The Emperor Who Was Chapter 98 : Chapter 98

Chapter . 98

Her montum was so fierce that everyone except the Duke let out short screams.

"It's not a dagger!"

Michelon, who had good eyesight, told

imdiately, but honestly, my heart sank.

Grimiati snatched it quickly, but the mont he grabbed it, the object returned to Rhiannon's hand. It must have been rigged with magic originally. This was the Empress's residence, after all.

"What are you doing!"

My brother shouted, more furious than before. Rhiannon smiled triumphantly and put it, the ring, on her hand to show it off.

"It's your portrait ring. But you're wearing it on your hand right now."

Before the invisible eye could magnify the ring, Michelon saw it first and spoke. I also followed his gaze and checked the ring on my hand.

"She probably just molded so silver ring with magic."

Michelon's guess must be correct... but.......

"That's Mother's keepsake, why do you have it? I gave it to Leontes!"

My brother shouted. Rhiannon shook her head slowly again.

"Impossible. That ring has your mother's portrait, but this ring has Leontes's portrait?"

Michelon and I t each other's eyes.

Then, Rhiannon shoved the finger wearing the ring in front of my brother's eyes, and although my brother checked it, he looked unconvinced. On the other hand, a flash of light appeared in Grimiati's eyes.

His hand moved so fast it struck Rhiannon like a whip. The Empress imprisoning the Prince and threatening, and the ambassador attacking the Empress. The battle for succession wasn't just fierce beneath the surface; it was exploding.

The Sword Master blocked this too. But this ti the Duke was so fast that Alexander grabbed Rhiannon's hand instead of the Duke's and pushed her away, getting caught by the Duke instead.

"Your Grace the Duke! Here, Leontes's ally is ! I am acting for his benefit, not my mother's right now, so Your Grace should hold off for a mont too!"

"You're a guy who never calls him 'Your Highness', you must have been in quite a hurry."

Michelon said. Smacking his lips, he added.

"If Grimiati had snatched the ring Rhiannon was wearing, would he have recognized if it was genuine? If not for the Sword Master, it was a movent that could have easily snatched it; what a pity."

Grimiati didn't answer with an expressionless face. He just pushed the Sword Master away. Literally applying force to the shoulder he gripped and pushing him. If Alexander didn't hold his ground, Rhiannon would be pushed back too.

"It's nice to see Alexander's face contorted? Does Grimiati know how to use mana?"

The invisible eye couldn't tell that much. If I had been at the scene... though I didn't particularly want to be.......

"There's a high possibility, and if so, he's the best at hiding mana among those I know."

"Well, your brothers are all guys who don't know how to hide anything. No self-control either."

Although true, hearing it from Michelon, I didn't know how to react.

Alexander, who had so self-control, didn't endure any longer either.

"Mother! Do you want

to take off the ring myself and hand it over to the Duke?"

Then, Rhiannon opened her mouth with a softened face behind her son. The Empress had guts, but she wasn't unaware of when to retreat. Rather, her sense for that was so good that she acted boldly while watching the situation.

"Since the ring is no longer the late Empress Erngarde's nor Leontes's, I will return it to him. He is safe, and it was his will to hand over this ring when told a token was needed. Don't get excited over a montary prank, Duke."

"Don't be deceived. Safe my foot, she might have cut off the finger wearing the ring and said it ant his life wasn't in danger. If it were , I would have thought that."

Michelon criticized my brothers while eating pheasant at.

"If you weren't by my side, I would have been deceived too."

Adding that. The Empress's last words were really plausible.

"Leontes chose that ring instead of Mother's valuable jewels, and he handed it over to you of all people?"

"He gave it because it would serve as a token only if you recognized it like that. I swear I didn't ask for it!"

My brother refuted, but Rhiannon's words only beca more plausible. The last remark was also correct.

"This is not the ti. We must move now."

After showing off the ring to the gathered people, Rhiannon slipped out from behind Alexander and stood in front of the bedroom door right next to them.

Although this was the reception room of the Empress's residence, there were only five people including Rhiannon; no maids or Lauderdale people were seen.

Just as Vincent did, a mage might be hiding, but they didn't co out even during that commotion.

However, the spot where Rhiannon stood clearly had a defensive barrier. If the Duke attacked again, she would dodge, but the Empress had no intention of leaving this spot before accomplishing her will.

Rhiannon glanced sideways at Grimiati, who had his eyes fixed on her for a mont, then raised her voice.

"Whether I am protecting or imprisoning Leontes, I don't want to persuade you further, so believe what you want to believe. To start with the conclusion, Leontes and I desire only one thing. From now on, we join forces to find the dragon egg on Mount Petrafis. Leontes went to find it after receiving a revelation, but was ambushed by unidentified people and had to give up and hide. However, he doesn't know the exact location either. If you find the dragon egg, contact

imdiately. Leontes has already agreed to hand over that egg to

in exchange for his protection."

"Holding Leontes hostage and demanding the dragon egg as ransom, what a trick."

My brother snapped. Rhiannon continued without changing her expression.

