Chapter 78

In an awkward and embarrassing atmosphere, Johann finished breakfast and prepared to go to the Imperial Palace, stopping by to see Isabella first.  

“I heard about last night. Are you alright?”  

Isabella rose from the sofa and carefully examined her son’s condition.  

“The detoxification is complete, so I’m fine now, Mother.”  

“It’s a relief that you recovered well, at least.”  

Isabella sighed in relief and sat back on the sofa.  

“Are you going to have an audience with His Majesty now?”  

“Yes, I stopped by to speak with you before I go.”  

“I see. Have you written the letter of annulment?”  

“Yes.”  

“…It was dangerous, but the Princess is actually helping us in this way.”  

Isabella picked up her steaming teacup.  

“Indeed.”  

“Johann, do you truly intend to be with Lia?”  

She clasped her hands together and asked.  

“If she allows me.”  

“Have you thought of a way to win her heart?”  

“…Not yet.”  

“The Founding Festival will be held soon.”  

“Yes.”  

“Try to make good use of that opportunity.”  

Isabella, who knew much about politics and the sword but little about romance, advised her son.  

“Festivals are always the flower of youth, you know.”  

She gave him a gentle smile.  

Johann left his mother’s parlor and went down to the first floor.  

“Your Grace!”  

The mage standing in the entrance hall brightened when he saw him.  

It was the healing mage whom Johann had asked to look into Lia’s incurable disease.  

“I have something to tell you about the illness you asked me to investigate last time.”  

“Go ahead.”  

Johann nodded.  

“Well, um. I looked into it by every means, but there were no results.”  

“…I see.”  

He stopped in his tracks and swallowed a groan.  

There wasn’t anyone with a similar illness, not even in foreign countries or remote mountains.  

“I’m sorry.”  

The mage bowed his head.  

“Your Grace, is there any way I could examine the patient directly?”  

“That’s not possible.”  

She said the illness hadn’t manifested yet.  

It wouldn’t be possible to examine Lia until next year.  

“Thank you for your efforts.”  

He patted the mage’s shoulder a couple of times and left the lobby.  

Would I have to wait until Lia fell ill next year?  

…D*mn it.  

He couldn’t get a clue about the illness until she got sick.  

He felt uneasy.  

He hoped Lia would neither fall ill nor die.  

Even if they couldn’t live together, he wanted her to breathe and live under the same sky.  

It would be enough just to see her face from time to time.  

‘…No, honestly, I want to live seeing her face every day like this.’  

He clenched his fist tightly.  

All the way to the palace, he thought only of Lia.  

He couldn’t think of anything else.  

The carriage finally arrived in front of the Emperor’s palace.  

Even though Johann had come without notice, the Emperor’s attendant courteously guided him to the audience chamber.  

‘He must already know why I’m here.’  

The Emperor, having already heard the situation through the Interim Empress, welcomed Johann into the audience chamber with exaggerated warmth.  

“…Duke Blumhart, come in!”  

The Emperor got up from the throne and stepped down from the dais.  

They had just seen each other yesterday, but he was acting as if they hadn’t met in years.  

“I’m sorry to come to you for such a matter, Your Majesty.”  

After Johann greeted him, he got straight to the point.  

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. It’s all my unvirtuous daughter’s fault.”  

The Emperor let out a deep sigh.  

“It’s a shame. I always wanted to become family with you.”  

“Even if we’re not family, I’ll always be your loyal subject, Your Majesty’.”  

“…Yes, that’s true.”  

The Emperor patted Johann lightly on the back.  

“…Duke Blumhart.”  

The Emperor’s eyebrows drooped.  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

“I’ve been thinking about what kind of compensation would ease your mind.”  

The Emperor spoke gently.  

“For Patrizia’s mistake.”  

He deliberately referred to his daughter’s ‘crime’ as a ‘mistake’.  

He wanted to simplify the situation.  

“It was a very dangerous drug to call it a mistake, Your Majesty.”  

Johann did not want to simplify it.  

If the Emperor wanted to downplay the incident for his own reasons, Johann also wanted to get what he wanted from it.  

“Hm, is that so?”  

“It was a drug used in the back alleys, and the Princess of the Valerius Empire used it without the other party’s consent.”  

Johann took out the crystal glass bottle he had in his pocket.  

When the Emperor realized that the bottle contained the drug Patrizia had used, his eyes widened.  

