“Damn it.”
In the most spectacular guest rooms in the annex, the Crown Prince laid on the sofa, clasping his sizzling head and frowning.
“Because of that one lowly girl.”
His whole body screamed with pain.
The Imperial Family was not supposed to pay for ancient power, but when the body becomes weak, it was influenced by the ancient power.
In particular, objects using mana used to cause headaches to the Prince. (TL/n: fuck this prince)
‘I’ll hold you accountable as soon as I get back.’
The Crown Prince chewed on his anger and swallowed the pain.
‘Don’t tell me she’s been caught using the magical tool/artifact.’
He was in such bad condition that he returned right away without being able to monitor Hestel in the painting competition.
Of course, he has already calculated that he didn’t need to worry about raising his tools even if he didn’t monitor them.
Unless she has great sense for aesthetics or a picky taste for art.
For a moment, the direct appearance of Birce crossed his mind, but it was unpleasant and he erased it immediately.
‘There’s no way they’ll notice.’
Furthermore, who would doubt Hestel’s drawing skills and watch the process of her painting?
The Crown Prince visited Birce and put everything into this trivial task of making Hestel and Liarte interact.
He spent a huge amount of time and money.
All to get a hold of Liarte Elheim.
He murmured.
“She only needs to get her hand.”
Most awakeners had some immunity to the abilities of other awakeners of the same power.
But Hestel’s brainwashing had a strong effect, as the conditions were difficult.
It would only take a moment.
Once she used her power on Liarte, it would be all over.
And from then on, Liarte would become the property of the Crown Prince.
Birce would be embarrassed because they couldn’t help Liarte, who had been brainwashed.
“I want to hear what’s so funny.”
At that moment, a loud, shrill voice could be heard in the room.
Aaron Birce stood before the Crown Prince’s nose without a trace.
The enemy’s eyes that scattered the light looked like those of a demon or a beast, and the Prince’s body froze in an instant.
“Former Duke?”
The Prince, who couldn’t hide his reaction at the moment, tried to stand up, pretending to be arrogant.
“I asked who the hell is it that you are referring to when you say that all they had to do was get that woman in their hands.”
BANG!
Even before Aaron finished speaking, a pistol in his big hand shone coldly.
A bullet penetrated one of the Prince’s legs, blocking his escape.
“Did I forget to say that I hate asking twice? Then you’d better know from now on.”
Aaron added, with a calm air around him.
The contemplating Crown Prince moved his mouth reflexively.
“Do you think the Imperial Family will just stand around at this rate?”
“What are you going to do if they’re not here?”
A large hand grabbed the Crown Prince by the collar and lifted him lightly. Aaron just chuckled.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t even paid my debts yet.”
Only at that moment, when he was caught in Aaron’s big hands, did the Prince realize why he used a gun.
“I received the Black Powder, thankfully.”
It was a force far beyond human recognition.
The Crown Prince resisted, struggling like a prey already caught.
There was a vague fear of being torn apart to death.
“You couldn’t say a word in front of me, but you did something cute behind my back.”
“What are you going to do with me? If you kill me, Her Majesty would not stand for this!”
“Does a Hestel Leaven ring a bell?”
The Crown Prince stopped at the sudden mention of Hestel.
“That can’t be.”
It was the tea that Hestel had been keeping an eye on, fearing that she would make a mistake.
“All the records were false. With the recent year’s activities, even more so. Since I went to prison first, I’ll talk to you in a friendly way.”
“What the hell has she done?!”
“It would be the same for you to be an accomplice who did something.”
It was his complete downfall.
“So who told you to steal a Birce Painting?”
Unlike Hestel, the Crown Prince had a quick head.
When he did a background check, he remembered the track record of the red painting, which was unnaturally neat.
“……. that red picture can’t be.”
“What bad luck. What a coincidence for you to touch Birce’s painting. Of course, I would have visited you once if I hadn’t caught you this time.”
“But you won’t be able to arrest me for stealing the painting, for that matter!”
“Who said that they were going to steal the painting?”
Aaron smiled gracefully, just like a Birce.
“My son and grandson are great people that can make crimes up that other people did not even do. It’s not even a job to put all kinds of crimes on them.”
That was Birce’s main specialty.
“It’s not a difficult thing. We can just properly weave events in countries outside the empire and drive you in the direction of treason.”
By now, Michael and Carmen would have set a trap that couldn’t be completely escaped.
