Chapter 26: Royal Capital (End)
The morning light seeped into the dark and quiet bedroom through the gaps in the curtains, and Wang Du was about to wake up from the darkness.
Xiao Yun looked at Yaris in a trance.
He was wearing white pajamas, lying quietly on the bed, his long black hair spread out like flowing water, and his pale and beautiful face seemed as if he could disappear from this world at any time.
"...What's on the ninth floor of the divine tower?"
"Um?"
Yaris opened his eyes.
The mysterious and deep black eyes looked at Xiao Yun carefully.
"You want to know what's on the ninth floor of the God Tower?"
His tone was haggard, as if he had just miraculously escaped death.
"Edmund... He kept asking what was inside the ninth floor of the Tower... So I thought..."
"There...there is everything, and there is also nothing..."
Yaris said wistfully, kissing his brother's cheek weakly.
"Forget the ninth floor of the Tower of God. The truth will only bring you disaster and pain."
"But family...our family—brother! What's wrong with you?!"
Xiao Yun was panicked.
Yaris, lying in the quilt, suddenly gasped for breath, as if he was suffering great pain.
"...It's okay, it's just... there's medicine in the second drawer. Give me the powder..."
"Hold on!"
Xiao Yun quickly opened the second drawer, took out the black powder with a bitter smell, helped Yaris up, carefully fed him the powder, and poured him some water.
"call--"
After taking the powder, Yaris gradually recovered his breath, and his pale face also had a little damp blood color.
He glanced at the dim light outside the curtains and said, "It's dawn. You should go back to the Royal Academy."
"Then brother, you..."
"Ring the bell, and the servants will come in at once."
"Uh-huh."
Xiao Yun rang the bell as instructed.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The small door opened, and the chief servant, Kelly, led the male and female servants into the room, skillfully taking care of the extremely weak master.
After making sure that Yaris would fall asleep soon under the care of the servants, Xiao Yun carefully left the room.
…
After Lucien left, Yaris opened his eyes, put on his cloak with the help of Kelly and others, walked to the floor-to-ceiling crystal window, opened the curtains, looked at the beautiful garden bathed in the morning light, closed his eyes, as if listening to God's enlightenment or as if making an important decision.
After a long time——
He slowly opened his eyes, revealing a mysterious and incredible expression.
"Are you here?"
As he finished speaking, a black mist flowed out from the darkness of the room and condensed into a withered body wrapped in the magician's black robe.
"Owner--"
"Alfonso sent you with a letter?"
"Yes."
The magician took out a wooden box from his arms and presented it with both hands.
"He begged you to answer his letter, even if it contained only one sentence, one word, or even if the envelope contained a blank page."
"...If you don't reply to his letter, I'm afraid he'll go crazy."
"If Alfonso goes mad, no one except me can bring him back to the world. However, I have reasons why I absolutely cannot reply to his letters or see him."
Yaris's voice didn't change at all.
"Tell Alfonso that if he dares to go mad at this critical moment of becoming king and commit a massacre or something similar, causing my plan to go awry, I will destroy everything he owns and cherishes. Even if he kills his way through half the empire and comes to me with Edmund's head, I won't even look at him."
Yaris said slowly, raised his hand, the box opened, the letter floated out and fell into his palm.
…
…
The palace was surrounded by great noise and tension.
Local nobles came from all corners of the empire and stayed temporarily in their respective lounges, waiting for the official start of the ceremony of conferring the Grand Marquis and appointing the new Prime Minister.
The ladies were all eager to try, repeatedly adjusting their makeup and outfits in front of the mirror to avoid being overshadowed by other women at the banquet.
In the Holy Grand Duke's lounge, Jarris was also checking his brother's appearance - Lucien had already put on the formal attire of the Grand Marquis of Gaula, and only waited for the coronation ceremony to be completed so that the emperor could personally put on a cloak trimmed with purple fur for him.
"You have dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well last night?"
"Well, I was very nervous and didn't sleep at all last night..."
(Having taken this step today, there will never be a possibility of turning back.)
"I understand your nervousness."
Yaris patted his brother's shoulder considerately and said, "Even I once ran away to the garden before the banquet officially started because I was too nervous."
"I'm so sorry—"
"I am the one who should apologize. I pushed you onto this path, but I can't give you any more experience. I can only tell you—don't be impatient. With your talent and wisdom, you will soon become a great and perfect monarch."
You and I have embarked on this road, burdened with curses and resentment, and we can only keep going on forever... Fortunately, although I cannot see the end of the road, I will walk with you, hug you tightly in the ruins of the world, and ignite the flames of hell...
Words and thoughts flowed in at the same time, Xiao Yun gradually forgot his nervousness, and his vision became clear.
