Chapter 89

■ Chapter 88. Preparation (3) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

While Isaac was entertaining guests in his territory, the royal palace was also warmly welcoming distinguished guests.

Most of the people who visited the Marshal territory without passing through the capital were commoners, artists, or nobles of the rank of baron or below.

Those of higher rank were mostly in important government positions, so they tended to be officially invited by the country they were visiting.

Of course, they could visit unofficially, but if something went wrong, it could cause significant diplomatic damage, so they avoided it.

Especially since the relationship between the Minerva Empire and the Ters Kingdom was almost hostile, even a minor visit required a complex procedure.

Currently, the Ters Kingdom, which originally intended to host an exhibition in its own capital, had transferred the authority to the Minerva Empire as if passing the buck.

The Minerva Empire had no intention of hosting it and only made a show of it, but with the sudden transfer, they began to have extremely busy days.

To successfully host the exhibition within a period slightly over two weeks, the high-ranking nobles worked overtime almost every day, and the same was true for the royal palace.

People might think that the royal family, such as the Crown Prince and Princess, do not work, but that is not the case. On the contrary, it is the opposite.

The empire, aware through history that the moment the king neglects state affairs and focuses elsewhere, the country will decline, ensures that even if the children do not ascend to the throne, they are responsible for specific areas of governance.

This is why, over 500 years of history, even when the emperor made various mistakes, no tyrant capable of destroying the country was born. Moreover, with the Rechilles family closely watching, they had no choice but to work.

As a result, Crown Prince Leort and Princess Lina, due to the recent influx of work, could not get proper sleep and welcomed the distinguished guests.

"You look very tired. Haven't you been sleeping well recently?"

A handsome man with sky-blue hair, blue eyes, and a sharp nose spoke with a smiling tone.

Perhaps his charming and playful smile, which seemed to suggest he often played pranks, annoyed Leort, who also smiled and replied.

"Thanks to someone. On the contrary, you look well-rested."

"We are merely the guests, not the hosts. I came here with high expectations."

Leort's eyes twitched, perhaps because he did not like the blue-haired man's answer. His eyes were heavily lined with dark circles from the overwhelming amount of work.

Despite being a Crown Prince and receiving strict management, the dark circles revealed how much he had suffered.

His usually sharp blue eyes had lost their luster due to fatigue.

In contrast, the blue-haired handsome prince and Crown Prince of the Ters Kingdom, Laus Dukard von Kuthers, was in perfect condition. He was not just fine; he was brimming with energy and exuded a sense of ease.

Officially, Laus visited the empire to attend the exhibition. However, internally, complex politics were involved.

For the Ters Kingdom, it was a matter of indifference whether the exhibition succeeded or failed, so they could come with a relaxed mind.

Honestly, they would prefer if the exhibition failed spectacularly, but the likelihood of that happening was very low. The empire, well aware of the Ters Kingdom's intentions, would have made thorough preparations despite the tight schedule.

Laus came to the empire with the mindset of enjoying the festival.

"By the way, did the empire have a reason to rush the preparation of the exhibition? I don't understand."

A cute girl sitting to Laus's left spoke with a clear voice. She had blue hair and eyes like Laus, with long, straight hair and a neatly cut fringe.

Her doll-like appearance and slender build evoked a protective instinct.

This girl's name is Lala Dukard von Kuthers, the third princess of the Ters Kingdom and the youngest of four siblings.

The eldest princess, already married, did not issue an official statement and went to the Marshal territory. The second princess, on the other hand, ...

"Lala, such a question is impolite. I told you not to ask, didn't I?"

She was sitting to the right of Laus, who was in the center. Her voice was unusually low for a woman.

Her appearance, while inherently beautiful, had a stern look, but her ponytail accentuated her mature beauty.

The most distinctive feature was her attire. While others wore dresses for such formal occasions, she alone wore a uniform similar to a knight's.

Her name is Hiriya Dukard von Kuthers.

Even without considering her background, she is a famous knight in the Ters Kingdom known for her outstanding abilities.

Technically, she is a knight-in-training, still in the academy but soon to graduate and receive her uniform.

"Was it a question I shouldn't have asked?"

"Yes. I've told you many times that we are here to enjoy the exhibition."

"Then I apologize. I'm sorry."

Hearing Hiriya's reprimand, Lala bowed her head forward.

Leort, and Lina sitting beside him, smiled wryly.

Lala is only 12 years old, an age where she asks questions about everything she is curious about.

However, as Hiriya pointed out, her impoliteness remained, and Laus also apologized in a serious tone...

"No. Lala doesn't need to apologize. I was also curious about it."

