She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 103

You'll Regret This

[Emperor] "What are you doing?"

He questioned Cassius' behavior far more sharply than usual. The Emperor's correction held some justice. Performing an unapproved action before the supreme ruler of the empire constituted a serious offense.

[Cassius] "I was checking the time."

The Emperor had not intended such a superficial question.

Yet Cassius merely nodded calmly and slipped the pocket watch back into his vest pocket. He knew that saying anything further in this place would only invite more criticism.

At Cassius' refined manner, the Emperor let out a couple of uncomfortable coughs.

[Emperor] "......Lord Ideos."

[Cassius] "Yes, Your Majesty."

[Emperor] "Did you really come to this place just to have a casual chat?"

[Cassius] "Of course not."

His deep gaze locked onto the Emperor. An uncomfortable expression gripped the Emperor's face.

At this exact moment, Duke Ideos shouldn't possess such composure. His relaxed attitude directly contradicted the calculations of the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

[Prince] "Make sure Duke Ideos leaves his mansion by any means."

[Emperor] "And after that?"

[Prince] "I will handle it myself. The day that bastard bows down to imperial authority will arrive soon. Please trust me."

Recalling the Prince's bright, clever eyes, the Emperor forced his racing heart to calm.

[Emperor] "Then what is it?"

[Cassius] "I came to ask you a question, Your Majesty. The monster gate is completely closed, so why did you declare martial law?"

[Group] "......"

When Cassius challenged him so openly and proudly, the Emperor found himself completely speechless. Feeling entirely embarrassed for no reason, he stroked his beard and avoided Cassius' gaze.

[Emperor] "There is a reason."

Even as he spoke flatly, he didn't expect Duke Ideos to accept the answer.

The Emperor expected Cassius to look him straight in the eye as usual, but......

[Cassius] "Yes."

His tone was firm and calm.

As the Emperor looked Cassius up and down, his expression grew complex once more. He both admired and disliked this man.

If Cassius belonged to the imperial faction, he would be a magnificent asset. But as an opponent, he stood as a threatening figure who thoroughly deserved execution.

Forgetting his surroundings and the current situation, the Emperor whispered in a slow, soothing voice.

[Emperor] "......You would rather break than bend. I quite like that about you."

Cassius offered no particular response, treating the praise as a mere formality.

A strange dryness coated the Emperor's mouth. He smacked his lips, rubbed his sideburns, and spoke.

[Emperor] "Therefore...... I will ask you one absolute last time."

[Cassius] "Please ask, Your Majesty."

Cassius returned to his original, respectful demeanor. It was incredible that a young man who had barely passed his twenty-year mark could maintain such relaxed composure. Was this composure a natural trait?

The Emperor slowly stroked his beard, staring at the man before him.

[Emperor] "What if you were to join under the name of the empire's ruler? For instance...... there is a beautiful tradition called marriage."

He looked straight up at the Emperor, his expression showing sheer disbelief.

[Cassius] "I repeat, I have no interest."

Of course, he had always refused.

While repeating an offer breached etiquette, the Emperor occupied a position where ordinary nobles dared not even lock eyes with him. Thus, he felt a wave of embarrassment for the first time in nearly ten years.

[Emperor] "How insolent."

The Emperor brought his brows together, his anger exploding. Yet even as he raged, he knew the truth perfectly well. The love story between Cassius and Sierra filled the entire capital.

The Emperor possessed sharp eyes and ears; in fact, he excelled at gathering information above anyone else. Even so, the desire to claim the Duke made him momentarily forget that reality.

[Cassius] "And I intend to offer you a choice, Your Majesty."

In a status-based society, speaking of offering a choice to the Emperor was the ultimate arrogance. A low voice, an appearance that looked far more noble than the Emperor himself.

Briefly overwhelmed, the Emperor scowled and raised his hand.

Checking his pocket watch, Cassius left cleanly and efficiently, as if his time had expired.

This is strange, completely strange.

The Emperor differed from the Crown Prince, who only harbored useless suspicions.

This conversation held absolutely no substance, so why did he come here?

In the end, Cassius achieved absolutely none of his stated goals. Throughout his life as the Duke, he had never engaged in such a wasteful conversation.

The Emperor had frequently clashed with the Duke while presiding over various imperial council meetings. Therefore, he could confidently assert that this manner of speaking didn't belong to Duke Ideos.

It is indeed suspicious.

Staring blankly at the closed door, the Emperor anxiously rubbed his temples. He hoped it was a mistake, but perhaps Duke Ideos had orchestrated this entire picture.

He frowned, trying to shake off the unpleasant sensation Cassius left behind.

At this exact moment, the Emperor's fatal flaw lay in a single fact: he still trusted his own son.

---

The Crown Prince received real-time updates regarding the Ideos family. He rejoiced inwardly upon learning that Duke Ideos had called a meeting.

How panicked must that arrogant bastard be?

The situation progressed smoothly, like a ship sailing with a favorable wind. The Crown Prince experienced a pleasant mood, as if watching a magnificent comedy.

The number of private soldiers in the Ideos family isn't even large.

The private soldiers of the Ideos family had already gathered to defend the ducal mansion. However, their numbers were small, and they amounted to nothing more than a disorganized rabble. In the past, Duke Ideos had dispatched his elite soldiers to the fief to prepare for the monster war.

The number of guards protecting the capital mansion was significantly smaller than the elite troops the Crown Prince brought. With this advantage, he confidently believed he possessed a hundred-percent chance of victory.

Well, invading without a justification is annoying.

In the struggle between the noble faction and the imperial faction, a clear justification mattered most. However, the Crown Prince's side possessed no major justification. He understood perfectly well that the noble faction was protesting this action.

