4. Island Lumentium – 01

Emperor Lumentium.

A huge city that occupies one-third of the continent and is the millennium capital of the empire and symbolizes the empire’s majesty. Despite the fact that well over one million people, including the floating population, are staying in the islands, it is a city that boasts a huge size that can handle it, and a city of wealth that is said to be the final destination for all the wealth that exists on the continent. I set foot once again in this city built on the grounds where dragons from legends directly blessed it and dwarves were said to have helped build it.

“…Ha, damn it…”

Involuntarily, I looked up at the sky and let out a sigh. But the sky remained a f*cking blue sky as if it were making fun of me. He seemed to be declaring that he didn’t care about my feelings, so I couldn’t even sigh anymore. Anyway, it wasn’t yesterday or today that the sky behaved like that.

I had hoped and hoped that something would happen during the journey to this place, and that I would return to the Duchy of Estel in dishonorable form, but unfortunately, what I wanted did not happen at all. No, the journey to this place just felt really comfortable and pleasant. Yes, as if the weather only feels fresh and cool before a storm.

It must have been that much for me to come face to face with Iris El Devhart.

“I don’t think it’s too late. Shouldn’t I go back to the Duke of Estelle?”

When I recited lines I had said over a hundred times throughout the trip, my father gave me a look of boredom.

“You are that voice again. Why on earth do you hate coming to the Irie Islands? To a subject I have never been to before.”

“Since I was born and grew up only in the Duchy of Estel, I don’t think there’s a need to come here. And decisively…”

“Certainly?”

“…No. Nothing.”

I was about to say something to my father, but then I kept my mouth shut. My purpose in not confronting Iris el Devhardt was partly because she felt uneasy, but also partly because of the risk that she might notice something about me.

Please, there shouldn’t be any unfortunate incidents where I pull out my sword within the system. Especially in front of the princess.

Of course, my father, who doesn’t know the identity of the anxiety I’m suffering from, looks at me as if he really doesn’t understand, then clicks his tongue at me.

“Even though he’s my son, he’s a really funny guy. There are cases where others even abandon the territory they live in to stay in the system, but you guys are restless like a cow brought to a slaughterhouse, Won.”

It was then.

Deng- Deng- Deng-

In the distance, from the huge clock tower built in front of the imperial palace, the bell announcing the current time echoes softly throughout the system. It was a sure indicator that the current time was 3:00 PM.

“Well, it seems that time is up. Now, I must prepare to enter the palace. It seems that the promised time to meet with His Majesty is not far away.”

“Already? Are you saying that it is possible to see Your Majesty already, since it has been several hours since you entered the system?”

“Well, I’ve already vacated my schedule to meet with His Majesty on another business. So let’s go. Isn’t it just a matter of getting out of the imperial palace as you wished?”

“…If it’s a business between my father and your majesty, shouldn’t I be excused?”

At my earnest words, my father swung his face from side to side with a determined expression.

“Don’t talk nonsense. If the person who can be said to be engaged is not present at the place where the report is being submitted, then who the hell should be? don’t bother.”

“…..”

It must have seemed that it was next to impossible to retreat now.

“But don’t look like the sky has collapsed. There is also one piece of good news for you.”

“Good news?”

At those words, a little light starts to circulate in my face. Good news, what is it? Could it be that I can leave the palace right away just by looking at the emperor’s face?

“It’s a story that since you’re having an audience with Her Majesty, the princess is also present. You are a very lucky guy. To get a chance to face the princess, who is said to be one of the most beautiful women in the empire, just the two of us, hee hee.”

“…..”

****

“Meet the sun of the empire.”

“Meet the sun of the empire.”

“Come on. The sword of the north that protects the empire. Jim welcomes you.”

The ceremonial ceremony to meet the emperor and the ceremonial welcome to face him pass between us. The emperor sitting on the far throne and looking at me did not look much different from what I remembered 10 years later.

However, I wasn’t interested in what the emperor thought of me, and I couldn’t afford to devote my consciousness to that. Right now, all my consciousness was focused on figuring out the movement of a woman who was staring at me without any expression beside the emperor.

Brilliant blond hair that symbolizes the royal family, sea-blue eyes that look like sapphires are embedded in them, and a face that looks as if it was carefully crafted by an artist. It must have been. That woman was indeed my swordsmanship teacher and the culprit who carved violence into my body, Princess Iris el Devhart.

