Chapter 197

Chapter 197

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Chapter 197

"One of the Crown Prince's servants was confirmed to have refined it in a distant land under his command and brought it to the Capital."

"So then..."

As he met Yuder's gaze, Kishiar nodded with a sense of satisfaction.

"Right. We've secured additional evidence as well, so I'm thinking of revealing it when the first son of Apeto reaches out. The Crown Prince will no longer be able to meddle with the Apeto family. A deep rift will surely form between the Diarca and Apeto families. I'm curious to see how it feels to fall into a pit he dug himself."

"That's a relief."

The words slipped out before he had a chance to process them. Yuder was momentarily taken aback, but soon lowered his eyes and mumbled it again.

"Truly... it's a relief."

Kishiar's lonely figure at the final day of the Harvest Festival party, amidst numerous murmurings, floated into his mind. Despite being clad in the most magnificent ceremonial attire and exuding an even more radiant sense of dignity, Kishiar looked lonely amid the malice and rumors surrounding him.

Yuder knew he was not the type to be fazed by such matters. However, he simply couldn't forget the scarred figure that seemed to bear a raging storm all alone that day.

'So I thought I needed to find out where the Crown Prince Katchian got his poison...'

The unfolding events had kept him so busy that he was a step too late. But his heart was rather warmed. Kishiar was set to demonstrate, clearly and by his own strength, that he wouldn't laugh off the malice and humiliation he faced like before.

Even based solely on the incident at Lenore's funeral, it was impossible for Aishes Shan Apeto, or the Duke of Apeto, to trust the Crown Prince and the Diarca family as before. No matter how much the Diarca family claimed this incident was perpetrated solely by the Crown Prince, who would take them at their word? The fracture between the Crown Prince and the Diarca family was bound to widen further.

Adding the new evidence to this, at least until the end of Apeto's trial, they were certain that they wouldn't join hands to help each other.

'Kishiar and the Emperor will exploit this gap, manipulating Aishes to steer the trial's outcome favorably.'

Even if Aishes quickly took over the crumbling Apeto as he wished, there was no guarantee things would turn out as he hoped. After all, Kishiar wasn't the only one with keen eyes to seize the opportunity to strike at a tiger that had lost its claws and teeth.

'Besides, even if Aishes becomes a Duke in this life, if his health is no better than before, perhaps this time too...'

He still didn't know how Kishiar planned to hunt down Aishes. However, Yuder knew that Aishes would die of illness within a year. Despite thorough investigations into the possibility of assassination in his previous life, there was no doubt he had died from illness.

Although Lenore died earlier this time, Aishes probably wouldn't be able to enjoy the ease of victory for long.

He suddenly wondered if Aishes Shand Apeto's eagerness to topple his father and seize the family power sooner, despite already having a firm place as the successor, might be partly due to his health condition. Nnêw n0vel chapters are published on n0v/e/(lb)i(n.)co/m

"When do you think the first son of Apeto will contact us, Commander?"

"He should arrive soon. Definitely before the trial begins."

A calmness, akin to a predator patiently waiting for its prey, shrouded Kishiar's face, which was filled with certainty.

"This mushroom will be a good gift for him then."

Kishiar closed the lid of the box containing the mushroom. The smell of the mushroom, tickling the nose like dry dust, soon vanished.

"If he comes, you, Yuder, should be behind me this time. Look forward to it."

"Understood."

"And the second thing is..."

Suppressing his churning emotions, Yuder changed the subject.

"Then, Commander... If you take the medicine well, will you continue to be okay?"

"I suppose that may be the case for now."

What did he mean by 'for now'? Did it mean that in the past, the medicine had been of little use? Leaning his head at the words containing a seed of strange anxiety, Kishiar lifted the corner of his mouth faintly.

"It's a headache, this body. Isn't this the case of anything becoming poison when taken in excess? The problem is that I can't withstand the overflowing power."

"..."

"But it's okay since I didn't die. I'm already tiredly familiar with controlling and constantly releasing power, calculating whether it will be a burden or not. In fact, I've been quite lucky."

Just as he was about to think it was fortunate, he remembered that Kishiar had once said that the Emperor already had cracks in his vessel. Kishiar had said that he nearly died due to his vessel in the past, but became alright after awakening.

'If he hadn't awakened...'

At that point, Yuder abruptly stopped the thought crossing his mind. The words he had not properly linked in thought until now suddenly connected in a strange sensation, leaving his mind cold.

The identical symptoms that the Emperor and Kishiar experienced. The same problem. The vessel. The Imperial Mage's Office closely linked with the Imperial Family. The medicine in his hand.

And the peculiar information about the Imperial Family that Enon had shown him before.

Taking a small breath, Yuder alternately looked at the medicine in Kishiar's hand and his face. Kishiar slightly tilted his head.

"Why. Do you have any questions?"

"...I apologize. May I ask a somewhat disrespectful question about the Imperial Family?"

"I permit it. Go ahead."

A light permission was given. The red eyes looking at Yuder seemed peaceful, as if they already knew what he would ask.

"Are the only ones experiencing this problem... the Commander and His Majesty?"

Kishiar smiled. His lips slowly parted.

"No."

"..."

"Yuder Aile. Do you remember the story of the 'Blood of Blessing' who was said to be passed down in the Apeto family?"

It was something Revlin Shand Apeto had told him when he had visited the Apeto family. Kishiar, who brought up the somewhat odd story of the weak children being born generation after generation and being ironically called 'blessed,' had a deeper smile on his lips.

"It was a familiar story to me. The Imperial Family expressed a similar thing as Princes who inherit the title of Duke while retaining the surname 'La Orr'."

Information about the Dukes with the surname of La Orr flashed through Yuder's mind.

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