Chapter 136: Fifteenth Episode: Chapter 9 (2/2)

Aeolia lowered her head. She did not know how to answer the Young Lady.

”Aya! I envy you so much! You have everything that I don't have! You can go through life and death with Oscar. You can receive the love he gave from the bottom of his heart. You can-”

”It's not like that!” The Countess interrupted the Young Lady in a loud voice. ”I am only executing the order from the family!”

”Do the family's orders include going into my brother's bedroom?” Sasha was a little impatient. ”Since the time you came back from the north, you have been sleeping together, haven't you?”

Aeolia rolled her eyes. She understood the feelings of the Young Lady.

”Sasha! You must get this clear. The one who was about to get married to Oscar isn't me!”

Sasha E. turned her head away in frustration. The Countess was indeed not a good person to whom she should release her frustration, simply because this was not about her at all.

”Sasha! You should believe the promise Oscar gave to you!”

”Of course I do!” The Young Lady said determinedly. ”Otherwise I would've been crazy by now! But Aya, do you know that? It's different with people! You can watch Oscar hold another woman. You can stand him touching you using his hands that are filled with another person's scent! But I can't! I want to kill the woman that takes him so badly and throw her body into hell!”

Aeolia sighed faintly. ”Actually... I can't as well! How I wish my lover can propose to me as well, but there are not many things in this world that are logical. We are women. We don't have much choice or ability.”

”How about…” Aya suddenly laughed in an evil tone. ”Let us find a way to kill Alanis?”

Sasha laughed as well. ”Aya, I must say this: If we really did it, I believe the God of Light will punish us! The God will punch words onto our face: one that says envy and another that says lunatic!”

Aya sat beside the Young Lady. ”Are you saying… You are the envious ones while I am a lunatic?”

”That's right!”

The Countess reached out her hand into Sasha E.'s armpit. The itchiness made Sasha laughed crazily.

”Say it one more time!”

”Stop it! Stop it! I am the lunatic! You are the envious one. It's alright, isn't it?”

Aya put more strength in her hands. Sasha and she laughed like never before, but they did not understand yet. Love could not allow anything that stood in its way. A real envious woman was no different than a lunatic! When she was out of it or overwhelmed with jealousy and hate, a woman could do something extremely terrifying.

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Alfa III His Majesty had a contented smile on him. He had not called for a large-scale dinner for a long time. The dining table was forty meters long. The nobles in the Empire that came were more than one hundred people, but the Emperor did not care about them. The people that were seated at the far end could not even hear what the Emperor was saying. In fact, the Emperor was only talking non-stop to Prince O' Neil.

”I am sick of Dulin and Hamilton Palace. You know that? I have a brand new mansion in the countryside. I call it Doriance. That place is more comfortable than in the city.”

Oscar nodded,”Yes Your Majesty! In the countryside, even the air is cleaner than that in the city. This is good for your health.”

Alfa III His Majesty turned to the Queen by his side, ”You should come with me to have a look at that place.”

Queen Rolyn Kate shook her head, ”Your Majesty, I don't want to tire myself out in the carriage for two and a half hours. That is, to me, a torture.”

The Emperor shrugged without any care. He once again turned to little Oscar who was sitting on his right.

”Kid! I heard that… You are very good friends with a Madame in the Sukhoi family.”

Oscar put down his knife and fork. He knew the intention of the Emperor. Before he married Alanis, he must explain about his old love to this father.

”You meant Madame Vijdeline of the Sukhoi family?” Oscar said while glancing at the Queen. Then, he also took a look at Alanis. There was not much change in these two women's expressions, but Oscar knew that they cared about this problem a lot.

”Yes! That Madame! Hehe! I should call her the Madame that made the fire cannon! I like to call her that way!”

”Yes, Your Majesty! I am good friends with the Madame that make fire cannon. I appreciate her brain and knowledge.”

”And?” Alfa III His Majesty stared at the young man. He would not let this kid off the hook easily.

”And? There's no 'and'! If you really want to count it… I have only seen that Madame twice!” Oscar continued to use his knife and fork. He did not want to talk about this matter for long with the Emperor.

”I certainly hope so!” Alfa III His Majesty sighed with some hidden meaning. ”Kid, let me give you a piece of advice! You have to take note of your socializing circle. Your identity and status have been determined! You must have a good judge of how far you should socialize with another person. Or else, something that makes everyone unhappy is bound to happen.”

”Yes Your Majesty! Thank you for your advice. I will take note of that!” Oscar bowed respectfully.

Duke Andrew was sitting beside of his youngest son. He had been noticing the situation over here, but his son did not seem to need him to worry about it. This little guy was handling the situation very well.

Dortmund hinted to his wife and Celia immediately started another topic. Queen Rolyn Kate and Princess Alanis were all very cooperative. They were soon joined by other women on the dining table to begin their heated discussions. The King joined them because he was lonely. Immediately, the place became extremely lively.

”Report!” A loud shout surprised the enthusiastic people.

”Report, Your Majesty! The Capital is on fire!” The messenger reported to Alfa III His Majesty in a loud voice urgently.

