* * *
Ed, focused on the Emperor’s conversation with the mage, felt the Grand Duke’s grip tighten around his hand.
Turning to look, Ed noticed the tension in the Grand Duke’s jaw as he glared at the Emperor and the mage with burning intensity.
“What’s wrong?” Ed asked in a worried whisper.
“It’s nothing,” the Grand Duke replied curtly.
“Just… an old memory.”
“An old memory?”
The Grand Duke didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the unfolding scene as the Emperor’s voice once again reverberated through the hall.
“Is that so?” the Emperor remarked with feigned interest.
“Yes, I once encountered an injured member of the Zelda tribe. Sadly, they died shortly afterward.”
A collective sigh rippled through the audience.
“It was a tragic loss,” the mage continued, “but from that experience, I learned how to distinguish them.”
“Truly unfortunate,” the Emperor mused.
“Then, tell us—how can one identify a Zelda?”
The mage bowed respectfully before answering.
“Their most distinguishing trait lies in their blood.”
“Blood, you say? Does that mean we must examine the blood of the Grand Duchess?”
“It is regrettable,” the mage admitted, “but yes, we must draw blood from her body for the test.”
The Emperor surveyed the hall, his gaze finally resting on the Grand Duke.
“Grand Duke, you’ve heard this. Surely, you wouldn’t object to the Grand Duchess enduring a little pain for this purpose?”
The Grand Duke responded coldly, “If she consents, what does it matter to me?”
His detached tone caused murmurs to ripple through the audience.
The Emperor sneered.
“Very well. Proceed.”
Without waiting for the Grand Duchess’s opinion, the mage seized her hand with startling force.
A few onlookers frowned at the brusque treatment.
In one swift motion, the mage drew a knife across her palm, cutting it.
Gasps filled the hall as the mage began chanting an incantation.
Soon, a blue light emanated from his hand.
“Look at the blood!” someone exclaimed.
Ed’s eyes widened as the blood that should have fallen to the floor hovered in the air, forming droplets.
The mage chanted again, and the droplets burst into flames, flickering brightly before burning away entirely.
“The blood of a Zelda ignites into a flame that cannot be extinguished by ordinary means when it comes into contact with magic,” the mage explained.
Only after all the blood had burned away did the flames subside.
The audience whispered among themselves, glancing between the Grand Duchess, the Grand Duke, and the Emperor.
The Emperor raised his voice triumphantly.
“Well, Grand Duke, do you have any objections now?”
He gave the Grand Duke no time to respond before declaring to the assembly,
“With this, the verification is complete! Grand Duke Asnel Linden, step forward and receive your Grand Duchess!”
The room buzzed with a mix of excitement and unease.
“Is this really conclusive?”
“But you saw it—the Grand Duchess displayed the traits of a Zelda!”
“Still, something about this feels… off…”
The hesitant murmurs mirrored Ed’s own unease as the Grand Duke let go of his cold hand and stepped forward.
Slowly, he ascended the blood-streaked red carpet, his eyes locked on the Emperor.
When the Grand Duke reached the platform, he knelt respectfully.
The Emperor, seated on the throne, smirked crookedly.
“I’ve always worried about the vacancy at the Grand Duke’s side, but today, I can finally put that concern to rest. Don’t you agree, Grand Duke?”
It was an obvious provocation.
Unperturbed, the Grand Duke rose and spoke firmly.
“I, Asnel Linden, Grand Duke of the North, cannot accept this Grand Duchess.”
The hall fell deathly silent.
The Emperor gripped the armrest of his throne so tightly that his fingers turned white.
“Did I mishear? Or are you defying my decree, Grand Duke?”
The tension in his voice was palpable.
The Grand Duke’s reply was calm but carried weight.
“Because that Grand Duchess is a fraud.”
Gasps and stifled whispers swept through the room as the Emperor’s eyes narrowed, his voice dropping ominously.
“Are you denying my authority, Grand Duke?”
He slammed his hand against the throne.
“And are you aware that by doing so, you challenge the dignity of the crown and all it stands for?”
The Grand Duke, staring at the Emperor’s clenched fist, replied coolly,
“That is not my intent.”
“Then explain yourself!”
“Because the one destined for me, my fated partner as foretold, is already by my side.”
“What did you say?”
The Emperor’s eyes bulged in disbelief as he rose from his throne, his gaze darting to Ed.
The Grand Duke’s cryptic words sent waves of shock rippling through the room.
In the silence that followed, the tension reached a breaking point.
“What did you say?”
The emperor’s eyes widened, his gaze flaring with disbelief.
He rose abruptly from the throne and glared at the grand duke before lowering his eyes to the floor below.
After briefly glancing at Ed, who was standing with his head slightly bowed in the spot where the grand duke had been, the emperor averted his gaze.
‘A fated partner already by his side, as the oracle claims? Then that bastard must have hidden them somewhere, not bringing them to the palace.’
Sneering inwardly, the emperor clenched his teeth, a smirk playing on his lips.
‘No, only I know the truth. The former high priest was swiftly assassinated, and the late emperor lingered near death after consuming poison. There’s no way that bastard could know about the oracle.’
The emperor furrowed his brow, his thoughts racing.
‘The Zelda tribe has been wiped out. There’s no chance that bastard could find his fated partner… He’s probably just piecing together scraps of information to craft a convenient narrative that suits his needs.’
Letting out a derisive snort, the emperor tapped the floor with his royal scepter, glaring down at the grand duke.
“What nonsense are you spouting, Asnel Linden? The empress consort I have chosen stands right here in plain view.”
“Your Majesty, I ask that you take a look at this.”
The grand duke withdrew a parchment wrapped in golden string from his chest and handed it to the chief chamberlain.
The emperor, narrowing his eyes, asked coldly.
“And what might that be?”
In a voice loud enough for all to hear, the grand duke replied.
“It is the will of the late emperor and the oracle recorded by the former high priest.”
The chamberlain, momentarily faltering in his otherwise precise steps, regained composure and presented the parchment to the emperor.
The emperor’s gaze darkened as he unrolled the tightly bound document.
Slowly, he unraveled the golden string and spread open the parchment, his eyes fixating on the section bearing the royal seal.
Then, a self-assured grin spread across his face.
“Hah! The late emperor’s will has proven it. The oracle left by the former high priest is indeed the truth!”
The emperor’s gaze shifted downward.
“But tell me, Grand Duke, what exactly makes you claim that this empress consort is a fraud?”
As the emperor gestured with his scepter towards the empress consort, all eyes followed his motion.
The grand duke responded in a low, measured tone.
“I am not claiming the oracle itself is false, Your Majesty. I am stating that the verification method is flawed.”
The emperor’s brow furrowed further.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The late emperor’s will reveals that the former high priest left behind a method for verifying the truth. However.”
The grand duke paused, lifting his gaze to meet the emperor’s.
“The deputy high priest seems unaware of this method and has spoken only of the oracle itself, has he not?”
The pale-faced deputy high priest opened his mouth in haste, attempting to offer an explanation.
“That’s—!”
But the grand duke pressed on, giving no opportunity for rebuttal.
“Furthermore, the oracle emphasizes not the ‘Zelda tribe’ but finding my fated partner. Yet the current verification process is solely focused on identifying members of the Zelda tribe.”
“……”
“And I fear this may be the work of those who have cunningly mixed truth with falsehood, blocking Your Majesty’s eyes and ears to the reality of the situation.”
As the grand duke laid bare the facts, the emperor’s lips trembled, betraying his effort to contain his emotions.
Ignoring the emperor’s reaction, the grand duke maintained a calm and resolute demeanor as he continued to speak with unwavering confidence.
* * *
