Chapter 67

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Peter trembled and looked back at the Empress.

“How did this happen?”

“His Majesty left a will. You will inherit the throne.”

“What ‘will’! The imperial doctors said that His Majesty’s condition was improving. This couldn’t have happened all of a sudden.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman. Since you are the Emperor’s sole heir, you will become the Emperor.”

“Mother!”

They couldn’t communicate at all. Peter sighed, tired of the empress repeating her words like a stubborn parrot. He hurriedly raised the curtain, thinking that she should summon the imperial doctors standing by the door.

“It’s already over.”

But the Empress calmly stopped her.

“His Majesty is gone.”

The hand that gripped Peter’s arm was stronger than ever. Peter asked, hoping not.

“N-No… tell me you didn’t?”

Until yesterday, the emperor was nowhere near death. He wasn’t healthy enough to walk and get up, but there was no reason for his condition to deteriorate so much that he would suddenly die.

“Everyone, leave.”

The Empress spoke gently to those beyond the veil. As they left the bedroom in unison, Peter realized that her hunch was right.

“…Did mother really kill him?”

“It’s not bad for His Majesty either. Would he have wanted to put you in trouble if he had died at an inopportune time? Everything was planned.”

“Mother!”

Peter grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, shouting.

“What on earth were you thinking? Except for His Majesty, you know well that the only male left in the imperial family is my brother!”

“Are you going to deceive me until the end?”

The Empress’ face contorted terribly and shook off Peter’s arm. Then, she threw several documents that had been on the table to Peter’s chest.

“Information about the Northerners and the testimony of Count Winston’s vassals!”

Peter lifted the papers with shaking hands and read them. There were detailed accounts of the pregnancies of women who originated from the North, as well as the wives married to Count Winston’s vassals.

[T/N: Questioning Alexis’ information network right now. Is it because he never actively looked into Kathleen’s pregnancy?]

The Empress said sarcastically.

“The boy in Duke Walten’s mansion is of the Duke’s blood. Besides, you sneaked in and out through the back door of the palace to help Kathleen Winston, didn’t you?”

“…..That.”

“Until when did you think you could hide this fact?”

Only then did Peter understand why her mother had done something so reckless. She moved because she was sure that the empire would not fall. To make her emperor.

‘I should have relinquished the Crown Prince position earlier. What was so important about my mother’s approval?’

Never has she felt more foolish as she did today. As Peter lowered her head in silence, the empress’ voice became hoarse.

“Since you have become an adult and you have the emperor’s last will, we have enough justification.”

“Mother. Just having done this to His Majesty is already a grievous sin and instead of reflecting on it, you’re saying this. Are you insane?”

“How can I be insane? I have to make you emperor!”

The Empress suddenly burst out in anger and pushed Peter away. Her eyes, looking down at her daughter, who had been pushed away violently, contained nothing but blind desire.

“There’s no need to fret. It’s already done. This mother of yours will take care of all of the Waltens. I summoned him using the emperor’s will as an excuse, so how can he not come?”

How far did her hands reach? She didn’t care about her coming-of-age ceremony, so was it because she planned something like this?

Her eyes darkened and she was speechless at what was happening before her.

“Don’t even think about touching my brother.”

“We have to hit him first and then just keep him breathing. Then Trivellian won’t have any other option even if the secret leaks out.”

It was hard to convince her mother with words. Had she known that she had become so irrational, she would have taken action sooner, she lamented.

‘Brother mustn’t come.’

However, Alexis Walten and herself were different, she could not be harsh to her mother but the same could not be said of Alexis. It was a relief.

“Keep the crown prince in a safe place and set him up with an escort so no one can approach.”

Without hesitation, the Empress summoned an escort knight.

“Let go of me!”

Peter struggled with all her might, trying to free her arms that were caught by the knights, but they didn’t budge. Peter had no choice but to pray that Alexis and Kathleen had already left the palace.

“Your Highness?”

As soon as she was led out of the bedroom by the knights, Count Schenberg ran to them.

“What’s going on?”

“You’re still here?”

The thought of showing the affairs of the imperial family to outsiders made her miserable. She turned away as she was led, but Count Schenberg hurriedly followed and raised his voice to the knights.

“Are you going to detain His Highness? Let go of his hand right this moment!”

“This was the order of Her Majesty the Empress. We will escort His Highness until it is safe. Count, please go back.”

“I can’t do that!”

Count Schenberg struggled to free Peter but he couldn’t prevent him from being locked up in the drawing room of the emperor’s palace.

“Please go in, Your Highness.”

A knight hit Peter on the neck, stunning him. Then he pulled out a chain to use on the drawing room door. Count Schenberg hurriedly shoved his foot between the door and shouted.

“Let me take care of His Highness.”

Because he was a Count and the Crown Prince’s aide, they couldn’t forcefully take him out. The knights made eye contact with each other and nodded their heads.

“Go in.”

The door was locked as soon as Count Schenberg set foot inside. He heard the sound of chains being wound around a few times and the click of a lock. Count Schenberg hurriedly ran to Peter, who had fallen to the floor.

