Chapter 136
“Daphne! Lady Daphne!”
Theodor’s eyes welled up with tears. He wiped them away on his forearm, feeling utterly helpless, as if he wanted to run straight into the training ground.
But Gerald gripped him firmly.
“Daaaphne!”
Theodor’s voice rang loudly inside the training ground.
“4 minutes 20 seconds. Lady Daphne Schumayer declares she does not give up.”
“Get up, Daphne!”
At the captain of the knights’ declaration, Theodor shouted with all his strength.
Ugh…
Daphne twitched.
“I… won’t give up.”
She pressed her knees together, pushing herself off the floor with both hands, shouting her determination.
“Go, Daphne! Stay strong, Daphne!”
She straightened her back, wobbling as she rose, gripping her sword tightly and biting her lip, returning to her stance.
Sinclair bit her lip as well.
“30 seconds. Now, within 30 seconds, you must seize the cloth tied around Sir Ariel’s waist.”
“I… can do it!”
Daphne squeezed out the last of her strength and shouted.
“Start!”
The captain of the Schlesen Palace knights took out a round stopwatch made of magic stone from his vest pocket and pressed the start button.
If Daphne could pull this off… what would they do?
For the first time, Gerald felt genuinely worried.
Inside the Imperial Palace, Empress’s quarters
“Daphne becoming a knight of Schlesen Palace?”
The Empress’s lips curved all the way to her ears as she read the letter sent by Jan.
How fortunate.
Kenneth shook his head as he imagined Daphne wielding a sword wildly in the shelter.
To protect the Crown Prince, it would make sense to make Daphne the Crown Princess for now.
But after the Crown Prince ascends the throne?
That would be another matter.
Surely, the Schumayer family would continue to manipulate the Emperor to their advantage, just as before.
Wouldn’t it be better to have Beatrice of the Jubierus family as the Crown Princess instead?
At least the Emperor would obey the Jubierus family, keeping the Crown Prince safe, and they could also control the Chancellor’s office.
And if Beatrice demonstrated extraordinary skills like a divine instrument, all the better.
Then Alfred’s position would be secure.
Still, even if Daphne became a knight, they couldn’t predict how Bodrina Sanghwang would react. Maybe it was time to hold a family council soon.
Heather had planned to request the Crown Princess selection right after returning from the theater, but Bodrina Sanghwang beat her to it.
At the time, they had been nervously hoping Daphne might be chosen, and now it had actually happened.
For the first time in a while, they felt relief.
Inside the VIP room of Schlesen Palace
Only Gerald, Sinclair, and the Schumayer Marquess couple were seated.
At the request of Marquess Themistos Schumayer, all attendants had been dismissed.
On the table lay the red ribbon that Daphne had grabbed.
Breaking the tense silence, the Marquess spoke first.
“Please accept this.”
Sinclair’s mouth fell open in shock.
“This isn’t a decision to be made lightly, Marquess Themistos.”
“Grand Duke Gerald, do you make decisions about your children lightly?”
“It’s not our wish to seat Daphne as the Crown Princess.”
“Do we, as those bound to our houses, even have individual will?”
Gerald replied very coldly.
“From today onward, I intend to live that way, Your Highness.”
Themistos folded his hands respectfully.
“Are you telling me to go against Chancellor Martin and Bodrina Sanghwang?”
“No, Your Highness.”
“…?”
“You will be allying with the knights of the Biatria Empire.”
“…!”
“I do not wish to push Daphne into that deadly cage. As you know, I am the commander of the Imperial Knights, tasked with upholding and protecting the empire’s justice.”
“Are you testing me?”
“Not at all. I am entrusting the life of my daughter and the future of my family to you, Your Highness.”
“…!”
“And I ask this as a father.”
“Please. Protect her.”
At Themistos’ words, Cloris added her plea.
Gerald tried to refuse.
But then the couple stood, knelt, and bowed deeply.
Gasp!
“We beg you, Grand Duke, Grand Duchess.”
Flustered, Sinclair looked at Gerald.
He had intended not to accept Daphne—it had been the right choice. The Schumayer family was a representative of the Bodrina Sanghwang faction and had always supported the Emperor.
But now, Marquess Themistos was turning his back on the Emperor, pledging loyalty to the Grand Duke of Schlesen Palace.
What?
