_____

From the sound of his voice, I raised my head to look up to the taller figure of a newly welcomed noble.

His blonde hair bounced as he strode towards the Empress, and his green emerald eyes met mine briefly before glancing up towards Aureus.

"Greetings to the Empress, her majesty. Blessings and prosperity for the Vermillion Empire." He bowed down respectfully, a hand offering to greet her with a kiss.

She accepted without hesitation, putting her hand on his, as he pecked the back of her palm. Yep, that's common courtesy. But this noble is far too confident!

That's an Empress, sir! I mean, that can be natural but at the same time, it doesn't seem like it to me! Just what-ehem.

Maybe my son insticts is just kicking in.

"I apologize for my rash behaviour, your majesty." He spoke, before anyone could even try to talk. A small grin appeared on his lips that adorned his almost perfect and good-looking features. "Had I known about the situation, I wouldn't dare be so impudent to act on my own will."

"That better be the last time, " The Empress bluntly replied, her silver eyes looked down on him. He only smiled widely, before standing up. And wait, Archduke? Then that must be the reason why the Empress allowed it for him to greet her that way.

His emerald green eyes surprisingly landed on me, making me blink. Is he gonna go for me next?

If my memory serves me right, he's the cousin of the Emperor. It can't be a brother, since their looks doesn't look similar. The pure lineage of the Imperial blood have silver eyes, and not emerald.

He must have got both looks and his last name from his father, since his mother is a princess with the name Xi Vermillion, like any Imperial family has.

I wonder if either me or Klydeur can become an . If I become the Emperor, then maybe him. Or if he becomes the Emperor instead, then it will be me. But it only depends if we ever get to do something honorable for the empire.

"As expected of his highness. His brilliance is incomparable to others!" The Archduke exclaimed which surprised me, beaming another blinding smile that complimented his physical appearance. He even clapped his hands, urging the other nobles to clap awkwardly as well.

Uh, why do I feel like he's a Klydeur 2.0?

"May I ask how you were able to have a grasp of the situation?" He added, his gaze still on me. His eyes even seem like they're smiling at me as well from how they are curved like the moon.

Ha. He really ruined my time to explain the situation slowly.

"I've been observing through someone's magic that allowed us to watch the participants earlier." I replied, carefully sorting out my thoughts and my words, since I need to make sure I can explain my point and not be suspicious.

"As I said, this could be a form of a betrayal. And since it was announced with no solid proof of whom passed the news, I've been suspecting that the nobles involved are attempting to use magic."

That was a long explanation, but that's what I was only able to summarize of the situation. So please don't ask more, since the memories I had earlier was vague and never mine to begin with.

"Exactly. I think magic is involved rather than divinity." Eldest remarked. "I get it now. You're saying that the nobles did dissapear through magic, that's why I wasn't able to locate them." She continued, earning the attention of the nobles.

I nodded my head, smiling in relief. Thank goodness she's aware!

"If that were the case, why would they target the nobles if they are also suspected to be nobles of the empire who are traitors?" Ashley fired a question that made everyone confused.

In an instant, they all shot their stares at me, making me sigh again. "I must have made a mistake. I should have-"

"Yes, you did made a mistake." One chubby looking count dared to cut my sentence. "His highness may look brilliant, but there are many loopholes to what he said. It's starting to make no sense!"

I stared at him blankly. "I mean, I should have elaborated clea-"

"AND MUST I INFORM YOU ALL, the knights have returned!" He raised his voice to drown my voice, making me frown. "I'm certain they have found my sons by now. Everything this bratty prince said is a lie to gain acknowledgement! Betrayal? Nobles? How could we? Tsk! What a show-off."

As he stomped towards the knights who were able to return, I can already see the gloom in their faces.

"What's with the face?! And where are my sons?!"

"We apologize, milord, but we failed to search the whole area-"

"Are you blind?! Are you hearing yourself?! Then search harder!" He yelled furiously, pointing at them rather harshly. "Go back in there and do your job!"

Everyone started murmuring like bees again, and this time, it confused me as to why they don't seem to respect the Empress. With her majesty here, aren't they even concerned?

