There was no way for him to know what was going on. All he knew was that the Emperor’s chief chamberlain had come and ordered him to kneel, while Duke Valencia, who had entered the palace with him, had been taken somewhere else.
Duke Savanio could only assume that Duke Valencia was currently meeting with the Emperor.
‘The Emperor must be insane. Otherwise, how could he treat me like this…?’
He clenched both fists and, paying no heed to the menacing Imperial Guards, glared only at the imperial throne high above him.
Then—
Rumble—
At last, the doors to the grand hall opened.
“The eternal sun of the Olsher Empire, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Terrius Rodgan di Olsher, enters.”
“……I greet Your Imperial Majesty.”
Duke Savanio bowed his head toward the Emperor.
The newly enthroned Emperor was twenty years old this year. To the duke, who was over forty, he was so young that he seemed almost like a child.
Beneath brilliant golden hair reminiscent of the sun were violet eyes, a symbol of nobility. His impossibly smooth features looked almost sculpted, and his face was one that anyone could not help but admire.
Yet today, even that face only stirred disgust in Duke Savanio.
The Emperor ascended the steps without hesitation and took his seat upon the throne.
“Raise your head, Duke Savanio.”
“……Yes, Your Majesty.”
Just as Duke Savanio realized that Duke Valencia was standing right beside him—
A thunderous voice came from above.
“Did you know?”
“I do not understand what you mean, Your Majesty.”
“Did you know that your sister was carrying another man’s child and deceiving me by claiming it was the duke’s child, or did you not?!”
“……!”
Not a single person in the grand hall missed the shock and dismay that flashed across Duke Savanio’s face.
Duke Valencia let out a hollow laugh.
“So you knew everything too, then? And you still had her marry me?”
“Wh-What nonsense! I knew nothing of the sort. Surely my sister was deceived by that former slave-turned-knight—”
“I never said whose child it was, yet you know who the biological father is.”
“……!”
The moment he realized his mistake, a face suddenly came close to him.
Duke Savanio trembled.
The bloodshot crimson eyes before him almost looked like they were stained with blood.
Duke Valencia grabbed him by the throat.
“Ghk……!”
The Imperial Guards waiting by the wall quietly moved forward, but stopped when they saw the Emperor raise his hand.
Duke Valencia spat out the words through clenched teeth.
“I treated you as my elder brother without knowing any of this.”
“Duke Va-Valencia—”
“Yes. I am Duke Valencia, and you are Duke Savanio. Even if we are both dukes, our houses are not equal in rank. Just what were you thinking when you subjected me to such humiliation? And you surely knew that the succession of my family was tied to the sealing of the Great Demon.”
“……!”
“Ah, or perhaps your true goal was to burn down the capital and ascend the imperial throne?”
“What are you talking about?!”
Horrified, Duke Savanio’s eyes darted toward the imperial throne.
The moment he saw the young Emperor’s face, frozen in an unprecedentedly cold expression—
Somehow, Duke Savanio found the strength to shove Duke Valencia away and slam his forehead against the carpet.
Thud—
“Your Majesty! It is obvious that all of this is a conspiracy by Valencia! Valencia has the ability to determine the heir’s lineage! If Paris had undergone the ceremony sooner, it would have already been revealed—”
“Yes. Which is why you prevented the duchess from undergoing the sealing ceremony.”
“……!”
“Because you were afraid the true parentage of that child would be exposed.”
Duke Savanio stared blankly upward.
High upon the imperial throne, a pair of cold violet eyes looked down at him with utter contempt.
The moment he met those eyes, Duke Savanio instinctively knew.
It was over.
No matter what he said, the Emperor would not let either his sister or himself off easily.
Perhaps the blade would even fall upon the entire House of Savanio.
“So, is that all you have to say, Duke Savanio?”
“Your, Your Majesty……!”
“Leave. And think about what it will take to appease both me and Duke Valencia. If you refuse, say so. I will personally demote House Savanio all the way to a viscountcy.”
“Your Majesty!”
