Chapter 5.4

Chapter 5.4

Levi was ecstatic. He seemed like a general who had triumphantly returned from war with all the bounties of victory. He almost couldn’t believe the weight on his arm. He furtively glanced at the Princess next to him multiple times.

He could feel all the jealous gazes on him.

‘I bet he’s furious right now.’

As he imagined Joseph trembling with rage, Levi felt a spurt of joy.

When he heard that Joseph Luke was expected to be the Princess’s husband, Levi had been incredibly disappointed. However, when he got the news that his chance had come, he was overjoyed!

‘This is an opportunity to change my life.’

Levi had ambition and skill, but his older brother was firmly set to be their father’s successor. He had only received a small portion of land and an earldom. This was thought to be the end of the road for him in this lifetime.

But if he married the Princess, once the Princess ascended the throne, he would become the Blue King and his child would become the master of the entire Empire. What greater honor was there?

‘What do I have to do to capture the Princess’s heart?’

“Is Prince Dian in attendance today?”

Surprised at the sudden question, Levi answered.

“Huh? Yes, that is correct.”

Sienna silently looked around the banquet hall. Levi observed the Princess before he cautiously asked.

“Do you want to see Prince Dian? Should I go and look for him?”

“Thank you.”

Levi, ever the willing servant, left to find out about Prince Dian’s whereabouts. Had the Princess always been on talking terms with Prince Dian? Levi doubted it, but he became absorbed in his assignment either way.

Not long after he left, Levi returned to Sienna’s side. He had rushed back, so he was panting from the exertion.

“I’ll take you to him, Princess.”

Sienna walked in the direction Levi gestured to. Whenever she passed anyone, the nobles that were chatting amongst themselves would suddenly stop and lower their heads.

They were walking towards a noticeable crowd of people. As Sienna approached them, people began to notice her. Shocked, they quickly stepped back.

“Gasp!”

“Princess.”

A path quickly formed. As the crowd split, the figures at the center were revealed. Sienna’s eyes narrowed when she saw their faces.

“Princess Sienna?”

Dian looked stunned. He wasn’t acting. He was truly surprised. Sienna walked up to him until she was standing only a couple of steps away from him.

The two looked at each other. Their surroundings became quiet. The people watched the two half-siblings with anticipation and worry.

The activities of these two figures were completely different. Dian never attended palace events while Sienna never left the palace. This was the first time Prince Sienna and Prince Dian were meeting at an official event.

“Congratulations on your coming-of-age birthday, Princess.”

Dian greeted her with a grin. However, on the inside, his mind was turning. Why did the Princess approach him? What did she want to know? Did he make a mistake somewhere? Did she find something out?

“Thank you.”

“It seems that I’ve forgotten how to be polite… Making the master of the party come and find a guest instead of the other way around.”

“You can always learn how to be polite. And what do you mean by ‘master’ and ‘guest?’ The only master here is His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.”

“Then I’ve made a mistake. I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward, Princess.”

“I advise you to fix your mistakes quickly.”

The conversation between the two siblings made the people around them sweat. Behind the casual words and expressions, their true intentions were hidden.

Behind his smiling face, Dian was perplexed. He didn’t know why the Princess had suddenly approached him and was making small talk. No, this couldn’t be called ‘small talk.’ It would be the end for him if he just laughed off the hidden meaning behind her words.

Sienna approached Dian first and carefully observed him. In her dreams, her future self had said that he had looked at her with rage. If he had undergone huge suffering, he wouldn’t be able to completely hide that anger.

However, other than a trace of discomfort, his expression didn’t seem any different than usual. If he was only pretending, then he was an incredible actor. If she suddenly asked him, ‘What did my mother do to you?’, then it might only lead to misunderstandings.

Sienna’s gaze drifted to an old man standing awkwardly next to Dian.

“Duke Grosi, is this the first time we’re meeting after the Emperor’s birthday banquet? I heard that you don’t attend social functions very often.”

Duke Grosi was in the middle of introducing his granddaughter to Prince Dian and calculating his wins and losses when the Princess interrupted. He hadn’t expected the Princess’s appearance, so he was incredibly flustered.

“Yes, Princess. Long time no see. This is a special occasion. It’s your coming-of-age birthday, so naturally I’ll be in attendance to give you my congratulations.”

“I am well aware of that.”

Sienna was pointing out the duke’s behavior of sticking close to Dian on her birthday banquet when she was the star of the party.

“Princess Sienna, please don’t tease my future grandfather-in-law too much.”

Dian backed the flustered Duke Grosi.

It wasn’t just because he wanted to show his loyalty to his people. It was also because he wanted to take control of this unexpected conversation. ‘You can’t back out now.’ This is what he wanted to express to Duke Grosi.

