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A note addressed to him was attached to it.

He knew that he should report it to His Majesty, but he didn’t. Instead of doing that, he secretly snuck out of the palace to meet the person who sent that item to him. He didn’t bring anyone with him, and he didn’t even tell his people that he would be going out.

It was risky, but he ignored all his warning bells.

The meeting place was, surprisingly, the Moon Arch Arena in the Royal Moon Academy.

Since the classes hadn’t begun yet, the arena was empty. Perhaps it was the reason why the security was lax. He was able to enter the academy smoothly without being detected.

That, or maybe the person who got there first already took care of the security team.

.....

“I heard you were loyal to the emperor, so I didn’t expect you to show up here, Count Kyle Sprouse.”

“I am loyal to the throne and the Royal Family, that’s why I’m here,” Kyle said through gritted teeth, then he pulled out the item that he had carefully put in the inner pocket of his jacket. “How did you get your hands on Empress Juliet’s Blood Moon Ring?!”

The Blood Moon Ring was a beautiful, fancy, and precious red diamond ring.

It was the ring that symbolized Empress Juliet as the ‘Mother of the Empire.’ When Empress Juliet met her untimely demise, they buried the Blood Moon Ring with her. It disappeared along with her stolen corpse from the Royal Shrine.

Thus, he was shocked when he received the Blood Moon Ring.

[This ring is the one and only Blood Moon Ring in the entire world. You can copy the ring’s design, but not the precious energies instilled in the red diamond. It has Empress Juliet’s unique Mana, Emperor Nikolai’s Moonglow, and the divine power that the former Saint Dominic Zavaroni bestowed the ring with when he blessed the Royal Wedding.]

That was why he could tell that the Blood Moon Ring he had received was authentic.

“It was you, right?” he asked, angry. “You were the one who stole Empress Juliet’s remains from her resting place!”

“We didn’t steal Empress Juliet’s ‘remains,\'” Calyx Dalton, the student who shocked the entire continent because of his uncanny resemblance to the emperor and the Crown Prince, said while looking up at the sky peaking between the slightly opened roof of the arena. “There were no ‘remains’ in the first place, Count Sprouse.”

To say that he was shocked would be an understatement. “You... are you saying that...”

He wouldn’t dare say the thing on his mind.

It was impossible, after all.

He didn’t want to have false hopes.

It took him many years before he had finally accepted the fact that Empress Juliet was already gone. If he believed Calyx Dalton, an enemy who was obviously trying to manipulate him emotionally, then it turned out that he was only fooling him, then he might die from getting broken-hearted all over again.

“You can’t deceive me,” he said while shaking his head hard. “Empress Juliet is long gone. Even a Necromancer couldn’t revive her since she was a member of the Royal Family.”

After all, it lay members of the Royal Family who passed away to rest in the Royal Shrine in order to prevent their remains from being defiled.

The holy power in the Royal Shrine would prevent the power of a Necromancer to reanimate the Royal Family members’ remains. Once a Royal Family member was buried to the Royal Shrine, they were gone forever.

“That’s true,” Calyx Dalton agreed while nodding. “In the past, a Necromancer tried to revive the dead emperors in order to invade the empire. Thus, ever since then, the Royal Family created the Royal Shrine to prevent that incident from happening again.”

“If you know that, then why-”

“Who said that Empress Juliet is dead, though?” Calyx Dalton asked, then he tilted his head to one side. “The emperor? And you believed him?”

He was frozen when the realization hit him.

According to His Majesty, Empress Juliet died while he, along with Lady Mona Roseheart, was trying to free the Soul Beasts.

[No, His Majesty couldn’t have deceived us.]

He saw Empress Juliet’s remains.

He was there when the empress was buried.

“I guess you will only believe me once I saw you a solid proof that you cannot refute,” Calyx Dalton said, then he pointed to himself. “I am the proof, Count Sprouse.”

