R4STWH - Chapter 100
Chapter 100
"Um... y-yes...?"
"What kind of answer is that? Is it yes or no?"
"Well, that's..."
I fired questions at the flustered Saintess.
"Children? Did they have any or not?"
"Oh, no! They didn't! Their relationship wasn't particularly good either!"
"I see? So in the future you know, Elias married the Second Imperial Princess."
The Saintess covered her mouth in shock, but it was too late.
"You can go now. You can make it back on your own, right?"
"Of course!"
Afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, the Saintess scurried away from me as fast as she could.
'The Second Imperial Princess... I should take a look at her face.'
Since I'm already at the Imperial Palace, wouldn't it be better to take care of everything at once?
Once I resolve my companions' matters, I won't have any reason to come back for a while.
'What's with these chills? Am I coming down with a cold?'
Second Imperial Princess Rosine pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders as she hurried along.
She was on her way to visit her sister Selena at the First Imperial Princess's palace after a long time.
When she had sent word trying to make an appointment but received no reply, she decided to show up unannounced. Surprisingly, they let her in right away. It was puzzling, given how particular Selena usually was about protocol.
'Has she finally acknowledged that she needs my power?'
Rosine, who had long since given up on becoming Emperor herself, had been carefully gauging the situation between Leonard and Selena, ready to support whichever side proved more promising.
Then something happened that made her lean heavily toward Leonard's side – meeting Count Lakdel at the New Year's ball six months ago.
'I'd never seen such a magnificent man before.'
Since he rarely participated in social events, and even when he did attend, he would only make brief appearances, that was the first time they had properly exchanged greetings.
Her gaze was instantly captured by his deep blue eyes, and then her heart started racing at his exceedingly handsome face.
And then, she felt desire. For the sensual male body wrapped in that black formal wear.
As befitting a knight famous across the continent, his physique was imposingly large – broad shoulders, a wide and firm chest, and in contrast, a sleek waist. It was exactly the ideal body type Rosine had dreamed of.
Even the lower body that she quickly scanned at the speed of light to maintain her dignity as an Imperial Princess was the same. She could tell without undressing him that he could provide an incredible night without any special technique.
She found herself wishing he was just an ordinary man. If he had been, she could have immediately taken him to her bedroom.
That's how impressive Elias Lakdel was.
But unfortunately, Count Lakdel wasn't just a mere knight – he was First Prince Leonard's close friend and strong ally. To have him, she would first need to side with Leonard.
The deliberation didn't take long.
Because she learned that Count Lakdel was a direct descendant of Tenaclad and had sufficient qualifications to become the head of the family.
After marriage, if she revealed the secrets of the previous generation to him and helped purge all of Selena's people from Tenaclad, it wouldn't be impossible for her to become the mistress of a great house.
From that day on, Rosine began pressuring Leonard, even threatening to marry Berek and side with Selena if he wouldn't give her Count Lakdel.
Convincing Leonard wasn't difficult as expected, and she thought all that remained was waiting for Count Lakdel's marriage proposal.
She had believed it wouldn't be a difficult matter, but...
'Those damned dungeons!'
The world changed overnight.
The ominous pillars that rose across the continent would spew out terrifyingly powerful monsters if not dealt with in time.
In the midst of this chaos, news arrived that Count Lakdel had become the head of Tenaclad and taken a wife without the Emperor's approval.
However, the Emperor took no action regarding this. More accurately, he couldn't take any action.
This was because Elias had repeatedly volunteered to enter dungeons that no one else wanted to challenge, gradually making a name for himself as a continental hero.
Now Elias and his Tenaclad had become too powerful for even the Imperial family to handle. When unsolvable dungeons appeared, everyone sought help from Tenaclad rather than the Imperial family.
Even when an A-rank dungeon appeared near the Imperial Capital, the Emperor himself made the same choice after losing a third of the Royal Knights in fear.
'In this situation, it's impossible to get him the same way as before.'
Then what should she do?
'First, I should learn about this wife of his.'
From what she'd heard, the woman was from an insignificant noble family in the Kingdom of Garolin and was found in a dragon's lair.
'There wasn't even Imperial approval anyway, right? I'll have that woman become his concubine, and I, an Imperial Princess, will become his wife and the proper mistress of Tenaclad. That would be more fitting.'
If the woman wasn't too cunning or prettier than herself, she could show that much generosity. After all, isn't it natural for heroes to have multiple women?
Rosine judged that given the nature of men, Elias wouldn't refuse her.
'Since sister has met her in person, she must know all about that woman.'
The maid who guided Rosine to the reception room knocked twice and announced the Second Imperial Princess's arrival.
The one who opened the door was someone Rosine knew well.
"Vice Commander, it's been a while."
Howell Ricks, Vice Commander of the Royal Knights and Selena's fiancé, looked her over briefly and nodded.
"Indeed. It has been a while."
Although she felt something oddly disconcerting, Rosine didn't pay much attention to it. She was eager to resolve her business quickly.
However, when she actually stepped into the reception room, Rosine couldn't help but freeze in shock.
"Eh...? Sir Crow?"
Why was the Commander of the Holy Knights sitting so close to Selena? He even went as far as picking up a cookie and putting it in Selena's mouth.
"Welcome, sister."
Selena, who was sitting casually on the sofa, gestured to Rosine with her chin.
"If you have a lot to discuss, sit down. If not, you can say it standing there."
After being momentarily stunned by her sister's dramatically changed demeanor, Rosine approached and sat on the sofa.
"Why is Sir Crow here? Weren't you two not particularly close?"
"Just get to the point."
Selena said to her with a smiling face.
"I'm not in a very good mood right now."
Rosine had to try her best not to grimace.
'You have one of the most handsome men in Lucendria right beside you, so why are you in a bad mood? If anyone should be in a bad mood, it should be because of Sir Howell.'
Though that's what she thought, she needed to resolve her business first.
"Sister, when you visited Tenaclad last time, did you meet that woman too?"
"That woman? Who?"
"The woman who married Duke Tenaclad. I think her name was Ilesha?"
Although she felt something creepy the moment she asked the question, Rosine attributed it to her cold and continued speaking.
"I heard she's from some unheard-of family. Is she pretty? What's her personality like? Is she docile, or is she arrogant? Would she step down quietly if asked for a divorce?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Crow suddenly stood up from his seat.
Then he picked her up like a piece of luggage and began striding toward the reception room exit.
"What, what are you doing? How dare you lay hands on an Imperial Princess without permission!"
Regardless of Rosine's struggles, Crow steadfastly walked out of the reception room and only then set her down on the floor.
Immediately, Rosine slapped Crow's cheek.
"How do you intend to pay for this disrespect?"
Rosine, who had been fuming, flinched at Crow's gaze directed at her.
"W-what...? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Your Highness doesn't know. That you just nearly lost your life."
"...What? What do you mean?"
"Never, ever mention Lady Ilesha again. For your sake, and everyone else's."
Rosine watched with a dumbfounded expression as Crow returned to the reception room after delivering those final words.
'What... Has he gone mad...?'
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