Ch.120Chapter 120. Dethronement

“I believe we should support House Valcaron in this matter.”

“What reason could there possibly be? House Draven has been loyal to the imperial family for generations and has sent relief supplies to the demon front multiple times!”

My head was throbbing.

The ministers were still arguing over the border dispute between Valcaron and Draven territories.

Originally, both House Valcaron and House Draven supported the Crown Princess, but I heard that Draven had recently switched to supporting Airan.

Because of this, the Crown Princess’s supporters were backing Valcaron while Airan’s supporters were pushing for Draven, and the debate continued.

“Crown Princess, what do you think?”

“Both sides have valid points, but I don’t see sufficient reason to decisively support either one.”

When Rinasien spoke while rubbing her temple, all the ministers fell silent.

As mentioned before, Airan had already made a clear decision on this matter.

The ministers were so exhausted that they just wished the Crown Princess would give an answer even remotely similar to what Duke Decarune had said.

“Report, Your Highness!”

“What is it?”

“Shield Knight Morgan Rainford has returned to the capital! He’s right outside the council chamber!”

“Send him in at once!”

Rinasien’s face brightened at the messenger’s report.

Though she was disappointed that he hadn’t sent word of his arrival in advance, her joy at seeing him was greater.

She could always question him about that later and extract an apology.

As she deliberately adjusted her appearance while waiting for Rainford, the Crown Princess froze when she actually saw him.

“It has been a long time, Crown Princess.”

Or more precisely, when she saw the woman accompanying him.

“Why is that woman here?”

“Your Highness?”

“Why is someone who should be in the archipelago here, Lord Rainford?!”

Ganal quickly bowed deeply and apologized.

“I beg your forgiveness, Your Highness.”

“Rise, Ganal. This is not your fault.”

“What?!”

When Rainford personally helped Ganal to her feet, blue flames seemed to spark in Rinasien’s eyes.

“Everyone leave except Lord Rainford!”

“Pardon?”

“Now!”

At the sudden dismissal, the ministers exchanged glances as they rose from their seats.

However, this time Rainford stopped them.

“Why are you dismissing the ministers? I believe this is still the time for official business.”

“Official business is not what matters right now!”

“From what I’ve heard, not a single matter has been resolved since Your Highness returned. Official business should be the priority.”

“You… Rainford!!!!!”

To humiliate her in front of the ministers like this.

Rinasien felt her vision turning red.

“You dare to lecture me?!”

“Your Highness, ignoring honest counsel will make it difficult for you to become a wise ruler.”

“Get out! Everyone get out! Now!!!!!”

Only when she shouted with all her might, her body trembling, did the ministers finally hurry out.

Rinasien even angrily pushed away her attendants, telling them to leave.

After the sound of many footsteps had passed, only three people remained in the council chamber: the Crown Princess, the Shield Knight, and Ganal, who was forcibly held there by him.

“Why did you bring that woman here?!”

“Because she is qualified.”

“What qualification!”

“She is beautiful, elegant, and dignified.”

His bold attitude was infuriating.

Rinasien felt both anger and anxiety toward Rainford as he openly praised Ganal in front of her.

“Is that something to say in front of me, your fiancée? That vixen clearly seduced you, and you can’t even see it!”

“…”

“Why are you silent?!”

Rinasien was raging furiously, but Rainford merely stroked his chin while staring at her.

When he continued to give no response despite her words, the Crown Princess turned her attack toward Ganal.

“You vixen! I know all about your fiancé in the Zramun Archipelago. You weren’t satisfied with your lowborn betrothed, were you? How dare you touch the Crown Princess’s man!”

Rinasien rose from her seat, approached Ganal, and roughly pushed her shoulder.

“How dare you spread your legs to seduce my man! You filthy whore!”

“No… no… that’s not true…”

“What do you mean it’s not true!”

Ganal could only shed tears of injustice.

Having lost the fiancé she truly loved and being helplessly dragged away by the enemy who destroyed the archipelago was already too much for Ganal to bear.

She thought it might be better to die at the Crown Princess’s hands, but she didn’t want to die being falsely accused of being an immoral woman.

“That’s enough.”

“Ha!”

Finally, the Shield Knight stepped between the Crown Princess and Ganal.

Rinasien, who had expected him to apologize to her, turned her head away sharply, refusing to back down after seeing his hardened expression.

“Crown Princess.”

“…”

“Your Highness.”

“…”

“Do you truly intend not to look at me?”

She tried to hold out until the end.

She had planned not to turn her head until Rainford apologized first, until he knelt and begged for forgiveness.

But something in his voice just now gave her an ominous feeling that something terrible would happen if she didn’t obey the Shield Knight.

Reluctantly, when Rinasien turned to glare directly at Rainford—

SLAP!

A merciless slap flew at her.

“Aagh!”

The force of the Shield Knight’s blow nearly lifted Rinasien off her feet.

Falling ungracefully to the floor, Rinasien couldn’t steady herself from the shock.

Only her fear-soaked breathing could be heard through her disheveled hair.

“What are you doing! How dare you strike a woman!”

Horrified, Ganal helped Rinasien up herself.

The Crown Princess still looked at Rainford with trembling eyes, the shock not yet faded.

“Morgan… did you just…?”

