Marked as the Tyrant's Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 38

***

“I… my wife… is pregnant.”

At the faint dawn, Heisen, sitting beside Parmes who was gazing at the distant scenery without sleeping, spoke with difficulty.

Even in the dim light, one could tell that his face had turned quite red.

Parmes looked at Heisen with a smirk.

“Congratulations, Heisen.”

The wife of Marquis Heisen Macerne Mylar was one of the imperial guards directly under the Emperor, recognized for her skills despite being of foreign origin.

“…You and Helena should pack your belongings separately.”

What would the baby in her womb resemble, its mother or father?

Whoever it resembled, it would surely possess excellent qualities.

“Returning to the capital would only be dangerous, so I’ll arrange a place for you to stay in a nearby city.”

Galnem is not a suitable place for an expectant mother.

“No, I didn’t mention this to ask to be excluded from our great cause. You know that!”

Heisen said, waving both hands.

“She and I have decided to stay by Your Highness’s side. We have no intention of leaving even if you drive us away. What I’m worried about is… Helena and the child in her womb…”

Heisen’s voice grew a bit quieter.

The face of the young man hesitating with reddened ears was visible.

Heisen Macerne Mylar was a man of innocent purity yet surprisingly talented, seemingly fragile yet steadfast.

Both the First and Second Princes wanted Heisen, the Elementalist, but he chose the path of hardship to remain by his side as a loyal subject and most precious friend.

“Amidst the lurking dangers, if perhaps I fail to avoid them and…”

The road they had yet to travel was long.

To get there, they would have to pass through several mountains and ravines where sunlight didn’t reach even during the day.

Parmes’ sword was already stained with the blood of many enemies, and it would continue to be so.

“So… if something were to happen to me.”

“Give it up.”

“…Pardon, Your Highness?”

Heisen blinked as if he had misheard.

If there was a word most unsuited to the Fourth Prince Parmes Aslet, it would be ‘give up’.

“The world I desired, or…”

Parmes’ vivid red eyes were directed at Heisen.

“The world you desire. The entire empire we were trying to create.”

“…Your Highness!”

Heisen’s clenched fist trembled slightly.

Looking at his stern face, Parmes twisted his lips and leaned his upper body forward, bringing his face closer.

“If I become the emperor of a world without you, I will become the most brutal tyrant in the world. So much so that every tree and grass in the mountains and rivers will tremble at the mention of my name. I will kill and kill people to pile up mountains, and water the fields of the empire with their blood.”

“…Your Highness.”

“I was born under the star of destruction, so Aslet, Albreon, everything will burn in the flames of destruction I cause. Yes, the only one who could stop my tyranny…”

Parmes placed his hand on Heisen’s shoulder.

Heisen flinched as his heavy hand touched him.

The world contained in his red pupils seemed to be already burning.

“Is if I die.”

Parmes finished speaking and smiled coldly.

He didn’t seem likely to say what Heisen wanted to hear.

That he would take good care of Heisen’s wife and unborn child if Heisen were to die.

Instead, he only threatened. That if Heisen died, he would become a tyrant and destroy the empire.

“…..”

Heisen watched Parmes’ back as he stood up from his seat.

The beautiful emperor hadn’t changed at all since the day Heisen first decided to follow him.

A lonely smile settled on Heisen’s lips.

***

Thump- Thump- Thump

The whole house shook with each of his footsteps.

Adam, nervous at the appearance of the Minister of Military Affairs, awkwardly raised his hand to salute Duke Guermont.

“Adam Romad, reporting to Duke Guermont, Your Grace!”

“Yes. I heard you became Arinel’s guard knight. You were a promising young man since you were the Marquis’s knight.”

Adam’s heart started beating faster at the heavy metallic voice flowing from Guermont’s mouth.

The strongest Minister of Military Affairs in Albreon’s history.

His massive body and fierce impression itself were the ultimate final weapon.

There was a rumor that even if stabbed with an ordinary dagger, it wouldn’t penetrate his biceps, which couldn’t be hidden even when wearing a military uniform.

He put down the monstrous heavy iron bar he always carried and warned Adam in a stern voice.

“If we’re talking about battlefields, this place is the most important command post! If there are enemies with eyes, they will surely target this place, so your responsibility is grave!”

Even in his tense state, Adam thought to himself.

A battlefield where swords cross and ammunition explodes… And a command post where commanders fiercely devise war strategies?

No, this is just the Mylar Marquis’s residence where the cute and lovely Miss Arinel resides.

However, Duke Guermont was already looking around the walls with his eyes, checking the defenses of the house.

“That not-so-sturdy window is prone to be used by the countless assassins who might be targeting this place! Also, the wooden screens are vulnerable to fire attacks!”

‘There’s no way countless assassins would target this place. The young lady hasn’t made enemies with anyone to that extent…’

Adam’s rebuttal echoed in his mind, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice it out loud.

“As Arinel’s guard knight, you’ve been overlooking such vulnerabilities! If I hadn’t come here in person, how much longer would this sand castle of a base have lasted!”

He was merely scolding, but Adam’s knees went weak at the booming voice.

‘It’s still sturdy even though no one has lived here for 10 years, Your Grace.’

And again, Adam didn’t dare to voice this rebuttal either.

Duke Guermont snorted and pointed at the vulnerabilities he had pointed out with his finger as thick as a baby’s arm, and ordered.

“I shall send my subordinates to provide steel materials for the strongest defense. Make sure everything is prepared without any deficiencies by the next time I visit.”

“I will obey your orders.”

Adam could only nod in agreement.

“Ahem, now then, guide me to Arinel.”

Having finished his comments about the sturdy Mylar mansion that had been repaired not long ago, Duke Guermont told Adam the main point.

Adam, feeling sweat running down his back, answered Duke Guermont.

“I apologize, Your Grace. Actually, the young lady has gone out…”

“What!”

Adam’s hair fluttered in the wind from Duke Guermont’s exhalation.

‘Young lady… I don’t think I’ll die of natural causes.’

“Then why didn’t you escort Arinel? Don’t tell me you sent Arinel alone to enemy territory…”

“Your Grace, the young lady.”

Adam barely managed to interrupt. Just conversing in front of Duke Guermont’s aura seemed to drain all his energy.

“She merely went to take the Elementalist test.”

At Adam’s words, Duke Guermont calmed his excitement with a ‘hmm’.

The Elementalist test, which is held regularly, selects those with the qualities of an elemental spirit and issues them Elementalist certificates according to their grade.

It’s not that you must have an Elementalist certificate to use elemental magic, but it’s useful when applying for jobs in government agencies or getting bank loans.

Of course, Arinel taking the Elementalist test today wasn’t for such purposes.

“Her father is an Elementalist, and Arinel has also used powerful elemental powers, so it’s natural for her to want her abilities recognized. It’s regrettable that I couldn’t meet Arinel today, but…”

Duke Guermont frowned and snorted again.

“I have no choice but to return today.”

For Adam, it was a moment of relief.

***

[Arinel Mylar – Number 72.]

I stood in front of the artificial cave located behind the Albreon Elementalist Association, having crumpled the receipt and put it in my pocket.

Several new Elementalists had their elemental power measured here, and some left excited while others left disappointed.

As the person who went in before came out, the staff of the Elementalist Association exchanged puzzled looks and talked.

“The ‘Breath of the Goddess’ is acting strange today. The strength of the power is being measured, but… for some reason, the types of power the applicants possess aren’t being measured today.”

“It’s not being measured?”

“One of the four colors – water, fire, wind, or earth – should clearly appear on the stone’s surface… But it’s only emitting a white light as if it’s being strongly influenced by something.”