Chapter 55
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Violet's First Words - Episode 55
【Ash Ravens, Grand Duke, Undergoing Blood Verification at the Imperial Palace】
A photograph of Ash standing before the visibly displeased Emperor graced the front page of the newspaper. My gaze followed the article precisely. In truth, even during my brief outing to the Streets earlier, the gossip had been inescapable. The Imperial Family's newest member, son of the legendary Crown Prince Rivan, the ill-fated prince, a convergence of the world's most precious bloodline. These were the new titles that had come to define Ash. Simultaneously, Ash was being deified even more than I was, revered by the people of the Capital.
"I haven't seen Ash since that day. There's been no contact either."
Somehow, he had become someone I saw daily, yet since that day, there had been nothing but silence from him.
"He must be busy tearing through the Capital."
Cyril let out a dry laugh. He had never been fond of Ash from the start.
"Uncle... do you dislike Ash?"
"I've seen his type many times abroad. Those whose eyes smile beautifully, yet beneath them churns an ocean of ambition."
"Ash has his own gentle and admirable qualities."
"Perhaps to you. Rather than such a flower-like facade, the world is full of boys whose hearts and circumstances are genuinely beautiful. If you wish for an ordinary romance, it would be better to meet those kinds of people."
"I haven't really thought of Ash in that way... romance or anything like that."
Cyril's brow furrowed.
"Then that's a tremendous relief. In any case, I may have no interest in and little understanding of his authority, but it's certain he's returned with a ruthless heart. Look at how the Capital has been in an uproar these past days. People didn't even know what it was about just days ago."
Following the Crown Prince's Ball incident, the Grand Temple released an official statement regarding the event. It was announced through a brief newspaper the Grand Temple published every week. The report included the fact that Edgar had broken a dangerous seal.
【When the Seal of Lust was broken, had immediate countermeasures not been taken, approximately half the Capital's population could have been annihilated.】
If there had been no knight of Violet Everdin's tremendous talent, how many more would have been injured? The statement contained such effusive praise. The more Violet was highlighted, the more the Imperial Family faced criticism. More precisely, Crown Prince Edgar was the one being condemned. But the most troublesome matter for the Imperial Court was that the Grand Temple had made a surprise announcement regarding the Seven Calamities. The Imperial Capital was, in ancient times, territory occupied by the Demon Tribe. The Demon Tribe was a tribal society. They waged endless wars among themselves to claim fertile lands rich in magical power. The land they coveted most was what is now the Imperial Capital. The Demon Tribe that last occupied the Capital installed seven "Calamities" within it. They were seven traps designed to annihilate any enemy who might seize the Capital. These seven calamities came to be called the Seven Calamities. Later, when the Demon Tribe withdrew from this land, the High Priests of Kaizeria and the ancestors of the current Imperial Family, who were nobility of the surrounding regions, worked together. They created seals to govern the seven calamities, and each seal's name was given according to the names of the Seven Calamities. The seal that the Crown Prince nearly broke this time was the one where the Calamity of Lust slumbered.
"So there were seven demon calamities in the Capital."
"The Capital is such an attractive land. It borders the sea, sits at the center of the Continent, and has stronger magical power than other places, which is why the Demon Tribe coveted it too. The fertile soil and pleasant weather are just bonuses. That's why people said it was divine fortune when the Empire claimed this place after the Demon Tribe departed."
"Uncle, you already knew about the Seven Calamities."
"I'm a first-rate barrier mage. People like me all knew about it. But it was more like a vague legend, grasping at clouds. However, I didn't know that the seals of the Seven Calamities could be broken at any time."
"Until now, only the Kaizerian Temple kept those records. They announced that the seals of the Seven Calamities could potentially be broken—that it's dangerous. Yet the Imperial Court claims to have no records of the Seven Calamities."
"The Kaizerian Temple's influence will grow stronger from now on. They'll begin dispatching people under the pretext of inspecting the Seven Calamities. Looking at what's implied in the newspaper article, it seems they've already started."
"...Ash is doing that—that must be it."
Someone benefited from the seal of lust being broken— The content from my future vision was precisely accurate. Now Ash had an excuse to bring Kaizerian people throughout the entire Capital.
"Grand Duke Ravens, that bastard Ash certainly speaks with eloquence. Dispatching people to investigate in order to protect and maintain the Seven Calamities? That's ridiculous."
Cyril pointed at today's article with his finger and spoke with cold sarcasm.
"But didn't the Kaizerian Temple say they couldn't be certain of the seals' locations?"
"Since it happened hundreds of years ago, there's no helping it—that's the consensus. But it's a lie. It means they won't share information even if they have it."
This too was something I had anticipated. Kaizeria must possess considerable information. But they won't reveal it. There's nothing to gain from doing so.
"Ash has gained much since that night of the Crown Prince's Ball. They say Rivan Fatherfall's fortune was also enormous."
Again, I felt Ash slipping further away. He would already be wealthy as the son of Kaizeria's prosperous ruler. And now he was inheriting Rivan Fatherfall's legacy.
"Rivan Fatherfall's death ten days ago was a stroke of divine providence. Whether he truly died or was killed, I couldn't say. If Rivan Fatherfall had died and considerable time had passed before his son returned, the Imperial Family wouldn't have given him a single coin."
So the Imperial Family was now in a bind. They didn't want to give Rivan Fatherfall's inheritance and accept Ash as a member of the Imperial Family. But to refuse would raise concerns about the Seven Calamities, and they feared public opinion. Whether they liked it or not, the Imperial Family had to swallow the existence of Ash.
"And there's also the matter of the Crown Princess's divorce. The peace she brought as her dowry will disappear."
Kaizeria was located to the left of the Empire, while the Sien Empire, Hueria's nation, was positioned to the right. Between the Empire and the Sien Empire lay a vast Highland where large-scale bandits and those called barbarians occasionally appeared. The problem is that they are close to the Sien Empire, which means the barbarians and the Sien Empire could unite at any moment to invade the Empire. Hueria was the female sovereign of the Sien Empire. A marriage with her was an extremely important diplomatic asset. The Crown Prince had fallen into ruin overnight, and the Empire found itself in a precarious position.
"A flower cloaked in poison."
I murmured softly to myself.
"What was that?"
"...By Uncle's description, Ash is a flower cloaked in poison. Someone the Imperial Family cannot spit out nor swallow—a guest whose every step brings calamity, yet whom they cannot cast away."
"You read so many novels that you've become a poet."
"It was just a thought that occurred to me."
Just then, Olive arrived with tea and quietly set it down in the drawing room.
"Sit down too, Olive."
"Yes."
A brief silence fell. Olive and Cyril stared intently at me. I reached for the teacup but hesitated, sensing their gaze.
"Why are you both looking at me like that?"
"Are you waiting for that Ash Ravens to contact you?"
Cyril asked.
"...Well, he has much to explain to me that he hasn't. If we're to remain friends, he should. So waiting isn't strange, is it?"
I felt my cheeks flush slightly.
"I think it would be best to sever ties with that fellow Ash."
"Why...?"
"Ash Ravens will likely propose to you."
Cyril said. I nearly dropped my teacup.
"What?"
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