Chapter 205

(Florentia's POV)

The whole Empire was turned upside down.

It was only natural that the First Prince who attempted to kill the Emperor was caught by the imperial knights.

The aristocracy was also stirred into excitement and chaos.

Those who had been lining up behind Astana were stunned and anxious to see how well Perez's position is now.

Although he was the First Prince and had the support of the Empress, he was useless in front of the terrifying charges of attempted assassination and treason against the Emperor.

"There are nobles lining up in front of Poylac Palace of the Second Prince every day."

Bate reported to me.

"They're still trying to line up for Perez. But I don't know what he will do."

Perez wont push them away.

He's not a Prince who cuts off all those who do not follow him.

However, he would cut off some of the heads of those who were against him.

"How many people still remain on the Empress's side?"

"It's a lot more than I thought." Bate answered my question with a shrug.

"For now, there are quite few loyal family members, including Angenas. Also, there have been many people who have been in line for marriage with Angenas by the arrangement of the Empress."

"You mean that those are the people who are already late to back out and are still standing strong."

"Right. Also, there is a rumor going around that the First Prince was out of his mind when he tried to kill the Emperor. Thanks to that, there are still a few people who are expecting for the First Prince to be pardoned or get a more lenient punishment."

"So, he was out of his mind?"

I still remember Astana's face, which was rushing with a sword that day.

He must really be out of his mind.

Sure enough.

Bate shook his head.

"He was drunk with magic. Literally, enough to not recognize his mother and father."

"But it's unlikely to be drunk of magic to that extent, right?"

Bate nodded his head this time.

Even in the Madman's forest, even if you caught a monster, it is not that easy for magic to be consumed that far.

The place we saw Astana was also at the entrance of the forest.

"Maybe he took a medicine that absorbed the magic."

The fact that Bate says so means that he can't reveal the exact source, but there is some information that I notice.

"Medicine..."

It's Perez.

It was also him who proposed to hold a hunting competition in the forest of Madman from the beginning.

He also asked to prepare the Emperor's protective gear to be plated.

"Did you identify the monster I told you about last time?"

"Yes. Kangpara is a monster with long claws like a crow and said to have the habit of collecting things that sparkle."

I knew it. As expected.

Perez deliberately led the emperor down the road and made him swap the armor he was wearing with the emperor.

"It started."

Perez's Revenge.

In his previous life, his revenge was long and thorough.

He started his plan to ascend to the throne and he returned all the pain he had suffered.

I have no intention of stopping Perez like that.

No, I'm planning to help.

I looked back at Claryvan and said, "Claryvan, I think the time to use 'it' is approaching. Please prepare well."

"Yes, I will move it to the Lombardi mansion."

Claryvan replied, smiling comfortably.

****

When Emperor Yovanes couldn't sleep, he poured alcohol into a glass with a dull complexion.

He drinks until he falls asleep in drunkenness.

Then he got up and grabbed the bottle again.

It was a recurring daily routine of the emperor after returning from the hunting competition.

Eventually, it reached the point where the servant contacted Rulac separately.

"Have a drink." Yovannes said, putting down a glass of liquor in front of Rulac.

"Are you drinking this kind of liquor everyday?" Rulac asked, frowning.

"I can't sleep unless I drink this." Yovanes replied weakly.

However, he quickly poured the golden liquor in one bite.

"It would be great if I could bring good news to Your Majesty..."

Rulac started while putting the glass back down without touching his mouth.

"You have to pay attention to the public sentiment outside the palace."

Emperor Yovanes frowned on Rulac's right words and pressed down on his temple.

It meant he didn't want to hear it.

But Rulac continued to say so.

"The rumor has spread that the First Prince tried to kill His Majesty and the public is anxious. Besides..."

Rulac deliberately dragged the end of his words to make Yovanes wonder.

"The story of the Brown Family has become a hot topic again."

"The Browns Family?"

Yovanes, who was already pouring the second glass, raised his eyes.

"What exactly is the rumor?"

"It's a long-standing rumor that the Angenas family attacked and killed the Brown family more than 40 years ago."

"So why are those old rumors...!"

Rulac looked at Yovanes meaningfully as if asking, 'Do you really want to know?'

After a moment of silence, Rulac opened his mouth.

"Isn't the First Prince, the legitimate heir, going crazy and trying to kill the Emperor, being punished for betraying and abandoning the Brown family, who were loyal subjects long ago?....Well that's the rumor."

"What the hell!" Yovanes was outraged.

"That's not what I did, is it? That is what the previous Emperor did!" Yovanes felt wronged.

It was the choice of the previous Emperor to push and back the Angenas family, who he had been close since the time of the current Emperor as a Prince.

