My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 253. The Death of Family

"I already know that your information network is an asset, and I realize that asking you such a question, knowing that better than anyone, is quite rude, but...."

Ferda was a Mage.

Therefore, it was simply part of his nature that whenever he encountered something unknown, he could not rest until he had analyzed and understood it.

"Could you also tell me how you solved it?"

"It was simple."

Garnet explained the solution.

"You said Lady Pasan had stated that she would never marry a man weaker than herself."

"That’s right."

"Because of that, she had never seriously dated a man for 32 years. She may have been completely closed off, but on the inside, she really isn’t any different from a young girl, just as someone once said."

"Hmm...."

A Sword Master with the mind of a young girl.

Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine.

"So recently, I introduced her to a young nobleman I had my eye on."

"What kind of nobleman?"

"There’s an idiot who has a promising future as a swordsman, yet despite being of marriageable age, he refuses to get married and instead leaves to train as a Knight. And...."

"And?"

"He’s handsome."

She said it as though that were the most important part.

"Of course, he isn’t as handsome as that swindler over there, but there’s a rather good-looking young man. He’s young and innocent, and above all, I told her that he admires Lady Pasan."

"...So?"

"As you know, our Black Bandana is a business based on information, so when you get into the details, we do all sorts of things. Among them are matchmaking and arranging connections between people."

"Oh...."

"I told her that I would help that idiot fall completely for Lady Pasan and propose to her. She then embraced me while shedding tears of gratitude."

A human being’s greatest enemy was loneliness, after all.

Even if one reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, loneliness would inevitably eat away at them from within.

Garnet had succeeded in turning the Sword Master’s heart around by taking advantage of precisely that weakness.

"You truly are worthy of being the head of a Merchant Guild...."

"Catering to a customer’s needs is a basic virtue."

Ferda could not help but admire her calm negotiation skills.

"Now that the situation has been resolved, you may return inside. Once again, I apologize for causing you concern because of ’that idiot’."

"Good work."

Ferda returned to the castle just like that.

After politely seeing him off, Garnet turned toward Zed.

Zed was leaning against the castle wall, quietly staring down at the place where Lady Pasan had disappeared.

"Hah."

What escaped his lips was a hollow sigh.

Garnet asked him with an incredulous look.

"What’s with that face? You look like someone who was pulled out of the water only to have his bundle stolen."

"No. I’m just feeling a little annoyed."

"What?"

"I tried my best to make that night the best night of her life, and yet she gets swept away by some young brat and throws me away like a worn-out rag. Somehow, I just can’t accept...."

"......."

"I suppose I can. I must have gone insane. I really have no filter when it comes to the person who saved my life. Hahaha!"

"......"

"I don’t know how this humble servant could ever repay such a debt...."

"Just die right now, you piece of trash."

Garnet shoved Zed in the chest and walked away.

The disgusted expression on her face was sharper than usual.

Zed himself admitted that, considering his usual behavior, he was certainly the kind of man who could make someone lose all affection for him. But Garnet’s reaction was beyond his understanding.

"Huh?"

Just then, Zed noticed something lying at his feet.

It was an earring.

He wondered where he had seen it before, then realized it was identical to the one Garnet had been wearing.

"Hmm...."

There was no way an earring that had been securely attached would suddenly fall off.

And given Garnet’s personality, she was not the kind of person who carelessly dropped things.

Zed immediately understood what it meant and chuckled.

"As always, you really aren’t honest with yourself."

He carefully placed the earring into his pocket.

Tonight, he intended to visit Garnet’s quarters and return it to her.

***

The Grand Cathedral of the Alte Religion in the Arken Empire.

Late at night, Olivia was sitting in front of the platform where the corpse had been placed.

Olivia was not wearing the provocative dress she normally wore. Instead, she was dressed appropriately as a member of the Alte Religion.

"I have come to pay my respects to Olivia Arken, Princess of the great Empire and devotee of the God of Light."

An elderly Mother Superior approached and spoke.

"I have come to inform you that the funeral arrangements have been made."

"...."

"The funeral of the Second Prince will first be held at the Imperial Palace Cathedral, after which the ceremony will immediately proceed here at the Grand Cathedral."

