Chapter 401: The Coronation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 401: The Coronation
The sudden assassination threw the nobles of the Noble Faction into a panic.
Count Klude, who had been leading the faction alongside Marquis Laxion, hastily summoned the other nobles the moment he heard the news.
At his call, nobles not only from the capital but also from neighboring territories came rushing to the Klude estate.
The sight of them scrambling from their carriages, breathless and flustered, was rather pathetic, but it also underscored the gravity of the situation.
Currently, only two people in the Nivia Kingdom held the right of succession: the First Prince and the First Princess.
For the Noble Faction, which had supported the First Prince, their foundation had vanished overnight.
Above all, they couldn't hide their shock at the fact that Marquis Laxion, known as the Kingdom's Best Sword, had been found dead.
Who on earth could have killed a man who had reached the level of a Sword Master?
To make matters worse, the captain and vice-captain of the Karmion Knights, hailed as the strongest knight order in the kingdom, were discovered beside the marquis's body.
The captain was unconscious and severely wounded, while the vice-captain was already a cold corpse.
It was a reality so absurd it would make one laugh in disbelief, like a bad dream that couldn't be ignored.
Of course, none of the nobles suspected Elisabeth was behind the assassination.
It was far more rational to believe it was a plot by another nation, and their suspicions fell on the Veilhaven Republic.
‘The First Prince’s death was unexpected, but knowing the king, he must have some illegitimate children somewhere. We can just find a convincing orphan and place him on the throne. Besides, I no longer have to bribe that greedy bitch, the Second Queen. All in all, this is a net gain.’
‘Marquis Laxion’s death will throw high society into chaos for a while, but this is a golden opportunity for the military to expand its influence. It was fucking annoying how that damn old man kept his grip on the military even after retirement. Good riddance.’
‘It seems the Veilhaven Republic plans to use the First Princess as a puppet to exert their influence. Not a chance.’
‘By the way, does this mean Count Klude will be the next Chancellor? It seems raising my territory’s tax rates to bribe him was worth it after all.’
Each with their own calculations, the nobles of the Noble Faction knocked on the door of Count Klude’s office at the crack of dawn.
Creeak—
But what awaited them were the bodies of Count Klude and his eldest son, Eden Hareis Klude, lying together on the floor.
“...”
“...”
Faced with the gruesome scene, no one dared to speak.
But soon, their gazes shifted to the desk in the center of the office.
Piled high upon it like a mountain was evidence detailing the various crimes committed by the members of the Noble Faction.
It was too vast a collection for Count Klude to have gathered alone, but there was no need to question its authenticity.
Their hardened expressions said it all.
Furthermore, the last page of every document listed the personal details of the noble who had provided the information.
Faced with clear evidence of betrayal, the way the nobles looked at each other changed.
It went without saying that not everyone in the Noble Faction was on friendly, mutually supportive terms.
If one had to describe their relationship, it was more like that of friendly rivals.
While they had consistently secured their own interests by ostracizing and attacking nobles outside their faction, it wasn't as if they had no internal conflicts.
Even in simple merchant operations, overlapping products were inevitable, and in matters of human trafficking and drug distribution, they were all ultimately carving up a limited pie.
The distrust etched in their eyes as they stared at one another did not fade, and time simply passed in silence.
If Kang Hyun-woo had witnessed this scene, he surely would have smiled with satisfaction, feeling his all-night transcription efforts had paid off.
Afterward, the nobles hastily destroyed the documents and rushed out of the mansion.
Count Bellafiore, the third-in-command of the Noble Faction who had built his wealth on human trafficking and drug distribution, felt a particular sense of urgency.
He already had many enemies, and now, so many nobles had seen at least a fraction of the evidence of his crimes.
If Marquis Laxion and Count Klude were alive, they might have mediated, but with their leashes now gone and the truth revealed that they had all been plotting against each other, would the other nobles really stay quiet?
‘...A foolish question.’
He had no idea when Viscount Debranshu, Viscount Wizroa, and Baron Lichten, whom he had considered partners, would bare their fangs at him.
Deciding he needed to return to his territory as quickly as possible and take action, Count Bellafiore hurriedly climbed into his carriage.
“You’re late.”
“?! W-Who are you—”
Slash!
On the morning after the assassination of the First Prince and the Second Queen, a quarter of the nobles who had gathered at the Klude estate were found dead.
As the kingdom reeled from the successive tragedies, Count Hevaron, following Kang Hyun-woo’s advice, sent people to the families of the deceased nobles.
In this world, titles were fundamentally passed down to the eldest son.
But that didn't mean the second son held no ambition for the title.
If the eldest son were to die in an unfortunate accident, the second son would become the eldest.
With nobles dying one after another without leaving so much as a will, conflicts between the eldest and second sons began to erupt in each family.
Count Hevaron seized this opportunity, declaring his support for several promising second sons.
Although he was a mere figurehead of a chancellor, stripped of real power under the pressure of the Noble Faction, the name Count Hevaron still carried significant weight.
At the same time, he approached some of the remaining members of the Noble Faction.
No matter how nauseatingly vile their actions had been, now was the time to extend a hand.
The cornerstone of the Queen's Faction, centered around Elisabeth, had just been laid.
*
Francesca Versadion Nivia.
