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Chapter 271
A Perfect Stranger
The Imperial Palace of the Arken Empire.
A place where nothing higher than it could be built within the territory.
A place where merely showing killing intent could exterminate three generations, where only obedience was permitted.
In that place, at the spot where the Emperor should have been standing.
Before everyone's eyes, the Emperor died.
Е̄ n ú m̄а. їd́
No one could react.
The sense of disconnect from the reality unfolding before their eyes overwhelmed everyone.
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Valdemar Golt, who should have been a dying old man, stood with his back ramrod straight and split the Emperor from heart to head.
Even after creating such a gruesome scene, Valdemar's face was composed.
He stood there and calmly looked down at the assembly.
Many soldiers stood on the balcony, but no one moved to stop him.
W еb n̂ оv̊е́l Е́ǹ u m ȧ
Were they too powerful to move even when the Emperor was touched,
Or was it possible because they were all in on it together?
Amidst the silence, the old man who had killed the Emperor on the balcony opened his mouth.
"Dear subjects of the Arken Empire."
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His words were clear.
His voice, as if every organ in his lungs had swelled, was hard to believe came from a dying old man.
Е̃n ú m ă. іd
"Today, my sword split the Empire's greatest enemy and cut their breath short."
His words were full of contradictions.
The Empire's heart is the Emperor, and piercing that heart would be severing their lifeline, so how could he claim to have killed an enemy?
"At this very moment, I, the eldest here, heard a final will from the late Emperor. That will was very brief, but clear. It was to protect the Empire he loved."
His voice was filled with persuasive power.
Valdemar Golt was not merely someone riding on his family's prestige, but one who had proven himself through action.
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"I protected it. I took up sword and shield, blocked the enemy's malice, and cut it down with my sword. Furthermore, I mercilessly cut down those who would become enemies. That was the execution of the will I could perform for my most cherished friend, my comrade, my liege and the late Emperor, and the current Emperor, Godfrey's father."
His gaze swept across the assembly.
He met everyone's eyes, and though it was but a moment, it felt as if he pierced their chests.
"However, the current Emperor did not love the Empire. The Empire was rotting from within. The Emperor abandoned the gods' will and neglected fifty million imperial citizens!"
His voice rose with appeal.
"What of the situation in the provinces? Corrupt officials ran rampant, disrespecting the ancestors' will and selling the future to chase only today's profit! They didn't care at all about the subjects who should become the Empire's pillars!"
W е bn̄оv ẽl̂ Е̂ n̂ û m а
All those seated were nobles.
Among them were the corrupt officials he spoke of, and their complexions grew increasingly poor.
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"But the most vicious of all are those who seized seats in the Golden Congress! That provincial nobles were tested and corrupted can be said to have been caused by the tyranny of the central nobles! They were busy covering their eyes and ears to the suffering of provincials and subjects alike, concerned only with filling their own bellies!"
Now most nobles' expressions were bad.
Even those who had ridden Valdemar's coattails were no exception.
"How could such greed arise in their hearts? Because they lack Order. What is that Order? It is Arken. The three letters that should be the symbol of Order, Arken, have no value, so desire wedged its way into their hearts and made them brazen! The root of all this began with the Imperial Family's blood!"
We b n ovе́ l Ĕn üm̃ а̊
Ferda thought.
Talk about brazen—that side's no slouch either.
Since he couldn't obtain Olivia anyway, was he pulling this stunt as a final hurrah?
"That is why I have decided. I will sever the Imperial Family's bloodline!"
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That was when.
A new figure was dragged onto the balcony by soldiers.
Е̇ ňû m а̊ .іḋ
Now that he had killed the Emperor directly, there was only one thing left for him to dispose of.
Alexander Arken.
Since the Second Prince Ureas had died, he was the only one who could ascend to the throne.
But every expectation went awry.
"Th-that's?!"
"Isn't that the Princess?"
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It was Olivia Arken, who was scheduled for the Saintess Appointment Ceremony.
Olivia knelt, bound by the knights.
Everyone clearly confirmed her presence.
Olivia, her makeup smeared with tears, struggling to live until the very end.
Ferda met Olivia's eyes.
Her blue eyes were trembling with fear and screaming.
Ѐňû m̌ ӑ .id̈
But before he could show any reaction, Valdemar's next action followed.
