Hwangseong (1)
city of the sun.
The capital of the empire, Zerdia, is a splendid city worthy of its nickname.
Along the huge river that runs through the center of the city, there are splendid buildings that seem to prove that it is the center of the empire.
The Duchy of Danehart was also prosperous enough, but not as splendid as this.
Libya, as expected, reacted with disdain.
She had already been to the capital several times regarding assassinations.
It wouldn’t have been a very unusual sight.
“Wow… .”
But Nias was different. Nias’s gaze was restlessly hanging outside the window.
Nias had never been to a large city of this size, let alone when he was the demon king, even after he was reincarnated in his present form.
‘I shouldn’t have brought you here.’
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Judging from Nias’ excitement, it might have been better here rather than the sea.
While slightly regretting her choice a few days ago, she recalled the smile she had at that time.
It didn’t look like much, so what happened? I decided to think so.
However, Nias did not openly show his excitement.
It must have been because of Yuria, who was sitting across from her.
Yuria’s complexion was not very good.
The reaction was not violent, but the slightly curled hands were clearly terrified.
It was impossible to get excited with YuRia like that in front of him.
“majesty.”
At my words, Yuria’s blue eyes turned toward me.
The slightly lowered corners of the eyes look depressed. It seemed to represent her feelings.
“yes.”
YuRia’s timid voice was heard.
For her, the capital is a place where trauma is concentrated.
The bad memories still come to mind.
‘That’s why I’m telling you not to think about it.’
I smiled bitterly and grabbed YuRia’s hand.
A small, warm hand fits comfortably in my hand.
That little warmth trembles softly.
“I will be by your side.”
At my words, Yuria gave a small smile.
“yes. Okay.”
Yuria’s answer was simple.
However, the trust in me that is melted in that answer is actually a dependence.
Tring!
Along with the sound of the system, there was the sound of her now accustomed dependency being filled.
It’s a system sound that doesn’t make any sense.
I turn off the system window, and instead see the scenery outside the carriage.
Among them, I watched the imperial castle approaching.
.
.
.
Nias and Livia let me stay in the VIP room they had prepared for me.
From now on, the place Yuria and I were going to was a place that the two of us couldn’t come.
“His Majesty the Emperor is waiting for you. Her Highness the Princess.”
The emperor’s scribe spoke in a calm tone. Yuria’s body stiffened with tension.
His expression hardened slightly.
As expected, it seemed that there was another instruction for me.
“And, if there is Prince Daninheart next to Her Highness, he told me to allow an audience with him… You are here. in reality.”
“yes.”
He looked like he didn’t understand.
I guess I don’t understand why I followed the princess, even though I didn’t write it down in the letter.
Indeed, those dubbed high-ranking nobles do not move lightly in official business.
You will be puzzled by me who suddenly came to me without saying anything.
“Yes. All right.”
That means that my prediction was correct.
“I will guide you.”
As I walked along with the scribe and glanced at him, Yuria was calm.
The consolation I gave earlier must have had some effect.
“Where are we going?”
After walking silently for a while, I realized that the direction was strange and asked the scribe.
“His Majesty told me to lead the two of you to the courtyard garden.”
“… okay.”
An audience with the emperor is extremely rare in a private space.
When you reach a high position in the empire, there are naturally many things to be wary of.
It is usually done in an audience room, under the gaze of escorts and government officials.
So we thought we would be ushered into the audience room.
Where we were headed was the exact opposite.
That meant that seeing us was very personal and highly confidential.
At that moment, I heard the sound of people moving in my ears.
I glanced at YuRia and turned my gaze to the corner where people would soon appear.
As soon as you think it’s a top secret, someone you know shows up right away.
Hwangseong is also a funny place.
“I will solve it. Be still.”
“yes?”
YuRia tilted her head as if wondering.
Not long after, YuRia’s face seemed to understand the meaning of my words, and the blood drained from her face.
Seeing the man appearing from across the corner, the scribe immediately bowed his head in courtesy.
“uh? It’s a coincidence.”
2nd Prince. Galant Rodmars said with a smile right after he appeared.
The intelligent, elegant and well-groomed prince smiled at Yuria.
“I didn’t know that my younger brother would show up in the imperial castle again.”
His vassals who followed Galland Rodmas laughed at the mocking words.
It wouldn’t be a real coincidence.
Gallant’s purpose was obvious.
An emperor who usually does not face anyone except for essential official duties.
He was trying to personally see the princess who had suddenly been pushed out of a power struggle.
I couldn’t understand the sudden behavior of the emperor, so I must have been anxious.
Since I didn’t have the confidence to ask the emperor directly, I moved to find out directly from Yuria.
“Oh, brother… ”
YuRia’s body was shaking greatly.
A power struggle in childhood. The man at the center was the one Yuria always had to keep an eye on. You never know when you’ll send an assassin. You never know when you’ll be stepped on in his eyes.
It was a natural reaction to seeing such childhood fears right in front of them.
And I hate to see her well-deserved reaction.
He reached out and touched YuRia’s hand.
Yuria’s blue eyes, which were getting wet, turned towards me. Eyes are shaking.
She seemed uneasy about her condition to the extent that she would normally be hugged and petted by me and bewildered.
“Only I think.”
I quietly whispered to her.
Her anxiety fades in the face of dependence.
That’s what they taught, and Yuria could be comfortable with it.
