My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 285

Preparations to go to the Imperial Palace were completed quickly.

Of course, the aftermath of the war wasn’t completely over.

But it wasn’t at a level to be greatly concerned about.

From the start, the aftermath of the war hadn’t breached Ruben’s defenses.

And the ‘I’ll Teach You Anything! Academy Lv.1’ facility that Cyan had invested in previously was proving its worth.

Before long, talented individuals from the academy were being produced one after another.

Ruben’s internal affairs gradually stabilized.

And in that process, the amount of work Cyan had to do also decreased significantly.

Thus, Cyan was able to focus solely on preparing to go to the Imperial Palace.

It would have been better to have as few people as possible since they needed to move quickly, but some manpower was unavoidable.

This was because Elantur’s vassals had to be escorted as prisoners.

Accordingly, a certain number of troops had to be dispatched.

However, they didn’t dispatch too many troops.

As mentioned, it was best to keep the number of people to a minimum.

To be honest, it was also because Elantur hadn’t completely collapsed.

Of course, Elantur was nearly driven to the brink of collapse.

But the devil hidden within still remained.

‘More than anything, there’s no news of Kai either.’

Kai, who didn’t participate in this war.

And Kai, who was more threatening than Durak in some ways.

They couldn’t let their guard down because Kai still remained.

In many ways, they couldn’t dispatch many troops from Ruben.

So, the number of people going to the Imperial Palace was narrowed down to about ten, including Cyan.

Aria, who would prove the connection with the demons.

Amelia, who would manage the gold currency.

And some Black Lion Knights who would take charge of escorting the prisoners.

Now that they had finished preparing to leave.

Cyan waited for Amelia in front of Ruben.

All that was left was to put the treasures into the inventory [a magical storage space].

As Cyan was waiting for Amelia, Lukas walked towards Cyan from afar.

He seemed to have something to say…

“Lord. I will also accompany you on this escort mission to the Imperial Palace.”

“Huh?”

As expected, Lukas spoke to Cyan.

“Lukas? You?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

But Cyan shook his head firmly.

Lukas was the captain of Ruben’s guard and the most essential part of Ruben’s defense.

You could tell just by looking at what happened in this war.

If Lukas hadn’t been there, the course of the war would have been very different.

However, Lukas commanded the troops without any special instructions.

He realized why Cyan was trying to confront Durak alone and changed the course of the war.

Lukas even showed a level surpassing Aaron this time.

In some ways, he was a more important force than Kendrick.

It was impossible for such Lukas to leave his post.

Especially now that Elantur’s threat was not over.

Cyan shook his head firmly.

And Lukas would have stepped back with agreement if it were normal.

Lukas, the loyal and upright knight, would not have disobeyed his lord’s orders.

Especially if he thought it was reasonable.

But why?

“Please allow me to accompany you.”

Lukas didn’t back down for some reason.

A different appearance than usual. There must have been a reason.

“What’s the reason?”

“As your lord’s loyal knight, I have a duty to protect my lord’s safety on the way to the Imperial Palace—”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Cyan frowned and asked again.

“What’s the reason?”

Then Lukas hesitated and slowly opened his mouth.

“This time… I heard that the Saintess is also going to the Imperial Palace with you, Lord.”

“So?”

“That… If the Saintess leaves this time, won’t she not return to Ruben?”

“Maybe? I think she’ll go to the Imperial Palace and then back to the Holy Empire.”

To be exact, that’s what Cyan was planning to do.

Even if Aria wanted to come back to Ruben, Cyan was going to send her back.

“So what about it?”

“Ahem.”

Lukas cleared his throat instead of answering.

He was avoiding Cyan’s eyes and cautiously looking around.

“Ah.”

Cyan was then able to realize it from Lukas’s appearance.

“Because of Laura?”

Laura, the priestess who assists Aria.

Laura naturally follows wherever Aria goes.

Therefore, Aria’s departure meant that Laura would also leave.

So, Lukas wanted to go to the Imperial Palace to be with Laura even a little bit.

No, wait a minute.

“Didn’t you say absolutely not at one point?”