Sgeok—.
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The sword strike was terribly clean.
For just an instant, Olivia didn't even know she was dead and gasped hiccuping, then the light left her face.
Valdemar lifted the severed head of Olivia.
And holding it before everyone, he spoke thus.
Е̄ ň uṁ а. і̆ d
"I declare before all watching eyes! I, Valdemar Golt, shall rule in place of Arken's bloodline from this moment, and I swear to set right the lost twenty years!"
The Imperial Palace was thus occupied by Valdemar Golt's hand.
* * *
To the territory's people, the Lord is everything; to the kingdom's people, the King is everything.
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To the Arken Empire's citizens, the Emperor Godfrey Arken is everything.
At such a crisis where even Godfrey's death, a public usurpation ceremony, took place, rumors spread in an instant.
Е̇n u.m̂ ӑ . ï d̂
The Empire was abuzz with an unprecedented hot potato.
-Hard as I look, it's hard to believe it's true.
-How could Grand Duke Golt possibly kill the Emperor?
But the bewilderment was brief, and not a few people agreed with the speech's content.
-It's true the Empire's Emperor was incompetent.
-Even when the Crown Prince handled affairs, what improved in our lives?
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-Grand Duke Golt has made a decision to save the nation this time.
Valdemar was a noble for the imperial citizens, and that image hadn't cracked once in decades.
But the Emperor was famous for not showing his face for over a decade, and it was also true the country was turning into a mess.
"There's no doubt he's diverting that anger with nowhere to go toward the Emperor to solidify his support base even further."
"Indeed......."
It was correct, as Garnet analyzed.
Ӗn ům а̇ . і̄d
But she couldn't hide her troubled expression either.
No wonder, since Valdemar's actions had completely departed from the realm of prediction.
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"What happened to Alexander's life or death?"
"The Crown Prince is said to have fled west during the ordination ceremony. We're tracking continuously, and just in case, we're erasing traces."
"I see."
"Is it unnecessary meddling?"
W ė bn о̌ v̂ е l _Е nû mà
"No, do as you are."
No matter how useless the Crown Prince was, he was still of the Emperor's bloodline.
Keeping him alive would yield many uses, so keeping him alive was right.
"To think he'd execute her right there on the spot......."
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Everything deviated from Garnet's predictions.
No, who could have predicted it?
Ѐ ň.ŭ.mа. i d̈.
Betrayal is insanity, and killing someone before everyone's eyes is utter insanity.
It's as absurd as being struck by lightning seven times in a row among sharp lightning rods.
'Still, it's not an impossible story.'
Whatever else, Valdemar is the Second-in-command.
No matter how many people are under his feet, there is one above him.
'As long as that one holds the leash, Valdemar cannot obtain what he wants most.'
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To get the jewel, he kills its owner.
If you think that way, Valdemar's rebellion makes sense.
But Valdemar's actions went beyond that.
He killed the owner and shattered the jewel too.
If he wanted the bloodline completely severed, why did he crave Olivia so?
'Despair?'
Е̄ ň.ŭ ṁ а
Was it a 'since she'll become a Saintess and I can't have her anymore, let's kill everyone' mentality?
'No.'
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In Ferda's judgment, it wasn't.
His obsession toward Olivia wouldn't crumble at just that level.
One word circled in Ferda's mind.
'Irrationality.'
Е̄n ů ḿ_а̃ .і̄ d̊
That act had far too many irrational elements underlying it.
Many things that couldn't be understood by emotion or reason.
"By the way, is it okay for us to be here like this?"
Jed leaned by the window, peeking outside.
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"Valdemar killed the Emperor and Princess, and seized power, right? Right now he'd have nothing to lose, and it seems like we'd be among those he'd target."
"I agree with that. Taking unnecessary risks here isn't good."
W е b n о v̂е̄ l̇ Ё nu m̌ ȧ
"We should pack up and get out of here right now...... shit......."
An f-bomb dropped from Jed's mouth.
He saw a conspicuous procession outside the window.
"When the tiger's away, the fox is king. They're bringing quite the army here."
It was Valdemar's escort army.
As if he'd become Emperor, they occupied the entire road and advanced along the boulevard.
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Seeing the numbers and scale, Garnet urgently issued orders.
"Tell all knights to conduct equipment checks! Intelligence agents in disguise, ascertain escape routes!"
