Emperor Marcus, also known as the cold blooded ruler, drew innumerable rivers of blood before succeeding to the throne, as his nickname implies.
Not to mention his adversaries: brothers, cousins, and even distant relatives.
People who inherited even a smidgeon of the royal family's blood were slaughtered until their seeds dried up.
The body count eventually piled up to a mountain, and it spilled blood enough to fill a river that flows around the Imperial palace.
There was no single male of the family other than Emperor Marcus who was left with the surname Britten. Of course this implies the generation before his sons.
Fearing that the Emperor Marcus' pure bloodline would be cut off, there were only a few relatives who could be termed the Imperial Family at the time, and they took a very frightening and extreme move.
‘That is the tragedy of the Britten family… and throughout the Avalon Empire’s history, it will be remembered as the darkest catastrophe.’
As he grumbled inside, Joshua's eyes dropped down.
Beyond the wall, Princess Sersiarin was the first casualty of that disaster.
‘There was a good reason why the Princess was born with such congenital impairment… because of the inbreeding of the Brittens.’
Joshua gave a sour smile and shifted his gaze to the huge wall in front of him.
Princess Sersiarin, if his memory serves him correctly,
Emperor Marcus and his cousin had a child as a result of incest.
And thus the princess was a really pure blooded royal.
“Please tell me! Please tell me how much you know—!”
“Princess Sersiarin?”
“...”
Joshua took a step back when another woman's voice came from behind the wall.
“Are you talking to the wall?”
“Oh! No… what’s going on Ellen?”
Princess Sersiarin mumbled the inquiry, unable to mask her shame.
“Your health… I know you’re not feeling well yet you’re still here. Let’s go in now, Your Highness.”
“I see—”
Joshua, who grasped the general atmosphere, sighed briefly and turned around.
'We will meet again when the time is right.'
Joshua murmured to himself and started walking slowly.
Joshua's figure swiftly vanished from the scene, leaving behind the wall that soared high as if it might cut through the sky.
'I don’t believe it. He seemed to know everything.'
As she returned her gaze to the flower garden full of vibrant flowers, the girl's face was flushed with surprise.
The girl was sitting beside the window, cushioned under a soft pillow while reminiscing the earlier encounter.
The girl's attractiveness could not be hidden even though her eyes, which are an important element of her appearance. But she closed her lids and frowned.
Is she ten years old now?
Her blonde hair shone beautifully in the sunlight, as if to boast that she inherited royal blood, and her small face, straight nose, and dense features below that were in perfect harmony with her little face.
It’s like she has never been outside the sun before. It seems life if she really did go outside, her pristine white skin will melt.
And even though she’s angry, everyone will still think of her as an adorable doll.
Due to her young age, she was still simply a doll-like kid who everyone would admire at least once, but she is on her way to becoming one of the empire's most beautiful girls.
“Joshua… Sanders?”
“Yes?”
Ellen, the private maid combing her hair from behind, inclined her head so she could comprehend Princess Sersiarin's little mutter.
“Have you ever heard the name Joshua Sanders, Ellen?”
“Joshua… Sanders?”
Ellen's skepticism became more pronounced.
“I'm not sure? No middle name implies commoners, right? Do you know someone with that name?”
'Is he a peasant?'
Princess Sersiarin snorted a little when she heard Ellen's remarks out of her one ear.
Ordinary people who have no knowledge of the whereabouts of the imperial family must be oblivious of this secret that only a few members of the royal family are aware of.
“Ah, now that I think about it—”
Ellen clapped her hands for a little moment, as if contemplating something.
“I was curious if it was familiar, but I believe I've heard the name Joshua before.”
“Really?”
Princess Serciarin inquired, her voice anxious.
Because there were so many people's names and their families in the Empire, the chances that they were the same individual were slim.
‘I can always double check… since I remember the feeling that he gave me even if he was beyond the wall… I will definitely know if it’s him.’
Princess Sersiarin's face was filled with confidence.
In any case, the presence or absence of a wall didn't matter to her.
She was still blind even if there was no wall.
“Tell me, Ellen, When was the first time you heard the name?”
“That— It’s because I heard something on the way here.”
“Please speak.”
Ellen, who had been afraid to respond, suddenly sighed in response to Princess Sersiarin's desperate face.
“The knights said that we have a new talent with the name of Joshua.”
“You mean one of the people who can be considered as the continent’s most gifted?”
Ellen smiled and nodded.
“Yes… and the other one was Babel von Agnus. His Majesty was very happy because this could be good for our Empire.”