“That was then. Isn’t it different now?”

“Oh, really?”

Cyan gave a dumbfounded expression at Lukas’s brazen attitude.

Lukas usually only showed a stoic and upright side.

They say people change when they fall in love… No, wait a minute.

“You’re not thinking of becoming a paladin following Laura, are you…?”

“I have no intention of doing that at all.”

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to have any intention of doing that.

“Hmm…”

Cyan fell into thought for a moment.

As a lord, he couldn’t help his subordinate’s love, but he couldn’t interfere with it…

Just then.

“However, if you grant me one request, I will remain in Ruben.”

Lukas spoke to Cyan as if he had been waiting.

“What is it? Tell me.”

“If you form a relationship with the Saintess, I will not follow you.”

“… What?”

Cyan wondered what the hell he was talking about.

No, he really wondered what the hell he was talking about.

“What does me and Aria getting together have to do with you, Lukas?”

“Why wouldn’t it matter? Laura is a priestess who assists the Saintess, and I am a knight who serves you, Lord.”

“So why is that… Ah.”

Cyan was then able to understand Lukas’s words.

Lukas then opened his mouth once more.

“If you and the Saintess get together, the Saintess will become the mistress of your family. Therefore, the Saintess will live in Ruben from now on, not the Holy Empire.”

“Then Laura will naturally be able to live in Ruben with her?”

“That’s right.”

Lukas nodded firmly.

And Cyan really had nothing to say.

A dumbfounded look and mind.

Lukas spoke to him again.

“To be honest, the Saintess is a woman that all the men in this world desire. Ah, of course, not me.”

Was it because he had experienced a great war this time?

Lukas didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding his feelings.

“More than anything, the Saintess seems to have feelings for you, Lord.”

“Aria for me? What are you talking about.”

“Are you… serious?”

“What? What are you serious about?”

“…”

Lukas looked at Cyan with a truly dumbfounded expression.

He didn’t say it, but his eyes seemed to say, ‘What kind of guy is this?’

“Every time, I understand why you were called the dullest person in the world in the past.”

It seemed that Lukas really thought so.

Cyan looked at such Lukas and shook his head.

“Okay. We’re leaving soon, so go and get ready quickly.”

Then Lukas showed a slightly disappointed look.

And he glanced around, at the long-haired beauty in the distance.

He cautiously looked at Amelia, who was organizing the treasures of Carze to be transported to the Imperial Palace.

It was a distance where she wouldn’t be able to hear him even if he spoke normally.

Lukas whispered to Cyan.

“Miss Amelia might be sad if she hears this… But do you really have no intention of forming a relationship with the Saintess? To be honest, I think it would be better for you to pair up with the Saintess than for me to follow you…”

“Why would Amelia suddenly be sad? Don’t say useless things. Hurry up and get ready.”

Cyan walked past Lukas.

#

The capital of the Charlotte Empire, Darkhan.

The heart of the empire located in Darkhan, the Imperial Palace.

“Count Cyan is about to arrive at the Imperial Palace, Your Majesty.”

Crown Prince Conrad continued to report to the Emperor, Baluaga.

The war between Ruben and Elantur that stirred up the continent.

No, the war between the two families that is still turning the entire continent upside down.

The person who was reborn as the true ruler of this continent with that unbelievable miracle.

The man who has emerged as the hottest potato on the continent at the moment.

“Cyan. That bastard is coming to the Imperial Palace…”

But for Emperor Baluaga, it was a hot potato in a different sense.

Baluaga let out a slight hmm…

The culprit who evaporated the gold currency existing in the empire.

As a result, the empire’s economy was ruined.

To be honest, he didn’t directly take up a sword.

In fact, it was no different from treason of subverting the country.

So Baluaga wanted to meet Cyan once.

He really wanted to meet that son of a bitch who went beyond being a loafer.

Otherwise, the resentment in his heart would burst into illness.

But why?

“Did he say he had to come?”

But not really now…

So he didn’t really want to meet him now.

The reason was largely twofold.

First of all.

