Chapter 51
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Violet's First Words - Episode 51
"Your Highness, please maintain your dignity. It's merely a single dance. There's no need for such excitement."
One of Edgar's attendants stepped forward and spoke.
Edgar composed his flushed face and cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Violet Everdin."
"Yes."
Violet answered calmly.
"The Duke of Ravens, unfamiliar with Imperial customs, may have harbored some misunderstanding. But you are not in such a position, are you?"
"...."
"Refusal rights and such—this could be construed as an affront to the Imperial Court. Should you offer me a sincere apology this very moment, I shall graciously accept it. I'm being extraordinarily magnanimous, considering your future. So come with me at once. We need a private audience."
What nonsense was this?
'And this is supposed to be the Crown Prince of the Empire?'
If she followed him now, she would certainly face something unpleasant. Anyone with sense could feel it.
Violet found herself glancing toward Ash.
Ash's eyes twitched ever so slightly. A cynical smile spread across his lips.
Ash was absolutely furious.
He stepped forward gently, positioning himself between Violet and Edgar's line of sight.
"How intriguing your words are."
"...What?"
"That the first dance with the Winter Queen is the privilege of the Royal Family."
"...What does that matter? The Duke of Ravens, elected as the son of the Sacred Sovereign, may be comparable to royalty in his own nation, but that's merely a one-time honor. The status differs from the Imperial Family!"
Ash tilted his head gently.
"I am grateful you mentioned it first, Your Highness."
"...What?"
"A pleasure to meet you, cousin. Do you remember my father?"
In that moment, Violet recalled another phrase she had heard in her vision of the future.
A monster crafted from only the most precious bloodline in this world.
Certainly, the Violet of the future had assessed Ash in precisely those terms.
Another murmur rippled through the Hall.
Those who parted through the crowd were none other than the Emperor and Empress. They had arrived at the Ball Hall belatedly.
Upon spotting Ash, their eyes widened.
"The Duke of Ravens, Ash, of the Kaizerian Theocracy."
They seemed to know Gillit. The quietly standing Gillit spoke gently.
"There exists but one ducal house in the Kaizerian Theocracy. Which means...."
"How fortunate your timing, Your Majesty. I was just reintroducing myself. My name is Ash Ravens. My mother, Sestina, was elected as the Sacred Sovereign through a vote in her capacity as High Priestess years ago, and she now rules the Theocracy."
Emperor Riot II of the current Empire.
A face I had seen only in newspaper articles and on several occasions.
He looked like an ordinary elderly man who had aged naturally. Beside him stood a thin, elderly Empress Anne who appeared irritable.
He observed Ash for a moment.
"Have I seen you somewhere before?"
"What an excellent memory you possess."
I found Ash's courteous tone oddly peculiar. It sounded more sarcastic than ever before.
"Not me, but surely you remember my father. There was once a time when you spent your days inseparable from him, like two branches growing from the same tree."
Ash's eyes were naturally a deep sunset crimson.
But now his gaze burned even redder than usual—like a ruby's hue. A smile that seemed to radiate joy played at the corners of his mouth.
In that moment, I felt as though Ash were the true protagonist of this scene.
Even the Emperor seemed like a mere actor playing a shabby role.
"What do you mean by that? Even if you are a Grand Duke from a noble house, your words are harsh. As you know, none of my siblings left behind any descendants...."
At that moment, Emperor Riot could not tear his gaze from Ash's features, as if he had discovered something.
"I am often told that I resemble my father at this age. My father is Rivan Fatherfall, who was once the Crown Prince of this nation."
I was left speechless.
Rivan Fatherfall.
Fatherfall was the surname of the Imperial Family.
Among them, there was no one who did not know the name Rivan.
Rivan Fatherfall was the current Emperor's older brother and had ascended to the position of Crown Prince.
Until three years later, when he suddenly disappeared without a trace under mysterious circumstances.
He vanished one night without leaving a trace from the Summer Palace, one of the Imperial Family's estates.
He had no wife, nor did he have any children.
And that was all. Years after his disappearance, his younger brother naturally ascended to the throne.
Even during his lifetime, Rivan enjoyed tremendous popularity. He was renowned as an exceptional talent, a man of incomparable beauty, and someone whose character inspired admiration from those around him.
