Chapter 144
Chapter 144
Translation: godsn
The Emperor, as if he had anticipated Iason's inability to respond, patted his nephew's shoulder magnanimously.
"Now, don't worry. I do not discard my own blood. Did you truly think I would let my own nephew wander without a home?"
"......"
"I shall grant you Armandi in the north. Fortunately, the Northern Marquis has graciously agreed to this as well."
Perdiccas II wore the face of a warm, caring family member, expressing concern for his nephew's situation and bestowing generous favors.
But what he was truly offering was garbage.
Armandi was one of the largest territories in the Kazen Empire, covering nearly half of the northern region—yet it was also a wasteland.
Monster Waves frequently ravaged the area, making it impossible to function as a proper territory, let alone prosper.
'And the Northern Marquis is my uncle's lackey. This is nothing but a ploy to keep me under his watch!'
Iason's eyes flickered toward the Emperor for a brief moment.
In that instant, fury surged within him—toward his uncle, toward Perdiccas II.
That throne, this Imperial Palace—all of it was rightfully his.
And yet, after stealing everything from him, this uncle of his had the audacity not only to refuse any apology but to now seize even the few things Iason had managed to protect. The hatred burned.
"Why the silence? Do you still cling to the Castulo territory?"
But Perdiccas II was no pushover either.
His gaze, fixed on Iason, shimmered with madness—yet it was also sharp as a blade.
"Did you perhaps hide some treasure there?"
It was also the stern gaze of a ruler who had defended this throne for decades, wresting it from countless opponents—even from his own nephew.
'He's wary of me.'
Iason swallowed hard. He had read the Emperor's intentions.
Perdiccas II was using this opportunity to sever Iason's limbs—to uproot any remaining factions that might still support him from the shadows.
When Iason recognized that palpable killing intent, he bowed with the resolve of cutting off his own arm.
"No, that's... impossible, Uncle. I shall obey your command."
If I raise my head, I will be cut down. If I stand, I will die. Endure. Bear it. I cannot be exposed here.
"I deeply apologize once more for the disgrace I have brought upon Your Majesty and the prestige of Kazen."
Iason replied calmly and smoothly, as if nothing had happened.
No matter how desperately he wanted to scream in rage, at the very least, he still had enough presence of mind not to reveal his weakness in this moment.
The Emperor's eyes remained cold as he watched his nephew suppress his emotions and bow in apology.
'A cunning snake of a man.'
He, too, knew that Iason had been scheming something through Valdina.
"I shall take my leave now, Uncle. May you govern the empire in peace."
Biting his lip, Iason exited the study.
In the blink of an eye, he had lost his fertile territory and been handed a barren wasteland instead.
Thud. Thud. Concealing his trembling fists within his sleeves, Iason walked down the palace corridor.
"Your Grace, Grand Duke Castulo."
"Greetings to Your Grace, the Grand Duke."
Attendants bowed as Iason passed by. He nodded gently in return, his benevolent smile never wavering.
He walked past the corridor, past the windows.
And finally, when he was truly alone, the smile on his face vanished as if it had never existed.
CRASH!
Iason's fist shattered the mirror.
Blood seeped between the shattered glass fragments. Unfeeling of the pain, he lifted his head.
The young man reflected in the broken shards repeated with eyes burning in fury:
"I will rise again. I swear—I will not fall like this."
As if the gods themselves opposed him, everything he had was being forcibly pried from his grasp, finger by finger.
"Even if the gods block my path, I will not stop. Iason. Iason......"
He repeated his own name like a mantra.
"I am no mere Castulo. As the true master of Kazen, as the rightful ruler of this land, I will walk my own path."
It was an oath bordering on a Word Spirit.
Merely daring to voice it aloud steadied Iason's resolve, anchoring him against collapse.
There would come a day when he would sit upon the imperial throne and reminisce about these trials. He repeated this to himself incessantly.
Yet Iason failed to realize one truth—that what was being stolen from his grasp one by one might not be the work of gods at all.
For it never once crossed his dreams that someone could hate him enough to defy the divine.
The Emperor's study.
A cold silence lingered where Iason had stood. Only three remained in the chamber—the Emperor, the Chamberlain, and Kensington.
"Tch. Were it not for prying eyes, I would have had him killed to end my worries. That bastard's life clings so stubbornly—even death squads fail time and again."
Perdiccas II clicked his tongue while staring at the space Iason had vacated. His crimson tongue flickering in and out gave the impression of someone savoring a taste.
"At least those Valdina rats made one worthwhile demand."
The corners of his lips curled upward. When his pupils—larger than the whites of his eyes—shone pitch black, the madness within became unmistakable.
After all, this pretext allowed him to seize the Castulo territory he'd been eyeing from Iason.
Considering that, ceding the Elamuz Strait to Valdina wasn't such a bad bargain.
"Indeed. This conveniently buries all traces of our secret dealings with the Regent under Grand Duke Castulo's name. A clear gain, Your Majesty," the Chamberlain chimed in.
"Once the Castulo territories are reclaimed, fresh winds will blow through the imperial capital. The imperial authority will be strengthened as well."