Once I gain ultimate power through this event, I can wipe out those noble bastards completely, so a justification doesn't matter.

This martial law would end quickly. Declaring the decree was merely a bait to draw Duke Ideos outside. As soon as the Duke left sooner than expected, the Crown Prince eliminated the guards of the Ideos family one by one. Then, wearing a refreshed expression, he stepped inside the Ideos mansion.

The sight of the Ideos family's maids and servants kneeling on the floor, begging for mercy, brought a smirk to his face. He relished the thought that the arrogant Cassius' pride would be crushed in the same way later.

Naturally, the Crown Prince never expected to encounter an unforeseen individual while passing through the first-floor lobby.

[G. Madam] "Your Imperial Highness!"

A clear, powerful voice rang out. The Crown Prince sought the owner of the voice.

Dressed in elegant, majestic attire, she maintained a noble stance, refusing to lower her gaze even upon seeing the prince. This was the Grand Madam, who managed the internal affairs of the Ideos estate.

The Crown Prince scowled in annoyance and waved his hand.

[Prince] "Ah, Madam. Move aside."

Despite the threat, the Grand Madam didn't back down. Instead, she took a step closer to the Prince, glaring at him as she spoke through gritted teeth.

[G. Madam] "What on earth is the meaning of this? In what empire does anyone treat the family of a meritorious subject, who has committed no wrong, in such a manner?"

The Crown Prince had overlooked the fact that someone would resist so fiercely. He gestured sharply.

[Prince] "I have no desire to waste time, so get out of the way."

[G. Madam] "No, I absolutely can't!"

Her furious voice cut through the air.

A troubled expression crossed the Prince's face. According to his plan, he could order his soldiers to drag her away, but...... this woman ruled high society. While the social circles of noblewomen sat utterly outside the Prince's interests, the current situation was different. The Grand Madam was a prominent figure whom even the Empress dared not treat lightly.

As he hesitated, a middle-aged woman standing beside the Grand Madam stepped forward.

[Adante] "Your Imperial Highness, please reconsider entering this mansion."

[Prince] "Ah."

Is she the Marchioness, the Grand Madam's daughter-in-law? I can't recall her family name.

Looking at Adante, he regained his focus.

He had entered the Ideos mansion, so why should the resistance of two women matter? He needed to find that object quickly and leave before the Duke returned.

He scoffed and gestured.

[Prince] "Marchioness, why don't you go clean up the shipping accident your family caused instead?"

[Adante] "......Your Imperial Highness!"

[Prince] "Just disappear. I am busy."

He was incredibly arrogant. As the Crown Prince of the empire, he possessed the right to act with such arrogance. However, the Grand Madam commanded total respect from every noblewoman in the empire, regardless of rank. Even the current Empress held her in high regard. It was bizarre to watch him glare rigidly at the Grand Madam, who was more than twice his age.

[Prince] "Strictly speaking, you are not even the owner of this mansion, are you?"

[Soldier] "However, Your Highness."

Even the soldiers, who had overcome all the guards of the mansion, wore conflicted expressions. But the Crown Prince grew increasingly irritable. He didn't want to remain trapped by these people when he had no idea when the Duke would return.

[Prince] "Ah, this is annoying...... Just bind them already."

The soldiers moved hesitantly. No matter how absolute the Crown Prince's command was, tying up a high-ranking noblewoman of society went against their desires.

[Prince] "What are you doing?"

[Soldier] "......We obey your command."

Following his order, the gathered soldiers bound the Grand Madam against their will.

Instead of struggling, she stared straight at the Crown Prince with a freezing, rigid expression. Her gaze was so terrifying that the confident Crown Prince flinched. Yet, true to his nature as a man who flared with deeper rage whenever he felt inferior or overwhelmed, he scoffed to act unaffected and gestured to his subordinate.

[Prince] "Bind her properly. Tie the ropes tighter."

They used the thick ropes typically reserved for criminals. Seeing the scarlet ropes wrap around the Grand Madam's arms, the maids fell to their knees. The Crown Prince smiled with satisfaction as the ropes tightened enough to leave faint scratches on her frail skin.

[Prince] "Get her out of my sight."

[G. Madam] "Does Your Highness not fear the heavens?"

[Prince] "The heavens?"

He chuckled as if it were ridiculous. If the heavens truly existed, they would never leave him alive until now. Therefore, the heavens either didn't exist or were inherently malicious.

[Prince] "I have no fear. For I will soon become the heavens myself."

She whispered, looking at him.

[G. Madam] "Your Highness will regret today's actions."

[Prince] "Regret?"

Even when he questioned her in disbelief, her spirit didn't falter. Even as the maids surrounding her were pushed aside brutally, her posture remained more rigid than a white tiger.

[G. Madam] "Yes, regret."

However, the Crown Prince despised anyone who refused to break before him. Staring at the pale Grand Madam, a cruel smile touched his lips.

An ordinary noblewoman would have collapsed from sheer humiliation under such circumstances, yet the Grand Madam maintained her rigid stance, provoking him to mock her.

[Prince] "You are the one who will regret this, Grand Madam."

Wearing the smile of a victor, the Crown Prince brushed past her, his expression twisting as he heard the Grand Madam let out a sharp laugh.

He detested people who acted noble despite possessing no real worth. This rigid old woman was no exception. Leaving her alone had only caused irritating interference, which annoyed him.

But......

[Prince] "Now, let us head inside."

He tilted his chin up, glaring at the door. His prey undoubtedly lay hidden behind it. His mouth watered at the thought.

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