anwhile, far away in the continent of Alasker, the castle of the Royel Family stood proudly at the very heart of the Holy Empire.
The castle itself looked less like a place where people lived and more like a giant golden fortress built to challenge the heavens.
Massive walls rose high into the sky, covered in red and tallic gold colors that shined brightly under the afternoon sun.
Countless banners carrying the royal crest fluttered in the cold wind above the towers.
At the very center of the castle grounds stood an enormous fountain carved from pure white stone.
Two giant elephant statues stood facing each other inside the water with their trunks raised high.
Streams of water poured endlessly from their trunks and crashed into the fountain below with loud splashing sounds.
Servants and knights moved back and forth around the castle halls, though everyone walked carefully and quietly today.
The atmosphere felt heavy.
Inside the castle, everything was decorated with wealth that ordinary people could never imagine in their entire lives.
The floors were made from polished marble smooth enough to reflect a person’s face.
Large golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling while warm light spread gently across the halls.
Paintings of past emperors covered the walls. Every single corner of the castle scread one thing...Power.
However...
No matter how grand a castle was...No matter how rich an emperor beca...Ti eventually collected its debt from everyone.
Inside the emperor’s bedroom, the atmosphere was far quieter.
The large room was decorated just as lavishly as the rest of the castle. Golden curtains hung beside the tall windows while expensive furniture filled the chamber.
The sll of dicine floated faintly in the air, mixing together with the scent of burning incense.
Yet despite all the luxury surrounding the room...It still could not hide the feeling of approaching death.
On the massive bed near the center of the chamber, an old man lay quietly beneath a thick royal blanket colored deep crimson red.
Pale gray marks spread across parts of his face and neck like cracks slowly forming on old stone.
His white hair looked ssy, and exhaustion could clearly be seen on his thin face. Heavy breathing echoed softly through the room every few seconds.
This man was Baek Donaven Evander.
The current emperor of the Holy Empire.
The ruler once called the Sun of the holy empire.
But now...That sun looked very close to setting.
"Cough... cough cough..."
The emperor suddenly coughed weakly into his hand before slowly forcing himself upright against the headboard.
Even such a small movent seed to drain a frightening amount of energy from him.
After calming his breathing slightly, he lifted his tired eyes toward the two guests sitting nearby.
"It is an honor," he said slowly between breaths, "that Your Holiness has personally visited this old man during his final years..."
Another cough escaped his mouth before he gave a weak smile.
Sitting across from him was a young girl and a young boy.
The girl looked around seventeen years old. Long ocean-blue hair flowed gently down her shoulders like calm water under moonlight. Her beautiful blue eyes were filled with visible worry as she looked toward the emperor.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, yet the concern on her face made her seem softer and more human instead of distant.
A golden-white gown covered her figure elegantly, and embroidered across the fabric was the sacred symbol of the Church of Benigore.
Beside her sat a boy.
Or rather...
A creature heaven had clearly spent too much ti creating.
Even the exhausted emperor nearly felt offended every ti he looked at the boy’s face.
How could soone look this perfect?
His skin was smooth like polished jade while every part of his face looked absurdly balanced, as though artists from all over the world had gathered together and argued for one hundred years before creating him.
Long golden hair rested neatly behind his back all the way down to his waist. A white blindfold covered his eyes peacefully, yet despite it, he still sohow gave people the feeling that he could see everything around him perfectly fine.
Honestly, it was slightly irritating.
The boy smiled gently.
"No, no," he said warmly. "You flatter , Your Majesty. It is my honor to et the great Sun of the Holy Empire."
"Hoh..."
Baek Donaven Evander let out a soft chuckle.
However, unlike normal laughter, this one carried deep bitterness inside it.
He slowly turned his eyes toward the large window where golden sunlight entered the room.
"The sun..." he murmured quietly. "...is preparing to set."
"Please do not say such things..."
Cecilia’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke. The worry on her face deepened even further.
Earlier today, she had still been inside the grand church halls attending beside Uriel when the news arrived that the emperor’s condition had suddenly worsened.
The mont she heard it, she had rushed toward the royal castle without even properly changing clothes.
Originally, Uriel was not supposed to co.
However, after seeing the panic on her face, he simply smiled and said:
"How could I remain sitting peacefully while the Sun of the Holy Empire is ill?"
And so the two of them had co together.
Now, hearing her father speak so calmly about death...
Cecilia felt her chest tighten painfully.
"What do you want to say, my daughter?" the emperor replied with a tired smile.
His weak voice echoed softly through the room while sunlight continued falling across the blanket covering his body.
"Ti is rciless. No one escapes its flow... not even ."
He paused briefly to catch his breath before continuing.
"And honestly... after such a long and eventful life, perhaps it is finally ti that I should...."
"Father!" Cecilia suddenly stood up.
Her chair scraped loudly against the floor.
The word ca out raw with emotion, causing even the servants standing near the walls to lower their heads awkwardly.
The emperor stared at her for a few seconds.
Then...."Hahaha..."
A weak chuckle escaped his mouth.
"My daughter really cares about this old man that much, huh?"
"You have no idea how much she cares about you, Your Majesty," Uriel added warmly.
The blindfolded young man smiled gently while resting both hands on his lap calmly.
"She practically flew here after hearing the news." His covered eyes turned slightly toward Cecilia.
"She nearly ran over three priests on the way out."
"I did not!"
"You absolutely did."
"One of them moved into my path first."
"The poor man was carrying holy wine."
"That sounds like his own problem."
The emperor stared at the two silently before suddenly laughing again, though this ti his laughter turned into coughing midway.
"Cough cough cough...."
Cecilia’s expression instantly panicked.
"Water!"
"I am fine," the emperor said while waving his hand weakly. "I rely attempted the dangerous technique known as laughing too hard."
Even Uriel quietly nodded in agreent.
"A forbidden art indeed."
Cecilia looked at the two of them with disbelief before slowly sinking back into her chair again.
"Haaah..."
She rubbed her temple heavily like soone developing a headache from dealing with troubleso children instead of a dying emperor and the future holy leader of the church.
After calming herself slightly, her expression slowly beca serious again.
"Father," she said carefully, "I heard elder brother is currently acting as emperor."
A dangerous level of suspicion appeared in her eyes. "Were you the one who gave him permission?"
The atmosphere inside the room imdiately changed.
The emperor let out a long sigh. His tired eyes slowly moved toward the ceiling above.
His eldest son. The First Prince.
Sebastian Evander. Currently acting as emperor...
Despite never officially being chosen as successor.
And most importantly...Without the emperor’s permission.
"It seems..." the emperor said slowly, his voice becoming heavier than before, "greed has finally reached his heart."
A deep silence filled the room.
"The majority of the nobles already stand on his side," he continued quietly. And most importantly..."
For the first ti since the conversation began....
Anger appeared on the emperor’s face.
A genuine flicker of rage flashed inside his tired old eyes.
"He has allied himself with the Thorne Family."
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