Chapter 26
Translator: Knife
Editor: Sachyan
Proofreader: AngeAngela
This novel is getting a manhwa real soon, so be on the lookout đ
* * *
Walter thought for a moment as he rested on the desk.
âHow do I explain this? Do you know the relationship between the Imperial Family and Elheim?â
âI only know that the two of them are close.â
âAh, yes. Because there was also talks of marriage between the young prince and the princess on the wayâŚ..â
Walter shut his mouth after that.
He thought that telling Lianâs story in front of Liarte was a mistake.
âI donât care about that.â
Walter heard a dull voice and raised his head.
Liarte, who recalled Elheim, seemed to be a person whose emotions had disappeared.
âItâs not an important fact. Theyâre not related to me anymore.â
Liarte was no longer an Elheim. She didnât seem to know they had sent a letter.
Not long ago, a knight sent from Elheim stood in front of the gates of Birce.
He didnât seem to leave until he saw the former princessâ face. (e/n Iâm sure most of you know, but here a dukeâs children are called prince/ss)
âThatâs why you entrusted the Young Lady to me.â (heâs referring to Carmen trusting Walter in teaching and also protecting Liarte.)
Walter recalled Carmen convincing him.
There was certainly no one better than Walter to teach her in this situation.
âOriginally, the relationship between the Imperial Family and the awakening families was different from what it is now. Well, the Imperial Family is similar to the awakening families.â
âThe Imperials are awakeners?â
Liarte tilted her head at the story that she has never heard before.
When you look at her like this, itâs like sheâs human again.
Walter answered her question.
âWell, each awakening family has a defining characteristic, right? Elheim has black hair and blue eyes, and Birce has red eyes. The Imperial Familyâs purple eyes are also a symbol of that.â
âThen, what kind of abilities do the Imperials have?â
He shook his head.
âI do not know. Oddly enough, the first generation of their family didnât say anything or pass their knowledge to their future generations.â
Liarte recalled the Crown Princeâs use of Ancient Power.
âMaybe itâs related to Ancient Power.â
It was highly likely to be that.
Of course, they may have an ability that no one ever imagined.
âIn any case, the Imperial Family lived to please the awakener families for generations. If you go to another country, the empire will be at stake. They especially put a lot of effort into Elheim.â
âIs it because they had the Power of Water?â
âHonestly, there are many things I donât understand. In those days, there were wizards and spirits. They would have been able to use the water to their heartâs content without having to hang on to Elheim.â
Walter turned to the next chapter so that the subject didnât go too far.
He saw a yellow bird that looked like a chick and a speech bubble above it.
[Children, letâs study the history of the Empire!]
The two of them briefly went silent on the contents of the speech bubble.
There was even a compartment next to it that was supposed to hold signatures of parents or tutors.
âAnyway!â
Walter drew Liarteâs attention with a loud noise.
âElheim has threatened and exploited the Imperial Family for generations. Over time, their history has been forgotten, and their relationship has now changed.â
âHow did they threaten and exploit the Imperial Family?â
âOh, itâs simple. They asked for political weight or preferential treatment with the Power of Water. From the perspective of the Imperial Family, itâs a subject that makes them tremble. Maybe that record is still in there somewhere.â
Liarte was lost in thought.
Certainly, in relation to Elheim, the Imperial Family often made concessions.
The evidence was that Lian didnât care if he ignored the queenâs precious Princess Ninian, or that the emperor and his wife came to his coming-of-age ceremony.
âSo, if the Power of Water disappears, the emperor wonât just stand still and let it happen.â
Walter went on with a slight remark.
âWell, since the enemy has weakened, wouldnât he try to get rid of them right away?â
âThatâs a good thing.â
Walter was surprised by Michaelâs voice from the side.
âMichael?â
âHello, Liarte. How is your class?â
Standing next to her, Michael looked down at the textbook.
The Imperial History for Children.
âItâs good that Walter taught you the history of the Empire very well.â
Michael was always relaxed, but at this moment, he was trying very hard not to laugh.
He held a pen and signed the elegant confirmation box to see if she had received the class well.
Then he notified Walter of something in the form of a question.
âThe class will be over now, right?â
Itâs not finished yet.
Walter wanted to say that it had been just less than two hours since he started their class, but he was highly unlikely to be allowed.
âOf course. How did you get it right?â
Michaelâs eyes bent in satisfaction.
âLiarte, do you have anything else to do today?â
His brazenness shut Walterâs mouth.
He couldnât believe that he was asking the Young Lady like that knowing that she has no other schedule than class.
