104. After the End of Grius

“Oh my, it’s Count Yulian.”

Duke Gerard greeted the young Count first. Blond hair and blue eyes. And handsome enough that anyone would inadvertently gaze at his face.

‘Hmph. Enough to bewitch Chloe, is he?’

As his daughter and a strong candidate for his successor. Duke Gerard was certainly aware of his daughter’s tendencies with men.

‘Chloe never liked any man.’

He had heard that she had playfully broken up other noble couples with just a few words. But Gerard knew that Chloe wasn’t interested in noble young masters.

Chloe had never officially dated a man, even now, more than a year after becoming an adult.

The man Chloe was head over heels for was the Count right in front of him. At that moment, Yulian spoke.

“The abundance of ripe wheat ears in the Rochehern Plains. Yulian of the Reinhardt family greets His Excellency Duke Gerard.”

With dignified manners befitting his appearance, Yulian greeted him. It was a perfect aristocratic greeting, befitting the heir to a Grand Duke.

‘And the Crown Princess’s fiancé.’

Duke Gerard inadvertently thought about the value of the young Count Yulian before him.

As Lilia’s fiancé. And as the top contributor to suppressing this rebellion. The value of that young Count would skyrocket.

‘Perhaps even higher than Princess Lilia.’

The public always wants something to talk about.

Gerard highly valued Princess Lilia’s political power in actively organizing the rebels as the First Princess.

But the one whose name was most prominently mentioned in the Imperial Capital regarding the suppression of the rebellion was Count Yulian.

The Imperial Capital was seized by the rebels. And the most dangerous and impregnable fortress in that Imperial Capital was the Imperial Palace’s main palace, the Baekhwa Palace.

‘The Count personally charged into that place teeming with magical beasts and demonized humans…’

A small elite force risking their lives. And Count Yulian, who led that elite force, personally beheaded Grius, the leader of the rebels.

Moreover, that Count was the grandson of Wilhelm, the Lion Grand Duke, a hero of the Great War, and the son of the Great Saintess Agnes.

Yulian, who had risen as a new hero following those two heroes, was sure to become the most famous person in the Empire, not just in the Imperial Capital.

“Count Yulian-nim! Have you been… well… have you been at peace…?”

Gerard briefly stopped thinking about Count Yulian. Chloe, who had met the Count’s eyes, lowered her head shyly and spoke.

Knowing his daughter’s extremely arrogant and proud personality well. The Duke found his daughter’s modest appearance very unusual.

‘Hmph. She looks like a woman in love to anyone.’

The people of the Itern family. And his retainers knew Gerard’s personality very well.

Like a merchant, a great noble with a thoroughly calculating and cold rationality. And that coldness was the same even to his children.

But there was one fact that even his close aides did not know. Even Duke Gerard cherished his daughter Chloe, who most resembled him, deep down.

‘My daughter can make such an expression.’

At that moment, Duke Gerard felt a strange feeling that surprised him. But the sentimental feeling of having his cherished daughter snatched away by some scoundrel was not fitting for Gerard.

Maintaining his composure again. He spoke to the Count.

“It seems the Count has come to attend this banquet as well.”

“That’s right. Your Excellency Gerard.”

“But it must be disappointing. Someone of the Count’s caliber should be attending the Imperial Palace conference directly. Don’t you think?”

“No. I am merely the heir to the Margrave’s territory. And just a student at the academy. So representing Essenmund is beyond me.”

“You also know how to feign humility.”

“I would appreciate it if you would call it aristocratic etiquette.”

The Duke rather liked Yulian’s bold reply.

As he said a moment ago. The reason Yulian came here was for the distribution of rewards after the Imperial Palace conference. The top contributors would receive the highest honor, the Imperial Medal of Honor, there. And there was also a banquet afterward.

‘Well, that’s why I brought Chloe.’

Even if Chloe didn’t have feelings for Count Yulian. The Duke would have brought Chloe to this Great Temple.

As Duke Gerard, the Empire’s greatest merchant, thought. The most valuable person in the Empire right now was Count Yulian right before his eyes.

‘I paid attention when he suggested that I move my private soldiers. But I became certain after what happened afterward.’

But Gerard hid such thoughts. And said to Count Yulian.

“Then I must attend the Imperial Palace conference. I’ll be on my way.”

“Understood.”

“Ah. And Chloe will also be attending today’s banquet. It wouldn’t be bad for the two of you, who are already acquainted, to spend time together until then.”

“Lady Chloe, you mean? I will do so. I am a classmate of the Lady at Pantheon…”

Of course, he already knew that they were more than just acquaintances. But the Duke didn’t say any more. And whispered softly into his daughter’s ear, who was busily chasing after the Count’s gaze.

“The family’s teachings. It would be good to think carefully about that Count.”

And, as expected, Chloe, who immediately understood Gerard’s words, nodded vigorously.

“Yes, Father!”

The corners of the Duke’s lips rose very slightly. And he secretly cheered for his daughter’s love.

---

The Great Temple’s wide banquet hall.

It might seem strange to have a banquet hall in a Great Temple to praise God. But the corrupt priest Grius liked banquets very much, so there was a banquet hall here as well.

And this place, touched by Grius’s hand, was luxurious. Unfortunately, Grius, who had created this banquet hall, had died at my hands, so he would never enjoy a banquet again.

I was busily greeting the attendees in that banquet hall. As my status was what it was. Nobles came to me without stopping for a moment.

‘Hoo. I can finally catch my breath.’

Since the nobles weren’t fools, they couldn’t possibly not know my current value. The attendees constantly praised my contribution to suppressing this rebellion.

I was sick and tired of hearing those compliments. But the lords and ministers who attended this banquet were all from the anti-Grius faction.

