Chapter 560: The Ridiculous Curtain-Caller
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 560: The Ridiculous Curtain-Caller
"Wh... why...?"
Hideous claws pierced through flesh; a vivid crimson stained his vision.
An unexpected backstab had brought Andrew a level of agony and terror he had never experienced before.
Just half a minute ago, he had been the most triumphant man in the world. He was on the verge of eliminating his only rival and ascending to the most honorable seat in the nation... yet in a mere heartbeat, he had plummeted from the heights to the bottom of the abyss. Everything he owned was vanishing along with the life force steadily seeping out of his body.
"Just... why?"
Andrew looked at Robin with a mixture of pain and fury, demanding an answer with great difficulty.
"You... why did you betray me? And... what did you mean by those words just now? Why did you call him... the Lord Speaker?"
"Oh dear, I almost forgot about you."
The man and the bird, who had been conversing, turned their heads. Robin tilted her head contemptuously, offering no answer. Instead, she turned to Albert and asked, "How should we handle him? Just kill him outright?"
"No rush. We have to play the part to the end," Albert said, glancing toward the end of the road with a smile. "By my count, the audience should be making their entrance just about now."
"Understood."
Robin nodded. "In that case, it’s not convenient for me to stay. I’ll go handle other matters. I still need to keep an eye on Yalur’s side; that old bastard is getting restless."
"Go on."
"Please be careful, my Lord."
Robin moved swiftly, flapping her wings and vanishing into the deep night.
Albert, meanwhile, slowly approached Andrew, taking his time to inspect him from every angle.
"What... what do you want?"
Andrew coughed up blood, his expression growing increasingly terrified.
Though he usually carried himself with great prestige, in reality... he lacked true courage. After all, during the Silent Moon incident, he had used "Fear of Heat Disease" as an excuse to flee Belland. In a moment like this, he no longer had the nerve to maintain a harsh tone with his older brother.
"Spare... spare me. The throne can be yours. Please, spare me..."
Andrew’s voice was hoarse as he begged, transparent tears mingling with the blood streaming down his face.
"Andrew... Brother... we are blood brothers. For the sake of our bond, spare my life, spare me..."
"You really are beyond helpfully stupid."
Albert interrupted Andrew with a mocking laugh. "Don't you understand yet? I... am not your 'Brother' at all."
"Wh—"
Andrew froze. He stared blankly at the man before him, whose features bore a thirty-percent resemblance to his own. Recalling the conversation between the man and Robin, the realization finally began to dawn on him.
"Could it be that you..."
"Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. Hard to believe as it may be, it is the truth... But rest assured, my dear Prince Andrew."
Albert leaned down and whispered into his ear, "I will send you to see your dear brother very soon. I hope the two of you can get along down there. But before that, please serve one last purpose for me."
Andrew’s eyes bulged. Under the threat of death and the horror of the truth, a violent surge of terror made him instinctively want to scream.
However, at that exact moment, Albert—who was leaning close to him—suddenly went flying backward.
The little girl behind Andrew had suddenly struck, slamming a palm into Albert’s chest.
"Wh... what?"
Once again, Andrew watched the scene in total incomprehension. He didn't understand why the girl had turned traitor again. But before he could react, a figure came sweeping in from the other end of the road at high speed.
"Your Highness!"
A tall, thin elder dressed in a refined, form-fitting suit moved with lightning speed, catching Albert mid-air.
Following the elder was a tide of clamor and panicked shouts. Silver-armored knights and several powerful nobles rushed from the direction of the meeting hall, quickly surrounding the area.
As they witnessed the scene, their expressions turned to horror. They could not fathom why the two princes—the future heirs of the Empire—were both facing a fatal crisis here.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
"Cough... cough... I'm, I'm fine. I won't die."
Albert’s lips were stained with blood as he said weakly, "Thank you, Marquis Angus."
"I arrived too late."
Marquis Angus’s expression was incredibly grim. He looked up at the dying Andrew and the hideously monstrous little girl standing behind him.
"So, what exactly is the situation here?"
"I... I'm not entirely sure either."
Albert wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gave a bitter smile. "Andrew wanted to kill me, but the monster under his command seemed to suddenly lose control. It started attacking indiscriminately. Andrew was completely off-guard, and so..."
At this point, a look of profound sorrow appeared on Albert’s face.
It looked as though the events that had just transpired had truly dealt him a heavy blow.
"Lost control?"
Angus frowned deeply, his peripheral vision quickly scanning the surroundings.
He saw the wreckage in the streets and Eken lying on the ground. His gaze swept over certain nearly undetectable marks on Eken's black robes, and a flash of suppressed anger appeared in his eyes.
Those people were sent by that kid to protect Prince Albert, weren't they? It seems they also died at the hands of this monster. Does that mean... everything Prince Albert said is true?
Prince Andrew actually reaped the whirlwind of his own making at a time like this?
"Gurgle..."
Hearing Albert’s words, Andrew suddenly began to struggle violently. He seemed to want to say something, but with another surge of agonizing pain, the claws piercing his body twisted casually, surreptitiously crushing his lungs.
Unable to even draw breath, he could only make meaningless, gurgling sounds in his throat.
Andrew’s vision darkened rapidly. In the final moment before his consciousness vanished, he saw Albert struggling to stand, shouting to those around him:
"Don't worry about me! Quick, save him! Save Andrew!"
"Your Highness, but—"
"But what? He is my brother! Do you expect me to stand by and watch my brother die before my eyes? Even if he wanted to kill me, he is still my brother!"
Albert was incredibly anxious and furious. He grabbed the collar of the person trying to dissuade him. In that moment... he truly looked like an elder brother who had set aside all past grievances to worry for his sibling.
That young face was filled with such sincerity that not a single flaw could be found. Of course, neither the nobles who had rushed over nor the knights already charging the little girl would ever doubt this First Prince—a man who had been awake for less than a month, had no power base of his own, and had just been hunted all night. He looked weak and pitiable.
"His Highness is truly righteous."
More people charged toward the little girl. Regardless of their reasons, they were all trying to save Andrew.
But by now, it was naturally too late.
Andrew glared at Albert with venomous hatred. Amidst extreme agony, his body gradually grew cold.
And so, he died.
The Second Prince, who had once been so close to that seat, had never even felt the warmth of the throne before dying on an ordinary, cold night.
In the end, he could only serve as the most laughable clown in this theatrical play. Even in death, he would be forced to shoulder countless curses and the blame for everything.
The little girl behind him, after frantically killing several more people, dissolved once again into countless fragments and vanished into the darkness. The large group of nobles and guards couldn't even catch a corner of her clothes.
It was unclear whether it was because the girl was truly that terrifying, or if Andrew’s death had caused some to realize something.
But though a man had died, the wheels of time would not stop.
The crowd continued to stare at the scene in disbelief. They were speechless, but their expressions shifted constantly.
Everyone knew that after tonight, the winds of change would blow through all of Belland—no, the entire Empire... the world was about to be turned upside down!