Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Popularity
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Crack.
A centipede squished beneath Liza's foot.
The green bodily fluid splattering everywhere was utterly revolting.
"Lately, even the imperial palace gardens have bugs—"
She grumbled as she took another step.
Bugs could be anywhere, of course, but her strong reaction was probably because an irritating sensation had been pricking at her nerves for a while now.
Ever since that "demon attack" at the banquet hall just yesterday.
⋯⋯Something felt off.
A sense that something bad was about to happen.
And as always, such feelings inevitably proved correct.
The moment she spotted a familiar face in the corridor, Liza stopped in her tracks.
"⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯."
Felix—the Gray Cardinal—stared at her without a word.
Liza stared back at Felix, still wearing her smile, equally silent.
Well.
It was hard to call their relationship a good one, no matter how you put it.
⋯⋯After all, Liza herself had personally wiped out "her" family.
Liza spoke first.
"Long time no see, Sister Felix! Here for the fever ceremony?"
Felix nodded without any particular reaction to her words.
She calmly took a pipe from her bosom and placed it in her mouth.
A voice laced with venom emerged along with the tobacco smoke.
"You look like you're living the good life."
"Nothing to complain about, right?"
"True. At your level now, manufacturing orphans, widows, and widowers probably doesn't even faze you."
"Hmm—doesn't Sister do that sort of thing all the time too?"
If anything, she seemed far better at it than Liza.
At Liza's snide remark, Felix nodded calmly.
"It'd be nice if I got a chance to show you soon."
"Whoa, scary—"
"Black Lion Margrave."
Felix said, rubbing her eyes.
"This isn't really corridor talk, but I don't particularly want to spend much longer facing you anyway, so I'll just pass it on."
Her movements made her look like nothing more than someone exhausted from fatigue, but the words coming out of her mouth were anything but ordinary.
"Are you lot planning to blow the entire capital sky-high?"
"⋯⋯."
Liza tilted her head, still smiling.
But the atmosphere in that gesture unmistakably showed she was taking the situation more seriously now than before.
The feeling that the other party knew information she shouldn't.
"What're you talking about?"
"I've heard that war materials are being brought into the capital. All courtesy of the Emperor and you."
"⋯⋯You have good ears, Sister. You've always been like that, I think."
"I've made some new friends lately through an acquaintance. Worked them pretty hard."
The intelligence network called the "Pale Moon" that Carlyle had eagerly handed over to Felix.
They'd done even better than expected.
Delivering detailed intel on what they were doing behind the scenes.
"Go tell the Emperor."
Felix said, puffing out smoke.
"Whatever you're scheming, the Orthodox Church and the Round Table are ready to smash any half-baked tricks head-on."
⋯⋯That was a pretty bold statement to make right in the middle of the imperial palace.
But then.
The power backing Felix was no small thing to begin with.
And second, testimonies were popping up everywhere that the Emperor's condition was "off."
He wasn't at his peak. Not like before.
⋯⋯There was something sinister about him.
Everyone was saying as much.
But.
"Got it!"
"⋯⋯."
She could respond so nonchalantly because.
The Emperor's dignity still encompassed the entire empire.
The 1st Prince and 2nd Princess's abilities were already renowned across the empire, but even talk of them inheriting the throne only arose after evaluations that the Emperor's state wasn't normal.
And the woman standing before her now was practically his proxy.
⋯⋯Every time they crossed paths, what an unlucky bitch.
Felix mulled over that thought as she tried to pass by, then stopped as if suddenly remembering something.
"Oh, and one more thing."
"⋯⋯? What is it, Sister?"
"You've got your eye on someone lately, right?"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯Huh?"
Who was she talking about?
Liza racked her brain, running through candidates.
There weren't really any candidates, though. Just the one.
"Carlyle oppa?"
"Don't call him oppa. It's annoying."
Felix spat out.
"I've already marked him."
"⋯⋯."
"Don't touch him. You'll die."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
Liza blankly watched Felix stride past.
Just now.
Had the Gray Cardinal personally warned her off because she had her own interest in a man?
⋯⋯That weirdo who'd even cast herself aside to stick by "that" Hero?
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
After spacing out for a moment, Liza let out a hollow laugh.
