Ch.297Explosion (2)

“What on earth were you thinking when you did that?”

“Did what?”

Exactly two weeks had passed since I’d slapped Hyria’s cheek.

I answered Rina’s question with a gruff voice. Currently, Rina and I were heading to the teleport facility installed in the imperial palace.

As you might have guessed, we’re scheduled to depart for the Kingdom of Teres.

I’m not just an ordinary noble, but someone who boldly slapped a princess’s cheek with many witnesses around. I might as well be going there as a “criminal.”

No matter how much Hyria insulted Adelia, the game was over the moment I raised my hand against her.

I’m merely the heir of a baronial family, while Hyria is a princess.

Even in my previous life, I often saw wrongdoings covered up by power. In a place with formal titles like this, it would be even worse—more severe, not less.

“I’m just busy right now, but if I had time, this could have been resolved. Stealing someone’s fiancé doesn’t make sense even to us. If you’d been a little more patient, Teres would likely have intervened even without our involvement.”

“That’s just a possibility. How could I stand by when Adel was insulted about her parents?”

“That’s true, but… sigh. Hyria must have wanted something like this to happen… what are we going to do…”

Rina placed her hand on her forehead as if the mere thought gave her a headache. From her perspective, this was like a bolt from the blue, so it must be even more awkward for her.

I gave a bitter smile, feeling somewhat apologetic, then recalled what happened two weeks ago—right after I slapped Hyria.

With a clear, crisp sound, Hyria’s head turned to the left, followed by someone’s gasp and a deathly silence.

Afterward, I declared to Hyria, so only she could hear, that I was Xenon. Her reaction was, of course, one of bewilderment.

It was incredibly satisfying to see her dumbfounded expression as she touched her cheek with one hand, but the problem was that too many people were watching.

Hyria couldn’t let this slide either, so she formally protested, and the startled Empire of Minerva also took action.

“By the way, this is a personal matter. Do you really need to come along?”

I asked Rina, who seemed troubled. As I suggested, this was a personal matter, so the Empire of Minerva could have looked the other way.

It’s called cutting losses, a technique commonly used in politics. And quite appropriate for the current situation.

Even though a noble from their country did something wrong, this is clearly a personal matter. It means the imperial family doesn’t need to get involved.

Moreover, the Mayshall family isn’t aligned with any “faction.” Though it appears peaceful on the surface, the Empire of Minerva is divided into two factions.

The imperial family with Rina and Marie, and House Reckyless. And then there are the counts who currently wield the strongest influence.

Even in real history, counts who can exercise actual power are stronger than dukes or marquises. Marquises are essentially military, so they’re exceptions.

In this situation, the Mayshall family belongs to neither side and lives apart from both.

“Since you’re engaged to Marie, you’ve essentially joined hands with us.”

“Shouldn’t the counts be keeping an eye on that? Nothing’s happened so far.”

“They’re probably just watching for now. From the moment you and Marie marry, and we grant you a separate title, countless checks will come in. However, since the Mayshall territory is developing into one of the empire’s rare cultural cities, it might be awkward for them to interfere.”

Even for a cultural city, it would be difficult to interfere easily because of my father’s presence. Once they learn that our father is the Red Lion, they’ll naturally be cautious.

Especially since, during his active years, father’s status within the military was higher than that of most knights. So, touching my father is the same as touching the military as a whole.

“Hmm. I understand.”

“A person who understands slaps a princess’s cheek? Do you know how shocked we were? When I first heard it, I thought someone else had hit her, not you.”

Seeing Rina grumbling unlike her usual self, she seems genuinely surprised. Well, I’m not the type to hit anyone, and even an inconsiderate noble wouldn’t touch a princess, especially a foreign dignitary.

What’s more serious is that Princess Hyria came to the academy for the purpose of exchange with the empire. There were also rumors that it was for marriage with Leort.

They sent a princess with goodwill, only for some baron, who hasn’t even inherited his title yet, to slap her?

This is an issue that could turn both Teres and Minerva upside down. It’s enough for both the Kingdom of Teres and the Empire of Minerva to question the crime.

However, seeing that only Rina, the highest authority, is by my side and no one else, it’s clear this is a case of cutting losses. Of course, they’ll bring along Adelia and other knight escorts, but it’s not significant.

If I weren’t Xenon, I could be summarily executed in the Kingdom of Teres without any defense, and in the worst case, it could even lead to war.

Insulting and assaulting a leader would be an excellent pretext.

“Issac.”

“Yes?”

“Can you handle the aftermath? Seeing that you brought that, it seems you’ve made up your mind.”

Rina gestured with her chin toward my hand. In my hand was a mail containing the draft of the Biography of Xenon.

As she said, since I’ve already revealed it to Hyria, I’m firmly resolved. However, I need to gauge how to approach based on the situation.

