EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 208

Chapter 208

***

 

The Next Day, at the Imperial Palace

Lucio’s aide, Nyx, entered his office after knocking.

His lord, who never took weekends off, had surprisingly taken a full day’s rest yesterday without visiting either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Guild Headquarters.

It had been to receive formal consent for marriage with the Grand Princess of Belus.

Nyx and his colleagues, who were aware of the lord’s secret relationship with the Grand Princess, had been excited at the news that it would finally bear fruit.

Although the emperor had tried to interfere, and they expected resistance from the Grand Princess’s family, their lord had managed to overcome the obstacles splendidly.

Yet the lord’s face, as he reviewed documents, looked strangely somber—not like a man who had just secured his engagement.

Tilting his head in confusion, Nyx spoke, unaware that Lucio’s dark mood stemmed from worrying about how long it would take until he could actually marry Lia.

“Master, a maid from the Imperial Princess’s palace visited earlier.”

“The Imperial Princess’s palace? For what reason?”

“She said you’d understand once you arrived and requested you to come as soon as possible.”

Nyx’s tone was full of discontent. Everyone who knew anything was aware that Princess Serphin harbored ill intentions toward Lucio.

After the imperial banquet, rumors had already spread far and wide about the childhood pact between Duke Elard and the Grand Duchess of Belus. The princess must have caught wind of that as well.

Yet, having inherited the emperor’s persistent nature, it seemed she insisted on hearing things from Lucio’s own lips.

‘What sort of hysterics is she planning now…’

Though she had concealed her volatile temperament before Lucio, this time, she might finally show her true colors.

Nyx, shivering without realizing, silently hoped his lord would make an excuse and avoid going to the princess’s palace.

Lucio, too, felt the same.

Though he had severed the long-standing feud between his father and the emperor and laid down his burdens, that didn’t mean he was free from all duties and obligations.

He was still a key talent in the imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the heir to one of only two ducal families in the Empire.

He couldn’t defy a summons from the princess and had no choice but to go.

He gathered the documents and rose from his seat, then exited the Ministry building and headed for his destination.

 

***

 

For some reason, the road to the princess’s palace felt unusually quiet today.

Lucio, always sensitive and perceptive since childhood, instinctively reached into his pocket and touched a small vial he carried.

⟨The Princess must have heard about our engagement. We don’t know what she might try out of spite, so always be careful. Promise me, okay?⟩

She probably wouldn’t go so far as to use poison…

Though Lia had wrinkled her nose in embarrassment while saying it, she still handed him the small vial—just in case.

It was the very same antidote that had once saved her mother, capable of neutralizing any poison.

To Lucio, both this tiny bottle and the woman who gave it to him felt like far too precious a gift.

Naturally, his earlier thoughts returned.

If too much time passed before marrying Lia, even though they were engaged, others might begin to develop feelings for her.

Some might be clueless nobodies, but certainly, there would be other young, promising nobles of her age.

‘Like Jack Sedian…’

The image of Lia and Jack standing side by side like a painting the day before came vividly to mind, and Lucio frowned slightly.

Jack Sedian was a young, strong, and upright knight of exceptional character.

He even had excellent taste—he’d recognized Lia’s warmth, intelligence, and kindness and had loved her for a long time.

‘He must have confessed yesterday.’

Lia hadn’t said anything, but there was no way Lucio hadn’t noticed.

He had seen Jack more than once clutching Lia’s letters with care as he returned to his quarters. Honestly, Lucio wanted to ask her right then what Jack had said when he confessed his love.

‘But I’m older than her… If I’m jealous on top of that…’

Even someone as kind as Lia might get tired of him eventually.

With that disheartened thought, Lucio sighed and looked ahead. The princess’s palace was now in front of him.

In truth, Lucio knew better than anyone how cruel Serphin could be.

He had kept records, evidence to use for Nicholas someday, of how many palace servants had died in her residence and how far her tyranny reached.

‘That’s why I must be careful…’

Recalling Lia’s warning again, Lucio moved with extra caution.

Upon entering the palace, he couldn’t help but frown.

Though it was still broad daylight, thick curtains blocked all sunlight from entering, and only a few candles lit the space.

There was no sign of any knights or maids; just one maid silently approached and guided him to the drawing room.

The dark, silent corridors felt eerie and oppressive.

“You may go in now.”

The maid, who hadn’t even made a sound until now, bowed slightly and stepped back without opening the door.

Lucio glanced at her briefly, then grasped the doorknob.

As soon as he stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him with a loud bang.

Lucio flinched involuntarily.

He could no longer sense the presence of Bert, his right-hand man and shadow.

