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Chapter 350
Wave of Reform
"What insolence toward His Majesty!!"
"No matter how much she's an Imperial Princess, that impious speech will cost her head!"
The retainers standing behind surged forward.
Olivia sent them a gaze filled with disgust.
She knew those were expressions with the clear intent to curry favor with the Emperor's mood.
Еn̆u m̂а . іd̈
Godfrey lightly raised his hand.
As expected, it became remarkably quiet.
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"It's not proper etiquette to shout loudly during a meal."
The Emperor placed beans on his fork with a spoon and asked.
"Enough with those excuses. Tell me. What has you so angry?"
There were many things tormenting Olivia.
W еbň о̇v̈ e ĺ Е nü m à
The Emperor's appearance still not looking at her.
But even that couldn't be called the root of her turmoil.
"Why did you handle the Far East situation like that?"
What made Olivia this way was what was happening in the Far East.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"You called them rebels for gathering troops and building a wall to stop the unimaginable amount of monsters that would pour out of the Devil's Land. Why would you do such a thing?"
"For the Empire's security."
Е̊ n̄ũ m̀a .і d̂
Godfrey drank his wine.
"Security?"
"That man had two choices: become my ally, or become a rebel. The certain thing was he didn't seem to have any intention of becoming my ally."
"Is that dichotomous and narrow-minded thinking what caused this situation?"
"I'm not the only one who's stubborn. If Regent Ferda had accepted my proposal, it would've been good for both of us. But he didn't. In the end, I can say I didn't put him in danger."
"That person isn't stupid."
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Then she gestured with her chin at the men standing behind Godfrey.
"Unlike them, who believe something will fall their way if they just suck up."
The indignant retainers tried to open their mouths.
"Certainly, he is that kind of person."
Godfrey acknowledged the fact calmly.
"Living by one's convictions creates a great wave in the Empire. Transformation replaces rotting pillars, but the Emperor must control that wave. Only then is the Empire's continued existence assured."
Е n̄ ú må . ïd̆
"So you want to destroy the Far East too, and make Valdrova the Empire's dog forever?"
Godfrey wiped his mouth with a napkin.
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"Ferda Valdrova. Is that man special to you?"
Bewilderment rose at the sudden question.
Olivia answered calmly.
"He's special. He's a great patriot, isn't he? Without a doubt."
Е̂.ṅ ũ m̈а
"Just that?"
"Do I need to say more than that?"
Olivia forced a smile.
But Godfrey had zero interest in that mask.
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Olivia watched Godfrey without blinking once.
And he never once looked at Olivia.
Ĕ ñ ǔ m̆ӑ. і̀ ḋ
"Anyway, whatever happens to the Far East isn't something you need to concern yourself with. What you need to do is prepare for the Grand Duke's funeral tomorrow."
"......."
"At least you should make good use of that hero who saved you, shouldn't you? That's the only way anything will work out."
"......Yes, that's right."
Finally, Olivia's patience snapped.
Clatter!
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Olivia set down the fork she was holding as if throwing it.
She wiped her mouth with the tablecloth and rose from her seat.
"I've eaten well, Your Majesty. This girl will rise first to prepare for the funeral."
"Y-you rude...!"
The Empire's flower, a perfect beauty who had never once been corrected on etiquette.
> That Olivia committing rudeness came as a shock.
Ŵ е b̂nо̃ v̊ е́l̆ En u m a
Godfrey said nothing.
He just silently ate until the last dish.
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* * *
Valdemar Golt's corpse was in the cathedral's morgue.
After conducting the eulogy for the candidate saintess and the hero who sacrificed himself for her, the procession would begin.
Olivia looked down at him from inside the morgue.
E n u ḿa. ì d́
Valdemar Golt.
The last time Olivia saw his corpse, it was terribly damaged.
Forearms and fingers half blown off, thighs deeply slashed with bite marks, half his body gone - that wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Yet he didn't let go of his sword until the end.
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He perfectly blocked the demon invasion, and thanks to that, some of the Sword Masters who followed behind survived.
But the corpse before Olivia's eyes right now was remarkably clean.
Ē.n ùm ā
Nobles' funerals proceed like this.
If even a little form remains, they quickly graft flesh to restore it.
Hair fuller, even the age spots on his face all gone, he looked like an exceptionally clean old man.
"Grand Duke Golt......."
Olivia felt emotions welling up in her chest.
Quietly calling that name, she climbed atop the corpse and looked down at him.
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She was pressing down on Valdemar's shoulders so he couldn't move.
The sight of her looking down resembled an avenging woman from a masterpiece painting.
"You weren't supposed to die like this."
