Ch. 214 …Not Yet (1)

The tournament was hosted in the capital every four years, and was a large event for the Imperial Family. The interest and love the subjects had for the monarchy was enormous, and the knight who would win the competition was an enormous draw as well. There was a large festival where not only knights from various families and regions participated, but numerous prospective knights who wanted to make a name for themselves as well.

As the day of the tournament grew closer, the capital city of the Ruford Empire began to flood with crowds. The number of knights from each province and those who came to see them was beyond imagination. Among them was Paveluc, who came from the Duchy of Lunen to observe the matches.

“Make way for Grand Duke Lunen’s arrival!”

Paveluc’s procession was magnificent in scale. He was at the head atop his horse, followed by an impressive train of knights. They were elites experienced in war, and had an atmosphere as sharp as a well-forged blade. The people of the Ruford Empire welcomed him like a war hero and bowed to him deeply. Paveluc had been expected to succeed the throne since a young age, and his image was far more revered than that of the other Imperial Family members.

Upon arriving in the capital, Paveluc headed for the palace. The palace had readied itself to welcome him after receiving the message of his arrival.

Emperor Sullivan was seated at the head of the dining room, with Empress Ophelia placed next to him. On a lesser seat sat Second Prince Redfield, and on the left side of the Emperor were Carlisle and Elena.

“Kollog, kollog.“

Sullivan’s face was pale as he coughed hoarsely.

Beolkeog!

Suddenly, the entrance door opened and Paveluc strode into the dining room. He knelt before Sullivan with a broad smile.

“Hail to His Majesty the Emperor. Eternal glory to the Ruford Empire.”

While Paveluc was the elder of the two brothers, he immediately was subservient when Sullivan rose to the throne. It was the natural order for the ruler and ruled. Sullivan was the emperor, and Paveluc was the servant.

Sullivan smiled gently as he spoke to Paveluc.

“Your greetings are too much. It must have been a difficult journey to the capital.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty. I brought you a little something on the way from Lunen.”

Paveluc gave a glance backwards, and several servants waiting outside came carrying a wealth of treasure that exceeded the tributes of other kingdoms. A look of surprise crossed Sullivan’s face.

“Kollog, why did you bring so much?”

“Consider it my sincerest honor. I hope you’ll be happy to accept it.”

Paveluc bowed deeply as he expressed his gratitude to Emperor Sullivan. Elena couldn’t help but admire Paveluc inwardly as she watched the scene. Because Paveluc hid his claws, Sullivan had no reason to expel him.

That didn’t mean Sullivan did not have suspicions about his brother, however. Although the emperor appeared to smile, he was extremely wary about his brother’s arrival at the capital. Paveluc hid his ambition, and while Sullivan and the rest of the Imperial Family welcomed him, the court was not a place to judge someone by their outward appearance.

Now that Elena was part of the Imperial Family, she clenched her teeth and she forced herself to remain calm at Paveluc’s appearance.

‘…Not yet.’

Unlike in her previous life, he was not the only enemy she had to face now. Her red eyes flickered towards Ophelia and Redfield sitting across from her. Carlisle hadn’t said anything to Elena yet, but she knew it was likely that the Empress planned the ambush on them.

‘I’ll have to repay her.’

It was polite to give back to someone as much as one received, and even better if it was several times more.

Elena swallowed her feelings of contempt and looked towards Paveluc with as much indifference as possible. Meanwhile, Sullivan asked Paveluc to take a seat.

“You had a hard time getting here. Have a seat. This is a small family dinner, so help yourself.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Paveluc lifted his head and took the seat Sullivan indicated. If Sullivan was at the highest level, Paveluc was at the very bottom. Not only was he ranked below Redfield, but he also sat the farthest away from the emperor.

Paveluc smiled calmly and took his seat with a hint of enmity. Only Elena, who knew that Paveluc would attempt to take the throne and become an emperor, could see his hidden smile.

“You’ve been away from home for so long. Is there anything special you want to eat?”

“What do you mean, Your Majesty? My home is in the Duchy of Lunen now, not the Imperial Palace.”

“Hoho, is that so?”

As an emperor who knew politics, Sullivan would attempt to probe his opponent’s intentions. However, Paveluc remained calm and relaxed. Although there were no swords nor shields, this dining room was like a battlefield.

Elena knew she had to get used to this uncomfortable meal, and poked her salad with a fork. Carlisle stopped her from the side, and turned to the maid standing behind her.

“I asked that porridge be prepared for my wife.”

“Oh, my apologies, Your Highness. I’ll fix it right away.”

The maid turned pale at the thought of making a mistake at such an important gathering. But not everyone cared about the status of the maid; All of them had their eyes on Carlisle’s face. A flush spread across Elena’s cheeks.

“I’m fine, Your Highness.”

“No. You don’t have to inconvenience yourself.”

Redfield stifled a smirk. Carlisle ignored him, and when the porridge was brought to the table, he stirred it to make sure it was the right temperature before handing it to Elena.

It was an affectionate gesture to anyone who saw it. In fact, when Elena viewed her relationship with him through the lens of the contract marriage, she would have praised him greatly. Now, however, the thoughts she had now made her feel hotter than those calculated displays. Elena replied with a smile.

“Thank you.”

Carlisle smiled and went back to his plate. Sullivan looked tired, Ophelia had a subtle sneer, and Redfield gave an amused smile. So did Paveluc, and he stared at Carlisle and Elena with awakened interest.

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