SLDS 71

“Mr. Cecil!”

“Are you alright?”

Leaving the servants’ clamor behind him, Cecil threw up several times. He retched until his stomach felt like it was flipping inside out, and in the end, only yellow bile came out.

Damn it.

Cecil frowned, barely managing to calm his churning stomach.

He had merely shaken hands with Killian, yet his weak body couldn’t stand it and reacted with revulsion. How was he supposed to endure this? Cecil spat the sour saliva onto the floor with a p-tooie, erasing the unpleasant thought along with it.

Still bent over, he stretched out a hand, and the servants, as if they had been waiting, offered him a glass of water.

He repeatedly rinsed his mouth with water infused with mint leaves. As the sharp, cool sensation filled his mouth, his dizzy head finally felt a little clearer.

“A handkerchief, please…”

Leaning on his trembling knees, he barely managed to lift his upper body. After emptying his stomach, he was drained of all energy, making it difficult to even support himself.

As he wiped his mouth with the handkerchief and leaned his back against a pillar for a moment, his eyes met Alexis’s, who was staring intently at him. He, too, had been startled by the sudden vomiting.

“Ah…”

Cecil let out a weary sigh and tried to straighten his posture, albeit belatedly. But his body, sapped of strength, swayed forward the moment it left the pillar.

Seeing this, Alexis strode over in a single step. He urgently snatched Cecil and gripped his chin firmly.

“What are you doing not calling the royal physician!”

At the sharp criticism, the servants hastily bowed their heads and scurried to follow the Crown Prince’s command.

Cecil couldn’t hide his troubled expression. He tried to shake his head, but he was no match for Alexis’s grip.

Finally, he gave up and muttered.

“I don’t need the royal physician. I just… felt unwell. I’m fine now.”

“Do you even know what your face looks like right now to be saying such things.”

Alexis’s voice was low and menacing.

The small face held in his hand was deathly pale, looking as if it would collapse at any moment. This stubborn insistence while in such a state grated on Alexis’s nerves.

His gaze grew even colder. With his eyes fixed on Cecil’s face like sharpened blades, he said.

“Head servant of the Peridot Palace, listen well. Compile a list of all of Cecil’s duties and bring them to me. And your master is to rest for the entire day today. That is an order.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

In the end, Cecil was forcibly returned to the Peridot Palace by Alexis’s strict command.

Naturally, Cecil Adrian was not the type to obey meekly. Despite the servants’ attempts to stop him, insisting he must rest, he headed straight for the study.

After bolting the door shut, he took out the hidden book of prophecies and began to search through it. Perhaps because he was feeling anxious, his hands flipped through the pages impatiently.

Soon, he found the section related to the birthday festival and quickly read through the coded text he had written.

Starting with this year’s birthday festival, the relationship between the Verca Empire and the Kazalujan Kingdom will sour.

It was a foregone conclusion that Princess Larissa would visit the Empire. She relentlessly craves Alexis’s affection, but the Crown Prince coldly pushes her away, and because of this, the princess, with her high self-esteem, is deeply wounded.

The King of Kazalujan, who dotes on the princess, feels that his daughter has been insulted by this incident and cuts off all exchange with the Empire. The bustling maritime trade is completely halted, and Kazalujan’s sea routes are closed off.

The people of the Empire had to bear the brunt of the damage.

First, the price of salt began to skyrocket. Kazalujan was the main producer of salt, and because they distributed high-quality salt at such a low price, the Empire had come to use almost exclusively Kazalujan salt.

When it was suddenly banned entirely, there was no way to get it. Even when they belatedly tried to produce their own salt, the amount was limited, and the supply imported from other countries was nowhere near enough to meet the demand.

As problems arose with their livelihood, the citizens’ resentment soared to the heavens. It was a time when criticism and opposition against the Crown Prince reached an all-time high.

The misfortunes did not end there. An Imperial trade ship that had been secretly crossing the Kazalujan Sea sank. Emperor Arnold immediately declared Kazalujan an enemy nation. With that, the relationship between the two countries became completely irreparable.

“Hah, what am I going to do about this.”

Cecil clutched his throbbing head with a deep sigh.

Causing a dispute to tarnish the Crown Prince’s authority and plunging the Empire into turmoil was undoubtedly something he and the Empress had orchestrated. Cecil was determined to set this right.

Since it all started with Princess Larissa, he absolutely had to eliminate the seeds of conflict when she visited for the birthday festival this time. Even though he had already laid out a thorough plan, Cecil couldn’t shake his anxiety.

Killian was the variable.

In a situation where the future was gradually changing, there was no guarantee that the events to come would unfold according to the book of prophecies. Cecil knew this and had prepared several countermeasures in advance.

However, Killian’s appearance was something Cecil had not anticipated.

“Get a grip, Cecil Adrian. Is this any time for you to be spacing out?”

Cecil slapped his own cheeks with both hands. Smack. He had to pull himself together. All he had to do was ignore the likes of Killian. Why was he already getting so shaken up?

Being had by Killian once was enough. He had sworn that in this life, he would never get involved with that bastard.

