Chapter 113: Flame Part 1: The Illegitimate Son of the God of Love [VIP]
A team of fully armed royal cavalry suddenly appeared and stopped Yaris's carriage team.
"Your Highness—"
The leading cavalry captain dismounted first and respectfully approached Yaris's carriage, performing knightly etiquette through the carriage door. "I am Carter, Captain of the 27th Detachment of the Royal Guards Knights. I have been ordered by His Majesty to wait near the Tower of Sin."
"Waiting for what?"
"Wait for your convoy to pass by and take you to the palace to meet His Majesty."
"oh?"
Yaris narrowed his eyes, raised his hand to lift the curtain, and glanced at the Sin Tower outside the car window.
It was dusk, the time when the ghosts of the Sin Tower were said to begin their nightly patrols.
"—If he wants to see me, he can notify me a day in advance, or even send someone to wait for me at the gate of Silver Moon Palace..."
"I'm sorry, my subordinates and I are just soldiers following orders. We are not qualified to answer your questions."
Carter lowered his posture and said, "Your Highness, please don't embarrass us."
"All right."
Yaris smiled and said to Carter, "The emperor's subjects cannot disobey the emperor's orders. But I am not his subject, and I hate the feeling of being followed and monitored."
"I'm so sorry—"
Carter lowered his head even lower.
"Can't you get out of the way?"
"cannot."
"So--"
Yaris smiled subtly and said, "Return to Silver Moon Palace."
"Your Highness—"
"Or do you want to start a bloody conflict with my guard knights near the Sin Tower because of this trivial matter?"
“—I dare not!”
Carter looked embarrassed.
"Since you don't have the courage, then—go back and tell Edmund exactly what I said."
“…”
Carter lowered his head and said nothing.
Yaris ordered the convoy to move on.
…
…
"—What does He mean by this?"
After hearing the story, Xiao Yun revealed a look of surprise. "Sending the Royal Guard Knights to intercept your convoy near the Sin Tower is to imply that He knows everything about our actions, or is He trying to use the Sin Tower to threaten us..."
"I think it's a bit of both."
Yaris said somewhat nonchalantly, unwrapping the small gift Sonya had given him: "I found Su Weilt."
"There's actually a straight person named Su Weierte?"
Xiao Yun was astonished, but at the same time, he admired Sonya, the capital's top socialite, even more.
"According to the information Sonya obtained at the noblewomen's tea party, there are eight young women in the capital named Suweierte or similarly pronounced. Of these, only Suweierte Yang is neither an imperial noble nor employed by the court. Yet, she has visited Edmund several times in recent months, and her appearance generally matches Romila's description."
"Suvelte Yang... I remember Edmund once had a black mage named Karen Yang from the Eastern Continent."
Yaris nodded: "Not long after Sangong's death, Karen Yang returned home with the Eastern Caravan."
"so--"
Xiao Yun asked, "Where is Su Weilt Yang now?"
"She lives downtown."
"What? She lives downtown!"
Xiao Yun's heart suddenly sank.
"—Your Highness, the Emperor's motorcade has arrived at Silver Moon Palace!"
The voice of the old butler Sir Duncan suddenly rang out.
"Edmund?"
"What is he doing here?"
Yaris and Xiao Yun were surprised.
"Should we refuse——"
The old butler asked carefully.
Xiao Yun shook his head: "He is the emperor after all, he is not someone who can refuse if he wants to."
"That--"
"Please ask him to wait in the living room while we change into formal attire."
Yaris came up with an excuse on the spur of the moment.
However--
"A formal audience requires formal attire, but tonight is my private visit, so I don't need to follow all the rules."
"Edmund" walked slowly into the hall from outside and stood in front of Yaris and Xiao Yun.
"Long time no see, my dear cousins."
"His Majesty--"
Yaris lowered his head slightly, his expression so innocent that it seemed as if he didn't even dare to kill a bug.
Xiao Yun stood quietly beside him, his eyes alert.
"Edmund" narrowed his eyes, and his gaze slowly swept across the two people as he walked, and three pairs of eyes clashed repeatedly.
(Surrender! As long as you throw yourself into my arms, you can have whatever you want!)
(You do have the absolute upper hand at the moment, but we will not surrender. We will fight you to the end!)
Finally, "Edmund" was the first to look away.
He sat in the center seat as it should be, and said nonchalantly, "A lot of new things have happened in the capital recently."
"What's new? Tell me about it."
Yaris's smile was innocent.
"You're in love."
"ah?"
"You've been in close contact with Madam Sonya lately."
