Chapter 21: Entering the Capital (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 21: Entering the Capital (1)
"…Ahem, you shouldn't say things like that so carelessly."
"Ooh, why?"
"That is…"
The Crown Prince struggled mightily to suppress the corners of his mouth, which kept twitching upward.
No doubt he was imagining himself married to Veronica. I, too, carefully composed my expression to hide the smirk threatening to break through.
I had to look innocent. I had to look like a five-year-old who knew nothing.
Repeating that mantra to myself, I managed to beam brightly at him.
"Berry is… married to Marquis Lionel…"
"…"
However, the Crown Prince’s expression as he said those words was grim. If it had been Cedric sitting in front of him instead of me, he looked ready to snap the man's neck then and there.
I watched the Crown Prince’s jawline, where the tendons bulged from clenching his teeth so hard he couldn't even finish his sentence.
"But Daddy always hated Mommy."
"…He hated her?"
"Uh-huh. Daddy hated Dia, too. Last time…"
"…."
Now was my chance. I proceeded to expose all of Cedric’s atrocities right in front of the Crown Prince.
Since Claudia’s memories were faint, I couldn't speak much of the distant past, so I focused on the time Cedric had come to find me and pick a fight right after I possessed this body.
"He suddenly came into Dia’s room, grabbed Dia’s shoulders weally hard, and got angry."
"Cedric did?"
"Yes. Mommy got weally mad because of that."
"…."
The Crown Prince’s face changed by the second. When I mentioned him grabbing my shoulders and Veronica getting angry on my behalf, his entire body trembled, barely maintaining the forced smile on his lips.
I worked hard to act even more distressed to fuel the Crown Prince’s rage. I tried my best to recall the fear I felt then, making my shoulders quiver pitifully.
"Is that really true?"
"Yes. Daddy is so scary."
"Sigh…"
The Crown Prince let out a long breath as if suppressing his fury. However, fearing he might frighten me, he consciously forced a smile again.
"Thank you for telling me, Dia."
"Yes!"
I, who had been trembling, gave a bright smile as if reassured by the Crown Prince’s kind words.
I acted as if I had no ulterior motives, as if I had no intention of manipulating the people around me. Then, I began to wolf down the desserts in front of me.
"Dia, were you a good girl?"
"Yup!"
A moment later, Veronica returned and asked in a gentle tone.
I grinned widely and gave the approaching Veronica a tight squeeze. She smelled wonderful.
"Thank you for looking after Dia, Brother."
"No, I enjoyed myself. She’s a quiet and well-behaved child."
"Is that so?"
Veronica couldn't hide her delight and let out a soft laugh. She reached out and stroked my hair.
"Well then, I should be going."
"…Yes."
"…."
Veronica looked regretful as she watched the Crown Prince rise from his seat. I peered up at her from the side.
Choosing the Crown Prince as my new dad was my own unilateral decision. It would all be for naught if Veronica didn't want him.
"Will we… be able to meet again?"
Ever since I possessed this body, Veronica had been like a withered flower.
A beautiful person who could bloom more brilliantly than anyone else had been drying up day by day—all because she met the wrong man.
But the Veronica I saw now was different. Like a plant covered in dawn dew, like a flower bud blooming under the bright sunlight, she was radiant and dazzling.
Seeing her like that, a satisfied smile played on my lips. This added certainty to my plan.
"Of course. Next time, we shall see each other in the Capital."
"In the Capital?"
"Yes. It is time… for me to reclaim my rightful place."
"…!"
The Crown Prince spoke with a determined tone. Veronica’s eyes widened.
His rightful place. He must be referring to the Imperial Throne.
Originally, after the previous Emperor and Empress died in an accident, it was only right for Dantalion, the Crown Prince, to ascend. However, the Empress Dowager and her faction blocked his enthronement on the grounds that he was too young, and shockingly, this continued even after Dantalion reached adulthood.
A vacant throne. And a Crown Prince who had reached adulthood without being crowned.
It was an absurd situation, yet it was exactly what was happening.
"I truly hope you reclaim your rightful place."
Veronica bit her lip and bowed her head. A look of sorrow crossed her face.
She likely felt guilty for marrying Cedric, a member of the Empress Dowager’s faction, and living her life ignoring the Crown Prince. But as expected, the Crown Prince showed his maturity and wore a bright smile.
