Chapter 120
Sylaria’s eyes widened. Because her partner had become Crown Prince, she was now the provisional Crown Princess. But at the moment, they were still only engaged. Yet he had placed the Crown Prince’s coronet on her head in an official setting.
To hand over a crown to someone one has not even married. It was something that had never happened in the Empire’s history.
The Emperor and everyone in the audience chamber stared in surprise at the Crown Prince’s unexpected action. But soon, thunderous applause erupted. Gerard, who stood among the Noble Council, raised his voice.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince! Your Highness the Crown Princess! Congratulations!”
“Congratulations!”
Suddenly pushed to the center of the celebration, Sylaria shook her head.
“I, I’m not yet—”
“No. Other than you, there is no Crown Princess in this Empire.”
Euclid spoke firmly and took her hand. Sylaria’s heart pounded wildly and swelled in her chest.
It felt as though she had gained everything.
At this rate, she felt she could become the protagonist of a fairy tale that ended with, ‘And the prince and princess lived happily ever after’—
However.
Slaaap—!
“AAAAHHH!”
The cheers filling the audience chamber and Sylaria’s joy were cut short by a single scream. Cressida had stormed down from the platform and struck Arendtert hard across the face.
Grizelle, who had been standing beside him, screamed and trembled violently.
“Your Majesty the Empress, why!”
“Why? Are you asking because you do not know?”
Cressida snapped coldly. She looked at the Emperor and pointed at her own son.
“Strip the Second Prince of his title, Your Majesty. Punish this incompetent son who lost half his Holy Knights in the marsh and returned alone!”
At the Empress’s shout, Sylaria’s lips parted slightly.
‘So that was it.’
Her questions were finally answered. Why Arendtert was standing in the audience chamber in such a filthy state, and why he had failed so miserably in the Crown Prince Selection.
Because divine power could only be exercised by those of imperial blood, the Holy Knight order was composed of branch family members of the imperial bloodline. Most of them were the children of the Noble Council.
It was only natural that nobles who had lost their children would turn their backs on Arendtert. Not even the Empress’s influence could sway them. Cressida clenched her fist and yelled like thunder.
“How dare you be the only one to come back alive, you pathetic wretch!”
Indeed, pathetic.
For the first time, Sylaria found herself agreeing with Cressida. Princes of the Empire regularly hunted monsters. They were expected to fully understand major regions like the Lekan Forest.
Arendtert had even been there recently, giving him an advantage in understanding the terrain.
Yet he had been careless and lost his party in the marsh.
After that, instead of regrouping, he immediately decided to return home the moment he saved his own life. It was astonishingly pathetic behavior.
“Your Majesty the Emperor, execute him at once. Punish Arendtert!”
Cressida’s eyes bulged as she glared at Arendtert. He, having been slapped, kept his head bowed without saying a word.
“Kneel. Kneel and apologize before His Majesty the Emperor!”
“Calm yourself, Empress.”
As Cressida shrieked in fury, the Emperor raised his hand to calm her. But even at his dissuasion, she continued condemning her son without restraint.
“Why should I calm down? If rewards are given, then punishments must be as well. Strip the Second Prince of his title and throw him into the underground prison. Is he not the shame of the Empire!”
“That is enough!”
The Emperor shouted sternly at her. He gestured to the attendants, and they approached her. Even as they guided her back to her seat, Cressida glared at Arendtert as if she would kill him.
“I did not raise the Second Prince to be like this. I am truly disappointed. How can someone like that be called a prince of the Empire?”
Sylaria’s eyes twitched as she watched Cressida. Something felt wrong.
Arendtert had certainly committed a grave mistake. But Cressida’s extreme rage was strange. The one who should have been condemning him wasn’t his birth mother.
‘No way…’
Sylaria quickly scanned the audience chamber and carefully observed the people who were whispering among themselves.
The nobles, including the members of the Noble Council, looked bewildered by the Empress’s fury. After watching them carefully, Sylaria pressed her lips together.
There was no doubt.
The Empress was once again putting on an act.
Discussion
2 CommentsReactions
Erica
RBluemoon238
Well, throwing someone under the bus who is useless sounds just like her. If her personality is an act then she has lived fully on stage without break, truly impressive. On another note, can they not stay still/quiet for one moment? Nobody can celebrate if they are not at the center of it.