Chapter 114: Chapter 114

And soon enough, Cruello found himself in a situation where he couldn’t act as he pleased.

We were stopped before even setting foot inside the Imperial Palace. Moments later, a highly tense chamberlain approached us and delivered a message.

“I apologize, Your Grace, but His Majesty has ordered that your entry to the palace be restricted for the time being.”

Ah, right. It was about time for him to cause trouble again.

If I knew that, then surely the Emperor did too.

I saw Cruello’s eyebrow twitch slightly, so I immediately raised my hand.

“In that case, I’ll go in alone.”

“The entry ban is only for Cru— I mean, His Grace, isn’t it? That means I should be fine.”

“I’m sorry, Lady Siora, but the same applies to you as well.”

The trouble I caused isn’t even a fraction—no, a fraction of a fraction—of Cruello’s!

And honestly, calling my actions ‘trouble’ is an exaggeration. They were more like heroic exploits worthy of praise.

I was probably being lumped together with him just because I was his fiancée.

Seeing my dejected expression, Cruello chuckled.

“Well, if that’s the case, then we have no choice. Let’s go, darling.”

With a casual air, he escorted me away from the palace gates.

I followed him almost absentmindedly, suddenly feeling that Cruello seemed... unfamiliar.

Wasn’t clinging onto things his entire life philosophy?

Was he really going to walk away this cleanly?

And if we don’t save the Crown Prince, who’s going to clean up the mess with the church afterward?!

It’s not like you, a mere figurehead family head, have ever handled such affairs before!

I shot him an intense glare filled with unspoken protests, but Cruello merely raised a finger to his lips as if telling me to wait.

Just as we took a few more steps—

The chamberlain cleared his throat loudly. And then—

“Well... now that I think about it, the Kokab Palace should be due for some reorganization. Not a single ray of light enters that place, making it the perfect spot to hold someone captive. I believe the guards usually take a break around 2 a.m.... Ahem.”

If you’re going to talk to yourself, at least do it quietly.

Even if he had been reading directly from a stage play script, it wouldn’t have sounded this unnatural.

I was dumbfounded but refrained from looking back, out of respect for the poor old man.

And so, Cruello began breaking through the gate leading to Kokab Palace.

Perhaps bored, he also shared an interesting tidbit about the chamberlain.

“The chamberlain has no children. That’s probably why he’s always treated the Crown Prince like his own.”

“He had to follow the imperial decree, of course, but he must have been waiting for the right moment.”

I listened to Cruello’s explanation, but I still couldn’t fully accept it.

“Are you sure this is okay? If we get caught, I doubt we can just brush it off.”

Kokab Palace or Cork Palace, whatever it was—just watching Cruello struggle to break through the gate made it clear how serious this was.

Whether it was because it was part of the Imperial Palace or because the Crown Prince was being held there, the magical defenses were formidable.

From time to time, streaks of blue electricity surged up as if trying to hinder him, making the chamberlain’s assistance seem all the more reckless.

“Well, who knows? Maybe he finally gathered the courage... or maybe it was His Majesty’s implicit approval.”

If it was the latter, then the Emperor was undoubtedly a pervert.

He locks someone up, then subtly nudges others to break them out?

That’s basically a third-rate stage play where the villain creates a problem just so they can play the hero by solving it.

Well, whatever the case, the chamberlain had made his choice, and he would have to bear the consequences.

Not that I was thinking about that because I was bored while waiting or anything.

Soon, a shimmering gate formed in front of Cruello.

As we stepped through, he casually explained:

“Kokab Palace was a gift the Crown Prince received in his childhood. It was named after the Beta star of the Ursa Minor constellation.”

“Oh, what perfect timing. I was just dying to know the historical significance of this palace. Thanks for the lesson.”

“I just happen to know its structure. I’ve been here a few times.”

We crossed through two more gates, and suddenly, we were swallowed by pitch-black darkness.

Not a single sliver of light.

But in that suffocating void, I could sense a human presence.

I tried to picture how the Crown Prince was imprisoned.

Maybe something like Gavotte’s dummy torture scene.

Blindfolded, with all four limbs bound to a chair—that seemed like a fitting image.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on.

And what I saw was... utterly disappointing.

The Crown Prince was standing perfectly fine.

He looked... healthy.

And the light wasn’t from a torch or magical flare—it was coming from a luminescent stone lamp he was holding.

“Aren’t you supposed to be imprisoned?”

I couldn’t stop my voice from sounding disappointed.

Hearing that, the Crown Prince let out an incredulous laugh.

“What exactly were you expecting?”

“I was hoping for something more dramatic! Like you barely clinging to life, wondering if you’d even survive the night without us rescuing you! A scene so dire that you’d be compelled to give your entire fortune to your saviors in gratitude!”

“...I would appreciate it if you remembered that I am the Crown Prince.”

“Oh, please. Even if you were taken hostage during a war, you’d still be treated better than this, darling.”

This is why the aristocracy is infuriating.

While I struggled to come to terms with my disappointment, Cruello conjured a few more flames into the air, illuminating the surroundings.

Only then did the scene finally gain some of the drama I had been hoping for.

A group of figures clad in black masks lay sprawled across the ground.

