Chapter 251: Luckily, I Rooted the Cabbage Fast
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 251: Luckily, I Rooted the Cabbage Fast
“Someone... wants to kill me?”
Amidst the howling cold wind, Muen’s heart suddenly constricted. That blurred voice felt like an omen of an approaching disaster, casting a dim shadow over his soul.
But when he turned around, he saw that Lawrence had already walked far away. It was as if the words he had just heard were merely an illusion.
“Was he... specifically here to warn me, or is it...”
Muen narrowed his eyes. Considering Lawrence’s identity, a multitude of conjectures immediately flooded his mind.
Unfortunately, conjectures were just that. With the current lack of information, it was difficult to analyze anything based solely on a single sentence claiming someone wanted him dead.
However, based on recent developments, Muen could vaguely grasp the general trajectory of events.
Watching Lawrence’s receding figure, the corner of Muen’s mouth quirked up into a faint smirk.
“Heh, are some people finally unable to sit still?”
*
“I am Muen Campbell.”
After rounding a corner, Muen came face-to-face with two Imperial Guards. They were tall as giants, their halberds crossed to block the massive doors. Muen spoke softly:
“Please, inform His Majesty of my arrival.”
“...”
After a brief silence, a cold gaze finally fell upon Muen through the slits of a helmet. A low, resonant voice, sounding like the boom of a war drum, echoed from within the metal can:
“Please wait. His Majesty is currently seeing a guest.”
“Very well.”
Without asking why he needed to wait, Muen stood before the doors and waited patiently.
About half an hour later, the doors slowly creaked open, and a figure emerged.
It was a refined-looking middle-aged man wearing a somewhat ill-fitting gentleman’s suit. He didn't look particularly old, yet his temples were streaked with gray.
Seeing Muen, he didn't seem surprised by his presence. He nodded with a smile. “Young Master Campbell, please go in. His Majesty is expecting you.”
This man...
He looks a bit familiar.
Muen gave the man a deep look, feeling as though he had some faint trace of him in his memory.
However, he didn't dwell on it; now was not the time for such distractions.
He returned the nod with a slight bow and stepped into the room.
His vision blurred for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the brighter light of the room. Then, he saw the majestic man wearing a crown, seated upon a massive chair directly ahead.
The supreme ruler of the Leopold Empire, Emperor Audrich III.
“Your Majesty.”
Muen quickly and respectfully pressed a hand to his chest and bowed.
“The eldest son of the Campbell family, Muen Campbell, has come as summoned.”
Silence.
Audrich seemed to be asleep, offering no reply.
Muen didn't dare to look up casually. He simply counted his own heartbeats, waiting in silence.
The air felt stagnant, as if frozen in time. Muen could hear nothing but his own slightly heavy breathing.
“So you’ve come, Campbell boy.”
Finally, Muen heard the noble Emperor speak. His voice wasn't deep, yet it carried an undeniable weight of authority that made defiance seem impossible.
“Look up.”
“Yes.”
Muen raised his head, though he didn't dare to stare rudely. He kept his gaze straight, observing only through his peripheral vision.
It was then he realized the Emperor was taller than he had imagined. Sitting there with his head resting on his hand, he looked drowsy, yet the pressure he exerted was like a mountain, making it hard to breathe.
It was difficult to imagine that he could have a daughter as petite as Celicia.
Don't tell me this Emperor likes lolis too...
The original novel had very little description of this Emperor, so Muen could only engage in this sort of wild, nonsensical speculation.
But despite his thoughts, Muen showed nothing on his face. He continued to hold his breath, waiting for the Emperor’s next words.
“Come closer.”
The drowsy Audrich suddenly reached out a hand toward Muen.
Muen blinked, then obediently walked over.
Audrich raised his hand and patted Muen on the shoulder.
“The last time I saw you, you weren't even half this tall. It’s been a few years, and you’ve grown so much. Once your features filled out, you really started to look like that old fellow Lorne. I expect you could charm quite a few young ladies based on looks alone.”