“Your Highness!”

He shook the unconscious Peter however he did not open his eyes. He put his hands under the prince’s legs and carried him.

‘Why is he so light?’

He was strangely light for a man who had just come of age. But his first priority was to put Peter on the sofa, so Count Schenberg moved quickly. As he laid him on the sofa, he noticed that Peter seemed to be having difficulty breathing.

He went to the window and tried to open them, but the latch was locked from the outside and could not be opened. He had no choice but to loosen the Crown Prince’s cravat, the buttons on his shirt up to his neck, and a few buttons on his top so that he could breathe more easily. He then saw a bandage about a span below the exposed collarbone.

‘Is it an injury?’

He knew that his swordsmanship training had been suspended for the past few days, so Count Schenberg wondered where he got the wound. He then noticed the location of the bandage. It didn’t seem like it was meant to cover a wound based on how the bandage was applied.

At this realization, he suddenly fell at Peter’s side. Even though he thought it was impossible for the Crown Prince of the Empire to do so, the reality in front of him was clear.

Count Schenberg, awakened by the sight of the prince in a cold sweat, buttoned her shirt again. He took off his coat and covered her then walked away.

He could now understand the crown prince’s questionable behavior.

‘…Maybe things will work out easier than I thought.’

If this fact was revealed, the situation would be different. For deceiving the Emperor and the Imperial Court, the Crown Prince can be taken down, and the Duke of Walten, the blood of the South, may be seated in her place. It was no longer a vain dream for the southern Schenberg dynasty to be revived if he were to form friendly relations with him.

‘Then what about the Crown Prince?’

She’ll probably be imprisoned in a secluded tower with her life constantly in danger. Even if she’s alive, she will not be living.

His heart sank. Count Schenberg sat down at the table and looked at the Crown Prince who had hidden her secret, unable to come to a conclusion easily.

How much time had passed?

A commotion could be heard outside the previously quiet door. There seemed to be a fight going on. The prince had not yet woken up. Schenberg stood at the door and picked up a poker from the fireplace then looked around him.

Then, with the sound of chains breaking, the door opened violently and a man entered.

“Duke?”

Holding a sword soaked in blood, Duke Walten looked around the drawing room and found the Crown Prince lying on the sofa and asked Count Schenberg.

“What happened?”

“We came to the Imperial Palace because he heard that Her Majesty had fallen unconscious, then he was suddenly dragged out of the bedroom by the knights, struck on the neck and fainted.”

When Duke Walten heard the situation and beckoned, the armed knights grabbed someone, dragged him, and made him kneel before Count Schenberg. He was the one who hit the crown prince’s neck.

“Is this the knight who used force against the Crown Prince?”

“Ah… yes. That’s right.”

Duke Walten ordered with an expressionless face.

“Interrogate him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Along with him, the knight who had detained the Crown Prince stood by the duke’s side and beat the kneeling knight with his scabbard.

“Reveal where the assassin sent by the Empress went!”

“I can’t tell you… Ack!”

I thought they were colleagues, but were they not?

He did not know that the Duke of Walten would even have bribed the Empress’ escort. 

The knight did not open his mouth but when a sword was finally drawn to his neck, he could no longer withstand it and eventually confessed the order the Empress had given.

“The Duchess of W-Walten, there was a command to kill the Duchess and bring the successor!”

Murderous intent burned in the Duke of Walten’s eyes. He left a short order.

“Protect the Crown Prince.”

“I heed your command.”

He threw down his sword and ran with a desperate expression. A few knights followed him, and the rest of the knights dragged the Empress’ knights out and approached the Crown Prince.

Count Schenberg unknowingly threw away the poker he was holding and said urgently.

“I’ll serve him so everyone, get out.”

He had the right as he was his aide. Count Schenberg thought so, and went out through the knights and carried the Crown Prince again.

***

Alexis ran like a madman. It wasn’t too far from the Imperial Palace to the Duke’s residence, but he was impatient because the horse was too slow.

‘Please, be safe.’

His stomach was burning. He wanted to believe Kathleen had arrived safely, but he couldn’t be certain. If he had known this, he would have put the shadow on Kathleen, not Count Schenberg.

[T/N: Are we running low on funds Alexis? I don’t know how many ‘shadows’ you have but you couldn’t even get a regular knight to escort your wife?]

He grinded his teeth as he regretted letting the empress get away.

As he approached the path leading to the Duke’s residence, a pungent smell, like burning wood, stung his nostrils.

‘The magic stone.’

The magic stone that was embedded in the Duke of Walten’s carriage exploded. The magic stone that was matched to Kathleen’s power was supposed to react whenever her power was manifested. He thought that she would be in danger if Kathleen had resorted to using her powers to summon ice.

[T/N: That was so freaking safe Alexis.]

He got off his horse and started looking around frantically. When he reached the end of the road, pieces of wood were everywhere and the bodies of the dead assassins were lined up.

“Kathleen!”

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