Chapter 8

“We can’t leave the West like this anymore. Maybe the wall will hold up until Miriat succeeds me as Emperor.”

Miriat was the name of the first princess who will inherit the throne. As he said, the wall had been built for a long time and was already very old, and the number of demonic beasts increased endlessly.

“I was wondering how to handle this, and then I heard that we found the only spiritist in our empire.”

Vivian’s face turned white.

“So you’re telling me to eradicate all those demonic beasts?”

The Emperor burst into laughter as if Vivian’s imagination was funny. Compared to his usual gentle appearance, the reaction was quite intense.

“Well, I don’t think it’s impossible for Lady Lector, but it’s very hard work.”

At the Emperor’s assertion, Vivian’s heart pounded with worry. As the emperor said, it was hard, but it was too hard. Even with the roughly known numbers of magical beasts, the number of ships of the Western territories exceeded them.

Roger briefly gazed at Vivian. Vivian was distracted by the Emperor’s talk and didn’t notice the gaze.

“One day, the scouts said they saw a strange crack on the ground. And it was said that a demonic beast came out of it.”

“Then the crack……”

The Emperor rubbed his temples and frowned, as if his head was throbbing.

“Yes, that’s where those demonic beasts appear from.”

So the sudden grand award ceremony was the price of using her ability to stop the cracks in the West. If it succeeds, Vivian will of course, make a great achievement.

Vivian now understood the Emperor’s main point.

No, not completely.

‘There’s something I don’t understand yet.’

“I understand that my ability is needed to remove the cracks on the land. But why should I be engaged to Lord Orpheus?”

Vivian asked without looking at Roger.

“It’s not exactly an engagement, it’s about pretending to be engaged.”

The Emperor, who corrected her question, continued.

“The West has become a wasteland, and you are well aware that the value of the land has decreased from the past, but this was a natural result of the poor condition of the people living there and the aristocrats who do not want it. But if the mission is successful, won’t it be better again? Maybe the value of the West will rise again when the beast problem is solved.”

In other words, it was said that if the mission failed after blatantly publicizing it, there would be no disregard, so it would be thoroughly kept secret. Vivian nodded her head, seemingly understanding. 

The Emperor glanced at Roger, who was silent.

“Jim is planning to send the Lady and the Knights of Eckhart together on this mission.”

“Yes…..?”

“Even if it’s not a dangerous land, how can I send the Lady alone?”

Among light and darkness, the Knights of Eckhart are clearly in charge of darkness.

A group of vicious killers whose morality cannot be found at all.

Since it’s a knighthood with such a reputation, they may be qualified to deal with those demonic beasts. Vivian was shaking her head and paused, wondering how the hell did she get to join the Order. 

Thinking carefully, the explanation was still vague. It is good for the Knights of Eckhart led by Roger and her to go solve the problem.

But why was the subject of engagement brought up?

“For the reasons I mentioned earlier, I intend to keep this mission strictly secret except for a few, and to hide it, the purpose of this division will be to simulate a territorial inspection.”

The Emperor opened his mouth again as if he had read her question.

“A tour of the estate?”

“Yes, under the false pretense that this guy, Roger, will be granted the Western territory soon.”

Vivian seemed to understand why the engagement was mentioned in this matter.

There were several conditions to be granted an estate in the Mosbana Empire, one of which was whether they were married and had a spouse. The person at least had to be engaged to receive it even though he is not yet married.

“If it is known that you, the only spiritist in the Empire, have joined the West, there may be people who will have doubts. So you’ll be sneaking to the West as Roger’s fiancé, whom no one knows.”

So the engagement was a kind of shield to make it look like an inspection for the new Lord of  the estate and not a mission about demonic beasts. It was also a cover to hide the identity of Vivian, a spiritist.

“Well, I don’t know about anything else, but don’t you hate it, sir? A sudden engagement with me without even actually knowing who I am.”

Vivian was really embarrassed.

Roger looked at Vivian who was talking to him. Vivian turned her head casually and made eye contact with him as she could feel his gaze. Vivian’s shoulders were shaking when he met eyes that looked like a burning desert and also resembled a colorful gem.

“You don’t have to worry. Roger said that he liked it.”

Vivian opened her mouth wide.

‘What do you mean? He likes it?!!!!!’

‘What the hell?’

