Chapter 129
Translator: Lunarise
Editor: Larkspur
“Could the Grand Duke’s wife be thinking the same thing?”
Lustian thought of Anne who was full of ambition to become Empress. She was a two-faced woman who pretended to be innocent in order to get his attention when she had first arrived as a candidate for the crown princess but then was revealed to be someone who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. It was she who told on Guinev when she escaped, so he was already aware of her duality.
“Since she is my wife, I shall do my best to comfort her,” Ivan said.
“That’s unexpected. It seems as though you would never give her your heart.” Lustian retorted.
“If it means keeping the peace for everyone, I’m willing to accept my fate…,” Ivan said resignedly.
“Of course. If you’re standing by my side, the pleasure is all mine.”
The two men laughed. Then, they sat in front of each other as they drank tea.
“How does it feel to be a father?” Ivan asked.
“The whole world seems beautiful.”
“Is it different from how you love Her Highness?”
“When you too become a father, you will see.”
Though there was much to be resolved, it didn’t seem like there wasn’t a way out. As the saying goes, where there’s will there’s a way, he couldn’t give up.
“To think that the child would become God’s Companion as soon as her identity was revealed… What kind of a destiny is this?” Ivan remarked.
“I feel the same way. I don’t even know what God wants.”
“So what do you intend to do hereon? The longer you keep putting off your duties, the more the seeds of the kingdom will dry up.”
“We shall battle.”
“Excuse me?” Ivan looked at him, baffled.
“I shall battle God.”
“…!!!”
Lustian had thought as far as going to war with God. If it meant he could be a protector, he was not afraid in the least.
After much silence, a heavy sigh escaped Ivan’s mouth.
“I already knew you were always fearless, but a human challenging God… All right. If that is your decision, I shall follow suit. But before that, I’ll have to make sure she doesn’t notice.”
♛
After Ivan was sent off, Lustian was deep in thought. In order to face God, he needed a formidable army.
The knights in the Blood Army were skillful, but that wasn’t enough. At the very least, he needed several knights that reached the point of mastery and escort them. The knights that reached the point of mastery were valuable to the point where you could barely find them within the continent. Could this be a stroke of luck? Thankfully, Lustian could find them easily in a nearby place.
Even Ivan has reached the point of mastery…
The first person he would meet was Paul. He searched for that man who was full of loyalty for Viola. He was able to leave the workhouse yesterday. He planned to present him with clothes of good material and food, and have him rest in a warm place.
As soon as the door opened, a sharp object flew in Lustian’s direction. However, the sword could not pierce him and instead bounced off. It was because he had an aura around his body. This was a defense technique that only Grand Masters could use.
The man stared at Lustian with wide eyes.
Lustian handed the sword on the ground to its owner. “I am not the one you should face. You must face God. Paul, I ask you. Are you willing to risk your life to protect Viola?”
♛
Rosha flung the door open and walked in. Viola stopped combing Guinev’s hair and looked at the maid standing through the mirror.
“M-my em-empress… There… Sir Paul….”
“What about Paul? Rosha!”
Just then, a shadow hung over Rosha. It was Paul. Knowing that it had been a month since Viola saw him after he was taken to the workhouse, she couldn’t help but grab his hand.
Paul withdrew his hand away, knelt, and swore to be her liege in front of her. “My king still remains to be Your Highness. However, for the moment, I plan to serve someone else.”
“…What?! What do you—”
RIght then, Lustian showed himself as if he was waiting. He smiled brightly when he saw Viola.
“I hired him as a mercenary. From now on, he will protect me as a knight.”
“Your Highness?!”
“His training has been lax, but with rigorous training from now on, he will grow to be a valiant knight. In addition, there are a lot of beautiful ladies who have yet to marry.” Lustian looked at Rosha and grinned.
Rosha turned red in the face.
It was a bit surprising, but she welcomed Paul becoming a knight again after escaping the workhouse. Viola glanced at Rosha. Now it seemed like Rosha had feelings for Paul. Paul’s ears became red every time he looked at Rosha.
Viola fluttered her eyes shut. Come to think of it, they had drawn close while spending eight years in the forest. He was a perfect fit for Rosha. She had always wanted to find a good partner for her, but she didn’t expect that he would be right in front of her.
Since Lustian was with the empress, everyone else took the hint and left the room. Guinev also got up as soon as she heard Lustian’s voice. Unable to see, she was fumbling about until Rosha helped her.
Just as Lustian was passing her by, he opened his mouth. “Guinev, I shall make sure your eyes are fixed.”
“Th-Thank you, Your Highness….”
The overwhelming feeling he usually felt when he saw Guinev disappeared. This made Viola proud. She was happier than ever seeing everyone becoming one. Lustian went right up to her, grabbed her hip, and kissed her.
“It hasn’t even been that long since you went off to deal with imperial affairs… You’re really doing this again?”
“Have you forgotten? I was the one who came to see you multiple times a day even during my days as the crown prince.”
“Well, that was because we were young.”
“You talk as if we’re old now.”