Even in the original story, had Themistos been seeking another way for his daughter?
So that Cordelia Heather became the Crown Princess?
If so, his words could be trusted. They were sincere.
Perhaps he had planned all of this.
Sinclair subtly tugged at Gerald’s sleeve. When he looked, she nodded.
Gerald pressed his lips together and stared at the Marquess couple.
After a moment:
“Rise. Marquess, Marquess’s wife.”
Still, the couple did not rise.
“If this leads to war, have you considered it?”
“Are you afraid, Your Highness?”
“…!”
Themistos raised his head and looked up at Gerald. Gerald’s heart pounded.
“As a father, I only wish my daughter to live in a just society.”
The Schumayer family, who had previously protected the Emperor and covered for his mistakes, was now splitting apart.
Imperial Palace, Emperor’s quarters
“Alfred.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
When Emperor Herace called, Crown Prince Alfred responded politely, keeping his eyes quietly fixed on the teacup on the table.
“The tea is getting cold. Drink it.”
Alfred’s heart skipped a beat. What if his father had poisoned it?
Still, he could not refuse the order. He quietly raised his trembling hand to the table.
“Tsk!”
Herace clicked his tongue, dissatisfied.
Alfred suddenly thought of Sinclair.
“When you’re nervous, take a deep breath; it helps.”
She had said this while visiting him in the palace, quietly encouraging him even when he was intimidated by the Emperor and Sanghwang, hiding her face behind her hair.
Just seeing her had calmed his trembling heart.
He had thought he was the most fearful person in the world, but knowing someone else was just as timid was a great comfort.
Sinclair had shown him he was not inherently inferior, just a normal human.
Alfred exhaled deeply, counted 3, 2, 1 in his mind, held his breath, and lifted the teacup.
Success. He did not tremble.
He brought the teacup to his lips, exhaled slowly, and drank calmly.
Of course, the cup could have contained poison.
But if he died, perhaps it would be a relief—not having to endure the Emperor’s torment.
“What do you think about Bodrina Sanghwang selecting Lady Daphne as your Crown Princess?”
Alfred choked but held his throat to avoid coughing. His nose stung, eyes watered, and he blinked quickly to clear the tears.
This was not an easy question.
If he said he would follow Sanghwang’s wishes, it would be seen as ignoring his father. If he refused, he would be accused of defying palace protocol.
He sipped the tea to calm his throat. Fortunately, it was chamomile, his favorite.
“Chamomile tea calms the mind. Drink it if you can’t sleep.”
Sinclair had handed it to him during a visit to Owen House, as they moved from the reception room to the dining room.
‘I wish I could see Aunt Sinclair,’ he thought.
He quietly put down the teacup and looked at his father.
His condition had improved considerably. The Schlesen Palace medicine was used first, and today, Chancellor Jubierus came to complete the treatment.
“Crown Prince, this concerns the selection of your wife. What do you wish to do?”
“I will follow Your Majesty’s wishes.”
“…!”
“You could be decapitated by my orders, yet here you remain, correct?”
“Hmph, you understand well.”
“Yes, so please proceed as You see fit.”
“….”
Did he accept? There was no objection.
“In this upcoming demon world suppression campaign, you must capture a monster stronger than the Grand Duke.”
“…?”
“At least one called Nepasportentum, known as the strongest of monsters, should suffice.”
Nepasportentum?
The top predator among monsters, capable of transforming into surrounding objects, moving silently, and devouring its target whole.
Is he expecting to be eaten?
It reminded him of King Improbus, who, during the Kingdom of Franze, killed a newborn infant because a prophecy said the child would kill him.
What happened to him again?
“Why? Are you afraid?”
“Of course not. This is an order from Your Exalted Sun, and I will obey.”
“You must prove you are my noble and exalted son.”
“Understood. I will not block the Sun’s exalted gaze. I pray for Your Majesty’s complete recovery today.”
“Go, then.”
Alfred bowed deeply and stood. Guards surrounded him.
The ones appointed by Jan were unfamiliar mercenaries. They had been assigned personally by His Majesty for Alfred’s safety.
Pirates from some island, it was said.
A burly and fierce one cleared the way, and Alfred respectfully exited the room.
Herace, wishing to crush Schlesen Palace, did not realize that Alfred called him ‘Your Majesty’ instead of ‘Father,’ as a subtle act of defiance.