The eyes that had been forced to avoid turned to him at once. Roger must have been looking at her from the beginning, and their eyes met again. As she parted her lips as if she had something to say, Roger pulled up one corner of his mouth.

“Why can’t we just say that it’s good?”

It was a clear attitude that had done nothing wrong. His confident smile reminded Vivian of his notoriety as a ‘mad dog’. Vivian couldn’t say more because he was so brazen.

Vivian stuttered to open her mouth to say something.

“If I say I can’t do this……”

The emperor laughed a little awkwardly. That alone made Vivian feel like her hair was fading away.

“First of all, the awarding of medals will be a problem.”

Vivian had a lot to say about the Emperor’s decision.

Above all, the medal was not what Vivian wanted. It’s like the Emperor forced her to take it.

Besides, the medal wasn’t the only thing the Emperor has given. In addition to  the medal, Vivian’s family received a large amount of money for studying abroad from the royal family. In other words, the process of returning the medal will be quite complicated.

“I don’t know if Lady Lector refuses, but if you accept, there are many things I can promise.”

The Emperor hinted at Vivian who was lost in thought. Even though Vivian was curious about what he wanted to say, she felt as if she were coveting a forbidden fruit. Because the moment she heard the Emperor, she thought she couldn’t go back.

“I am well aware that Count Lector has a business that he has been working hard on for several years.”

“…….”

“I heard that the cost to the Count’s mother-in-law who is suffering from a chronic disease is also quite substantial.”

[TN/N: This emperor -_-]

The reason why the Emperor was so confident was because he had many cards on his hand.

As he said, there’s only a few days left before Count Lector’s business he had worked hard on reaches its doom. The Count’s fervent efforts and quite preposterous funding were undertaken. It is also true that the Count’s mother-in-law, the Countess’s mother, has a chronic disease that required expensive medicine. That’s why the Count is now responsible for the drug.

No matter how noble a person is, capital does not accumulate infinitely. Money is lost as much as you spend it. So the Count can’t help but be burdened by those things, as the head of the House.

If Vivian accepts the Emperor’s proposal, those concerns can be resolved at once.

The Count’s business will be successful, and the price of her grandmother’s medicine is guaranteed. And there’s no need to return Vivian’s medal and money for studying abroad.

Vivian’s troubles didn’t last very long.

* * *

There were only three times when Count Lector shed tears since he was born.

First, when his parents died.

Second, when his beloved wife accepted the marriage proposal without even knowing him.

Third, when Vivian was born.

It is easy to see that all of Count Lector’s thoughts revolve around his family. The only thing that can shake his feelings are his blood ties.

Count Lector was fond of children, but ironically, he only had one child. The reason was because of the health condition of the Countess, who was physically weak.

Still, he was not disappointed. His only daughter grew up to be so beautiful that it wouldn’t hurt to look at her. And he wanted a daughter over a son in the first place.

When Vivian was chosen to study abroad with the support of the Imperial family, Count Lector was more sad than the Countess, who gave birth to her. He was the so-called ‘daughter fool’. The Countess constantly soothed his tears as they saw the wagon moving away.

“No way.”

Count Lector hardened his face at the news of his beloved daughter’s arrival who brought so much gold and jade.  As for his daughter, it was a strange reaction from her, who casually woke him from his sleep and smiled.

Vivian looked at the Count with an embarrassed face.

“Father.”

“My business is my own. The same goes for my mother-in-law’s treatment. So you don’t have to go West.”

The Count was filled with words to the end of his neck, but he finished his speech as if he were moving on after seeing his daughter’s face.

There was a moment of silence.

Vivian knew what her father was worried about, so she couldn’t say she didn’t care. But she was unable to retreat. Since she has already responded positively to the Emperor, she should keep her responsibility.

“It’s really okay. I’m not the only one going. I am going with the Knights of Eckhart.”

“Vivian.”

Count Lector tapped his chest with a face of frustration. It was like a person with a heavy heart.

“It’s the Knights that I’m worried about as much as those demonic beasts.”

If it were the Imperial Knights who knew how to defend justice and were good, it would not have been necessary to stop them, but the problem is that the Knights of Eckhart are accompanying his daughter. He was worried that they would not care about her. 

‘Heinous, ferocious, murderous knights.’

‘Isn’t the Knighthood called by these names?’

Their notoriety in the capital was already well known. First of all, the image planted on Count Lector’s mind was the Knight’s leader Roger Orpheus.