Chapter 48

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 48

Chapter Title: The Crown I'll Take from You

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Medea gazed at the distant mountain ridge shrouded in darkness.

'Neril's doing a fine job.'

The appointed time was when the great bell tolled eight times.

The flare shells and siege cannons had already been airlifted via Marquis Giliphos and relocated.

Medea had already finished preparing to slip out of the trap laid by Duke and Duchess Claudio.

"The Spear of Saint Esther! It seems even the heavens have finally granted your earnest wishes."

Medea had completely changed the pretext for the banquet.

"Doesn't this surely mean that Baldina will triumph?"

As the war dragged on, wariness had deepened among the people of Baldina, from commoners to nobles alike.

Yet that didn't mean they didn't crave victory.

No, in truth, they longed for it more desperately than anyone.

They yearned for even the faintest conviction that Baldina would ultimately prevail beyond this grueling ordeal.

Medea had quenched their parched hopes with the Spear of Saint Esther.

Even if it wasn't real.

"Saint Esther has descended upon Baldina!"

"The Star of Victory for Baldina!"

Those moved to tears murmured in rapture. The attendees, lost in the lingering awe for a time, finally understood the reason for this lavish banquet today.

"Of course. How could a prayer for victory be anything less than fervent? Had it been otherwise, the goddess wouldn't have answered as she did tonight."

When the fate of the war hung in the balance, no devotion to the gods was ever deemed insufficient.

The Regent Duke scowled.

"What? Saint Esther? Ridiculous..."

The goddess's will, my ass. It was just one of those freak natural phenomena.

What great significance could it possibly hold?

And calling it the Star of Victory? For Claudio, who desired the king's defeat more than anyone, it felt deeply ominous.

"Uncle, have I misunderstood?"

Medea caught his words without missing a beat, arching her delicate brows.

"I heard this banquet was prepared by Aunt and Lady Birna at the ducal house. I thought the only reason a loyal servant of Baldina like you would host it today was for this purpose..."

All eyes turned to the Regent Duke.

The corners of his mouth, twisted in a forced grin, began to quiver.

Denying it here would be tantamount to admitting the ducal house had ulterior motives.

"Nonsense. You've simply seen through this uncle's intentions with your keen wit. I'm nothing but astonished."

Medea smiled and raised her glass.

"His Majesty will never forget Uncle's and the ducal house's sentiments. As Princess of Baldina, allow me to thank you on his behalf. Now, everyone, raise your glasses."

Golden champagne shimmered and swirled.

"A toast to Baldina's loyal servant, Claudio!"

"To Claudio!"

As if illuminating the Regent Duke's rotting heart, dozens of golden champagne flutes rose like candles in unison.

"Haha, Claudio! The Star of Victory, no less!"

Count Montega's booming voice echoed through the banquet hall.

"I apologize for mistaking you for some saintly figure. I thought you were just cowering in the royal palace like a coward, but there's still fire in your belly! Splendid!"

His face alight with admiration, he slapped the Regent Duke's shoulder repeatedly, spouting words that could have been insults or praise.

Duke Claudio ground his teeth so hard his gums ached.

The Queen Dowager praised her second son as well.

"Joaquin, to think you'd come up with such a brilliant idea. Truly worthy of my son."

She then turned to Medea.

"Medea, was that why you wore black tonight?"

"Yes, Grandmother. I wanted to pay my respects to the soldiers fighting for Baldina on the front lines."

Medea placed a hand over her heart and offered a solemn bow.

"Such depth of thought. You've not forgotten your duty as a princess."

The Queen Dowager nodded approvingly.

Her gaze shifted to Birna standing beside her, a flicker of reproach passing through her eyes.

Birna, catching her grandmother's icy stare, grew even angrier.

Why had things ended up like this, even after she'd seized the best card?

Why were they all looking at her with pity instead of Medea?

She couldn't comprehend it at all.

The banquet hall buzzed at the exchange between the Queen Dowager and her granddaughter. A subtle shift rippled through the attendees.

"In these trying times, we could hardly bear to dress up."

"Yet look at them, reveling away. Tsk, tsk. To think they're Baldina's subjects—pitiful lot."