So, as they were loyal subjects who had worked hard for the Empire. It was my duty as a great noble to get along with them to some extent.

And at that moment, I met Lilia’s eyes, who was sitting on the throne at the head of the banquet.

‘She seems to want to run to me right away.’

But Lilia couldn’t do that. She was sitting on the throne wearing the crown symbolizing the Imperial Emperor on her head. And a splendid dress that only a female Emperor could wear.

Today’s banquet was for Lilia, before it was for the meritorious subjects.

The funeral of her older brother, who was the Emperor, no, now the former Emperor, was scheduled, so she had not yet formally held the coronation ceremony.

For that reason, Lilia was not in a position to freely roam around the banquet like she did when she was a Princess. Even now, a lord was kneeling before her and paying his respects.

I smiled at Lilia in response. I could see her cheeks turning red, as if she liked my answer.

But right then. Lilia frowned.

‘Hmm? What’s wrong?’

I inadvertently worried about my fiancée. But I soon realized the reason.

Cheuak-

The sound of a fan folding was heard. And at the same time, I met the eyes of someone who was approaching me closely. It was Chloe.

“Yulian-nim! It seems the interlopers have disappeared quite a bit now. Hehe. Don’t you think so?”

As she said. All the nobles who were going to greet me had already finished greeting me. She came to me without missing the moment I was briefly free.

“You seemed quite busy too. It seems you have some free time now.”

As I said. She, who attended the banquet, was also very busy.

Chloe kept trying to stick by my side. But Chloe was now attending this banquet as the heir to Duke Gerard.

So, like me, countless nobles kept talking to her non-stop. Duke Gerard, who was awarded the title of Duke in this distribution of rewards. Chloe, the heir to that Duke.

‘Moreover, she doesn’t even have a fiancé yet.’

Of course, Chloe was my future wife, so she was no different from a lover. But that was from my perspective as a Dragon Lord.

From the perspective of the nobles here, it was no different from having an affair with me, the Crown Princess’s fiancé. So I couldn’t say that fact.

Anyway, Chloe, who had spent a busy time befitting the daughter of a great lord. She stuck close to me and sent me a hot gaze.

“Hoo… that’s right. But from now on, I have so much to say to Yulian-nim.”

I glanced at the atmosphere of the banquet hall. As expected, the nobles seemed very busy, their eyes glued to talking to each other.

Chloe, who noticed the atmosphere, gently pulled my arm.

“I think I drank quite a bit of alcohol after coming here, so I feel hot… Shall we go get some fresh air for a while?”

At that moment, I felt an intense gaze from the throne. And the owner of that gaze was soon to be the owner of this Empire.

But Lilia knew that I couldn’t be cold to this Chloe.

‘The Itern family contributed greatly to suppressing the rebellion.’

And in the upcoming full-scale battle with the Southern Army. The power of the Itern family, which could supply not only private soldiers but also the supplies needed for the war, was very important.

I awkwardly avoided Lilia’s gaze. And left the banquet hall with Chloe.

---

It was already dark outside.

The schedule for the Imperial Palace conference and the distribution of rewards, that is, the award ceremony for meritorious people, was very long. So it was only natural that the banquet had started late in the afternoon.

So, in the orange light outside the Great Temple, Chloe’s expression looked quite seductive.

‘This is the exact opposite of the last banquet.’

During the last Emperor’s birthday banquet, Lilia ended up monopolizing me instead of Chloe.

“There are too many eyes watching here. It might be a bit difficult to enjoy a secret rendezvous with Yulian-nim, right?”

“Is that so? I don’t really care.”

She clearly came out to get some fresh air for a while. But Chloe subtly changed her words to a secret rendezvous. In fact, even if she didn’t say it directly, I knew that she was very excited.

Perhaps it was thanks to being awakened as a Dragon Lord. I could feel the excitement of a female very sensitively.

‘And I think I know why she’s so excited.’

Like I thought a moment ago. It was the perfect opportunity to avenge being robbed of me by Lilia at the last Emperor’s birthday banquet.

I had forgotten that she had become a docile sheep to me since some time ago. But Chloe was actually a woman with a fierce personality and a very arrogant villainous young lady.

‘Well, and even if the two of them have a secret rendezvous. Lilia can’t help it.’

If she was the cunning Chloe. She would have already realized that the moment she entered my harem, Lilia would not be able to harm her.

The law of the Emperor who ruled the Empire could not be applied to the Dragon Lord. And Chloe would use any means and methods to raise her rank in the harem.

‘Come to think of it, the first wife…’

The time spent with the prospective wives of the harem was different. The emotions were different for that amount of time. So saying that I loved everyone equally was no different from self-deception.

But just as Lilia was currently the most likely candidate for my companion as a human. The companion as a Dragon Lord was different. The Dragon Lord’s desire for domination.

The person who would satisfy that desire for domination the most would be the first wife. In other words, they had to prove themselves that they were women worth dominating.

In that respect, Chloe, who directly persuaded her father, Duke Gerard, for me. Was quite commendable.

‘Well, I don’t intend to tell Chloe even that fact.’

Even so, after Duke Gerard left in the morning. When I talked with her, Chloe seemed to be subtly wanting praise and reward from me.

And coincidentally, there was a very wide garden behind the Great Temple.

As expected of the place where Grius lived.

The garden was densely filled with leafy trees in various places, making it like a maze. So that it was very good to enjoy a secret rendezvous after the banquet, which was popular among the Imperial Capital nobles.

Just like the garden behind her mansion, where I took Chloe’s virginity.

“Hmm, but here in front of the entrance of the Great Temple is a bit… Oh my, why is it so hot all of a sudden?”

So Chloe, who seemed to be subtly excited, couldn’t stop fanning herself. She continued.

“But if it’s the garden behind this… Don’t you think it would be very cool?”