Even when I revealed it to Hyria, I made sure those around couldn’t hear. This means that currently, only Hyria knows my identity.

Even after being slapped, she didn’t argue but ran away. If someone saw, it might have seemed like a tragic heroine, drawing even more attention.

Anyway, the path will likely diverge depending on whether Hyria told her family or not. Of course, if the Teres royal family also acts like jerks…

‘No, I hit her first, so it can’t be helped.’

It would be inevitable if they approach aggressively. This deserves consideration, so it’s best to wait and see.

I brought the draft just in case I’m pushed into a defensive position or if they show unresponsive behavior.

Although I slapped the princess, anyone in their right mind would listen to the circumstances.

However, there’s a “very” high probability they’ll act like jerks, if only to deny Adelia’s existence. It’s called insurance, but it’s really to give them a proper lesson.

“I’ve made up my mind. However, if the Teres royal family imposes a reasonable punishment, I’m willing to overlook it.”

“To what extent?”

“Maybe to the point where I bow my head? Anyway…”

I paused mid-sentence and looked around. The place where Rina and I are now is the waiting room assigned to the teleport facility.

The teleport facility requires interaction to activate, but for some reason, perhaps because the Kingdom of Teres is being stubborn, there’s a delay.

So, only Rina and I are in the waiting room. However, I’m not sure if the waiting room is soundproof.

“If you’re worried about soundproofing, don’t be.”

“Thanks. Anyway, in the heat of the moment, I told Princess Hyria too. That I’m Xenon. But I’m not sure if she’ll believe it.”

“Hmm… I understand. We’ll see when we get there. From what I hear, the Kingdom of Teres seems quite perplexed too. They might want to hear the circumstances because it doesn’t make sense.”

Knock knock knock-

As soon as Rina finished her response, someone knocked. It’s soundproof, so we can’t hear from outside, but it seems all preparations are complete.

At this, both of us stood up without anyone needing to go first. The atmosphere seemed to have become a bit heavy, so I didn’t forget to mix in a joke.

“If I reveal that I’m Xenon, what will you all do?”

“I’ll have to marry you. This isn’t my will, but Abamama will make the decision directly. You expected this, right?”

Rina responded to my joke with a wink, appearing relaxed. However, it’s only outwardly relaxed; being used as a “tool” isn’t a pleasant thing for her.

From what I’ve observed so far, Rina is unlike the women of this era, showing self-directed and proactive traits. In many ways, she’s too valuable a talent to be used as a tool for a political marriage.

“If you want, I can just accept your feelings without actually marrying. I don’t mind just receiving the title.”

“Whatever. I don’t have a man I like, so it’s good for me too if I marry you. And…”

Rina was speaking slyly but then abruptly closed her mouth. As I tilted my head in confusion, I could see her expression.

Her cheeks began to turn subtly red, as if she was lost in her own imagination again. Given that Rina had peeked at my relationships with women and even fantasized about them, it’s probably similar now.

“…see directly.”

“What?”

“Never mind if you didn’t hear.”

Rina, with her reddened face, smiled enigmatically and then spoke in her characteristically elegant tone.

“At least in my eyes, there’s no man as excellent as you.”

“Is that sincere?”

“It is.”

“There’s no other intention behind it?”

“…Not at all?”

The answer came late, but I’ll let it slide.

*****

What symbolizes the Kingdom of Teres is undoubtedly “culture.” The reason it’s called the country of culture stems from its powerful cultural influence.

Most people, even elves, call the Kingdom of Teres the country of culture for one reason.

If Alfheim is the origin of all civilizations, then the Kingdom of Teres is the first country where humans established civilization.

Here, we need to reconsider the extent to which “culture” applies. As you know, there are numerous types of culture.

Language, customs, religion, academics, art, institutions, history, technology, and so on. Thus, culture cannot be defined singularly, and even scholars have differing opinions.

In such a situation, human culture was born in the Kingdom of Teres, or more precisely, in its predecessor state.

On Earth, humanity was spread throughout, allowing various civilizations to emerge, but in this world, “monsters” exist.

For ancient humans who couldn’t even use mana, monsters were walking calamities. While lower-tier monsters like goblins, trolls, or orcs could be dealt with bare-handed, it all ended at the ogre level.

Due to this chronic problem, humans chose “safety” over exploration, and even when they established civilizations, they merely protected their country without much thought of moving elsewhere.

However, after the birth of culture and faith, the advancement of technology and science, and furthermore, the ability to handle “mana,” the story changed.

The “monsters” once thought to be calamities were downgraded to entities that could be adequately dealt with. Society also developed, leading to various conflicts within.

The so-called “exiles” or “pioneers” separated from civilization to establish another, and by repeating this, numerous countries were born.

However, in terms of attire, customs, faith, technology, and more, since they came from the country that was the origin of culture, many aspects inevitably resembled each other.

