Chapter 279
Chapter 279
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: King of the Desert (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If we're talking royalty, then the Grand Duke and his sons and daughters.
Even the twins we met just moments ago—plenty of suspects.
But none of them seemed like the type to plot something this treacherous against the Empire.
In truth, they'd always wanted smooth relations with the Empire.
"Hardly anyone knows Dilma is circulating yet. Even I only learned about it through the spies I've planted."
"If what Your Highness says is true, it could shatter relations between Samad and the Empire."
Lydia nodded calmly at my words.
Her black hair swayed to one side in the wind.
It gave off an exotic aura, like some Eastern goddess.
"Don't worry. I'll handle it."
Lydia extended her hand to me.
I clasped her palm, and with half-lidded eyes, the princess declared confidently.
"My brother, the Second Imperial Prince from Samad, will be attending tonight's party."
Second Imperial Prince.
Truth be told, I didn't know much about him.
Even if he was Leon and Vanessa's son, he'd barely spent any time in the Empire.
They said he'd been granted the title of Crown Prince right after birth and sent straight to Samad.
"Honestly, I suspect him."
Lydia gazed at the stately mansion atop the hill, our hands still clasped.
It boasted a magnificent beauty, like some enormous castle.
Far below sprawled a vast city.
Beautiful on the surface, but riddled with back alleys full of shadowy corners.
Just like how the brighter the light, the deeper the darkness.
"He hasn't visited the Empire his whole life, not even to see his birth mother. For him to show up out of nowhere like this—there has to be a reason."
Lydia's red eyes flashed intensely.
Her sharp fangs gleamed ferociously with every word, like a black panther's.
"Tonight, I'll uncover what he's after."
I'd thought she came just to celebrate the fireworks festival.
But Lydia had her own grave reason for being here.
"Understood. Shall we head in together?"
We slowly patrolled the streets of Rubintsk on our way to the mansion.
Yet in no back alley or shadowed nook did we spot anyone poisoned by Dilma.
The alleys were as still as a seaside before a tidal wave.
Teeming only with ordinary citizens preparing for the event.
――――――.
After our patrol ended.
Lydia and I entered the grand Rubintsk mansion, abuzz with party preparations.
Party venues were usually arranged by a secretary or close aide who knew the host royalty's tastes well.
So when I spotted the man right at the entrance upon entering, I assumed he was one of those types.
But.
Lydia approached him calmly.
As if meeting someone more important than a mere secretary.
"Use only water from Samad on the tables. From the capital, Kaiu, if possible."
The man in a black suit with lightly tanned skin.
His short black hair slicked back neatly with pomade, stood at the party entrance overseeing everything.
"Understood, Your Highness."
"Thanks. I appreciate you accommodating even my unreasonable requests."
He thanked the servants personally with a kind smile.
Taking on a mid-level supervisor role like this suggested he was a highly methodical man.
"Long time no see, Lydia."
Liam.
At that name, the man slowly turned his head.
His red eyes—unique to Samad royalty—flashed under the lights.
The aura in those eyes was as precise and sharp as an adult leopard's.
"Lydia...?"
But unlike the Third Princess's wariness, he smiled warmly at his long-lost sister.
"It's been ages. Since your last visit to Samad, right?"
He had a build and sly eye shape much like mine.
But what stood out most was...
The intense mana centered in his chest.
A mana sphere honed with meticulous training—enough to plan the entire party venue himself.
All the emperor's children I'd met so far lacked real sword talent.
Yet this man before me radiated an overwhelming presence, as if he'd inherited it all.
"We didn't even meet when I visited back then."
A normal woman might cower under that aura.
But Lydia didn't flinch in the slightest.
As a fellow child of the emperor, she met his gaze with even colder eyes.
"Ah, right...? So about five years, then...?"
The Empire's Second Imperial Prince, Liam, said apologetically.
Even in early autumn, he wore gloves and covered all skin except his face.
"You never once visited the Empire your whole life—what brings you here now?"