"Well, we should go to the hall now for the canonization ceremony. Keeping Edmund waiting could lead to disaster."
Yaris teased gently, took his brother's hand, and walked towards the hall which was now filled with court officials, generals, noble ladies, and envoys from various countries.
…
"The Holy Grand Duke, His Highness Yaris—"
"Lucien d'Alsantis, Grand Marquis of Gaurat—"
Following the ceremonial officer's wonderful announcement, everyone in the hall turned their attention to the slowly unfolding ornate brocade with the sacred emblem, their minds filled with all kinds of rumors and rumours.
(His Highness Yaris actually allowed the Emperor to confer upon his beloved brother the title of Grand Marquis of Gaura! To that horrible place filled with curses and ghosts!)
(Their relationship as brothers may not be as close as we think...)
(I bet 10,000 gold coins that Lucien can't stay in Gaula for a full year! At most, in a month, he'll flee back to the capital and cry in his brother's arms...)
But no matter what, even those who were full of malice towards the Holy Family always admitted that Yaris and his brother had beautiful looks that could be called works of art, and then nitpicked that such beauty should be born in women, and it was a waste to be born in men.
Therefore, when the brocade embroidered with the sacred coat of arms was fully opened and the two brothers walked out slowly in court attire, everyone held their breath involuntarily, staring intently at the two men as they walked towards the throne with swan-like grace, their hearts filled with intense surprise and overwhelming shock.
"His Majesty--"
"ah……"
Edmund was also a little dazed, his eyes wide open, staring at the incredibly beautiful creature in front of him like an idiot.
"What's the matter, Edmund?"
Yaris said in a cold voice.
"What's wrong?!"
The emperor came back to his senses and repeatedly looked at his beautiful cousin who always exuded a mysterious charm: "Are you wearing makeup?"
“This is who I am.”
"But today you—"
Edmund suddenly stopped talking and looked at Lucien standing next to Jarris with hatred.
Xiao Yun understood Edmund's complicated feelings at this moment.
Because today's Yaris is no longer the beautiful pale ghost who could melt into the darkness at any time.
His cheeks were rosy and plump, his eyes sparkled like spring water in the sun, and his lips were like roses just blooming in the morning -
He became a different person!
At this time, Yaris quietly pulled his brother.
Xiao Yun understood and knelt down on one knee smoothly in front of the gloomy Edmund.
Edmund had to draw his sword and put it on Lucien's shoulder. With the assistance of Jaris and the witness of the whole audience, he completed the canonization of Lucien.
"From now on, you are the Grand Marquis of Gaura of the Empire."
He took the purple fur-trimmed cloak from the servant and put it on Lucien himself.
"Lucien d'Altes, Grand Marquis of Gaula, expresses his sincere gratitude to Your Majesty for his generosity and kindness."
Xiao Yun stood up, pulled the hem of his cloak, turned smoothly and stood next to his brother's throne. His dazzling and gorgeous movements instantly caught everyone's attention.
At this moment, people truly realized that Lucien, who always hid behind his brother, was also a prince, a beautiful and charming prince who was born to receive the world's warm attention and admiration.
"Please allow me to formally introduce to you all Lucien d'Al-Saints, the Grand Marquis of Gaurat, appointed by the Emperor himself. He is my beloved brother and our late father's most cherished son. I hope that each of you will give him the same loyalty and admiration that you have for me."
Yaris announced brilliantly and proudly, his clear voice echoing throughout the hall, and his face was filled with a smile as bright and charming as the sun that he had never shown to anyone before.
"Ah... this is... this is a happy event! A happy event for the empire!"
Edmund spoke through gritted teeth, his body drained of all strength, and he collapsed on the throne, so that the subsequent Prime Minister's appointment ceremony could only begin and end hastily.
However, Ulysses never cared about the fact that he was a shabby bat that was not welcome in the court. After the prime minister's appointment ceremony, he immediately hid in an inconspicuous corner.
The emperor also left with a gloomy face after realizing that his presence made it impossible for everyone present to have fun.
The relieved people came forward one after another to greet the newly appointed Marquis of Gaura.
Xiao Yun, who had been carefully taught by Yaris beforehand, smiled brightly at these people and spoke happily to everyone, as if he was very happy to see them and they were already familiar with each other.
The only problem was that there were so many people surrounding him, complimenting him and lining up to talk to him, so many that Xiao Yun suspected the banquet would not end until dawn.
At this time——
Yaris suddenly spoke: "That's all for today. Lucien is tired and needs to rest."
"But--"
"Um?"
"At your service."
The crowded crowd made way.
"Okay, let's go."
Yaris stood up and left the flower-filled hall with his brother.
In the corner, Ulysses was still watching intently, a trance-like smile on his impoverished face, and he murmured, "It has begun... The destruction of fate has begun..."
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