A disappeared beauty forever remembered in eternal youth seems far more mysterious than an aged beauty still living.
Even decades after Rivan Fatherfall's disappearance, he commanded immense popularity.
The Imperial Court would hold events in his honor, profiting from his name, while legends surrounding him were fanned ever brighter throughout the realm.
'That he was such an exceptional figure that he hid his name and appearance, living in secret among the people to aid the weak, or that he was chosen by the divine and ascended to the heavens to dwell with the angels.'
He was the source of countless rumors.
But recently, his popularity had been gradually fading.
"Impossible. Rivan could not have left behind a child I know nothing of. That cannot be...."
Riot slowly tilted his head as he gazed at Ash. His eyes were wide with bewilderment.
"Anne!"
At that moment, Empress Anne, who had been staring blankly at them, staggered. The Emperor barely caught her arm.
"I am deeply moved by the joy with which you express your delight at meeting your Imperial grandson again. I must first inform you of my father's passing. He suffered as a vegetative state for a long time before departing not long ago."
"Preposterous. That cannot be. Rivan's name still lives in the Imperial Family's genealogy!"
The evidence that Rivan Fatherfall was alive.
The greatest proof among them was the magical artifact of the Imperial Family.
A gift bestowed upon the Imperial Family long ago by a demon race friendly to humanity—it was a genealogical record inscribed with the names of the direct descendants of the Imperial line.
The name of the dead fades with their light, but those who cling to life—no matter the circumstance—retain their glow.
Rivan Fatherfall's light had not extinguished.
This was the most crucial foundation supporting Rivan's popularity across these many years.
"It is true the Grand Duke bears a striking resemblance to Rivan Fatherfall in his youth. Yet the world overflows with those who share similar features. You cannot fathom how many charlatans have claimed to be Rivan's son merely because they bore a passing likeness to him."
Emperor Riot II spoke.
"...."
Ash regarded him with a composed expression tinged with subtle disdain.
"And now, word of Rivan's death? As I have confirmed, Rivan's light remained just days ago."
"It must have extinguished moments ago."
Bewilderment and fear flickered across the Emperor's face. He whispered something urgently to an attendant nearby.
The murmuring among the crowd swelled.
Violet found herself stepping back from Ash without conscious thought. He suddenly felt impossibly distant.
Ash's gaze fell upon Violet for the briefest moment. Their eyes met.
That was all.
Then Gillit spoke.
"As you know, the Kaizerian Theocracy possesses magical artifacts capable of verifying the bloodlines of every royal and imperial family across this continent. First, I attest that this man is indeed the Grand Duke of Kaizeria. Second, his lineage to the Imperial Family has already been authenticated."
"Prophet Gillit, I acknowledge your standing as one revered throughout the world. Yet for a prophet to meddle in Imperial Family affairs so privately...."
This time, Empress Anne spoke urgently.
"A prophet's role is merely to share information with the world. In this instance, I speak because this information is true."
"But still!"
"Should you deny my attestation, you would be denying countless prophecies that have come before. I say this plainly."
Gillit spoke.
Anne's expression grew rigid.
Not every prophecy came to pass.
Yet many of the prophecies thus far had benefited the Imperial Family, and many had proven accurate.
Moreover, every prophecy from Prophet Gillit was known to have been precisely correct thus far.
The Imperial Family's name bore layers upon layers of blessings from countless prophets. Anne could not deny them.
She turned her gaze away, her face drained of color.
"A family reunion after so long—how delightful to be greeted with such fervor."
Ash whispered. He gestured to an attendant, and as the trembling servant approached, he seized a champagne glass.
"My dear Uncle, His Imperial Majesty—I look forward to bringing you many more good tidings."
It was at that moment.
That something fell between them.
"Hah, hack, haaack!"
The Emperor recoiled in horror. What had been hurled among the crowd was something grotesque and vile.
Ash glanced at it, then smiled faintly.
"The news arrived faster than expected. Wouldn't you say?"
Only Ash remained composed. Screams erupted among the crowd.
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
"What is the meaning of this!"
"What is that monster? It's revolting!"
Violet drew in a sharp breath.
I alone recognized the true nature of 'that thing'.
It was Marigold, hideously contorted and disfigured.
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