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32.
Julian feigned ignorance of the Emperor's sharp demeanor and spoke with composure.
"I merely know that it is the most precious treasure Your Majesty holds."
"Julian! Do not presume I will tolerate your insolent attitude indefinitely."
Zahidra erupted at the sight of Julian's playful smile.
He ‌seemed to believe Julian was walking a tightrope between the Temple and the Emperor, using the Montblanc Club as leverage.
Julian quickly waved his hand.
"I fear there is a misunderstanding. As I mentioned before, I have come to stand with Your Majesty. One cannot repay kindness with betrayal."
"Do you truly regard my kindness as kindness?"
"I do. That is precisely why I have come bearing such a favorable hand."
"A favorable hand?"
"How much longer do you intend to remain hidden in the shadows? It is time to step into the light."
At Julian's confident tone, Zahidra's deeply furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
He gestured for Julian to continue.
"The painter I mentioned earlier—Barinika—is precisely the one the Earl of ‌‌Devonshire will commission."
"What?"
"The commissioned work will be released entirely anonymously. He will ‌‌‌paint a piece that exposes the Temple."
"Are you in your right mind? ‌‌‌He is the man who rose ‌‌‌‌to fame through his sacred paintings of the Goddess Defria. He receives patronage from the Temple, and the magnificent ceiling fresco the Temple boasts is his masterpiece!"
"I hear the Pope recently took a fifth wife—a ‌‌‌‌woman young enough to be his daughter, with more than ‌‌thirty years between them."
"I have witnessed his depravities so often that I am beyond shock. Nothing surprises me anymore."
"That woman was originally Barinika's betrothed."
Zahidra paused mid-reach for his glass of cold lemonade, his eyes widening as ice clinked in his trembling hand.
Julian smiled bitterly as ‌‌‌he spoke.
"When the Pope saw her visiting Barinika, he became infatuated. Her father, a devout follower of the Goddess Defria, deemed it a glorious proposal. I hear they did not even hold a wedding ceremony."
Zahidra pressed his forehead and let out a hollow laugh.
"He is more mad than I thought. Good heavens. Such a man is the Pope."
"It violates no doctrine of the Defrian Church, so there is no problem. Since no formal wedding took place, he did not steal another man's wife. Moreover, the daughter's wishes are easily ‌‌manipulated by her father. Even if she claimed coercion, the Pope would have it all dismissed. Thus, Barinika, ‌‌‌robbed of his betrothed before his very eyes, would eagerly accept such a proposal—for revenge. If desired, we could even restore his betrothed to ‌‌‌him."
"Excellent. What do you intend ‌‌to do with this painting?"
"Sow seeds."
"Seeds?"
"Yes. Seeds of distrust. Barinika's painting will vividly capture the Pope and the priests' misdeeds in raw detail. Of course, the moment the Temple presents the work, they will destroy it entirely. But who is Barinika? He is the Empire's greatest ‌artist. His reputation alone is sufficient reason for collectors to possess his work. At that moment, we will distribute copies throughout ‌the realm."
"Hmm...."
"From dukes to impoverished tenant ‌‌‌‌farmers, Barinika's painting will be secretly cherished. It will be so beautiful that everyone will desire it. The world within Barinika's canvas will, without their knowledge, imprint the true face of the Temple upon people's minds. What do you think? Is this not a magnificent overture?"
Zahidra stroked his chin in silence.
Julian clearly observed the satisfied smile spreading across his lips.
Zahidra asked, deliberately concealing his true feelings.
"But why the Earl of Devonshire? If you moved directly, you could ‌‌‌handle it more certainly."
At the mention of Zeppelin's name, Julian stirred his tea vigorously with a teaspoon, as though the very thought infuriated ‌‌‌‌him.
He spoke with indifference.
"Well, it is common knowledge that the Earl has a deep appreciation for the arts, is it not? And...."
"And?"
Julian's hand stilled. The swirling tea water ‌‌‌gradually lost momentum.
He lifted the cup and tossed a piece of ice into his mouth.
Crunch. The ice shattered helplessly between his teeth.
"We cannot know for certain which side he favors. Only I, Your Majesty, and the Earl of Devonshire possess detailed knowledge of this matter. If the plan falls through...."
"Then one of the three has betrayed us."
Zahidra's eyes narrowed. Today, Julian had an uncanny knack for scratching exactly where it itched.
The House of Devonshire was a loyal family that the Emperor had trusted since his days as Crown Prince.
In particular, Joachim Devonshire had been a first-rate contributor who aided Zahidra greatly ‌‌in ascending the throne.
'But Zeppelin is somewhat different....'
Zeppelin Devonshire appeared on the surface to ‌‌‌‌walk the same path as his father.
Yet Zahidra did not completely ‌‌‌trust Zeppelin.
Zeppelin was a cunning man.
Zahidra ‌‌‌clearly remembered how he had subtly evaded imperial orders on several occasions. ‌‌
Zahidra believed it would not be surprising if Zeppelin turned his back on him at any moment.
Had Julian divined even these private concerns of his?
No. An intuition brushed past ‌Zahidra—that there was something more beneath ‌Julian's intentions.
There must be another reason why Julian, who had consistently shown indifference despite all manner of material offerings and favors, suddenly displayed interest in imperial authority.
Julian ‌‌‌‌was ‌‌‌presenting a fine pretext of repaying the kindness he had received.
