Chapter 99
Chapter 99. The Founding Festival of Valdeon
<The Crown Prince Known for Good Deeds, Secretly Committing Shocking Atrocities!>
From the eve of the festival to the morning of the Founding Day, newspapers and newsletters were filled with breaking news stories.
A flood of scandals and testimonies emerged about the Crown Prince, who had been considered a virtuous candidate for the next Emperor.
It was reported that Mateo, the Crown Prince, was recently caught operating a black market in the capital’s shadowy districts.
As his unethical and illegal activities became public knowledge, the progressive nobles began eyeing each other warily. They wondered whether they should continue holding onto the Crown Prince’s hand, which they thought was a lifeline, or if they should cut off this rotten rope now.
As many of his misdeeds came to light, public opinion towards Mateo plummeted among the citizens of the Empire.
Given that it started with an exclusive report from a major newspaper, the credibility and impact were enormous.
By now, the Imperial Family must be desperately searching for the initial whistleblower.
However, to protect the anonymity of the informants, the newspaper remained steadfastly silent.
As the allegations against the Crown Prince accumulated, the investigators had no choice but to proceed with the investigation. It was said that the influence of a central noble was quite significant in this matter.
A satisfied smile played on Elena’s lips, knowing full well that the noble in question was her father.
Despite the tumultuous atmosphere, the Emperor seemed determined to carry out the Founding Festival.
Canceling it would be tantamount to acknowledging all the rumors surrounding the Crown Prince.
The Imperial Family had yet to make an official statement, as they needed time to manage the situation.
Elena, having alighted from a private carriage with Lupeon’s help, pressed her robe deeper to avoid it slipping off.
Many people had already gathered in front of the castle.
Among them were those loyal to the current Imperial Family, as well as those showing antipathy towards the royals who had caused this situation.
Given that the Founding Festival was proceeding under such unsettling circumstances, there was fierce backlash from the citizens of the Empire.
As protesters’ voices grew louder in various parts of the city, the Imperial Family forcefully suppressed them.
This scene only served to provoke greater resentment among the citizens.
Finally, as a resounding trumpet call rang out, the Emperor and Empress appeared atop the castle walls.
Since the Crown Prince had become the subject of various scandals starting from the eve of the festival, it seemed he was unable to attend today’s Founding Festival.
“I hope we’re not grabbing onto a rotten lifeline here.”
“Indeed. It’s problematic for the future ruler of the Empire to cause such issues.”
Hearing the whispers of the progressive nobles from various corners, Elena briefly exchanged glances with Lupeon.
The Emperor, who had shown a somber face for a fleeting moment, now displayed a triumphant demeanor as if nothing had happened.
Following the Emperor’s opening speech for the Founding Festival, Marquess Byzantium soon made his appearance.
As if determined not to deviate from expectations, the Marquess seemed to have attended to recite a memorandum.
Despite clearly being implicated in Mateo Venzo Argenta’s scandals, he showed no change in expression, merely raising his cunning lips.
As if to say that no matter how much the citizens complained and struggled, nothing would change.
‘It’s fortunate that you’re so consistent, really.’
Elena swallowed a bitter laugh as she watched Marquess Byzantium, who had prepared a poem of repentance that didn’t suit him at all.
“Every night, I shall reflect upon myself.”
“In the shadowed evening sky,
Today too, I look back on my shameful past.
Gazing at the path I trod yesterday,
Once more I examine my hidden self.
Even on this day when my throat chokes with emotion,
Every night, I shall reflect upon myself.”
Just as the Marquess was lowering the memorandum he had been holding with a satisfied smile, it happened.
“Breaking news! Breaking news!”
Newspaper delivery boys suddenly appeared, distributing newspapers to the citizens at the base of the castle walls, and began pasting bulletins on the castle walls.
“What is this…?”
“Marquess Byzantium’s hidden experiments, how far do his misdeeds go?”
Those who had been dumbfounded by the sudden breaking news slowly began to read its contents.
