VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter 54
Butterfly and Jewel
After the Grand Council concluded, the after-party was underway.
It felt even more desolate than the atmosphere before the talks.
Before the talks, they were relaxed and probing each other for information, but now they were showing solidarity within their respective factions.
'Like children.'
It's no different from drawing lines after a verbal fight.
Ё n u m̀ a . ìd
The only difference is that they hold swords capable of commanding countless people.
The Empire was the same.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Befitting a massive empire, there were over thirty nobles of ducal rank or higher.
Not mingling within the grand framework of the Empire, but among the factions within it.
Alexander, who had been showing infinite interest, spotted Ferda and approached amiably.
"Was there something?"
Ěń um̄ӓ . і̂ d̊
"We just talked a little about the matter of Valdrova."
"Ah, right. I didn't expect you'd answer so ambitiously about conquering the Far East this time. If there's anything you need, say the word anytime. I'll roll up my sleeves and help!"
"Thank you."
With that, the conversation ended, and Alexander returned to acting like the boss of his own faction.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Jed, quick-witted in noble society, noticed Alexander's attitude.
"Did you fall out with the 1st Prince? You looked fine until we entered the Grand Council..."
Е n umа .і́d
"He's ignoring me because I don't seem useful."
Ferda left that faction without hesitation.
He never wanted to mingle with that crowd in the first place.
Soon after, another man approached Ferda, bowing at the waist.
"Escolleia Chancellor, Bernard Wayne, it is an honor to meet the spouse of the Great Power Aspect."
"I greet the President of Humanity's Repository of Knowledge."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The man who brought up the agenda of demon worshippers' appearance.
Ferda involuntarily frowned.
"Is something displeasing you? Your expression..."
"No..."
Bernard's slick head reflected the chandelier's light.
"It's because your head is too blinding."
Wӗb̀n̈о v̂ е̊l Еṅum̈ а̄
"Ahem... let's move past that, and thank you for today."
"Thanks?"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"There was an incident where the agenda almost got muddled because an Imperial Prince stepped forward. Thanks to you stepping in directly, I was able to finish speaking."
Ah, that matter.
"No need to mind it. I detest those who play politics with monsters. I like capable people."
"Treating people with conviction isn't easy. That's why I think I'll get along well with Regent Valdrova."
Wеb̊ńо v е̇ l Е̃n u m ǎ
Chancellor Bernard with an awkward smile.
He made one feel unpleasant, like someone plotting schemes.
But Bernard was originally a person far from schemes.
An unnecessarily sincere and responsible human.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Speak."
"I originally planned to announce a technology matching today's presentation. But seeing today's situation, I couldn't quite get a read on it."
Enů ṁа̀. іd̀
"Technology?"
"It's what I've dedicated my life to researching. The mechanism of the Monster Appearance Prediction Device."
"Monster Appearance Prediction Device... sounds familiar."
"How could that be? We're secretly preparing it at Escolleia."
It was secretly conducted, but Ferda, who knew future information, had heard of it once.
Who did I hear it from? Ferda finally recalled.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
'Tesalos Wolcheo.'
He had said it.
That a Monster Appearance Prediction Device was almost made, but ultimately disappeared.
If it had existed, this work's duration could have been cut by more than half.
Ferda had considered Tesalos's obsession pathetic.
But come to think of it now, the pathetic one was Ferda himself.
Е ǹŭ mа̃ . і ď
"Chancellor."
"Yes."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"By any chance, when do you plan to reveal that technology?"
"Soon. Do you know Halim? We rented a venue there, gathered merchants from all over, and plan to hold an exhibition and briefing. Of course..."
The chancellor glanced around quickly and whispered slyly.
"We'll also unwind and enjoy entertainment together."
Ĕ ṅù m̄ ӑ .і̆d̄
"I'll need to stay alive until then."
"Of course. Would I be able to sleep if I died without enjoying what I could? If you're available, Regent..."
"If you invite me, I'll participate."
