EURL CH 18

Chapter 18

The assassins realized it instantly.

One of them had just died.

“To be precise, I control darkness. I’m glad I could correct that misunderstanding before you all die.”

Rubellus finished with a smile and snapped his fingers again.

Another scream rang out.

He didn’t need to see them to know. There had been eight pairs of feet on the ground. Two had already been swallowed.

Six remained.

“I used to bother creating light and killing you through your shadows because I wanted to confirm your deaths with my own senses. A silly attachment to acting human, I suppose. Snapping my fingers like this is similar. That makes three.”

He snapped again.

A short, cut-off scream echoed before someone vanished into the darkness.

No—more accurately, the darkness swallowed him.

“Run!” one assassin whispered urgently.

The space rippled again, and the one who spoke disappeared into the dark.

“No, you should have brought shadowless lamps instead. Though you would still fail. The coronation is over. My power is complete now.”

Rubellus consumed them one by one.

He could feel it—the things hiding in his shadow, usually quiet, were delighted. It was a strange sensation.

“Three years ago, during that ambush, one of you survived because of my mistake. That was your first and last chance to prepare. And this is what you came up with? Pathetic.”

He muttered with a faint sigh.

Even now, remembering that day made his skin crawl.

He had been about to finish the last assassin when Aira burst onto his balcony, fuming.

He had never been so startled in his life.

He shoved the blood-soaked corpses into the shadows in an instant and hid himself in darkness. If there had been blood on him, he didn’t want her to see it.

And then Aira had asked why he didn’t attend the debutante ball.

How could he tell her that a near platoon of assassins had attacked just as he was about to leave?

That it had been his uncle’s calculated move while still controlling the military?

So he couldn’t go.

At the time, he hadn’t realized it was his last chance.

In order to become Emperor, to fully awaken his power, he had continued pushing her aside.

He hadn’t understood how much that had hurt her.

It had been his mistake.

As he recalled it, killing intent flickered in his eyes.

He knew he had been at fault. But even so, he needed an outlet.

Only one assassin remained.

“H-hi…”

The assassin’s breath hitched.

Rubellus did not even blink as he snapped his fingers one last time.

And it was over.

Silence.

A faint glow seeped through the blackout curtains.

Dawn had come.

The bodies were gone—devoured by darkness without leaving even a drop of blood.

The shadows at the edge of his vision writhed contentedly.

Rubellus exhaled.

“This is why I cannot keep attendants in my bedroom.”

There had never been one. Not even when he was a prince.

Considering he was the only legitimate heir, it would have been natural to station guards nearby.

But Rubellus had always forbidden anyone from entering his bedroom.

For this very reason.

He could handle assassins.

He could not handle loose tongues.

He walked to the bedside table and opened his lens case.

Even in the dark, he had no trouble inserting the lenses. He had practiced in darkness for years.

Within seconds, his red eyes turned violet.

Only then did he stride to the window and fling the curtains open.

Sunlight flooded the room.

He gazed up at the bright blue sky, pleased.

Today, the sky was exactly the same shade as Aira’s eyes.

…

He thought about seeing her yesterday.

Rubellus had raided Aira’s blind date.

With the entire imperial knight order.

He had been in the middle of training when he heard she was meeting someone.

The moment he heard, he nearly lost control.

Still… her startled expression at the blind date had been adorable.

It was their first meeting since the coronation.

She had been so shocked that she fainted while staring at him. If he hadn’t caught her in time, she would have hit the back of her head.

A blind date.

While he was alive?

Absolutely not.

His violet eyes curved with happiness at the memory.

It was a refreshing morning.

His mood was better than it had been in a long time.

He slipped into his slippers and walked into the adjoining dressing room.

“Did Your Majesty sleep well?”

The attendants waiting there knelt immediately.

Since no one was allowed into the bedroom, even the attendant responsible for washing had to wait here.

Rubellus closed his eyes.

Soft steam towels wiped his face, hands, and feet. Then they cleansed him again with purified water.

Another attendant groomed his hair and trimmed the stubble that had grown overnight, applying a lightly scented lotion.

As Rubellus opened his eyes, he noticed someone standing in the corner.

A man who would never normally be allowed this far inside.

Marquis Weiss Roden.

Deputy spokesperson of the imperial household and head of media affairs.

He stood there holding a newspaper, his face twitching with anger.

The front page headline was about a department store sale causing a fight among ladies.

Oh. They handled it well.

Rubellus’s lips curled slightly as he buttoned his shirt.

He snapped his fingers at the attendant bringing his vest and coat.

“Today, I’ll wear something more ornate. A dark gray-green coat, embroidered with gold.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The attendant hurriedly signaled to another, who ran to fetch a different outfit.

Rubellus usually preferred simple, dark clothing.

Today, he wanted something extravagant.

Before the attendants could finish dressing him, he snapped again.

“I’ll speak with the deputy spokesperson while we wait.”

The attendants quickly withdrew, leaving only a few in charge of his clothes.

Rubellus sat elegantly on the sofa and crossed his legs.

Weiss remained stiff in the corner, arms folded.

Rubellus smiled mischievously and beckoned him.

Weiss’s face twitched again.

Feigning innocence, Rubellus asked,

“What brings you here so early?”

“Why else? I came to admire Your Majesty’s radiant countenance. Seeing it first thing in the morning is so overwhelming I might faint.”

His sarcasm was thick.

Weiss was his age and had grown up alongside Elphain.

If Elphain was a bear, Weiss was a fox—quick-witted and excellent at handling people.

“You must have lost sleep wanting to see me. Take your time admiring.”

“Your Majesty!”

Weiss slammed the newspaper down.

Rubellus grinned.

“You handled it cleanly. Impressive, as always.”

Weiss’s expression only darkened further.

“We almost failed! If the Wildenbiston family and the Marquis Shoden hadn’t stepped in, the Pacific Times had eyewitnesses! Why did you bring the entire imperial knight order to a blind date in the first place? And without informing Elphain, the commander?”

“I told the captain of the guard.”

“That’s not the point! You left Elphain out on purpose because she’s his sister!”

“Why ask when you already know?”

“Your Majesty, do you intend to continue behaving this recklessly?!”

“Even if I do, you’re all competent enough to clean up after me.”

“Your Majesty!”

Unable to contain himself, Weiss threw himself flat onto the floor.

It was a habit he’d developed after Rubellus became Crown Prince.

He couldn’t be openly disrespectful, so instead he would prostrate himself and silently curse under his breath.

Rubellus was certain that at this very moment, Weiss was grinding his teeth and unleashing a storm of profanity.

Just then, Weiss lifted his head slightly.

“Your Majesty, may I ask one thing?”