Chapter 14: Second Episode: Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 14: Second Episode: Chapter 5
Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The whole week, people had been discussing about the prince. He seemed to have an endless source of charisma that only made people think about the incident ten years ago that exploded throughout Titan. Some people even think this child is a spawn of Devil himself.
Yes, only a Devil spawn himself would have such terrible heart and mesmerizing charisma. The youngster was just a chubby kid, but on his first day at Dublin, he already successfully captured the heart of the largest, sweetest honey peach in Dublin, or even the empire. The things he had done with Her Imperial Highness, Princess Alanis in the Sabac manor spread like wildfire in just a few days.
Royal scandals were always the hottest topic, especially when it happened between two Imperial family members who were both famous in their own right! Citizens of all walks of life were talking about it with vigor. The Perseus tea room that the prince and princess had used was in its own limelight among all the talks. Almost all the men fantasized being with the princess in that exotic room in the most obscene way possible, and by this point the raunchiest of penny dreadfuls have already published some filthy content about it.
The pressure brought on by scandals was always hard to manage. A few diplomats from some Westland countries had already demanded to have an audience with the King of Titan. They had requested for an explanation regarding the pure princess’ becoming of a tramp, as they were expecting her to be the best candidate to lead the country.
The princess’ father also required an explanation. He’d used to picking up after his good-for-nothing sons, but he would never have thought it would happen to his daughter, his crown jewel, the most well-behaved pearl of Titan! But now, The King was this close to having his head explode on him! He didn’t understand why the God of Light would punish him like this.
The King knew that the episode could not be covered up easily. The two soldiers who exposed their identities, the people who saw them coming out of the Sabac manor, the damned Minister of Justice who added his own spin to the story and claimed he wasn’t aware of their courtship. The King cursed all those people. Those damned sons of damnables, he swore to seek remuneration for the gray hair he’d sprouted for the last few days.
This father lamented out loud. Where has his noble daughter gone? This was right after she announced her plans to marry! An agent from the Ministry of Justice reported hearing a noise from inside the jail. The agent thought he had made it discreet by describing it as a womanly sound, and that it sounded painful but pleasurable. The King didn’t think too much before executing him. His description was accurate, but he was fated to be put down and become the first martyr of the scandal.
When his daughter was back from the Ministry of Justice, he had visited her. It was such a sight that his skin still crawl when he thought about it. What has that Andrew kid done to his daughter? Alanis had changed and had cleaned up her hair, but her puffy lips, the love bites on her neck and below her clavicle were so scary to look at! The King has had his share of leaving these ‘medals’ on women, but he still couldn’t bear seeing them on his beloved daughter. He suspected his daughter was no longer a virgin. Like any other fathers, he was furious at the rascal who violated his daughter!
His Majesty was not so mad to the point of looking for trouble with the young prince, he was only concerned about his daughter. Does she have to be so hurried in losing her virginity? She chose to have her first time in those rooms that were specially made for lovers, did she think, as a princess of the most powerful nation in the Westland, that she couldn’t marry?
The King must say, if she really thought so, she had succeeded in prophesying her future! The Imperial family wouldn’t tolerate this sort of scandal, almost all the noble houses as well as the foreigners were waiting to see the Imperial Morisette family making a fool of themselves. If Alanis didn’t plan to marry the kid, the Imperial family and her would be disgraced to high heavens!
The whole week, Alfa III spent most of his time blanking out at his sister Mica’s portrait. He realized his sister’s son was probably the ‘old friend’ his daughter was talking about. The princess he knew wouldn’t have invited any man otherwise. Goodness! He even agreed for them to meet, thinking she’s only visiting her cousin, who knew…
Ah well, The King couldn’t scold his daughter, he even think she made a right choice after some consideration. The choice fits his plan regarding the Andrew family. If this pair of cousins can sire a healthy boy, the Andrew family would be even closer to the Imperial family.
Another question came to The King as his sister’s portrait smiled at him. He shall not let the tragedy of his sister befall on his daughter. They need some kind of a trial, an ordeal to let this pair believe that they are truly in love.
Thank God of Light for true love! Looks like the love story between the prince and the princess wouldn’t be so smooth after all. This is not a fairy tale, fairy tales don’t have schemes and conspiracies. Both Oscar and Alanis are people at the top of the power pyramid, their union will impact a lot of people, so the path to their happiness will be a tough one.
31 Penelope Road had suffered through its worst days. The path toward the mansion was lined with flowers, mowed lawn and pruned trees. The butler had supervised the workers himself. He oversaw the polishing of the statues and stone decorations. Workers gave the fountain a new water source, its fancy water patterns glimmering under the sunlight. The whole mansion looked as if it was given a new life.
Similarly, the Young Lady of the Andrew family, Sasha was brimming with life. She’s like a joyful little pet, using her keen sense of smell to locate his brother. She wore a simple dress and a single dragonfly ornament. Young lady didn’t hate wearing the formal dresses, but those would get in the way of her running. If she misses her brother, she would dash out as soon as possible.
Sasha had already past the age of bedtime stories, the duchess had also advised against staying in her brother’s room at night. It was unfortunate, but Young Lady understood why it was necessary. In comparison, her brother’s lack thereof seemed preposterous, having a tryst with Her Imperial Highness at a place like Sabac. He was even summoned by the Ministry of Justice! Sasha’s good mood was utterly spoiled by the rumors. And her brother? He locked himself in the study for an unknown reason!
Sasha was impatient. She felt that her brother no longer cherish her like he used to. She swore to gods before she barge into the study, if big brother was writing love letter to that princess, she’d tear the letter to pieces.