"Hoho, you're truly a man."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The chancellor sent a sly look containing camaraderie.
"Understood. I'll prepare an invitation. I must greet others, so I'll be on my way."
W е b̃ ǹŏ v е̊ l̇ Е̄ n̆ūm а̂
"Go safely."
The conversation with the Escolleia Chancellor was a great harvest for Ferda.
Gathering merchants to hold an exhibition in Halim.
That the Monster Appearance Prediction Device was originally an existing technology.
'And that I can create a debt with the Chancellor.'
He hated politics, but if something was needed, he'd obtain it by any means.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
That was why Ferda attended the Grand Council.
"Jed, Arwen."
"Yes?"
"Yes!"
Same answer, but different punctuation marks for the two.
"From now on, secretly monitor the Escolleia Chancellor."
Ě n̆ ǔ mā .і̊ d̈
"That baldy? What did he do to warrant that?"
"He's a man with no tomorrow, so watch if he pulls any nonsense, and circle around him to check for any suspicious signs. Top priority."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Yes."
Unlike Arwen, Jed didn't answer immediately.
"I'll do it if you say so, but what's the reason?"
"A knight talks too much."
Ẁ.е b̃.ňо v̀ е̃ l̀ _Ĕ n̄u_m̂а
"Because I became a knight through connections. The person I swore loyalty to didn't even throw an inauguration banquet."
"Cut the chatter and do it. I'll make sure the pay is good."
"Tch, fine."
Jed's complaints vanished at the word 'pay'.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
He probably spat them out just to hear that word in the first place.
After sending the two off, Ferda scanned his surroundings again.
Ӗ_n̈ um̌a
While roughly grasping how the powers were structured, Ferda spotted Olivia.
She was mingling with clergy wearing white priestly robes with gold trim.
'The Odograsado Holy Kingdom side?'
It was a strange sight.
The Odograsado Holy Kingdom and the Arken Empire should be mutually hostile under the pretext that two suns cannot coexist.
On top of that, a woman wearing a dress that brazenly exposed her cleavage was mingling with priests.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
At that moment, as if sensing a gaze, she made eye contact with Ferda.
She smiled with her eyes and carefully beckoned him over.
Annoying.
But if I have to mingle with someone, Olivia might be the least troublesome.
Ferda thought so and walked toward Olivia.
Olivia's eyes, making intense eye contact.
Еn um̈ а̃ . іd̊
As always, she wore a bright, perfect smile.
She placed her hand on Ferda's shoulder.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Allow me to introduce."
There were two men there.
An old man of small stature wearing a crown.
And a middle-aged man with a scar on his face, standing straight-backed like a soldier.
W е̊b̃ṅ ō ṽе.l̇ Ėn uṁ ǎ
"This is Regent Ferda Valdrova, who will become the consort of the Red Dragon Valdrova-nim. You've already met, haven't you?"
"Hoho, I know. I couldn't help but see."
The old man stroked his pure white beard and laughed heartily.
His forearm was visible beyond his sleeve.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Skin and bones - the phrase fit perfectly, revealing a thin frame.
He wore high heels, but was far smaller than Olivia, a woman - a truly precarious old man.
Еn u m̃а̌ . ї d
Even his clothes looked so heavy they might collapse him, planting worry.
But such appearance told a different story when facing him.
Golden radiance seemed to pour from his wide-open eyes.
Even Ferda, who had burned away every shred of faith in his heart, felt a god dwelling in those eyes.
Ferda willingly showed respect.
"I greet the Son of Miracle, Father of the Holy Kingdom, Saint Emperor Gregorio-nim."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Good to meet you, Regent Ferda. I hear this is your first Grand Council."
"That is correct."
"Quite bold remarks for a first-timer."
"Yes. I thought you might not like them."
Gregorio shook his head.
"Not at all. The thoughts you spoke are questions this old man has occasionally asked himself. Whether the Evil Dragon Valdrova, despised by all, might not be the Guardian of the East."
Ẃ е bnо̇v̄ еl̄ Е nuṁ ā
"Is that so?"
