The Emperor Who Was Chapter 97 : Chapter 97

Chapter . 97

"Magic-based confidentiality contract. So what's written there is only visible to those who signed with blood."

But it wasn't impossible to guess. There's no way they hadn't colluded to join forces and attack

again.

When the Cardinal left, the Duke of Lauderdale and Desmond entered. The Duke said to his sister, the Empress.

"Your Majesty, that viper acted impudently again towards Your Majesty's proposal."

"What? This ti I must trample that snake's head myself!"

Rhiannon said in anger.

"What if he bites your toe?"

Michelon sneered, but I flinched, recalling how the Empress Dowager would painfully stomp on my clumsy feet with her small feet whenever I was forced to dance with her at balls before the regression.

Then the image of Desmond saying sothing ca up, but Maximilian, Grimiati, Alexander—since the barriers were different for each residence, the ti it took to penetrate them varied.

"They're overlapping! I can't see!"

"It's my first ti trying this magic!"

Since the sounds and images sent first were shown at the front, they overlapped and updated chaotically before I could even see them properly. As I barely separated them and imposed order, Michelon, who was just eating and watching from the side, said sothing carefree.

"But why isn't the Emperor there?"

"......."

"Shouldn't you send one to him first?"

"...I have a bad feeling."

"When did you ever have a good feeling regarding the Emperor? Just send it and see."

"Let's be as cautious as possible. He's the person who absolutely shouldn't find out that I'm using the Throne Magic Circle or that I've already made a contract with you."

"Even if you send this, how would the Emperor know? He doesn't know magic."

"You agreed that historically, there must have been more than one or two Emperors who deceived people while knowing magic. Is there any guarantee my Imperial Father isn't one?"

"......."

It was just a retort because Michelon kept pressing

when I simply had a bad feeling. But after saying it, I felt even more ominous.

"No! Then even if the Emperor can't use magic as well as you, he would have noticed every ti you used the Throne Magic Circle!"

I felt a bit better when Michelon, who had been quietly eating for a mont, refuted my conjecture.

"That's a good hypothesis. Excellent basis."

"Save talk about hypotheses for Yolande."

We ate quietly for a while. Just in ti, the people we were spying on were also on the move. As if trying to rush into my territory as soon as possible. But—

"Surely now......."

"Why are they doing that?"

Surprisingly, my brother, half-brother, the Duke, and half-brother were all gathering at the Empress's residence.

Since there was a limit to the artifacts' movent, I had to bring up the 3D model again and operate them individually. Fortunately, the artifacts sent images of nearby targets. Once I set the movent thod, they moved smoothly. Although there were so interruptions until they stabilized.

"What did you just say?"

As soon as all that control ended, that's what we heard. My brother was furious.

"Do you not understand what I'm saying, Maximilian?"

Rhiannon snapped.

"I said I am protecting your brother, so cooperate quietly."

I dropped the bread I was eating.

"...This is the first ti I, a dragon, wonder if my ears are wrong or if I'm hearing things......."

Michelon uttered a strange exclamation.

"This crazy woman has finally revealed her true colors!"

My brother tried to lunge at Rhiannon, but Desmond blocked him. My brother imdiately tried to grab Desmond by the collar.

However, Alexander grabbed Desmond's shoulder and pushed him away with speed and strength no one could follow.

Regardless of whether his staggering younger brother glared at him or not, Alexander stood him beside Rhiannon and positioned himself firmly between his mother and half-brother. But his eyes toward Rhiannon were sharp.

"Is it true, Mother?"

"If you don't want to believe it, don't."

Rhiannon, who actually caused such a situation, wasn't even looking at any of them, but glaring only at Grimiati. The platinum-blonde Duke standing alone without moving, looking at Rhiannon.

"Do you think Abamama will stay still! You've finally dug your own grave!"

"I said I'm protecting the Prince; did I say I imprisoned him? As Empress, I rely saved a Prince who fell into danger."

When my brother shouted, Rhiannon retorted.

"You probably dug a trap while bestowing the territory! And my younger brother probably toddled all the way there, deceived just like when he drank the dicine you gave him!"

...My brother's rhetoric was really childish.......

"Is there evidence that I dug a trap? I rely saved a Prince in danger as Empress, and when he begged

not to tell His Majesty the Emperor, I graciously granted his request."

"What reason would my brother have to do that!"

"Why do you think His Majesty the Emperor sent all of us, no, even all the knights of the country to find that child? Because he loves that child so much?"

Rhiannon countered my brother's interrogation. Then she looked back at my Imperial Father's sons.

"Even if there is a fool who believes that, don't be too jealous of your poor brother. His Majesty certainly did not put up such a reward because he loves that child."

Rhiannon's tone was full of conviction. Although I also don't believe my Imperial Father loves , Rhiannon's stance was beyond disbelief; she seed ready to not let anyone live who refuted her words.

Those flashing eyes—it was an expression I had never seen when she tornted

with elegant words. It was chilling.

"If anyone opposes my words, co forward. Of course, His Majesty would love Leontes more than that stupid person, hahaha!"

In front of Rhiannon laughing with flashing eyes, my brothers couldn't say anything for a mont. When the youngest Desmond flinched, Rhiannon snorted.

