Ch.140The Declining Imperial Family (11)

“Amelia is the bad one.”

I pouted under the covers on my soft bed. Next to me, Ruby sat in her maid uniform, mindlessly agreeing with me.

“Ruid couldn’t possibly be wrong.”

“Right?”

“It’s this world that’s bad.”

“…Are you being sarcastic right now?”

I shot her a sharp glare, and Ruby shook her head.

“Yes.”

Ruid made a sour face and threw a pillow at her. It hit Ruby’s head and tumbled to the floor.

“Just pick one.”

“Your personality has become like Irene’s while I wasn’t looking.”

“I’m going to tell Irene that you—”

As Ruid was about to say something, Ruby cut him off.

“That’s a compliment.”

“…Anyway, I have no intention of apologizing. She should be the one apologizing.”

Humans are creatures ruled by emotions.

Ruid had been furious when he saw Colon die.

But now, after some time had passed, his anger had subsided.

And now he was slightly bothered by the harsh words he’d said to Amelia in his state of extreme agitation.

“I never said you should apologize to Amelia.”

Ruby said this as she went to brew some tea. Ruid stared at the back of her head with a disgruntled expression.

“You’re the one who’s not getting along with Rosalie these days.”

“We never got along in the first place.”

The tea was brewed quickly. She returned to her chair with a steaming cup.

“…Where’s mine?”

“There isn’t one.”

Ruid looked at Ruby with an expression reserved for a failing-grade maid.

“What kind of maid brings only tea for herself?”

Ruby spoke with her eyes half-closed.

“It’s not tea, it’s blood. Want some, young master?”

Ruby was, after all, a vampire.

A vampire’s main diet is naturally blood.

Fortunately, Ruby and Rosalie, as “true ancestors,” could drink the blood of magical beasts just as well as human blood.

Ruid sighed softly and asked:

“So, why did you come looking for me anyway?”

“Amelia is sad.”

“She’s a stranger to me now.”

Ruid turned his head away sharply.

Though he felt somewhat sorry, his anger hadn’t subsided.

After saying such things to her, his pride wouldn’t let him go apologize right away.

‘Even I think it’s a bit…’

Honestly, he knew he was being childish.

But perhaps because he was in a child’s body, his thinking had become childlike too.

He recognized the problem but didn’t want to fix it.

More precisely, he wondered if he really needed to. After all, he actually was a child.

“She hasn’t eaten for three days and has been curled up in her room. With another wave coming soon, this is serious.”

“Why should I care?”

“That’s true. Ruid is always on the receiving end of consideration.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I wonder. Nothing.”

Ruby stood up from her seat.

After straightening her skirt, she bowed politely.

“I’ll be going now, young master.”

Ruid watched her leave with an uneasy feeling.

He opened his drowsy eyes and turned his head sharply.

Ruby opened the door and left.

But then she came back into Ruid’s room. This wasn’t Ruby’s choice. She had definitely gone outside.

In other words, this was magic. Ruid hadn’t allowed Ruby to leave this room.

“I thought it was strange that only I could enter.”

Ruby slumped her shoulders and sat down in front of Ruid again. Ruid still had his head turned away, clearly sulking.

“What do you want to know?”

For the past three days, Ruid hadn’t allowed anyone to enter.

Ruby was the only one who could come in.

He wondered why, but now it seemed there was a reason.

Ruby didn’t try to leave this space.

She knew too well that once Ruid’s magic was activated, only Ruid himself could break it.

Ruby was the type who hated wasting time.

“Ruby, you have something you want to tell me. You can’t leave until you do. It’s bothering me.”

Ruby’s red eyes focused on Ruid.

A pure child without even a speck of dirt.

Yet this small child was born with power that might be the greatest in human history.

‘Indeed, the head of the family’s judgment is correct.’

Victoria tried to prevent any obligations from being placed on Ruid, who possessed such great power.

Sometimes she seemed to dislike Ruid doing anything to an extreme degree. Rosalie couldn’t understand Victoria and sided with Irene.

But at this moment, Ruby thought that Victoria’s judgment was undoubtedly the best.

If Ruid were to have any wish, it would certainly come true. It would come true with depressing ease.

The problem is that humans are designed to never know the feeling of satisfaction. Ruid would want bigger and bigger things, and the world would change beyond control.

And a world that changes infinitely inevitably faces a catastrophic end.

Perhaps Victoria had made unimaginable efforts to shape Ruid’s naturally lazy personality.

Ruby blinked slowly and opened her mouth.

“First, Irene definitely wanted me to ask you one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Are you going to destroy the Empire?”

At those words, Ruid closed his mouth.

But soon he replied indifferently:

“Yes.”

“Is that your own thought?”

“No. It’s Irene’s idea. She wants to make Damon the Emperor. I’ll help because he’s my friend.”

“What if…”

‘Why is Ruby acting like this?’

Ruid tilted his head, wondering why Ruby was being so reasonable for once.

Actually, what Ruid wanted to hear from Ruby was something like “make up with Amelia.”

Then he planned to reluctantly reconcile. But Ruby didn’t seem to care about Amelia at all.

“What if it’s all a lie?”

“Huh?”

“What if Irene has no intention of making Damon the Emperor, and wants to make you Emperor instead?”

“Irene would never do that.”

“That’s why I said ‘what if.'”

Ruid briefly imagined himself as Emperor.

“…Do you hate it that much?”

Ruby scratched her head as she looked at Ruid’s disgusted expression.

“Even if it’s Irene’s request, I wouldn’t agree to that.”