The newspapers and bulletins contained not only the misdeeds that Marquess Byzantium had committed with the Delonso Guild, but also numerous undisclosed corruptions.
Of course, since the Marquess’s crimes had not yet been definitively proven, the plan was to reveal the exact evidence when the trial began.
‘Including what happened to my mother.’
As it was revealed that Marquess Byzantium had committed atrocious acts through monster experiments that should never have been done on humans, arrows of criticism instantly flew towards him.
“Are you saying that what’s written here is true?”
“To think he was planning to recite a poem of repentance, how shameless.”
As the murmuring of the people at the base of the castle walls grew louder, Marquess Byzantium quickly had someone fetch him a newspaper.
As the Marquess’s face flushed red while rapidly skimming the article’s content, he began looking around. As if searching for a rat that had snuck in.
The soldiers were in disarray, trying to catch those who had distributed the newspapers and posted the bulletins.
By now, Marquess Byzantium must have realized that Lupeon had secretly come to the capital.
After all, some of the documents that Lupeon had taken from him at the stone tower last time were faithfully reproduced in the newspaper.
Perhaps guessing who might be behind this, the Marquess gritted his teeth.
However, it was no easy task to find Lupeon and Elena among the massive crowd.
Watching the Marquess’s increasingly entertaining face from afar, Elena raised her lips in a crooked smile.
‘It’s too early to be surprised. The revenge hasn’t even begun yet.’
The plan was to gradually tighten their noose, starting with this level of warning.
* * *
As public criticism heated up surrounding the Imperial Family and House Byzantium, several families close to them could not escape investigation.
The underground fighting ring in the Obelia Count’s mansion, along with the corruptions of other progressive houses, were exposed in detail, drawing even more public attention to them.
The Emperor issued a confinement order to the Crown Prince to quell the worsening public opinion, but did not accept suggestions that the punishment was too lenient.
Moreover, Marquess Byzantium also had his title temporarily revoked, and by imperial decree, his heir Jeremy was appointed as the interim head of the family.
The progressive nobles strongly protested that the Marquess had tarnished the image of the progressive faction, but the Emperor, needing someone to act as regent, did not accept this.
In addition, a confrontation between Lupeon and the Emperor became inevitable.
This was because Lupeon, who had been staying only in the North until now, boldly expressed his intention to attend the state council meeting.
At the sudden appearance of the Grand Duke of the North, the nobles attending the meeting were busy murmuring among themselves.
“Surely he’s not aiming for the throne, is he?”
“No matter how great the Grand Duke’s influence is, there’s no one who could back him—”
“Why not? There’s Marquess Rohenbach, the late Emperor’s long-time loyalist.”
Only then did the nobles let out short sighs, and the bustling atmosphere gradually became solemn.
Perhaps what they were thinking might actually happen soon.
In the council chamber that had suddenly turned into thin ice, the Emperor stared at his nephew with sharp eyes.
It was as if a beast that had been hiding its claws until now had finally revealed its true intentions.
The Emperor, barely smoothing out his furrowed brow, asked in a voice that had suppressed his anger.
“Well, it seems it’s been a while since we’ve seen the Grand Duke.”
He must have accepted his nephew’s participation in the meeting conscious of the gazes around him, but he would be more irritated than anyone by his provocation.
Lupeon then displayed a relaxed smile on his face and answered softly.
“It’s the first time since the last banquet.”
“Yes, it would be nice to see the Grand Duke more often from now on.”
No one seemed to notice that the Emperor was clenching his fist under the table so tightly that his veins were popping out.
After staring at the Emperor for a moment, Lupeon let out a slight chuckle between his lips and asked back.
“Do you really think so?”
The Emperor then managed to pull up his tightly closed lips into a benevolent smile. Then he sent an uncharacteristically affectionate gaze.
“Of course. Whenever I think of you, I can’t help but feel uneasy.”
“If that’s the case, I should accept it. As it happens, there’s something I left behind.”
At Lupeon’s calm response and nod, the Emperor furrowed his brow as if trying to grasp his intentions.
“Left behind… What do you mean?”