After going through the Demon War, the birth of the demon race, and the racial war, scholars unanimously state:

The Kingdom of Teres is the birthplace of human culture, a country that can never be matched culturally or symbolically. It’s a region where humans gained pride similar to elves.

While Alfheim, the starting point of all civilizations, can also be considered a country of culture, the reason the Kingdom of Teres is specifically mentioned is because there are more human countries than those of other races.

In this way, the Kingdom of Teres, beyond its symbolism, has consistently developed its culture to improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Even the Empire of Minerva, a military powerhouse, cannot treat it carelessly because it’s obvious they would face direct backlash from the kingdom’s citizens if they tried to forcibly rule.

To gradually break this down, they are nurturing or stealing away numerous talents, including artists, using economic power, but the culture of the Kingdom of Teres remains solid.

However, there were incidents like the Jeiros Revolution, where the culture almost collapsed at once due to their own mistakes, but fortunately, it’s been well resolved now.

However, since the Jeiros Revolution occurred during the previous king’s reign, it hasn’t been completely resolved.

Just as a nail can be removed but leaves a hole and causes cracks around it, there’s much lingering anxiety in the Kingdom of Teres.

Especially at the current point, what the Kingdom of Teres is most wary of is none other than the Biography of Xenon. The Biography of Xenon has transcended the level of culture, and they’re trying their best to draw it in.

If Xenon were to go to another country, especially the Empire of Minerva, it would be beyond a catastrophe and would significantly increase the possibility of their invasion.

At the current point, the Biography of Xenon has deeply penetrated to the extent that it’s harder to find someone who hasn’t read it, and even renowned artists display related works at exhibitions.

An empire that collapses from external attacks can rise again, but an empire that collapses from within has a 100% chance of being irreparable.

Having painfully realized this fact through the Jeiros Revolution, the recruitment of Xenon is an indispensable choice for the Kingdom of Teres.

And there was one person who not only squandered this choice but could also cause the kingdom to collapse…

‘It can’t be. It can’t be. How could such a person…’

Hyria, the second princess of the Kingdom of Teres, who was slapped by the enraged Issac.

Even after returning to the Kingdom of Teres, she remained locked in her bedroom, showing no intention of coming out.

This was because Issac’s words when he slapped her cheek kept circling in her mind all day.

More than being called a bitch, it was his confession in the heat of the moment that he was Xenon.

Her certainty that it absolutely wasn’t true shattered into pieces and fell on her head in less than a day.

‘What if he’s really Xenon? No, there’s no evidence that red guy is Xenon. But if he said it in front of me, there’s a high chance it’s true?’

Her swollen cheek had completely subsided over time, but Hyria’s appearance had rapidly become haggard over the two weeks.

She ate properly and was cared for by her maid, but her mind was still pondering the relationship between Issac and Xenon.

Especially if one doesn’t get proper sleep despite all the care, it’s all in vain. Testifying to this, there are dark circles under her eyes.

She could cover them with makeup, which she dislikes so much, but it wouldn’t make much difference.

‘Please, it shouldn’t be true. If it’s real, I…’

Hyria anxiously bit her nails. If Issac is truly Xenon, not only she but also the Kingdom of Teres would be in danger.

With just one letter from Issac, the citizens of the Kingdom of Teres would harbor great discontent, and perhaps an event even greater than the Jeiros Revolution could occur.

If that happens, the kingdom would gradually collapse from within. The Empire of Minerva would nibble away at the divided pie.

It’s terrible. It’s the worst. It’s fucked, and so on. All sorts of negative thoughts swirled in her mind.

‘Should I have told them?’

She hadn’t informed her family about the possibility that Issac might be Xenon. She only told them about the circumstances of getting slapped.

Naturally, except for Lara, her family members are threatening to teach him a lesson. If this continues, they might even commit a grave offense against Issac.

If Issac, properly angered by this, reveals himself as Xenon and further presents evidence…

Knock knock knock-

“Princess Hyria. The distinguished guests have arrived at the palace.”

While she was imagining the worst scenario, a maid knocked on the door and quietly delivered the news.

At this news, Hyria, who had been hiding under the blanket, quickly raised her head.

Due to the emotional distress she had been through, there are dark circles under her eyes.

“Th-they’re here? Did you just say they’ve arrived?”

“Yes. Also, there’s an instruction from the Crown Prince for Princess Hyria to attend the upcoming trial.”

“Ah, I understand. I’ll be out soon.”

“Would you perhaps need makeup…”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll do it myself.”

Just covering the dark circles should be enough. Hyria jumped out of bed without even properly adjusting her clothes.

‘Please, it shouldn’t be true…’

Is this what it feels like to walk towards hellfire on your own?

‘If it’s real…’

If Issac is truly Xenon.

‘…I’ll offer my body.’

She’s willing to be his plaything.