Chapter 234
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 234
The Brillant Imperial Family was swept up in the busy preparations for the coming-of-age ceremonies of the young lords and ladies.
Specifically, Empress Carmi, who oversaw the Inner Court, had become incredibly occupied.
This was because, with spring approaching, a grand coming-of-age banquet for the noble ladies and lords reaching adulthood this year was to be held in the Imperial Palace’s Grand Banquet Hall.
Among the noble ladies coming of age this year was Grand Princess Tulia Frezier, the apple of Grand Duke Frezier’s eye. Consequently, Emperor Alexander had personally ordered the opening of the Imperial Grand Banquet Hall for the occasion.
It went without saying that the other noble ladies and lords reaching adulthood in the same season of the same year were absolutely thrilled by the news.
Empress Carmi, however, was in a foul mood after being saddled with this unexpected workload. Of course, she could never let it show on the surface.
“Your Majesty. Have you heard the news? I heard Lady Tulia Frezier received a truly magnificent gift this time.”
“Are you talking about that carriage?”
“Oh, I saw it too! For a moment, I honestly thought the sun itself was rolling toward us.”
“Do you think His Grace the Grand Duke gifted it to her?”
“No. From what I’ve heard, it came from Jewelry Street, and Crown Prince Benjamin…”
“I didn’t even know Jewelry Street belonged to Crown Prince Benjamin until now.”
“It’s caused quite a stir. Then again, Sorsen has always been a wealthy kingdom. They say every beautiful trend begins in Sorsen.”
“Sorsen certainly leads the way in delicate fashions. But when it comes to grandeur, surely nothing can compare to our Brillant Empire.”
“That is true. After all, it is our Brillant Empire that holds hegemony over the continent.”
“But that carriage was truly beautiful. I wonder if such a carriage even exists anywhere else on the continent…”
The noblewomen in the Empress’s inner circle chattered about how extravagant Tulia Frezier’s gift was and how it had utterly captivated everyone who saw it.
They had intended to bring it up casually, but those who had seen the carriage in person were so genuinely shocked that their voices grew louder and more animated the more they spoke.
Their reactions were much like those of an audience excited after viewing a masterpiece of the century.
“Such a beautiful carriage… I would like to see it for myself as well.”
Empress Carmi wore her usual warm smile, but her insides were churning. Her mood was twisted beyond description.
In truth, she hated extravagant carriages. No, it went beyond hate—she loathed them.
Because she was an Empress Consort and not the original Empress, Brillant Imperial Law dictated that she had to ride in a carriage one rank lower than that of the late Empress Olivia.
It was the same principle where, no matter how brilliant an Imperial Prince was, he could never ride in a carriage of the same rank as the Crown Prince.
Of course, if the Emperor’s favor was great enough, it was a regulation that could be quietly ignored. However, Emperor Alexander never allowed Carmi to surpass the late Empress Olivia in certain matters.
The carriage was one of them.
A subtle tension tightened in Empress Carmi’s hand as she gently fluttered her feather fan.
* * *
‘If the Temple is gathering children, they’re obviously planning to use them as sacrifices again.’
I lay back against the velvet seats of my cloud-like carriage and stared at the ceiling.
Thanks to the information Benjamin provided about the Temple being the mastermind, things had become much easier.
‘Ramus said he found the place where the heretics and the Temple are making contact…’
Ramus Jeremiah had reported finding the secret meeting point between the Temple and the heretics in less than two days. I expected as much, but…
‘How do you manage to kidnap a heretic on your first try and make them spill everything?’
That’s Ramus Jeremiah for you. My strategist. My slave. My subordinate. My information broker.
He truly lived up to his reputation as a master of information and espionage, just as he was in The Milk Bread.
“My Lady. They are indeed from the Summer Continent. And every single one of them was wearing a wooden crown that looked like this… Upon investigation, I discovered it was from that specific tree.”
“What tree?”
“The World Tree of the Southern Star—the one your mother, the late Marchioness, was summoned to as a Guardian. You told me to keep it in mind last time, remember?”
“…!”
The persistent bastard…
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I reached into my dress to pull out the piece of paper I had hidden, but Ramus Jeremiah stopped me and spoke first.
“I’ve already memorized it, so I shall recite it for you. Its original name is ‘Beta Crucis,’ and it is the Divine Tree of the Southern Star, often shortened to ‘Becrux.’”
“…”
“Since it withered away after losing its Guardian, it is unofficially referred to as ‘Mimosa.’ That wolf prince who follows you around told me that in the Ancient Language, it carries the derogatory meaning of ‘to imitate’ or ‘to mimic.’”
“Good heavens. How did you memorize all that? Even if I told you to keep it in mind…”
I still haven’t memorized it, so I carry it around on a small scrap of paper in my pocket.
Is this… loyalty? Or something?
“Is that not something one usually memorizes after seeing or hearing it once?”
“My mood as an employer has suddenly turned very sour. I’m cutting your salary by 900%.”