...which was the opposite of what was expected. Hiriya glared at Laus, who was trying to escalate the issue, and crossed her arms, closing her eyes.

This complex and dirty political world was something she detested, but due to her position, she had to attend reluctantly. She would have preferred to stay in the kingdom and focus on her remaining training.

Meanwhile, Laus, seeing this as an opportunity to apply pressure, asked the siblings with a smiling face.

"Hosting an exhibition is a time-consuming process. Why the rush now?"

"There are reasons. You don't need to know them. Just enjoy it, right?"

"Hmm. Is it related to the author of the Zaxon Chronicles?"

Laus's sharp observation made Leort, and even Lina, who was pretending to drink coffee, flinch.

Fortunately, the reaction was minimal, and Laus did not notice.

Leort, without changing his expression, replied.

"Indeed, you are perceptive. Your guess is correct. We wanted to show it to Zaxon as soon as possible, so we moved the schedule up."

"You're a good liar."

Bluffing, sometimes the truth sounds like a lie. The truth Leort spoke now sounded like a lie to Laus.

Laus believed it was impossible for the empire to find the person the Ters Kingdom was desperately searching for. Even recently, they had almost found out who it was.

This confidence led Laus to believe that Leort was lying. For Leort, it was fortunate, but he could not stop his heart from racing.

It was a gamble. Everything he had said so far was the truth.

They had to move the schedule up to show it to Isaac as soon as possible. Leort and Lina had pushed themselves to the limit to gain his forgiveness for their past wrongdoings.

'Too hasty...'

They could have held the exhibition a year later, but doing so would give the Ters Kingdom a significant advantage.

If that happened, Isaac would likely visit the Ters Kingdom and might even become deeply interested in its culture.

Especially, according to Lina, Isaac loved history, so he might go to the Ters Kingdom for cultural research.

This would mean losing a talent who could shape the empire's future.

Technically, it would mean subordinating a historian to the empire, but to Leort, it was the same.

Laus, completely unaware of Leort's thoughts, shrugged and dealt with the situation casually.

"Whatever. I understand. Since your empire is preparing, we can enjoy it. Zaxon might even attend, and we might find him."

"What would you do if you found Zaxon?"

Lina, not Leort, asked with a wary tone. Unlike Leort, she clearly knew that Isaac was Zaxon.

This made her react more sensitively.

Laus, after raising one eyebrow in response to her question, spoke as if it was no big deal.

"Of course, we would respectfully invite him to our kingdom. I mean it literally; we will bring him respectfully before your empire does."

"Zaxon has expressed his desire to live a normal life. What if he stops writing again?"

"Has our kingdom ever pressured artists? Did we ask the Lilus Orchestra to compose a national anthem, or the Matrix Theater to create a propaganda play? Even when the Jeros Revolution was reenacted, we did nothing."

While he said this, he had planned to use Isaac's fame before the revolution. The empire's power, no matter how strong, would be meaningless if it crumbled from within.

The empire had already stolen countless talents, so the Ters Kingdom had to take action. One of the strategies was to use Zaxon's fame for propaganda.

However, after the hiatus, they had to abandon this plan. They had to prevent another Jeros Revolution.

Instead, they changed their approach. They would allow Zaxon to write freely but find a way to make him belong to the kingdom.

This alone would make the Minerva Empire helpless. The Ters Kingdom, strengthened by the Jeros Revolution, would benefit twofold.

'And the most certain way to keep such a prominent artist is...'

Laus alternated his gaze between Hiriya, who was sitting silently with her arms crossed, and Lala, who was munching on snacks like a hamster. Both women exuded their own unique beauty and were princesses of a nation.

They were the most suitable women for Zaxon, who could influence the world. If he were an ordinary artist, it would be an impossible dream, but as Zaxon, it was possible.

However, Hiriya had already chosen the path of a soldier, and Lala was too young. Even for a political marriage, she would need to be an adult.

Moreover, Zaxon, estimated to be an old sage, might not have any interest in women. Still, showing this much effort, Zaxon would likely accept reluctantly.

Furthermore, it didn't have to be Hiriya or Lala. There was one person with a blood connection, even if they were abandoned.

Laus, recalling the person who was forced to enter the Hail Academy, asked.

"By the way, is the academy life going well?"

"Thanks to the talents of other countries who have dedicated themselves to our empire, it is very comfortable. The culture and welfare are incomparable."

"Hahaha. That's to be expected."

"But why are you asking... Ah, is it because of Adelia?"

Leort, who had a vague idea, asked Laus. Lina, who had also heard about it, had a calm expression.

Laus nodded, confirming Leort's thoughts, but there was a slight hint of displeasure on his face.

