Chapter 63

Translated by Wook

Edited by Iris Sakura

Seeing everyone sitting in a circle, Ricardis thought that this spacious carriage had somehow become a secret base for him and the brothers Isserion and Lewon. No one can come in and out, and only their side can enter at will.

Milia kept her mouth shut, mysteriously keeping silent for a while, then the moment the carriage passed through the Imperial gate, she opened her mouth.

[It’s freezing here.]

Ricardis realized that the ‘here’ she was talking about meant the beautiful white castles. However, as summer approaches and the leaves turn green and the sun becomes stinging hot, the cold she speaks of cannot reach Ricardis.

[The snow that never melts is piled up, and a sharp wind blows with a bite. It is a place where darkness descends in the blink of an eye, making the cold even more severe.]

Ricardis looked out the window and again saw the white castles lined up. The castles, which were closer than before, shone brightly in the sunlight. It was beautiful. But when listening to Milia, it also looked like a winter birch forest laden with soft snow.

[At all times, everyone must not forget that it is winter for you, Ricardis.]

[Yes, Mother.]

[To survive, you will have no choice but to become colder and harsher than this ice forest.]

Colder. Harsher. Milia’s words stuck to Ricardis like frost. Milia gathered them and hugged Ricardis and Isserion’s back. The four heads met. Setistia whined between them. She didn’t seem interested in their discussion. As Milia watched Setistia, she closed her eyes.

[Ricardis. It will be hard. It will be painful. But you can endure it. People are weak, but for the sake of something precious, they can become strong.]

As Milia said those words, she gently stroked the back of Ricardis and Isserion’s head. Ricardis nodded his head. He could endure anything for his lovely young sister, who could not even read the crisis… because suffering was very familiar to Ricardis.

The white castles drew closer. Milia shed her words as she saw the dazzling sight.

[You have to be patient and wait, Ricardis.]

‘It will only get more painful.’ Her words were absolute to Ricardis. To him, what Milia said was not just a guess but a prophecy that would come true in the near future. It was natural to wonder how long such a definite, painful future would last.

[For how long?]

Milia twisted her brows and smiled. This was the first time Ricardis learned that a smile could be so painful.

Afterward, Milia kept talking, but now Ricardis had forgotten the answer. It must have been meaningless words to appease a young child.

***

After the delegation returned, the Emperor became more merciful. As a parent, how could he have felt at ease, even if he did push them to death with his own hands? He must have been happy to see his son returning home safely…

…There was no one anywhere in the Imperial Palace who thought that. 

Even those who don’t know the story behind the scenes guessed that the Emperor was happy not simply because the delegation returned safely but because there was something the Emperor would gain from their return.

And, as many would have expected, the Emperor was rightly satisfied with the great gift. Ricardis handed the Emperor a small and luxurious box and a pledge of the alliance between Balta and Illavenia. The former was the mission’s superficial purpose, and the latter was practically what the Emperor wanted.

The source of the powerful and threatening weapon Balta used was a crystal of magical power. Although they had not yet discovered anything that could be of practical help, the Emperor was delighted because the crystal’s existence alone allowed him to look forward to a future of war. The Emperor gave Ricardis a substantial prize, saying he had resolved his insomnia since receiving the gift.

The attention of the aristocratic world focused on Ricardis, who achieved great things with genius talent— he succeeded in surviving on the road they had sent him to die on. So understandably, although the Emperor thought of Elpidio as a potential successor, the more he thought about it, the harder it was to deny that Ricardis was a decent candidate.

Aside from the obvious fact that he is popular with the people and his divine power far exceeds Elpidio’s, isn’t God’s blessing really on Ricardis, who survived the deadly battle? Such is the religious attitude unique to the Illavenian people.

For this reason, the number of guests at Moonstone Castle increased dramatically. When the delegation returned, nobles, who were not even close to the area, continued to visit. Thus, Ricardis gradually called in his forces, throwing out those he had to throw away.

