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Chapter 69
“What exactly have I done wrong?”
Lerazier replied calmly, unfazed.
“Was it not you, brother, who first raised your hand to strike? I merely stopped it, nothing more.”
“Then why interfere—”
“Ah, so what you mean is that I should’ve just stood there and taken the beating.”
Lerazier raised his voice slightly as he glanced around.
The soldiers and attendants near the corridor flinched.
Only then did Lucius realize they were not alone.
“Damn it.”
Conscious of the eyes around them, he could only huff and fume but couldn’t cause any further scene.
After all, he was still putting on the public act of being the kind, dignified crown prince.
Watching him, Lerazier sneered inwardly.
Do they really not know your true nature?
At least those who worked in the central palace would surely know of Lucius’s hot temper and violent tendencies.
“Brother Lucius.”
Lerazier leaned in and brought his lips near Lucius’s ear—possible only because he was taller.
His voice was as cold as a glacier.
“You still seem mistaken. I am no longer the child I once was.”
A chill shot down Lucius’s spine.
It was a murderous aura—enough to make his skin crawl.
What the…
Cold sweat beaded on his back as he swallowed hard.
His eyes darted as Lerazier stepped back from him.
That brat is radiating this kind of presence?
It was the kind of oppressive force he had only ever felt from his father, the emperor. Instinctive fear made his body tremble.
No… I must be imagining things.
To think he, of all people, would be intimidated by Lerazier’s words?
No, he must have used some trick.
Lucius could not bring himself to admit he had felt fear of Lerazier.
So instead, he shouted louder, puffing himself up.
“Are you threatening me?!”
“Haha, of course not.”
Lerazier smiled, but his face immediately hardened. His cold voice slid like ice from between his lips.
“But you know, when a mad dog runs loose, who can say what it might do?”
The chill struck Lucius again.
The oppressive aura pricked his skin—it was terrifying.
D-damn it!
His survival instinct screamed at him to get away.
“Y-you think getting engaged to Calliope Verdi makes you somebody?”
Still, he yelled, clinging to what pride he had left.
“Just wait and see. That engagement will be broken soon enough!”
With that, he spun around and stormed off in the opposite direction.
Running off with his tail tucked in… like a dog that’s lost a fight.
Lerazier watched his retreating figure and recalled how Lucius had once made advances toward Calliope.
Every time that memory surfaced, he felt filthy. Now was no exception.
In that instant, mana rippled from his hand—without him even realizing it.
“Argh!”
By the time Lerazier realized what he’d done, Lucius was already sprawled pathetically on the floor.
Ah, so that happened.
The sword aura he had unconsciously released had snagged Lucius’s ankle and tripped him.
He didn’t regret it in the least. If anything, he wanted to praise his subconscious for the act.
“Are you alright, brother?”
Lerazier reached out a hand with an innocent expression, as if nothing had happened.
After all, since I gave him such an amusing spectacle, I can afford to show a little courtesy.
But Lucius’s face flushed red and blue as he ground his teeth, slapping Lerazier’s hand away.
“Get lost!”
He staggered up, glaring at Lerazier with murderous eyes, then stormed out of the corridor.
Left alone, Lerazier stood still, half-lowering his eyes.
At his feet stretched the golden marble floor—set in intricate patterns, symbolizing the eternal glory of the Arenfrit imperial house.
“If I marry Calliope Verdi, then of course I’ll become somebody.”
He murmured softly.
“I must become somebody.”
His eyes sank into a darkness as deep as the abyss.
Not long after, news of Calliope and Lerazier’s engagement spread far and wide.
“Reach out to every newspaper you can. The moment we offer them a photo of the two of us together, they’ll be fighting to publish it.”
Calliope decided to promote the engagement openly.
“We need to make it a fact beyond dispute—that Lerazier and I are going to marry.”
“So no one dares try to wedge themselves between you!” Silvia quickly chimed in.
“I mean, who in their right mind would even think of hitting on our lady with a block of stone for a face like his? Isn’t he way too self-absorbed?”
“His noble birth makes him arrogant. He probably thinks his status makes up for his lack of looks.”
Agnes added, her expression equally sour. Whether the crown prince’s face was handsome or not was irrelevant to her and Silvia.
Lucius had long been on their blacklist.
“As if the greasy looks weren’t bad enough—his personality is even worse.”
“Exactly. The technical term would be: a complete scumbag.”
Calliope nodded. After the recent incident at the banquet, even she shuddered at the thought of the crown prince.
Lucius was so vile, so arrogant, that even she, who knew the hypocrisy of the imperial social world inside and out, was appalled.
Calliope sighed bitterly.
“Well, I suppose it’s inevitable. He’s royalty. From birth, people must have worshipped him, so of course he thinks the world’s beneath him.”
“But the Seventh Prince isn’t like that at all!”
“Huh?”
At Silvia’s exclamation, Calliope blinked in surprise.
“He’s incredibly easygoing! He lets small things slide, he’s not picky, and though he’s blunt, he’s honest.”
Silvia rattled off praises of Lerazier.
What was more surprising was Agnes’s follow-up.
“He can be a bit mischievous, but he never goes too far. And as a sword master who never neglects his training, he’s diligent and responsible.”
“That’s right! He even protected you from assassins without hesitation. I thought men like that only existed in romance novels!”
This was getting…
Calliope furrowed her brows.
Since when did he earn this kind of goodwill?
Both Silvia and Agnes were cautious when it came to people—they had sharp eyes for character.
“And you’ve only known him for how long?”
“You can tell right away when someone’s a good person.”
“People carry a certain air about them. Like you, my lady.” Agnes slipped in a little affectionate remark without missing a beat.
“I always wondered what kind of man you’d choose—worried, but also excited. But really, you couldn’t have made a more perfect choice.”
“See? That’s our lady for you!”
“That choice was yours, Agnes.”
Calliope muttered dryly, but Agnes quickly pretended not to hear.
Calliope shook her head helplessly.
But still…
A shadow of worry crossed her face.
She hadn’t heard from Lerazier in days.
He told me not to worry, that he just had some business to take care of. But now, with no word at all, I can’t help but feel uneasy.
Thinking back, his expression had been a little stiff that day.
Calliope sighed.
Please, don’t let anything happen…
Lerazier, meanwhile, had traveled to a coastal port a day’s journey from the capital by carriage.
The night wind was piercingly cold. His voice matched its chill.
“You are a dead man.”
His face was hidden behind a mask. Even his eye color was altered with medicine, leaving nothing that could reveal his identity.
“You must never think of returning to the empire.”
“B-but…”
The man before him spoke in a trembling voice, on the verge of tears.
Though his clothes were worn from use, the quality was fine.
His mustache and the hat clutched in his hand revealed him to be a noble.
“If I just disappear like this… at least let me see my family’s faces once more…”
At that, Lerazier drew his sword with a steely shring.
