The Emperor Who Was Chapter 52 : Chapter 52

Chapter . 52

From noble ladies to marketplace rchants, people flocked to the sanctuary, craning their necks to watch. The masked person was practically clinging to the altar, and people surrounded him. Though no one caught him, they reached out to touch him as if he were a curiosity. So even kicked him lightly with their feet.

"Can't you stop it? I am not a sinner!"

The masked person shouted.

"Hahahaha!"

"Ahahaha! Coming from soone who ran away desperately to get here!"

However, people began to point fingers and laugh.

"His clothes and shoes are fine even though they're torn?"

"Just by his accent, he must be a noble!"

"Would bread taste especially good if dipped in your blood when you're executed?"

"If you are executed, your hands are mine! Then I will beco the greatest thief no one can see! Without getting executed like you! Haha!"

Even if one fled to the temple, it wasn't unheard of for a criminal to be caught and executed in the end. People were excited at the prospect of a young, fit, and possibly noble-blooded condemned criminal.

It was a country where executioners were more popular than bards. Executions were family entertainnt enjoyed by everyone from nobles to commoners. Especially due to the strong superstition that a condemned criminal's corpse brings good luck, competition for pieces of the corpse was fierce.

"I said I am not a sinner! I am innocent!"

Although the person wearing the black mask shouted so, the laughter only grew louder.

"Leaving a will even before standing on the execution ground!"

"I've never seen a condemned criminal who didn't say that in my life!"

However, the laughter stopped abruptly when the person wearing the black mask drew a dagger hidden under his clothes.

"It's a weapon!"

"He drew a blade at the altar!"

Everyone pointed at him in unison. A sinner hiding in the sanctuary must not use a weapon. Even without fighting with it, just hiding it inside would get one expelled from the sanctuary. One had to discard all weapons and completely disarm, even armor, before entering.

Now anyone could take him away. But the sinner boldly stepped onto the altar, causing everyone to flinch. For any reason, if blood was seen on the altar, a fine had to be paid to the temple. To be precise, not a fine, but a bribe for a pardon. Even more so, this Great Temple already had a very ominous precedent. To the extent that the superstition everyone called fate beca solid.

"I'll catch him! I'll catch him!"

"Let's beat him down and knock him out!"

Still, those excited by discovering prey stepped forward. Wielding clubs or swords still in their scabbards. Since it was an opportunity to show off bravery and hunt openly inside the temple in front of many people, including noble ladies.

But the man in black velvet was strong. He kicked down those approaching him, fighting well without even drawing blood.

"He fights well, hahaha!"

"Indeed, how many can he take on!"

"Shall we bet!"

As it ca to this, spectators enjoying the fight appeared, and more people beca anxious to catch him. Then, he skillfully dodged the attack of a knight trying to stab him with a sword and even snatched the sword away. His movents were swift and his strength was formidable.

"Oh dear, my goodness!"

"At this rate, we'll see blood eventually!"

"If you're a sinner, just get caught quietly!"

"When on earth will he reveal his face?"

People's excitent reached its peak. Bets began to be exchanged on the spot about whether that fellow would eventually see blood on the altar or not, and when the mask would be taken off. Although there had been several attempts to take off the mask so far, it was fixed with a complex knot at the back. Seeing that the man couldn't cut it himself even with a dagger, it must be a magical seal.

"How dare you cause a disturbance within the temple."

It was then. A person appeared from inside the temple along with priests. His deanor and appearance imdiately caught people's eyes.

"...It's Prince Leontes!"

"The one who discovered the dragon egg!"

"The one most favored by His Majesty the Emperor!"

"I heard he discovered Saint Marcella's relic!"

"He must have co here for matters related to the relic too!"

"Then he must indeed be planning to enshrine Saint Marcella's relic in this Great Temple!"

Prince Leontes, being so fair and noble, had declared he would accept and review petitions from all clergy, not just a few high-ranking ones, regarding the enshrinent of the relic.