He knitted his eyebrows.

Just when he was about to ask what the boy meant by that, he was forced to shut up when Calyx Dalton was suddenly engulfed with a bluish light.

Huh?

[Isn’t that divine power...]

He was stunned once again when Calyx Dalton’s appearance changed.

White hair.

Ash-gray eyes.

Pale skin.

“A de Moonasterio,” he said in disbelief. “You’re a de Moonasterio?”

“I’m not just a de Moonasterio, Count Sprouse,” Calyx Dalton said, smiling. “I am the son of Empress Juliet and Emperor Nikolai.”

He was too shocked to react.

“Empress Juliet, my mother, was pregnant with me when she ‘died,\'” Calyx Dalton said, his ash-gray eyes slowly turned glowing red. “But my mother didn’t want to get in the way of Emperor Nikolai and his lover, Mona Roseheart, so she faked her death and ran away.”

“How...”

He was about to ask how the emperor got the empress pregnant when the two didn’t even share a bedroom.

But it wasn’t like he knew everything that was happening behind closed doors.

Even so...

“Empress Juliet faked her death?” he asked, shaking his head. “I find it hard to believe.”

If the empress truly faked her death, how come His Majesty didn’t notice it?

[Is it because His Majesty is actually relieved by the empress’s death?]

Somehow, he didn’t find it hard to believe.

[After all, His Majesty only cared about Lady Roseheart.]

At that thought, anger rose in his chest- anger for Lady Roseheart who ruined the perfect Royal Family that he had loved and respected.

“I can’t tell you everything because I wasn’t born when it happened,” Calyx Dalton said. “But my mother will explain everything to you once she returns.”

His eyes went wide. “Empress Juliet is coming back?”

“Of course,” the boy said, smiling. “After all, her one and only son would compete in the final match of the prestigious Royal Moon Academy’s entrance exam.”

Ah, that was right.

The final match...

[Calyx Dalton will fight against Prince Nero- no, Princess Neoma.]

“So, Count Sprouse, help me,” Calyx Dalton said. “Help me by telling me everything you know about Prince Nero...” He trailed off, then he shook his head. “No. Tell me everything about the royal princess.”

He was surprised to hear that. “You already know...?”

“That the ‘Crown Prince’ is actually the royal princess?” the boy asked, then he smiled and nodded. “Yes, Count Sprouse. We already know that.”

“By ‘we,’ do you mean the crows?”

Calyx Dalton, when he appeared during the entrance exam, didn’t bother to hide that he was affiliated with the crows.

“Count Sprouse, do you hate the crows?” Calyx Dalton asked. “Do you know why our cult survived this long? It’s because we’re not really hated by the de Moonasterios. Only a few, like Emperor Nikolai, hate our existence. But most of the de Moonasterios actually worked with the crows- even the current emperor’s father.”

The boy was correct.

Generally, the de Moonasterios didn’t really hate the crows. Even the previous emperor, Emperor Nikolai’s father, had openly received support from the cult. That was why there were nobles who didn’t hide their support for the crows.

It only changed when Emperor Nikolai sat on the throne.

His Majesty had ended the crows of that time.

[We thought the crows already perished, so we were surprised when they showed up a few years ago.]

“Count Sprouse, I heard that your father was a follower of the cult when he was alive.”

He flinched.

It was true.

His father was a follower of the cult in the past. It was one of the reasons why his father died. Their whole clan was supposed to be punished, but Emperor Nikolai spared him because of their friendship.

“There’s nothing wrong with our existence, Count.”

“You kill every de Moonasterion princess born in history.”

The boy shrugged. “Do you care about the de Moonasterion princesses?”

.....

He couldn’t open his mouth.

To be honest, he never really cared about the de Moonasterion princesses. The princesses were only supposed to be sold off to wealthy and influential families. And the de Moonasterion princesses would never get a chance to give birth to a prince anyway since the crows would kill them before they reached adulthood.

