Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Lucas, who was rooted to the spot he had been standing, when looking around he could see the bystanders looking his way.

‘I’m going to be part of some new rumors again.’

Lucas looked at Azuela, who was biting her lips.

Azuela, who turned her back to the people gathering, tried to hide her expression, only her eyes flashed showing her true intentions.

“Oraboni, I have something to ask for.”

“You should ask a servant if you want something.”

“Please. Please stop our father’s next disappearance…”

Azuela begged Lucas to stop the emperor’s next trip out of the palace.

“Why should I do that?”

“Father Emperor often goes undercover. I just want a little time so our family can spend time together…”

“I see, it was just useless nonsense.”

“I heard that when Mother Empress was still alive, Oraboni enjoyed a lot of love and affection. But I, I… ”

Azuela stated her reasons earnestly as if she was longing for the love of her family. The blush on her cheek looked very sad.

In the shock of the empress’s death, the emperor, who was sweet and friendly, became cold and distant. Because of that, young Azuela often used that fact to gain people’s sympathy.

‘How dare you talk about my Mother Empress with your mouth.’

Lucas glared at Azuela with his lips hardening into a thin line.

His spirit power is that he can detect the truth. It’s certainly true that when Azuela said that she wanted to spend time with everyone wasn’t a lie…

‘It’s only a casual gathering.’

This open honesty in her mind is only possible because she didn’t know that he was reading her inner thoughts, but that contrast was really amazing.

He could see a heart stained with evil intentions on the inside, but on the outside, she had a pitiful and lovely expression.

The Azuela in front of him right now reminded him of her mother, Empress Eleina.

Not just the appearance of their flaming red aura, but the attitude of lying and acting pitiful was exactly the same.

Both mother and daughter have black hair and pretend that they are the most elegant and beautiful lady in the world.

“You’re trying to stop what Father Emperor is doing for such personal reasons.”

Being undercover was the emperor’s most important task.

How would Lucas, who is only ten years old, stop the emperor’s actions?

But Azuela was pretty quick and cunning.

She knew that the emperor does not trust anyone in this castle, the only exception is his son.

Because of that reason, whenever she wanted to say something to the emperor, but he didn’t side with her then she would run to Lucas right away.

“Ah… It certainly is, for a personal reason… “

Transparent tears fluttered in Azuela’s eyes.

She seemed to be blaming him for not listening to her even though she was doing this for the sake of their family.

“Isn‘t there any chance that I can participate in Father Emperor’s undercover mission?”

She realized that Lucas was not going to listen to her, therefore Azuela sighed and changed her request.

She said she would accompany the emperor on his mission instead.

“What do you think you can do?”

Lucas is really annoyed now.

The only one who is on a mission outside of the palace is Ebalt, the emperor’s closest escort, who knows the real goal of the Emperor who goes undercover often.

‘He’s looking for my younger sister, Shuelb, who disappeared because of your mother. You think you‘re going to accompany him?‘

You wouldn’t dare.

Lucas glared at Azuela, his shining bright blue eyes resembling the emperor’s.

Then, tears fell from Azuela’s eyes.

“Move out of the way.”

Lucas, who was even angrier, turned around and tried to get into the training room.

Then Azuela stretched out her arm and grabbed Lucas’ sleeve. It seemed that she thought she had to hold onto it so she could convince him to change his mind.

He reflexively avoided Azuela.

“Ah..! Oh, ow… ”

Azuela fell onto the floor. Her palms were covered with blood.

Seeing that she fell even though she had no reason to fall, it was clear that she was making an effort to look pitiful again.

“Oh! Princess! Your Majesty, no matter what she’s still your younger sister!”

Then the scared Mrs. Ordina Park approached with a scream.

Oh, damn it. Lucas frowned and sighed.

It’s unfair, but to others, he seemed to be treating his younger sister badly.

Sooner or later, he would receive the usual message from the Empress, which was elegantly written, saying, ‘Do not bother my daughter.’

Their gazes poured out at him like an onslaught of arrows.

‘I wish for them to disappear.’

Lucas sighed with a drained and irritated face, while disregarding Azuela.

The price of his irritation was the empress’s rebuke.

“It hasn’t been that long since Azuela had been very ill and she barely woke up, did you have to do that, Crown Prince?”

“… ”

“I’m sorry that she bothered Your Highness, but she’s still your younger sister.”

Dinner that evening felt like sitting on a thorny cushion.

The Empress continued to accuse him of being a mean child.

Lucas is also only 10 years old.

He was even angrier because he was eating with and being scolded by someone he hated.

“Anyway, she’s your sister… Don’t ignore her like that in front of others. Not to mention she was sick recently.”

Next to him, the emperor gently scolded Lucas.

He didn’t say anything in response to refute them. However, it wasn’t because he believed them but because he didn’t want the empress to know about his suspicions.

‘Tch, no matter how much I think about it, I don’t think she’s my sister.’

I don’t feel like she’s my sister at all, and she’s not even pretty.

However, Lucas, who couldn’t openly support his beloved father, endured an uncomfortable position in situations like this.

When he came back to his room, he would vent his frustration on his bed by punching it.

‘It’s unfair!’

The moment he lay on the bed, he would sigh for a long time.

Lucas opened his eyes when he felt a consciousness pop up in his head.

‘Shuelb?’

Lucas’ lips trembled.