"I just—"
"This is a private place. We are talking as cousins. Please sit down."
"Edmund" smiled warmly, as if this wasn't the living room of Silver Moon Palace.
“…”
Yaris and Xiao Yun are on the side and right front.
Edmund smiled warmly again. "I was shocked when I received the report about you and Lady Sonya. I understand your desire for family affection, and I also understand that Grand Duchess Anna is not a competent mother, but you shouldn't have chosen a woman like Lady Sonya—"
"Because she's older than me and has a complicated relationship history?"
"Yes, a woman like her—"
"I chose her precisely because she is a woman with a complicated emotional history and old enough to be my mother."
"Um?"
"I'm a terrible person, with serious physical and mental problems. If I meet someone I'm attracted to, I'll greedily entangle and control them like a vine around a tree, demanding everything from them without restraint. If that person is a young man just beginning to fall in love or a virgin deeply devoted to love, and doesn't know how to properly handle this unhealthy relationship, I'll drain their life energy very quickly."
"So you found Sonya?"
"Yes."
Yaris added, "When we first met, she saw through me, being an expert at the game of love. She knew what I wanted and knew how to strike a balance in our relationship, allowing me to feel the warmth I desired without becoming emotionally dependent on her, like a vine entwining a tree, to the point of wanting to strangle her."
"Do you think she's mature enough?"
"Yes."
"Then why don't you find a lover who is more mature than her?"
"People who are more mature than her are usually completely old."
Yaris blinked, as if he didn't understand "Edmund's" hint.
"You're such a cunning fellow."
Edmund looked at Xiao Yun and said, "Lucien, what are you thinking now? Your brother is enjoying the strong and passionate affection of a young man, while at the same time nestling in the gentle and sexy embrace of an older woman."
"He just made the mistake everyone makes, choosing both options."
"Aren't you jealous?"
"Why are you jealous?"
Xiao Yun asked back, "He has always been like this. His overly superior conditions make him feel that he can get everything he wants. The people around him are also willing to pamper him and suppress their possessive nature just for his smile."
"Including you?"
"Yes, including me."
Xiao Yun smiled. "No matter how many times he goes out or how many people he gets emotionally entangled with, he will always come back to me in the end. So I will never care about anyone else who appears by his side."
"Admit it?"
"I admit my honesty."
"Okay, I admit that as someone who doesn't have any brothers, it's hard for me to understand the relationship between you two."
Edmund smiled strangely and asked, "Can you be gentle with me?"
"Why?"
"I am, after all, your cousin and monarch."
"oh."
Yaris said in an exaggerated tone: "I will pay attention next time."
“…”
After a brief silence, Edmund said coldly, "This is a purely private occasion. I hope you can answer a personal question of mine truthfully."
"What's the problem?"
"Ulysses."
Edmund's eyes were terrifyingly cold. "I promoted him from a commoner to Prime Minister and handed over most of the country's affairs to him. No matter the era, my kindness to him is enough to exchange for lifelong loyalty. What is more important to him than kindness? Love?"
"The power of love can transcend life and death."
Yaris said with a smile.
"So that's it... He puts love above gratitude... Everything he does is for love... Even if the person he loves doesn't love him at all and never intends to respond to his advances, everything he does for his love is just one-sided?"
"Yes."
"Sonia may be the capital's foremost 'love witch,' but compared to you, the 'illegitimate child of the god of love,' her methods are still far too weak."
Edmund turned around and looked at Xiao Yun sarcastically: "Lucien, do you agree with my point of view?"
"I don't agree."
Xiao Yun shook his head and said calmly and firmly, "It wasn't my brother that made Ulysses give up everything, including his life, for love; it was this country."
"...What did you say? Ulysses's lover actually, actually..."
Edmund showed an expression of disbelief.
"This kind of thing, this kind of thing..."
"Yes, Ulysses's lover is this country. He loves his country so much that he is ready to give his life for it."
"But this country hasn't been very kind to him either! He was born into a poor family in a border city. When he was ten, he lost his parents in a flood and became a beggar. He wandered all the way to the slums of the outer city of the royal capital. Because he was close in age to Lias and was eloquent, he managed to get close to the Minister of the Interior... But even so, whether in the Royal Academy, the palace, or the officialdom, he was repeatedly ostracized by those around him. Commoners called him a running dog, and nobles laughed at him and called him a bat..."
Edmund looked extremely confused.
"—Why! Why would he, who had never been treated kindly by the world, love his country so deeply? For this indifferent country and these foolish citizens, he would abandon the people who promoted him and valued him all the way!"