So it took a long ti, but lower-ranking clergy, who had been pushed aside by the fierce competition among high-ranking clergy and couldn't even voice their opinions, praised the Prince loudly. Since every high-ranking clergyman sought their help for the first ti asking for support.

Now, people were excited by the speculation that the Prince might have finally made a decision to enshrine the holy relic in Elan's most famous temple.

"What is all this!"

"Stop it imdiately!"

"In front of the Prince, what disgrace is this!"

The priests surrounding the 10th Prince jumped in shock. Just when negotiations were at the concluding stage, a disturbance arose, and the Prince had co out saying he would personally inspect the temple's safety. Among those following was the Cardinal, whose attendants had gone completely pale.

"That fellow, there is a sinner over there!"

"Prince, it's that fellow!"

People shouted to the Prince in unison. But could the Prince really handle that villain?

The Second Prince was indeed handso, noble, and elegant, but he didn't look strong. He didn't have a flock of knights like the First Prince, nor was he surrounded by maternal relatives like the youngest prince.

Even now, he had only one guard knight without any attendants. Although the Emperor's illegitimate son, the Marquis, often went alone too, he was a Sword Master.

"Prince, you shouldn't."

"Please go inside, the knights of Saint Romola will arrive soon to settle the situation."

The priests dissuaded the Prince. The Cardinal also said he had called the holy knights.

Even so, the Prince approached the sinner resolutely.

"I am Prince Leontes of Armatia. Are you truly a sinner?"

"It's unfair! I am not a sinner! I was imprisoned innocently!"

"Who imprisoned you where?"

"I do not know. I grew up imprisoned wearing a mask all the ti and have never been outside. This ti, they dragged

out at night to take

sowhere, and I just escaped on the way and fled here!"

The story of the person to whom they hadn't given a chance to speak until now was plausible. Actually, more than that, it was full of fun and interest.

"If you are not a sinner, why are you holding a sword in the sanctuary. Discard it imdiately."

Especially when the Prince commanded, and the man who had rampaged to the point no one could stop him obediently discarded the sword.

It was thrilling.

If it felt like watching a clown show tumbling here and there in the marketplace until now, it suddenly felt like watching a play put on a theater stage, a new play never seen before. Especially since it was free.

"Now is the ti, catch him!"

The knight who had his sword taken earlier shouted. But the Prince raised his hand to stop him.

"This man trusted

and discarded his weapon. Until this man's guilt becos clear, he is under my protection."

When Prince Leontes said that, people also glared at the knight in unison. Because he was interrupting just when it was getting fun.

"Having been disgraced earlier, what more do you have to say......."

"We haven't even heard the full story yet, be quiet in front of the Prince......."

Watching a sword fight in the sanctuary was fun too, but the scene had already moved on to the next. It couldn't be fun for soone who couldn't read the atmosphere to act up.

The Prince's knight picked up the sword fallen on the floor and held it out to that knight.

The already disgraced knight took back his sword and left the place as if fleeing.

People laughed at his retreating back for a mont, but soon beca quiet as the Prince opened his mouth again.

"Just as you discarded the sword, take off your mask too."

"I cannot take it off by myself. Please take it off for , Prince."

Finally taking off the mask now! I've been curious about the face since earlier! Is he hiding it because of a scar! Maybe it's a woman?

Instead of loud chatter like before, all sorts of whispers arose.

"Prince Leontes, do not go near. I will do it instead."

A guard knight disappointing people in the midst of this. But since it was correct words, it also fit this solemn atmosphere.

"That pitiful man is also a subject of Armatia. When he asks , a Prince, for salvation, how can I not help."

That face, that voice, those lines, no, words! Emotion itself!

The man who rampaged in the sanctuary wearing a mask like a condemned criminal kneels obediently like a lamb.

The boy prince, showing not a shred of fear, approaches him with the most noble deanor, looks at the complex knot no one had succeeded with until now, and says.

"Oh God, please look after this pitiful soul. Grant

the strength to help this man."

Saying that, the Prince takes out a small dagger from his bosom and cuts the knot. Truly a miracle! And a miracle that happened right before my eyes!

