Chapter 20 : The Spark Of Civil War

The Duke of Pegress.

From the first emperor to the previous one, it was a family of dukes that had masterfully maintained its legacy by walking a fine line.

Renowned for their exceptional flattery skills, they spared no effort in aiding the emperors, earning the nickname “Emperor Makers” among the nobility.

Pegress was favored by successive emperors to such an extent that their family motto prioritized serving the emperor above managing their own territories.

It was no exaggeration to say that everyone in Pegress was a devoted admirer of the emperor.

“Ha-ha! Once again, we have succeeded! We’ve upheld the honor of our ancestors!”

“Indeed, Duke Pegress, you are incredible!”

“Congratulations! Once again, you’ve secured the honor of being the empire’s greatest ducal house!”

“Thanks to you, Duke, even we can enjoy the spoils. We are truly grateful!”

Two days remained until the emperor’s succession ceremony.

Inside the grand mansion of the Pegress family, a modest banquet was underway.

Nobles who supported Crown Prince Armin had gathered to share in the celebration.

The host of the event, the current head of the Pegress family, Selman Pegress, was an ardent supporter of Crown Prince Armin.

Immediately after Ariel’s birth, Selman had declared his support for the crown prince and spared no effort in aiding him.

His reason for backing Armin was simple: the emperor showed no interest in heirs, and Ariel, the princess, was the prince’s sole competition.

Confident that Armin would ascend the throne without incident, Selman made his choice.

“Although we couldn’t get rid of the troublesome Princess Ariel, that’s no longer a concern.

Once the succession ceremony is over, His Majesty Armin will take care of her himself!”

“Poor thing. She only has two days left to live.”

“If I were the princess, I’d spend the remaining two days indulging in pleasure without any regrets.”

“But who would dare touch the princess? Anyone involved might lose their head.”

“The beggars in the slums wouldn’t care. They’d gladly lower their pants for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to enjoy the princess’s body.”

“A filthy beggar and a noble condemned prisoner—a match made in heaven! Ha-ha!”

As their conversation revealed, the Pegress family, led by Selman, had orchestrated multiple assassination attempts on Ariel.

Over the years, they had persistently sought to eliminate her, but thanks to Ariel’s brilliant intellect and the resourcefulness of Siyoon, they had failed repeatedly, each time seething with frustration.

Now that they no longer needed to concern themselves with her, Selman raised his wine glass high.

“Come, everyone, raise your glasses! Let’s keep the same toast as always! For the Kaem Empire!”

“Long live!”

“For His Majesty Armin!”

“Long live the emperor!”

“Ha-ha-ha!”

Everyone in the banquet hall laughed heartily, raising their glasses and drinking the wine.

Though the bitterness lingered in their mouths longer than usual, they dismissed it as the taste of fine wine and continued their boisterous chatter.

Just as the atmosphere was reaching its peak, an unusual incident occurred among those who had been drinking nonstop.

“Huh? Did I drink too much? Why is my vision spinning like this?”

The man swayed on the spot, trying to regain his balance.

Suddenly, a metallic taste rose from his throat, and he collapsed to his knees, vomiting.

Blood stained the red carpet a dark hue.

“W-What is this? Blood?”

“Cough, cough! My body… something’s wrong!”

The man’s bloody vomiting was the signal, and one by one, others began to cough up blood.

It was only then that the people in the banquet hall realized something had gone terribly wrong.

But it was already too late.

Every one of them had quenched their thirst with the bittersweet wine of death.

Crash!

At that moment, the doors to the banquet hall burst open, and a woman entered.

With graceful steps, she walked confidently into the hall.

She was someone who should not have been here—an uninvited guest.

“How are you all this evening? The moon is exceptionally beautiful tonight, isn’t it?”

“Princess Ariel…?”

“I was just passing by and happened to hear my name being mentioned, so I stopped in. If I heard correctly, it was about how Duke Pegress was frustrated for not being able to kill me. Is that right?”

“Could… could this be your doing?”

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to. Oh! If you mean the wine, then yes. Did it suit your tastes?”

Ariel responded playfully with a bright smile.

Those in the banquet hall, however, found her smile chilling, causing them to vomit blood more violently.

The floor, once covered in pristine red carpet, was now darkened with thick, crimson stains.

“Poison…! Are you planning to kill everyone attending this banquet?”

“Yes!”

“Do you have any idea how many important people are present here? What have you done?”

“Duke Pegress, if by ‘important people’ you mean those who grovel to the emperor so much they tear themselves apart, then I have no use for them. I only want capable subordinates by the emperor’s side!”

“You’re insane!”

“No, you’re the insane one. You’ve been trying to kill me, the princess, for years and never considered the possibility that you might die yourself. Thanks to you, I’ve grown accustomed to checking every glass of wine for poison before drinking it.”

