Chapter 23 – Coming of Age Ceremony (3)
[Translator – Peptobismol]
Chapter 23 – Coming of Age Ceremony (3)
Have you returned too?
Have you… returned too…?
Returned too…
Rudine’s voice pierced my eardrums like a deafening roar.
My brain throbbed and my temples felt numb.
“Huh? Kyle?”
Her face drew closer to mine, and I couldn’t move a muscle as if I were tied up with ropes.
“Kyle.”
Rudine’s voice, full of certainty, echoed through my mind.
I managed to regain my pale complexion with great effort.
“I missed you, Kyle.”
There was a hint of moisture in Rudine’s voice.
It was a voice tainted with affection, longing, and a hint of reproach.
‘I’m screwed.’
If Rudine didn’t have absolute certainty, she would never reveal her hand first.
To openly admit that she had returned with such naturalness meant that there was something hidden, something lurking beneath the surface.
In an instant, my mind cleared.
I need to stay calm.
Even in this situation, which I hadn’t entirely predicted, I must remain composed.
There are only two options.
To admit it willingly or to deny it.
But there’s only one option I can choose.
“Rudine.”
I blinked innocently.
“What do you mean, you’ve returned?”
“What?”
“Is it because of breaking the promise to visit the palace often? I’m sorry. I also had unavoidable circumstances.”
“Ah.”
Rudine murmured with a sad voice.
“It’s not that… There’s no need for me to hide it from me…”
She took an exaggerated deep breath and sniffled as if to compose herself.
Even then, her gaze remained fixed on me.
Suddenly, she seemed to realize something and sighed with a resigned breath.
“Oh, I see.”
She reproached herself with a sigh.
“Sorry, was I too hasty? Kyle, everything must be confusing for you right now.”
Rudine cautiously asked.
“But there must be something good, right? Being able to see you like this.”
“Good?”
“Yeah! As I said earlier. I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
Rudine began to utter incomprehensible words.
It wasn’t something that would come from the mouth of a woman who had been plotting to kill Kyle at every opportunity.
Could this be a warning that she must kill Kyle with her own hands this time?
Various scenes flashed through my mind for a moment.
‘Come to think of it…’
Yes, when I think about it, it’s not just Rudine.
Isabel and Luna.
They also started seeking affection from me for some reason.
A question mark appeared in my mind.
Why would they seek affection from a man they so despised?
Is it plausible to attribute this solely to them inheriting their memories?
“Kyle, even when you finally ended your relationship with Isabel, that stupid woman, and left the mansion.”
“…”
“When I heard that your sister and former fiance were heading to the Imperial Capital together.”
Rudine waited for me to continue.
“My heart was pounding.”
Her face, continuing from her words, blushed like a ripe apple.
“Clearing up the tainted past connections and finally coming to my coming-of-age ceremony.”
Does that interpretation make sense?
..Yeah, it’s misleading.
I barely suppressed the boiling uncomfortable feeling.
Right now, acting dumb was the best option.
“Oh, finally my chance has come.”
Rudine wiped away her tears and smiled pitifully.
“I’ve missed you always.”
“…”
“I have no one but you, Kyle.”
A chilling sensation rose to the tip of my head like a lit fuse.
But on the other hand, I felt a sense of relief.
‘If it’s like this… it’s actually easier.’
My goal is not to run away from crazy women who inherited their memories.
It’s to secure the Relic and tear through the dimensions.
The twisted emotions proliferating in Rudine’s heart?
They can be endured.
Building a relationship with Rudine from now on could serve as a perfect excuse.
There’s just one thing.
What if…
‘How much does she really know?’
Is it just a regression?
Or does she also suspect that I’m not Kyle?
The former has solid grounds for inference, but the latter is purely delusional.
Rudine is not a woman who would be immersed in such futile delusions.
“Rudine.”
But for some reason,
I couldn’t be sure.
Perhaps it’s a gut feeling close to instinct.
Above all.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about… And how you know about the auction, I don’t understand, but…”
A pang of guilt stabbed at my chest.
Is there no other way than killing her? A fleeting doubt crossed my mind.
But, I have no other choice.
I desperately longed for the voices of my parents calling my name.
I don’t have the confidence to remain in this world.
“Me too.”
So.
“I missed you.”
This is unavoidable.
“Thank you for saying that, Rudine.”
I smiled brightly
That’s when it happened.
“Silence!”
The shout from the servant waiting at the door echoed through the hall.
[Translator – Peptobismol]
With titles like “The Heart of the Empire” or “The Guardian,” all sorts of grandiose epithets followed.
There are only two people in this empire who can attach such titles to their names.
“His Majesty, Emperor Aleot, and Her Majesty, the Empress are entering!”
A heavy silence fell over the ceremony hall.
Not even the usual applause could be heard.
Because it was the etiquette and tradition of the Royal Family to bow their heads and maintain silence upon the arrival of the Emperor and Empress.
The Emperor and Empress strolled leisurely through the hall towards us.
After a moment.
“How beautiful, Rudine.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. You’re as radiant as ever.”
Rudine rose from her seat to exchange greetings with the Empress.
After a brief exchange, the Empress’s gaze shifted to me.
“…Rudine, it seems an explanation is needed.”
The Empress asked Rudine with a solemn voice.
Rudine smiled brightly in response to the question.
“Kyle Winfred, he’s my escort for today.”
“That’s not what I’m asking. In a place where you should shine the brightest, why have you chosen someone who dims your light?”