He probably hadn’t expected Johann to have not only detoxified himself but also brought evidence.  

“…You must have been very offended.”  

The Emperor could no longer call it a ‘mistake’.  

“I can’t say I wasn’t, Your Majesty.”  

Johann answered each word with force.  

“…I understand your feelings. I’ll do anything for you. Is there something you have in mind?”  

Perhaps because of the bottle, the Emperor became very humble.  

“Yes, what I dare to ask of you, Your Majesty, is….”  

He opened his mouth to state his request.  

“…Hmm.”  

The Emperor listened to Johann’s request and fell silent for a moment.  

It wasn’t much in terms of material reward, but it wasn’t something he could agree to lightly either.  

If he granted Johann’s wish, the Interim Empress would not sit still.  

‘She’ll scold me for agreeing to something like that without consulting her.’  

But rather than giving up the Imperial Family’s precious treasures, wasn’t it better to cover up Patrizia’s huge crime?  

Aside from upsetting the Interim Empress, there was nothing to lose.  

He decided to keep it simple.  

“…Alright, I’ll gladly grant it. Will that settle your mind?”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

Johann bowed his head slightly.  

“Hm hm, then since your mind is at ease, may I ask one favor?”  

Johann could guess what this was about.  

“About Patrizia’s mistake—or rather, her wrongdoing.”  

“Yes.”  

“If word of this gets out in society, she might never be able to marry, or even set foot in society again.”  

He looked regretful.  

“For a woman of marriageable age, especially a Princess of the Empire, wouldn’t that be too harsh?”  

“……”  

He certainly was beating around the bush.  

“Since you have graciously granted my request, Your Majesty, I will also let this matter go unmentioned.”  

He didn’t care whether the Princess married or was tormented by rumors in society.  

But thanks to her misdeeds, he had gotten both the annulment and what he wanted, so he gave the Emperor the answer he wanted.  

“Thank you, as expected of you, Duke Blumhart.”  

The Emperor laughed heartily, shaking Johann’s hand.  

“But from now on, I hope the Princess will not be disrespectful to me or my house again.”  

“Of course, of course. I’ll make sure to discipline her thoroughly, so don’t worry!”  

The Emperor patted Johann on the shoulder and escorted him all the way to the door of the audience chamber.

* * *

After leaving the audience chamber, Johann got into the carriage to return to the estate.  

Having obtained what he wanted, he leaned back comfortably in his seat.  

“Did things go well with His Majesty?”  

Samuel, sitting across from him, asked.  

“Yes, very well.”  

He lifted one corner of his mouth.  

Now all that was left was Lia, and the illness that would befall her.  

Johann decided not to think too much about Lia’s illness, which no one could predict.  

He would save her, no matter what it took.  

‘Even if I have to find some ancient relic of the goddess that grants any wish, I’ll save her.’  

He believed she was worth it.  

Perhaps, winning Lia’s heart would be even harder than finding the goddess’s relic.  

‘…But at least now, I’m not anyone’s fiancé, so there’s nothing to hold me back.’  

He had been so busy the past week that he hadn’t had time to be with Lia.  

Yesterday, he had been with her while not in his right mind.  

From today, he would do his best to win her heart.  

As soon as Johann arrived at the estate, he went to find Lia.  

Hearing she was in the east annex, he strode with large steps to her laboratory.  

At the door, he took a deep breath and knocked.  

Knock, knock, knock.  

“Come in.”  

Her clear voice rang out.  

When he entered, he saw Lia absorbed in something.  

“What are you working on so intently?”  

He walked naturally to her side.  

“Oh? It was you, Duke?”  

When Lia saw Johann, she started to rise and greet him, but he stopped her.  

“No need for formalities. Am I interrupting something?”  

“No, I was just experimenting with a few things, it’s fine.”  

She scratched her cheek with her index finger, looking embarrassed.  

“So, what brings you here?”  

“I have something to discuss with you.”  

“Oh dear. There’s no proper sofa here.”  

She furrowed her brows slightly, looking troubled.  

“It’s alright.”  

A gentle voice flowed from his lips.  

“Lia.”  

He was secretly surprised that his voice could be so soft.  

“…Yes?”  

Perhaps because he called her by name, Lia’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.  

“Would you go with me to the upcoming Founding Festival?”  

Lia, please don’t refuse.  

“…With me? Hiccup!”  

Instead of answering, she began to hiccup.