Unless he had given a direct order, there was no way Bert would make such a mistake.

‘Unless he ran into a barrier he couldn’t break through…’

“Young Duke, come and sit.”

A voice urged him from within the room as he stood by the door.

He couldn’t afford to be lost in thought in front of the princess, so Lucio moved and sat on the sofa. Then he looked at the princess seated opposite him.

Serphin, as always, was dressed extravagantly, yet something felt different about her today. Perhaps because she was dressed entirely in black, from her gown to her accessories.

Lucio tried to recall the last time he had seen her and realized it was during the finals of the swordsmanship tournament, when the monsters had appeared.

‘She seems different from before…’

Her black eyes were unusually cold, and her red lips twisted strangely.

Her arrogant and irritable temperament was always visible on her face, but today, her expression seemed far more sinister than usual.

Lucio suddenly remembered what Diana had often said, and he began to wonder if the unpleasant, malevolent aura she had warned about was what he was now sensing from the princess.

Of course, it didn’t make sense for him—someone without any holy power—to detect such an aura, but an inexplicable sense of foreboding crept over him nonetheless.

“I hear you’ll be engaged to the Grand Princess of Belus soon?”

The princess spoke, her voice not filled with anger or agitation, but oddly cheerful.

“Even though I went so far as to propose to you myself.”

“…”

“I figured I should at least congratulate you, so I called you here. Is that unpleasant to you?”

“…No. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me.”

The princess let out a laugh at his polite but hollow words and then changed the subject in a curiously unnatural manner.

“Oh, how rude of me. I haven’t even served you tea. Here, I brewed it myself, just for you, Young Duke. Go on, drink it.”

Lucio’s gaze fell on the teacups that had caught his attention ever since he’d sat down.

There were two cups on the table, with no teapot in sight. The tea in front of him looked unusually red.

For a moment, the thought crossed his mind, was it really poisoned?

If so, there was no reason to hesitate.

He had the antidote Lia had given him, so all he had to do was drink it, and then he could accuse Serphin of attempting to poison the heir to a ducal house out of jealousy.

Yes, if he were his old self, he would have downed that red liquid without a second thought.

But…

“I must apologize, but I don’t feel like having tea right now.”

Lucio didn’t pick up the cup. After all, hadn’t he just made a promise yesterday?

That he would never be the cause of Lia’s tears again.

Even if he survived and recovered, if he collapsed here, he wouldn’t be keeping that promise.

Lucio didn’t want to worry Lia, and he didn’t want to give her family, already inclined to delay the marriage, any further excuse to object by accusing him of failing to uphold his words.

“How dare you!”

Serphin, who had been smiling sweetly, suddenly exploded in anger and sprang to her feet.

“Young Duke, do you find me so laughable?”

“If Your Highness has nothing more to say, I will take my leave.”

Feeling a strong urge to get out of there as quickly as possible, Lucio stood up.

It was then that…

The flames of the candles lit inside the room suddenly flared up, flickering wildly.

And step, step…

A man appeared out of nowhere, walking slowly toward them.

Lucio, who had felt no presence or aura from the man until that very moment, clenched his fist in alarm and stared directly at the intruder’s face.

At that moment, Lucio’s expression twisted.

It was unmistakably the man whom Lia had been unable to take her eyes off during the finals of the swordsmanship tournament.

Just by facing him now, Lucio felt his insides twist and his blood boil.

Unable to control his rising emotion, Lucio instinctively drew the sword he had carried with him since the tournament.

“You dare draw your sword, Young Duke?!”

The princess cried out in shock upon seeing the vivid blue aura emanating from his blade, but Lucio’s eyes were fixed solely on the man.

In truth, drawing a sword within the Imperial Palace—especially one glowing with aura—was something the rational Lucio would never do.

But he couldn’t stop himself.

The moment their eyes met, those red eyes, a furious anger surged from deep within his gut.

He had never felt such intense killing intent within himself before; it was unfamiliar and alarming.

Yet even as he saw the aura shimmering on the silver blade, the man’s eyes remained indifferent.

The man reached out a hand toward Lucio.

As the dark magic flowing from the man’s hand clashed with Lucio’s blue aura, the air began to whirl violently.

At first, it seemed evenly matched.

But then, the dark magic swelled and engulfed Lucio’s aura completely, tipping the balance.

Before long, the magic had devoured the entire blade and reached the hilt.

And the moment it touched Lucio’s hand…

Snap.

The dark magic vanished, as if it had never existed.

The man slightly raised his brow in surprise, only then realizing the protective magic surrounding Lucio’s entire body.

And that the magic was a force very familiar to him.