Dylan’s sky-blue pupils, which had been soft and warm as he looked at his daughter, suddenly buzzed with murderous intent.
Bang! The next sound was Dylan slamming his hand onto the table.
“What did you just say? She’s lying?”
“Yes, that is what I said. Ah, but then again… aren’t lies as natural to demons as the air they breathe?”
“This wretched—!”
Dylan shot up from his seat, his voice exploding in rage. The officials nearby flinched like startled birds and instinctively drew back in their chairs.
It was as if his tiger-like ferocity had sent a shockwave through the room.
“Are you seriously speaking of ‘wretched’ while addressing an archbishop of the Holy Nation? Ha! In my view, the true wretched one is the Kinzell who defies the natural order and commands the dead!”
Bang! Bang! The young emperor, who had been watching the argument with his chin propped up and an expression of disinterest, hit the armrest of his chair.
“Enough. That’s enough from both of you.”
With that, he let out a sharp yawn, still showing traces of fatigue from his recent trip.
He filled his glass with a measure of amber-colored liquor.
“I do not wish for you to start a war. As you well know, the Kinzell family has long been loyal subjects of the Hwig Empire. They have protected the royal family through many threats and wars. And the Holy Nation here…”
As the grand hall sank into silence, the emperor extended his glass toward the delegates of the Holy Nation.
“If I recall correctly, the Holy Nation is where those tasked with upholding the Empire’s legally sanctioned faith gather, isn’t it?”
Finishing his words, the emperor rose abruptly from his seat, clearly eager to bring the meeting to a swift conclusion.
“All right, that’s settled. Mediation complete!”
Rocinel smiled as he looked around the room.
Ivyn was left utterly speechless, unable to form a single word.
“No!”
Her voice, small but piercing like a dagger, made the emperor, who had been about to leave the hall, stop dead in his tracks.
“What?”
Rocinel’s platinum-colored eyebrows lifted ever so slightly.
It seemed to say, Now that you’ve spoken, let’s see what else you’ve got.
And it wasn’t only Rocinel who had turned his attention to her.
Everyone in the conference hall was watching her.
The officials began murmuring to each other in low tones, exchanging uneasy glances.
“This is… well, this doesn’t seem right…”
“This? What about it?”
“That…”
“?”
“They… They imprisoned me without a single shred of evidence! Just on suspicion alone! I don’t think this is something that can simply be brushed aside so lightly.”
“Lightly, you say…”
The emperor mulled over Ivyn’s words, his gaze shifting toward the delegates of the Holy Nation.
He studied them cautiously, as though he were trying to gauge something.
“…”
Archbishop Bernas’s face was still rigid with anger, every muscle locked tight.
Their eyes met for only the briefest instant, yet Ivyn didn’t miss the faint undercurrent that passed between them.
It was, ironically enough, the young Emperor who seemed to be pressing on the much older Archbishop and the Holy Nation’s delegates.
“Hmm…”
Rocinel tilted his head slightly toward the upright figure of Ivyn.
“Lady Kinzell, come with me for a moment.”
“But Your Majesty! My daughter—!”
Dylan burst out, unable to contain himself at the Emperor’s suggestion.
“Lord Dylan,” the Emperor replied smoothly, “your daughter seems quite tense, standing here before everyone. I merely wish to speak with her somewhere quieter—somewhere more comfortable.”
More comfortable… Who could truly feel at ease speaking freely in a room with the emperor alone?
Whether the young emperor knew the contradiction in his words or not, he strode leisurely out of the audience hall.
A host of court officials and imperial guards followed in his wake.
“He wants to speak with me… separately?”
Ivyn hesitated, her expression stiff and unsure, when the emperor’s aide approached her and Dylan.
“His Majesty wishes to speak briefly with Young Lady Kinzell. It seems he wants to offer some words of consolation.”
At this point, it was no different from receiving a royal decree.
Understanding the situation, Dylan let out a short, resigned sigh.
Then, leaning down gently toward his daughter, who was pressed close to him, he spoke warmly.
“Vyn, just tell His Majesty honestly what happened to you. Don’t worry, Dad will be right by the door to protect you, so don’t worry too much. My brave girl can do this, just like before, right?”
“Yes…”
“You are the brightest jewel and the pride of our Kinzell family. Stand tall before the Emperor. Don’t shrink back!”
Dylan extended his large hands, straightening his daughter’s slumped shoulders.
Dylan reached out his large hand and gently straightened his daughter’s slumped shoulders.
“Our little princess, you can do it!”
“Y-yes!”
Ivyn clenched her small fist firmly and waved it toward Dylan before following the emperor’s aide.
She wasn’t sure how long it took to cross that vast—wide as the back of a whale—corridor.
After a long walk, she finally reached the audience chamber.
The young emperor, who had set out before her, was slouched on the throne as if he were a pile of wet laundry, waiting for her.
Ivyn approached the throne and once again bowed politely.
The Emperor said nothing for a moment, merely studying her in silence.
His gaze was the same as it had been in the conference hall—careful, as though he were taking in every detail of a painting.
Those pale blue eyes of hers seemed timid at first glance, yet gleamed with quiet intelligence.
Even in her slightly withdrawn posture, there was an undeniable elegance born of the Kinzell noble lineage.
In that moment, the young emperor’s mind was filled with pure, unrestrained curiosity, bubbling like a mid-summer fountain.
“Ivyn Kinzell.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“According to my reports, you snuck out of the Kinzell residence under the cover of night. Is this true?”
“It is.”
“So then… what is it that you want? Revenge? Or the restoration of your honor?”
TL Note:
Hello~ Elle here. I took my sweet time doing updates, I know.
Piaf, my baby princess kitten and soulmate, urgently needs surgery. The cost is far beyond what I can handle alone, so I’ve prepared some special challenges to turn every bit of support into hope for her.
💬 Challenge #1: Every 5 unique comments = 1 extra chapter
💖 Challenge #2: Every 10 NU votes = 2 extra chapters
☕ Challenge #3: Every $15 on my Ko-fi goal = 3 extra chapters
Every comment, vote, and donation brings us one step closer to her surgery.
Thank you, truly, for supporting us.
