Chapter 384: Blood Must Be Paid With Blood
"Damn it!" As soon as Alan returned to his bedroom, he grabbed a porcelain vase nearby and threw it to the ground.
*Crash!*
The sound of porcelain breaking resounded in the room. But it was not the end, Alan continued with throwing bottles, boxes, clothes, and everything he could find nearby to the ground. In the end, he even unsheathed his sword and hacked his bed furiously.
Only after several minutes like that he started to calm down.
At that moment, a distressed voice came from behind him.
"What is wrong, my prince?"
"… Christine, so you are here…"
"Sorry... I was worried when I heard the commotion."
Alan sighed and sat on the bed. His expression was exhausted, as if he had lost his reason to live.
Seeing that, Christine hesitated slightly before sitting beside him and caressing his back softly.
"… You know you can tell me if something is bothering you, right?" Christine said.
Alan nodded. "… Thank you, Christine. You are always here for me."
Christine was once the fiancée of Alan, but due to the incident of the forest of wolves and the destruction of the Hera family, the engagement was broken.
After all, the crown prince could not marry a descendant of a fallen family, much less if said family was accused of having ties with the daemons.
But Alan loved Christine dearly, and she was perhaps the person he trusted the most in the world.
When the incident of the Hera family happened, Alan begged his father to forgive her. He then took her as his personal servant to protect her life from the people that wanted to kill her to avenge the people killed in the forest of wolves.
Even if he could not marry her as his future empress, he planned to make her his concubine and give her everything he could give her.
But perhaps even that was impossible now.
"… I'm sorry, Christine. Perhaps I'll be unable to restore your family after all." Alan said self-deprecatingly.
Christine furrowed her brows.
"Tell me what happened, my prince, perhaps I can help you."
Alan nodded. He then recounted everything that happened early today.
When Christine learned that the former emperor did not agree to make Alan the next emperor, her expression turned strange.
A strange gleam flashed in her eyes. It was filled with disappointment, shame, guilt, and… hatred?
However, that gleam disappeared in the next instant.
Instead, she put on a pensive expression.
"Thinking about it, recently there are a lot of rumors about making Dina the next emperor."
"That bitch…!" Alan gritted his teeth in rage. "So it's her who wants my throne. Even that old man thinks she will be a better emperor than me!"
Christine nodded. "The situation is bad. At this rate, she will end becoming the next emperor despite being a woman. Of course, there is a possibility of your grandfather killing her due to her links with the church; but Dina is smart. She will most likely distance herself from the church as soon as your grandfather shows her his support. By then, with the help of your grandfather, the Imperial Institute, and even Claus supporting her, nobody will be able to stop her from taking the throne."
"… Should I send someone to kill her?"
"Did you forget the results of trying to kill Claus? Acting rashly will only cause us more losses. Of course, you can try, but it's best if we start considering other options."
"Other options?"
"Yes… If your grandfather wants to take the throne from you, then you must seize it using force." Christine said hesitantly. "And coincidentally, I know some people that can help you with that… Perhaps they can help you even to take care of that grandfather of yours. Plus, I also have a plan to get rid of Claus and Dina."
Alan's eyes opened wide in disbelief.
"What are you…"
"Not everything needs to be done with strength, my prince. Sometimes, unexpected strategies can bring unexpected results." Christine said sweetly.
Alan was stunned. Soon, though, his eyes burned with ambition.
"... Are you sure this will succeed?"
"... I'm not, but we don't have many more options, my prince."
Alan nodded, but he did not agree immediately.
"... I'll think about it."
As for Christine, she stared at her beloved with pity, shame, and guilt.
However, she was not going to miss this opportunity.
The blood of her family must be paid with blood.
…
At the same time, in the Ferret manor.
Alice was seated in the basement with her eyes closed. She was carefully feeling the arrangements of fate while her butler, Aaron, guarded her silently from a corner.
Suddenly, Alice opened her eyes and giggled sweetly.
"Great, it was easier than I thought. Prince Claus will surely like my gift."
[Is it done?] A voice resounded in the basement, emitting a powerful aura of authority.
"It's done, ancestor. Soon, the empire will be embroiled in chaos."
[Good.] The voice answered. [However, Alice. Don't you think you are too close to that Prince?]
"Mm? Is anything wrong with that, ancestor?"
[… I only hope you don't forget our goal, Alice. For our family to truly rise, the Quintin family must fall.]
"… I understand, ancestor. Don't worry, I know what to do."
[I hope so. Continue with the plan. Soon, the day when Terese and the Quintin family fall will arrive!]
With these words, the owner of the mysterious voice disappeared.
Alice remained seated in the basement. She then closed her eyes, trying to feel if the existence of her ancestor was nearby.
When she confirmed her ancestor was completely gone, she pouted.
"How boring..."
Aaron, who had been silent all this time, opened his mouth at this time.
"Young miss, are you sure about this?"
"Mm?"
"… Perhaps the ancestor doesn't know, but I'm clear about it. The current you has stopped moving for the family's interest. Are you sure following Prince Claus is the right choice?"
Alice fell silent briefly. Then, she chuckled.
"Uncle Aaron, you have seen it, right? That power… The power Claus and that woman have… It's a power that disregards everything else… A power that nobody can resist... I want that kind of power…"
Aaron fell silent.
He could understand his young miss's obsession. Even now, he shivered in fear every time he remembered the terrible strength of Prince Claus or the woman called Ysnay.
But, he also feared the consequences of blindly pursuing such power.
Alice chuckled.
"I want it badly, uncle Aaron… The feeling of having everything under your control… Of standing at the peak… I want to know how it feels… But… Lately, I have been wondering about another thing."
"What is it?"
"That woman… She is like me, but much stronger and with greater control over fate… But then, why do I feel she is not happy?"
Aaron was stunned. He could not understand how his young miss arrived at that conclusion.
"… Why have you asking this, young miss?"
"Nothing… I'm just wondering if I'll be happy after obtaining that power..."
...
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