Chapter 5 (1/2)

Chapter 5

Ash suddenly said,

[This one looks strange.]

I was still angry with it, but as the situation was urgent, I had to ask,

“Isn’t that just a tea leaf?”

[Look closely. It has a different shape from the other tea leaves. It is subtle, but there is a color difference.]

I furrowed my brow, staring at the damp leaf.

‘…Really?’

It was longer than the other leaves and had an unusually pointed tip.

The color was also darker.

[Something smells suspicious.]

“Like what?”

[It’s a bit difficult to explain. What can I say… if I had to describe it, it’s a smell that is not suitable for this land.]

‘How strange.’

“But you don’t even know what these leaves are.”

[Yes, not a clue.]

I laughed out loud when I saw it confidently answer that it didn’t know.

Well, without Ash, I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between the leaves.

[By the way, did you say your sister’s name was Carinne? She must have studied herbal medicine. I know a lot of stuff, but this is the first time I’ve seen it.]

“Don’t praise Carinne in front of me.”

Ash was startled when I scolded it, and then nodded its head.

‘Anyway, I now know that the leaf is the problem, so I can find out about it.’

I pulled out a piece of paper and started making a plan to identify what the leaf was.

It was no exaggeration to say that the heart of the current Balkan Empire was the Crown Prince’s Palace.

The emperor collapsed since his chronic illness rapidly deteriorated his health, so he gave up all of his duties.

The emperor was suddenly absent.

Fortunately, however, the internal affairs of the empire went on smoothly.

It was thanks to his son, Crown Prince Edwin.

It had already been several months since Edwin started to lead on behalf of the immobile emperor.

Everyone quickly adapted to the change.

The imperial palace, which had been in turmoil, soon entered a period of stability, and the daily life of the royals gradually became peaceful.

And so, this morning,

“Wait a minute, please wait a minute!”

A servant in the imperial palace who was restless ran after a man.

But the man did not look back and walked through the hallway of the imperial palace without hesitation.

Those who saw the man who had many rumors for the first time held their breath.

Still, they couldn’t stop looking at him.

He was a man with such a magnificent appearance that they could not take their eyes off him.

Adding to his wonderful aura, his black hair made him all the more mysterious.

His eyebrows were hidden by his bangs that naturally flowed down to the forehead, and below them were a pair of dazzling red eyes.

A high and neat nose bridge, seductive red lips, and a sharp jawline would make many people enticed in an instant.

The word beautiful or handsome was not enough to describe his face which has clear contours and elegant lines.

He was a head taller than many people.

His smooth, toned body was reminiscent of an elegant leopard.

As if an angel of war had incarnated, this perfect man’s true identity was……

“Your Grace the Duke of Kravant!”

The chamberlain called him desperately.

“…”

Lennox, the Duke of Kravant in question, was now walking through the hallway leading to the crown prince’s office.

But no one dared to stop him or point out his arrogance.

It was not just because of his title and his reputation as the guardian of the empire.

There was an overwhelming atmosphere surrounding him that made people get goosebumps when they saw his expressionless face.

His presence was very overwhelming.

“Your Grace, please…!”

The chamberlain spread his arms wide and stepped in front of Lennox.

But he didn’t even dare to look at him, so he closed his eyes tightly.

This was because he already knew what the crown prince had done.

He also knew how uncomfortable the duke must have felt.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is busy with important things right now. Please make an appointment first…”

“Move.”

“I’m begging you. You know you can’t do this, right?”

But the poor chamberlain’s choice of words were not very wise.

Instead of answering, a strong force went to his body.

“Akh!”

The chamberlain knelt on the smooth marble floor.

Following the pressure that made it difficult to even breathe properly, a creepy sensation came as if the fangs of a wild beast were slowly digging into his neck.

A cold sweat ran down his body.

In the surrounding area, the knights and servants escorting the crown prince were in the same situation.

“Rest assured. Your master will be safe.”