Navia smiled broadly and went to the sofa with Creed.
"So, how was today?"
Creed quickly noticed that Navia seemed a bit down.
But he didn't mention it outright.
Instead, he brought up a story that would divert Navia's thoughts.
The opponents he met at the tournament, Vamillo Stanly who threatened him in the final round and then forfeited, and the fact that he became the Duke of Eiles as a reward.
"The Stanly Duchy has a small magic stone mine. They tried to push their luck in this tournament using that as leverage, but ended up being accused of corruption. It's good news for us."
'Maybe Nikan will hear about it and temporarily stop supplying magic stones as a pressure tactic.'
That would be the perfect time to announce the magic stone recharging to the world.
"You did great, Creed."
Navia stroked Creed's head again, smiling broadly.
Creed still felt awkward with such casual touches and lowered his gaze.
Navia, thinking Creed was shy about being praised, teased him playfully.
"Grand Duke of Eiles, are you avoiding a girl's gaze now? Don't tell me you won't associate with me because our levels don't match?"
"...Don't tease me."
"The more you say that, the more I want to tease you."
Creed looked up with an incredulous expression, then burst into laughter at Navia's mischievously smiling face.
It was as if all the tension suddenly lifted.
Navia also laughed, seemingly contagious, then suddenly asked,
"What happened with the academy?"
"Oh, we agreed that I should take the entrance exam immediately."
That meant Creed would soon leave Eden for the Holy Empire.
'It's a four-year program.'
It would be a farewell until then.
Navia fell silent for a moment with a strange expression, and Creed hugged her first.
"I'll write often. And visit you during every holiday."
So don't feel lonely.
"How can you come to the palace? How did you even get here today?"
He planned to sneak out of the palace and tap on Navia's bedroom window.
"Then I'll always leave the window open so Creed can come anytime."
"Anytime... Yes, that sounds good."
Creed was too happy that Navia accepted him wholeheartedly, without any distance.
Why was this so joyous?
'Because I like her.'
But he had liked other people in Eseled too, yet never felt this happy.
Then Navia spoke, slightly pulling away from his embrace.
"Our Creed, now comforting me not to feel lonely and all grown up. When did you grow up so much?"
"...We're only a year apart."
"Huh? What are you talking about? You and I are worlds apart. You know I'm a regressor."
Suddenly being treated like a child after being told he's grown up.
'......I was weak.'
Creed impulsively kissed Navia's cheek.
"Huh? Why suddenly being affectionate?"
Navia chuckled and teased him playfully, and Creed realized belatedly what he had done.
'...What did I just do!'
His face turned to shock, and he suddenly stood up.
"Creed?"
Confused by his sudden action, Navia looked puzzled.
Creed, in utter turmoil, stammered out,
"Sorry... I'm so sorry!"
"Huh? What's wrong all of a sudden...?"
Slam!
Before Navia could fully express her confusion, Creed swiftly fled through the window.
Navia stared blankly at the wide-open window.
"Why did he do that...?"
* * *
"Whoosh...! Huh...!"
Creed, having run at his maximum speed, finally stopped when he reached a secluded place.
His surroundings flickered with blue magical energy, as he had exerted his magic to its limits.
Crack!
His gaze fell on the black bracelet with fine cracks, a magical tool made by Lark to control his magic.
If this bracelet completely broke, his already difficult-to-control magic might run wild.
But right now, that didn't seem important at all. In fact, he wasn't even aware of it.
'Do I... like her?'
He was in the midst of a shockingly profound realization.
Creed, engulfed in confusion, barely calmed his panting breath and thought calmly.
Navia's laughter is beautiful.
'Well, she's beautiful.'
I like hearing Navia call my name.
'Her voice is beautiful, too.'
My heart races when Navia hugs me.
'Because...'
He asked himself again.
Why is Navia's laughter beautiful?
'...Because I like her.'
Why do I like hearing Navia call my name?
'That too, because I like her.'
Why does my heart race when Navia hugs me?
"Because I like her..."
Creed threw a question to which he thought there was no answer.
But
"...Ah."
It was the sound of a love just beginning.
* * *
"Your Majesty, you misunderstand. Sir Vamillo Stanly's skills are genuine...!"
"Enough!"
Yulrich coldly glared at Diana as she pleaded in a begging tone.
"Don't you realize that if this matter had leaked, it could have diminished the glory of our victory in the Bakia war? And that coming from an Empress!"
Diana bit her lip.
