Chapter 86

#086 The Ghost of Padtrua (1)

"So that brat is the young duke. Not the older brother."

Emperor Frederic said coolly.

I opened my mouth wide. Could it really be true?

"Are you saying that Eva Blancquer is the young duke?"

"Yes. The fact that the Shrine of the Tree and Wood emitted light means it chose someone to serve it. That's when I bestowed the blessing of longevity on the little one."

The emperor casually explained while sipping his coffee.

The way she frowned, saying 'hot,' briefly reminded me of her son.

I held the tongs and picked up a small piece of ice from the bowl and placed it in her glass.

Cardinal Boute smiled at me.

My mind was busy piecing together the information I had gathered.

'The young dukes of the Blancquer family have always received the favor of the divine artifact. Longevity is a characteristic of their family.'

The voice of Marquis François Dume seemed to be right next to me.

The divine artifact 'Shrine of the Tree and Wood' of the Blancquer ducal family is said to bestow longevity on the future head of the family.

I had assumed that the divine artifact would naturally bestow its favor on the eldest child once they became the young head.

But it seems the order could be reversed.

Eva was chosen on the spot when she accidentally came into contact with the divine artifact.

If that's the case, Eva should be the one responsible for the Blancquer family.

"Robert Blancquer, the young duke, must have silenced his sister to hide the fact that he wasn't chosen. He probably kept tormenting her to prevent her from gaining confidence."

"It seems that way, given the circumstances. He probably didn't want to lose his position. With his powerful magic, he must have thought he could inherit the title if the young duchess remained quiet."

"Considering his reputation, it's not surprising."

The cardinal and the emperor answered in turn.

Thinking about the child who had been suffering alone, my hands grew hot with anger.

I clutched the cold glass tightly.

Dark orange golden privet flowers decorated the surface of the water.

Thinking of Eva's red curly hair, my heart sank.

"Why? Are you planning to make Eva Blancquer the duchess and play power games from behind the scenes?"

At that moment, the emperor asked a terrifying question. I was startled and looked up.

Her cherry-colored eyes were dark and sunken.

"Did I let my guard down too much by having the prince of the enemy country right in front of me?"

"No, no. I just wanted to help Eva, that's all."

"Frederic, that's enough. We agreed to stop teasing the prince at the summer palace."

The cardinal lightly grabbed and released her arm.

The emperor chuckled and sipped her coffee.

Only then did I realize it was her unique way of joking.

The goosebumps on my back slowly subsided.

If you joke twice, you might kill someone...

"Thank you for your answer. I had no intention of asking the busy Your Majesty directly. I apologize for the inconvenience."

I greeted her as calmly as possible.

The emperor, sitting on the opposite sofa, merely nodded.

The cardinal smiled affectionately on her behalf.

Thinking about it, the current situation was almost entirely of her making.

I had met Eva, who was 98% short of being a villain, two days ago.

The young duchess received an invitation from Sir Elizabeth at the temple that day and has been staying at the Marquis of Mute's mansion in the capital ever since.

She will be under the protection of the Marquis of Mute until the young duke leaves the capital.

Since yesterday, she has been coming to the temple to clean for an hour, but she couldn't distinguish between a mop and a towel and needed help from the servants.

Today, Agnes, the imperial gardener, was showing me the mock orange flowers and ended up becoming Eva's teacher.

I was feeling quite conflicted.

After hearing the girl's story, I reread <Bang Bang! Eve's Great Adventure> written by Chancellor Alexandre, but the book was strangely unhelpful.

Chancellor Alexandre referred to his territory, Evelyn, as 'our backyard' and didn't mention anything about the main family while explaining the Shrine of the Tree and Wood.

Since it was a fairy tale written for his young son, it contained more fantasy than reality.

In the episode where the 'Mars Sword' appears, there was an odd explanation that 'one must have a fiery temperament to draw the sword.'

...It doesn't seem entirely wrong when you look at Prince Cedric.

Anyway, it was difficult to find a clear answer even if I dug through books about divine artifacts or divine beasts.

If there were such answers, all the divine artifacts on the continent would have found their masters.

Divine beasts wouldn't be as rare as they are now.

"Your Majesty, I have one question before we start."

"Your eyes look serious. This should be interesting."

So, as soon as the cardinal's class began, I asked for her help.

Despite being busy with the annual prayer meeting preparations, she always made time for me and looked very interested when she heard Eva's story.

"By the way, I've never seen the Shrine of the Tree and Wood myself. The Blancquer family is very closed off. But I know someone who knows a little about the family."

She said mysteriously and called the attendant Natalie.

"Could you ask Frederic to come here? Tell her it's urgent."

...That was a huge line.

This is how I ended up using the emperor of the empire like a Naver Knowledge expert.

Chancellor Alexandre fled the family and was chased out the day before he was to become the young duke.

According to the emperor, the chancellor could make such a decision because he hadn't come into contact with the shrine until then.

"Alexandre was the most responsible among us three. If he had received the blessing of longevity, he probably would have given up the national marriage."

The cardinal asked while sipping her warm coffee. The emperor nodded roughly.

Even though I was suddenly summoned to the cardinal's office and it wasn't an urgent matter, she didn't seem annoyed at all.