“So his name was Joshua—”
‘I expected him to be an unusual person, but I never imagined that he would be a great person because his voice sounded so young.’
Selene spoke up after seeing princess Sersiarin contemplating.
“It’s not confirmed yet… because in order to be a solid little star, everyone must acknowledge him.”
“You mean because of the fact that he was nominated means that there is a huge chance of it being true, right?”
“That is true… because people who had been nominated before excelled in the Reinhardt competition that attracts people from all across the land.”
“So it’s like that.”
Selene continued speaking with a strong expression on her face as Princess Sersiarin gently nodded her head.
“However… According to the knights, the majority of aristocracy are opposed to this topic.”
“What are you suddenly saying?”
Princess Sersiarin asked a query with a tilt of her head.
“They say that aristocats are wary because those geniuses has big chance to be nine stars in the future, and given the fact that there’s two little stars from one family is so—”
Princess Sersiarin flinched and shook at Selene's following remarks.
‘Two little stars from the same family?’
Was Joshua related to the other two geniuses?
There was only one person…
“All well, then. Maybe that person named Joshua—”
“Yes.”
Selene vigorously nodded and finally continued her last comments.
“Joshua von Agnus is his full name. He is claimed to be Duke Aden von Agnus's second son, the Empire's pride.”
Just now, an unexpected visitor appeared at Duke Agnus' office.
“I greet the Duke.”
“Chiffon? What brings you here?”
“That—”
Chiffon threw a regretful grimace towards the end of his speech.
‘I couldn't speak the truth since the Duchess had ordered it.’
“How come there isn't a response?”
“Please accept my apologies, Your highness.”
Chiffon knelt on the floor right away.
Duke Agnus raised the atmosphere.
Chiffon gulped hard when his body started shaking violently against his will.
“I inquired. What brings you here as a Knight of the duke?”
“Oh Duke… Please, don’t be enraged.”
“Valderas den Chiffon, tell me who is the Lord you serve.”
Chiffon bit his lips when he realized that he needed to answer the question.
“Ah, Duke Aden von Agnus, the big star over Avalon, is my master—!”
Chiffon couldn't take it any longer and slammed his head on the marble tiled floor.
Duke Agnus's ferocious fury toward him grew stronger.
“I'm well aware that you pay more attention to Vanessa than mine.”
“This is a misunderstanding… Keugh—”
“I decided to leave you alone since you’re doing well with your job, but you crossed the line this time… do you plead guilty?”
“Please accept my apologies—”
“Explain why you should be forgiven.”
Chiffon frantically shook his head.
‘Make sure you don't get this one wrong.’ he kept telling himself.
When it came to blunders, the master was not particularly forgiving.
Now is the time to speak the truth.
“His Majesty the Emperor... he ordered a private meeting with Young Master Babel.”
“What?”
“I need to guard Young Master Babel back and forth the Duchy… AAAACKK!”
Chiffon heaved a hard cough as the energy that had crushed his entire body vanished like a lie.
“Is it accurate what you just said?”
“I swear on my life, there isn't a single lie.”
“Aside from that, what else have you failed to inform me of?”
Chiffon instantly straightened his stance in response to Duke Agnus' question.
“There is no such thing!”
“You will, without a doubt, have to think and respond. If something similar occurs again—”
‘I could predict enough even if I didn't listen to his next words.’
Chiffon slammed his head against the ground once more.
“Not at all, Duke! Have faith in me!”
“...”
After casting a frigid glare at Chiffon's back, Duke Agnus rose to his feet.
“Can you tell me where Babel is now?”
“I only know that he will have a private meeting with the Emperor and nothing else.”
“Alone with the Emperor—?”
Duke Agnus' impression hardened even more.
“Chiffon, I can only give you one piece of advice, as a lord.”
“Haah! Please say so.”
“If you want to pursue that plan of yours, learn how to grope the string that won’t break. Because if you hold onto a string that will, you and that person will stumble together… You must know how to strive harder as you grow older.”
“My lord’s advice, I will engrave it deep into these bones!”
“Go rest for a moment.”
“All right, I'll accept your orders!”
Chiffon quickly followed suit.
Duke Agnus left the office and Chiffon alone.
He didn’t even look back at the laying Chiffon on the ground.
“Damn this.”
Chiffon let out a furious cuss word as he was left alone.
‘I know how to cut the line myself. That’s exactly what I’m doing now.’
If he insist on using the iron fist,
“Who will laugh at the end, my lord, I’d like to see with my own two eyes.”
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