So, in some way, they pushed the Browns out and turned a blind eye as they settled in the West. And then they married their children, Yovanes and Lavigne.

Everything was the will of the previous Emperor! Why should Yovanes himself be cursed?

It keeps appearing in his dreams, but not enough to prevent him from sleeping since he manage to overcomes such annoyances.

Until his death, he was like a person blocking his child's path.

"What do the ignorant know?" Rulac said, taking sides with Yovanes soothingly.

"It's just screaming that the imperial family is being punished for abandoning the Brown family. Isn't the Brown family famous even among commoners because of their imperial swordsmanship?"

"Huh." Yovanes snorted.

"I understand why your father felt so bitter for the Brown family. They're the ones who practiced imperial swordplay, the Brown family."

The emperor's jealousy is terrifying.

For the Browns, the price of that jealousy was the destruction of their family.

"But in the current situation, no one can calm down such rumors as quickly as the Browns."

"What do you mean?"

Emperor Yovanes, who hated being hated, was sharply eared.

"Revote the Brown family. That would put a lid on the idle rumors about Angenas."

"The Brown family you say..."

Yovanes, who was caressing his chin, asked Rulac.

"Wouldn't it be difficult? Like a lottery ticket that they had won but didn't claim after a decade."

"Your Majesty just needs to throw the subject about the Brown family at the nobles."

Then the Second Prince will take care of it.

There must have been that kind of plan when he left the Brown family.

"At least while we're talking about the Browns, the talk of the Royal family will be blown over." Rulac smiled leisurely.

Yovanes, who had been agonizing for a while, soon replied.

"Okay, I will do so."

It just so happens that a noble meeting is scheduled in a few days, so the timing was also an appropriate decision.

"What are you going to do about the First Prince?"

At Rulac's question, Yovanes drank again.

It was because the bloodshot eyes of the previous Emperor who had been cursed came to his mind.

With a shrug, Yovanes asked Rulac again.

"Do you know why I left the Second Prince in the hands of the Empress?"

Rulac answered, remembering the first time he saw the Second Prince in the collapsing detached palace.

"Because the Second Prince resembles the previous Emperor."

"That's right, that's why I've been keeping him away since he was a kid."

The truth is that the First Prince was the product of the curse.

Yovanes said, shaking one head, as if he didn't want to think any more.

"I will leave it to the Second Prince. He was there too, he would take care of everything and he would be the one investigating it. I don't want to care."

Oh my.

Rulac clenched his fist so as not to burst into laughter.

It was like a foolish owner of a fish shop who left a cat inside!

Rulac felt like laughing.

(A/N: HAHAHAHAHA! Wait sorry-- Hahahaha! Okay, continue.)

****

Crash!

A loud sound came from the room where the First Prince was detained.

"Bring me the medicine! Ahhhhh!!"

The screams of evil also leaked through the cracks of the door.

Astana has been screaming like that since waking up in the early evening.

"Uh, w--what should we do..."

Even if it is said that he is confined for a crime, a Prince is a Prince.

Two maids assigned to clean up the mess of the Prince stamped their feet at the sound coming from the inside.

"I gave all the medicines..."

"Oh, should I contact the palace?"

It was when the maids who were rolling their eyes anxiously said so, because they couldn't stand it, someone suddenly spoke.

"You don't have to."

A low voice was heard behind their backs.

"Your Highness the Second Prince!"

When they saw Perez, who was accompanied by the imperial knights, the faces of the maid brightened.

"You can come back tomorrow morning. Go back."

At Perez' command, the maids went outside as if they were fleeing not to be caught again.

"Let's go in."

Lord Sloan took the lead.

As soon as the door opened, Astana's shouts broke out.

"Hey! You! Do you think your neck will remain intact with me tied up like this?! Release me! Right now! Ahhh!"

Astana, who had one foot tied to the bed, twisted his whole body and screamed.

"I'll kill you for insulting me like this..!"

Astana's shouting stopped shortly after Perez entered the room.

"Astana Nerempe Durelli. I will start interrogating your attempted assassination and treason against the Emperor."

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A/N: Again, wow! Well sorry for earlier. I literally laughed at Yovanes' decision, I so agree with you Grandpa. LMAO. Oh, and are you curious about what is Florentia and Claryvan was talking about?....You'll see later! *wink!

For the next chapters, I was still re-reading while re-proofreading everything before publishing it here so that there will be minimal errors or no errors at all. I'll try updating again the day after tomorrow so try following me or this story so you'll be updated. You can unfollow me later on if you want! 

Thank you for reading! And stay safe everyone!!

P.S. If you forgot some of the characters or was confused, comment it so I can leave a note next time before you started reading the chapter. Thanks!