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Chapter 261: The Story of the ‘Snake’
After ensuring that all members of the imperial family were ready to listen, Aldrian turned to face Emperor Durand.
"Your Majesty, now that His Highness is in good condition, I wish to tell you about the hidden danger within the imperial family," Aldrian said.
Emperor Durand was silent for a moment before nodding. To be honest, he felt tense, hoping it wasn’t someone he trusted again. Ever since the incident with Cook Frans, he had been feeling exhausted. He was tired of all these problems and could only sigh.
"It seems I’ve grown too old and have become more sentimental," he thought.
Aldrian looked at the other members of the imperial family and addressed them.
"Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, I wish to tell you a story about the snake within the imperial family—the one who wears a beautiful mask to hide his true nature, so no one would ever suspect that he is, in fact, a snake."
The others frowned at Aldrian’s words. A snake? They did not understand why Aldrian suddenly brought up this topic, but they decided to listen to what he had to say.
Lewis felt a growing sense of unease as Aldrian brought up the parable of the snake. He already suspected that this had something to do with him, but he knew he couldn’t flee now. If he did, his entire family would immediately turn their suspicions toward him.
"This story begins with a devil who planned to spread their influence across the entire empire, however, they wanted to act cautiously and intelligently, avoiding the need to expend excessive energy or rely on brute force to achieve their goals."
"They eventually found the most effective way to exploit the empire’s situation and play their cards right—by using our own people. They understood that many within the empire would be tempted by their offers, knowing full well that some would inevitably succumb to their allure."
"They chose to rely on what they excel at, something fundamental to their very nature—the essence of their existence. That is the negative traits of living beings, the dark feelings buried deep within the hearts of people. In this regard, devils are unparalleled in their mastery."
"However, not everyone in the empire can be tempted by them. Not all will succumb to their desires or negative traits. So, they ultimately decided to choose the most useful individuals—those who could serve as their pawns, their ’representatives’ within the empire, to ensure their future plans proceed more smoothly."
"They began selecting influential individuals who could be manipulated. With their keen sensitivity to negative energy and emotions, identifying targets harboring strong negative feelings was easy. In short, many nobles and high-ranking cultivators have already fallen under their control."
"One of them has already succumbed to the devils, even though he possess imperial blood. This individual makes it much easier for the devils to operate within the palace. In essence, the imperial family has unknowingly become the devils’ backyard."
"That alone is enough for them. The gate to the empire’s domination has already been opened, and it’s only a matter of time before they succeed," Aldrian said, pausing for a moment. He observed the expressions of everyone present. Each of them seemed to sense that this story was directed at their family.
They weren’t foolish, especially given what had just happened to their family and the turmoil within the capital. There had to be an insider who opened the gate for the devils, allowing them to create the chaos here.
Empress Claudia’s eyes trembled, while Emperor Durand frowned deeply. In that moment, he felt a tightness in his chest—one he never wanted to feel again. He glanced at each of his family members’ faces. Was Aldrian suggesting that one of them was an accomplice of the devils? He clenched his fist, unwilling to believe it, but unable to dismiss the possibility. If one of his family members truly sided with the devils, everything that had been happening inside the palace would make much more sense.
Lewis, at the back, had a strong hunch that Aldrian already knew about his cooperation with the devils and was about to reveal it to his family in this manner. As he looked at the faces of his family members, it seemed they were all trying to figure out who Aldrian was referring to.
His nervousness began to show in his posture. Aldrian smiled, briefly glancing at Lewis before continuing.
"At that time, the Envy Devil, tasked by the Devil Lord to execute this plan, used his specialty in the negative energy of envy. He selected several individuals within the empire who exuded this powerful energy, and one of them was a member of the imperial family. On the night twenty years ago, when he isolated himself in his chamber, consumed by self-doubt, self-hate, and, especially, a raging jealousy—an envy that began to consume him—the Envy Devil came to him."
Aldrian then turned his gaze toward one person in the room—Lewis. Everyone was stunned when Aldrian suddenly focused his attention on him.
"The Envy Devil offered him the power to change himself. He, already filled with self-doubt and consumed by envy of others’ talents, finally accepted the devil’s offer. He emerged from his shell and shackles, only to bury himself deeper with the devils. He abandoned his morals as the price for power, and in the end, he became the devil himself."
Aldrian walked toward Lewis with slow, deliberate steps.
With each step Aldrian took closer, Lewis instinctively stepped back, feeling like he was in the gaze of a predator.
"What do you think of this story, Your Highness, the Third Prince, Lewis Doria?" Aldrian was almost standing in front of Lewis when suddenly someone blocked his way. Imperial Consort Veronica stood before him, her eyes trembling.
"Are you saying that my son has betrayed the empire? That the Envy Devil came to him?"
Aldrian did not answer immediately. He looked at Imperial Consort Veronica for a moment before speaking.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for my insolence, but I’m afraid I have enough proof to show that Prince Lewis is not as he appears to you and the others. If I may, why don’t you ask him yourself?" Aldrian said, bowing his head slightly.
He actually felt pity for Imperial Consort Veronica. She was the only one caught in this mess from the Gouvard family who had not been involved in her family’s plan. It seemed that Grand Duke Gouvard had not informed Imperial Consort Veronica about his plans or any of his collaboration with the devils. He had essentially only viewed his little sister as a tool to establish a connection to the imperial family.
Once she had served her purpose, he considered her role complete and chose not to inform her of his plan. When she was asked to support her unreliable son in the succession race, she believed it was her duty as a mother to support him as best as she could, not realizing that she had been used by both her son and her elder brother.
She was too kind to be from the Gouvard family. Even now, it seemed she still didn’t know about her elder brother’s treacherous actions.
"No, no way! There’s no way my son is a traitor! What proof do you have to say that my son is a traitor?! I want to see it with my own eyes!" Imperial Consort Veronica shouted at Aldrian, her face contorted with anger.
"I have an easy solution, Your Majesty. Just ask him to swallow any holy property pill, and we’ll see if he has any reaction. I believe the imperial family has such pills stored away," Aldrian said with a calm expression. He understood Imperial Consort Veronica’s reaction, but he knew he had to tell the truth.
As for the holy property pill, as Aldrian mentioned, it is any pill that contains holy energy. To create these pills, alchemists typically seek the help of someone with holy energy to imbue it into the pill during the concoction process. Holy property pills can serve various purposes, one of which is to protect cultivators from thick negative energy.
In an environment where they must protect themselves from the harsh conditions where negative energy congregates, holy property pills are invaluable for a limited time. These pills protect both the body and soul of cultivators from the influence of negative energy after consumption. This is inseparable from the fact that holy energy is the bane of negative energy, it is the energy that can purify it.
With Aldrian suggesting that Lewis consume a pill with holy properties, it would provide the simplest proof of whether Lewis is truly became the devil. If he wasn’t cultivating a devils cultivation manual, there would be no reaction whatsoever. But if he had truly become a devil...
Imperial Consort Veronica bit her lip before turning to look at Lewis. As she thought about it, she realized her son had never really been required to swallow such a pill, as there had been no reason or opportunity. But now...
"Lewis, take one of the Holy Protection Pills and prove to us that you are not the devil!" Imperial Consort Veronica commanded.
Lewis looked at the faces of everyone in the room, desperately trying to think of a way out. In the end, he saw no escape. He facepalmed as his body began to tremble. A few moments later, he finally lost it.
"Hahahaha..."