"So you became a tyrant hated by the people."
Yaris said calmly: "Your understanding of human beings and human nature always remains superficial, unable to understand the deeper complexity and subtle love and hate."
"Well, you are quite right. My understanding of human nature is very superficial."
Edmund said in a slimy tone, his dark eyes falling on Xiao Yun again.
"Last night, in a bar in the lower town, several students got drunk and started talking nonsense. Most of their content consisted of unbearable slander and insults against the country, the royal family, and the nobility. The Knights of the Protection of the People tried to stop them. However, after seeing the Knights' flag, they actually said something ten thousand times worse than the insults against the royal family!"
At this point, "Edmund" paused and said: "Do you want to know what those radical students said at the time?"
"A drunk person says anything that's not surprising."
Xiao Yun said calmly.
Yaris added solemnly, "The common people in the Lower City already have a great deal of resentment towards the nobles, not to mention they are a group of young and passionate students. Even if they speak rebellious words, Your Majesty, please consider that they are just a group of immature and careless young people and do not punish them too harshly."
"I really didn't want to confront a group of drunk young students, but..."
Edmund smiled cunningly and looked at Xiao Yun. "Even when they're drunk, they still have a strong admiration for you brothers. The Knights Protector simply say your names, and these drunks immediately become very obedient, even shouting 'Long Live' and 'Your Majesty' at the Knights Protector's flag! My dear cousins, how do you think I should interpret the cheers of these drunks?"
“Oh my God—”
Yaris opened his eyes wide and pretended to be surprised. "You actually intend to convict our brothers based on such a ridiculous reason as a bunch of drunks shouting 'Hail!' and 'Your Majesty!' at the banner of the Knights Protector?"
"Yaris!"
Edmund interrupted Yaris impatiently, his eyes filled with rage and passion: "Do you dare to swear in the name of the gods that you brothers don't know these drunken students, that they have nothing to do with you, and that you are signing their execution warrants now?"
"cannot!"
Yaris said without hesitation: "They just accidentally got drunk in public and said something they shouldn't have said! Even if they are dealt with severely, they only need to go to jail for a few days!"
"You really are defending these rebels. I can't help but wonder if their rebellious behavior was instigated by you, my brothers!"
"Edmund..."
Yaris smiled elegantly. "Why do you always try to prove that the people's actions are related to us brothers every time you receive a report that is unfavorable to you? Do you really want to lock us brothers in the Tower of Sin?"
"I never thought of imprisoning you in the Tower of Sin, especially you, Yaris. The Tower of Sin is too damp and too dark, and the jailers are mostly rude and brutal. They would torture you day and night like demons devouring a lamb, and damage your body, as delicate as a petal. Besides—if you were imprisoned in the Tower of Sin, the King's City would burn, burn completely."
Edmund said bluntly, "So—you see, even the emperor can't do whatever he wants. Although deep down I do want to lock you up in a tower, sever the ligaments in your limbs, destroy your vocal cords, and pierce your spine with thick needles, leaving you lying quietly on the bed like a puppet and allowing me to manipulate you."
“…”
A blue vein popped out on Xiao Yun's forehead.
Yaris noticed this and stood up: "Your Majesty, please allow me to ask an offensive question——"
"What's the problem?"
"Where exactly do you want to take our country?"
“…That’s not the question you should be asking.”
Edmund said grimly.
"but--"
"No buts! I am the emperor, and the emperor is the country!"
"Edmund's" blue eyes flashed with an eerie pale golden light.
"So……"
Yaris took a breath and looked at Edmund's eyes, which were changing strangely like glass beads.
Xiao Yun sensed Yaris's nervousness and subconsciously clenched his right hand - the "Golden Blade" was ready to go.
The living room is very quiet.
Emperor "Edmund" naturally sat in the position with the strongest and most abundant light. However, the people who had served in the Silver Moon Palace for a long time, led by Duncan, inexplicably felt that there was an invisible black mass under the emperor's feet, expanding to the left and right, constantly approaching their two masters, and trying to climb onto their bodies.
Some thoughts emerged clearly in Duncan's mind.
(Edmund... Is Emperor Edmund still considered human if he's straight?)
The Emperor is undoubtedly a hollow shell. As Your Highness said, he has become a puppet of the demon god, controlled and manipulated by a dark monster beyond my imagination...
I have been forced into a conspiracy more horrific and terrifying than I could have imagined. This is both my misfortune and my honor. I will protect my Highness and my son with my life... Only they have the power to end this disaster... Only they...