“Mm.”

“And I’d rather not get involved if possible…”

As Ruid said this, he suddenly thought of Colon.

Because of his passivity, someone precious to him had been hurt.

“…I guess I need to get involved a little.”

“Mm.”

“Is that all you wanted to say?”

Ruid didn’t want to continue this conversation. He stared intently at Ruby.

Fortunately, Ruby was perceptive.

“How about making up with Amelia? For the sake of my pretty face.”

Ruid cleared his throat a few times, then put his hands on his waist and jumped up from the bed.

“I guess I have no choice. Since Ruby is begging me with tears. Are you that desperate?”

“…Not particularly desperate.”

“Ah, I understand. Mama told me to usually grant Ruby and Rosalie’s requests. I’ll let it slide just this once. Just this once.”

Ruid muttered as he opened the door and left.

Ruby stared blankly at the suddenly empty bed and slowly straightened the bedding.

“He’s so cute, I want to bite him.”

She said this while expressing a small vampire wish. After tidying everything, she walked slowly toward the exit.

And as she took one step, she saw the bed she had just made right in front of her.

With an annoyed look, she muttered:

“He forgot to remove the magic.”

**

The first defense line was busy.

“You youngsters there! Be careful not to get hurt!”

“Someone watch over those liabilities!”

The Windsor Knights shouted as they faced the incoming magical beasts. Hersy pulled back Minerva’s bow and shouted:

“You don’t need to worry about us! We’re safe on top of the wall!”

As she released the bowstring, arrows imbued with wind magic spread widely in all directions.

The arrows passed through allies, not magical beasts. The Windsor Knights penetrated by the green arrows felt an endless surge of vitality.

“Thank you, miss!”

“The miss is the most useful!”

Irene was watching them from atop the wall with her arms crossed, and looking to the side, she curled the corner of her mouth.

“Damon. Time for you to go.”

“Is it alright?”

Damon smiled and gripped his spear.

“If I go, your subordinates will have nothing left to do.”

“Nothing would make Windsor happier.”

“I won’t hold back then.”

Damon, who was precariously standing on the edge of the wall, lightly stepped forward.

After falling from the high wall and landing perfectly, he shouted to Hersy:

“Woman! Give me your magic!”

“Do you have to say it like that?!”

Hersy grumbled but bit her finger.

Her blood slightly moistened the bowstring, and a huge emerald arrow was created.

She shot it accurately at Damon. As soon as Damon was hit by the arrow, he shouted loudly:

“Everyone, move aside! Brave knights! Now I step forward!”

It was an arrogant statement, but this was a common pattern on the defense line.

Since waves brought so many magical beasts, they needed to occasionally deliver a big attack.

This was called an “overall,” and it was usually handled by one person with powerful magic. For example, Amelia or Charlotte would do this. Ruid, who occasionally threw in a spell, was the same.

The question was whether Damon had enough magical power to handle an overall—

‘Well, he’s the young master’s friend, so he must have something.’

The Windsor knights were pure-hearted!

Without a hint of doubt, they all began to retreat.

“Evacuate!”

“Evacuate!”

The Windsor knights, arranged like arrowheads, split to the left and right. In the middle, Damon threw his spear with all his might, concentrating his magic.

“Hyaaah!”

With snowflakes fluttering and red currents, the spear shot forward in a straight line.

Any magical beast even slightly grazed by the spear was torn to pieces beyond recognition.

“Ohhh!”

“Now we can breathe a sigh of relief.”

However—

Despite the flashy effect, the number of magical beasts Damon’s spear dealt with was minimal.

More precisely, it was minimal by “Windsor” standards. Quite a few magical beasts died, but it wasn’t nearly enough to justify abandoning the formation.

—Grr?

Even the magical beasts looked at him with expressions that seemed to say, “Is that all?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Damon. They seemed to want an explanation for this pathetic display that didn’t even reach half of Amelia’s power, let alone Ruid’s.

Damon stroked his chin and said arrogantly:

“Hmm. A somewhat disappointing result.”

“……”

The already cold temperature of the North seemed to drop another degree.

Soon after, the knights began to shout:

“What are you doing, you punk!”

“Hey, you crazy bastard!”

“Can’t you see even the magical beasts are dumbfounded!”

“This isn’t the time! Formation! Formation!”

Just as they were frantically trying to reform their lines—

The Windsor knights simultaneously stopped what they were doing. For some reason, the air felt hot. And this was a familiar pattern.

Everyone looked up at the wall together. In the center, Irene was holding someone up high.

“S-stop right there!”

“This time it’s real!”

“Retreat behind the wall with all your might!”

The Windsor knights retreated in unison.

This was because the person Irene was holding up like a symbol was none other than Ruid.

‘Why am I even doing this.’

Ruid opened his drowsy eyes and waited for the Windsor knights to retreat.

He had come to the wall looking for Amelia, only to be caught by Irene.

“Just show us once. Okay?”

Since it wasn’t difficult, he might as well take care of the magical beasts.

‘What should I do?’

Ruid rummaged through his robe.

Looking at the mass of magical beasts, he thought of something he wanted to try.

“Can I do this too?”

It was a brilliantly shining gold coin.

Ruid lightly flicked the coin. Making a clear sound, the coin rose into the air.

Ruid made a circle with his fingers and aimed at the falling coin.

Then, filling his fingertip with magic and releasing it with full force, he flicked it at just the right moment.

“Yap.”

— – — -!

Along with a high-frequency sound inaudible to human ears.

Blue magical power filled the field of vision and pushed away the snow of the North.