"Yes!"
Garnet tried to construct a plan so Ferda could escape from here in the worst-case scenario.
But Ferda spoke thus to her command.
"Do not be on guard."
E_n̂ ü m̀а̂.і d̈
And he ordered them.
"If they come here, receive them as guests."
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"As guests, you say?"
She asked back, unable to believe Ferda's judgment.
"Right now Grand Duke Golt is a potential madman. He cut the Emperor's throat—bringing him in as a guest is dangerous."
"No need to worry. He's probably not mad."
Е̄ ṅ û m̃ a .іd
If he'd only heard the news of Valdemar's usurpation, Ferda might have been cautious too.
But Ferda had seen that usurpation scene with his own two eyes.
Ferda replayed that scene in his mind over and over, reviewing everything again.
And he became certain of one thing.
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"If they come, receive them as guests. I will not tolerate a single rude act."
At Ferda's order, they couldn't say a word.
W е b̃ǹôv̊е́l̆ Е̂n ūmа̂
He wasn't a foolish human digging his own grave.
There was nothing to do but do his job to the best of his ability in this spine-chilling gamble.
Valdemar, moving his great army, arrived at the inn where Ferda was staying, as expected.
The streets were controlled by armed guards, and the area fell silent in an instant.
Valdemar entered inside and came to where Ferda was.
"Regent Ferda."
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The same place as before, the same meeting.
The difference was, the Grand Duke Golt who had held a stooped posture now had a ramrod-straight back, and above all, he was composed.
"Grand Duke Golt, no, 'Usurper' would be more fitting."
"Truly honest. Other bastards are already sucking up saying the legitimate successor has ascended the throne."
"I'm not the type to think I can score points with such clumsy flattery."
"Good mindset."
Е̄ ñ u m ǎ
Grand Duke Golt sat across from Ferda.
"For a dying old man, you're unexpectedly agile and strong."
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"Cut the useless talk. You already know well enough what my body's condition is, don't you?"
Valdemar remembered Ferda's eyes.
Those eyes like falling into a deep lake.
He knew those eyes had seen through the fact that his body remained in a robust middle-aged state.
Ẽ n uṁа .i d̆
"Would you believe me if I said that's not all I know?"
"What do you mean?"
Ferda doesn't speak.
For several seconds, merely meeting each other's eyes was their only conversation.
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That alone was enough.
"Dismiss your people. I'll dismiss mine too."
Wêb̆ň о̆ ṽ ėl̄ Е̃ n̈u ḿ а
Valdemar waved his hand at his knights ostentatiously and withdrew them first.
Ferda followed suit and sent his people out.
It weighed on his mind to leave alone a madman who had cut the Emperor's throat mere hours ago, but it couldn't be helped.
The room became a space for just the two of them.
"I'll give you a chance."
Valdemar said.
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"A chance for what?"
"Just as even lovers don't know things unless they're spoken, there's something like that between you and me too. And I'm giving that chance to you. Try throwing the right question at me."
So now it was Ferda's turn.
Ferda asked thus.
"What did you do with Olivia?"
To Ferda's question, he answered.
Е nū m а̌. і̊ ď
"What do you mean 'what did I do'? You saw it well enough too. Her head was cut off."
"I know well that wasn't Olivia herself."
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Ferda recalled the contents of that usurpation ceremony, bringing to mind the things that had caught his eye.
The one dragged by the knights was undoubtedly Olivia.
The Empire's greatest beauty, the Golden Rose, a perfect body that even demons would envy and covet.
In appearance, she was undoubtedly so.
Ě n̊ú ṁ å
"Our eyes met. And I realized."
"Realized what?"
"She looked unbearably wronged."
When she seduced Ureas and instigated rebellion,
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When she faced Ferda,
She was always composed.
Е n u mа
She knew what sins she committed, so she had no shame, and having no shame, she had no regret.
There was no way she'd shed tears and snot begging for her life.
She was Olivia, yet a perfect stranger.
"So it must be a Doppler, right?"
A superior variant of the doppelganger that transforms into a person by absorbing their blood.
If there's blood, it can change anytime, so becoming Olivia was no difficulty.
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"Looking at you always makes me think this."
Valdemar made a quite satisfied face.
"Why can't a man like you be had, I think."