"You're right about the person you're thinking of. But I'd prefer if you didn't mention their name."

"Hmm... Did you really have to abandon them? They could have become a knight like Hiriya. They are currently a martial arts assistant at the academy."

"..."

Hiriya, even when mentioned by Leort, kept her eyes closed and remained silent, not even opening her mouth. It seemed she did not feel the need to respond.

Leort was not bothered by Hiriya's rude reaction. He had seen her stubborn personality many times and could easily overlook it.

"If they had abandoned their name and lived a normal life, it might have been different. But the effort to be recognized as a bastard doesn't look good. Abamama also said it was the biggest mistake of their life."

"At the academy, they use the name Cross."

"Before sending them to the academy, I threatened them not to use the royal name. The name Cross is likely their mother's. The name of a lowly prostitute."

"..."

This answer, tinged with the bitterness of the pre-revolution era, made Leort recall the personal history of the Ters Kingdom's king, Friedrich.

To the people of the Ters Kingdom, Friedrich was known as a romanticist who was gentle and loved only one woman, unlike a king. In reality, Friedrich did not have any concubines and devoted his love to his queen alone.

However, the problem arose from his relationship with a prostitute before meeting the queen. Unfortunately, he failed to use contraception, and a child was born.

If the prostitute had remained quiet, it might have been different. But due to her difficult life, she developed greed and approached Friedrich directly.

This naturally caused chaos in the palace. Friedrich strongly denied it, but the child's blue eyes, like the sky, spoke for themselves.

Fortunately, the incident was thoroughly concealed, and the child was accepted, but the mother disappeared without a trace.

'Maybe she often played pranks on Nicole because she was the first friend she ever had.'

Her always cheerful face hid deep loneliness. Of course, this was not something that particularly interested Leort, so he brushed it off.

"Anyway, why are you asking? Do you want to know if Adelia is attending the exhibition?"

"Indeed, you know me well."

"Stop playing around before I get angry."

This playful nature is definitely inherited. Both Adelia and Laus often played pranks.

Laus, who had been playfully teasing with finger snaps, shrugged at Leort's words and returned to the main topic.

"First, I want to know if they are doing well and if they still want to be recognized."

"What if they abandon their name?"

"You decide. Whether you use them for propaganda or not, it's no problem for our kingdom. The lowly woman is just Abamama's 'mistake.'"

The attitude of considering a person's birth and life as a mere 'mistake' would make Isaac frown, but to them, it was a common sense.

If a ruler made a political mistake, the people would complain, but they did not care much about personal life. They would just think, "Oh, that's how it is," and move on, not considering personal character important.

Leort, nodding as if he understood, spoke.

"Understood. Based on my prediction, they will attend the exhibition."

"Thank you. Then, let's start preparing now. We should rest to enjoy tomorrow."

Thus, the night before the exhibition approached.

"I will formally introduce myself. I am Princess Cecilie Drat Aisilia von."

"Not at all. It is an honor to welcome you, Princess. You are truly beautiful."

"Thank you. I was curious about where Isaac's face came from, and it seems he inherited it from the baroness."

"Oh, so you're saying our Isaac is pretty?"

Isaac was perplexed by Cecilie's sudden visit.

At first, everyone was surprised by her visit, but her eloquent speech naturally eased the tension. She even got along well with Isaac's mother, and they were already chatting.

"And Isaac, here's the book you wanted."

"Huh? What book?"

"A book about the history of the demons. It was selected by a scholar from Helium, so it will likely be very helpful to you."

"Oh...! Thank you, big sister."

"Don't mention it. I'm the one who should be grateful."

Most importantly, Isaac was easily won over by the history book from Cecilie.

However, the person with the biggest complaint was Marie.

She had planned to spend time with Isaac peacefully, but Cecilie's visit ruined everything. She could not express her frustration directly, which made her even more frustrated.

Finally, she secretly called Isaac to a secluded place and sternly confronted him.

"Isaac."

"...Yeah."

"As your girlfriend, I'm telling you this in advance. During the exhibition, stay with me all the time. If you separate or look at other women, I won't let you hold my hand."

"Then can I kiss you?"

"...You're really a pervert."

Marie's face turned red as she felt Isaac's counterattack, and she bowed her head. Isaac, with a teasing tone, continued to ask.

"So, what's your answer? Can I kiss you?"

"...Not now, later. Cecilie might secretly watch. It seems she came for that reason..."

"Embarrassed?"

"Enough! You red pervert! We can do it to our heart's content tomorrow!"

"What's a red pervert?"

The exhibition seemed destined to be a tumultuous event.