Chapter 82
It would never be an easy road.
The Empress had an unshakable political foundation, and Arendtert was cruel and selfish.
If they were to find out that Euclid was aiming for the position of Crown Prince, they would never simply stand by and watch. A blood-soaked war would begin.
Even so, Sylaria felt reassured just knowing that she and Euclid now shared the same resolve.
If he had made up his mind, he would not waver. He would move forward. She believed in that.
Relieved of her tension, Sylaria let out a soft breath, her lips parting slightly. When her red lips opened, he leaned in and kissed her. It was a kiss unlike any before, one of promise.
A vow, almost, that they would change the future of everyone.
* * *
Arendtert gripped his whiskey glass with a scarred hand.
The very first thing he did upon returning to the Second Prince’s Palace was reach for alcohol.
His tired face twisted as he filled the crystal glass with amber liquid. Then he tilted his head back and swallowed the strong drink like it was water.
“Damn it…”
Setting the empty glass down with a thud, Arendtert cursed under his breath.
He had returned from his forced expedition with nothing to show for it.
For some reason, there hadn’t been a single monster in the Lekan Forest.
While it wasn’t as dangerous as the Shastir Gorge, it was still known as a region where monsters occasionally appeared.
And yet, as if to mock him as he camped and waited, not even a shadow of a monster was to be seen.
He endured until all his provisions ran out, but in the end, he had no choice but to return empty-handed.
Every year, Euclid had slain dozens of monsters in the Lekan Forest. But when Arendtert finally went, none appeared.
Worse still, Euclid had even managed to erase a ‘Maw’ with his divine power this year.
Even if Arendtert couldn’t achieve something so grand, he should have at least brought back results that weren’t shameful.
“Damn it!”
He spat another curse and kicked the nightstand where his whiskey glass had been. The thought alone of the Empress’s nagging already made his head pound. He could practically hear her scolding him now that he’d come back like this.
Just imagining it made his blood boil.
That was why he had returned quietly, in secret. Like a thief in the night.
The moment the Empress heard he was back, she would surely come.
“Tsk…”
Arendtert clicked his tongue at the toppled nightstand lying on the floor.
He’d only kicked it lightly, but seeing it flip so easily only made his irritation worse.
Lately, nothing was going his way, as though some curse had been placed on him.
Where had everything started to go wrong?
His jaw tightened, and a deep line formed between his brows as he glared down at the nightstand.
Sylaria.
Yes. It had all started with Sylaria.
From the moment she suddenly declared she would leave him, his life had begun to fall apart.
If he could just get her back, maybe his life would return to its proper path.
But how?
“Aren! You’ve come back?”
Perhaps hearing the crash of the nightstand, Grizelle opened the door to the small room and appeared.
Of all times, when his temper was already fraying, she was the last person he wanted to see.
“Did you slay many monsters?”
“Leave.”
“I’ve been waiting so long. Trust me, I’ll purify you properly—”
“I said leave!”
“Ah!”
When Grizelle tried to cling to him, Arendtert shoved her away roughly.
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, ignoring her as she sprawled on the floor.
“Just stay put and keep quiet. Don’t get on my nerves.”
“I only wanted to help you, Aren…”
“I don’t need purification. I didn’t use a single drop of divine power. So get out!”
“Aren…”
“You didn’t use your divine power?”
Just as Grizelle tried to approach him again, the bedroom door swung open wide, and Cressida’s voice rang through the room.
When Arendtert turned toward the doorway and saw her standing there, his face went pale. Her voice struck like a blade.
“If you truly went on expedition, your divine power should be depleted. I even summoned a priest for you in haste, and now you’re saying you didn’t use it? Explain yourself, Aren.”
“M-Mother, I—”
“Answer me!”
Cressida’s eyes flared as she shouted sharply.
Her sudden appearance, filled with accusation, made Arendtert’s body go rigid where he stood.
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