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Chapter 32
The Emperor had already decided that no matter what, he needed to take Ariadne with him. From earlier, he had noticed that the way Bashulie looked at her was unusual. It was completely different from how he looked at Ashley.
Normally, one had to touch someone to confirm healing power. But if the energy was very strong, it could be faintly sensed even without contact. From the beginning, a satisfied smile had not left Bashulie’s face.
‘Ariadne should have been the Saint from the start…’
As Diego had said, the Emperor was now certain that Ariadne possessed healing power.
So he decided to hold the Count responsible. As Emperor, he felt it was beneath him to persuade a noble girl himself.
“You try to persuade her.”
“Pardon?”
At the Emperor’s words, the Count’s face turned pale.
“How can a father not understand his own daughter? We don’t have time. Calm her down and bring her back to the palace. Count.”
“……”
The Count’s face twisted badly. When he didn’t answer, the Emperor asked again.
“Did you understand?”
“Y-Yes, I understand.”
Even as he answered, the Count looked at the Emperor in disbelief. His inner conflict was clearly visible on his face.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally turned toward Ariadne.
“……”
Seeing this unexpected situation, Ariadne looked slightly amused. She had never imagined the Emperor would take her side and pressure the Count.
But then again, the Emperor only cared about his own benefit. He wouldn’t care at all about Ashley losing her healing power. He only needed someone who could use it for him.
At the same time, Ariadne quickly realized that the Emperor’s condition was not good. That must be why he was so desperate for healing power.
“Ariadne…”
The Count finally called her name with difficulty.
It was a truly strange situation. When Ariadne had lived in the Count’s house, he had never once shown weakness to her. He had always been controlling and overbearing.
Life was unpredictable. To see her father struggling like this was almost satisfying.
Ariadne crossed her arms and decided to watch what he would do.
“What are you doing, Count? I am not a man with free time. Just coming here—”
“Yes, I will follow Your Majesty’s order. Please… just wait a moment.”
The Count hesitated, not knowing what to do. The Emperor had to urge him again. With so many people watching, he could not delay any longer.
Since the Emperor had personally come here, the Count decided he had to settle things now. He looked at Ariadne, trying to prove his usefulness, but he couldn’t easily speak.
His face looked almost like someone about to die.
“Ariadne, stop being childish and come back now.”
“Childish?”
It was absurd. To the Count, all of Ariadne’s decisions were nothing more than childish behavior.
Although Ariadne found it ridiculous, for the Count, this was him lowering his pride to persuade her.
“Yes. I did not raise you like this. His Majesty is here, so stop disgracing the family—”
“I’d say I’m leaving to avoid disgracing the family.”
Ariadne cut him off.
The Count looked shocked again. He wasn’t used to her speaking like this, since she had always obeyed him before.
“What kind of words are—”
As he was about to scold her again, he noticed the Emperor glaring at him.
The Emperor stepped closer to him and spoke with curiosity.
“Isn’t Ariadne your real daughter? Now that I think about it, even though she is the older one, her debut was later than Ashley’s, wasn’t it? And didn’t you even hide her existence at first? Hmm… how strange.”
The Emperor recalled something from long ago.
The Count quickly shook his head, his face turning red.
“N-No! Ariadne is indeed my daughter. She was just very sick when she was young. And Ashley had Saint power, so I had no choice but to treat her specially.”
“I see. Then shouldn’t you treat Ariadne the same way now?”
“……”
The Count’s face twisted again.
The Emperor gestured for him to quickly persuade Ariadne. The Count looked like he might cry. Watching his changing expressions, Ariadne almost laughed.
“Ari… what should this father do?”
“……”
Ariadne pretended to think for a moment, then slowly spoke.
“Can you do what I want?”
“Of course! I’ll do anything. Please, just come back now.”
It was the first time she had ever heard such a tone from him. It felt strange. This forced kindness, given only because he was cornered, did not feel like a father’s love at all.
As expected, this was all she meant to him.
Ariadne shook her head.
“I don’t need it, Count. I’ve already made my decision.”
At her words, the Count suddenly exploded in anger.
“Does that make any sense?! If you have Saint power, you must serve His Majesty! Haven’t you seen what Ashley has been doing all this time?!”
As expected.
Ariadne swallowed a bitter smile. That fake kindness didn’t even last a moment.
“Count, you shouldn’t speak like that.”
The Emperor stepped in again. The Count quickly forced a smile.
“Yes, Ariadne. That Saint power is not yours.”
His behavior kept changing between persuasion and anger.
“Do I have to repeat myself? I have no intention of telling you whether I have healing power or not. And as for serving His Majesty, let Ashley do it. I have no such intention—”
“Well then, Ariadne. If you continue like this, I will have no choice but to take you by force.”
The moment the word “force” left the Emperor’s mouth, the guards immediately formed ranks. At the same time, Kanin also took a fighting stance.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The salty sea wind blew strongly around them, carrying a cold tension. Ariadne brushed her hair behind her ear and straightened her posture, her expression firm.
The Emperor’s face turned harsh.
“Do you really want that? There are only two of you. No matter how skilled you are, Prince, you cannot defeat this many—”
But before he could finish—
Thud thud thud thud.
A loud vibration and roaring noise filled the air, overwhelming all senses.
A powerful wind swept through the area, like a storm.
Everyone, including the guards who had been about to raise their spears, looked up at the sky.
Thud thud thud thud.
A massive ship was approaching above them, making a deafening sound. Its huge shadow quickly covered the ground.
“My goodness…”
It was a gigantic flying ship, known as an “airship” of the Illiad Empire. No one there could take their eyes off it.
Kanin raised his hand.
As if it were a signal, the noise from the airship stopped instantly as it hovered above them.
“W-What is that…?”
The Emperor asked, slightly frightened.
Illiad, the land of machines, was a very closed country. Even neighboring Rensha had no chance to see such airships. To the Emperor, it felt threatening and unfamiliar.
Kanin lowered his hand and stepped forward.
“I will take Lady Ariadne with me.”
“What do you mean by that?!”
“As of yesterday, Lady Ariadne has requested asylum in Illiad.”
“What?!”
The faces of the Emperor and the Count twisted in shock.
“And Illiad welcomes Lady Ariadne’s asylum. If you use force here, it will be considered an attack on a citizen of Illiad. You must be prepared for it to become a national conflict.”
It was a cold warning.
Everyone present was left speechless.