“Your Majesty remains as wise and martial as ever,” Muen took the opportunity to flatter him.
“Heh, your tongue wasn't nearly this silver the last time.”
Audrich III’s gaze, deep as a bottomless canyon, swept over Muen as if trying to see right through him. It wasn't until Muen’s scalp began to tingle that the Emperor slowly withdrew his gaze and returned to his drowsy state.
Just as Muen was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the Emperor suddenly asked, “How was the chocolate?”
“Cough... cough, what?”
Muen nearly choked on his own breath.
“That chocolate... was it really Your Majesty’s doing?”
“Not mine,” Audrich III said. “But I acquiesced to it. Nothing leaves my palace without my knowledge.”
“Acquiesced?”
Muen was dumbfounded.
Was there really a father who would set up his own daughter like this?
“Too many things have happened recently. Some people cannot accept the current state of affairs, so they’ve started coming up with crooked ideas.”
Audrich gave a cold smile. The icy arrogance at the corner of his mouth bore a striking resemblance to Celicia when she was annoyed.
“Therefore, I simply pushed the boat along with the current to make them give up hope entirely.”
“So... did Your Majesty achieve your goal?”
“...”
Audrich III looked at Muen with a half-smile.
“Though I don't know the details, I imagine you must have seen her in a state of disgrace—the moment her only weakness was exposed.”
“Uh...”
Muen gave an awkward smile.
“Celicia was still extremely beautiful at that time.”
“Heh. Given Celicia’s temperament, the fact that you saw her in such a shameful state and are still standing alive before me... isn't that the best possible outcome?”
“...”
Damn.
So you didn't just screw over your daughter, you screwed me over too!
Muen’s lip twitched violently, a surge of annoyance rising in his heart.
But soon, that annoyance turned into a small sense of smugness.
Fortunately, while the ending had been humiliating, the process had at least been pleasant.
Even though he’d been played, he hadn't actually lost out on this deal.
However, Muen finally saw the hidden undercurrents behind this "accident."
It was actually quite simple.
Once the news broke that he and Celicia were to have an engagement ceremony in a few months, those who didn't want to see an alliance between the Campbell family and the Imperial family naturally took action.
This engagement had been personally decreed by His Majesty, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to change.
However, there was one person whose will was enough to shake this engagement.
Celicia herself.
Because she was the most famous princess in the country, the "Pure White Witch" whom countless people admired and looked up to, she represented an immense force of public opinion.
Furthermore, she was no mere figurehead. Her terrifying talent and the qualities she displayed in all areas had led many to predict that she would become the Empire’s youngest Coronation-level expert.
No one could ignore the will of such a person, who combined both strength and status—not even the Emperor.
Thus, just like the plot of the original book, when the original host had attempted that act and been discovered by Ariel, the momentum fueled by those behind the scenes had instantly turned into a tidal wave that even the mighty Campbell family couldn't stop.
The original host’s tragic end was largely due to those hiding in the shadows.
This time was the same. Their idea was very simple: make Celicia loathe Muen Campbell and have her explicitly express her resistance to the engagement.
Ideally, they wanted her to take the initiative to kill Muen Campbell herself.
If that happened, forget an alliance—it wasn't impossible that the Campbells and the Royal Family would become bitter enemies.
To this end, they had acted with such urgency, seizing the moment while everyone’s attention was still lingering on the previous major incident to ensure everything went smoothly.
And so, under Audrich’s cold observation, that box of special chocolates had been delivered to Celicia and Muen at exactly the right time.
But there are always surprises in life.
Those calculating bastards probably couldn't have imagined in their wildest dreams...
That through a series of coincidences, a certain pig’s speed in rooting up the cabbage would be so fast.
Though he hadn't quite reached the point of uprooting the entire cabbage yet, the long-frozen permafrost had finally begun to thaw, hadn't it?