“Why suddenly in a situation where the war has just ended?”

The war between Ruben and Elantur.

He knew what the result was.

An overwhelming victory that turned the empire and the entire continent upside down.

And speaking of which.

To be honest… Baluaga was a little worried.

What if. Really what if.

So what if Cyan suddenly went crazy?

So what if Cyan decided to start a rebellion?

He couldn’t even do anything about Elantur’s 300,000 troops.

He also achieved an unbelievable miracle with no damage at all.

Putting himself in his shoes, let’s say Elantur’s 300,000 troops attacked the imperial family.

Could the imperial family prevent it without any damage, just like Ruben?

No, no damage at all.

He had to worry about whether he could win against 300,000 troops in the first place.

Well, he could win.

But the damage would be indescribable.

Damage like Ruben’s was absolutely impossible.

More than anything, Cyan defeated Durak and was reborn as the continent’s number one swordsman of the new era.

In short, there was no one who could do anything about Cyan at this point.

Baluaga was the emperor of the empire…

To be honest, Baluaga became a little wary of Cyan.

“How is Charlotte the Great’s sword training going?”

So Baluaga asked Crown Prince Conrad.

The swordsmanship that was restored for a whopping 250 million gold in the past.

To be exact, Charlotte the Great’s sword [a legendary sword style] purchased from Cyan.

At first, he doubted whether it was really Charlotte the Great’s sword.

But he thought that Cyan, that son of a bitch, might be scamming him.

But one day when he saw Conrad training.

Baluaga’s doubts disappeared in an instant.

“I am constantly training.”

He couldn’t doubt it.

Conrad’s level, who had been training in between busy work, was quite good.

No, he was growing beyond just being decent; it was unbelievable.

“I heard that he recently crossed swords evenly with Yale.”

Yale, the commander of the Royal Knights’ 2nd Division.

Conrad had risen to a level where he could exchange blows to some extent with Yale, who was at the intermediate level of a Master [a high rank in swordsmanship or martial arts].

“It was merely Sir Yale yielding a move. The word ‘equal’ is inappropriate.”

Of course, Yale had undoubtedly held back to some extent.

However, even considering that, it was clear that he had made tremendous progress.

Could it be that Charlotte’s blood and talent were passed down to Conrad, even though he was a distant descendant?

With the addition of Charlotte’s sword, the Zodiac Sword [a powerful and legendary sword], Conrad was experiencing explosive growth.

It might be just a father’s foolishness, but Baluaga was certain that Conrad would one day follow in Charlotte’s footsteps.

Therefore, the only one in the Imperial Family who could stand against Cyan was just one person.

“Conrad, if you were to compete against Cyan, what do you think would happen?”

To be precise, Conrad was the only one who held even a glimmer of possibility.

“I think I might win.”

“Is that really true?”

Baluaga widened his eyes and asked again.

To be honest, it was a different answer than he had expected.

He wondered if he was joking, but there was no sign of that in Conrad’s eyes.

However, Conrad’s words followed soon after.

“Count Cyan, as I know him, wouldn’t use his full strength against me.”

“Does that mean… because you are the Crown Prince?”

“That’s right.”

Conrad nodded as if it were obvious.

Conrad was the Crown Prince of the Empire.

He was the second-in-command of the Empire, next to the Emperor.

Which noble in the Empire would sincerely wield a sword against the Crown Prince?

Even under the guise of sparring, that was not the case.

Especially Cyan, as Conrad knew him, was a true nobleman.

Even if that weren’t the case, Cyan would subtly let him win, given his personality.

“What if you were to cast aside the position of Crown Prince?”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

Conrad wore an absurd expression.

Even though Conrad was the Emperor’s son, it was disrespect that could not be shown to the Emperor.

However, Conrad didn’t care.

He simply stared at Baluaga with an expression that said, ‘Are you really saying something that makes no sense?’

“······”

Baluaga couldn’t say anything to Conrad’s appearance.

The little expectation he had was all for naught.

In short, it meant that if Cyan drew his sword in earnest, there would be no one to stop him.

“It would be more promising to put Elena forward rather than me.”

