The Emperor Who Was Chapter 70 : Chapter 70

Chapter . 70

“Co out!”

Vincent undid his invisibility magic and appeared.

The guard knight of Prince Leontes, who looked ready to intervene against the Princes at any mont, cast a wary glance. The commoner attendant was sticking to the corner as if terrified. The red-haired woman lowered her head at Vincent’s appearance. As if resigned to fate.

“Take off your mask.”

The order fell, but Vincent hesitated. It wasn't the woman's fault. The woman favored by the Prince looked good in dresses and jewelry comparable to noble ladies. The woman looked happy, and she should continue to be happy. Even if Vincent’s heart ached as well as his head…….

“Did I not say take off your mask!”

The Prince shouted, but Vincent hesitated even amidst the pain of disobeying the order. In front of the woman's fearful face looking this way…….

“Oh, you are the one who cannot even make your mage, whom Imperial Father didn't even bestow upon you, obey! Isn't it you who was deceived by that man? My poor brother, haha!”

This ti Prince Leontes mocked Prince Desmond. Prince Desmond's face boiled with rage. He strode towards Vincent and tore off Vincent's silver mask and threw it.

When Vincent closed his eyes, clatter, the sound of the silver mask rolling on the floor was heard. He closed his eyes every ti the mask was removed. To avoid people's shocked gazes seeing his distorted face.

“This man is the very husband of the first love you cherish so much, Brother. He is called Vincent. Unlike you, Brother, he has a hideous face, yet he is the proper husband of your lover.”

Prince Desmond said clearly. Prince Leontes asked the woman urgently.

“…Is it true? Is it really so, Yolande?”

Yolande... It's a na as pretty as you…….

“Sob!”

At the Prince's interrogation, the woman sobbed.

“She's crying without even answering, haha!”

“Do not tornt my lover!”

Prince Leontes shouted, and the sound of approaching footsteps was heard. Involuntarily opening his eyes, Prince Leontes stood before him. The Prince who practically dragged her, Yolande, by the hand.

“How dare you try to deceive

at my brother’s instigation, I will not forgive you!”

The Prince’s blue-grey eyes burned with anger.

“Look into my eyes and speak clearly. Is this woman, Yolande, your wife? Are you her husband?”

The answer was set. Not simply because he had to follow the master's order. While being interrogated about his relationship with Yolande, mories slowly revived. mories he thought were much better forgotten…….

He was Yolande's husband. Also a hostage. If he denied it, it would be breaking the oath he made. Punishnt far greater than failing to follow a single order would follow.

“Prince, please forgive , sob…….”

But Yolande, who had already beco Prince Leontes's mage, no, mistress, following the Emperor's mage, would not be punished. Since she was no longer in a position needing his oath.

“I was wrong—”

“No.”

If only he denied it.

“What did you say?”

Prince Leontes interrogated. Behind him, Prince Desmond’s incredulous face was visible. Only then did he realize what he had done.

But only Yolande's face looking at him with a blank expression entered his eyes.

“I am not that woman’s husband.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Desmond exploded in anger.

“How dare you lie in front of !”

Prince Desmond ca imdiately and grabbed him by the collar with the hand he had kissed. He trembled. Prince Leontes mocked Prince Desmond.

“Wasn't it you who lied, not him, Desmond? He probably just couldn't bear to see the so-called Prince of Armatia lying and confessed the truth!”

“Doesn't he say no, Brother!”

“Shut up! You insulted my lover's honor. Do you think I will stay still if you do such a thing?”

At those words, Prince Desmond let go of Vincent's collar and started getting angry at Prince Leontes.

“Ha, unbelievable! Who was bewitched and deceived by a woman! Still, as a brother, I tried to save you from a woman's temptation, and you call it an insult? The one who insulted you, Brother, is that woman! That woman beca the Emperor's mage with this man as a hostage!”

Silence fell for a mont. He was anxious. Did Prince Leontes start believing Prince Desmond's words?

“Is that word true, Desmond?”

Prince Leontes asking so had a subdued voice. Prince Desmond answered fervently.

“Of course it's true, the ones who insulted you, Brother, are these two, not !”

“…I will confirm it directly.”

“Hmph, do as you please until you are satisfied!”

With those words, there was a presence of the Prince approaching right in front of him.

“…Open your eyes, Mage.”

Vincent opened his eyes. Eyes like dawn with the first frost were looking straight at him. His heart felt cold.

“What is your na.”

Vincent hesitated, but Prince Desmond shouted.

“Answer!”

“…It is Vincent.”

Prince Leontes commanded Yolande.

“Magic of oath.”

Yolande manifested magic while trembling.

Red light hovered over her hand.

“You do it too.”

Vincent manifested magic as ordered and thought blankly. That he was happy about the fact that they were mages of the sa fire like this.

Although he forgot when he thought so.

“Yolande, swear. That Vincent is not your hostage.”

In Prince Leontes's blue-grey eyes saying so, a grey light strangely stood out. Almost silver.

“I, I swear... Vincent is my, Yolande’s…….”

Yolande started speaking but couldn't continue and shed tears. It was sothing started because she was so afraid, but now she was even more afraid. If she just finishes this, the Prince won't punish her or get angry.

“Brother's first love seems choked up thinking of her husband.”