âNope. why?â
âI want to be with you.â
Michaelâs hand stroked Liarteâs hair.
âDo you want to come over to my room, Liarte?â
* * *
(tl/n please donât go back to the imperial palace pov)
The Duke of Elheim stopped the carriage in a place with a clear view of the burning palace.
(tl/n goddamn it.)
âLian, Hwi-amin, and Ayn.â
With a firm face, the duke called for his three sons.
Danterion somehow didnât show up.
There were reports that he had already left the duchy before the fire broke out, but no one bothered to go fetch him because he was so famous as a traveler.
âYou must not use your abilities unconditionally. Even if the emperor puts massive pressure on you, tell him that you cannot use them.â
No matter how much they want to reject them, they cannot ignore the Imperial Family.
The dukeâs choice to bring his sons to the Imperial Palace was not to get off the carriage.
But as soon as they arrived, the carriage caught a spark of fire and he tried to use the Power of Water in the wagon.
Water Awakeners dispatched to the palace said that fire would never go out.
It was true.
Even the Duke of Elheimâs immediate family managed to extinguish the fire in the carriage only after putting a considerable effort into it.
âFather, the palace on fire is a big trouble.â
Hwi-amin insisted, looking at the dukeâs countenance.
As an imperial citizen, the duke knew that it was heart-wrenching to see the palace burning.
The duke felt bitter, too.
âThen will you go back to being an unawakener? For a fire that you donât even know how to put out?â
âWell, thatâsâŚâ
Hwi-amin couldnât answer easily.
âHow ugly.â
The duke clicked his tongue.
It would have been better if he had jumped into this situation confidently.
âThatâs great.â
Like the child who calmly faced the duke with her watery eyes.
âI donât consider you a family either.â
The Duke of Elheim surprised himself as he thought of Liarte unconsciously.
âWhy did you think about her?â
No one in the Duchy of Elheim tried to match the duke. (e/n act equal to him)
The reality was that even their youngest, Lian, would compromise to some extent if the duke expressed his strong opinion.
Therefore, Liarteâs answer remained in the dukeâs memory for a long time.
âNone of my children had time to spare in front of me.â
Lian was indifferent but did not easily stand down when dealing with the duke.
Lian, The Fake.
Liarte, The True One.
Even the difference in their Power of Water was greatly widened.
âIf Liarte had been educated on the same level as Lian.â
It was a past, a past that they could never go back to.Â
Nevertheless, the Duke could never stop thinking.
If he had another choice then, he wouldnât have done the same thing.
âAnyway, be diplomatically well-behaved.â
The duke closed his eyes and continued.
âThe publicâs criticism is not directed at the Crown Prince. So, His Highness will not press us to put out the fire.â
Even more, Empress Talesia, who would support and strengthen the princeâs orders, went to her hometown, the Grand Duchy, as soon as she saw the fire.
Only the Crown Prince and the Emperor could not rest and watch the palace on fire.
âIâm glad the Crown Prince is still young.â
If it were the Duke of Elheim, he would have ordered to put out the fire first, despite the public criticism.
However, the Crown Prince was unable to do this or that when an unexpected situation occurred compared to his usual arrogance.
The sons of the Duke of Elheim could even be seen giving up easily when they held out in their wagon.
It was then.
âFather.â
Aynias called his father in surprise as he looked outside the wagon through the gap in the curtain.
âItâs the knights.â
âDonât go outside ignoring my orders. Tell them we donât want to put out the fire.â
âBut itâs the knights of the emperor.â
âWhat?â
The duke pulled the curtains of the carriage up.
The driver politely guided someone closer as if he had been waiting for them.
It was the emperor on horseback.
âYes, I have heard that the duke has no intention of extinguishing the fire.â
The duke wouldnât have heard the peopleâs conversation if the carriage was completely blocked with water.
However, the Emperorâs purple eyes were rarely dim.
âBut I have a small question for him. It’s a pretty simple matter, so the duke should be able to answer it.â
âWhat is it?â
The duke replied, feeling the tightness of the inside of his throat.
âUse your Power of Water, Duke.â
The emperor looked down at the Elheim family and commanded.
âMaybe you canât use your powers, or you donât want to use them just because you want to.â
The emperor said with an expressionless face.
âShouldnât you cover this up?â
Unlike the horses, everyone could see that the emperor had suspected Elheim.
âSo, use the Power of Water in front of everyone.â
The dukeâs face was white as if he had been sentenced to death.
* * *
AngeAngela: oof, the duke has no where out Â
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