At the Emperor’s gesture, the Imperial Guards seized Duke Savanio by both arms and pulled him to his feet.
Duke Savanio tried desperately to remain in the grand hall and somehow protect himself, his sister, and his family, but he was no match for the knights.
Bang—
The doors to the grand hall closed.
Only then did the Emperor let out a long breath and look down at Duke Valencia standing below.
“Are you all right, Duke?”
“……I would like to say I am. But were you serious about what you just said, Your Majesty?”
“Well, I intend to demote him to at least a marquis. Would it not be ridiculous to let him remain a duke after causing such a mess?”
“…….”
The duke silently nodded.
Of course, behind those words would come enormous seizures of territory and confiscation of wealth.
Naturally, even that was not enough to satisfy the duke.
“Then you will grant my son the authority to dispose of them?”
Instead, something else had been taken without even a trial.
The young Emperor sitting upon the lofty throne smiled.
“Of course. Tell him he may do as he wishes, whether he chooses to personally cut off their heads or not. Everything will be permitted under my name.”
“I am deeply honored, Your Majesty. Then I shall take my leave.”
The Duke bowed respectfully before turning around.
Only after he was left alone in the grand hall did the Emperor smile, looking somewhat pleased.
“Hahaha.”
Who would have thought the Mercenary King was Duke Valencia’s biological son?
What had happened during the night was still so absurd that merely thinking about it made his blood boil. Nevertheless, the fact that the Empire had gained yet another swordsman who had reached a formidable realm was extremely encouraging.
Terrius happily asked the chief chamberlain,
“What was the young lady’s name again? The one who helped greatly in resolving this incident.”
“Rachel Ingrave, Your Majesty. She is the eldest daughter of Marquis Ingrave.”
“Rachel Ingrave…….”
She was quite an intriguing person.
For some reason, her name also sounded familiar.
He had heard that she was the fake’s fiancée.
Would she have a cold and capable personality like her father?
Or perhaps……
As the Emperor pondered, the chief chamberlain’s voice reached his ears once more.
“However, Your Majesty. Lady Aisha Labelin is currently in the reception room.”
“Ah, was that today?”
Aisha Labelin.
The daughter of Duke Labelin, she had originally been considered more suitable as a candidate for Empress than for heir.
However, three years ago, she suddenly manifested her supernatural ability, causing her to rise rapidly as a candidate for the succession.
The Labelin family’s supernatural ability was .
Upon manifestation, it produced an immense amount of mana comparable to that of a Grand Magus. Thus, once she became accustomed to magic, obtaining the title of Grand Magus was practically a foregone conclusion.
For that reason, the children of House Labelin usually entered the Magic Tower after their abilities manifested, where they could learn to control their mana while also studying magic.
And finally, today, Aisha Labelin had successfully learned to control her ability after three years and had returned to the capital.
“Good. Lady Aisha has returned, the problem has been resolved, and, most importantly, the Mercenary King will now be under my command.”
Terrius smiled pleasantly as he headed toward the reception room.
When the knights opened the doors, the chief chamberlain raised his voice.
“The eternal sun of the Olsher Empire, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Terrius Rodgan di Olsher, enters.”
“Glory to the Empire. I greet Your Imperial Majesty.”
Pink hair, resembling flower petals woven together into a strand, cascaded softly down with her bowed head.
Orange eyes with a hint of amber, a beautiful appearance to match, and a robe draped over her shoulders like a true mage.
Emperor Terrius smiled as he welcomed the future Grand Magus.
“Welcome, Lady Aisha. I hear you worked hard at the Magic Tower.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty. It took me three whole years to control my mana because I was lacking.”
“Lacking? You manifested mana rivaling that of a Grand Magus in an instant. Of course it would take time. Now, rise.”
The Emperor extended his hand.
Aisha took it and straightened herself.
When her eyes met the Emperor’s, her cheeks reddened ever so slightly.
As their gazes remained locked, the corners of Terrius’s eyes curved deeply.
“You have not changed at all. Do you like my face that much, Lady Aisha?”
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