"........"

Olivia gave no response.

The Mother Superior, who had been bowing her head, had no choice but to raise it.

The moment she saw Olivia’s face, her breath caught in her throat.

Truly, a beauty bestowed by God....

Olivia was dressed properly as a nun.

Her hair was concealed beneath a veil, and her body was covered by robes slightly larger than her frame, concealing her figure and eliminating anything that might provoke desire.

Whether her body could be seen or her hair could be seen was irrelevant.

The moment someone faced her distinct features, they were enough to stimulate instincts that had been deeply buried.

If even an elderly Mother Superior could feel that way, what about the other clergy?

Olivia was especially fatal in an atmosphere like this.

She had always made a point of never losing her smile in front of the public, and no one had ever seen her being swayed by her emotions.

But Olivia was not smiling now.

The tear stains clearly etched across her face gave her the appearance of a sorrowful maiden, something that would stir a man’s heart and make him fall under her spell.

The gentle candlelight reflected off her face, seeming to form a halo around her and making her appear even more noble.

The Mother Superior instinctively realized it.

Olivia would undoubtedly become a Saintess.

"I know things must be very difficult for you right now."

"...Yes?"

"You looked so troubled that I may have overstepped my bounds."

"Ah."

"Even if the person is a blood relative who growls at you, when death finally comes, it is only natural for one’s mind to go blank. Isn’t that what the death of family is like?"

".....Thank you."

Olivia gave only a short reply.

It was obvious that this was not a situation in which Olivia wanted anyone around, so the Mother Superior carefully bowed and left.

Olivia thought about what the Mother Superior had said.

I thought there was still room for debate, but was it ultimately meaningless?

Between Ureas and Count Rooster, the one considered more valuable had shifted to Count Rooster.

Perhaps even fighting for the Second Prince had only been an act.

There had been two legitimate heirs to the throne, and one of them had died.

There had even been rumors that Ureas had taken on the form of a demon when he died.

The instigator had immediately been punished for spreading baseless rumors, but words had already spread far and wide.

There was no one left on the Second Prince’s side.

Anyone who was still alive had to choose a side with either Alexander or Valdemar, even now.

So in the end, I’m not even an option.

Olivia quietly looked down into the coffin.

The face was unmistakably similar to Ureas’s, but it was not Ureas.

It was a fake corpse made to look like Ureas by morticians who had taken an unclaimed body and carved it up.

It looked so similar that Olivia could pour her emotions into it even while knowing it belonged to someone else.

"How useless...."

That was when it happened.

Because the interior of the Grand Cathedral was so quiet, sounds from outside easily carried to Olivia’s ears.

—The Princess is inside right now.

—I’m here to see my sister. What’s the problem?

—She needs some time alone while she grieves. Please respect that, Your Highness the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing that voice, Olivia quietly rang the bell.

A maid outside opened the door, and Olivia gave an order.

"Tell him to come in."

Alexander entered.

Olivia’s eyes turned toward Alexander.

Alexander’s body shuddered.

That alluring face was a fresh stimulus to him.

"What brings you here?"

"Ahem, ahem.... I came to tell you about what’s going to happen from now on."

Alexander approached Olivia’s side, pretending to be unaffected.

Looking down at Ureas’s face, he spoke.

"I plan to give a speech at Ureas’s funeral."

"........"

"The Grand Duke Golt’s side seems intent on taking advantage of the current anger toward the Demon Race caused by this incident. This is a crisis in which Arken blood could be swallowed up."

"So?"

"I would like you to stand with me there."

"What can I do there?"

"There’s no need to hide it anymore. You possess an innate talent, don’t you? The ability to draw people toward you."

"What do I gain from using that?"

"You can remain as a member of Father’s bloodline, can’t you?"

I suppose so.

Valdemar was currently desperate to obtain Olivia.

Alexander had said he would cooperate with him, but in reality, he could hardly be pleased about it.

With Valdemar’s position currently superior to Alexander’s, if Valdemar obtained Olivia, the reason the Crown Prince needed to inherit the throne would disappear.

Imperial politics was such that anything without a strict calculation of profit and loss was discarded.