"It was just a matter of promoting a Marquis at a banquet. He was a talent beneficial to the empire."
"A talent beneficial not for the empire, but for the Lucia Ducal House."
"The wealth of the Lucia Ducal House is your wealth too. How can you be so cold...!"
Of course, the Lucia Ducal House was also another pocket of Yulrich's. That's why he destroyed the uncooperative Eiles Ducal House and transferred the magic train project they were pushing to Lucia.
But the most important thing now was the war.
It was foolish to tarnish the joy of victory with high-ranking nobles, especially with corruption involving the royal family.
"I'd prefer not to hear any more troublesome stories for a while. Be careful, Empress."
Yulrich sternly shattered Diana's dignity.
With a pale face, Diana slowly lowered her gaze.
"I obey your command."
"Leave now."
With a sorrowful face, Diana headed towards the Empress's palace.
'I should probably hurry the change of the emperor of the empire.'
A murderous intent flickered over her fragrant purple eyes, reminiscent of flowers.
"Creed, I should send that child to the academy as he wishes."
It was problematic for Creed to stay in the capital even if he had renounced his right to the throne.
'I can't completely trust his claim of having no memory.'
It was possible that he had been used in some trickery by Eseled.
'Why does the emperor guard so against the Duke of Eseled?'
Diana frowned in annoyance, soon arriving at her bedroom and sending all her maids away.
In the empty bedroom, Diana slowly approached an idol, the size of a person, placed in the room.
To others, it might seem like a devout religious item, but it was a special idol imbued with the blood of a thousand.
The reason she had this idol was due to a book that had fortuitously come into her possession.
《Pantheon》
The book revealed the existence of gods unknown to people, aside from the many gods of this world. It detailed how merciless and powerful they were.
Diana knelt before the idol.
"God, please descend here."
The idol's eyes glowed blood-red, emitting an ominous aura.
Click.
Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Ares entered.
Diana wasn't surprised. As always, she called her son with a tender smile.
"Come here, Ares."
Ares approached his mother, standing face to face in front of the idol.
Diana hadn't been idle since the disappearance of the weapon called Creed.
She was desperate to find even greater power and had finally acquired it.
The incarnation contract.
"Didn't I tell you before? By accepting this power, you become a god."
Ares quietly looked up at the idol.
'If I become a god, everything will be mine.'
Navia Eseled, that woman will also become my possession.
Just the thought made his heart race uncontrollably.
I'll keep Navia in a beautiful prison suited for her and place it in the middle of my room!
Ah, hurry...
"Let's make the contract now, Mother."
The god responded to his will.
Creak. Creeeak, creeeak... Hehe, hehehe...! Hehe! Keeeeek!
"Aaaaagh!"
Ares writhed in agonizing pain as the sensation of all his bones being twisted engulfed him.
I might die, I could really die like this!
"Aaaagh!"
Finally, the red aura from the idol flowed into Ares.
The pain stopped. Instead, a powerful force unlike anything he had felt before swept through him, and a sinister aura began to gather in his eyes.
Eventually, his eyes turned purple.
Not the soft purple of Diana's petals, but a purple filled with a cold, ominous aura.
"Haah..."
Ares exhaled deeply.
Even in his relaxed breath, like that of a sated beast, one could feel the presence of a great power.
'So this is the power of the incarnation.'
The power that now dwelt in him was ridiculously small. Barely enough to manifest externally.
But if he could properly wield this power, then Creed, revered as the Black Devil, would not be his match.
Perhaps, even the Duke of Eseled.
'I must make him pay for daring to strangle me.'
Diana embraced her son with a very moved expression.
"Truly commendable, my son. But don't let your guard down. I suspect the Eseled Duke might be up to something."
The likelihood was very low, but Diana couldn't help but suspect that Lark might be the incarnation.
Otherwise, Yulrich's reaction wouldn't make sense.
"Don't worry, Mother."
Ares smiled confidently.
"I'll handle it."
He needed to be cautious because he had to obtain what he desired.
With a confident smile and a neat appearance, he said to himself, 'Navia, I can't wait to see you.'
You, who is locked up in my room and crying.
Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi. Access 5 advance chapters with the Agnes of Water Tier ($10) or 10 advance chapters with Duffman of Dominion Tier ($18) For every $25 collected on Ko-fi, I will release an extra chapter. Choose your tier by clicking the 'Support me' button! Join our discord server for latest release updates and novel discussions. Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel. Bonus chapters on reaching milestones. Happy reading!
sick pos - -
ReplyDelete