Of course, he felt bad for the royal princesses.

But, if he’d be honest, then he’d say that the empire only needed the de Moonasterion princes born from the emperor’s bloodline.

“Count Sprouse, the crows get rid of the de Moonasterion princesses so they wouldn’t get a chance to give birth to a prince. The law doesn’t allow a female de Moonasterio to inherit the throne, but if a princess gives birth to a prince, then her son could compete with the throne,” Calyx Dalton said, then he put a hand over his chest. “The Crown Prince must be the son of the emperor, so the crows get rid of the female de Moonasterios before they become a problem.”

He hated to admit this, but he understood the crows’ intention.

[The perfect heir could only be produced by the emperor and his perfect empress.]

He was raised by Emperor Nikolai’s side, so he knew very well that His Majesty was the best de Moonasterio to ever sit on the throne. Moreover, Emperor Nikolai married Lady Juliet Sloane- the only woman on the entire continent who deserved to be the empress and the mother of the Crown Prince.

However, Empress Juliet passed away early.

But even if she didn’t, he doubted if Empress Juliet would give birth to a son because Emperor Nikolai only loved Lady Mona Roseheart all his life.

In Kyle’s eyes, Emperor Nikolai and Empress Juliet were the perfect Royal Couple. He wished they could have become the perfect Royal Family by producing an heir. But he had given up on that dream because of Lady Mona’s Roseheart.

But when he thought his dream had already failed, Calyx Dalton appeared in front of him and claimed to be Empress Juliet’s son.

The fire in his chest that he thought had already died had been ignited once again.

[The perfect Royal Family... it’s not too late to create them.]

Once Empress Juliet returned with Calyx Dalton, then his dream to witness a perfect Royal Family in his time would finally come true.

[I still don’t understand how Empress Juliet gave birth to Emperor Nikolai’s son, and I haven’t confirmed yet if Calyx Dalton is truly His Majesty’s son. But Calyx Dalton said that Empress Juliet will be coming back. The fact that the boy has the Blood Moon Ring makes me believe that Empress Juliet is indeed with the crows.]

“Ah, I forgot one more thing to give you, Count Sprouse,” Calyx Dalton said as he approached him, then he grabbed his wrist and put something in his hand. “My mother, Empress Juliet, kept this thing as if it was the most important thing in her life.”

He slowly opened his eyes to look at the item that the boy had put in his hand.

His knees almost buckled.

“This...” he said, a lump forming in his throat.

He gently grasped the emerald necklace in his hand. It was the emerald necklace that he gave as a present to Empress Juliet before her coronation. He designed the necklace himself, so he knew instantly that it was the genuine one.

[I chose emerald because it’s the color of Empress Juliet’s eyes.]

Empress Juliet seemed to have liked his gift a lot because she would often wear it. And thus, the emerald necklace was also buried with her.

He raised the necklace while he closed his eyes, then he kissed the emerald.

[Empress Juliet, you must really be alive.]

He opened his eyes, then he met Calyx Dalton’s glowing red eyes.

Why did he even hesitate?

Empress Juliet was alive, and she gave birth to a son- a de Moonasterio prince with Emperor Nikolai and Her Majesty’s blood was the one who deserved to inherit the throne and not the current Crown Prince with the Roseheart Blood.

Would he be betraying the empire if he supported Calyx Dalton?

[No, since I pledged my loyalty to the throne and the Royal Family. I never pledged my loyalty to the royal twins. Most of the nobles don’t even accept them. The only reason ‘Prince Nero’ was declared the Crown Prince was because His Majesty pressured Marquis Lennox to support his son. But if Marquis Lennox found out that his beloved granddaughter has a son, then the marquis will surely support Calyx Dalton.]

Would he be betraying His Majesty if he supported Calyx Dalton?