“Grandfather-in-law?”

It was then that Sienna noticed the meek noblewoman standing next to them. With a small build and a gentle face, the woman lowered her head as Sienna stared at her. Her shoulders shrank back. Sienna looked between the woman and Duke Grosi before nodding in understanding.

“I didn’t know you were married.”

Dian’s eyes widened. He hid his laughter behind a cough.

“We haven’t married yet. We’re planning on it, though.”

“When?”

“We’re still discussing the details. Will you attend if we invite you?”

“I’d be glad to. Congratulations.”

Dian thought the Princess would change the subject, but she unexpectedly accepted his invitation. He was at a loss for words.

Something was strange, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. The Princess’s words and expression didn’t seem that friendly, but she wasn’t being hostile either.

Neglect and contempt.

That’s what he believed the Princess felt whenever she thought of him. To think that she approached him first and even told him that she’d attend his wedding…

‘What does she want?’

Dian became tense.

“And you?”

Baron Burock had been blankly staring at the Princess when he flinched at her attention. The baron was treated like a celebrity among the higher circles. However, he didn’t have influence among higher aristocrats, so he had never met the Princess up close before.

“I’m B-Burock. I mean James Burock. I’m Baron James Burock.”

Normally an eloquent speaker, Baron Burock suddenly began to stutter. However, no one was laughing at him.

Sienna then turned her eyes to the black-haired man standing between Prince Dian and Baron Burock. She wasn’t interested in the identity of the middle-aged man with a potbelly. She had only begun the conversation in order to patch over the awkwardness. She only had one objective from the start.

When she saw Kuhn with the prince, she was happy to see him but also furious. She didn’t know how to describe these emotions rolling around inside her.

As Kuhn’s silence grew longer, everyone’s eyes went to him. Dian’s eyes kept glancing him, silently asking him ‘What are you doing?’ Kuhn couldn’t take it anymore and finally spoke.

“I’m Edward Roxan. Nice to meet you, Princess.”

“…Edward Roxan?”

The Princess asked back in a low voice. Her golden eyes shook before settling. Unable to give her an excuse, Kuhn felt sick to his stomach.

“This man is a merchant. He came as my companion.”

Kuhn caught his breath. He wanted to cover Dian’s mouth immediately.

“A merchant…”

“Did you come here to see who this man next to me was? Princess, now that you know, why don’t you introduce your escort over here?”

“I’m Levi Morton.”

After Dian finished speaking, Levi gladly introduced himself.

“Morton? Duke Morton’s…?”

“I’m his son.”

“To think you’re the Princess’s escort on such a wonderful day. Can I assume that there is a special reason for that?”

“It is my honor to be her escort.”

Levi smiled and replied without hesitation. When the Princess didn’t say anything, the people around them began to whisper.

‘Is Earl Morton going to be the Princess’s fiancé?’

‘What about Duke Luke’s grandson?’

‘Was he dumped?’

Boom. Boom. Boom. It was the sound of drums. Everyone’s head turned at once.

The soft sound of drums gradually became louder. As it came closer and closer, the chattering crowd settled into silence. After exactly thirty-three drum beats, the royal attendant declared with a booming voice.

“His Imperial Majesty has come!”

The Emperor looked younger than his sixty years. He had a sturdy build and his dignified steps exuded majesty.

“He has come early.”

“You’re right. The party will officially start now.”

The Emperor believed that he had to keep his distance from his subjects, so he never relaxed the dignified air around him. Therefore, he rarely attended social events. For important events, he would come late and stay for a while before leaving early.

Even though the Emperor’s face was rarely seen, the nobles were already used to his behavior. Even if this was Sienna’s coming-of-age party, the Emperor’s attendance wasn’t expected. The nobles wouldn’t have said anything if he hadn’t come at all.

“Is an accolade taking place today?”

“I haven’t heard anything about that.”

When everyone saw that the Emperor was wearing his solemn, formal attire that was usually reserved for official events, they began to murmur.

The officials that helped the Emperor administer the ceremonial rites followed behind him in a line. At the very end of the procession, four attendants held a golden rectangular box on their shoulders.

“That’s…”

“A coronation?”

In a coronation ceremony, the Emperor would coronate someone into a king. It was an event that was hard to witness in one’s lifetime. The faces of the nobility glowed.

The emperor’s spouse, the Red King or the Blue King, would not receive a coronation ceremony. Instead, they would receive royal orders to elevate their status.

The kingdoms within the Empire all paid homage to the Empire as vassal states, but in reality, they were independent nations. As long as the kings weren’t hostile to the Empire, the Empire never cared about who became the king.