Poisoning wine was the most basic assassination method.

It was easily avoidable if one inspected the contents, making it a rather sloppy tactic.

Yet Selman had let his guard down completely.

Over the decades of assassination attempts, Ariel had never once retaliated.

The belief that the princess would never seek revenge had given him false hope.

“Urgh! Hah… hah… His Majesty will never forgive this!”

“His Majesty? Surely you don’t mean the pathetic emperor who’s already dead… Ah-ha! You must mean the incompetent Armin, right?”

Ariel responded to Selman’s warning with a mocking laugh.

“To insult His Majesty so boldly…!”

“I’ve heard that the Pegress family has always supported those destined to become emperor. How unfortunate that this time, a foolish descendant has ruined the family.”

“What did you say!”

“Sorry, but Armin will never become emperor. I’ll make sure of it—even if I have to wring his neck.”

With a sharp glint in her eyes, Ariel grabbed Selman’s hair as he crumpled to the floor, poisoned and gasping for breath.

Her chilling declaration to kill her own brother left no room for doubt.

Selman trembled uncontrollably as his eyes rolled back.

He was the last of the attendees to die, marking the complete annihilation of everyone present in the hall.

“The stench of decay already fills the air. Perhaps it’s because the empire’s trash has gathered here.”

Ariel let go of Selman’s hair, allowing his head to drop into the pool of blood beneath him.

Despite the blood splattered on her clothes, she paid no attention and turned to leave the way she came.

Even as she walked across the blood-soaked floor, an inexplicable elegance emanated from her.

As she reached the door, Ariel turned back once more.

“Thank you for the compliment about me and beggars being a good match. Ironically, someone precious to me once lived as a vagabond in the slums.”

She smiled brilliantly and tossed a single lily into the hall before exiting gracefully.

This event would become the catalyst for a civil war over succession within the empire.

After hurriedly finishing my first journey, I now face my greatest dilemma.

“I absolutely cannot let you go!”

Retia, with a fierce expression, blocked my path with her arms spread wide.

When I shared the Sea Dragon’s advice to travel to the empire, Retia naturally opposed it.

I even explained the potential disaster that could occur, but her stance remained unchanged.

It was troubling.

Leaving quietly might feel like a betrayal to her.

I had told her the truth because I didn’t want to make her sad.

“I’m not planning to live in the empire. I’m just going for a short visit.”

“And what if you get caught? You’ll be executed!”

“I won’t get caught. I’ll be entering with a hidden identity. Zenith has already prepared the fake documents.”

Retia shot a sharp glare at Zenith, who returned the look with nonchalance.

Feeling like she was scolding me for doing something unnecessary, Retia seemed conflicted.

Despite this, Zenith calmly supported me.

“Master, the Sea Dragon’s words, as relayed by Siyoon, have proven to be accurate. The cargo ship was indeed attacked by pirates, and numerous fishermen operating in the restricted zone have been arrested. While the divine oracle is hard to believe, it may hold some truth.”

The empire was currently in turmoil, embroiled in a bitter conflict between the Crown Prince and the Princess.

The chaos seemed to be the reason I was urged to head there.

Although I couldn’t predict how my intervention would impact the situation, one thing was clear.

“I promise I’ll come back. Can’t you let me go?”

“Ugh, that look is so unfair.”

When I softened my gaze and showed a pleading expression, Retia hesitated.

She bit her lip, clearly torn by her desire to keep me from leaving.

Her resistance stemmed from concern for my safety, and there was only one way to reassure her.

“I’ll finish everything in the empire and return to the kingdom for the grandest wedding…”

“No! Absolutely not!”

“But if I don’t show you how serious I am, you’ll just keep worrying, won’t you?”

“That just made me even more worried! In the kingdom, it’s illegal to mention marriage or proposals before departing for battle. Too many people who did that ended up dying!”

I was shocked to learn that even in this world, such a thing as a death flag existed.

How many people had to die for it to become an official law?

“This is tricky. If I can’t say that, how do I prove my feelings to you?”

“There is a way.”

Retia still had her arms spread wide to block me.

Smiling warmly, I hugged her, thinking that was what she wanted.

However, she patted my back lightly, signaling that wasn’t it.

Confused, I tilted my head.

She chuckled softly, closed her eyes, and leaned her face toward me.

Catching her cue, I leaned in as well and kissed her.

We shared a heartfelt, lingering kiss, and when it finally ended, Retia stepped back.

“Come back safely.”

“I will. I’ll prioritize my safety since I’m no longer alone.”

“If you die, I’ll break every taboo and bring you back as an undead. So be prepared.”

“Uh… got it…”

I’d better make sure I don’t die—becoming undead didn’t sound appealing.