"Then what could be the reason? You are all foolish for not thinking of it sooner. Obviously, it's a dragon egg. There must be a dragon egg where that child is."

Everyone tensed up. Even

and Michelon, who knew it wasn't true.

"Do you think that child kept it a secret only from us and told His Majesty the Emperor where the dragon egg is? Not at all. That clever child pretended he would tell but kept denying knowledge till the end, so His Majesty had to bestow favor he didn't an for a while to coax him. Then, when that child went to find the dragon egg secretly from His Majesty even after receiving His favor, He ordered people to search thoroughly. The very place where that child found the dragon egg!"

"Is that place Mount Petrafis? Where Leontes disappeared?"

Alexander confird with an expressionless face. When Rhiannon nodded, this ti Maximilian demanded an explanation.

"So, let's assu Leontes finally discovered a dragon egg there. He asked you for help, not Abamama? If he wasn't confident in contracting with a dragon, he would rather hand over the egg he couldn't handle to Abamama and continue receiving favor; there's no way he would think you, who have persecuted him until now, would protect him! My brother isn't a fool like your sons who fall for such bluffs!"

"Your brother speaks very unluckily even when taking your side."

I couldn't help but agree with Michelon.

"Didn't you persecute him too! At least Leontes benefited from . Discovering the Holy Relic, being released from charm magic, and acquiring two mages—co to think of it, isn't it all thanks to ? On the other hand, what have you done for him while always claiming to be his full brother?"

Maximilian's face turned red and blue. Alexander wore a faint smile, but Desmond looked sowhat dissatisfied. After all, the mage matter was his doing, but Rhiannon took the credit.

"That child was swayed by you only because he was foolish, but he would never ask for your protection! You must have caught and imprisoned Leontes, who was trying to co to Abamama or , and insisted he wanted it!"

No matter how much Rhiannon took the offensive, everyone seed to believe Maximilian's rebuttal. Even Desmond.

"However, my brother would have hidden the dragon egg even when caught by you, and you are demanding our cooperation in a frenzy to find out its location. While threatening

with my brother as a hostage!"

My brother interrogated Rhiannon terrifyingly. But Rhiannon, a woman who beca Empress from a rchant family as people said, had nothing but guts. She leaned back, fanned herself gently, shook her head slowly, and spoke even more slowly.

"If you truly believe that, what more can I do? I did my best to help my adopted son even risking your groundless accusations, and naturally expected help from you, his full brother, but if you refuse, I have no choice."

My brother tried to retort in anger, but Rhiannon didn't give him an opening and snapped fiercely.

"Understood, so leave now, First Prince. I will forgive your insult to , the Empress, considering you lost your reason and revealed your true colors out of worry for your brother."

Then she folded her fan, tapped her palm with it, and cast a pitying glance.

"Of course, judging by your refusal to help even while believing your brother is held hostage, it's clear you don't worry about your brother that much. Your mother in heaven must be sad."

My brother shuddered, and triumph glead in Rhiannon's eyes, but she would have been better off not ntioning Mother.

"You are wrong."

Grimiati stepped forward.

"I am wrong? Deny it as much as you want, does that change the fact?"

Grimiati alone seed unaffected by the Empress's expression, tone, or content, unlike others.

"Prince Leontes is the son of Empress Erngarde and will never beco anyone else's adopted son. This rule, which also applies to Prince Maximilian, is stated in Article 1, Paragraph 3 of the marriage contract between the two countries."

Everyone there and us here fell silent.

"...Really?"

"I learned it for the first ti now too......."

Replying to Michelon's words, I recalled sothing.

Before the regression, when I adopted Alexander as my son. Duke Grimiati ambushed and devastated one of Alexander's territories.

Even though that territory, cklen, surrendered, he massacred the inhabitants, earning the nickna Butcher of cklen. At the sa ti, he tried to kidnap , so Alexander couldn't go to that territory because he was protecting .

Rhiannon also almost got assassinated and barely survived. If it weren't for Michelon, Maximilian and Grimiati would have won then.

'Surely... because I made Alexander Mother's grandson?'

Was it because I entered the son of the two people the Duke hated most, and an illegitimate son at that, into Mother's lineage.......

Co to think of it, Desmond, pale-faced, had a big fight with Rhiannon, who was equally pale, asking why she did such a thing.

That mother and son fighting like that, over an incident where one almost died....... I was so surprised, did I fail to grasp the truth alone?

Amidst my throbbing headache, the Duke's words rang out clearly.

"You are soone who denies even the crucial facts ntioned several tis before, and yet continues to claim false facts about stepmother and adopted son regarding Prince Leontes in front of people. Would your words be accurate this ti?"

Grimiati's cold words broke Rhiannon's formidable montum at once.

Rhiannon bared her teeth with ghost-like eyes. Blue veins bulged on the hand gripping the gold-threaded fan like a dagger. It was clear she lost her composure because of Grimiati.

"Let's go, Maxim. I will definitely save Prince Leontes. Even for his sake, you shouldn't be deceived by the words of soone who doesn't even know the law."

Grimiati placed his hand on Maxim's arm and turned. As if to leave just like that.

At that mont, Rhiannon took sothing out of her bosom and threw it at the profile of Grimiati turning away.