“Elena?”

Conrad’s younger sister and the Empire’s princess, Elena.

“Surely he wouldn’t draw a sword against his wife’s family. And no man can beat his wife. Wasn’t that the case even with Your Majesty?”

Baluaga’s wife, and Conrad and Elena’s mother.

The Empress of the Empire had passed away from illness several years ago.

However, Baluaga’s love for the Empress was a fact known to all the people of the Empire.

Otherwise, why wouldn’t he have taken even one concubine until now?

The Emperor, the number one person in the Empire, could not beat the Empress.

In that sense, Conrad’s words meant that to counter Cyan, Cyan and Elena should be married.

“But Cyan is putting up an iron wall, isn’t he?”

“That’s true, but… if we make him take responsibility, the story will be different.”

“Make him take responsibility?”

“What could a man have to take responsibility for towards a woman?”

At Conrad’s words, Baluaga’s head tilted slightly.

And soon, as he realized the meaning, Baluaga’s expression wrinkled.

“Are you, as her brother, telling me to make your sister—!”

“Elena told me that herself.”

Baluaga was at a loss for words.

“What the…”

“To be honest, isn’t Count Cyan the best son-in-law we could ask for?”

Well… honestly, he admitted that too.

In this empire, no, on this continent, there was no more suitable son-in-law than Cyan. That is, the best son-in-law.

Appearance, ability, status, character, personality.

Ah. Let’s put character and personality a little behind.

That bastard was so crazy about money that he was out of his mind.

“Let’s go with sending Elena.”

“Give up on a son-in-law?”

“You might ruin things if you’re greedy for nothing. Be satisfied with Elena becoming Cyan’s wife.”

Sending a member of the Imperial Family to a noble family.

Normally, a noble family was incorporated into the Imperial Family.

In other words, if Cyan and Elena got married, the name ‘Cyan Ruben’ would disappear.

Cyan would be granted the surname ‘Charlotte’ and become a member of the Imperial Family.

Thus, the child born between Cyan and Elena would have the surname ‘Charlotte’ instead of ‘Ruben’.

But if they gave up on a son-in-law, the opposite would happen.

The name Elena von Charlotte would disappear and become ‘Elena Ruben’.

The child between them would also naturally be given the surname ‘Ruben’.

In short, it was an event where the Imperial Family would take a step back.

It was something that could never happen, but when you thought about it, it wasn’t.

Looking at the history of the Empire over the past thousand years, it wasn’t something that had never happened.

However, that event was very, very, very rare.

And considering Cyan’s current reputation and position, there was honestly enough justification.

However, Baluaga was deeply troubled.

As the number one person in the Empire, as the Emperor.

And as Elena’s father.

Baluaga couldn’t answer easily.

“Above all, everything I said earlier is Elena’s opinion.”

And Elena wanted it so much.

In this case, there was nothing to worry about.

To be precise, only Cyan’s heart.

That was the only thing to worry about.

And just then.

Knock knock.

-Your Majesty, this is the Chief Secretary.

The Chief Secretary’s voice was heard from outside the audience chamber.

“Come in.”

At Baluaga’s words, the door to the audience chamber opened and the Chief Secretary revealed himself.

Soon, he slowly approached, bowed his head, and opened his mouth.

“It’s not that, but Count Cyan has just arrived at the Imperial Palace.”

“Now?”

“That’s right.”

At the Chief Secretary’s words, Baluaga and Conrad’s eyes met briefly.

But that was only for a moment.

“That… that is…”

The Chief Secretary hesitated to speak, looking quite troubled.

Just as they were wondering if there was a problem.

Kugugugung…!

Suddenly, the entire Imperial Palace shook greatly…?

The Imperial Palace shook greatly as if a huge earthquake had struck.

Just as they were thinking if it was really an earthquake.

“Count Cyan said that if he came in as he is, the Imperial Palace would collapse, so he requested an audience outside…”

The Chief Secretary said something incomprehensible.

At this, Conrad asked the Chief Secretary.

“The Imperial Palace will collapse? What does that mean?”