"I am not finished yet. Knowing that neither I nor Leontes, nor his ally or full brother, would exchange the dragon egg for him, naturally, a counterasure was prepared. Since he and I provided the likely location of the dragon egg, if anyone finds the dragon egg with that information and keeps it for themselves, I will tell His Majesty the Emperor. Leontes, who found out where the dragon egg is, will know that fact too."

"She didn't even form an alliance with you but uses you trendously."

While Michelon marveled, Rhiannon continued.

"So whoever discovers it first, it will be jointly owned until hatching, protecting our property from His Majesty the Emperor. Since His Majesty's dragon is already dead."

As she emphasized the last words, my three brothers unwittingly nodded.

Except for Grimiati, who, although he took his hand off Alexander, still stared only at Rhiannon with the sa face.

After casting a glance at such a Duke, Rhiannon bit her lip once and continued speaking, trying to be calm.

"Contact

imdiately if you find the dragon egg. Because we must all join forces to hide that egg from His Majesty. Also, if the discoverer wishes to exchange it for Leontes, it is possible. Ultimately, I want to keep the dragon egg rather than protect soone who is neither

nor my adopted son."

Then Rhiannon cast mocking glances at the Duke and my two brothers, excluding Desmond.

"I wonder which of you can give up the dragon egg for Leontes. Leontes would want to know too."

"It was none other than you who attacked my brother! Do you think we don't know your trick of imprisoning and threatening him to extract information and then steering this matter as you please!"

When my brother got angry, Rhiannon mocked him further.

"If you really think so, take him in exchange for the dragon egg. Then you imprison and threaten Leontes to extract information on where I might have put the dragon egg, perhaps through another revelation, and do as you please."

"What did you say!"

"But not before that. Don't even think about trying to contact him. You might betray him and hand him over to His Majesty the Emperor, blinded by the reward. Then my face, which he trusted to protect him from His Majesty, would be ruined."

"How can she lie so confidently. In terms of offensive power, she absolutely doesn't lag behind the Sword Master's son."

While Michelon marveled, Rhiannon looked around the seated assembly.

"While you search all over Armatia in vain, I could have monopolized Mount Petrafis and found the dragon egg alone. Do you know why I am sharing this precious information with you?"

Actually, since I disappeared from Mount Petrafis, it couldn't be called information. But she eliminated the possibility that I left that mountain by magic or other ans after kidnapping .

Amidst the silence, Michelon asked .

"Why does the Empress believe there is a dragon egg on Mount Petrafis?"

I answered Michelon's question.

"Even before you showed

your house, there was a legend that a dragon lived on Mount Petrafis, and so there were many attempts to find dragon gold on that mountain. Although they always failed. Many people still believe gold is hidden there. Besides, the Empress might have thought there was sothing on that mountain given the Wolf of Petrafis incident and the reports she heard when Montova was her vassal."

"So, she sent you there on purpose? From the beginning?"

"Probably. Although at that ti, she gave a plausible reason asking , who receives the Emperor's favor and has good relations with the temple, to resolve the mage hunt in Petrafis because her face would be lost otherwise."

"But her real intention was to send you to search that mountain a bit. Even if you acted as if you had no greed for the dragon egg by telling the location only to the Emperor, expecting your mind would change if you went to a place with a high possibility of a dragon egg."

"Just in ti I disappeared, and my Imperial Father issued such an order, so as Empress, she must have thought it was worth playing a big ga now."

Just when we finished guessing Rhiannon's conspiracy, she, who had been deliberately stalling and observing the faces of those gathered, smiled alluringly and spoke. Again, not to seduce, but an expression of self-intoxication as the conspiracy was going well.

"Do not forget, I could have plotted with Cardinal Orlanto instead of you. Already, they say the Knights of Saint Romola received a good impression of Leontes due to the Wolf of Petrafis incident; how much dedication and passion would they show if told it was for him? Better than you who are blood relatives in na only but practically enemies."

"What do they have to do with my brother!"

"All the more reason to keep older brother and the Knights of Purity apart, Mother!"

"Why are they needed? Did you forget the fact that I am a Sword Master and Leontes's one and only ally, Mother?"

"Since when does a Marquis call Prince Leontes by na recklessly?"

The mont Rhiannon ntioned the Knights of Saint Romola, everyone shouted in agitation. In fact, the Knights of Saint Romola were unpopular.

The more everyone shouted in anger, the more triumphant the Empress beca. Feeling good that they didn't know she had already plotted with them.

"None of you know my true intentions. Why wouldn't I do what I could have done sufficiently? Do you still not know my deep intention to generously give the royal family a chance first as the Empress of the Imperial Family of Armatia?"

"Wow, she speaks really well as if she didn't do it, even though she already plotted with Cardinal Orlanto."

Michelon marveled. I felt a bit like that inwardly too.

Certainly everyone got angry, but after that, their montum dampened. In front of the Empress's threat to join hands with the Knights of Saint Romola instead of them.

Looking around at them, the Empress continued smoothly. A person who strikes like a storm with a whip but also offers a carrot quickly.

"This cooperation is not bad for all of us. His Majesty might wish for us to kill each other on that rugged mountain and go missing like Leontes; for us too, rather than dying before properly engaging in the battle for succession, we must unite according to necessity until then."