The people exclaimed in surprise, but Alfa III His Majesty simply waved his hand lightly.

”Speak clearly. Where is on fire?”

”Yes, Your Majesty!” The messenger quickly checked the document given by the Garrison Unit. ”Hmm… It includes a few government building including the Ministry of Justice Building. The Narcissus Knights that guard the Hamilton Palace also reported that some people have intended to infiltrate the Palace. These criminals even have fire seed and weapons.”

Oscar exchanged a look with his father. Dortmund shook his head without much movement to his son. Clearly, he did not know what was happening as well.

”Is that all?” The Emperor was still calm and composed.

”Yes, Your Majesty! That is all!”

Alfa III His Majesty nodded, ”According to the rules of the Martial Law, the people who dare to cause trouble at this moment will be treated as treason. The Garrison Unit should suppress them and catch the head of the criminals. Bring the head of criminals to be judged by the Ministry of Justice.”

”Shit!” Oscar muttered in his heart. This was clearly a death trap set up for those uncooperative guys by the Emperor.

”Marshal Andrew!”

”Yes, Your Majesty!” Dortmund quickly stood up after hearing the call.

”You must do something for me. Or, do you wish for my palace to be burned down by these criminals?”

Dortmund frowned. He knew this old friend wanted his Narcissus Knight to be the one that suppressed the nobility.

”Your Majesty! I will go back to my city right away! You must believe in me. As long as my knights and I are here, no one will be able to touch even a brick of your palace. I swear!”

”I believe in you, my Marshal! Dulin is in your hands now!”

Dortmund bowed to the Emperor. After taking one look at his son, he then followed the messenger and left the place.

The party could no longer go on. The powerful nobles were all discussing this amongst themselves. In fact, they were all smart people. They were the loyal follower of the Morisette Imperial Family. If it wasn't that case, they would not appear at Westberg Fort at this moment. It could be said that the people the Emperor invited to this party were all the noble family that the Emperor trusted a lot.

Oscar left the noisy bunch. He followed a palace servant and reached the highest point of the Westberg Fort. That was a tower with pointy tips. Alanis and he loved to look at the stars here, but the protagonist for today had turned into Alanis' father.

A night breeze caressed the Emperor's silk clothing. This wide robe that was knitted with golden string expanded in a quick movement, then slowly fell down. Oscar stood behind the Emperor in a straight and serious posture. He seemed just like an obedient maid.

The faraway Dulin city showed few of its pointy tips under the night sky. There was fire gleaming in the city. A few areas shone with a bright red light that shot right towards the sky. The light dispersed the starlight and dimmed the moonlight.

”You must be thinking if I am the one that started the fire!” Alfa III His Majesty suddenly turned around and faced the surprised Prince.

”Marshal Alan once told me that I should place the pure Dulin to the heir of the Dynasty!”

Oscar shut his mouth tightly. He did not know how much Alan had affected the Emperor's thinking.

”Child! Look at this scenery! This is of benefit to you!” The Emperor said as he brought little Oscar to the side of the tower.

Oscar gazed into the distance. Dulin City was just like a forest that was burned by numerous fire torches.

”Do you know what that is?” The Emperor pointed to the firelight that spread into the night sky. ”That is blood! Blood of the nobles, civilians, and soldiers! The people said the Emperor is the monster born from the blood pool. In fact, they are correct and also wrong! A true ruler must know when, where and who to bleed. This is the key point!”

”Why are you saying this to me?” Oscar took back his gaze that stared into the blood pool.

”Because I want you to know about bleeding! To a ruler... It's a good thing! Only through bleeding, the power of the Emperor can be increased. Only through bleeding, the basis of the Empire can be stronger.”

”I understand that blood is necessary especially in a situation full of danger!”

”No! Young man. No!” The Emperor shook his head. ”You don't understand because you are not a ruler! Your existence is special. Your duty is to assist the Imperial family and the heir to the throne. Hence, your use is limited to the acceptable range of the ruler. Once you are out of this limit, it will cause bloodshed.”

”Ola! I understand now. You are advising me!”

”No!” The Emperor shook his head again. ”I am guiding you. Can't you see that your fiancée is the most suitable heir to the throne of this Empire?”

Oscar had his eyes wide open. This was unbelievable! Alfa III His Majesty actually wanted to give his Empire to Alanis?

”This… This is illogical! Haven't you already confirm Lobb as the heir to the throne?”

Alfa III His Majesty sighed without help. ”O God of Light! Lobb? I did choose him, but which part of him looks like a ruler? Don't even talk about my second son! Only my youngest daughter Alanis has the potential to become a ruler.”

”Then… Why didn't you just confirm…”

”No! Impossible!” Alfa III His Majesty shook his head continuously. ”There has never been a female Emperor in the history of the Empire. Moreover, the law of Titan states that Princess that is married to a non-imperial family member does not have the right to ascend to the throne. So during the official conferment ceremony, Alanis is first eliminated.”

”But… Aren't Alanis the best candidate in your heart?”

