TMLOH 122

Chapter : 122

The hallway, as if by silent agreement, was instantly wrapped in a heavy stillness.

Neither of the two avoided the other’s gaze. They kept a measured distance while continuing their cautious probing.

The tension was so sharp, so taut, that the slightest twitch of a finger seemed enough to spark a knife fight.

It was Regent Duke Roch who broke the silence first.

“Looks like you’re doing well enough.”

Valère let out an involuntary chuckle. A half-bared sneer carried traces of killing intent.

“Regent Roch.”

“Duke Halbern.”

Valère had always assumed they would cross paths someday, but not in a place like this.

He had expected the battlefield. Turns out, the man had more guts than he thought.

“What brings such a shabby fellow to a place so rarefied as this?”

“And who, I wonder, is truly the shabby one here?”

Their gazes clashed midair, sparks flying unseen.

“Obviously the uglier of us.”

“……”

Edward had warned him Regent Roch might be in Albrecht, but Valère hadn’t expected him to dare show his face before him.

As Valère’s smile widened, Ludwig’s expression curdled.

Ludwig’s cold gaze fell on Valère’s cheek.

The “Very Well Done” sticker that clung to him like it was born with him had been flaunted so much that most people ignored it entirely. Ludwig, however, had no such immunity.

“What on earth is that on your face?”

He’d seen it in the papers, but in person it was even stranger. Worse, the irony was that it suited him — and that only made Ludwig angrier.

“Ah.”

Valère touched his cheek and smiled sweetly, like he could melt stone.

“My daughter gave it to me.”

“……”

“Jealous?”

Ludwig’s brow twitched.

His look said, As if I’d ever be jealous of that nonsense. But Valère ignored him and openly bragged. After all, today’s sticker was none other than “Very Well Done.”

“Well, I suppose those without daughters can’t understand such feelings.”

As Valère threw out the taunt — essentially, You don’t have a daughter, do you? — Ludwig lifted one eyebrow.

“Hah.”

A hollow laugh escaped Ludwig.

The whole situation was absurd, ridiculous. He had heard the man was eccentric, even unhinged, but not to this degree.

And this is what Sione calls her treasure?

Whether or not Ludwig’s green eyes turned ominous, Valère just fiddled with the sticker on his cheek.

Even without his daughter physically by his side, the little sticker wrapped him in a strange, warm comfort, as if she were right there.

It was bizarre, uncanny.

The hallucinations that had tormented Valère vanished in an instant. His blurred vision sharpened, his misaligned senses realigned.

A condition that isn’t supposed to be curable…

He had never once expected it to get better. But the more time he spent with Arellin, the more he felt, on occasion, that he was becoming “normal.”

Of course, it was probably just an illusion.

Still, that wasn’t what mattered right now.

Letting his killing intent seep back out, Valère smiled lazily.

Before him stood the man who had stolen his sister away.

A man he could never bring himself to like. Containing the urge to strike him down was torture.

“To think that Regent Roch, de facto ruler of the Southern Empire, would walk into enemy territory of his own accord. I never imagined you’d be so stupid.”

At Valère’s sneer, Ludwig gave a soft, dismissive laugh.

“Enemy territory? And who decided that?”

“I did.”

Weapons were forbidden inside the auction house, so neither carried arms. But the air was thick with the threat of imminent violence.

Valère thought to himself, If Regent Roch is the problem… why not just eliminate him here and now?

Everything else was irrelevant. As long as he could protect Arellin, nothing else mattered.

“So I should just kill you here?”

“Do you think you can handle the consequences?”

“If you worry about that sort of thing, you’ll never do anything at all.”

“Amusing.”

This time Ludwig smiled in earnest.

“To think that under that calculating, cold-blooded woman, there’s a younger brother so reckless and impulsive as you.”

From a rift that split the air, a sword flew straight for Ludwig’s brow.

Clang—!

A black shadow appeared at his side, knocking the blade aside, and lingered protectively next to him.

Catching his weapon back in hand, Valère aimed it again.

“Don’t put my sister’s name in your mouth.”

“She is also my wife, you know.”

“Why are you here? What is it you want to see?”

“You.”

“……”

“I heard you had a daughter.”

Valère stifled a groan under the weight of that relentless gaze.

“Or should I say… you brought a daughter?”

Ludwig twisted his lips into a smile.

“Suddenly I found myself intrigued. Curious about your daughter.”

That never happened “before.”

This man showing interest in Arellin — that was something new.

A chill of danger spread through Valère’s fingertips.

“Don’t you dare lay your eyes on my daughter, you perverted bastard.”

Ludwig seemed almost pleased at Valère’s growl.

“I thought you cared only for your sister. You made so many plays for her, even willing to start a war — and then suddenly, you stopped.”

“Why? Are you sulking because I stopped giving you attention?”

Enough.

If he kept talking, he’d only give away more information.

How to get out of here naturally…

Just as Valère was weighing the timing—

BOOM!

A massive explosion shook the auction house, snapping both their attention away.

The sudden blast sent the entire venue into chaos.

“Your Majesty, are you unharmed?!”

“Your Majesty!”

An attack at an official imperial event, with both Emperor and Empress present.

By fortune, damage to the grand hall where the dignitaries sat was minimal. The explosion was powerful enough to shake the foundations, but only caused minor injuries from flying debris.

Mehen even took a piece of debris in his arm, shielding Empress Azeny.

“Lord Mehen, are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine. What of Your Majesty?”

“Thanks to you, I am unharmed.”

The Emperor Edward was pale, but his first concern was his sister-in-law’s safety.

“Sister, are you hurt?! Are you all right?!”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

His anxiety clearly overwhelming him, Edward ignored her words and checked her himself, finally exhaling in relief.

“Sister…”

“Your Majesty, we are still in public.”

“Ah—Empress…”

Edward hastily corrected himself and coughed.

Luckily, the surrounding chaos kept anyone from noticing the slip in the imperial couple’s composure.

The Imperial Guard urged immediate return to the palace, but Edward instead ordered the situation assessed and contained.

“The explosion seems to have originated from the underground storage. Fortunately, the building is sturdy, so damage is limited.”

“Many of the auction items were lost in the blast. Could this be theft disguised as terrorism…?”

Duke Spherom, true owner of the auction house, fumed.

“Damn it, who the hell did this?!”

It was around then that Valère returned to the inner hall.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

A messenger rushed in breathless to find Edward.

“Most of the capital’s key facilities have been attacked by an unidentified group!”

“What?!”

Only the structures protected by barriers were safe. All others had been bombed. Edward’s face hardened.

The timing — right after the founding festival had concluded in triumph — could not have been more precise.

Then Duke Spherom’s secretary arrived in a panic.

“My lord, there has also been an attack at the Spherom Trade Exhibition!”

Spherom nearly jumped out of his skin.

The auction house, the annex for the exhibition — all were his personal assets. The financial losses just today were astronomical. He felt dizzy.

And then, the darkest news arrived.

“The situation there is worse. It seems a barrier has been raised — the inside and outside are completely cut off, no entry possible!”

“What?!”

As Spherom shouted to request aid from the Magic Tower, the messenger added gravely:

“Moreover… His Highness the Crown Prince is inside!”

The hall fell silent.

The messenger, face pale, continued.

“With him are the second son of Muibisk, and… and Lady Halbern.”

At Empress Azeny’s side, Mehen instinctively glanced at where Valère had been standing.

He was already gone.

“I must go as well.”

“Lord Mehen…”

The Empress looked at him with concern, trying to dissuade him. He was already injured.

“I have to.”

If Valère lost control and went berserk, Mehen was the only one left who could possibly calm him.