[In His Majesty’s eyes, it may look like I betrayed him. But I’m doing this for him. Empress Juliet is the only woman who deserves to be the empress, while Calyx Dalton is the one who deserves to be the Crown Prince.]

Yes, he could see it now.

[Emperor Nikolai, Empress Juliet, and Prince Calyx Dalton- the perfect Royal Family.]

“Neoma.”

Calyx Dalton raised an eyebrow at him. “Hmm?”

“Neoma de Moonasterio is the name of the royal princess pretending to be the Crown Prince,” he explained. “Prince Nero, the real one, has just recovered from the curse that made him suffer for eight years. But His Royal Highness isn’t well yet, so Princess Neoma had to take the entrance exam for him even though he had already returned.”

“I see,” the boy said, smiling. “For a princess, Neoma de Moonasterio is pretty strong.”

“She is,” he admitted. “She has a Fire Dragon for a Soul Beast, but since she’s pretending as the Crown Prince, she’ll be using an Ice Spirit for the match.”

“What’s the royal princess’s weakness?”

“Princess Neoma has a bad temper,” he said, frowning. “If you pissed her off, she’d lose control. But she has a sharp tongue, so she’s good at riling up her enemies, too.”

“Uh-huh.”

“His Majesty cares about Princess Neoma a lot,” Kyle added, then she put a hand on Calyx Dalton’s hand. “If you want to win the match and His Majesty over, make sure that you won’t overdo it once you fight the royal princess.”

“Thank you for the wonderful advice, Uncle Kyle,” Calyx Dalton said brightly. “I can call you ‘Uncle,’ can’t I?”

***

KYLE was shaking when he returned to the Royal Palace.

He did it.

Accepting Calyx Dalton’s hand could be considered treason. But he didn’t regret it. He just did what he had to do for His Majesty’s sake.

[Empress Juliet and Prince Calyx are the ones who deserve to stay by His Majesty’s side.]

It was his duty as a citizen of the empire to lead the emperor on the right path.

“You... where were you?”

Kyle flinched when he heard a voice behind him. When he turned around, he was surprised to see a familiar face that he didn’t expect to see in the palace. “Chef Ruto?”

Chef Ruto knitted his eyebrows.

[Ah, right. He can’t see faces. And it’s been a while since we’ve last seen each other, so he may have forgotten the sound of voice, too.]

“It’s me- Kyle Sprouse.”

Chef Ruto’s knitted his eyebrows even more. “Did you go outside, Count Sprouse? There’s this strange stench clinging to you.”

He was glad that the young chef couldn’t see his face.

After all, his comment made him nervous.

“Yes, I was outside,” he said, because to create a lie, you must also mix some truth in it. “His Majesty asked me to investigate some people, so I had to visit the information guild in disguise.”

“I see.”

If the chef believed him or not, the young man didn’t let it show.

“When did you come back, Chef Ruto?” he asked, changing the topic. “Are you back for good?”

“No, I only dropped by to cook dinner for Princess Neoma,” Ruto said indifferently. “I’m leaving now.”

Kyle slightly bowed to the young man. “Have a safe trip then, Chef Ruto.”

***

“YOUR MAJESTY, we received an official letter from the Royal Moon Academy,” Kyle informed the emperor. “The date of the final match has been decided.”

“The final match will happen on the first day of classes, won’t it?” Emperor Nikolai asked without even looking up from the documents he was reading. “Am I right?”

As a chancellor, it was his job to check the letters sent to the members of the Royal Family.

But, of course, there were some letters that he didn’t have permission to read. For example, Lady Hanna Quinzel’s letters for Princess Neoma.

“You’re right, Your Majesty,” he said. “But how did Your Majesty know?”

“It was Ruston Stroganoff who decided the date of the final match.”

He was surprised to hear that.

[Is that the reason why I saw Chef Ruto here the other day?]

“May I know why Chef Ruto decided to delay the final match for two weeks?” he asked, and thankfully, his voice sounded natural. He was glad that his curiosity didn’t show. “It’s too long. The match usually happens right after the Mana-gauging exam.”