The Empress rebuked sharply, waving her hands.
Rudine smiled as if she didn’t care.
“I don’t understand what you mean, Your Majesty.”
“It is not an issue that can be excused.”
“Your Majesty ordered me to choose my partner, so I chose at my discretion.”
The Empress clicked her tongue once, then turned her gaze to me.
“Did you say your name was Kyle Winfred?”
“I greet the Sun of the Empire.”
“Enough with the pretense. Well, answer. Why didn’t you refuse an escort request that doesn’t match the occasion?”
Because I needed the Relic, and intended to kidnap the Princess.
Though the answer was already clear, I circumvented it to provide the answer the Empress wanted.
“How dare I refuse an imperial request.”
The Empress’s mouth, which had opened to say something, closed as if she were lying.
The Emperor, who had been watching the situation, intervened with a smile.
“That’s enough.”
“Your Majesty!”
“The feast isn’t over yet. I’ll talk to Rudine separately.”
“…Understood.”
The Empress clenched her fists with a smiling face.
I already knew that there were no sane people in the Royal Family, but in many ways, it was admirable.
After a brief struggle, the Emperor and Empress also took their seats.
“Princess, Count Trevian’s daughter, Lady Rose has arrived.”
“I’ll go down right away.”
Rudine, the protagonist of the coming-of-age ceremony, momentarily left her seat upon hearing the report from the servant.
I absentmindedly looked down at the ground, then raised my head.
The Emperor’s and my gaze met as he looked at me with interest.
According to imperial etiquette, one of lower status doesn’t greet someone of higher status first.
I silently awaited the Emperor’s greeting.
After a moment, the tightly closed mouth of the Emperor opened.
“Kyle Winfred.”
“I greet the Sun of the Empire.”
“So, when was the last time I saw your face in the Imperial Palace? Your memory seems to be fading already.”
“Eight years ago, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor rested his chin with a pensive expression.
“You recently broke off your engagement with the Lady of Yustia.”
“That is correct.”
“Do you know how many business ventures are involved in the marriage discussions between Winfred and Yustia?”
Business, the topic I’ve been waiting for.
I lowered my head with an expression I couldn’t describe.
“I deeply sense the responsibility.”
The Emperor, the owner of this land and the Guardian of the Empire.
I must somehow impress the Emperor.
Access to the palace must be granted like my own home to seize the opportunity to steal the Relic.
Then, the Emperor’s expression twisted.
“Some of them involve investments from the Royal Family.”
His eyes were filled with annoyance and irritation.
That look is troublesome.
To freely access the palace, the Emperor’s favor is absolutely necessary.
The solution is simple.
A transmigrator must act like a transmigrator, and a regressor must act like a regressor.
All I need to do is utilize future information.
And now, while Rudine is momentarily absent, it’s the right time.
“I know how to compensate for the losses.”
The Emperor’s eyes widened slightly.
He gestured for me to speak directly.
“The losses of the Royal Family are solely due to me, correct?”
“You know well.”
“As a member of the Winfreds, I feel deeply responsible.”
I pulled out something I had prepared inside my coat.
“Compensation for the losses and all the subsequent damages caused by the delayed business ventures.”
A check fluttered in my right hand.
“I will compensate fully as Winfred.”
A blank check.
Literally, a check without an amount written on it.
Normally, a blank check has a limit to the amount.
However, in this world, blank checks are slightly different.
The seal of the family head.
And the endorsement of the Royal Family.
Both conditions must be met for a blank check to be issued, meaning there is no limit to the amount.
Thus, blank checks are not issued under normal circumstances.
Unless there is some “special event.”
‘Yeah, not my gig.’
Although it’s a blank check torn from blood, it’s unmistakably a blank check with Winfred’s seal and the Royal Family’s endorsement.
In other words, with just one of these, I can completely rip out Winfred’s spine.
“What…?”
The Emperor’s surprised face trembled.
With a subtle smile, I calmly continued.
“It’s Winfred’s sincerity towards the Royal Family.”
“Are you serious right now?”
“Of course.”
Winfred is a core force of the noble faction.
That is to say, for the Royal Family, Winfred is a thorn in their sight.
However, as a guardian family of the Northern region, they cannot impose sanctions without justification.
Winfred also knows this and has been careful for a long time.
However, the situation is different now.
If a clear loss occurred due to Winfred’s unilateral decision, and a blank check with Winfred’s seal and the Royal Family’s endorsement were handed over to the Royal Family as a pretext?
‘In essence, it’s being tied to a leash.’
Since it’s not my money anyway, there’s nothing to lose.
After all, playing with other people’s money is the most thrilling thing, isn’t it?
“Heh, heheh.”
The Emperor burst into a hollow laugh with a blank expression.
Soon, a smile appeared on his face.
It’s the face of someone who received financial treatment.
It’s still not enough.
A single blank check isn’t enough to stamp the royal seal to its maximum.
Especially because the Royal Family isn’t easily approachable.
Most of all, there’s a separate reason for handing over the blank check to the Royal Family.
I cautiously opened my mouth.
“Coincidentally, I’ve heard about the outline of a business venture where the Royal Family invested. It’s for research on permanent treatment for alopecia.”
“…You know well.”
Alopecia, literally hair loss.
It’s a gradual hair loss phenomenon.
I glanced sideways at the Emperor’s scalp.
At first glance, it seems infinitely lush, but that’s a wig.
The Emperor’s liking is simple.
That is.
“I know the treatment for alopecia.”
[Translator – Peptobismol]
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