“Haa~ I should have done this much sooner.”

“Why…?”

Rainford smirked as he looked at the Crown Princess’s swelling cheek.

“A troublemaker who relies only on her looks should be disciplined with the rod. But I was complacent. I thought patience and teaching would be enough, that you would improve. I was too vague in my expectations and missed the time when I should have educated you properly.”

“I… I break our engagement… I cannot be with a man like you… I will have you imprisoned for assaulting the imperial family.”

“Go ahead and try. Do you think there’s anyone in this palace who truly follows you? You are unqualified, Rinasien Carune. From now on, Ganal Carune, another illegitimate daughter of the Emperor, will succeed as Crown Princess.”

“What did you say?”

“Without further delay, I’ll meet with His Majesty the Emperor right now to confirm it.”

“What are you talking about?!”

Rinasien hurriedly tried to grab Rainford’s arm, but instead was struck by his hand.

“Ugh…!”

The pain was so intense that tears welled up as she clutched her wrist.

In sorrow and despair, she reproached him with a voice tinged with metallic harshness.

“I never dreamed you were this kind of man!!!!”

“Nor did I. That you would be this inadequate.”

“Did you ever love me…?”

“I did. Sincerely.”

It was the same question that Lucy had asked when her limbs were severed, but the answer was different.

Rinasien felt a glimmer of hope at his last words, but she froze at what followed.

“I just didn’t know you wouldn’t last this long.”

Rainford put his arm around Ganal’s shoulders.

Looking with warm eyes at the woman who was shrinking back in fear, the Shield Knight mocked Rinasien before leaving the council chamber.

“Now that your match, Morgan Rainford, is gone, perhaps you should bring back that fellow Lin you abandoned in that filthy alley and make him your husband? With your temperament, if you marry into a noble family, you’ll soon be spending your days being beaten with a belt. At least that fellow will cater to your whims—you’re a perfect match.”

As he was about to close the council chamber door completely, Rainford remembered something he had forgotten to mention.

“Oh, and have the Crown Princess’s chambers completely emptied for Lady Ganal to use until I return. That’s an order.”

The door slammed shut.

Only then did Rinasien slide down against the wall.

“Hic… sob…!”

Ugly sobs escaped from her contorted lips, and hot tears ran down her swollen cheeks.

The girl who had wanted to stand higher than anyone else was now in the lowest position, stifling her sobs and wiping away her bitter tears with her own sleeve.

—

Rainford kicked open the door to the Emperor’s bedchamber rudely.

The attendants had long since fled at the sight of the Shield Knight emanating such ferocious energy.

But there was one unexpected thing—the Emperor himself.

“So you’ve come, Shield Knight.”

“Your Majesty, how unusual to see you so alert.”

“My mind cleared the moment you set foot in the palace. What have you done to me?”

This was news to Rainford as well.

But somehow, he felt that the Emperor was now squeezing out the last remaining strength of his life.

“Allow me to introduce, Your Majesty, your illegitimate daughter, Princess Ganal Carune.”

“…Ganal? I certainly entrusted her to Airan.”

“Noble blood cannot be hidden no matter where it goes.”

“Are you not satisfied with Rinasien!”

The Emperor thundered, but Rainford didn’t even bother to sneer.

“That merely pretty-faced, inadequate woman is insufficient both as my partner and to rule the empire. Wasn’t Your Majesty also considering Princess Ganal from the beginning?”

“Rainford, you scoundrel!”

“An old tiger’s roar is less than a cat’s. Reynald Carune.”

Rainford approached the Emperor with a sinister smile.

“You will receive divine punishment!”

“A Carune dares speak of divine punishment to others? Do you know what bloodline your family comes from? Araksil Carune! The name of a thief who betrayed the 2nd Hero and built a harem!”

“How do you know that…?”

It was knowledge obtained from the Demon God.

When Rainford, thinking he needed to learn about the hidden history related to the Zramun Archipelago, asked about the 2nd Hero, the Demon God revealed everything without hesitation.

The reason the Goddess tried to exterminate humanity even after purifying them with the flood was because the thief’s bloodline took advantage of the chaos to seize power again, and humans were going to crown him emperor.

“But to maintain the balance of this world, corruption is also necessary. The women of House Carune will have the opportunity to dilute the sins of the Carunes through me.”

“Do you think the Goddess will stand by and watch this?!”

“That’s precisely why it’s blasphemous for you Carunes to even mention the Goddess.”

Rainford grabbed the Emperor’s neck and slowly lifted him up.

“Lord Rainford? Please release His Majesty! What is this…!”

“Pay for your sins, Reynald.”

“Kuk… huk…!”

Crack.

He was so frail that even the sound of breaking bones was faint.

Ganal screamed as she saw the Emperor go limp with his tongue protruding, but Rainford firmly instructed the scribe who had followed him.

“Record this clearly. Record this history without the slightest distortion, the history of balance that I, Morgan Rainford, am creating.”

After throwing the corpse onto the bed, Rainford removed the imperial seal ring from the withered fingers.

It came off easily, confirming that he was definitely dead.

“Here.”

The Shield Knight held out the ring to Ganal.

“Please use this to open the imperial document repository for me.”

Kneeling as if proposing, the fair-haired young man smiled innocently.

“Crown Princess.”