"The young duke of Blancquer becoming the duke depends on his own will."

She looked at me straight and said.

I nodded and took a sip of the refreshing golden privet tea.

The strong floral scent seemed to pierce my brain.

The inheritance of titles and property on the continent was primarily the right of the eldest.

In other words, the next in line would be the second-born if there was a problem with the eldest or if they didn't want to inherit.

The disqualification of the young head is usually judged by the parents, but other siblings can also raise objections.

In other words, Eva could inform the Blancquer duke and duchess of her legitimacy at any time.

I need to go and talk to her as soon as the class is over.

"Since he also insulted my son, it will be easier to bring him down."

"That's true. If the young duchess becomes the duchess in the future, Cedric might benefit a little."

The prince's mother and godmother were already staking their claims.

I smiled awkwardly and turned my gaze. Politicians are scary.

"May I ask what you're holding?"

So I asked something random.

It was fine if the emperor didn't answer, and if she did, it would satisfy my minor curiosity.

"Oh, that's right. I have this."

The emperor muttered and handed a golden card to the cardinal.

The eye under the monocle widened.

"What is this?"

"It's an invitation to the opening performance of the opera. Do you have time the day after tomorrow?"

"No way."

When I thought it was something else, it turned out to be a performance ticket. The two of them started chatting.

When I was at the summer palace, they seemed more like sisters than the emperor and cardinal.

I smiled slightly and looked at the desserts left on the table by Natalie.

I planned to fill my stomach with snacks before the emperor left and I had to endure another harsh lesson.

A purple soufflé filled with grape purée and a tarte tatin with large slices of caramelized apples stacked under a golden crust.

A flan topped with strawberry and mango slices...

"That's not a big deal if you can forget it so easily."

"True. But it's quite a big event to ignore."

Big? The tarte is the biggest here. You're the one.

I tilted my head and started to gently cut the dessert with a knife.

The sweet and sour aroma was already stimulating my nose.

"Prince."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Do you want it? I can give it to you."

"Of course, I would be happy. Thank you."

I answered with a wide smile. The cardinal said, "That's a relief."

The emperor raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Good. Since you're telling me to go here and there, you should pay for the meal."

...Wait a minute. What are you talking about?

*

I got entangled with the main male lead because of food. I'm too embarrassed to tell anyone.

"<The Ghost of Padtrua>, it's a sensation right now!"

Ganael said with an extremely excited face.

Her round golden eyes sparkled like a chandelier.

I smiled bitterly while the costume room staff dressed me.

I had told them I didn't need makeup and just a simple outfit, but they brought seven 'simple' formal dresses to try on, which was quite a dilemma.

"Prince, you eat well, but you don't gain weight. The dress is too loose!"

"I'm sorry."

I don't know if this is something to apologize for, but I did.

The tailor clicked her tongue and pinned the dress like a sewing machine.

While I stood awkwardly, Béjamin came over with a small booklet and started reading to me.

Three red pandas were cleaning the floor like robot vacuums, seeking attention.

Determination was sprawled out in the chair instead of me.

"<The Ghost of Padtrua> is the flagship repertoire of the Atal Opera Company, which receives royal patronage. It opens around this time every year. The story is about Daphnis, a corps de ballet member of the Padtrua Theater, who grows into a famous ballerina under the guidance of Chloe, a ghost composer living underground. The story ends when Giselle, Daphnis' old friend, rescues Chloe, who has become Daphnis' prisoner."

"..."

I closed my mouth.

I don't know what 'corps de ballet' means, but just hearing the plot made me feel uneasy.

This is that, isn't it? No, the title is really that.

"Does the ghost composer... wear a white half-mask?"

"Yes, you know about it, Prince."

Of course, I do.

We have a 25th anniversary live performance Blu-ray of <The Phantom of the Opera> that Jeon Eun-seo bought.

"Every performance is sold out every year, so getting a seat on the fourth floor is like picking stars from the sky. But recently, a big incident has made it even more of a topic."

Ganael said and carefully lifted the hem to clear the way.

The servants, who were struggling to move, bowed to the divine beast.

I was inwardly surprised by the bold parody of the 'Retired Duke' author.

I thought there must be a reason why Eun-seo found it interesting, but this is a bit...

Is it a lack of sincerity? Is it okay?

"What big incident?"

"During rehearsals, a real ghost appeared and sucked out the souls of the actors."

"Ganael."

"But, Béjamin, they almost canceled the performance!"

Béjamin calmed the boy, and I looked at Béjamin.

I didn't think they would risk such danger to open the performance where the emperor and cardinal were supposed to sit.

No, are they forcing the performance because the royal family is coming?

"It's just a rumor. The capital's defense force searched but couldn't find any traces of a magical creature. It's probably just a publicity stunt."

The middle-aged man answered calmly. That makes sense.

I nodded and fiddled with the paper in my sleeve.

It was the letter Eva wrote to the Blancquer duke and duchess after hearing my story the day before yesterday.

She had given it to me to read first, and it felt strange, like editing a petition.

There will probably be an intermission, so I can read it then.

Will I sit alone in the box? Then I won't have to see the prince's face.