Upon hearing that a large number of nobles from the Noble Faction had been murdered, the current king of the Nivia Kingdom urgently invited Elisabeth to his palace.
Elisabeth gladly accepted the invitation and headed to the Opal Palace, the traditional residence of the kingdom's monarchs.
The king greeted her in the middle of a beautiful garden.
Two men stood by his side.
One was Marquis Keiren, the head of the court mages, and the other was Count Lugsel, the king's personal guard knight.
They were a 5th Circle Mage and a high-grade Aura Expert, respectively—powerful individuals, but no match for the two people standing beside Elisabeth.
Trickle—
Tia leisurely poured black tea into Elisabeth’s cup, while Kang Hyun-woo smiled and let his presence be known.
Thanks to him, the complexions of the two men gradually darkened.
Clink.
“The weather is lovely, Your Majesty.”
“...”
Unlike Elisabeth, who calmly sipped her tea, the king’s expression was stiff and rigid.
He looked like a frightened mutt, completely hunched over.
He moved his lips for a long while before finally managing to speak.
“...Why did you do it?”
It was a loaded question without a subject, but no one present failed to understand its meaning.
Elisabeth smiled faintly.
“This daughter of yours has received no proper education. I find it difficult to grasp my father’s intentions.”
During their childhood, royals were assigned learned nobles as private tutors.
But Elisabeth never had one.
To be precise, all she had were child abusers who beat her under absurd pretexts.
“...What is it you want?”
“Hand over the throne. You have grown too old and frail, Father, to bear the weight of that crown.”
“...Very well. But I have a condition.”
“State it.”
“You will guarantee my status and my safety.”
“Then I, too, have a condition. You will support me at an official ceremony.”
One of the things Elisabeth currently lacked was recognition from the common people.
Most of them didn't even know a princess existed.
Moreover, even if he was a foolish king who had lost the people's trust and favor to his debauchery, if the king publicly supported Elisabeth, it would not only nip any potential rebellion in the bud but also draw the uncommitted nobles of the King's Faction and the Neutral Faction into her own.
“...I agree.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
With those words, Elisabeth rose from her seat.
It was a breach of etiquette, but no one dared to point it out.
The following evening, Elisabeth’s coronation was held.
*
News of the sudden coronation threw nobles across the kingdom into a state of emergency.
Due to the slow development of magical communication devices in this world, many had not yet even heard of the assassination of the First Prince and the Second Queen.
The nobles who hastily gathered in the banquet hall were mostly concerned with the sudden deaths of the First Prince, the Second Queen, Marquis Laxion, and the other members of the Noble Faction.
The provincial nobles, who knew little of Elisabeth, assumed she had been hiding her fangs for a long time and had seized the opportunity to bite all her enemies to death at once.
It was an unintentional misunderstanding, but thanks to it, the provincial nobles’ perception of Elisabeth changed completely.
In that moment, she was no longer a scarecrow princess they could ignore, but a wise and ruthless monarch of rare caliber, possessing both brilliant strategy and a merciless hand.
As the nobles’ misconception deepened, Kang Hyun-woo stood in a corner of the banquet hall, slowly scanning his surroundings.
There were still several nobles from the King's Faction and the Neutral Faction that he had yet to deal with.
He watched intently the backs of the nobles who, oblivious to the fact that their days were numbered, were chatting with beautiful noblewomen.
One was an illegal slave hunter, another had evaded taxes for decades, and a third was a serial rapist of married women.
Not a single one of them was sane.
“Hyun-woo, would you like to try this?”
“What is it?”
“The chef explained that it’s beef braised in wine.”
“Hmm...”
While Kang Hyun-woo’s attention was elsewhere, Iris satisfied her own desires by feeding him a dish she had brought from somewhere.
‘Tastes like a slightly fancier galbi-jjim [braised short ribs].’
“Th-This is delicious too.”
Not to be outdone, Amelia pushed a piece of food toward his lips. It was a dish made of minced fish.
“Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”
Feeling like a baby bird, Kang Hyun-woo accepted the food.
Chew, chew.
‘...Eomuk [fish cake]?’
“Ah, Hyun-woo. I think the coronation is about to begin.”
Iris pointed a finger toward the main entrance.
Dressed in a magnificent ceremonial gown, Elisabeth was entering the hall, her deep pink hair fluttering behind her.
In an instant, the hall fell silent, and all eyes were fixed on her.
Elisabeth walked before the king and knelt respectfully.
With a solemn expression, the king sprinkled a few drops of holy water on her head and then placed the crown upon it.
“I, Francesca Versadion Nivia, do hereby declare that my daughter, Elisabeth Francesca Nivia, has ascended to the throne as the 14th monarch of the Nivia Kingdom!”
“Hoorah! Long live the Former King!”
“Long live Queen Elisabeth!”
“Infinite glory to the Nivia Kingdom!”
Amid the cheers of the nobles, Elisabeth rose with dignity and surveyed the assembly.
When her eyes met Kang Hyun-woo’s, she offered a small smile.
“Inheriting the will of the former king, I, Elisabeth Francesca Nivia, who has ascended to the throne of the Nivia Kingdom, declare this to you all!”
“From this moment on, I forbid any and all marriage proposals directed at me!”