“Pardon? My Lady? No, but Lady Tulia. I am occasionally puzzled. You are so well-versed in the Ancient Language that even the White Tower Chancellor recognized you as one of his few disciples, yet sometimes you can’t even remember something as short as this…”
“Do you want me to just have you executed?”
“Pardon? Lady Tulia?”
I only have a buff for the Ancient Language because I played The Milk Bread!
Though, at this point, I don’t even know if The Milk Bread was just a game or what this world even is!
‘Well, that’s something I’ll find out once I hunt down Corico.’
I couldn’t understand why the heretics were going around with Becrux—the Divine Tree of the Southern Star that my mother guarded—strapped to their heads.
‘If it’s a Divine Tree, it’s supposed to be a tree imbued with divine power… but for it to be snapped into so many pieces like that… Well, I suppose that’s natural since it has no Guardian.’
Still, it felt a bit bitter. I shifted my gaze slightly to look at Jjapddongbyeol.
“Hey. Ddong-byul. Are you actually a lackey of Becrux?”
Of course, there was no answer or reaction from Kim Ddong-byul.
“It makes sense if you think about it. My mom was the Guardian of the Divine Tree of the Star, and you’re my Guardian Star… or not?”
I clicked my tongue and shook my head.
“There’s no way a thing like that is a Guardian Star… Sorry, Ddong-byul. For a moment, I overestimated you…”
Kim Ddong-byul had grown quite a bit and now possessed a fairly decent appearance.
Compared to its initial form—which was tiny (and made me want to kill it), cute (in a trashy way), and made me want to punch it (and erase its existence)—its visuals had improved by leaps and bounds.
It was then that the smoothly rolling carriage began to slow down.
I hadn't known exactly how much Benjamin had poured into this carriage, but thanks to Ramus Jeremiah, I now had a rough idea of the price.
“Rumor has it that he spent 500 billion gold on it.”
“What? How much?”
“It is the most expensive carriage in the history of the continent. Please ride it for a thousand years and pass it down to your descendants.”
“To think it’s that expensive… Ah, when I die, I’ll have to ask them to break the carriage and bury it with me…”
“…”
Anyway, as expected of a carriage with such a staggering cost, the interior was almost completely silent.
Because of that, I was a bit late in realizing that the carriage had come to a complete halt.
‘What is it?’
When I opened the carriage window, I was surprised to see knights and soldiers surrounding my carriage.
“What’s going on?”
“Lady Tulia!”
The coachman and footman looked back at me in a panic. The knights and soldiers were the same.
“What is the meaning of this? I am Grand Princess Tulia Frezier. I am on my way back to the Grand Ducal Palace. Is there a problem?”
“Grand Princess Tulia.”
The knight at the front gave a salute and spoke.
“Orders have been handed down from above to tighten security in District 1 of the Imperial Capital. My apologies, but we must inspect the carriage.”
“An inspection?”
I was utterly baffled.
District 1 of the Imperial Capital referred to the high-ranking noble residential area surrounding the Imperial Palace.
Only high-ranking nobles of the rank of Marquis or higher could own estates here, and the land was the most expensive in the entire Empire.
Naturally, the Frezier Grand Ducal Palace was located there as well.
“Fine. Inspect it. There’s no one else in the carriage but me anyway. But why the sudden order to tighten security?”
“It is because of the frequent disappearances of children in the residential areas lately.”
“Hmm…”
I suppose there are no eternal secrets.
The Temple had tried its best to hide it, but they couldn't keep the continuous disappearances of children a secret forever.
‘In other words, they’re so desperate for sacrifices that they’re acting this recklessly.’
I don’t know exactly what they’re plotting, but it means both sides are reaching the endgame.
The knight led the soldiers closer to my carriage. More than half of them were staring blankly at the vehicle, unable to take their eyes off it.
Then.
“Hey. No, Sir Knight!”
I was so shocked I almost jumped out of the carriage.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The knight, who had drawn a massive, blunt greatsword, opened his mouth.
“Due to orders to conduct the most thorough inspection possible, we must rip open the interior of the seats.”
“So you’re saying you’re going to destroy my carriage with that sword?”
“It is an order from above. My apologies.”
“Sir. Do you have any idea how much this carriage costs? No, wait a moment.”
I looked straight down at the stiff-faced knight and asked.
“Are you saying you’re going to tear it apart on the premise that the Security Guard will compensate me if this carriage is damaged?”
“I am sorry, Grand Princess. According to national law, there is no obligation for compensation for this inspection.”
“So you’re saying you’re just going to destroy my precious and expensive carriage on a whim?”
“The orders from above…”
“Is my identity unclear? Coachman!”
“Yes, Lady Tulia!”
The coachman hurriedly showed the Frezier family status plate. Normally, showing the family crest meant there would be no special inspection.
“My apologies, but since these are not normal times, we must proceed with the inspection of the carriage interior.”
“Is this a state of war? Or has Frezier been branded a family of traitors while I wasn't looking?”
At those words, the knight’s rigid expression flickered slightly.