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nChapter 104

nGiggles and whispers sounded from the back of the room. Perhaps, with this lively atmosphere, a couple had the confidence to indulge in one another out in the open.

nNeither Ellenia nor Ivan had the mind to care about such things, though.

n“What’s going on?” Ellenia’s eyes shifted from side to side nervously. “Why did the two of them leave at the same time? If Izek finds out…”

n“My Lady, please, calm down for now. Do you know where Lady Furiana is right now?”

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nShe frowned at him, confused at the question. “What? Why? What about Freya?”

n“My Lady, you know her… Maybe she was keeping an eye on those two, just like us, or maybe she saw something.”

nIvan didn’t want to imply too much, but he couldn’t shake off the thought. They stared at each other for a moment before Ellenia’s eyes grew wide.

n“She said she was going to the bathroom.”

nAnd Freya van Furiana was indeed in the bathroom. However, she was not alone. She was also not inside the bathroom, but rather standing right in front of it, in a long and empty hallway.

n“Can you do me a favor, Lorenzo?”

nShe stood tall and proud. Her little brother, looking up at her with eager eyes, nodded wholeheartedly. She was taller than him by a few inches because of her high-heeled shoes.

nFor his beloved sister, he would do anything. Even more so if it had something to do with that vile Witch of the South.

nFreya smiled happily and ruffled her brother’s platinum blond hair. “Iz will arrive soon. If he comes looking for his wife or Cardinal Valentino, then you…”

nShe leaned closer and whispered the next words very carefully into his ears, making sure no one but him could hear her.

nLorenzo most definitely understood what she wanted him to do.

nLady Furiana smirked and turned around, giddy and elated, but soon jumped up in surprise as her best friend’s voice rang out from behind.

n“Frey?”

n“Ah, Ellen.” She quickly schooled her expression. “I’m sorry for the delay. Any news?”

nViolet eyes that were wide open. An innocent face mixed with curiosity and worry. Taking in her best friend’s familiar face, Ellenia hesitated.

nTherefore, Ivan, who stood behind her, stepped up instead. “Lady Furiana, by any chance—”

n“Champion! Champion! Champion!”

nIvan’s voice got buried by the cries that filled the empty corridor. The sound came from the banquet hall. People were cheering.

nIvan felt his blood run cold, and it was no different for Ellenia.

nHe was here already?

nIt was tradition for the champion of the Gladiatorial Match to enter the banquet hall last together with the king. That age-old practice had just been broken.

nThe three of them turned around and ran as fast as they could.

n***

nCamu, stuck with the duty of pacifying his livid colleagues, felt like dying.

nTo make matters worse, the one person who should have arrived dead last, had arrived now. He hadn’t even changed out of his blood-soaked armor or washed off his sweat. His sword was drawn, too.

nIzek really did look like Satan incarnate in moments like these. Camu, never having been this tense in his life, tried to come off as if nothing was wrong. Calm and controlled, like it was just any other day.

n“Oh, hey, Iz, what are you doing here already? You should—”

n“Where is my wife?”

nIzek’s voice was surprisingly low and mellow. His contrasting appearance made him sound much more menacing, however.

nNot only Camu, but also the other three elite knights stopped and gawked at the champion of the Match. The air had turned awkward.

n“She’s probably not here because of the tacky decor…”

n“Get out of my way.”

nIzek, pushing Camu’s shoulder without a hint of mercy, began to march forward.

n“Wait! Sir! Hold, haa, hold on!” Andymion, having been cruelly abandoned by his senior, came rushing into the hall, finally having caught up with Satan himself. He was out of breath, but no one had the time to pay any attention to him.

nSomething was not right, and Galar, who had tried to slap the truth out of Camu a while ago, suddenly stepped out and blocked the man from advancing, a frown on his face.

n“I don’t know what’s going on, but this is not right. If you’re here—”

n“Iz!”

nJust in time, Ivan and Ellenia entered the hall again and hurried over. The Paladins, not really understanding what was wrong, breathed a sigh of relief.

nThat feeling of relief didn’t last long, considering the looks on the knight and the Lady’s faces.

n“What are you doing? Why are you here already? Looking like this…”

n“Hey, I know you’re an arrogant fellow, but this is…”

n“Where is my wife?” Izek’s strained voice echoed strangely.

nEllenia froze on the spot, her mind turning blank. Ivan swallowed nervously and pushed her behind him. He passed Galar and grabbed Izek by the shoulder to look him in the eyes.

n“Iz, calm down first and then listen. She’s not here right now, but it’s not like—”

n“Let go.”

nThe Paladins surrounding the man were roughly pushed to the side. Even Galar, who was bigger than Izek, staggered back.

