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Chapter 41




A flawless sword dance unfolded.
Charlize turned the sword as she walked forward. Surprisingly, the sword spinning in circles did not touch anything around it.
She lowered the spinning sword to her waist. Her other hand stretched out gracefully, and raised the sword that had been placed on the side, as if supporting it again.
Smooth dancing lines.
Charlize swung the sword widely. Each time, it was a different movement, free from rules. But even if she walked between the tables and passed a group of nervous people.
The sword  just passed by, never touching anyone. Her movements were artistic.
“Even though she covered her eyes…”
Someone muttered inadvertently.
As if there was a wall in front of her, she scratched up the air with her sword, flew softly like a butterfly, and turned the sword in the air.
It melded with the beautiful melody.
Elegant and delicate. The fancy sword stopped as if it were controlling her breathing, but she quickly made a series of stabbing movements.
Matching the music perfectly. Charlize did the same when the beat was fast enough to be passionate, and Charlize smiled like an enchanting dancer when the beat slowed down.
Even with her eyes closed. No, it was more because her eyes were tied with lace.
The anxiety became doubled and their gaze was fixated on her.
Charlize moved the sword closer to her face, raising her chin high.
A slender wrist with an exposed neckline and sword. At first, those who were afraid of getting hurt, unknowingly approached Charlize, like a tiger moth jumping into fire.
Even as the distance became narrower and more dangerous, Charlize fluttered like a free butterfly. Just like a wide training ground, the party hall became her stage.
“Her dance line, it’s so beautiful.”
One of the maids who was watching couldn’t stand it and expressed her admiration. In fact, they all felt the same way.
Charlize was like a dreamy fairy, she looked as alluring as a grown lady, but as innocent as a young girl.
The thin dress material worn by Charlize blended subtly with the sharp sword. A keen and cool energy flowed, but that itself was a charm.
“…”
The music ended. The musicians playing, as if bewitched, looked at Charlize with a dreamy, hazy expression.
No, everyone at the party wore the same expression. Charlize slowly put down the sword. Then she pulled down the lace that covered her eyes.
Her unique mysterious eyes were revealed. Her beautiful face soon found the young lady’s figure. Soon, Charlize’s ears heard the enthusiastic applause.
Clap clap clap!
No one was hurt even as Charlize freely swung her sword around. No single object was scratched.
Even though she couldn’t see it, she avoided marble pillars and stairs well. No matter what anyone said, Charlize proved it perfectly.
Her swordsmanship was not dangerous.
“…”
Charlize approached the Countess.
Despite the intense sword dance, Charlize showed no signs of exhaustion.
The Countess was an amateur in her knowledge about swordsmanship, but she was vaguely aware of how excellent Charlize’s swordsmanship was.
The Countess’s face turned red.
“Are you still thinking the same thing?”
“I was wrong, Grandmaster.”
The Countess quickly admitted.
“I apologize for my insult. I, I’m sure His Highness was very thoughtful. I was being presumptuous.”
It was a quick change of attitude. But now after seeing her sword dance, she couldn’t force Charlize anymore.
The Countess stammered. When Charlize was near, she couldn’t make eye contact with her, so she lowered her head. Her heart was beating fast.
It wasn’t humiliation. Just…
Rather than a ‘sword dance’, it was a dance that could even be called a ‘flower dance’. Not a single flower could have been more beautiful and intense than Charlize.
Charlize gave the choker back and nodded.
“I accept your apology.”
The Countess’s face turned red in a different meaning.
Charlize turned lightly and returned the sword to the knight. The knight quivered his lips.
The atmosphere of the party heated up. Everyone talked about the sword dance that they just saw with a slightly elevated countenance.
The admiration that she could not feel even when she watched the highly praised opera flowed from the nobles.
***
After a while, the party ended.
The guests went back, and the employees cleaned up the party hall left behind.
Charlize was walking with Dylan under the moonlight. There were many flowers in the well-decorated garden of the Crown Prince Palace.
“It was a good… sword dance.”
At the belated appreciation, Charlize looked at Dylan.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes, the more I spend my time with Master, the more amazed I become.”
Only then did Charlize recall what happened a while ago.
‘Dylan was trying to save me.’
Like a knight saving an insulted young noble lady, Dylan tried to take the lead.
[No, Your Highness. I’ll take care of it.]
Although Charlize solved it cleanly.
Fortunately, Dylan’s expression looked the same as usual, as if he wasn’t offended by the incident. No, rather, he seemed a little nervous.
Charlize stopped walking.
“Thank you for always taking care of me. Still, today was a happy day.”
“…That’s a relief.”
“It’s all thanks to Your Highness.”
