Vol 3 Chapter 3.4

Before dawn, Sophia was busy moving somewhere when she asked, “What’s the point of meeting the author there?” Her face was all distorted with ferocious energy.

Yesterday, while walking down the street with Shylo, the two of them smiled happily as they thought of the money they would make in the future. The hardships they had endured so far seemed distant for a moment.

“I heard that all the aristocrats in the capital dress up here.”

While passing by an exhibition hall, Sophia was amazed by the colorful dresses on display.

“Is that dress a big deal right now, Viscount Ferrol?”

Shylo’s voice, imitating the aristocrat’s tone, made Sophia’s heart jump violently. Her lifelong dream was just coming true.

“The Viscount Ferrol,” she gently swept her flushed cheeks and looked at their old carriage parked across the street.

“I’m going to have to get a new one. I’ll redecorate the house, too.”

It was time to transform the old and empty interior into mahogany furniture. As the door of the dressing room opened, Sophia met an unwelcome face.

“You are…?”

Decades later, the voice of Count Diverto, who recognized her face, trembled slightly. As soon as he tried to swing his cane, Sofia quickly crossed the road with Shylo and climbed into the carriage.

“Stop there!”

She watched the count sink to the floor through the carriage window and bit her lips.

“It’s a shame to drop your guard over cooked rice.”

She had hoped that the count wouldn’t recognize her, but the world didn’t always play fair.

“I’ve never had luck on my side.”

In her haste to leave, she hadn’t packed properly. She regretted leaving behind her necklace and ring, but she feared that Shylo would steal them. She knew that Shylo wouldn’t leave her alone if he found out.

“It doesn’t matter how you die. You have to avoid it for now.”

Sophia muttered palely as the carriage continued to run.

*****

“Your Highness, are you sure you’re okay?”

Lucius continued to faint, and even Hero was starting to feel uneasy. His ankle was hollow, with the bones exposed. Even with a spell that had a pain-killing effect, he should have been screaming in agony, but he didn’t make a sound.

“Who removed the piece of metal?”

Blood-stained rags and small pieces of iron were scattered on the floor. The treatment was crude, but there were clear signs of it.

“Have you finished with the treatment?”

Lucius didn’t answer Hero’s question; instead, he said something completely unexpected.

“It’s still a long way off. You need to have many scars on your body.”

“Why did you say you wouldn’t be treated yesterday?”

Hero shook his head at the lord’s incomprehensible behavior. Then he saw long, brown, wavy hair on the bedsheet.

“No way.”

A face immediately came to his mind, and Hero’s face darkened with worry. He needed to act fast before Lucius became unable to use his hands.

“Your Highness, I have treated you roughly with magic, but you have to be careful for two or three days. You are in a weak state, so if you overdo it, it will get worse.”

“Yes, yes.”

Lucius’ face, which stood up quickly with his shirt on, was filled with indisputable excitement.

*****

Due to the emperor’s incapacitation, the nobles, empress, and crown prince gathered together. Milady, unable to hide her nervousness, whispered constantly to Michael, who stood beside him.

“Why hasn’t Tom returned to me?”

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry, but…”

It had been three days since Tom, who returned to Milady’s side every night, had gone missing. Something must have happened.

“Yes, what happened to the emperor?”

“Magic is the only way to keep him alive for now.”

Magic had kept the emperor alive until she was able to kill Lucius and put Hart in his place. However, Lucius still sat there, alive and proud.

“This is difficult. Very difficult.”

At that moment, the baron who had organized the meeting looked around the room and spoke carefully.

“Thank you all for coming despite your busy schedules. We are here today to discuss an important matter.”

Everyone knew what the important matter was. There was a moment of silence, and Lucius looked around the room with a crooked gaze. Few people seemed to be supporting him.

“Milady needs to acknowledge this.”

It was true that the conference room was filled with only those loyal to him, like dogs.

“For his own son.”

Hart, standing next to Milady, nodded off as if he were half asleep. Lucius held no personal grudge against Hart, even though he wandered around like a dog instead of behaving like a true emperor.

“May I speak first? I have here the new power of attorney that His Majesty the Emperor created.”

If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!)

Browse our table of contents or Become a patron now!