“He brought treasures, but the weight is too much, and the foundation cannot withstand it…”

Accordingly, Conrad and Baluaga’s heads tilted simultaneously.

As if they weren’t father and son, the two were equally questioning.

Even the Chief Secretary, who had spoken, tilted his head.

He continued to speak again with an expression that he couldn’t understand either.

“With my dull head, I don’t know what it means…”

As expected, the Chief Secretary didn’t seem to understand what it meant either.

At that moment, Kugugugung…!

A great vibration shook once again.

“Wait.”

At the same time, one thought flashed through Baluaga’s mind.

It was a truly terrible and unimaginable thought.

It was none other than the words that he had brought treasures.

And the words that the weight was too much.

“This vibration, could it be… because of the weight of the treasures…?”

Even after uttering the words, Baluaga wondered what kind of dog sound this was.

How much treasure would he have to bring for this to happen?

For now, Baluaga couldn’t even guess with his imagination.

As the Emperor of the Empire, Baluaga had encountered and seen countless treasures.

He could confidently say that no one in this empire had encountered more treasures than Baluaga.

Even so, it was impossible to imagine.

Just the weight of the treasures alone, Kugugugung…!

It was impossible to imagine shaking the entire Imperial Palace like this.

Wouldn’t it be roughly possible to bring all the treasures that exist in this world?

But there was no way that was possible, was there?

That was natural with common sense.

But if the subject was Cyan…?

If it was some crazy bastard who continued to perform unbelievable miracles…?

Kugugugugung…!

A great vibration shook once again.

If this was true.

If this thought was really true.

The second reason why Baluaga didn’t want to meet Cyan.

“······”

What kind of incident would he bring this time?

Baluaga’s head was already starting to ache severely.

#

Some time passed, and the Emperor’s audience chamber returned.

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince—”

“Enough with the useless formalities.”

Baluaga dismissed the words with a light gesture.

At this, Cyan stood up in an awkward posture.

Baluaga looked at Cyan and opened his mouth.

“When the foundation of the Imperial Palace was about to collapse, you told me to come. But it’s perfectly fine.”

“I think there was a misunderstanding in the process of conveying my words. I said that the foundation of the Imperial Palace was about to collapse, so I couldn’t enter the Imperial Palace right now, but…”

Soon, Cyan continued, as if that was absolutely not the case.

“How could I tell His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince to come and go.”

“That glib tongue is still the same.”

Baluaga snorted.

And then he opened his mouth right away.

“Speak.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Don’t stall and speak. Tell me what incidents you’ve brought.”

It was better to get hit sooner rather than later.

Baluaga had no intention of stalling for nothing.

But whether he knew Baluaga’s thoughts or not.

Cyan could only speak with an aggrieved expression.

“If others heard, they would think I was just a troublemaker who only caused accidents.”

“Then are you saying you’re not?”

Baluaga’s voice rose without him realizing it.

No, really, now that the words are out.

How many incidents and accidents have I been racking my brains over because of that son of a bitch!

And yet he’s spouting such brazen words!

In an instant, the resentment, anger, frustration, resentment, and anger that had been silently suppressed all surged up at once.

“Looking at the things you’ve done so far, you’re saying that kind of thing—!”

“Yo, Your Majesty. Please calm down.”

Conrad grabbed Baluaga and made various gestures.

The meaning was various, but in the end, it was to endure.

Sigh, yes. I have to endure.

He’s a bastard who deserves to be torn apart and killed, but my daughter is so crazy about him.

If I’m a father who has to send his only daughter to marry, I have to endure.

“Speak…”

Baluaga gritted his teeth and continued to speak.

“It’s not that I’ve brought an accident, but… there are things I need to tell Your Majesty and His Highness.”

Then Cyan slowly opened his mouth.

Baluaga waited for Cyan’s words to follow with nervous eyes.

And when the words finally flowed out of Cyan’s mouth.

“I can narrow it down to about three things…”

When he heard that there were as many as three incidents.

“······ Damn it.”

Baluaga ended up uttering these words without realizing it.