Although the uninvited guest was a bit annoying, it was a pleasant birthday celebration overall. That her birthday could be such a happy day. She experienced this fact for the first time.
But Charlize was not swayed by emotions. She didn’t intend to settle down here just because she was comfortable right now.
Charlize’s mood became strange.
Dylan paid attention to Charlize. Her lips moved slowly.
“I also intend to kill the Emperor.”
Dylan paused for a moment. The words flowed peacefully, but it gave off a threatening and refined hatred. Because it was how he truly felt.
Her fancy sword dance still lingered in his eyes. Like the intensely burning sun, like the captivating moon. Her distinctive hair mixed with blonde and silver hair shook.
The wind blew.
“Is the rebellion going to happen soon?”
Charlize smiled like a flower.
She didn’t even call the Emperor ‘His Majesty’. Dylan felt a strange sense of incompatibility but soon tried to suppress it.
“Yes.”
He could make an oath again and again. And always sincerely.
Charlize to him,
“Everything will be according to the Master’s will.”
Because she was the woman he loved, his only teacher, his first interest, and his savior.
Looking at Charlize smiling brightly, Dylan felt there was a secret she was not telling. But now,
He shouldn’t dig about it. Even if he knew, he didn’t think that he’d be able to do anything about it.
Dylan just wanted Charlize to be the way she was. He had no intention of fixing or forcing her.
It was an unusually strong moonlit night.
Dylan smiled slowly together with Charlize.
With contentment.
His world is colored. Filled by Charlize.
***
“What about the preparation for the rebellion?”
“It’s almost done.”
At Dylan’s question, ‘Shadow’ politely bowed and answered. The rebellion was just around the corner.
As Duke Kenin gave a knight’s oath to Dylan, he got numerous knights following the Duke. But, the root was all ‘Shadow’ here.
As soon as Dylan is crowned, he was planning to give preferential treatment by organizing ‘Shadow’ higher than the imperial knights under the Emperor’s order.
‘That’s why it fits the knights that Master named it.’
‘Shadow’ blindly pursued the wealth and power that Dylan promised sweetly.
The knights who practiced hellish training every day were in the process of achieving an explosive increase in skills.
But things didn’t always go smoothly.
“Lord.”
“What is it?”
“There’s something you need to know.”
V approached Dylan. When Dylan reached out, a well-organized report was given.
“We found it. An insider who tried to sell information to the information guild.”
“Is it this guy?”
“Yes. I didn’t know the Lord planted people in the information guild.”
‘I’m so stupid’, V muttered.
Dylan, who read the report quickly, gave the order.
“Call everyone.”
“Yes. Should we bring in the insider? We’ve got it ready.”
“Alright.”
V hurried.
Dylan burned the paper by sticking the report to the torch with an expressionless face.
Crackle crackle crackle.
Dark ashes flowed from the burning paper. Dylan stepped outside, crushing the ashes with his military boots.
“I greet the Eternal Lord.”
Dylan looked at the knights kneeling with an expressionless face.
In the future, they will be called the Emperor’s shadow. These knights were selected only by their skills and loyalty, regardless of their status or origin.
There should never have been anyone who would want to spread information outside.
“This is him. My Lord.”
V held out an insider.
The one who dared sell information about Charlize to the information guild but got caught.
The insider, who was tied with a rope, felt deathly fear and trembled.
Dylan was an extraordinary genius who was taught directly by Charlize. He was already close to being a master.
Dylan’s swinging sword gracefully touched the insider’s neck.
“What on earth did I do wrong…!
All I’ve done was just give some information about the girl…!”
“Then why didn’t you sell my information?”
Dylan was intimidating.
The desperate man began to beg for his life.
“Uh, uh, spare, spare me! Because I couldn’t see the wicked woman next to the Lord!”
The insider was no longer able to shout.
Soon, his neck was amputated. His eyes that were open after being shocked seemed to pop out at any time.
Why? Why? The insider couldn’t understand. His world was beginning to spin. Tuk, the head, which was on the floor, opened its mouth for a moment.
Dylan held the insider’s last breath and whispered.
“If you did, your family would have survived.”
Domination was just domination. His consideration and kindness were arranged only for Charlize.
The drop of blood on his cheek fell gently down his skin.
Tuk.
Dylan’s energy was clearly blackened. An unfeeling voice mixed with intense malice. The knights trembled as they watched Dylan in person.
“Find all his family, cut off their limbs, and display them on the street.”
“I accept the order from my Lord.”
There was no drop of  mercy.
An order worthy of a tyrant.
Dylan, who was colored black by Charlize herself, smiled softly.
A monster named ‘Keira’ was created by the imperial family. But born as a more atrocious monster than her was himself, Charlize’s tyrant.
***