”Yes!” The Emperor nodded with a smile. ”So I ask you to marry her. You are a member of the Andrew and also a member of the Imperial Family. Your unity allows Alanis to avoid the restriction of the law completely. Even if Alanis followed her husband's surname, she is still a member of the Imperial Family. No one will doubt the identity of her husband.”

”No wonder that old man conferred me as the Prince of the Empire without any hesitation!” Oscar finally understood the intention of the Emperor.

”Your Majesty! I still do not understand!” Oscar touched his nose, troubled. ”Since Alanis can avoid the restriction of the law after the marriage, then why did you confer to Lobb before that?”

The Emperor turned around. He seemed to not wish for Oscar to see his expression.

”This is a decision without any choice because there's only one Emperor! Lobb is not qualified! He is meant to be sacrificed! Because I know what those people are thinking!” Alfa III His Majesty said as he pointed to the faraway Dulin.

”They won't accept my decision and will definitely think of all possible ways to interfere with me! Why did I push Lobb to the public? It is to bring the people that are aiming for the Imperial Rights out! I want to expose him and his conspiracy under the sunlight!”

The Emperor turned towards the young Prince all of a sudden. ”Oscar! Maybe I won't be able to see that moment! But you must remember this in the future! These people will definitely come out into the light. No matter who that person is or on what basis he justifies his action, he is the enemy of the Morisette! You can only eliminate him to create a strong administration basis for Alanis.”

”Your Majesty! You… Is your health alright?”

”Hahahahahah!” Alfa III His Majesty laughed. ”Did you think I was telling you this because I have some sort of chronic illness? You damn kid. I am very healthy! I only wanted to tell you that resisting is a long-term process. The Roman Kingdom is not built in a day! We have to take one step at a time!”

Oscar gave it a thought, ”Alight! What you mean is… Point the spearhead of the fight at Lobb and let the hidden guy show himself. Then… But Your Majesty, aren't this a little too troublesome? If I knew that, I would've just killed Kachev Drakas Ferdinand. Isn't this going to save us more trouble?”

”Do you think only Kachev is aiming at the throne?” Alfa III His Majesty glared at the little Prince with disdain. ”I have two daughters. They are both married to the Hoilland King and Engels King respectively. What does foreign enemy force mean? It means the people that plan to use marriage to control the Titan Empire. Once the Empire has an empty slot of power, the husbands of both my daughters will definitely have the right to ascend to the throne. In addition to the intentional aid given by those within the Empire, I believe that they can absolutely cause chaos to Morisette Dynasty!”

”Ola…” Oscar said in trembling voice. He seemed to have obtained some inspiration. ”Your Majesty… Aren't you worried about… The husband of Alanis?”

”You?” Alfa III His Majesty looked from head to toes of the young man who just asked the question, ”I said you are not a ruler. This is a game played only by rulers! Therefore, I am not worried about Kachev causing any trouble. Only if the official members of the Imperial Family have all died will his grandson stand a chance. However, I know Alanis will not have any problems since you are protecting her! But I must remind you. Don't belittle the Westland Kingdom Alliance just because you defeated Italia, Riel, and Deiss. You have not seen the tricks of the King of Faran, King of Engels and King of Hoilland!”

Oscar did not utter a word. He still stood respectfully by the King's side, but his thought had already expanded to an extremely faraway space.

”Oh right! Before you enter the Military Intelligence Bureau, I want to test you for a bit. What are your future plans?”

Oscar smiled, ”Thanks to Marshal Alan. He has already confirmed the direction of my future work! We must stabilize the south, attack the west, retrieve the north and isolate the east!”

The Emperor nodded, but he was not very satisfied.

”How about your family? How do you plan to execute the strategy to isolate Andrew?”

Oscar frowned again. It was difficult for him to talk about this, but he had done his preparation well.

”After this case, I expect Marshal Andrew, and that is my father, to quicken his pace and take control of the family. After necessary cleaning and filtering, Andrew will surely be back on its right path! I think the Empire is obliged to find something for the Andrew to do such as… the East War!”

”East War?” The Emperor was a little surprised.

”That is right!” Oscar nodded with confidence. ”Andrew is a battle tribe. We must follow Andrew's intention to turn their gazes away from the Imperial family. The Persian that gets weaker is the best target! Once Imperial family and the Court authorize this, then Andrew will surely rush to the battlefield without turning back just like before. This way…”

”This way Andrew will be going back on its previous track!” Alfa III His Majesty looked at little Oscar with relief. ”Child! It seems… I am not wrong about you! You will be a good helper to Alanis!”

”Thank you, Your Majesty!” Oscar bowed deeply.

”Alright! Let's call this a day! I am old. Standing here for a while made me freeze!” The Emperor turned around and intended to leave, but he turned back again. ”Oscar, the marriage ceremony is on the first day of next month! You should call me Father Emperor!”

Staring at the Emperor that disappeared into the door and the smoke and fire of the big city far away, Oscar was drowned in absolute confusion and panic. What role was he playing? What was he doing now? He was not a ruler, but he was playing the game of rulers with others. Who could tell him where his destination of life was?

The young Prince stood alone at the highest point of the castle. The sky was above him while the earth was beneath him. In front of him were the endless color of blood and the dark night.