Chapter 62

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 62

Chapter Title: The Blessing of Artanus

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone, including Evangeline, doubted their own eyes.

Because an unbelievable scene was unfolding.

The sun suddenly began to disappear.

As if Hilia's gesture had been a signal.

As if the sun itself were obeying her command.

Evangeline was stunned.

'A solar eclipse? So suddenly? The astronomers and scholars never mentioned anything like this!'

Even though this world's science lagged far behind Earth's, major events like solar and lunar eclipses could still be predicted.

The timings or locations might be off sometimes, but the occurrences themselves were foreseeable.

But this event had no prior predictions or forecasts whatsoever.

Darkness spread its wings, blanketing the land in an instant.

Hilia's figure on the second-floor terrace vanished as well.

No, it vanished... only to reappear in a blaze of light.

Because the rippling hem of her dress began to shimmer in the darkness.

A faint glow sparkled elegantly amid the night that had carved through the day.

As if a strand of the Milky Way, gleaming at night's edge, had been sliced away and draped over her.

A scene so utterly alien, yet its beauty impossible to deny.

Evangeline didn't know it, but this was a meticulously calculated spectacle.

Engineered by Hilia herself.

At her insistence, the dress was laden with Iliaden pearls and their powder, which glowed in the dark.

Thanks to that, in the sudden gloom, the gown sparkled like a galaxy.

Evangeline bit her lip.

Right now, Hilia was shining with a beauty far beyond expectations.

'What the hell is that? How is it even possible?'

Never mind the dress—this eclipse had caught everyone off guard.

It was downright suspicious that none of the countless talents Evangeline had assembled had foreseen it.

Those she'd gathered had their abilities verified through the original story's information.

And not a single imperial scholar had predicted it either.

'...Is something like this even possible?'

That was when it happened.

Someone screamed.

"Dr-dragon?"

"It's a dragon! A dragon!"

Evangeline, who'd been fixated solely on Hilia, only noticed belatedly.

"...What?"

When she finally looked up, even she saw it.

The sun was blocked by something.

Instead, the outline of that something obscuring the sun gleamed several times brighter, like an annular eclipse.

A searing golden line that could blind the eyes.

It traced a distinct shape.

The instant Evangeline laid eyes on it, one being sprang to mind.

'Dragon Artanus?'

A majestic being with wings unfurled hovered in the sky, eclipsing the sun.

Creating the illusion that the eclipse was its doing.

Meanwhile, the light spilling from the edges blazed even brighter, amplified by reflections off the dragon's scales.

And the shadows of sunlight filtering through the branches projected the dragon's form.

But there was a far more crucial—and troubling—issue.

'This was never mentioned in the original story.'

A phenomenon this extraordinary and unique wouldn't have gone unnoted in the original.

Besides, this was still the early part of the timeline.

A period where unread content simply couldn't exist.

She'd never encountered anything like this anywhere in the original.

Before Evangeline's bewilderment could fully settle, a familiar voice rang out.

This was a production I'd meticulously calculated and rehearsed several times in advance.

The moment darkness began to blanket everything around me.

I activated the magic tool tucked in my bosom.

Muttering the incantation, a faint mana flowed from the glass bird cradled in my hand.

And a perfectly cool breeze started swirling around my body.

'Thank you, Mother!'

This glass bird was a matched set with the one I'd used to intimidate Ludwig's attendant last time.

That one emitted light; this one summoned a gentle wind.

'This thing is amazing in summer!'

It was inspired by childhood memories of deliberately donning long cloaks or dresses, activating the bird inside to make the fabric billow, and startling the maids.

And the effect was... spectacular!

Flutter, flutter!

The gown, crafted from layers of sheer fabric, billowed with graceful beauty.

The petal-dyed hue from Shaling blossoms was stunning on its own.

The Iliaden pearls and powder adorning the hem sparkled in the dark.

Incorporating the phosphorescent pearls was my masterstroke.

Isepin, who oversaw the rehearsals, had put it this way:

"It's like the night sky's Milky Way swirling around Your Highness!"

"When the creator says it, it sounds like self-praise, you know?"

"No, this is praising Your Highness's genius for the idea!"

"Genius... feels a bit much."

Still, for aesthetic savant Isepin to be so awed? No surprise that ordinary folk would gape.

I could sense even those below—Evangeline and Madam Pilerun included—captivated by the sight.

'Yes! A production's perfection lies in the special effects!'

Right on cue, Arpad approached and raised his voice.

"This proves it! The great Artanus has acknowledged my wife and bestowed his blessing upon us!"

Whether amplified by mana or not, his voice rang clear as a whisper in one's ear.

It would carry identically anywhere within range of Arpad's mana, distance be damned.

Arpad drew near and wrapped an arm around my waist.

His eyes gleaming, he whispered,

"You predicted even that phenomenon?"

"Of course."

I smiled back at him.

"A heads-up would've been nice."

"Then you wouldn't have been surprised. I wanted to see your genuine reaction."

True story.

Arpad's default mode was that infuriating smirk or mocking grin.

I'd longed to catch this man off guard with real shock.

So I'd kept the phenomenon under wraps until the very last second.

And it paid off—I got a full view to savor.

Arpad's truly stunned face.

He gazed at me a moment, then chuckled.

"...You know what? Sometimes I genuinely wonder."

"What? How I knew about that?"

"Sure, that's intriguing too. But I'm more curious if you're doing this deliberately... or if you really are as clueless as your face suggests."

"What are you even talking about?"

I had no idea what he meant.

What did I know or not know?

Either way, I had no time to dwell on Arpad's cryptic remark.

Admiration and cheers were already rippling through the crowd.

"Heavens! Artanus himself has revealed his form!"

"Ooh! Glory to Artanus!"

"Bow to the mighty dragon! Bow to the imperial house!"

"Wooooow!"

Not just the hall's guests—the pre-positioned Crown Prince Palace servants near the Empress Palace were shouting too, their voices carrying from afar.

"It's Artanus!"

"Artanus has appeared in person!"

"The dragon himself has recognized and blessed the new Crown Princess!"

The place erupted in pandemonium.

From this distance, I could still make it out clearly.

Evangeline, in her green dress, looked ashen as a corpse.

It hadn't been long since Evangeline, Madam Pilerun, and the others had departed.

In the midst of the banquet at the Empress Palace, a commotion reached Marquise Quinibel's ears.

"Artanus really appeared!"

"Just as Her Highness the Consort predicted!"

"The dragon's blessing!!"

They were hollering so loudly it disrupted the event.

Quinibel frowned at the racket for a moment... then felt the blood in her veins turn to ice.

'Wait—what did they just say? Did I mishear?'

Then, those noticing the anomaly outside the windows started yelling.

"Over there! Look outside—why's it so dark?"

"It's still daytime; sunset's hours away, right?"

Balls were typically evening affairs.

Yet Hilia had started hers in broad daylight, so this one had too, just to sabotage her.

The view outside should have been bright.

But darkness had descended like a curtain.

A few quick ones peered from windows or rushed to the terrace, gazing skyward in horror.

"A dragon! It's a dragon!"

"Artanus!"

The ballroom's agitation spread like wildfire.