Now that he could use the gains and power he acquired to keep Elpidio in check, Ricardis worked without a break for a more paramount agenda: his escort knight Rosaline Radwiell, who hadn’t woken up until the day after Ricardis left Vista.

Rosaline’s name rose and fell from the mouths of the great and powerful. Fortunately, in the current situation where the Emperor’s power was temporarily present, it proved challenging to take Rosaline from him.

So this time, those who sensed that fact tried to defame her. Wasn’t it a sign that if they couldn’t have Rosaline, they would destroy her? The number of writers talking nonsense increased. Rosaline is said to have rescued the 2nd Prince, but she’s a demon. Seeing that she easily defeated the assassins, something was suspicious. Conspiracy theories circulated that her victory might have been a ploy with the Black Moon.

“This rubbish is new.”

Ricardis laughed as if amazed at the documents that had collected various bullshit. His reaction was not baseless. The world was not green [E/N: Naive] enough for this kind of bullshit to spread. Rosaline’s name was too powerful to belong to the Black Moon.

Radwiell: a family whose prestige has existed alongside the long history of the Imperial family. Strong, loyal, and worthy of an Imperial command, the family was a great hunting dog. 

Their proximity to the royals made it easy to label the daughter of such a family as a spy. Therefore, Ricardis didn’t dare to joke around. Ricardis had long since released to the masses the things that happened between him and Rosaline, and he stuffed the story with exaggerated and subtracted facts.

Rosaline Radwiell, the most loyal follower in the world, and the 2nd Prince Ricardis, who accepted her with open heart despite being a demon with sinister powers: it was like a novel. And the crowd welcomed that novel quicker than the absurd story that she was an assassin of the Black Moon. That claim made people cringe even more.

Still, some did not give up and loudly shouted for an investigation into Rosaline Radwiell. They were Elpidio’s people, but also included were the fervent believers of Idelavhim.

So a final meeting on her fate will be held two days from now. 

Ricardis looked at to distance with a face full of affection, and with half-closed eyes, he opened his mouth.

“Mother… came to me in a dream…”

“Your Highness?”

Ricardis slowly opened his eyes. He had briefly slept at his desk since he had not slept properly for several weeks. Isserion stood beside him and blinked his eyes. Since the death of Milia, Ricardis never once brought up stories about her.

‘Is he sleep talking?’ Isserion was unconsciously sweating profusely and was worried, but Ricardis simply continued to speak.

“It seems to be a perfect connection with my current situation. Hmm…”

Ricardis grabbed his neck and turned his head side to side to loosen up his muscles. This short movement could not relieve the fatigue accumulated over the years, but it was enough to awaken his senses.

“I think she came here to warn me that if I act softly, I will be eaten.”

Ricardis’ expression and mood as he talked about Milia didn’t look bad. Isserion inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and was able to answer with a more relaxed mind than before.

“You look like the queen.”

“I’ve come to my senses. So, what’s going on?”

If Isserion, the person most concerned about his sleep schedule, prematurely woke him up, it means the things he’s going to talk about aren’t something he can solve by himself.

“It’s not a big deal, though.”

Behind Isserion, Senior Knight Lewon had an absurd expression on his face. ‘Isn’t it a big deal that I’m here?’ 

Ricardis found Lewon and smiled a little.

“Lewon.”

Lewon bent one of his knees and placed his fist on his chest.

“I see the blessing of Illavenia, who calls upon the white night.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Lewon was Isserion’s younger brother, a senior knight one head taller and with a body twice as thick as his slender older brother’s. The main task of the senior Knights of the White Night was to escort Ricardis, but Lewon was different.

He formed an independent group outside the castle who monitored dangerous people and sometimes even stuck their hands into the situation. He was closer to a mercenary or an assassin than to a knight. If his other senior knights worked on the surface, Lewon was in charge of the perfect underbelly.

Ricardis was reluctant to entrust him with such sordid tasks, but Lewon was willing to do it. It had to be done by the most reliable person. Thus, Lewon, who doesn’t have much to do most of the time, has lately become busy thanks to Rosaline.