"...Have you thought about the question?"
Edmund's eyes were expressionless. He spoke slowly, like a wound-up mechanical puppet: "I am passionate about you, but I can't pay attention to you all the time. If you—"
"I heard the palace is planning a celebration for the Crown Prince's birth! What's going on?"
Yaris interrupted Edmund and said, "The Imperial Succession Law stipulates that legitimate children have superior rights and interests to illegitimate children in all aspects. Bastards have no right to inherit the throne. Even if he is the emperor's eldest son and his mother's identity is recognized by the royal family, he can only become the chief regent of his younger brother or sister who inherits the throne."
“This regulation is indeed a bit troublesome.”
Edmund curled his lips and said nonchalantly, "So I will get married as soon as possible to ensure that the crown prince born next year has a legal mother and a legitimate identity."
"Oh my god, what a joyous occasion!"
Yaris said in an exaggerated tone, holding his brother's hand, saluted and congratulated "Edmund" together, and bid farewell to "Edmund" as he left.
…
…
As soon as "Edmund"'s convoy was out of sight, Yaris, who was standing in front of the Silver Moon Palace, immediately fell helplessly into Xiao Yun's arms like a baby.
He was shivering, his body cold to the bones.
"Just now……"
"You were just holding on, weren't you?"
"Yes."
Yaris looked up, his eyes moist. "He just deliberately showed me His power. His ambition and desire are stronger and more terrifying than I expected... But rather than telling you about the evil and darkness I sensed from Him, the most important thing right now is to inform Ulysses... Ulysses..."
"Romila!"
Xiao Yun shouted without thinking.
"Sir, do you have something to ask me?"
The succubus popped her head out from Xiao Yun's shadow, glanced at Yaris who was leaning in Xiao Yun's arms, and pouted her voluptuous lips in dissatisfaction: "Obviously... you want more..."
"We need you to help us do something crucial."
"What is it?"
The succubus suddenly became more motivated.
Yaris: "Go to the palace immediately and stay by Ulysses' side, never leaving his side! When Edmund orders him to be killed or arrested, take him out of the palace! If you can't take him away, kill him... Don't let him suffer a torture worse than death..."
"Why?"
“Don’t ask why. This is important, and only you have the ability to accomplish it.”
Xiao Yun said sternly.
"Only I can accomplish this..."
A look of pride appeared on the succubus's face as she turned and dissolved into the darkness.
After the succubus left, Xiao Yun held Yaris's hand tightly: "I'll take you back to the room."
"good."
Yaris leaned on Xiao Yun's shoulder, his thoughts flowing into his mind.
In the mirror dimension, He clearly told us that He knew Ulysses was one of ours, and He kept Ulysses because He couldn't find anyone capable enough to replace him... His attitude made me think that He wanted more than just us, He wanted to rule our country forever... Until just now...
What happened just now?
I saw a deeper evil and darkness in Him... I've told you before that within me resides an indescribably terrifying entity. It allowed me to see the earth surging like waves, hear the rumbling of history, and sense the dark storms brewing beyond billions of stars, the birth and death of stars... But it's also this entity that naturally attracts all kinds of darkness to my body and mind... Just now, It revealed its own darkness to me...
I never thought darkness equaled evil, but the darkness within Him did possess a disgustingly evil nature, if we use the morality we believe in as a standard of justice.
What do you see?
Blood, endless blood, and all kinds of corpses floating in the sea of blood... Not only human corpses, but also animal corpses and even plant corpses... He not only wants to devour us, but also attempts to sacrifice all known life on the entire planet...
[To become a god?]
Perhaps...
Yaris nodded weakly.
[…What disturbs me most is that He said He had our rebellion planned from the beginning to the end. He knew our every move, looking down on us with the same arrogance as an adult playing house with a child, ready to take us away at any time—]
You are falling into His trap.
Xiao Yun comforted Yaris.
He deliberately demonstrated his power to you, using his evil to stimulate your delicate and sensitive nerves, causing you, who are already weak, to fall into nightmares and anxiety, becoming haggard, anxious, and fearful, and losing confidence in the future.
Is this really the case? Have I been tricked by Him?
Yaris snuggled in Xiao Yun's arms.
[You have to believe me, no matter what time, you have to believe me, believe that as long as we hold hands, we can overcome everything. ]
[Yes, I believe in you... No matter what happens, I believe in you... I believe that even if there are countless universes between us, we will still be able to sense each other and return to each other...]
Yaris leaned against him and slowly closed his eyes.
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