Yet somehow, Zahidra sensed that targeting the Earl of Devonshire was ‌also one ‌of Julian's ‌objectives.
'Rebecca, was it....'
Zahidra recalled Rebecca Devonshire.
She was indeed a woman of such striking beauty that any man might fall in love with ‌‌‌her.
Though excessively gentle-natured, her character was more than adequate.
Thus, in the year Rebecca came of age, even a prince from a kingdom across the sea visited the Empire to court her.
That season had been an unusually eventful social calendar, defined entirely by the ‌‌presence of one woman—Rebecca.
Zahidra still remembered the ‌‌‌‌fierce competition among her suitors.
But why now?
It was not as though Julian and Rebecca were meeting for the first time.
More importantly, if Julian had harbored interest in Rebecca from the start, his impetuous nature would have ‌‌already set something in motion.
'There must have been something between them at the victory banquet.'
Zahidra's ‌rise from the position of Third Prince born of the Empress to this seat was never a matter of luck.
It was his ability to discern which cards to play and which to discard, and his capacity to read the desires of others with precision.
His patience in waiting quietly for the ‌‌‌‌right moment, and a cruelty cold enough to cast aside the useless without hesitation—these had brought him to where he ‌‌‌stood.
He always ‌‌wore a benevolent smile, yet beneath that mask burned eyes sharp as a spear that pierced through men's ‌‌‌souls. ‌‌‌
And now those eyes scrutinized Julian thoroughly.
Julian savored the Emperor's gaze ‌‌‌‌with genuine pleasure.
'Yes, imagine freely. And deliver to my hands what I desire.'
The Emperor and Julian shared the same destination: the destruction of the Temple.
So long as their paths aligned, regardless of what lay in their hearts, he would make an excellent companion.
Moreover, the Emperor was also someone who ‌‌‌would solidify my position once I became a duchess in the future.
Julian smiled faintly. ‌
"Surely such a thing won't happen. It's merely a hypothetical scenario. The Earl of ‌‌Devonshire is such a loyal man. ‌‌‌Since His Majesty has prepared Barinika's secret workshop, all that remains is for the Earl of Devonshire to keep watch over him."
"Even so, I've summoned him to the Imperial Palace today. I've already conveyed the general situation."
"Excellent. For now, once the painting is completed, we can discuss it further. And I have a gift to present to Your Majesty."
"Oh, a gift for me? What could it be?"
"Croa."
Julian called out loudly toward the door.
Croa ‌‌entered as if she had been waiting, carrying a thick book with a black cover.
Julian took the book from Croa and presented it to Zahidra.
"These are the Temple's ledgers. I've been collecting them carefully since I was very young. I hope you will enjoy them."
Joy bloomed across Zahidra's face.
It was the moment his scales tipped decisively to one side.
* * *
"Once this is ‌‌‌done, there's no turning back. Are you certain?"
Inside the carriage on the return journey, Croa asked Julian carefully.
Julian gazed out the window without moving and spoke.
"It was something I had to do anyway. Rather, I wonder why I delayed it for so long."
Croa asked nothing further, seeing the cold resolve etched on his face.
A brief silence settled over the spacious carriage.
After gazing out the window for some time, Julian spotted the city gates and spoke.
"Is that Irencia?"
"Ah, yes. Once we pass through the gates, we'll be in Devonshire Territory."
"It's far too beautiful for that fellow to govern."
Julian gazed at the street lined with colorful, exquisite buildings.
The crowds ‌‌‌were so thick that the carriage slowed its pace.
A bustling market peeked through ‌‌the gaps between alleyways.
Julian suddenly felt curious and had the carriage diverted.
"Let's stop by that market. I'm feeling a bit peckish."
Croa's mind filled with a giant question mark.
Julian had just ‌‌‌finished eating sandwiches and half a cake for tea time at the palace.
And now he was hungry?
'Has he entered a second adolescence...?'
When Croa informed the coachman of the new destination with a puzzled expression, Julian nodded and gazed out the window.
'The market should have the foods Rebecca grew up eating ‌‌‌‌since childhood. I should look carefully and instruct the chef.'
The thought of Rebecca's delight made my mood inexplicably lighter.
Julian took in the vibrant market scenery of Irencia with a satisfied smile.
His gaze, which had been observing the crowds, ‌‌‌‌lingered on a familiar silhouette.
It was a tall woman wearing a bonnet pulled down deeply. ‌‌
"Re... becca?"
* * *
"Then I shall rely on your kindness."
"Mom, bring home lots of money!"
Margaret smiled as she watched Jack wave cheerfully from Gloria's arms.
The room was already filled with children from the Orphanage, huddled together and chirping like chicks.
The Orphanage housed many people raising children alone.
While ‌‌‌they worked outside, Gloria cared for the children almost entirely without compensation.
It was the reason Margaret could not leave this place, even knowing that Liberta Orphanage belonged to the Earl of Devonshire.
The Countess who fled has returned
E-book publication.

January 12, 2022
Author. ‌‌‌‌

Long night sky
Publisher.

Desert fox
Published by.

Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission received.

naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.

blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.

@wjt_fennecfox

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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