And upon closer inspection, the Crown Prince did have several cuts and bruises on his body.

Though none seemed life-threatening.

“Well, you certainly had a lively night.”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t limit it to just the night.”

“I’d love to help, but I’m honestly exhausted right now, so why don’t you let your natural healing abilities take care of it?”

“I appreciate the refusal before I even asked.”

“That’s just basic courtesy.”

“So... what exactly brings the two of you here?”

The Crown Prince tried to sound casual, shrugging his shoulders, but there was an undeniable tinge of self-mockery in his expression.

“You came to reprimand me for failing in my duties, didn’t you?”

“Well... half of it, yes.”

“And the other half?”

“To correct what’s wrong and push you into fulfilling your responsibilities.”

“...It’s a bit late to say this now, but I have no choice, do I?”

Was that... resignation in his voice?

The Crown Prince had always been a bit admirable, but had he already given up?

As I blinked in confusion, she added an explanation.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“No matter how noble the cause, one cannot achieve it at the cost of their father’s life.”

Why was he bringing up the Emperor’s life when all I wanted was a cleanup of this ant hill?

I was about to ask when Julian’s image flashed through my mind.

If he had pulled ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ that same trick on the Emperor, then it would make sense.

And it was something I could possibly resolve.

“Come to think of it, you wouldn’t understand since you don’t have parents.”

“Excuse me? While that may be true, that was still pretty rude.”

“I understand, darling. Royals cut off their umbilical cords at birth along with their ability to empathize.”

“...That was a slip of the tongue. I apologize.”

Ignoring the Crown Prince’s words, I glanced at the figures sprawled across the floor.

There was no trace of dark magic, but if more kept coming, even the Crown Prince’s life wouldn’t be guaranteed.

So, his own neck dangling by a thread was fine, but he had to protect the Emperor’s?

Was this deep filial piety or sheer foolishness?

Either way, the conclusion was clear.

To resolve this situation, we had to meet the Emperor.

Judging by how even palace entry had been blocked, he wouldn’t make it easy—but a little creativity could fix that.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you anything more. It’s best if you both leave now—”

“Cruello, how about we set this place on fire?”

Surely, if a fire broke out in the palace where his child was locked up, he’d come to check.

The Crown Prince’s feeble resistance was swiftly overridden with a simple ‘Please understand that I’m only doing this out of loyalty to save Your Highness.’

Which was a polite way of saying that I had magically bound her in place.

“Wow, I’ve never seen a fire this big before. Even the Harvest Festival fireworks probably pale in comparison.”

“Were you sad you missed them?”

“Huh? No, this is just rarer to witness.”

I doubt anyone else in history has ever tried summoning the Emperor by setting the Crown Prince’s prison on fire.

Of course, we made sure to evacuate the palace staff safely, and we carefully contained the flames to prevent them from spreading to other buildings.

The thick black smoke rose straight up, avoiding people as if it had manners.

The intense heat was neutralized by magic, making this a spectacle unlike any other.

Only one person wasn’t enjoying it.

I shot a glare at the Crown Prince, who stood rigid under a silence spell.

She kept saying no, we can’t, absolutely not—but if you’re going to oppose something, shouldn’t you at least offer an alternative?

Stubborn rulers are such a headache.

“I should probably leave the Empire before she takes the throne.”

“And where would you go?”

The thought left me feeling bleak, so I quickly corrected myself.

“Actually, now that I think about it, this country isn’t so bad after all.”

At that moment, I sensed a wave of people approaching.

Cruello cast an invisibility spell over the three of us.

Among them, the Emperor must be there, right? He had to be.

I held my breath and scanned the crowd—until my eyes landed on the answer.

A middle-aged man with platinum-blond hair, neatly combed back, and the dignified presence of a lion.

I eagerly awaited his reaction.

But what he said was something I hadn’t expected.

“This childish prank has gone on long enough.”

His deep voice made me blink in surprise.

“Isn’t it about time you grew up, Duke?”

Why did the Imperial Family always assume any incident was Cruello’s doing?

It was eerie how they were right every single time.

Cruello smoothly dropped the invisibility spell and stepped forward, revealing himself to the gathering.

“Well, I suppose my rough childhood left me a little stunted. Have you been well, Your Majesty?”

The Crown Prince and I remained unseen.

“D-D-Duke White Desert?”

“What in the world is happening...?”

The surrounding nobles murmured in confusion, but the Emperor remained calm.

“Extinguish the fire first.”

“If Your Majesty grants me a private audience, I’d be happy to.”

The Emperor rubbed his temple, looking weary, before finally nodding.

With a flick of Cruello’s wrist, the blazing inferno vanished as if it had never existed.

At the same time, the invisibility spell on the Crown Prince was lifted.

So was the binding magic, making it look as if she had willingly gone along with Cruello’s antics.

Yet the Emperor didn’t seem surprised.

He simply looked at his daughter and stated flatly—

“Your punishment is over, Polaris. Return to your palace.”

“...Yes, Your Majesty.”

That was... underwhelming.

Judging by his reaction, the Emperor had clearly grown accustomed to Cruello’s outrageous stunts.

Feeling slightly disappointed, I silently followed after Cruello.