Liam chuckled softly at Lydia's question and turned away.
He gestured to a spotless table, cleaned on his orders.
"Care to sit and talk?"
"..."
Lydia glanced at me.
I followed her lead and sat at the table with Liam.
"And who might you be?"
His piercing red eyes fixed on me impassively.
I'd expected him to eye me warily, like those twin siblings glaring when I accompanied Lydia.
But he was definitely different, just as she'd said.
The twins had looked at me like some beast stalking their sister.
This man felt utterly emotionless.
As if he couldn't care less what my relationship with his sister was.
"Vale Mikhail."
I responded in kind, giving only my name.
"Ah, the Empire's greatest swordsman from the rumors. Close with the princesses, they say—"
He nodded, clearly already informed about me.
Of similar build to mine, he took a sip of water.
At the same time, he subtly checked my expression through the bottom of his glass.
Even his habit of observing others was done with elegant subtlety.
A graceful suspect.
"The reason I'm here is simple, Lydia."
Liam turned back to her and opened his mouth.
He wiped his lips with a handkerchief, as if even the feel of water on them bothered him.
"As I'm soon to be officially recognized as Crown Prince, I need to start showing my face at international events."
"Hah, at 24, finally?"
Lydia shot back immediately, unimpressed.
"You could've attended summits or parties long before now."
Proving she was no pushover, the Third Princess smirked.
Her pointed fangs gleamed, as if aiming for his throat.
"You've got some other agenda. Like checking if your schemes are going smoothly, for instance."
Come to think of it, Liam was personally overseeing the party down to the details.
That trait made the puzzle pieces fall into place.
"Lydia. You've always been especially wary of me since we were kids."
Liam gazed at his sister—arms crossed by herself—then chuckled.
"And with such a fine escort knight in tow."
He deftly shifted the topic.
Lydia, exasperated by the ploy, was about to press for answers again.
But when Liam spoke—contrary to his gentlemanly facade—
The princess found herself momentarily speechless.
"Sir Vale, how far along are you and our Lydia?"
"Pardon...?"
As I blinked in confusion, Liam added with a boyish, innocent smile.
"Haha... No need to answer. I can tell you're dating just by looking."
Liam said nonchalantly as he removed his gloves.
He then washed his hands with lemon water from a plate and whispered softly.
"I just wanted to cheer on whoever wins this girl's heart if she's finally dating."
"Liam, what the hell are you talking about!!"
Lydia snapped at her brother's topic switch.
But he was unfazed.
Unlike his doll-like emotionless gaze moments ago, his eyes now sparkled with mischief.
"Our Lydia always said she'd find a man she liked and have at least three kids."
The youngest princess's serious eyes widened like a startled alley cat at her brother's teasing.
Her face flushed in an instant, and she yelled in a petulant, little-sister voice.
「Hey!!!」
Her shout was so loud it made the water in the wine glasses tremble.
She glanced at me with her beet-red face and frantically shook her head.
"Vale, don't listen to this guy's lies. It's just his slick way of changing the subject!"
She shook her head so vigorously her twin tails whipped around.
Her constricted red pupils darted every which way.
"Come on, I saw it with my own eyes. Always asking Mother how to have babies."
Oblivious, Liam kept pressing on shamelessly.
As if reminiscing fondly.
"And even as a kid, you said you'd meet a handsome guy just like me and live prosperously—"
I stared blankly at Lydia.
Before I knew it, I slowly buttoned my shirt all the way up.
'Three of them...'
Seeing me like that, the princess grabbed my arm and shook it desperately.
She looked just like a flustered baby leopard.
"You're not believing him too, are you...? I'm not some perverted slut!!"
The girl who'd poked and teased me like a little devil all this time.
This was a far cry from her usual regal princess demeanor.
"Liam, you bastard... Tonight, I'm exposing every single one of your dirty secrets!!"
Lydia fumed at her brother.
Liam just shrugged at his sister, as if wondering whose secrets had been exposed.
'Definitely siblings...'