There was only one reason why a coronation was held to elevate one’s status to a king. It was only held if the subject was a member of the imperial family or for the future emperor. In the Empire, there was no such thing as a ‘crown prince or princess’. The future master of the Empire was declared when the current emperor officially stamped his approval during a coronation.

“Princess Sienna Argent.”

The Emperor called her name. Sienna slowly approached the Emperor. She then kneeled before him.

“Do you vow to honor the Empire of Ar?”

“I do.”

“Do you vow to abide by the laws of the Empire?”

“I do.”

“Do you vow to protect the Empire, guard its territories, and shepherd the subjects of the Empire?”

“I do.”

The Emperor stretched out his hand. The officials opened the golden box and took out a sword embedded with colorful jewels. The sword was as long as an average man’s height. The Emperor gestured to Sienna, and the officials placed the sword down in front of her.

“Lower the Sword of Oath. This sword will remember your vows.”

“I will not be negligent so that I may keep my vows to the Sword of Oath.”

The Emperor took out a pouch from his chest pocket. The official received it and passed it on to Sienna. Sienna received it with both hands and lowered her head. The small stamp inside felt very heavy. Its weight represented the burden she’d have to carry from now on.

“I hereby bestow upon you the title of Silver King. Just as silver turns black to announce the presence of poison, make sure not to waver in the face of corruption.”

“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty.”

And thus a king was born. The person who held the most power second to the Emperor had appeared. Even if it was expected, the feelings of a vague prediction and the sturdy truth of reality felt different. Overcome with emotion, the noblewomen clasped their hands together as their eyes filled with tears. There were some earnest spectators as well as some that glanced at the Red King to observe her expression.

Patricia looked like a woman who couldn’t hide the joy of having everything she wanted in the world.

‘Princess. No, now she’s a king. The Silver King. It won’t be long now. Soon, your world will come. The Empire will become yours.’

While it was true that Patricia expected her daughter to fulfill her wishes, she also had the heart of a mother who wanted the best for her child. Even twisted love was love.

After receiving the stamp with two hands, Sienna walked backward and took her leave. The coronation had ended. That’s what everyone thought.

“Prince Dian Argent.”

Dian stepped forward from amongst the audience and kneeled in the spot where Sienna had kneeled before. Everyone’s eyes widened.

“Do you vow to honor the Empire of Ar?”

“I do.”

The spectators were finally realizing what was happening. They were all frozen in shock. Gasps echoed throughout the room.

Sienna watched Dian’s coronation with a calm expression.

‘Duke Grosi. And now the coronation.’

However, she still didn’t know. Having won the support of just one duke shouldn’t have changed anything.

Even if he had the support of all six ducal families, Dian still wouldn’t be able to become the Emperor. The Imperial throne wasn’t a position that could be obtained with the support of those that were underneath it. Everyone followed the system stipulated in the Empire’s laws. The emperor’s children were ranked according to their mothers’ ranks.

In this situation, there was only one way Dian could surpass Sienna and obtain the throne.

Sienna’s death.

The prince would have to have Sienna assassinated.

‘But I was alive in the future. And it didn’t seem like the prince wanted to harm me.’

Her dream self was very remorseful. It seemed that the one who had been in the wrong was her.

The coronation was reaching its final stage.

“I hereby bestow upon you the title of Iron King. If one doesn’t diligently sharpen and clean iron, it will rust and waste away. Take time for self-reflection and grow.”

“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty.”

The second coronation had finished.

Dian walked backward and took his leave. Then he turned his head and met Sienna’s eyes.

The two were only a few steps away from each other. The two new kings stared at each other without any expression on their faces.

Feeling as if they were all standing on thin ice, no one moved a muscle. Not even a breath was heard.

“Ah!”

“Red King!”

There was an uproar. Unable to withstand the shock, Patricia had fainted. The ladies-in-waiting held her. Then they quickly exited the banquet hall as they carried her. Thanks to that, the suffocating silence was broken.

Even though his wife had just fainted and was taken out of the room, the Emperor didn’t seem to care. And in the same way he entered the banquet hall, he left.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall could no longer return to the way it was before the coronation. If Sienna was the only one to receive a coronation, the party would have reached its climax and everyone would be enjoying themselves to the fullest. Prince Dian’s coronation didn’t have to take place today. People began to whisper that the Emperor was so cruel as to do this on the Princess’s birthday.

Sienna turned around. She gestured to her ladies-in-waiting and called them over.

“Let’s go to the Red King.”

“Yes, Princess… Your Majesty.”

Dian watched as the Princess walked further away before turning around.

‘Why does it feel so awkward?’

If the Princess had glared at him with eyes full of hate, he wouldn’t have felt this uncomfortable.\n