Chapter 88
“Your Highness. Could it be, is it Your Highness’s wedding?”
When Ghileste asked seriously, Kasselard burst out laughing. At that, Ghileste felt relieved. He thought he had jumped to a conclusion too hastily. However, Kasselard answered like this.
“Yeah. It’s my wedding.”
“Y-Your Highness! Does His Majesty the Emperor know?”
“He’ll know before the day’s over.”
Kasselard answered with a smile on his face, but cold eyes. Ghileste had known him since he was very young, but he had never taken him lightly. SS-Class Transcendents had power far too terrifying to be taken lightly.
“Your Highness, this is a bad idea. From what I’ve heard, His Majesty the Emperor has the political marriage with the Nabel Empire in mind, and—”
“Nabel’s Crown Prince is entering the capital today. Together with the woman they want to marry to me.”
Already? Thinking of when he had received the news, it seemed a few days early. The Nabel Empire’s delegation had visited the Karnan Empire before, too.
“I have to hold the ceremony before that. If this wedding is delayed because you won’t allow it, High Priest, I’ll kill that Crown Prince bastard.”
It has to be a joke.
…He’s bluffing, right?
While Ghileste broke into a cold sweat, Kasselard bared his teeth in a grin. Those jewel-like eyes, sunk coldly, felt inorganic today.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“Y-You can’t do that!! Then a war will break out between the two nations!”
Kasselard snorted.
“In a situation like this? It’d be an opportunity instead. Among that Emperor’s children, there’s only one that’s worth anything, so the Nabel Empire would collapse in an instant.”
It wasn’t an impossible claim to accept, but it was reckless beyond measure. To ignite the spark of war while every nation was fighting rifts. It was something that had to be stopped no matter what.
“Please calm down, Your Highness! I don’t know why you’re this furious, but you can’t do that! Please think of your responsibility as the Empire’s Crown Prince!”
“You’re the one who should strive so the goddess’s mercy reaches all the people. Are you going to let the flames of war sweep over them? This is something that can be resolved if you simply bless two people who want to marry.”
At the Crown Prince’s unreasonable argument, Ghileste’s face flushed red. He wanted to get angry, but his counterpart was the Crown Prince. Not one of the Emperor’s many sons who could be dragged down at any time, but the one who was naturally destined to inherit the throne.
“His Majesty the Emperor may hold me responsible.”
“It won’t go past this week, so there won’t be a big problem. Besides, the reward will be greater, won’t it? You only look at the present and you don’t look at the future?”
When Christian approached and whispered something to Kasselard, he turned a cold gaze back to the High Priest. Ghileste flinched and looked at the young man.
“Now. It’s time to choose, Ghileste. What will you do?”
From the moment he had appealed to the Crown Prince, it was as good as decided. The Emperor was frightening, but even more frightening was the Crown Prince in front of him.
“…Are you sure it really won’t go past this week?”
“I’m sure. If it doesn’t turn out that way, I’ll build the second-largest temple in the Empire’s second city and offer it to the Goddess.”
“Then I’ll have to hope Your Highness’s words are true.”
Ghileste sighed and let his shoulders droop. From the moment he saw this Crown Prince’s face, the chances of him winning had been slim to none.
‘Then, I should confirm who the unfortunate woman is, the one who captured this Crown Prince’s heart.’
He was just about to straighten his clothes and speak to the Crown Prince, when Kasselard’s face brightened and he turned his body toward someone. The High Priest immediately realized she was the woman the Crown Prince loved.
“Ahhup!”
He hurriedly clapped a hand over his mouth after letting out a startled cry, but the Crown Prince’s icy gaze had already landed on Ghileste.
“M-My apologies… Baroness Linier.”
The woman the Crown Prince was almost holding was the Guide who had once suffered great humiliation at the last ball because of him. After that, Ghileste had heard rumors that the Crown Prince was secretly bringing that Guide into the imperial palace, but he had thought it was nonsense.
‘So that’s why they say you never know what’s going on between a Transcendent and a Guide.’
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