Even as they sniped at one another, the undeniable topic was tonight's star: the princess.

A crowd gathered around Medea.

They showered praise on her for her royal compassion toward the people, despite her youth.

Even those who had remained neutral now craned their necks to greet the princess.

The Regent Duke trembled with rage.

His face flushed crimson from barely contained fury, sending would-be approachers retreating in alarm.

As he moved toward Medea again, a thick hand barred his path.

"Enough. Any more, and you'll look suspicious."

"...Minister."

His jowls quivering as if to say he couldn't read the room, Interior Minister Etienne eyed Duke Claudio with disdain.

Etienne had known of Duke Claudio's scheme today and aided it.

Thus, he too soured at the sight of the young princess deftly evading the trap.

But he shed his regrets sooner than the duke.

To Etienne, the princess was scarcely even a pawn on the chessboard—a negligible piece.

Today's failure was merely a matter of suppressing her today or tomorrow.

"Tch, this round's a bust. Aim for the next one. What are you doing, man of all people?"

As the minister clicked his tongue, Duke Claudio nearly exploded. He almost forgot Etienne was an ally and shouted at him.

'Easy for you to say—you're not the one hurting!'

Medea had declared in front of everyone that it was a banquet prepared by the ducal house.

She'd repeated that the royals wouldn't forget the ducal house's efforts, even drawing confirmation from the Queen Dowager.

That meant all the expenses incurred tonight fell squarely on the ducal house.

'We threw a lavish affair fit for mooching off the royals, only to end up praying for that nephew Peleus's victory—the one we'd kill to see dead!'

Duke Claudio felt like vomiting blood.

"Ha. I'm stepping out to the lounge for a bit."

Swallowing his boiling rage, he stormed out of the banquet hall without so much as a goodbye to the minister.

"...Birna, you come with me."

Duchess Catherine Claudio dragged her daughter along as she hastily departed.

Etienne shook his head.

"Good grief. With a temper like that... Fetch more wine. Something expensive and strong."

With the plot in ruins anyway, he intended to enjoy the rest of the night.

He scanned the hall with greedy eyes as he drank.

The vibrant youth under the bright lights set his blood aflame.

Imagining their haughty types screaming helplessly as he crushed them made his whole body shudder.

His dark red tongue flicked out, licking his lips and leaving a glossy sheen.

"Yes, Master."

Umberto, the red fox-badged pageboy, bowed at the waist.

"It hurts! Mom, it hurts! Let go of my hand!"

Duchess Catherine, who had dragged her daughter all the way to the lounge, was furious to her core.

"Birna, are you out of your mind? Why did you wear that? Why on earth?!"

"..."

"What did I tell you? I said make Medea wear it! Was that so hard?! Why get greedy over something pointless!"

But Birna wasn't in her usual feigned meekness either.

The humiliation from the banquet hall had been immense. Far from comforting her, her mother's scolding only fueled her resentment.

Catherine, done indulging her daughter's stubbornness, thrust a new dress at her.

"Change into this fresh one quickly. We have to head back to the banquet hall with Mother."

Birna bit her lip at the sight of the plain pink muslin dress.

Changing now would only prove she'd stolen Medea's dress.

"No."

"...What? You're going to throw a tantrum? Have you no thought for your parents' dignity?"

"You just hate seeing me happy even for a moment, don't you?"

Birna gazed at her glittering reflection in the mirror.

No matter the scoldings or criticisms, nothing changed the fact that this diamond dress was breathtakingly dazzling.

She absolutely wouldn't take it off. This was hers now. She'd never hand it over to Medea.

A fierce determination fluttered in Birna's chest.

"No! You never consider my feelings, so I'll do as I please!"

"You can't! That dress is mine-!"

Before Catherine could grab her, Birna bolted away.

"Haa."

Catherine clutched her throbbing forehead and staggered.

"That pigheaded stubbornness of hers—she got it straight from her father. Won't learn until she's broken."

She muttered like a sigh, then bellowed abruptly.

"What are you waiting for? Find Birna and bring her back quietly—now!"

Medea watched the retreating figures of the Claudio family leaving the banquet hall.

She turned at the sound of footsteps behind her.