Is it because she's not as powerful as the Emperor when it comes to authority? Or is it because they believe that she's just an Empress consort and not an Empress regnant? But still, an Empress is still an Empress!

"That was an awful attitude from a Count, don't you think so, your highness?" The Archduke chuckled. I shrugged, warily eyeing the Empress whose giving off such a murderous aura beside me.

I feel like this will be the last day of the Count, and as he should. For someone who took part with this charade, it is better to eliminate him as early as possible.

"."

The latter furiously responded. "WHAT THE HELL IS IT?!"

I gulped the lump on my throat as I felt sweat rolling down my face. The sky got darker as the clouds blocked the sun, chilly air blew in as everything around us went silent. No one dared to utter a word, not even the knights dared to move. Even the horses didn't neigh or anything.

Ashley scoffed, while Eldest grinned with sarcasm. "Uh-oh."

The Count looks like he lost his soul, as he fell down to his knees. "F-forgive me, your majesty. I was just far too concerned for my sons' wellbeing-"

"?"

In a blink of an eye, loud thunder flashed through the skies and lightning striked the forest. It was so loud that it made everyone scared, some even yelled in surprise, while some flinched in fear. The ground felt like it shook for a moment, like a vibration or whatever it is.

In my case, I can only feel so cold as the air around us turned even colder. Raindrops soon started falling as the Count lowered his head down, the Empress right infront him.

Maybe I was mistaken. This must be how she rules the empire. Rule with utmost fear and tyranny.

"Everyone here is concerned, you should have atleast thought of that." Aureus then turned towards the commander of her knights. One look, and he lowered his head, offering his own sword for her.

Wait, don't tell me...

"This isn't the time for this, your majesty!" The count immediately stood up as he tried to change the topic and save his pathetic life.

She raised the sword she have in hand on air, the fringes of her bangs covering her menacing stare. "I am only doing you a favor to go back to where you belong, trash."

"What do you mean?!" The count feigned ignorance despite his situation. "What about the missing nobles?! My sons?! We need to find them! What if the traitors had already killed them?!"

Now I suddenly feel sorry for him.

The count then pointed a finger at me. "This is all because of that garbage!"

I frowned at his outburst. I take it back, this dimwit doesn't deserve pity. Somebody then blocked the view as I heard a slashing sound, flesh being torn or sliced, and I was able to determine that it was the Empress who did it.

Silence. Only a thump on the ground echoed in my head. The nobles all have their head lowered, eyes on their own feet, not daring to look at the count's headless corpse. Raindrops started pouring heavier.

Ashley averted her gaze elsewhere, while Eldest seems amused. The Archduke, who is standing infront me in an attempt to block my sight from witnessing the view, probably watched how the Empress beheaded the Count.

I decided not to check the corpse, or else I might throw up. It was not too long ago, he was still fine and alive. If only he hadn't crossed the line, still, for the Empress to do such a thing.

Obviously, there will be nobles who will try to betray her. But I can't let that happen.

"Mama, I know where the missing participants are in." I informed, taking the courage to look up to her.

She glanced behind us, half her face stained with blood and hair soaked in the rain, as her silver eyes glowed. "Where are they?"

I glanced at the forest. "The forest has been casted a spell of a maze. They are all still inside, but in order to find them, we need someone to break that spell." I explained, subtly hinting that a magician can only do it.

Althou I think she was able to crack it up, especially that her lightning strucked the forest and it was also strong enough.

The archduke glanced at me, smiling. "I won't ask more about that, your highness." As he snapped his fingers, emerald strokes of light appeared from his finger tips.

Wait, so he's good at magic too?

Is this going the same route as what the memories showed me?

_____

This chapter is probably the longest

If you're interested with , I suggest you try to read these:

• Reincarnated Into A Fictional World | KnY

• Two Sloths are Tiresome | Servamp

If you like here are some I have written:

• No Hero | Weak Hero

• Voltage | Eleceed

• Similar Opposites | The Blood of the Butterfly

That's all for now and thank you for reading and supporting this story! The chapter of our beloved crown prince's coming of age is drawing near! Maybe another round of 30 chapters?

(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞ Ooof-

Oh well, excuse this smol author! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و

🧁