It was the moment when the Crown Prince stared at Aaron, he couldn’t bring anything up. (TL/n: incompetent little bitch lol)
The door slid open. It was Duke Haron, who had never been seen before.
The Duke looked at the Crown Prince, who had been captured by Aaron.
“Duke!”
“Let me go at once and call in the people.”
Aaron didn’t know if the Crown Prince was alone, but it would have been too much to completely arrest the Crown Prince if the Duke of Haron had joined.
The Crown Prince, who had a bright face after intuiting victory, proudly instructed the Duke.
However, the Duke did not move.
Anxiety arose on the face of the Prince when he saw the Duke not answering to him.
The Duke of Haron approached Aaron instead of answering the Crown Prince.
“I’ve been excused.”
“Are you going to disturb me?”
The Duke paused at Aaron’s glare. A cold sweat broke out, but he remained relatively calm.
“No. I just want to ask for cooperation because I have something to pay you back.”
“It’s like a family that doesn’t know grace, but pays the enemy back many times over.”
Things were going weird.
“Duke Haron, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“Your Highness, Crown Prince.”
The Duke’s face, completely hidden in his robes, faced the Crown Prince.
Somehow, he knew that the face inside would be expressionless.
“Duke, I’ll do everything you want. Just…”
“You remember that I told you not to deceive me. I told you I’d pay you back. There is only one thing I want from Your Highness now.”
A strange voice came out.
“To pay the price of breaking a promise. That is all.”
The Duke of Haron slowly turned around and faced Aaron.
“I have also looked into the northern city of Siarun in Birce.”
“It’s a city that collapsed overnight at the expense of Ancient Power.”
An area that was sacrificed by the Crown Prince to put a curse on Michael’s eyes. But Aaron remained calm and didn’t disclose information about Siarun.
“I have witnesses to prove the connection between the Crown Prince and Siarun. With the power of my mother, I revived one of Siarun’s guard knights who had fallen asleep into a state of suspended animation.”
“Is Lydia doing okay?”
Aaron casually mentioned the Duke’s mother’s name. The Duke of Haron nodded.
“Yes. Thanks to the help of the late Duchess of Birce’s predecessor, she’s able to hide safely.”
That was why, no matter how far Carmen and Michael went, they couldn’t find any information about Haron.
“My son and grandson are chasing you. Now I have no authority to hide you.”
“I understand. Since I was born, it was natural for me to be revealed to the empire anyway.”
Did the two of them already know each other?
The Duke and Aaron’s gazes, who had been having a meaningful conversation, reached the Crown Prince.
“Do you need any other evidence other than the witnesses?”
“I hope to obtain the artifact/tool, if possible. It would be more certain if the Crown Prince had touched it and had something to do with Ancient Power.”
At that moment, the Prince remembered the artifact bracelet he had put on Hestel’s wrist.
The thing he was desperate for if ever she was caught.
But Birce could not have examined her ornaments in detail.
Soon Birce’s Black Knights came silently and arrested the Prince.
“Goodbye, Your Highness.”
The Duke’s voice rang unusually slowly.
The Prince forgot that he had been dragged away and stared blankly at the Duke.
‘Just now.’
It was because he felt a strange sense of surprise.
* * *
“So, the Crown Prince and the spy Hestel are now in Birce’s prison.”
Michael told Liarte the conclusion.
Carmen and Aaron were not present as they went out to find a means to end the Crown Prince.
Michael and Liarte were the only ones left on the top floor of the annex.
“I wish they’d pay for the crime.”
Liarte replied.
She didn’t feel any sympathy, knowing that the Crown Prince was treating Birce more moderately than how he had treated her.
“It’s been like that since the moment he was abandoned by the Empress.”
Michael sat beside Liarte.
In fact, this conversation was only meant to prevent silence from brewing between them.
“Liarte.”
Liarte had been a little conscious of Michael for a while.
She was sure he was thinking of asking if he could kiss her.
“You’re not going to ask today?”
Michael kissed her white and fine hands lightly.
“You have to ask me why I tried to kiss you.”
Although Liarte was perfectly lovable, he sometimes had the urge to tease her in a spiteful and insidious way.
“Why did you do that?”
Flinching, the moment Michael took her lips, her hand moved slightly.
He held her tender hands as if he knew but pretended not to know.
‘Don’t let yourself go.’
His emotions were already seething and filling, and they could no longer be stopped. It’s been like this since the moment he heard her say that his eyes were her world and everything.
“I love you, Liarte.”
At last, Michael confessed his raw feelings.