‘…shit.’

I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would find myself face-to-face with that woman so soon. The current woman and I are just strangers with no relationship. Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. It wasn’t for some funny reason, like I fell in love with her. It was just because of the trivial reason that I was going crazy because I was uncomfortable with the fact that I was in the same place as that woman.

“…..”

The princess just quietly sat on the right side of the emperor without saying a word. And he was looking directly at my face with a calm expression on his face. It was as if he was telling me that the purpose of coming here from the beginning was to face me. And that attitude was making me even more crazy. She’s looking right at me, and I’m looking at her stealthily, so doesn’t this really imply that there’s something between the two of us?

“Hmm, you are the rumored Duke of Estelle. Looking closely, you don’t look much like Franz. Do you resemble Emily?”

“That’s right. Even the color of her hair and eyes resembles Emily’s. Thanks to that, there are many suspicions that she’s not my real son.”

At my father’s explanation, the emperor looked at my face even more carefully. The Emperor’s gaze, as if he were trying to dig me up, made me feel extremely burdened.

“Hmmm, yes. It definitely looks like Emily’s face. It’s a man’s subject, but it looks pretty nice, and it looks like it’s going to make a woman cry quite a bit. Isn’t it, Iris?”

At the emperor’s words, the princess, who had been sitting quietly next to him, answered quietly while maintaining an expression that did not change at all.

“I don’t know, Your Majesty. However, it seems certain that Duke Estelle is a literary man who has not trained his sword very much.”

As she said that, the princess’s eyes were looking at my beautiful hands. It was as she said. 10 years ago, I could say that I was a typical literary person who only learned swords in the realm of culture. My family’s swordsmanship is a swordsmanship with a thousand-year tradition, so if I hadn’t had to learn it, I wouldn’t have held a sword in my hand from the beginning.

“Well, isn’t there a law that says you have to wield a sword unconditionally just because you’re a duke of the 4th duke? I’ve heard that the duke of the Crusell duke is also a typical literary man.”

When the emperor answered with a big smile, the princess nodded as if she understood something. But her eyes were still on me.

…okay. As if he was someone trying to figure something out of me.

“Okay, let’s get to the main point now. Duke Estelle. Was it because you wanted to break off the engagement between the Duke of Estelle and the daughter of Count Sernard?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At that moment, I did not miss the eyes of the princess who was sitting next to the emperor, emitting a very slight light.

“I think it’s natural for young people to break off engagements because they don’t agree. They can give permission to break off engagements as much as they like. Don’t you have something to say?”

At the emperor’s words, my father nodded his head calmly as if he was agreeing to something.

“I see. There are many reasons, but if you have to give one, there is only one. They insulted the Duke of Estelle from the front.”

“…an insult?”

At his father’s words, the emperor frowned slightly between his brows. I was in the middle of explicitly expressing the fact that work seemed to be more troublesome than I thought.

“Yes. This is how things started. There was a very slight misunderstanding between Cain and Count Sernard’s daughter, and according to his beliefs, it was a problem that he could resolve through conversation. As your Majesty said, young people It’s really common for disagreements to happen between them.”

“However, Count Sernard did not act that way. Rather, as if he had seized the golden opportunity to break off the engagement, he even sent us a document that was no different from a threat. To even take the form of intimidating us. No matter how we look at it, I think this is an act that can only be thought of as a kind of insult to take the duchy lightly or oppress us in other forms.”

“…..”

At his father’s words, the emperor took on the look of pondering something. Then, he asked a question to the princess sitting to his right.

“Iris. What do you think? What do you think Jim should do about this?”

At the same time as she said that, the princess looked straight at my face. And at that moment, I was shocked as if my heart was pounding and sinking. The face she made just before was very similar to that of someone I’d known 10 years later-

“I’m not sure if I dare to intervene, but if you ask me for my opinion, my answer is only one.”

The princess spat out these words to us in a quiet but firm tone.

“I think it’s right to definitely cancel the engagement between Duke Estelle and Count Cernard’s daughter. And…”

“I think it’s good to find another woman. This time, a woman who has faith in not betraying the Duke.”

“…..”

For a moment, I didn’t miss the expression the princess was making on me.

She’s obviously looking at me.

was laughing

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like