Episode 148
“Ahem…….”
Elcai let out another long hum.
He remained that way for a long while with a face carefully choosing his words, then opened his mouth in a low, cautious tone.
“To be honest, we cannot give you something better than the Imperial Family. In terms of material aspects, they would naturally be superior.”
Moreover, since there were those within the family siding with them, no matter how good a thing they prepared here, it would be over the moment the information leaked.
Because they would prepare something far better than what was already arranged.
“So we intend to offer something other than material goods.”
“By ‘something other,’ you mean?”
“A solid alliance that will not falter regardless of whatever situation arises.”
An alliance? Asil blinked at the unexpected word.
Arcian also frowned and asked back, not immediately understanding.
“An alliance…… you say?”
“That is right. It is something the Imperial Family can never grant you.”
“Once exchange begins, the two nations will naturally form an alliance. Surely, you haven’t received intelligence that the Imperial Family will start a war as soon as the exchange begins?”
“It is not that. However, as a citizen of the Empire, I am ashamed, but I wish to say that the current Imperial Family cannot be trusted.”
Elcai took a sip of tea.
“As Count Erzébet, you have been in the Empire for a long time, so you know well, but seven years ago, the Imperial Family admitted the hastiness of driving out Ikart for the crime of losing the divine beast, and promised not to raise any objection to Edenber’s title as Duke.”
“That was indeed the case.”
“But how is it now?”
They caused a rift within the family using the pretext of the divine beast spending more time with the former head.
When Edenber clashed with them, such as by opposing the war with the shifters, they shook the hearts of the ducal house’s vassals to weaken his power.
Elcai asked a question as if testing Arcian.
“If they act this way toward their own fellow citizens, would they be any less toward shifters? They would be more extreme, not less.”
“It was a point we had kept in mind to some extent.”
“We are different from the Imperial Family. The Monlepe ducal house can promise to stand with the shifters until the very moment the name of Monlepe is erased from the Empire. This is not just my will, but also the thought of the current head, Edenber. And also……”
Elcai glanced at Asil.
“Unlike the Imperial Family, it could also be
formed through a sincere marriage alliance—”
Pasak.
The teacup of Snowa, who had been sitting quietly until then, shattered. He had unconsciously applied sudden strength at the word ‘marriage.’
“…….”
While Snowa glared at Elcai with burning golden eyes, Todori, who had been hiding inside, quickly began to clear away the broken glass pieces along with Bam-bam.
Arcian, wearing a smile for treating guests, tried to refresh the atmosphere.
“It seems the cup was weak and broke.”
“Hmm. Since Asil and the Duke of Monlepe are fond of each other, an alliance through marriage—”
Pasak.
This time, the cup Arcian was holding broke.
Arcian looked down at the broken cup expressionlessly, then smiled and spoke with a face that looked like something terrible would happen if even the ‘m’ of marriage was mentioned.
“Anyway, I understand well that you are more trustworthy than the Imperial Family.”
“Dad, your hand is bleeding.”
“Oh, Asil. It’s okay because something like this all goes away if Asil gives it a little ‘hoo’ blow.”
“……I hope you will convey this well to your
King. The tea was excellent.”
Elcai, delivering a quick greeting in the ominous atmosphere, left the drawing room.
While doing so, he spotted a long-tailed tit on the window frame with a menacing gaze as if it were about to attack him at any moment.
Though its body was small, the aura it gave off was extraordinary. It felt like facing a wild beast baring sharp fangs.
Elcai muttered subconsciously.
“My word, that is a long-tailed tit that would even eat a lizard.”
Was it just a feeling? The long-tailed tit seemed to act slightly proud.
After Elcai returned, Asil ate a late lunch and went back to her room to lie on the bed for a nap.
As she stroked Todori on her stomach and bantered with Bam-bam, who was coiled by her head, Snowa lay down beside her, huffing.
