Chapter 6
It was similar to a white pebble, but the mysterious energy surrounding it revealed that it was not an ordinary thing.
It was an oracle stone, a stone that contained an oracle.
As soon as it touched Lennox’s hand, the stone emitted a blue light and began to draw something in the air.
It drew with strange characters that were not used anywhere else on this continent.
It quickly completed a short sentence.
Instead of observing the letters since he didn’t know what they meant, Edwin observed other things.
It was all because the mysterious oracle could only be deciphered by the duke in front of him.
Lennox only stared at the letters with a dull, dry face as usual.
Some time had passed.
The letters that were drawn in the air disappeared and scattered a blue powder.
At the same time, the stone with mysterious energy became an ordinary white stone.
“What did it say?”
“I don’t know.”
“An Epure has awakened, right?”
Lennox didn’t answer. It was as if he agreed with Edwin.
“That’s right! I knew it! Did you get that feeling right away when you heard the oracle was down? So, first, let’s just post an article…”
“Article?”
“Hmf!”
Edwin, who had stopped talking with excitement, quickly shut his mouth.
Lennox felt a rushing headache and pressed his forehead.
“So that’s why you came up with this crazy plan.”
“Who did you think all of this was for?”
Lennox pretended not to hear that and said sarcastically,
“It was because the Crown Prince is so thoughtless. Indeed, the future of the empire is bright.”
“What’s more definite than this? You’re going to look for all the women in the empire and ask them one by one, ‘Have you ever seen blue smoke on your hands?’”
“…”
‘He’s annoying.’
Lennox shut his mouth.
The future emperor who sat in front of him knew a lot more about himself than necessary.
Edwin was not an ordinary guy since he was a kid, even though his height was only around Lennox’s waist before.
“I admit that the method was unscrupulous. But, if you couldn’t find an Epure like this, what else would you do?”
Lennox was silent.
“And maybe this time, the duke will get married…”
“Edwin Roam Balkan.”
“Yes.”
“Do the imperial doctors say there is nothing wrong with your head?”
“They say I have a strong body and a smart brain.”
Despite the critical blow, Edwin playfully responded.
But shortly thereafter, his face became more serious.
The main topic started now.
“But, Duke, you need an Epure.”
All of a sudden, Edwin lowered his voice.
“Desperately.”
“…”
Lennox clenched his fists, remembering the sacred stone in his arms.
It was similar in size to an oracle stone, but it looked like a blue gem rather than a stone.
The stone, which had been silent the whole time, began to vibrate for the first time.
It vibrated, and a faint blue light surrounded the sacred stone.
In fact, what Edwin did was only a secondary reason, this was the real reason Lennox rushed to the palace.
‘An Epure.’
He wanted to confirm that this premonition was true, and it was right.
At last, an Epure was awakened.
It had been a long wait.
However, Lennox found himself surprisingly calm.
Edwin tilted his head as if it was surprising to see him like that.
“Weren’t you waiting for an Epure to appear? Don’t you feel excited?”
Ignoring the question he heard, Lennox thought to himself.
It was something he had been waiting for a long time, but when it actually appeared, he felt nothing.
Rather, he had no expectation.
What’s the point now?
The feeling of hope, expectation, and excitement had already long gone inside him.
“I’m not interested in Epures.”
Then Edwin’s eyes widened as if he had heard something surprising.
“Why not?”
“Even without an Epure, Kravant and the empire would survive.”
“But, Duke-”
“Stop. It’s none of your business.”
Lennox cut him off.
“Anyway, stop talking nonsense. Each newspaper should have been contacted by now, so the correction article will come out tomorrow.”
When Lennox got up after he finished talking, Edwin asked a question.
“You’re really not interested?”
“What?”
“If the duke doesn’t want to, then I’ll meet the Epure instead.”
Lennox’s eyebrows twitched.
“What do you mean?”
“As you know, the Crown Princess’s seat is vacant. I don’t even have a fiancée.”
Lennox grabbed the crown prince’s neck in an instant.
His body that had been seated was dragged halfway up into the air, but Edwin didn’t care.
“See, you’re interested in the Epure.”
“…”
“Is it because of the curse?”
Lennox gritted his teeth at the question.
Edwin continued,
“If it’s really an Epure, we must have a way to find them.”
“If your life is not worth it, talk more.”
Lennox murmured coldly, applying strength to his clenched fist.
Edwin knew that he was speaking the truth and immediately shut his mouth.
Only then did Lennox release his grasp.
Edwin’s body slumped back onto the sofa.
He sighed and shook his head as if he couldn’t help it.
“Then what will you do?”
“Leave it alone. Do nothing.”
What?
Edwin looked at him with astonishment, but Lennox turned around without even paying attention to his gaze.
“You’d better keep my words in mind. No matter what, it really is a rare chance.”
It was enough for him to be given dreadful obligations.
Even if she was a purifier, would she be able to withstand the stench of his filthy sin?
Maybe it would be better for the woman whose name he didn’t know to live without knowing that she was an Epure for the rest of her life.
Lennox smirked and walked out to the door. Edwin screamed hastily from behind.
“Hey! If you miss it this time, you’ll never know when another opportunity will come!”
The man’s expression began to crumble.
Chances were… probably never again.
But wasn’t that the ending the nobles wanted? It was the will of the merciless yet cruel God.
He quickly returned to his usual expression and smiled coldly.
“I don’t care.”
It took a full day to put the plan into action.
In a space that was damp from the rain last night and even smelled horrible, Ash said with a frown on its face,
[Olivia, no matter how much I think about it, I don’t think this is right.]
“I can’t help it. This is the only way to get out of the house without getting caught.”
Why would I do this if I could ride a carriage with elegance and dignity?
The place we hid was in a large wagon.
The wagon had a rough shape with four sides surrounded by wooden boards and covered with a cloth on a thin pole.
Inside the wagon, all sorts of things were there and unorganized.
I wiped the dust off the sack in a corner and sat down on it.
“It’s not that far away, so bear with it even if it’s uncomfortable.”
Riding in the wagon like this was no problem. I just needed to brush off the dust, and the smell was bearable.
…I certainly thought so.
But there was something unexpected.
“Ugh!”
[Olivia, are you okay?]
“No, I think I’m going to die… Ugh!”
Inside the wagon that was shaking, I was nauseous.
It was a catastrophe brought on by myself, not knowing how terrifying the shaking of the cheap wagon was.
‘How the hell did Olivia ride this?’
The reason I’m in this wagon was simple.
Because it was the method Olivia in the original used whenever she went out secretly.
Of course, I didn’t believe in the original story, which made me doubt it every time.
However, behind the barn, there was a wagon identical to the original description.
Even the description of farm tools and pieces of firewood scattered all over the place was accurate.
So I believed it, but there must have been some kind of trap hidden there.
Thanks to that, I was hit directly with terrible motion sickness.
[Olivia! Don’t throw up!]
At least I’m lucky that I won’t be able to hear any sound outside due to the loud noise of the wagon…
The food that I ate at lunch, which had to wait quietly for digestion in the stomach, was constantly trying to escape.
In a direction that counters gravity.