Chapter 03
“Protect the Empire… protect Franz.”
Her father’s voice was still vivid in her mind as he struggled to force the final words from his lips.
“My father gave me this Black Tusk Moon. You know what that means, don’t you?”
Eroica’s gaze turned toward the two men.
Her violet eyes and silver hair were the symbols of Claudis.
The moment their eyes met, Tiller found himself instinctively overcome by a sense of unquestioning loyalty.
“My father entrusted the future of Franz to me. I will become strong. And I will return. I will make sure to fulfill my father’s wishes.”
Eroica clenched the Black Tusk Moon so tightly that it seemed as though she might crush it.
Her small hand reddened, and her entire body was consumed by indescribable emotions.
“And I will have my revenge.”
The eyes that burned with uncontrollable fury seemed to blaze under the sunlight.
“Against Franz. Against the Empire.”
A shiver ran through Tiller’s entire body.
It was far too resolute to be dismissed as merely the voice of a child.
And she understood her situation more clearly than anyone else.
This was what it meant to be a Claudis.
A strong and unmistakable determination.
Despite her small frame, she already possessed something that overwhelmed both men standing before her.
“I swear my eternal loyalty.”
A red-haired boy dropped to one knee beside Tiller.
He seemed to have already forgotten his seasickness.
Soma had been destined from birth to become Eroica’s eternal loyal servant, and he had lost his family as well.
But the reason he continued to live was directed toward only one person.
Tiller found himself wondering.
Was the reason he had been sent here really just to help this little girl with her revenge?
No.
He had to protect the children.
“I will grant you eternal peace.”
What Tiller wanted to protect was the children’s peaceful future.
He prayed that whatever awaited them in the future would be even a little less difficult and less painful.
As the enormous Tiller knelt down, the ship rocked with a heavy thud.
The rocking lasted only for a moment.
Soon, the sea became completely calm, without a single wave.
Its vast, boundless expanse seemed to reflect their determination.
That night, Eroica dreamed.
More precisely, it was a nightmare.
The child who had once looked at her with a bright smile.
That smile became a towering wave and came crashing down upon her.
Why had that child been there?
Even when she shook her head, refusing to believe it could be true, the memory of that day only became clearer.
What if everything that child had shown her until now had been a lie?
What if that voice—the voice that had made her want to trust someone one more time—had been a lie?
If that were the case, then the object of her hatred would gladly include Kyleve Halshaltar.
That child as well.
In her dream, Eroica could only stare at the small figure disappearing into the distance.
“I greet His Highness Prince Kyleve.”
At the prince’s arrival, everyone stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads.
Ignoring every greeting from the officials, Kyleve strode straight toward his brother.
“I pay my respects to His Imperial Majesty.”
Kyleve’s half-brother, Bosarba Halshaltar, the Second Prince of the Empire, had ascended the throne after Derek’s abdication.
The Emperor merely acknowledged his younger brother with a sidelong glance.
He was standing before a mirror, busying himself with his appearance with the help of his maids.
Bosarba was the man in the Franz Empire who loved beauty more than anyone.
He spent three or four hours every day simply grooming himself.
While his preparations continued, Kyleve waited silently.
The only sound filling the room was the soft rustling of fabric.
Kyleve remained bent at the waist until he was ordered to raise his head.
It was the minimum amount of respect a younger brother could show toward his elder brother, the Emperor.
Dissatisfied with his appearance, Bosarba eventually picked up a scarf of a different color.
As he held the scarf near his face, he caught sight of Kyleve’s handsome reflection in the mirror.
The boy clearly had no interest in dressing himself up, yet somehow he looked even more immaculate than Bosarba.
His ash-gray hair, neatly swept back, accentuated his handsome features.
The clothes fitted over his well-built body were not particularly extravagant, yet they naturally drew the eye.
Bosarba envied his younger brother’s appearance.
Even without applying perfume, Kyleve looked as though he might carry some mysterious fragrance.
But he could never let his foolish thoughts show.
Bosarba turned around and finally spoke to Kyleve.
“So, little brother. Did you sleep well? Your coming-of-age ceremony is tomorrow. Why not take this opportunity to get engaged to Lady Brigitte?”
His excessive flattery was merely an attempt to conceal what he truly thought.
Now that his brother had spoken to him, Kyleve no longer felt the need to keep his head lowered.
He straightened of his own accord.
He was now looking down at his elder brother.
The difference in their height seemed to be nearly two head lengths, creating a sense of intimidation entirely separate from the authority carried by Kyleve’s low voice.