"I came here representing Odograsado-nim's will. Thus I have a duty to be cautious in all matters. So I cannot immediately support your opinion."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
He let out a regretful sound and lightly tapped Ferda's forearm.
"However, if you show the will to clear that misunderstanding, I won't be able to refuse supporting you in the name of the Golden Scales."
The name of the Golden Scales.
An absolute oath made by those who follow Odograsado.
Е̃ nü m̄ а
For a Saint Emperor to throw such an oath meant he truly intended to do so.
On the surface, that was true.
But Ferda didn't believe those words at face value.
This Holy Kingdom's Saint Emperor also ultimately prioritized interests.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"I'm simply awed that you think so."
"Spread your will. If you believe in the god in your heart and take a step, he will surely answer."
Wе b nо̌ v.e l Ë ňů m̌ ӑ
As the greetings ended, Olivia, who had been watching the conversation, cut in.
"Then we'll be going, Saint Emperor-nim. Please take care of yourself."
"May the Golden Light's Grace follow the Empire's Flower."
After finishing the ceremonial greetings, Olivia naturally linked arms with Ferda.
Without a word, Ferda had no opening to refuse.
"Let's go."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
She moved Ferda with clever gestures as if he were leading.
When they'd gained some distance, Olivia asked.
"I heard what happened at the talks."
Her eyes were displeased.
"Was that agenda something you thought of yourself, Ferda-nim?"
"Yes."
Е̃ ń ú mа .î d̊
"A truly foolish act."
Contrary to the cold words, Olivia was smiling cheerfully.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Just looking at her face, one couldn't gauge what conversation they were having.
"It was a story that had to be told."
"Not a story for a Grand Council debut. It could only bring reverse effects. The Far East's unestablished image could have been negatively fixed in that moment, you know?"
A tone containing a sharp blade unbefitting a greenhouse flower.
E ňum̊а̃
"A princess who conversed with a foreign Saint Emperor is scolding me?"
"My? Please don't compare you and me. I'm originally this kind of person. Like a butterfly."
"Butterfly?"
Ferda asked, and Olivia smiled brightly.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Olivia lightly released her hand and walked away.
No, she flew, fluttering her dress.
Еn u̇ mа́
"Fluttering here and there, circling around. Seemingly within reach yet ungraspable, making one chase after her. Giving weight without being frivolous, yet not an iron wall either - lightly."
She truly was like a butterfly.
Truly a tightrope walking acrobat's movements.
And so she lightly alighted once more toward the hand Ferda held.
"Still, it wasn't all bad. That declaration to conquer the Demon Land didn't only plant bad impressions."
"Is that so?"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Look. That old, fearful face. Proof that your face, merely an extra in the play, is clearly remembered?"
Ferda had felt that too.
"No allies now, but soon they'll bow their heads to you as you show your abilities. If even 1% possibility shows, they definitely will."
"Why are you so certain?"
"Because Her Highness Grand Duke Valdrova has authority others don't. Territorial expansion."
The only land that can expand. The Far East. The Devil's Land alone.
Е̊ ńúm̈ а̄
Land no one covets.
But if told to others, they'd laugh it off as a joke.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Because the reality is the Grand Duke's territory is shrinking, not expanding.
"If that wasteland is purified and made into our land again, it'll become the Second Capital."
"Second Capital..."
"The Empire is currently saturated. Many youths abandon orchards and fields to go to the capital for advancement. It's called the Empire Dream."
Е̄ n̄ u m̆ ӓ
"Having dreams isn't bad."
"Right. Nothing bad. But in the current Empire, they're no different from discarded shoes. Do you know how many people enter the Empire and die?"
"Even if you say that, it's outside my interest."
"Anyway, if the value of that land is proven, the Far East will be reborn not as a mere remote region but as a new land of opportunity. As territory expands, people increase and voice expands too."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The East grows.
At those words, Ferda asked Olivia.
W̃ е̂ b̃ n̆оv̊ёl̈ Ѐn̊ü m̀ӑ
"Will the Empire stay still?"