”Big brother, can you tell me what masterpiece you’re writing, don’t avoid me, I know you prepared a lot of papers and ink.” That was Sasha’s first sentence after she managed to muscle her way in.
Oscar was ecstatic about his sister’s arrival. This little creature had been peeping inside for a few days. She managed to wait until now before barging in, which shows her improvement in self-control.
”I’m writing a memoir.” Oscar replied flatly, but his recent moods had been tremoring hard, like his quill.
Sasha couldn’t believe that was the answer. She pushed her big brother in front of a mirror.
”Look! Look at yourself! If I recall correctly Your Highness is only 15 years old! Gods! Memoir? Not even our dear father got started on that at his age!”
”Sasha, do you know? For the past few days I kept thinking about the past, with you, at the Ministry of Justice, in the prison at Damorga. Oh! Memory! It’s such a weird thing, sometimes it’s like fine wine with its sweet, rich flavor if people would stop and enjoy them. Other times it’s like poison, you drank a little by accident, and pain and sadness would drill into your bones.” Oscar’s expression when he sank into his memories was so lonely.
A lot of thoughts came up to Young Lady after she heard her brother’s speech. Compared to what she cared about, the hellish experience her brother endured must be unforgettable. Her big brother may be 15 years old, but she believed that he was more mature than a lot of other people.
Sasha tucked herself in her brother’s lap. She didn’t know how to comfort him, she thought any word would sound pale if she said them. Big brother’s sacrifice isn’t something that can be remedied with a few simple sentences. Sasha held back the tears in her eyes, she knew they would only upset her big brother even more. She had to find something else to say.
”I… I thought you were writing love letters this whole time.”
Oscar held his sister’s head, confused. Why would she think that?
”Oh, Sasha! Are you dreaming? It’s bright out there! I’ve never written something like that, besides, to whom am I writing them? You must be joking.”
Sasha was still a little doubtful, ”Aren’t you going to express your love to Her Imperial Highness? Haven’t you already courted her intimately in Sabac Manor?”
Oscar didn’t think he admired Her Imperial Highness that way. Yes, he had intensely savored her physically, but he thought that was an inevitable reaction after a week of lack of contact with women. He was very aware of the princess’ urge toward him, but he doesn’t know Alanis well, he only started being acquainted with her when they were intimate. The events when they was young was completely ignored by him.
”Oh, the princess? I don’t have that kind of feelings for her, even though she really is beautiful. However, I’m curious, how do you know I was with the princess at the Sabac Manor?”
Sasha felt slightly faint. Her silly big brother had not even understood the amount of trouble he was in.
”Gods have mercy! The whole Dublin already knew, in a few days the whole empire will know, and in a few days more the whole Westland will know! This is a Imperial Scandal, Scandal! Big brother, do you know what that means? Oh God of Light! Why is big brother so obtuse? Any unwed lady in Sabac Manor would provoke gossips, not to mention The Princess of Titan!”
Oscar couldn’t understand it. He didn’t do anything at the Sabac Manor, but maybe he had troubled Her Imperial Highness. He should apologize to her, even though she was the one who invited him, but things like these are probably better off if the man said it.
Oscar didn’t realize the magnitude of the problem. He thought it was a misunderstanding among the nobles, he thought The King could just appear personally and clarify things. The ‘accident’ that happened in the prison of the Ministry of Justice should have been a secret, and Alanis had already drove the guards away when she entered, so the boy shouldn’t need to worry about gossips like this anymore. Right now, all his energy was focused on writing his memoir. It was difficult to put into words even though he has had an education by the most renowned scholar of Westland, he felt he’s still lacking knowledge.
The boy dismissed his sister quickly with a small trinket. That little thing should be able to keep her happy for a while. He returned to his seat, staring at the paper in front of him. Words and sentences on it contained the ten years of Oscar’s prison life.
O’Neil Andrew Morisette once again dropped his gaze to the first sentence of his memoir.
”Some memories are like clouds in a sunny day, floating gently in the people’s mind palace. Some others are like a thunderstorm, pounding at hearts with intentions of malice.”
Light Calendar Year 776 on the 17th day of the 10th month, Damorga Prison warden Lieutenant Moranzo Hanning checked in a noble inmate personally.
The kid was special. Lieutenant understood that the crime that was charged upon the kid was not something a child could do, but he did do it, and he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
This child had a special meaning to Lieutenant Hanning, his father agreed to personally donate ten thousand golden Tis* every year to the prison if he made sure the boy was given a treated well. Lieutenant Moranzo Hanning considered for a long while, but had already accepted the proposal when he saw the boy. It’s only helping him to look after his child.
O’Neil Andrew Morisette didn’t understand what had happened to him, he was only five. He knew he was persecuted, but he didn’t know why. The ministers in the Ministry of Justice kept spewing words he didn’t understand, and no one even bothered to explain to him.
The boy found himself locked in a room full of steel bars. His meals and his bed were terrible, but he didn’t whine about it at the guards outside, he didn’t plan to talk to those mean spirited people. It was dark and lonely, to the point that even seeing a fly could bring joy to him for a while. One day, he was brought to a hall. The boy found himself bathing in sunlight, as well as meeting with his Aunt Annie. Aunt Annie heard some unintelligible words from the ministers and fainted. Oscar felt in and out of his body at that point, he didn’t have the mental capability to think properly, and the sunlight pricked his eyes. He was searching for his sister in the crowd, bt gave up after looking for a while to no avail. Where is Sasha? Shouldn’t she be okay now? Why did she not come and visit me?
In his drowsiness, he was loaded onto the prison carriage. He didn’t notice the difference, he asked the soldiers around him, ”Where are we going? Are we going home?