“Damn it.”
In the most spectacular guest rooms in the annex, the Crown Prince laid on the sofa, clasping his sizzling head and frowning.
“Because of that one lowly girl.”
His whole body screamed with pain.
The Imperial Family was not supposed to pay for ancient power, but when the body becomes weak, it was influenced by the ancient power.
In particular, objects using mana used to cause headaches to the Prince. (TL/n: fuck this prince)
‘I’ll hold you accountable as soon as I get back.’
The Crown Prince chewed on his anger and swallowed the pain.
‘Don’t tell me she’s been caught using the magical tool/artifact.’
He was in such bad condition that he returned right away without being able to monitor Hestel in the painting competition.
Of course, he has already calculated that he didn’t need to worry about raising his tools even if he didn’t monitor them.
Unless she has great sense for aesthetics or a picky taste for art.
For a moment, the direct appearance of Birce crossed his mind, but it was unpleasant and he erased it immediately.
‘There’s no way they’ll notice.’
Furthermore, who would doubt Hestel’s drawing skills and watch the process of her painting?
The Crown Prince visited Birce and put everything into this trivial task of making Hestel and Liarte interact.
He spent a huge amount of time and money.
All to get a hold of Liarte Elheim.
He murmured.
“She only needs to get her hand.”
Most awakeners had some immunity to the abilities of other awakeners of the same power.
But Hestel’s brainwashing had a strong effect, as the conditions were difficult.
It would only take a moment.
Once she used her power on Liarte, it would be all over.
And from then on, Liarte would become the property of the Crown Prince.
Birce would be embarrassed because they couldn’t help Liarte, who had been brainwashed.
“I want to hear what’s so funny.”
At that moment, a loud, shrill voice could be heard in the room.
Aaron Birce stood before the Crown Prince’s nose without a trace.
The enemy’s eyes that scattered the light looked like those of a demon or a beast, and the Prince’s body froze in an instant.
“Former Duke?”
The Prince, who couldn’t hide his reaction at the moment, tried to stand up, pretending to be arrogant.
“I asked who the hell is it that you are referring to when you say that all they had to do was get that woman in their hands.”
BANG!
Even before Aaron finished speaking, a pistol in his big hand shone coldly.
A bullet penetrated one of the Prince’s legs, blocking his escape.
“Did I forget to say that I hate asking twice? Then you’d better know from now on.”
Aaron added, with a calm air around him.
The contemplating Crown Prince moved his mouth reflexively.
“Do you think the Imperial Family will just stand around at this rate?”
“What are you going to do if they’re not here?”
A large hand grabbed the Crown Prince by the collar and lifted him lightly. Aaron just chuckled.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t even paid my debts yet.”
Only at that moment, when he was caught in Aaron’s big hands, did the Prince realize why he used a gun.
“I received the Black Powder, thankfully.”
It was a force far beyond human recognition.
The Crown Prince resisted, struggling like a prey already caught.
There was a vague fear of being torn apart to death.
“You couldn’t say a word in front of me, but you did something cute behind my back.”
“What are you going to do with me? If you kill me, Her Majesty would not stand for this!”
“Does a Hestel Leaven ring a bell?”
The Crown Prince stopped at the sudden mention of Hestel.
“That can’t be.”
It was the tea that Hestel had been keeping an eye on, fearing that she would make a mistake.
“All the records were false. With the recent year’s activities, even more so. Since I went to prison first, I’ll talk to you in a friendly way.”
“What the hell has she done?!”
“It would be the same for you to be an accomplice who did something.”
It was his complete downfall.
“So who told you to steal a Birce Painting?”
Unlike Hestel, the Crown Prince had a quick head.
When he did a background check, he remembered the track record of the red painting, which was unnaturally neat.
“……. that red picture can’t be.”
“What bad luck. What a coincidence for you to touch Birce’s painting. Of course, I would have visited you once if I hadn’t caught you this time.”
“But you won’t be able to arrest me for stealing the painting, for that matter!”
“Who said that they were going to steal the painting?”
Aaron smiled gracefully, just like a Birce.
“My son and grandson are great people that can make crimes up that other people did not even do. It’s not even a job to put all kinds of crimes on them.”
That was Birce’s main specialty.
“It’s not a difficult thing. We can just properly weave events in countries outside the empire and drive you in the direction of treason.”
By now, Michael and Carmen would have set a trap that couldn’t be completely escaped.