Olivia answered.
"No way. They'll keep checking regardless of what happens to Valdrova-nim."
The Arken Empire won't give up the powerful force it holds in the capital.
Even if someone dies.
"So you must help me."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Weight settled in her tone.
As if the next words were important, Ferda focused on them too.
"What do you mean?"
"I am a butterfly, yet simultaneously a jewel placed on the auction block. A jewel that will someday be sold off to the central nobility."
The name of princess that elevated her was a stepping stone, yet simultaneously shackles.
Not a surprising story.
Eńum а̀. і̄ d
It's not a tragedy only Princess Olivia possesses.
Most young ladies of prestigious families strict on child education were the same.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The better the education, the better the beauty cultivated, the higher the probability of entering a more prestigious family.
Men seek status rise in men's ways, women in women's ways.
The princess was the ultimate color and card the Emperor held.
Hearing that, Ferda suddenly realized.
Ӗn u ṁа
Why she was building ties with the Odograsado Holy Kingdom.
"I must become a Saintess."
Olivia smiled deeply.
"If I become a Saintess, I can be free from the price tag of princess."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Because no one would want to take a devout Saintess and incur the wrath of god and the people."
"Exactly."
Е̂ n um а
Olivia was a person who possessed the Seal of Oath, devoutness, and public reputation all together.
But her decisive lack was precisely her status as princess.
'If she escapes being a princess and becomes a Saintess...'
Olivia becomes not a mere tool of the Emperor but a child, and the power structure changes.
Not simply a pretty, beautiful flower but a savior who can save the weak.
She'll gain support from clergy, and thus escape the fate of a jewel on the auction block.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Forming a stable support base in an unstable power structure.
It sounded good, but Ferda already knew.
'Olivia cannot become a Saintess.'
That's why she abandoned her oath and spread her color.
She seduced her own blood to bed, became a vixen who tilted the country, and in the end took her own life.
Ferda remembers it vividly.
W ébn̂о̌veĺ Еn̂ um̄ а̃
"Can you do it?"
An unspoken hidden message came from her eyes.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
For me.
Her fragile voice stimulated protective instincts.
Ferda looked straight into her eyes and spoke.
"Of course I will."
Е n̄ ū.ṁа . і d
But not for you,
"If you cooperate sufficiently."
For my fiancée.
This is nothing but work according to contract.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Of course."
Olivia, having looked into Ferda's eyes, was momentarily flustered.
Е̃n̄ ům а̄
Her voice came out trembling ever so slightly.
Her face tried to redden at the unsightliness, but Ferda didn't notice.
Ferda released her arm and spoke.
"Then I'll be going."
"Where are you going?"
"I feel like I need to find a lost brat."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Lost brat?"
Ferda let go of Olivia's hand and walked away.
Men who held Olivia's hand were always the same.
Meeting eyes meant facing the possessiveness within, and unable to let go, they had to be the one to release.
But Ferda didn't.
He walked away without looking back, without hesitation.
En̈ ŭm а.
The Empire's greatest beauty, praised by all, was nothing to Ferda.
Rather, Olivia couldn't take her eyes off him until he disappeared.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
'An ally not captured by emotion.'
A person who can exclude variables through rational judgment without obsessing over useless things.
That was what Olivia had said was the greatest ally for her.
'She said that but...'
Ё n u m̃а . і̆d
Not being looked at by him wasn't as pleasant as she thought.
Disappointment surged, but there was no time to drown in sentiment.
Nobles gather toward Olivia.
"I greet the Arken Empire's Princess, Olivia-nim."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"I am Ken. As the son of the Huss Duchy..."
Flowers gathering toward the butterfly the moment Ferda disappears.
Ěn̄um̃ӓ
No, beasts holding dirty money to buy their own bodies.
Olivia smiled at them.
Like a rare jewel.
Konten Bab Belum Tersedia
Bab ini belum memiliki konten teks atau sedang dalam proses penyuntingan.
