Chapter 91………………………………………
: An Unexpected Guest
Boutique Éclatant only accepts a very select few customers.
It was long past the time it should have closed, yet the lights in the shop burned brightly.
This was because the reserved guest who had said they would visit today had still not arrived.
The shop owner kept glancing toward the door, muttering to herself.
“What’s going on? They’ve never been late for an appointment before…”
Previously, Princess Reina, who had liked the red veil dress, had said she would come again to have it tailored.
That day was today.
In the streets of the capital, rumors were spreading that Dietrich, the Commander of the Royal Knights, had rebelled, and the emperor was imprisoned.
For today only, several torch-bearing knights patrolled the streets under the pretense of inspection, searching every corner.
Most of the people of Abelon were devout.
The main temple, the center of faith, had been burned, and the emperor, a symbol of Abelon, was imprisoned.
The frightened populace began rioting everywhere.
- “This is all the witch Selia Brillion’s fault!”
Selia Brillion.
A woman of striking beauty with snow-white skin, shimmering silver hair, and green eyes reminiscent of a clear forest—someone unforgettable at first glance.
Men of navy blue eyes, famed high priests, even royalty—many were enchanted by her beauty and met miserable ends.
It was said that Selia was originally an old, ugly crone who disguised herself as a beautiful woman by absorbing the life force of men.
Even the usually indifferent Royal Knight Commander had supposedly become her lover, threatening to destroy Abelon entirely.
People who had once praised Selia now spread vile rumors about her.
Jealousy, envy, desire for what they could not have, and inferiority—every negative emotion combined to brand Selia as a “witch” in the eyes of the public.
The long-time owner of Éclatant knew better than anyone that people’s words could be far more cruel than any sword.
Rumors are merciless.
With enough will, people could be made into a saint or a witch destined to be torn apart.
Believing a rumor without verifying it firsthand is sheer foolishness.
Ding—
The sound of the clock striking midnight rang.
The shop owner sighed and prepared to close the shop.
She moved toward the door to turn off the lights and remove the “Open” sign.
Cling—
A clear bell rang as an unexpected guest entered.
It was a man draped head to toe in a black robe.
When he finally threw back the hood, a handsome young man appeared, with silvery hair tinged dark gray and lake-blue eyes.
It was unmistakable.
“Oh my!”
The shop owner gasped in surprise.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor!”
The young man was Illeon. He smiled, eyes slightly closed, toward the shop owner.
“I hear Reina has been troubling you, Madam. She’s always been a bit spoiled, so I hope you’ll understand.”
Despite him being the emperor, the shop owner could not help but speak with genuine admiration at Illeon, who had come to the boutique on behalf of his sister.
Imprisoned or not, rumors are just rumors, after all.
“Your Majesty visiting the boutique in person… I don’t know what to say. Actually, today was Princess Reina’s reserved appointment for taking measurements.”
Illeon nodded knowingly.
“Yes, it was supposed to be her measuring day. She caught a cold and couldn’t come today.”
“I see…”
The shop owner let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.
Unlike Reina, who was difficult and temperamental, Illeon was incredibly gentle.
Even though they were from the same Duke Gredrick family, their personalities could not have been more different.
Of course, the shop owner had no way of knowing that it was Illeon who had spoiled Reina, ultimately leading her to death.
But she did find it slightly odd that the emperor himself had come to her boutique at night wearing a black robe outside the palace.
“…When is the next reserved guest?”
Illeon asked, eyes slightly closed.
The shop owner bowed and replied.
“The current dress being made will take some time, so the next guest will come in about a month.”
“So, will the shop be closed until then?”
Although she found his question strange, the shop owner answered honestly.
“Yes, Your Majesty. We close the shop and focus on making the clothes.”
“Impressive, Madam. Truly deserving of the title of the capital’s finest boutique. I see why Reina only has her dresses made here.”
“Y-Your Majesty… I’m at a loss for words at your praise.”
Her cheeks flushed.
It was late at night, and with the lights off, the boutique was very dark. She tried to turn the lights back on, but Illeon stopped her.
“There’s no need to turn on the lights.”
Illeon smiled faintly.
Thud—
A sound pierced her skin, and a terrible pain shot through her stomach.
Blood gushed from her mouth.
“…Uh, uh?”
The shop owner stared pale-faced at the knife in her stomach.
The one who had stabbed her was Illeon.
He withdrew the knife and thrust it into the same spot once more.
The shop owner collapsed to the floor, her voice breaking apart.
“…w-why….”
Her eyes slowly closed.
Illeon looked down at the lifeless woman with cold eyes.
A large shadow fell behind him.
It was Balt.
He glanced between the dead woman at his feet and Illeon, his face contorted.
“You didn’t say you’d do something like this before leaving prison. I thought you’d go straight to your territory once you were free.”
“…Balt.”
Illeon casually wiped the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand.
“Dietrich has released all the palace knights. Naturally, there will be people at my estate and at the gates. Even if we go to the territory with your help, it will be too late.”
“So that justifies killing an innocent person?”
Balt shouted angrily.
Illeon shrugged at the enraged Balt.
“We have different views. If hundreds or thousands of innocents die, it’s fine as long as Abelon remains intact.”
Balt gritted his teeth at how Illeon treated human lives worse than insects.
“So you no longer even bother hiding your true nature. I wasn’t planning to get you out of prison.”
“Balt. Do you know the ‘ability’ that the princess possesses?”
Illeon changed the subject masterfully.
Balt, knowing he was being manipulated, was dying of curiosity about what Illeon meant.
“…What ability?”
“The scar on your cheek. You didn’t remember anything when the princess caused it, right?”
Balt flinched at Illeon’s words.
It was true.
He had mocked Selia, claiming that if she so much as scratched his face, he would obey her.
And Selia had indeed left a scar on Balt’s cheek. A scar no one else had ever caused.
“The princess possesses an ability unknown to us. It’s probably something like controlling an opponent’s movements. Even you, a Swordmaster, were caught off guard, so it must be very powerful.”
Balt’s gray eyes trembled at Illeon’s words.
“So that’s how she killed the cautious old emperor—with that formidable ability.”
Illeon’s eyes flickered with interest, and Balt shuddered at the sight of his manic profile.
“I’ll explain the rest after you clean up the body. We’ll be staying in this boutique for a while.”
In the end, the cleanup was Balt’s responsibility.
“Since there’s no news from the gates, it’s certain Illeon is in the capital. But it’s hard to pinpoint his exact location. We’ve searched everywhere he might go, including his villa, but there’s no significant result.”
Dietrich’s words made Selia sigh deeply.
“So you’re saying we leave at dawn to find Illeon?”
“Yes. The longer we wait, the worse it gets.”
“Take me with you.”
Selia’s words narrowed Dietrich’s eyes.
Outside the palace, people were already clamoring to hand Selia over.
They demanded the witch Selia be burned, cursing her with all manner of vile insults, some even threatening to storm the palace.
Dietrich had his knights arrest anyone calling Selia a witch, but there were too many, and the prisons were full.
The Brillion family, in particular, was leading the charge, inciting others against Selia while avoiding the knights’ eyes.
“Filthy rats.”
With so much to worry about, taking Selia outside could lead to disaster.
But leaving her in the palace was equally dangerous.
After a moment of consideration, Dietrich gave Selia the answer she wanted.
“Alright. At dawn, we’ll leave together.”
Selia smiled brightly at Dietrich’s words.
A smile so lovely it could make the moon jealous.
Dietrich, seeing her smile, gently stroked her cheek and added:
“But, there’s a condition.”