It was the moment when the Crown Prince stared at Aaron, he couldn’t bring anything up. (TL/n: incompetent little bitch lol)
The door slid open. It was Duke Haron, who had never been seen before.
The Duke looked at the Crown Prince, who had been captured by Aaron.
“Duke!”
“Let me go at once and call in the people.”
Aaron didn’t know if the Crown Prince was alone, but it would have been too much to completely arrest the Crown Prince if the Duke of Haron had joined.
The Crown Prince, who had a bright face after intuiting victory, proudly instructed the Duke.
However, the Duke did not move.
Anxiety arose on the face of the Prince when he saw the Duke not answering to him.
The Duke of Haron approached Aaron instead of answering the Crown Prince.
“I’ve been excused.”
“Are you going to disturb me?”
The Duke paused at Aaron’s glare. A cold sweat broke out, but he remained relatively calm.
“No. I just want to ask for cooperation because I have something to pay you back.”
“It’s like a family that doesn’t know grace, but pays the enemy back many times over.”
Things were going weird.
“Duke Haron, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“Your Highness, Crown Prince.”
The Duke’s face, completely hidden in his robes, faced the Crown Prince.
Somehow, he knew that the face inside would be expressionless.
“Duke, I’ll do everything you want. Just…”
“You remember that I told you not to deceive me. I told you I’d pay you back. There is only one thing I want from Your Highness now.”
A strange voice came out.
“To pay the price of breaking a promise. That is all.”
The Duke of Haron slowly turned around and faced Aaron.
“I have also looked into the northern city of Siarun in Birce.”
“It’s a city that collapsed overnight at the expense of Ancient Power.”
An area that was sacrificed by the Crown Prince to put a curse on Michael’s eyes. But Aaron remained calm and didn’t disclose information about Siarun.
“I have witnesses to prove the connection between the Crown Prince and Siarun. With the power of my mother, I revived one of Siarun’s guard knights who had fallen asleep into a state of suspended animation.”
“Is Lydia doing okay?”
Aaron casually mentioned the Duke’s mother’s name. The Duke of Haron nodded.
“Yes. Thanks to the help of the late Duchess of Birce’s predecessor, she’s able to hide safely.”
That was why, no matter how far Carmen and Michael went, they couldn’t find any information about Haron.
“My son and grandson are chasing you. Now I have no authority to hide you.”
“I understand. Since I was born, it was natural for me to be revealed to the empire anyway.”
Did the two of them already know each other?
The Duke and Aaron’s gazes, who had been having a meaningful conversation, reached the Crown Prince.
“Do you need any other evidence other than the witnesses?”
“I hope to obtain the artifact/tool, if possible. It would be more certain if the Crown Prince had touched it and had something to do with Ancient Power.”
At that moment, the Prince remembered the artifact bracelet he had put on Hestel’s wrist.
The thing he was desperate for if ever she was caught.
But Birce could not have examined her ornaments in detail.
Soon Birce’s Black Knights came silently and arrested the Prince.
“Goodbye, Your Highness.”
The Duke’s voice rang unusually slowly.
The Prince forgot that he had been dragged away and stared blankly at the Duke.
‘Just now.’
It was because he felt a strange sense of surprise.
* * *
“So, the Crown Prince and the spy Hestel are now in Birce’s prison.”
Michael told Liarte the conclusion.
Carmen and Aaron were not present as they went out to find a means to end the Crown Prince.
Michael and Liarte were the only ones left on the top floor of the annex.
“I wish they’d pay for the crime.”
Liarte replied.
She didn’t feel any sympathy, knowing that the Crown Prince was treating Birce more moderately than how he had treated her.
“It’s been like that since the moment he was abandoned by the Empress.”
Michael sat beside Liarte.
In fact, this conversation was only meant to prevent silence from brewing between them.
“Liarte.”
Liarte had been a little conscious of Michael for a while.
She was sure he was thinking of asking if he could kiss her.
“You’re not going to ask today?”
Michael kissed her white and fine hands lightly.
“You have to ask me why I tried to kiss you.”
Although Liarte was perfectly lovable, he sometimes had the urge to tease her in a spiteful and insidious way.
“Why did you do that?”
Flinching, the moment Michael took her lips, her hand moved slightly.
He held her tender hands as if he knew but pretended not to know.
‘Don’t let yourself go.’
His emotions were already seething and filling, and they could no longer be stopped. It’s been like this since the moment he heard her say that his eyes were her world and everything.
“I love you, Liarte.”
At last, Michael confessed his raw feelings.