Different from his father’s, the spirit power seems to be flickering.

It was an existence he had felt only once, six years ago.

‘It’s Shuelb. It must be her!‘

No one had believed him except for his father, but Shuelb must have been alive this whole time!

‘There must be no one to teach you how to use your strength properly. Are you in an emergency situation?‘

He wasn’t concerned about the reason why her powers suddenly showed up.

However, he was glad that his instincts weren’t wrong, and he was more concerned about whether or not Shuelb was experiencing a crisis.

At this late hour, why on earth has his sister used her spirit power so much?

Seeing that she couldn’t even hide the traces of her strength, she seemed to have awakened herself without learning anything properly.

‘I don’t know if that’s possible, but it’s still the same sensation as back then.’

He was impatient , he had to find someone who can figure out if his memory is tricking him, and if it really was Shuelb.

He recklessly jumped off of his bed.

Lucas ran to the Emperor’s bedroom.

The prince forgot the tiredness of his body.

As he ran down the corridor at night, his quick footsteps echoed.

His heartbeat was even louder.

“Father Emperor!”

It seemed that Lucas wasn’t the only one who wanted to confirm the origin of the awakening. The emperor was also running towards this direction without hesitation.

“Father Emperor! She, she…!”

As soon as Lucas caught his father, he opened his mouth.

“Shh, Leon. There are still many eyes in the Imperial Palace even if it’s night.”

Using his spirit power, the emperor whispered to his excited son.

“She’s alive!”

“Yes, it was in the direction of the Grand Duke’s estate.”

Recalling the last visit to the Grand Duke, the Emperor bit his lips.

Traces of spirit power that were this strong even at this distance. The child’s strength was obviously very formidable.

It felt as if she had shouted ‘I’m here’ like a sign of life.

“Is she with the Grand Duke?”

“I don’t know that yet. But if the child is alive… ”

The Empress’ words that the child was dead were a lie.

It was highly likely that it was the Empress who stole the child. Even if it was not, they could still find the true culprit.

‘The people who testified that my child died at that time… ‘

At that time, this situation was not created simply because he believed the words of the Empress.

There were not just one or two midwives and court ladies who accompanied the imperial family to the separate palace to help the Empress give birth. It was a large group consisting of the emperor, various nobles, and aristocrats.

However, many noble wives from both sides were present on the birth day and funeral.

Could the Marquis of Bertilde have been able to make such a strong comeback like they did after their family had been struggling for nearly 50 years, I wonder?

Those families present were those that supported the emperor even before he ascended to the throne.

They certainly said the child was dead, but there was no reason for the emperor not to believe their words.

Had it not been for the power of the child that he felt after the funeral, he would have buried his heart with his child, while thinking that she had indeed died.

‘You must have already removed the child from the palace before the funeral.’

It happened in a remote palace, not the well monitored Imperial Palace, so there is no evidence left from the birth and conspiracy surrounding the child.

The wave of spirit power could not be felt by anyone except the imperial family, so they could not raise a question or voice their outrage.

So he had no choice but to pretend to accept the child’s death and forget about the matter as the Empress said.

He had no choice but to secretly search for the child while holding on to the small hope that she would still be alive.

‘I don’t know who the culprit is, but I will never forgive those involved!’

If they become nervous that will cause them to be more likely to make mistakes, they will surely take the bait if I leave some out in the open.

“I’ll definitely find and bring your sister here. I can finally keep the promise I made to you and Herace.”

The emperor’s face was thrilled.

It was a promise he had wanted to keep for a very long time. It seems that he can finally honor his late wife.

“I believe you will keep your promise. If you can’t bring her, I’ll go to bring her.”

He looked up at his father excitedly because of the prospect of reuniting with his brave and lovely younger sister.

A man who at this moment is not the emperor of everyone, but the loving father of two children.

***

I hugged Tutu, the rabbit doll Deleign gave me, while I was buried in the bed.

It was the first time since I came to this mansion that I skipped breakfast and stretched like this.

Even though I knew Nina was pacing outside the door with various worries, somehow I couldn’t convince myself to get up from my position.

‘I felt the fluctuations of my spirit power because of my connection to the Imperial family. Those who have revealed themselves usually enter the palace as soon as possible.’

The reason why the Grand Duke called me yesterday evening was because he gave me the Emperor’s special edict.

It was issued after the day of my attempted kidnapping. It seemed that the delivery of the edict was rushed to the Grand Duke and was given to him at a late hour.

‘Why are you looking for me?’

Originally when that time came, no matter how she showed you her power, you didn’t believe her.

I recalled the scene I saw in the book.

『 “Seeing something so weak, I guess it’s true that it was stolen.”

The emperor coldly ignored Shuelina’s faint spirit power.

A spirit power that can only be used by the imperial family. That was the only evidence that Shuelina had.

Now, it had become a situation where only a faint power was left behind because Azuela had taken most of it already.

Instead, the emperor said it was evidence she had stolen some of Azuela’s. He said that it was absurdly weak, and it was a disgrace to say that a member of the royal family was born with it. 』

I still remember that cold line.

I vividly remembered the scene in my memory, almost as if I had actually seen it with my own eyes.

But why?

Was it because I stopped Azuela’s plan, wherein she would steal my powers while treating me horribly and taking my place in the family?

Why are the families I’ve abandoned looking for me now?