“I don’t like that human. Why is he talking to you about a marriage alliance or whatever!”
“Is your hand okay?”
Asil checked Snowa’s hand that had broken the teacup.
Hmm, it was perfectly fine without a single small wound.
Asil didn’t know, but in fact, earlier Arcian had only made it look like it was bleeding with illusion magic just to receive a breath of air from Asil; he wasn’t actually hurt.
Snowa grumbled sulkily.
“Asil, you have to live with me forever. If you really want to live with the Duke…… let’s think about it after living with me for about 70 years.”
“Then I’ll be a grandma.”
“Even if you become a grandma, it can’t be helped. This is me making a huge concession. Because you seem to care about the Duke a lot. More importantly, when are you going to duel the Duke?”
“I don’t know.”
Since her heart thumped and her face flushed every time she saw Edenber, she felt she had to do it quickly, but Edenber seemed like he didn’t want to duel.
So she subtly shifted the subject to something else.
“I hope Mom and Dad side with Edenber.”
“Actually, it’s better to form a connection with the Imperial Family than a ducal house. That alliance proposed by the Monlepe ducal house is also something that can be nullified at any time.”
“Edenber and Grandfather aren’t those kinds of humans. They are all trustworthy humans!”
“Those humans could be deceiving you. Anyway, that’s why Mom and Dad are also deliberating, but it seems there is one thing bothering them.”
“Something bothering them?”
Asil turned only her head to look at Snowa.
Snowa had a more serious expression than ever before.
“Yeah. The Crown Prince.”
“Why? Because he’s mean?”
“No, rather than that—you, do you know why Mom came to the Empire?”
“I don’t know. I think she said she was looking for something.”
“They say a snake shifter half-blood is hiding here. He doesn’t just hate shifters; he supposedly intends to use humans to wipe us out.”
……Intending to wipe us out. He is a truly dangerous human—no, shifter half-blood.
Feeling her hair stand on end, Asil reflexively hugged Todori tightly.
Todori, suddenly pressed by a strong force like a bolt from the blue, made a “kyu-wek” sound.
“But they say that might be the Crown Prince.”
“What? But the Crown Prince is a human. I didn’t even feel the wavelength shifters have when they humanize.”
“You can’t feel the wavelength of a half-blood originally, and they say that side can’t feel our wavelength either. If they could, we would have been caught as shifters long ago.”
Snowa, with his arms crossed, turned onto his side.
“Anyway, Mom and Dad find the Crown Prince suspicious. Even the mother Basilisk we rescued last time said she smelled a snake from the Crown Prince. But since the opponent is the Crown Prince, they apparently can’t investigate in detail and are only suspecting.”
“I saw the Crown Prince yesterday, so that’s a shame. How can I check if he’s a shifter half-blood?”
“They say the simplest way is to touch Basilisk venom to the skin.”
“What?!”
“Kuruk?!”
Startled, Asil jumped up. Bam-bam, also startled, shot his body upright.
Snowa continued nonchalantly.
“They say if the venom touches, the magic in that area will melt away for a moment. If the Crown Prince is really a snake shifter half-blood, the skin that touched the venom will return to its original form.”
“What if he isn’t a shifter half-blood?”
“There won’t be any change. The problem is the venom entering the bloodstream; simply touching the skin is fine.”
“I see.”
Asil swallowed hard.
If she had known this sooner, she would have put the mother Basilisk’s venom on a handkerchief and lightly touched him yesterday.
Right then, Snowa warned sharply.
“Don’t go trying to do it yourself. If it gets on your hand by mistake, your humanization will be erased.”
“I know.”
Even while answering that way, Asil decided to prepare the venom and a handkerchief secretly from her brother.
Since she frequently entered the Imperial Palace for matters regarding the Divine Beast Thanksgiving Festival, she planned to subtly touch him with the venom-soaked handkerchief when she had the chance.
A few days later.
Asil was able to get a chance to meet Reinhardt.
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