Hatred welling up from within.
Along with that hatred, she drew the dagger hidden in her bosom.
"The reason I gambled with those demons was because I could cleanly kill you and that lustful older brother."
E n û m̄á
The cold dagger pointed at the restored neck.
Throughout the night she could be alone, she repeated it countless times in her head, rehearsed it, drew it out - this moment of revenge.
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"You should've become an old man who died trying to rape me."
But that revenge is not fulfilled.
Look.
Even with the dagger at his throat, not a single drop of blood flows.
W̄ е b̂ n оv̈е̇ l̆ Е.nù m̄ a
No complex emotions on his face at dying by the hands of the bewitching girl he wanted so badly.
"I should've brought down everything you built, and you should've fallen together into the deep, distant reaches of hell."
She dropped the dagger in her hand.
"That's how it should've been......!"
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She whispered rage into Valdemar's ear and squeezed his throat with all her strength.
Olivia's nails dug in deep, but she couldn't collapse that peaceful-looking expression.
W̄ĕb ṅоv́ е l Еnu m̌ á
The dead man's expression whispered to her.
You failed.
Your brilliant plan failed.
And you were abandoned by the man you revered.
Stupid bitch.
"Haha......!"
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Laughter tinged with madness echoed in the morgue.
"Hahahahaha!! Hahaha!! Ha......!"
The laughter growing shorter.
"Haa......heuuk......."
Finally turning into sobs, collapsing.
"Eonni......."
Е̂ ń ũ m̌ а
Stella Arken.
My unbearably beautiful eonni.
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My beautiful eonni who ended up buried in fully bloomed roses until the end.
"I tried to settle eonni's grudge, I'm sorry......! I'm so sorry......."
The young girl who entered a new world through death.
Loathing and vengeance growing beyond control.
W е̊b̌ nо̇ v́ е l E n̈ú m a
A heart twisting because her frail body couldn't contain it all.
Olivia laughed like crazy, and cried like crazy.
She vomited and spat out the tangled, festering, twisted emotions.
And the moment everything was emptied, silence came.
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Olivia raised her head again.
The woman crazed for revenge and the girl who lost her eonni were no more.
Е.ǹu m̄а́ . ǐ d̊
The raging vortex of emotion had cleanly vanished.
Expressionless, flavorless - in that face her heart found peace.
Peaceful, therefore clean; clean, therefore clear.
Olivia came down from atop Grand Duke Golt.
She swept up her disheveled hair and opened the morgue door.
Before it stood the Grand Duke's loyal Sword Masters keeping watch.
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"Imperial Princess-nim."
"Where are you going?"
Olivia didn't answer. Instead, she unfastened the ornament on her head.
Silk-like hair surrendered to gravity and fell downward.
Particles of light she held seemed to flow down with it.
"The funeral will start soon. If you go somewhere now—."
Е̊ n̄um a
The Sword Masters couldn't say anything.
Just from Olivia simply turning her head and looking at them with her eyes, they were overwhelmed by her presence.
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"A robe."
Olivia spoke briefly to the Sword Masters.
At that, they prepared a robe and handed it to Olivia.
They were knights who had served only one lord.
Е n um̊а .і̃ d̈
If asked why they listened to Olivia, they would answer they didn't know either.
It was charisma that couldn't be explained simply as beauty.
Olivia shed the cumbersome Imperial Princess dress like a skin.
Since she wasn't a saintess, the only thing she could wear was a monk's gray robe.
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As if that alone was enough, Olivia donned the robe and left the underground morgue.
The firmly closed stone door opened, and sunlight poured in.
Ӗ num̃ а
The attention of people waiting near the entrance for Grand Duke Golt's funeral instantly concentrated.
"That person is......."
"Is that...... Imperial Princess Olivia?"
Even wearing only the gray robe monks wear, ironically people couldn't take their eyes off her.
Platinum hair swaying under the sun emitted light with each movement, drawing gazes.
That light was noble and pure.
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Everyone followed that light, forming order without disorder.
Even without the Sword Masters' escort, no one could harm Olivia.
Housewives, merchants, soldiers, priests, laborers.
Everyone made way for her path while simultaneously following behind.
Olivia, who had only walked silently, arrived at the center of the plaza.
The plaza that should have been empty filled with people in an instant.
Е n̊ú m̆а̄ .іd̂
That crowd was created purely by Olivia's steps alone.
Olivia climbed to the highest point in the plaza.
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That place was the gallows.
Everyone held their breath, looking up at Olivia and waiting.
Olivia put her own neck into the noose made ready for use at any time.
That bold action provoked everyone's anxiety.