It would serve as a subtle warning to the neutral and conservative factions who still remembered the Late Emperor.
As the Chamberlain spoke, Perdiccas II stared blankly at the map spread before him, lost in thought.
"Speaking of which... we should take this opportunity to reclaim Romagna and Alphanon too."
The Chamberlain froze momentarily.
Even Kensington, who had remained silent on the crimson carpet, doubted her ears.
"Your Majesty... do you mean the First Prince's territories?" the Chamberlain asked cautiously. As someone who'd spent a lifetime navigating imperial politics, this wasn't a question born of ignorance.
Romagna had been inherited by Cesare when the Late Empress's faction sought to protect him as a child. Alphanon had been earned through his victories in the Continental Wars.
Together, they formed the foundation of the First Prince's faction—where traditionalists who supported his lineage and reformists drawn to his personal prowess converged.
Even after Cesare received his terminal diagnosis, his faction stubbornly resisted the pressures closing in from all sides, maintaining their presence in the imperial court.
But if the Emperor now reclaimed both territories, the First Prince's faction would collapse.
Their fall would be as spectacularly ugly as Iason's.
"Exactly. Once Cesare dies, the hyenas fighting over his faction will turn the imperial capital into a bloodbath. Rather than letting them tear it apart beyond recognition, shouldn't I claim it whole and put it to proper use? Yes, precisely."
Perdiccas II, who couldn't possibly be ignorant of this, was coveting even his dying son's final breath.
Kensington, who had listened in silence until now, could no longer hold her tongue.
If the bedridden First Prince heard this news, he might cough up blood and perish on the spot.
"Your Majesty, given the First Prince's failing health, he likely won't endure long under such distress. Since Romagna and Alphanon will ultimately fall under Your Majesty's disposal after his passing, might we proceed more gradually—"
"That child has no hope left anyway. What difference does it make if I merely hasten the inevitable?"
"......"
Both the Chamberlain and Kensington were at a loss for words.
Just moments ago, even Iason's position had seemed preferable. At least he was the Emperor's political rival—not his own flesh and blood, nor someone who had ever brought the Emperor countless achievements.
But the First Prince Cesare...
"Do you truly believe this is for my personal gain? It is all for the Empire. If I remain strong, Kazen remains strong. If I fall, this nation crumbles with me."
"......"
"Cesare would understand. He knows I act only for the survival of this Empire!"
As if aware of how flimsy his justification sounded, the Emperor abandoned his rationalizations and suddenly roared.
"What belongs to my son rightfully belongs to me! What is so wrong about that? The First Prince's blood and flesh—all of it was given by me!"
For a moment, Kensington felt dizzy. She closed her eyes, struggling to steady her pounding heart.
Her sovereign had never seemed so unfamiliar.
It was as if she had glimpsed the true nature of the man she had sworn loyalty to—hidden behind a veil until now.
'He was ambitious, yes, but never this ruthless. Has the absolute power of the throne changed him so completely?'
"Your Majesty, the First Prince has long surpassed Grand Duke Castulo in the people's regard. With all eyes upon him, I beg you to demonstrate Your Majesty's magnanimity."
Yet still, she pleaded—for his sake.
"Kensington. When you defy me, is it for the Empire's sake—or the First Prince's?"
The Emperor's paranoid gaze fixed on her. A loaded question. Kensington startled and bowed deeply.
"Such a thing is unthinkable! My only master is Your Majesty, the Emperor—none other!"
The Emperor's fingers drummed impatiently against his sleeve. It seemed her words had already fallen on deaf ears.
"Tsk, tsk. Enough empty courtesies. Let us speak plainly, Kensington. During this trip to Valdina, you disappointed me time and again. Am I wrong?"
"......"
"Uncharacteristically sloppy work. How could you handle matters so carelessly?"
"I have no excuse, Your Majesty. I will accept any punishment you deem fit."
Kensington answered humbly.
"I ordered you to pull the pillars out from under Valdina until it collapsed. Instead, you gave them wings on their backs."
The Emperor reprimanded her sternly.
His displeasure was evident as he glared at Kensington, who remained upright, her head unbowed.
Even though he knew—both in this matter and during the Princess's duel—that Kensington had done nothing wrong.
"Not only that, you defied my imperial decree and remained in Valdina's Royal Castle. Have you found another master to serve? You stayed inside the castle even while Valdina suppressed the rebellion, did you not?"
Under the Emperor's relentless suspicion, Kensington quickly rose and prostrated herself. A cold teacup toppled onto the table.
In truth, she had sensed the shift in her standing the moment she entered the Emperor's study.
'He always met with me alone.'
Whether it was Iason or the attendants, he never allowed anyone else to be present.
The Emperor had already begun doubting her.
"Never! How could I serve two masters when my loyalty belongs only to Your Majesty?"
"Such a disappointment."
"I have been neglectful. Forgive me, Your Majesty. Please believe in my devotion. From beginning to end, I have never—"
Kensington's words cut off abruptly.
Drops of crimson blood splattered before her.
She looked up—disbelieving.
Her eyes met the merciless gaze of the Emperor staring down at her.
"Y-Your Majesty..."