"Ohhh!"

"It is God Traneha's blessing!"

By this point, whether that knot was really a magical seal, or whether the reason others failed until now was because he didn't kneel obediently, didn't matter. Those who nitpick such trivial points have no qualification to enjoy this beautiful story, nor the qualification to go sowhere and boast that they saw it clearly with their own eyes.

The Prince personally raised his white and elegant hands to take off the black velvet mask.

The face revealed beneath it.

"Ohhhhh!"

"Ahhh!"

Another handso man with blonde hair and golden eyes! The stage's dignity rose as soon as the handso Prince appeared, but to think another handso man appeared. And a desirable, though not surprising, twist that the masked man turned out to be handso.

If the face under the mask had a scar or was missing a nose, the emotion wouldn't have been this great. Many nobles wear masks to hide smallpox scars, and many have ears or noses cut off due to theft. A common, anti-climactic ending.

But the uncommon handso man purified the crowd's excitent with beauty. As the incident, which seed like a madman's rampage until now, beca mysterious, they beca certain they were witnessing a historical mont. Even if it's a delusion, if it's massive enough for everyone there to share, it can't not be moving.

"Now you no longer need to walk around wearing a mask."

The Prince, speaking benevolently, asked.

"What is your na?"

"I have no na. I do not know my parents either. I grew up imprisoned since childhood. I am an abandoned person."

No na and no parents.

An abandoned illegitimate child. Of a noble or royalty.

It was the mont when the angle of speculation rose sharply.

Monarchs' illegitimate sons had separate noble titles they received. There were those who beca monarchs because there were no legitimate sons, and even those who killed legitimate sons to beco monarchs. Nobles' illegitimate sons also received better treatnt than commoners.

But unlike male illegitimate children whose treatnt was sowhat similar, female illegitimate children were poles apart. Raised as legitimate children to inherit the family, or abandoned without even knowing their birth.

'If he's such a handso boy, he must be of noble blood.'

'Because he is of noble blood, he must have been strictly imprisoned.'

'As the boy grew up, they tried to kill him, but he fought back with innate strength and escaped.'

Reasonable deduction spread like wildfire among the people.

"I, too, spent a difficult childhood. Thinking I was abandoned by people."

At that mont, the Prince spoke.

Co to think of it, the Second Prince lost his mother as soon as he was born, grew up under a stepmother being pushed around by his half-brother, and was hated by his biological brother too. Although it's said he's a bit close with his illegitimate brother now, how hard must it have been....... To think such a handso prince went through such trials, he feels much closer than other princes who are just handso. Wait, if things go like that.......

"eting like this is also God's arrangent, how could it not be a precious connection."

The Prince said to the abandoned boy.

"I will grant a new identity to you, who were lonely like , take you as a close friend, and care for you."

...Two boys, handso and born of noble blood, but who suffered trials and sorrow due to a twist of fate... Finally, eting each other.......

"How could soone like

receive such grace from the Prince."

The moved boy sheds tears. The villain from earlier who fought even in the sanctuary unable to overco his rage is influenced by the Prince.......

"My nanny passed away, but she was a truly good person. Taking after her na Michaela, I will call you Michelon. Now that you have a foster mother, do not think you are abandoned anymore, and live as my milk brother from now on, Michelon."

That was it, this was it, the happy ending everyone watching wished for!

"To bestow such honor on soone like ... I am not worthy......."

It's nice to see a handso boy shedding tears, but he should stop it about now. Holding back ankles just when everyone is running towards the conclusion with one heart and mind.

Whatever his bloodline, that boy wasn't a noble right now. As a commoner like them, he lived a hard life like them, and was degenerating into one of the common criminals among them.

And now, he would beco one of them who gets saved by the Prince and becos happy. The realization of sothing they couldn't even dream of is right before their eyes, yet he refuses. The climax is right under the nose.......

"Prince Leontes! Michelon!"

When soone impatient shouted abruptly, everyone clapped, stamped their feet, and shouted along.