NOVPUB
Chapter 331: He Wants to See You
Aldrian did not disturb Claude, allowing him time to process his emotions and thoughts. At a time like this, it was not appropriate for him to offer his opinion, as this was an internal struggle for Claude. He could only hope that Claude would make a good decision, even if it left scars on his heart.
He did not want to leave a variable like Princess Loraine alone without a decisive resolution. She was someone already deeply connected to the devils and had committed many acts that harmed the innocent. She was also at the stage of being madly in love with the deceased Lust Devil. Once she learned of the Lust Devil’s fate, he could imagine she would do anything to take revenge against him.
He could perhaps erase her memories of the Lust Devil, but that would not erase her past sins. Moreover, the Duclan family believed in him and trusted that the princess would receive her judgment. It would not be fair to Princess Loraine’s victims if he simply let her get away with it.
After more than half an hour, Claude finally returned to the room and stood near Aldrian before saying something that made Aldrian raise his eyebrows.
"I’ve already informed my father about our conversation and your achievements. He wants to see you in the imperial palace. Right now," he said.
Aldrian had not expected Prince Claude to inform the emperor about their conversation. If the emperor wanted to see him, then this was also his chance to establish a connection with the absolute ruler of the empire.
"Alright, lead the way."
After that, they left the private room and walked toward the nearest teleportation station. The situation in Larson City was still quite hectic because of what had happened a few hours ago, but it didn’t really affect Aldrian or Claude, aside from the crowded teleportation station. Many people were still pouring into the city to witness the scene.
After waiting for a while, they were finally able to enter the teleportation portal leading to the capital of the Vindas Empire, Finna.
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Once they stepped out of the teleportation portal, Aldrian was greeted by a new scene filled with luxurious buildings and the bustling activity of the capital city. Since Claude was still in disguise, the people did not realize that the prince of the empire had just stepped out of the teleportation portal, and no one knew Aldrian’s face.
Aldrian also noticed a grand white palace in the distance from where he stood after exiting the teleportation portal and thought that it must be the imperial palace.
"Let’s go. I know a place where we can rent a carriage. Although the palace is visible from here, it’s still quite a distance away," Claude said.
With that, they walked toward one of the carriage rental stations. Once they secured a carriage with a coachman, they set off toward the imperial palace. Aldrian simply waited for the moment he would meet the emperor.
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While Aldrian and Prince Claude were still on their way to the imperial palace, someone inside was growing increasingly nervous and anxious. She bit her fingernails and paced back and forth, unable to stop herself.
Princess Loraine had already heard from her guardian knight about what had happened in Larson City. She was truly grateful that the remnants of the Duclan family and the mysterious swordsman had eradicated the Larson family, taking the fact that she had connections to the devils to their graves.
However, even though the ones who had grasped her weakness were gone, she still could not feel at ease. Another threat remained—the Duclan family. She was certain they considered her one of their targets for revenge, and it was only a matter of time before they came for her.
She did not know whether they were aware of her connection to the devils or even the Larson family, but one fact remained true: because of her judgment, the Duclan family had been executed back then. Now, she felt uneasy, uncertain of what the remaining Duclan family members would do in the future. Would they continue to pursue revenge against her?
She had many questions about the Duclan family’s movements over the past weeks. Why did it seem like they were avoiding the name of the imperial family in their path of revenge? Had they forgiven her or the imperial family? There was no way they would, and that thought kept her on edge, waiting for their next move.
Knock knock
Suddenly, she heard a knock on her room’s door. When she opened it, she saw her guardian knight—Sir Klain.
"Your Highness, His Majesty asks to see you in his private room."
Princess Loraine paused and nodded her head.
"Alright, then what about the Duclan family? Do you know anything about what they will do? Have the devils contacted us?"
"No, Your Highness, I haven’t received any contact from the devils since our last communication a few days ago. When I tried to reach them, the hidden place where we usually meet was unusually abandoned, and there were no traces of the devils there," Klain replied, shaking his head.
Princess Loraine sighed. She knew that their relationship had been strained because of her off-script actions within the Flamecrest family, which had caused the devils’ plan to crumble. However, it was still the best course of action she could choose.
Since the devils still needed her as their proxy in the empire, they would not completely sever their connection with her, and that was something she knew well. They still contacted her from time to time, though their communication seemed more restrained and cautious.
From her perspective, the devils seemed to be distancing themselves from her, but still at a distance where she remained within their reach. She also couldn’t entirely separate herself from the devils because of her past involvement with them. Although she felt scammed by how the devils had used the Lust Devil’s name to manipulate her, there was nothing she could do. She could only move forward with the status quo and hope that Aldrian would keep his word.
Princess Loraine then left her room and walked toward her father’s private chambers in the inner part of the palace. The room was lined with racks of books, and there were some luxurious pieces of furniture that appeared to be artifacts with unknown functions. She saw her father, the emperor, sitting at his desk at the far end of the room, near the window that overlooked the vast garden outside.
Emperor Herman saw his daughter’s figure enter and gave her the warm smile he usually did, but the princess felt something different about it. She didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but she felt that her father’s smile seemed more bitter than sincere. She pushed that thought aside for now and gave a slight bow.
"I heard you were looking for me, Father."
Emperor Herman stood up from his seat and walked toward the sofa near his desk, where he usually received guests.
"Yes, have a seat, dear. I just want to see my daughter and talk to you. Does it bother you, my dear?" he said in his soft voice.
"Of course not, Father." She then took a seat across from him as he used his energy to bring two glasses of spiritual herb drink as refreshments and placed them on the table.
Emperor Herman stared at Loraine with a soft gaze, his expression reminiscent of her childhood. She resembled his late wife in many ways, and he treasured her deeply. She was his gem, the last fruit and proof of the love he had shared with his late wife. Whatever she wanted, he would try to fulfill it, making sure she was pampered to the bone.
He was more thankful that she did not become arrogant or do anything that would bring shame to the imperial family just because she was pampered by him. Instead, she made him proud with her talent and beauty. Her character also reminded him of his late wife, with her soft yet decisive nature in certain circumstances. There was nothing more he wanted from this perfect daughter of his.
However, the recent news he had heard and the conclusion he had reached made his heart wither. It felt suffocating, and he wanted to cry, but he couldn’t. He could only stare at his daughter with his usual smile, a smile that no longer carried the sincerity it once did.
Princess Loraine noticed that her father was looking at her with a smile that felt strange, causing her to feel uneasy. This was the first time she had ever felt this way, and she blamed the recent events that had caused her to overthink everything.
After half a minute of silence, Emperor Herman finally broke it.
"My dear, we will have a guest—a special guest that I want to meet, and I hope you can accompany me in meeting them."
Princess Loraine became puzzled. A guest? And he wanted her to accompany him? Who could this guest be?
"Ah, he is here," the emperor said just before they heard a knock on the door.
"Your Majesty, His Highness has returned with a guest," a voice from outside resounded.
"Let them in," replied Emperor Herman.
Once the door opened, revealing the figures behind it, Princess Loraine widened her eyes and one of the figures also saw her and smiled.