“… yes.”
After walking a little further, she came a little closer to me.
There was a sense of close distance that the shoulders were slightly bumping into each other.
He wants to get a little closer to me.
Normally, I would have been hugged, but it was the place where the emperor was. In addition, the second prince was in front of him.
As a princess, there was no way she could maintain the skin-to-skin closeness she had with men as usual.
“later.”
I said so.
So that she can hope for my words and dispel bad thoughts.
“… you?”
Gallant cast a strange look at YuRia and me.
His well-groomed appearance was beautiful, but he looked aggressive, perhaps because of his slightly curved eyes.
The blue eyes of the royal family that stay inside the sharp eyes are the same as those of Yuria.
The arrogance in those eyes might be evidence of noble blood flowing through them.
And Galland, unlike other incompetent princes, was a man with enough reason to be arrogant.
After graduating from the academy with excellent grades, she drew attention, and then made many great achievements in the war against the Eastern Federation countries, even with miraculous tactics, and was praised by the people of the Empire.
The nobles who supported him also had considerable power.
As if to prove it, there were several badges proudly attached to his chest.
“The Daneheart family… ”
My sensitive ears heard the entourage whispering to Gallant.
There’s really no way you don’t know about me, so of course it’s directing.
I mean I’m in the way. Is it the habit of the central aristocrats to express things in a roundabout way when they say good things and in a dark way when they say bad things in this way?
“Ah, Prince Daneheart. I remember now Excuse me. By the way… ”
Gallant slowly narrowed his brows.
“Isn’t your head too stiff?”
“Ah, yes. sorry. Stop it because Her Highness YuRia suddenly looked unwell.”
I glanced at Yuria as if concerned.
Yuria’s pale complexion gave a truly sickly impression.
Of course, this is also directing. He said that YuRia was in a bad condition because of you, so go away.
Let’s see where and how long it will go dark.
“The horse has bones.”
“No way.”
I laughed slyly.
The spirit of his vassals grew more and more ferocious.
In a low voice, I heard in my ears the words that they were rude, that they were spoiled children.
“I think you made a mistake by not showing respect for me because you were used to the culture of the academy, so I will forgive you.”
Galant’s voice was gradually mixed with annoyance.
Maybe it was a little rushed, but it was faster than expected.
He was in the middle of losing his position little by little compared to his older brother, the current crown prince.
He wants to be more advantageous than his older brother.
I greeted him politely, as if I had realized it belatedly.
“Oh, sorry. Highness Galant. I wasn’t able to show my respect because I was worried about Her Highness YuRia.”
Annoyance welled up on his face when he heard my sly words.
Even so, the reason why I kept my body as much as possible is because we are going to see the emperor soon.
“… If so, I respectfully ask. I’d like to speak to my sister in private. Would you mind stepping aside? Confucius.”
He said the word politely with a strong tone.
YuRia’s fingers gripped the hem of my clothes.
Its small weight is quite heavy.
“… sorry. majesty. It sounds like it will be difficult.”
Galant’s face quickly rotted away.
“You know I don’t have to ask for your permission. Confucius Daneheart. Because this is the imperial family’s business. If Gongja interferes further than this, I will not stand still.”
“What do you mean by not standing still?”
“That’s literally it. have you forgotten who i am Confucius.”
As the heir to the throne with the support of many aristocrats, he certainly had the power to do so.
The Danehart family is also a highly honored family. However, that didn’t mean power right away.
My father was the kind of man who didn’t run for power.
He has almost no social relations with the imperial family or other nobles, and he only protects his territory with dignity. Naturally, the influence of the family was quite weak.
In this situation, it would be difficult for the nobles who support Gallant to cut off trade with the territory according to his order.
Because the land is not fertile.
His threats were certainly menacing. fatally.
“Let’s sort out useless conversations now. Come here. YuRia.”
The prince sighed coldly and grabbed YuRia’s slender wrist as if snatching it.
“… Awesome!”
YuRia, who grabbed her wrist, trembled slightly.
Efforts to be as resolute as possible were evident.
However, Galland was not so clumsy as to not notice the strangeness in her attitude.
“Well?”
Galant’s eyes fixed on YuRia’s face became sharper and sharper.
“Am I that scary? under. You have changed a lot too. I’m weak. I wanted to see your fierce and blunt face again.”
“I-I… ”
“Why does His Majesty want you… done. now you can see let’s go.”
Gallant pulled YuRia’s arm roughly as if he were going to pull it off.
Yuria fluttered like paper and was dragged away without energy.
“Leon… ”
Yuria’s blurred eyes passed me by.
Before that pitiful murmur was over, I firmly gripped the prince’s wrist.
“… What does this hand mean?”
“It means putting off the sad talk with Her Highness Yuria until later. Because I was called by His Majesty the Emperor.”
“If His Majesty had called for an urgent matter, he would not have entrusted the guidance of you to the scribe alone. It is a useless meddling.”
His cold voice was like a wall.
He seemed to have no intention of leaving.
It seemed inevitable now.
I smiled and walked closer to him.
and said in a whisper.
“Then would it be all right for me to reveal Your Highness’s secret?”
“what… ?”
“About why you knew about the meeting between His Majesty the Emperor and Her Highness Yuria.”
Having said that, I laughed. Conversely, Galant’s face hardened quickly enough to be called instant.