Even Valdemar’s oath given in his own name could not be trusted.

"Olivia, I know you and I haven’t gotten along since we were young."

Alexander sat beside Olivia.

His breathing polluted Olivia’s ears.

"But shouldn’t family members join forces during a time of grief like this? We should put our heads together and find a way out of this predicament."

Olivia turned her gaze toward Alexander.

Then she suddenly gave him a bright smile.

Alexander instinctively sensed killing intent.

Olivia’s hand moved swiftly toward him.

"AAAGH!"

Pain erupted from his ear.

When he brought his hand to it, warm liquid was flowing from his ear.

A Dagger was clutched in Olivia’s hand.

She had hidden the Dagger beneath the chair.

"Oh my."

Olivia laughed as though she found him pathetic.

"I was trying to gouge out those eyes of yours. What a shame."

"Olivia!"

Fueled by a surge of adrenaline, Alexander shouted.

"How, how dare you....!"

"You what? Cat got your tongue? You pig bastard?"

Olivia’s expression was cold and mocking.

With a loose grin on her face, she casually held the bloodstained Dagger and took one step forward.

Alexander instinctively stepped backward.

Olivia really intended to kill him.

"Put our heads together as family?"

Olivia’s blue eyes glared at Ureas.

"Or did you mean you wanted to put something else together?"

Even now, with blood pouring from his ear, lust still lingered on his face.

"You disgusting bastard."

Cold, contemptuous words poured from her lips beneath a bitter smile.

Olivia pointed the Dagger at Alexander.

"Get out of here right now. Or do you want to get stabbed again?"

"Do you think you’ll get away with this!?"

"Why? Who are you going to run and tell? Who? That old man?"

Although she had acted on impulse, Olivia had not acted without thinking.

"Go ahead and tell someone. Say that your sister has been possessed by an evil spirit. Say I’m a member of the Demon Race. Say whatever you want. That old man who’s after my body will be thrilled, won’t he?"

"You fox-like bitch....!"

"Get out while I’m giving you the chance. If you’re that worked up, go straight to the Crown Princess and share a bed with her. This Crown Princess should live for a long time, shouldn’t she?"

Alexander ultimately could not say another word.

Clutching his injured ear, he backed away.

The door slammed shut with a bang, and the area outside immediately became chaotic.

Alexander shouted for a priest to be summoned as he moved away.

Amid the commotion, the Mother Superior carefully approached.

"Your Highness the Princess? Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"Could you tell me what happened?"

"...."

Olivia did not answer.

A bloodstained Dagger lay at Olivia’s feet.

"I will take care of this."

"It’s fine. Leave it there."

"Understood. Then...."

The Mother Superior withdrew worriedly, leaving Olivia alone once again.

I actually did it.

Yet she felt nothing.

It was no different from the feeling of catching a mosquito that happened to fly into her path with her bare hand.

There would be an uproar, but once she washed her hands, it would be over.

She had often felt the impulse to kill Alexander, but this was only the second time she had actually harmed him herself.

The first had been when she was young and inexperienced, when he had come to her chambers intending to assault her.

And this was the second.

I should have killed him back then.

"I shouldn’t be doing this...."

Her restraint was disappearing, and impulses kept sweeping over her.

It would only get worse from here.

Because the more she gave in to those impulses, the larger the God she held within her heart would become.

If she became a Saintess, she would gain control over the enormous power of the Alte Religion.

Olivia thought.

When everything was over, the Empire would collapse, and the name Arken would be etched into history while losing its physical form.

When she finally stood at that end, what would she do?

Would she acknowledge everything and accept her destruction?

Or would she disgustingly rationalize her own actions and pray for salvation?

It was painful.

The knowledge that she was standing at the edge of a cliff, trapped in a fate of destruction, drove her into a corner.

Then, suddenly, the voice of a man echoed in her mind.

—If you are prepared to throw everything away once this is over, I will gladly help you.

Ferda’s words lingered in her ears.

Her unbearably heavy heart became surprisingly calm.

Olivia quietly clasped her hands together and prayed.

"Lord Ferda."

From the lips that should have called upon the name of God, only the name of one man was repeated.

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