“I’m not interested.”
There was not even a trace of courtesy in his tone.
His voice was always cold enough to send a chill down one’s spine.
As though he possessed no emotions at all.
“Explain why you called me here. I hope you have a reasonable reason.”
What an ill-mannered brat.
Bosarba disliked Kyleve, but he could not bring himself to make an enemy of his younger brother.
Kyleve was a wielder of Divine Power, just like him.
The Halshaltars had deliberately produced many children to ensure that their bloodline would never die out.
Among the princes possessing Divine Power, they needed to select those who had the qualities necessary to become Emperor.
The Second Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourteenth Prince were the Divine Power wielders of this generation.
The Second Prince possessed considerable strength, while the Third Prince’s power was weaker but he had all the qualities of a wise and virtuous ruler.
Franz had chosen the Second Prince.
That was how deep Franz’s faith in Divine Power ran.
However, after becoming Emperor, Bosarba showed little interest in governing the nation.
He was an Emperor interested only in his appearance and lavish banquets attended by beautiful women.
“I heard that princesses from various countries will also be attending your coming-of-age ceremony.”
The coming-of-age ceremony of a prince who possessed Divine Power was a major national event.
It also played an important role in strengthening Franz’s position among other nations.
“If you don’t like Lady Brigitte, you could always find another young lady.”
Kyleve’s threats were frightening, but Bosarba was not the kind of Emperor who would easily back down.
He continued to ramble on, saying one meaningless thing after another.
“You seem to be having trouble finding a reasonable reason. Judging by how you keep spouting nonsense.”
Kyleve had no intention of playing along with his brother any longer.
He pushed away from his position and turned to leave.
Only then did Bosarba come to his senses and step in front of him.
When he looked up for a long moment, he met those cold-blooded eyes.
Kyleve’s golden eyes were undoubtedly proof that they shared the same bloodline, but they were completely different from Bosarba’s.
Bosarba could not bring himself to stand his ground beneath that emotionless gaze looking down at him.
Kyleve’s eyes belonged to a ruler who would reign over the Empire—
No, over the entire world.
Beneath that gaze, there was nowhere for a dishonest person to hide.
“Do you know about House Claudis, which was destroyed eight years ago?”
For the first time, a vivid light appeared in Kyleve’s previously unfocused eyes.
Bosarba had finally succeeded in gaining his younger brother’s attention.
At the name Claudis, Kyleve could not help but tense.
There was no way he could forget.
Every cell in his body remembered it perfectly.
A crease formed between Kyleve’s brows.
Even with his younger brother’s face hardening, Bosarba continued speaking without realizing what he was doing.
“I heard they had a hidden daughter. A letter came from the Crown Prince of Palestian last night.”
Bosarba pointed with his chin toward a small piece of paper lying on a nearby table.
Kyleve strode over and picked it up.
To His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Franz.
Thank you for inviting His Highness the Fourteenth Prince to his coming-of-age ceremony. I have the pleasure of bringing you some good news as a gift.
We have been sheltering the youngest daughter of House Claudis in Palestian. Respecting her wish to return to her homeland, she will be accompanying me on this visit.
I sincerely hope that you will welcome her warmly.
— Ethan Hoffman
The letter, written in elegant handwriting, contained information about Eroica.
Kyleve’s entire body went rigid.
Why are you here?
He had made certain that she had left Franz eight years ago.
If you left, you should have lived quietly. Why are you coming back now?
“It’s rather strange. I’d never heard that House Claudis had a hidden daughter. Hey, are you listening to me?”
Bosarba knew nothing about what had happened that day.
That was why he could innocently call Kyleve here and chatter about it.
“You knew about her, didn’t you? About the youngest daughter of Claudis?”
“…I didn’t.”
He finally forced the heavy words from his mouth.
He could no longer hear any of the Emperor’s pointless chatter.
“Ugh… Urgh…”
“Ugh… That fellow ate so much earlier that he’s throwing up something that looks almost the same color as his hair.”
Tiller, who had been standing beside Eroica, finally could not bear to watch anymore.
He poured some water and approached Soma.
“I hear no one can stop that man when it comes to eating.”
A woman watching the scene before her with her chin resting on her hand wore a gentle smile.
“Lady Eroica is all right, isn’t she?”
Tiller asked after spending quite some time patting Soma on the back.
His gaze toward Eroica was filled with concern and affection.
“Do you mean the seasickness, or the fact that she’s setting foot on her homeland after eight years?”
“What does it feel like, Eroica, to set foot on your homeland after eight years?”