"Thank you. We shall meet again soon."
"Yes, Brother."
"I'll see you again too, Dia."
"Yes!"
Still held in Veronica’s arms, I waved at the receding figure of the Crown Prince.
Work hard and get on that throne quickly.
That way, you can help Veronica divorce that bastard Cedric and win her over.
'Whew, there's still a long way to go.'
Still, I had dropped plenty of bait today, so if the Crown Prince had any sense, he would move quickly.
I nodded to myself, lost in thought.
*
[Master! The Duke's Sword Master is saying something suspicious.]
"What?"
I, who was eating a macaron for dessert, flinched and looked at Desmond.
"Suspicious? Like what?"
[The Duke's Sword Master and his sons are gathered together, having a serious-looking conversation.]
"Ho-oh."
Intrigued by Desmond’s words, I set down the macaron I was eating.
"That was fast."
After the Crown Prince left, I had been constantly waiting for news of him.
Not long ago, I heard he had achieved a great victory on the Western Front. In the original story, that battle should have been approached more cautiously, but it seemed he had achieved a landslide victory using unusual strategies and tactics.
That was likely because the Crown Prince was anxious after what I had said. He must have realized that to win Veronica, he needed to reclaim the throne as soon as possible.
While I was feeling satisfied that things were moving much faster than in the original story, the Duke had called his direct descendants for a meeting.
It was a good thing I had Desmond monitoring the Duke’s office at all times. I almost missed something important.
"Let me hear what they're talking about too."
[Understood. Wait a moment.]
Now accustomed to the task, Desmond immediately relayed the conversation between the Duke and his sons to my ears. Soon, their voices came through vividly.
*
"I hear His Highness the Crown Prince’s army will soon enter the Capital."
"Mm."
The Duke nodded at Vincent’s words. A serious air hung about his face.
"Since he has achieved victory after victory and unified the West, the Imperial Family must treat him as a hero, as is his due."
"But will the Empress Dowager just sit idly by?"
"…."
Brandon’s question cast a heavy silence over the office.
Empress Dowager Gabriella Lorraine Sylvester.
Though born into a humble Viscount family, her life changed the moment she was appointed as a Saintess by the Temple.
She entered the Imperial Palace as an Imperial Consort through a political marriage with the Emperor before the last. As soon as the previous Empress died suddenly of an unknown illness, she immediately snatched the position of Empress.
From then on, her family’s status skyrocketed from Viscount to Count, and the Temple’s influence grew even further.
Since she bore no children with the Emperor before the last, she raised the previous Emperor—who was not her biological son—as her own. Thanks to that, she was praised by the citizens for her background as a Saintess and enjoyed the best reputation among the Imperial Family.
However, few knew that the Empress Dowager possessed a terrifying lust for power and wealth. And the Duke and his sons knew that fact better than anyone.
"The Empress Dowager likely hoped His Highness would die on the battlefield. Until a few years ago, she frequently sent assassins after him."
Vincent spoke with a click of his tongue.
As a long-time friend of the Crown Prince, Vincent had always been concerned about him, even while staying in the North, after he was exiled to the Western Front.
The Crown Prince wasn't simply returning from the battlefield. He had survived. And he had done so while facing threats to his life from places other than the enemy lines.
"But can the Empress Dowager easily touch His Highness now?"
"Who knows? She is a woman exceptionally skilled in machinations and schemes."
The previous Empress, who had died a mysterious death as soon as Gabriella entered the palace as a Consort—her death was still shrouded in mystery.
Though no one dared to speak of it openly anymore, those in the know all suspected it. They knew it was the Empress Dowager’s doing.
"If His Highness were to meet with a disaster before his coronation after returning…"
Brandon muttered in a grave tone.
When the Empress before the last passed away suddenly, the previous Emperor, who was the Crown Prince at the time, remained.
When the previous Emperor and Empress, who had safely ascended the throne, lost their lives in an accident, the current Crown Prince was there.
But if he were to die?
There would be no members of the Imperial Family left. A chilling cold instantly filled the office.
"…When His Highness enters the Capital, we must be with him."
It was then that Duke Winston, who had remained silent the entire time, finally spoke.
His red eyes flashed. It was time for the North, which had been coiled up and waiting, to finally stretch its limbs.