his intent, she smiled faintly.
“Yes, I'd like that.”
Leah sat at the table.
The emperor rose from his throne.
He descended personally for his daughter.
Silently, they regarded the chessboard.
Was it because chess was a form of war?
The two with conqueror's temperaments approached the game with serious eyes.
「You've managed the empire well in my absence.」
The emperor opened.
Leah answered flatly.
“Managed? I was barely holding the status quo. And even that feels like a failure.”
「You must have been quite troubled.」
Her lips twitched at "troubled."
「Such as the empire's collapse, or the matter of succession.」
The princess who had planned to abandon the empire to prepare for that time.
Stung, she swallowed hard.
“...”
The princess closed her eyes briefly.
She calmly composed herself.
“Yes. In fact, to prepare for that, I secretly planned to...”
Bracing for interrogation, she confessed her actions.
But then.
「I know.」
The emperor preempted her.
「That you and your loyal retainers planned to forge independence to preserve the empire's lineage.」
Leah froze, mouth agape.
She met her father's now-gentle blue eyes.
“How did you... know...?”
「Recently, I learned Rozanna still despises me. And that you'd plot with Leon if I died.」
The emperor sighed shortly.
Gazing proudly at his daughter, he said,
「In that chaos, how much could you truly do?」
The emperor moved his king.
With the intense gaze of the empire's lord, he declared boldly,
「You've endured much hardship.」
For the first time in her life, praised by her father.
Expecting rebuke for her actions.
Instead, understanding them—her lips pressed tight.
「Now that I'm alive, worry less.」
Leah's blue eyes glistened.
Nodding with emotion, she bowed her head.
“Thank you for forgiving me, Father.”
「Forgiveness? Your actions were wise, protecting imperial subjects.」
Leah wiped a tear from her eye.
A successful reconciliation.
Satisfied, the emperor smiled faintly and glanced at me.
A hint of acknowledgment.
「Veil, your help was significant.」
Leah followed her father's gaze to me.
Realizing I'd advocated for her beforehand, she looked surprised.
“Ahem...”
Dodging the imperial gazes, I turned away.
Covering my mouth with my fist, I cleared my throat.
“It's Her Highness's turn now.”
I politely indicated the board, evading.
“...”
Leah chuckled at my shamelessness.
Sensing no malice.
She smiled and refocused on the game.
With the crucial reconciliation done, I stepped far back.
Arms crossed behind me, I watched their game.
*Impressive...*
The emperor excelled not just at war, but games like chess.
Like a war god, he pressed Leah with sharp attacks.
But...
「Hm.」
How much had she studied? The princess's skill had grown greatly.
*So that's why she kept wanting rematches with me.*
I'd nearly lost that weird bet.
*The emperor's good, but Leah's defense is no joke.*
I'd thought she'd let him win at chess since he forgave her.
Her competitive spirit was fierce.
*In the end, the emperor will concede.*
I figured Leonhardt would surrender easily.
But...
The emperor focused madly, as if the empire's fate hung in the balance.
*Father or daughter—could one of you just lose gracefully...*
Holding my breath, I watched.
My eyes drifted to the emperor, face grim after long deliberation.
*Better if His Majesty wins, right?*
I focused.
Sending telepathy possible only between Grand Aura users.
「Your Majesty, playing Bh5 will give you an advantage.」
Hearing me, the emperor looked displeased.
He disliked my intrusion in father-daughter battle.
「Ahem.」
Instead, he played elsewhere.
Leading to a blunder, trapping himself deeper.
「....」
The emperor grew even quieter.
This would last all night.
「Try H3.」
At my words, shadows darkened his face.
He snapped via telepathy.
「I was going to!」
Following my suggestion, Leah hesitated.
Adjusting her dress strap, frowning.
Pondering deeply, she responded cautiously.
The emperor fell into another of Leah's traps.
On a real battlefield, he'd smash through with force.
But this was chess.
All pieces equal.
「Veil... where next?」
Pride bent, the emperor sought my aid.
A true leader—reason over emotion.
「F7. It checks and buys a turn.」
The emperor smirked at my words.
Placing his king as advised.
「You two, what are you doing right now?」
Someone intruded on our telepathy.
「....」
The emperor and I turned to Leah.
Blonde princess, arms crossed, glaring daggers.
She'd detected Grand Aura.
「Haha, what are you talking about? We haven't said a word.」
“Did I miss Veil telling you F7?”
She'd heard our telepathy perfectly.
“What good is the Emperor of the Empire cheating?”
She eyed her father thinly.
「When did your magic grow so? Most mages can't detect my telepathy...」
The emperor asked awkwardly.
“Who knows. A few days ago, I woke up and it had suddenly improved.”
Leah smirked.
Then, she gave me a suggestive smile.
*No way.*
*Is she referring to that night we shared a bed?*
Leah wasn't a Grand Master yet.
But her body had begun sensing Grand Aura.
As if grown accustomed from prolonged intimacy.
*What the hell happened that day!'