nAmidst his rampage, voices grew louder as the crowd recognized the champion that had won the Match. A murmur of excitement rippled through the banquet hall as they noticed the distinct silvery-white hair standing out.

nEven though today was a day of celebration, Izek’s dark countenance slowly turned the mood sour.

n“Iz! Stop! Stop, you jerk!” Ivan tried futilely to prevent him from going anywhere, but his voice fell on deaf ears.

n“H-Hey…”

nIzek, who had been marching forward without any hesitation, stopped in his tracks.

nTurning his head in the direction of the end of the hall, there he saw a pale blond-headed boy, his shoulders slumped and curled, and looking like he had something to say.

n“Ah, that… S-Sir…”

nHe grimaced at the cold look Izek threw at him.

n“Y-You’re asking w-where… your wife went?”

n***

nI could see myself reflected everywhere.

nExcept for the gold-coated marble floor and the ceiling covered with magnificent chandeliers, the entire room was filled with mirrors.

nRather than admiring the sophistication and artistry of the design, I just thought that this was the perfect place to practice dancing.

n“I didn’t know that there was a room here. Did a spy in the palace find out?”

nCesare did not answer. He sat on a couch placed near the wall and sipped on his drink, acting like this was his house.

nI didn’t expect an answer anyway, so I just shrugged and let out a sigh. “What’s the matter? You didn’t drag me all the way here just to dance, right?”

n“If I told you to dance, would you?”

n“No, it’s too creepy here with all of these mirrors. This must be the room of some narcissist.”

n“This place is similar to your greenhouse garden,” he said as he smiled to himself.

n“What?”

n“Rumors say that King Feanol provided a room for his queen who would not abandon her pagan ways. It’s a bit gaudy, but isn’t it a touching act of love all the same?”

nHe stretched his body like a panther and got up and off the sofa. Then, he slowly drew nearer, the clacking of his boots echoing in my ears.

nI smiled easily as I grazed my thumb over the golden roses of the wreath, still clutching it tightly in my hands. It was a precious gift, after all.

nHe didn’t scare me any longer. “Do you believe it’s possible to cast aside the daughter you conceived with the woman you love from the line of succession? What kind of man do you think King Feanol is?”

n“King Feanol is a nobleman who would have been happier if he had been born a rich commoner rather than a monarch. If he had been a king who knew how to use his damned brain, he would not have made such a woman a queen in the first place. He knows what he did and he knows what he cannot do, so what is the point in her suffering from her husband’s position more than she already has?”

nYes, the pagan queen and her pagan daughter would never be accepted by the aristocracy in Britannia as the next monarchs. I knew that Princess Arien would never ascend the throne. The crown would go to Izek, without a doubt.

nBut you know what?

n“That’s right, the King of Britannia is a flamboyant and ordinary man in love, and he is the exact opposite of Father and Brother. I know that already so why did you drag me here? To tell me this? Is that all you want to say to me? Is that all you can say to me?”

nThe sound of the clock ticking was loud.

nMy brother’s face morphed into something I was not familiar with. I wondered if someone had cast a spell, or whether I was just seeing things.

nIt was strange. It was really strange.

nCesare, to me, used to be the villain. He used to be my biggest fear, my biggest tormentor. He was the subject of all of my nightmares, the viper around my neck, choking me and feeding me poison. I used to be so afraid of him, so terrified. So why did I feel nothing?

nWhy did he look like an ordinary, foolish man? A fool who longed for something he could never have.

n“… I can’t make you live as a queen in this gutter. Whether it’s a greenhouse or a room filled with mirrors, it will never be the real thing.”

nHis low and hoarse voice, seemingly confident but still trembling, pierced through my heart.

n“Father won’t live forever. If you become a queen, it will be in the kingdom that I’m going to build, Ruby.”

nHis deep blue eyes bore into me, willing me to understand. I almost burst into laughter. I clutched my stomach, trying to hold it back.

nOh my God. You’re serious, aren’t you?

nIt wasn’t just some shallow and fleeting desire, or lust, or twisted obsession. It was something that came from the very bottom of his heart.

nHearing it come from his own mouth was very different from vaguely speculating on it.

nI’ve been thinking about how to properly deal with you, but I didn’t know you’d come up with a solution on your own.

n“It’s not a greenhouse garden, it’s a water garden.”

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n“What?”

nI straightened my shoulders, smiled brightly, and looked straight into his eyes. Soft and serene, like I’d always been whenever I was with him.

n“Did you think that I would do as you asked? I will have it my way, or I won’t have it at all.”

n“Ruby, I know you’re confused right now…”

n“You’re the one who’s confused. You started looking at me differently just because you kissed me? Where are you with your head? Since when did you see me in that way?”

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