✽ ✽ ✽

That night, the guests from Kazalujan visited the Empress’s Palace.

As he leisurely crossed the wide hall, Killian glanced at Larissa standing beside him and chuckled. Hee hee.

“What’s with covering up your chest for a change?”

“Don’t be sarcastic, Killian. I have some sense, you know.”

At the thought of meeting Empress Elizabeth soon, Larissa seemed quite nervous. Dressed in the Imperial style, she was more demure than usual and exuded an elegant charm.

“Anyway, this is one hell of a splendid palace. I can see clearly who holds the real power in the Empire right now.”

Killian whistled softly as he scanned his surroundings. The massive Empress’s Palace had gold trim everywhere the eye could see, and it was hard to find an empty space among the paintings and ornaments.

The palace where Empress Elizabeth resided was extravagant even to the Kazalujan siblings, who were inured to opulence. Was it fitting for a place where the woman who held the Emperor’s favor and power lived?

“I like it. It seems the Empress and I have similar tastes.”

“I’m sure you do.”

As they exchanged jokes, they soon arrived in front of the reception room.

“Welcome, I am so very pleased to meet you like this.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty, Empress Elizabeth.”

Empress Elizabeth had personally come out to greet her guests. The reception room was also beautiful beyond words.

The Empress led the Kazalujan royals to the seats she had prepared. On the elegant table sat an exquisite tea set that looked like a work of art.

“This is my son, Cecil Adrian. I heard you were introduced earlier.”

Cecil, who was also present, bowed politely. Killian’s lips twisted into a smirk, as if he found the resemblance between mother and son fascinating, while Larissa looked around, surveying her surroundings.

“His Highness Alexis… is not here?”

“He is a busy person, so I did not call for him separately. It seems you have a great deal of interest in the Crown Prince, Princess Larissa.”

“Yes. I would appreciate it if you would be sure to invite him next time, Your Majesty the Empress.”

At the princess’s bold request, the Empress only smiled and withheld an answer. Instead, she skillfully changed the subject and began to lead the tea time.

The atmosphere seemed to loosen up amidst pleasant conversation. Larissa, who was drinking her tea, suddenly brought up a question she had been holding back.

“There is something I would like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Does the Crown Prince have no thoughts of marriage? I understand that the position of Crown Princess has been vacant for quite some time.”

The Empress’s stomach churned as the topic of Alexis came up again. On the outside, however, she maintained the smile of a gentle mother and replied.

“I find it very unfortunate as well. It would be best for him to find his partner soon for the sake of a stable succession.”

“How about forming a marital alliance with Kazalujan?”

“Princess Larissa. Are you saying that you wish to become Alexis’s partner?”

Larissa nodded her head boldly.

When it came to arranging a marriage, there was nothing more convenient than the influence of elders. She wanted to achieve her ambition, even if it meant persuading the Empress.

However, the Empress’s reaction was decidedly lukewarm. Empress Elizabeth took a sip of her perfectly cooled tea and gave a subtle smile.

“Well, that is not for me to decide rashly.”

“Do you not find me to your liking?”

“Of course not. Princess Larissa, you are the most perfect bride I have ever seen. However, I have heard that the King of Kazalujan dotes on you greatly… If he were to send his only daughter away to this distant Empire, his grief would be beyond words.”

The Empress paused for a moment, lost in thought. A moment later, her long eyes narrowed into a smiling crescent.

“It would be a different story if you were to take Alexis as a prince consort. If you do so, I will also help the princess with all my heart.”

At the audacious proposal, Larissa was too shocked to speak, and Cecil covered his mouth and sighed. The suggestion was so absurd that he gave up on trying to stop her.

“Surely, you must be joking?”

Just then, Killian scoffed and asked. Unlike his voice, which was laced with laughter, his eyes were quite sharp as he gazed at the Empress. The Empress also shed her smile and met Killian’s gaze.

“Did my words sound like a joke?”

“I can certainly tell they were mixed with your true intentions. It seems Your Majesty the Empress is quite wary of Crown Prince Alexis. It almost feels as if you are trying to use this opportunity to get rid of a thorn in your side.”

“You are speaking harshly.”

“I apologize if I was rude. As I am in a position to inherit the throne, the matter of him being integrated into our Kazalujan is of some concern to me. I vehemently refuse to have someone like Alexis become my rival.”

Befitting the heir to the Kazalujan throne, he did not shrink back at all, even before Empress Elizabeth. With a blunt tone, he unabashedly revealed his far-from-easygoing personality.

Of course, while he may have been somewhat rude, he was not without tact. When the atmosphere grew colder than expected, Killian deliberately mixed laughter into his words.

“If Larissa were to become the Crown Princess, it would be a great blessing for both our nations. I, too, wish for Larissa to marry soon. Only then can I be free, at least for a little while. As it is now, we are both under pressure to marry…”

Seeing the Empress’s stiff expression, Larissa quickly added.

“Killian is a lecher who embraces both women and men without distinction.”

“Gender is not important. I always welcome a beauty.”

Killian replied shamelessly. As he turned his head, his eyes met Cecil’s, and he broke into a wide grin.