CHAPTER 4 - Engagement Annulment (2)
"It's a pleasure to meet you, my old friend. I've got your letter about this sudden appointment. As per your request, all the Crown Prince's supporters are presenting here." The emperor said friendly.
"With all due respect, I really thanked you for this willingness, Your Majesty." The duke gave a slight bow.
"Hahaha… never mind, we're about to be in-laws after all. Let's take it easy. Tell me, what's the urgency?" The emperor asked.
"Your Majesty, I am here on behalf of my daughter who is still in recovery from the ambush tragedy." The duke replied.
"Ah…I heard about that. I wish my future daughter-in-law a fast recovery. I'll grant you any wishes to punish the culprit. Any other?" The emperor asked again.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. But before that, under my daughter's request, I am Arlo Ein Harrigan, the head of the House of Harrigan, I demand to annul the engagement between the Crown Prince and my daughter, Your Majesty." The duke said.
Hearing the Duke's request, the emperor widened his eyes and rose from his throne, "What are you talking about duke? What's with this sudden annulment?!"
With the Emperor's reaction, the duke opened the left side door of the imperial hall using his mana.
CLACK
The left door of the Imperial Hall opened. Sir Evans entered with six men covered in black robes under Harrigan's knights' compulsion.
"Duke, what's with all this commotion?!" The Empress shouted in bewilderment.
Looking at the six people who were being dragged by Harrigan's knights, the Crown Prince's face turned pale.
"These six persons are the ones who ambushed my daughter, Your Majesty." At the end of the duke's words, the knights released the culprits' head cover.
Everyone in the imperial hall was all in agape watching the power of Harrigan duchy in finding the key perpetrators of an ambush that happened outside the capital where no one didn't even catch an eye of their face.
"What's the relation between these bastards and the engagement annulment?" The emperor narrowed his eyebrows.
In the Emperor's question, three other of Harrigan's knights entered the imperial hall. Two of them brought some swords and daggers, another knight brought some black robes with a serpent emblem on each robe.
The serpent emblem was the symbol of the Crown Prince's shadow knights. Looking at all the evidence brought by the duke, the Crown Prince and the Empress' eyes widened.
"I suppose all of this evidence is enough to answer Your Majesty Emperor's question." The duke said calmly.
Finding that the evidences were all directed to the Crown Prince, the Emperor widened his eyes disbelieving his own sight.
"Luke, explain yourself!" The emperor shouted.
The Crown Prince bent down on one knee. "Father, this son was doing that because Lady Althea often harmed Lady Priscila whom I love."
"What?! Who's this girl you are talking about?! You tried to kill your own fiancé for the sake of that girl?" The emperor shouted again in a disbelief tone.
"She isn't just a girl, father. She is Baron Jenn's first daughter, a Lady whom I love and I'll make her my Crown Prin..." The Crown Prince was determined.
PLAK
The emperor slapped the Crown Prince in the cheek. "You, fool bastard! You dare to do something careless without me knowing, huh?" The emperor shouted.
"Your Majesty! Pl…" The empress tried to stop him from slapping the Crown Prince more.
"Shut up!" The emperor shouted.
"This is really driving me crazy! What a fool!"
"Father, I can't stand watching…"
PLAK
Again, the emperor slapped the other side of the Crown Prince's cheek. "Shut up! After this, you will be under probation in fifteen days. Don't even dare to step out of your room without my permission. You pathetic bastard!" The emperor shouted.
The Crown Prince held his head down with his red cheeks while the Empress stayed silently.
"Your Majesty, everything is clear enough. The Crown Prince is guilty of the ambush of my daughter for the sake of another woman. This is truly a betrayal to our trust." The duke spoke lightly.
"D…duke, we're like a family. Don't we? Let's talk about this in a family circumstance." The Empress spoke carefully.
"Your Majesty Empress, please pardon my rudeness. But my daughter's life is more precious than anything else in this world. If the culprit wasn't a crown prince of this empire, he might already suffer from death in my own hands by now. I have tried to hold myself since the beginning." The duke put his hand on his chest.
"Are you trying to commit treason?!" The Empress shouted.
"Shut up!" The emperor interrupted. "Duke, I will personally punish the Crown Prince. For the sake of the imperial family's good name, please don't bring this matter to the imperial court." He requested.
"I am not going to do that either, Your Majesty. Instead, aside from the engagement annulment, I have two other conditions." The duke said.
"Sure, duke. I'll grant the conditions. Tell me." The emperor agreed.
"Secondly, by the time this rumor spreads among society, the reason will not because of the ambush. Instead, the rumor will be the Crown Prince's infidelity with that Baron's daughter. That's a fact and no one deserved to argue." The duke said.
"Duke, how dare you!" The Empress shouted and disagreed.
"I told you to shut up! This is your son's doing and this is the consequences. The House of Harrigan is a great power to this empire yet your son betrayed their trust!"
"Your Majesty…" The Empress was speechless.
"Please, continue." The emperor commanded the duke.
"Lastly, with this betrayal, the House of Harrigan will no longer support the Crown Prince for the throne. Here are the extrication documents, Your Majesty." The duke said as Sir Evans handed the documents to the emperor's aide.
Hearing the duke's declaration, some houses that support the Crown Prince felt dumbfounded. Truth to be told, the main reason they chose his side was because he was engaged to Althea, the only daughter of the most powerful house in the Yagish Empire.
With the extrication of Harrigan, the power of the Crown Prince for the throne has been massively decreased even the House of Waltsh, the family of the empress sided with him. Meanwhile, the House of Duke Fransais as the closest relatives of the former Queen definitely sided with the second prince. It means that the Crown Prince didn't have more powerful houses on his hands.
Moreover, the House of Marquis Payne and the Magic Tower were declared neutral since the beginning. There are three dukedoms established in Yagish Empire. The Harrigan dukedom, The Waltsh dukedom, and The Fransais dukedom.
Among the three, House of Harrigan was a well-known pillar of the empire's foundation. The house where powerful ruler born with shed no blood and tears. It said that even Imperial Family cannot be compared to The House of Harrigan due to their power and influence.
Arlo Ein Harrigan, the current head of the Harrigan duchy was even worse and ruthless to his enemies. No one understand that a dangerous man like him was a fool to his daughter to the point he dared to strike the Imperial Family for the sake of his daughter.
"I am Hilbert Dann Yagish, the Emperor of this Empire ashamed of the Crown Prince's doing. If you think the requests are fair to you, I'll agree to everything. Despite this case, please keep supporting this Empire generally." The emperor said sincerely.
"Sure, Your Majesty. I'll dismiss myself now and these six people will be punished under Harrigan's judgment." The duke replied.
"Yes, duke. I will not intervene."
Within twenty-four hours after the duke's commotion, the rumor of Althea and Crown Prince's annulment because of Crown Prince's infidelity with Lady Priscila spread among society.
"Did you hear the news? I feel sorry for Lady Althea. Now I know why she is always against Lady Priscila this whole time!"
"Yes, Lady Priscila always pretended as if she was the victim. In fact, she is the root of the problem."
"Not only Lady Priscila, but also the Crown Prince. I really am disappointed."
"Geezz, how shameless that Baron daughter is!"
"Indeed!"