“Ruston Stroganoff plans to hunt down Calyx Dalton,” Emperor Nikolai said, then he looked up at him. “He plans to get rid of the young crow for Neoma.”

Kyle nodded slowly, but deep inside, he was seething. “I see- Chef Ruto really cares about Princess Neoma.”

[I have to warn Prince Calyx!]

The day Kyle met Calyx Dalton to warn him about Chef Ruto was also the day he had met a crow called ‘His Excellency’- which turned out to be Callisto de Luca.

***

“UNCLE KYLE, I’m sorry.”

Kyle knitted his eyebrows when Calyx Dalton, who just woke up after almost getting killed by Chef Ruto, apologized to him as soon as he opened his eyes. “Why are you apologizing?”

A few minutes earlier, Callisto de Luca entrusted Prince Calyx to him.

He ran away from the “scene” with Calyx Dalton while Callisto de Luca and the God of Eternal Darkness fought Chef Ruto together.

After fleeing, he went straight to the de Luca Mansion.

Since he wasn’t allowed in the main building, he had no choice but to leave Prince Calyx on the porch. But he already asked for a doctor.

“You gave us a tip that Ruston Stroganoff is going to hunt me down, so we looked for him first to ambush him...” Prince Calyx coughed up blood, but he just wiped it off with the back of his hand. “And yet I still lost to him...”

“It’s alright, Prince Calyx. I’m just glad that you’re safe,” Kyle said, then he covered the child’s eyes with his hand. “Your life is more important than getting rid of Chef Ruto.”

***

THERE was a reason why Kyle ‘allowed’ Emperor Nikolai to go to the Hazelden Kingdom.

It was true that he was worried about Glenn, but he also thought that if the emperor left the palace for a short while, he’d get the chance to tinker with the barrier that protected the Royal Palace all this time.

[I just need to deactivate the barrier for a short while once the time is right.]

It was the order that he had received from Callisto de Luca.

The crows’ goal was to reveal that the ‘Crown Prince’ fighting in the arena was actually Princess Neoma, while the real Prince Nero was stuck in the palace while recovering from his sickness.

Thus, while Emperor Nikolai was in the Hazelden King with his so-called ‘family,’ he spent his time in the throne room tinkering with the barrier until he could control it even without permission from His Majesty.

Kyle once again justified his actions.

[This is all for Empress Juliet.]

***

AND THE morning of the final match...

“Princess Neoma is currently at her weakest,” Kyle said, speaking to the Mana stone in his hand. It was a communication device, and his message was being received by Raven- Prince Calyx’s caretaker. “Princess Neoma just got her period, and female de Moonasterios get weak every time they get their period.”

He was free to talk like that because he was alone in the throne room.

Emperor Nikolai and Princess Neoma already left the palace to go to the Royal Moon Academy.

Prince Nero and Lady Mona Roseheart were in His Majesty’s bedroom. But in a while, he was pretty sure that Lady Roseheart would come out. Unfortunately, he couldn’t leave the throne room because he couldn’t let the barrier stay deactivated for long.

After all, he didn’t wish for the palace to be attacked by other forces.

[I just need to let the god that Callisto de Luca would send later in.]

Callisto de Luca already warned him that he would be caught, but he wasn’t afraid of it. After all, everything will fall back into the right place once Empress Juliet returned.

“I doubt that Princess Neoma could use at the moment because she’s weak, but tell Prince Calyx to be wary of the princess’s attack called ‘White Hole,” he informed Raven. “I saw Princess Neoma use it against the Sun Priestess, and it’s a pretty powerful attack.”

Raven said from the other line.

Kyle nodded, then he closed his eyes and kissed the Blood Moon Ring on his finger.

[I’ll do anything and everything to give you back your rightful place, my beloved Empress Juliet.]

***

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