"⋯⋯Just what level of people has that oppa sprinkled his charms on?"
It was a moment of pure, genuine curiosity.
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Splitting the Hydra in one strike was a good thing.
It probably would have been even better if her whole body hadn't half-melted.
'Ughhh⋯⋯'
Such a groan naturally welled up inside her.
As always, using the Hero's power came with considerable aftereffects.
Especially when exposed to a poison that melted everything it touched, recovery took far longer—it was only natural.
Thank goodness it was the imperial palace. It had every treatment facility imaginable.
For subjugating the demon, she received luxurious care in the poison ward.
Carlyle—almost gooey in consistency, not figuratively but literally to some extent—pushed himself upright.
He should rest more, but an important guest meant he had no choice.
"Young Carlyle, how's your body holding up?"
Lionel said with a gentle smile.
Fortunately, he seemed fine, no aftereffects.
She'd worried when he got poisoned by the Hydra.
"⋯⋯I'm okay, but what's the situation outside right now?"
"It's chaos."
⋯⋯Yeah, figured.
A demon appearing right in the heart of the imperial palace—an unprecedented event.
The whole palace was probably on high alert. Officials getting reprimanded left and right.
"⋯⋯His Majesty still plans to proceed with the event, though."
Even for a fever ceremony, obsessing over the proceedings to this degree felt off.
In that sense.
"Honestly, it's not exactly a normal situation."
Rumors had been swirling that the Emperor's condition wasn't great, and this incident was making it flare up more.
Lionel brushed his face, full of worry.
"It's been a while since I last saw him⋯⋯but I'm concerned his illness has progressed quite a bit. If even his judgment is clouded, that's a big problem."
"⋯⋯."
Not exactly welcome news for Carlyle either.
The Emperor of the Empire.
He'd never met the man, only heard rumors and reputations.
But he knew the man's prime was transcendent. Rivaling Dean Shea, the Hero before Gray.
If he were in his right mind, he'd have been a huge ally against the demon.
"Actually, that's one thing, but the real uproar is about you, young Carlyle."
"⋯⋯Pardon?"
When he asked what she meant, Lionel plopped a stack of papers by his bedside.
Glancing over, they were all letters from nobles.
"All of them from nobles who want to meet you at least once."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Damn it all.
Because he'd shone during the fever ceremony, where all eyes were on him.
"Well, nobles are all bloodthirsty for expanding their influence. You'll face plenty of temptations ahead—gold, jewels, power, fame, you name it."
Lionel sighed.
"⋯⋯Honestly, not all of them are that interested."
Consumable goods like that didn't matter to him.
Pointless if demons invaded and flipped the world anyway.
"True. From what I've seen, you're not particularly interested in such things. What worries me is something else."
"Something else?"
"Plenty want to outright take you into their families."
"⋯⋯Pardon?"
"Marriage proposals. Offering their daughters."
"⋯⋯."
Uh.
⋯⋯Hmm.
The conversation was moving too fast to follow.
Strangers whose faces he'd never even seen, trying to marry their daughters to him?
"Don't underestimate noble society. It's full of people who'd do far worse to get close to the center of power."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯I-is that so?"
"And well⋯⋯it's not like you're unpopular with their daughters."
"⋯⋯."
"Young, capable, and you just made a name for yourself subjugating a demon right in front of the imperial family."
"But they don't even know my personality or character⋯⋯?"
"You stuck by Gray's side that long, didn't you?"
"⋯⋯."
"That's proof enough of your character."
"⋯⋯."
[⋯⋯.]
Carlyle fell silent.
The holy sword did too.
Carlyle Bellfast.
⋯⋯Suddenly a Casanova among the empire's ladies.
[⋯⋯Must be nice.]
'⋯⋯Nice my ass.'
[⋯⋯⋯⋯You could just say you like it.]
No idea why she was sulking too.
As Carlyle nursed his headache, Lionel, who'd been cautiously gauging his reaction, spoke up.
"Young Carlyle. On that note, there's something I'd like to ask."
"⋯⋯Yes? What about?"
No clue why she was being so careful.
Not like a father figure had many taboo topics with his daughter's attendant—
"What do you think of Gray?"
"⋯⋯."
Correction.
Warranted the caution.
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