Only when Prince Desmond mocked from behind did Vincent realize what Yolande was afraid of. Yolande, his wife, was afraid of the punishnt that would fall on him.

His wife's fear gave him courage. Because he is her husband.

“I, Vincent, am not Yolande's hostage.”

When he swore, vivid red flas arose in his hand. False oath, the price of breaking the oath began to burn his hand, but no pain was felt. If he lost his hands, he wouldn't have to make Lasilex again.

Yolande looked at him with shocked eyes. But the Prince urged again, and Yolande finally said.

“Vincent is not my, Yolande's hostage.”

Yolande's hand wrapped in red light touched Vincent's hand. He tried to shake it off. So as not to burn by Vincent's flas different from her light.

“I, Prince Leontes, have heard and seen, Mage Vincent is not Mage Yolande's hostage.”

Then, with a clear voice, the Prince's hand touched their hands.

Gold light flashed for a mont. Vincent thought so. Although it disappeared imdiately. When he blinked, all flas had disappeared already. Burn marks remained on his hands, but they weren't as severe as expected. As if healing had occurred.

Couldn't be. Vincent hadn't kissed Prince Desmond's hand yet, and he wouldn't extend his hand anymore.

“Mage Vincent is not Mage Yolande's hostage. Did you hear, Desmond?”

Then Prince Leontes, repeating those words again, glared at Prince Desmond.

“Vincent is also lying, bewitched by that woman. That woman is using charm magic, why on earth don't you know!”

“Do you an a mage can be bewitched by magic too?”

Prince Leontes sneered. Prince Desmond bit his lip and asked.

“Then why did you bring that woman here?”

“…Well, to introduce her to you.”

“I am so honored I don't know what to do with myself. But wasn't it that woman's wish? Wasn't it that woman who wished for you to take her to my residence, Brother?”

When Prince Leontes couldn't answer imdiately, Prince Desmond pressed further.

“Last ti you visited, you forcibly took off Vincent's mask and checked his face, Brother. While getting burned on your hand like a madman.”

“That was a seizure—”

“Of course it was a seizure. But even if you had a seizure, why on earth do weird crazy things like taking off his mask? Instead of grabbing and hanging onto

against whom you usually had many feelings?”

“…What do you want to say?”

“That woman seduced you, Brother, to accurately grasp her husband's location. Then made you bring her here. If she ets her husband and makes him deny the oath, she can be freed from the oath with a hostage.”

“…Don't lie! Yolande is not such a woman!”

“It is pathetic to see you fallen deep into the illusion of first love, Brother! That woman intends to dump all the price of breaking the oath on her husband, then beco your mistress, Brother, and live in luxury!”

When Prince Desmond shouted in anger, Prince Leontes also got angry.

“It is natural for my love to live in luxury!”

“Driving

crazy, even if crazy about a woman, how can one be this crazy! There is a limit to being naive!”

Then Desmond mocked openly.

“No wonder Grimiati claid you were seduced by an adulterous couple, Brother! You don't look like it, but you are so weak to temptation!”

“To say such rude things! I let it slide, and your tone becos impudent at the drop of a hat! What did you dare say!”

“Since you keep provoking my anger, Brother, I also keep forgetting honorifics, don't I? If you think my words are lies, take him! Anyway, he kept making mistakes recently and couldn't work, and now he even disobeyed , so I was about to throw him out. Since he broke the oath that he is Yolande's hostage, he won't be able to use magic. The process will be incredibly painful, but since he disobeyed my order, I won't heal him either. He might die.”

As Prince Desmond said the last words and looked at Yolande coldly, Yolande clung to Prince Leontes's arm and trembled.

“So take him, Brother, and see with your own two eyes how painfully your first love made her husband die!”

“…Yolande said she is not such a woman!”

“Completely blinded by a woman and losing your mind, that cold-headed Brother!”

When Prince Desmond mocked, Prince Leontes glanced at Vincent but soon turned his eyes away.

“I ca with good intentions, but since you treat

so poorly, I will leave.”

“Oh my, you ca to boast about your lover, I am sorry I, your younger brother, hurt your feelings, Brother. However, aren't you too much, Brother?”

Prince Desmond practically blocked Prince Leontes's way as he was about to leave and said.

“It seems Vincent is not worth saving like that commoner of yours, Brother? Because unlike then, there are no people watching, no Cardinal to kiss your hand for show. Because now the ugly mage who can't even use magic is useless unlike that man skilled in martial arts? The bottom of your widely rumored love for the people is clearly visible, Brother.”

When Prince Leontes couldn't say anything, Prince Desmond added.

“Or, are you jealous? For fear that woman might go back to Vincent? For fear a Prince like you might lose the woman you love to a mage who can't even use magic?”

Saying so, joy overflowed on Prince Desmond's face pressuring Prince Leontes.

Then he grabbed Vincent and dragged him. The skinny mage was dragged powerlessly by the hand of the boy Prince who had trained his body as a knight from early on, and was thrown at Prince Leontes's feet.

“If you don't take him, I will place his corpse in front of the residence I gave you, Brother. So everyone can see what result your jealousy brought.”

Vincent looked up. The sea where moonlight settled unfolded before his eyes. It was a beautiful sight to see for the last ti before dying. As the price for giving up the face he would never see again.

Darkness enveloped him.