En ū_m а̌
With all preparations complete, Olivia finally opened her mouth.
"Proud...... subjects of the Empire."
A mournful voice flowed out.
"My name is Olivia Arken. The pitiful woman commonly called the Empire's flower."
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Strangely, that voice was clear enough to reach every single person in the audience.
"Everyone looks at me and thinks: a single flower. Just a woman of that degree. They'll think that's the weight I carry. Just that much weight, nothing more."
Ẽ ṅ u̇ m̊ а̄ .і̌d
Olivia smiled bitterly.
As if falling into such powerlessness,
"Even knowing it's just that much! Today, in this place, I stand here to reveal the truth!"
She finally put strength into her voice.
Never making a mistake, distinctly, she drove each word into everyone's ears.
"To accuse the Emperor who brandishes only authority and leads this Empire to ruin! For his atrocities, I put my neck on the line in this place!"
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There was no murmuring.
Just from the shocking content, everyone simply waited for her words.
"That crazy bitch! Drag her down this instant!"
One pro-Emperor noble spewed abuse and ordered his subordinates.
The guards moved quickly toward the gallows, but they didn't get far.
Sreung—.
Ѐ num̈ӓ .id̊
The sound awakening a chilling sensation.
The sound only a famous sword holding hundreds of drops of blood can make.
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A resonance only Sword Masters can produce.
"It'd be best not to come any closer."
"You bastards! Do you know where this is!? You think you'll be fine letting her do this!?"
"Then come at me. If you're prepared for blood, I'll gladly send you."
Е̂n ūm̈ā
Knowing recklessness wouldn't work, the noble couldn't move.
Olivia on the gallows continued speaking.
"What is the Empire to us!? Those blessed by Alte's light are beneath it! We swore to take up sword and shield for those under the light! The current Empire is losing that light! To fill our own bellies we stay silent, and don't hesitate to make selfish excuses."
Olivia extended her hand.
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Her fingertips pointed east.
"That's why we've forgotten what the wall protecting us even is. No, we know but pretend not to, and turn away from suffering. Can only the walls of this narrow capital be called our territory? Can only this place cramming humans like a chicken coop be called the Empire!?"
Ӗn̂ùḿa .і̃ d̈
Bold and provocative words.
"Our Empire exists in a far wider place. And there was an obligation to protect that territory. As long as we're under Alte's light, everyone enjoying that grace was when the Empire shone brilliantly!"
This time her hand pointed at the Golden Palace in anger.
"But the current Emperor, Godfrey, does not! For a long time he secluded himself and neglected the Empire's security, stayed silent on the Crown Prince's atrocities, and only showed his face after Great Grand Duke Valdemar Golt's death! The coward who only revealed himself after those obstructing his power died - that is my father!"
"Are you going to just stand by while such impious words are spoken!?"
The noble pointed at the Alte priest watching the scene and shouted.
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"Priest of Alte! No matter how high you are, insulting the Emperor is the same as blaspheming god! Will you just protect him in the name of candidate saintess!"
The priest watching Olivia's actions quietly closed his eyes.
He was a bishop who would help Olivia lead the funeral.
At the same time, he was Olivia's confidant.
'If Imperial Princess Olivia ascends to the saintess position, it'll be great power.......'
But even that doesn't reach the current Emperor Godfrey.
W̊ еbn̄ о̇ v̆е́ľ Ѐ n u m ä
'It was a strategy that should've been seen over years.......'
He thought Olivia was a cunning woman, so he never imagined she'd take such impulsive action.
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The bishop calculated politically in his head and spoke to Olivia.
"Imperial Princess Olivia, come down this instant! If you speak further, you'll be treated as a heretic!"
"Did you hear that!? Are you still going to shield that crazy bitch without knowing your place!?"
The Sword Masters don't retreat.
Е ň ǔ ṁ ă. і_d
They were the ones who followed the second-in-command, Valdemar, even after his death.
It was natural they wouldn't make political calculations.
"No matter how outstanding the Emperor is, he's still just one human! I'll prove that right here!"
Olivia drew her dagger.
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She slit her own palm.
Red blood flowed steadily from white flesh.
Е n̆ umа. ĩ d
"Look! The golden blood you speak of is here! If there's anyone who can call this color gold, step forward!"
The crowd couldn't hide their surprise at the red blood flowing on fragile skin.
Even among them, they naturally knew red blood would flow.
But they thought it would be a little special.
As much as nobles took pride in their blood, they thought there would be something different.
Now that utterly ordinary blood was visible,
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They felt something awakening in their hearts.
That blood was calling the wave of transformation.
