Chapter 29 Your Grace, you don't want your daughter...

Chapter 29 Your Grace, you don't want your daughter...

Early in the morning, the royal capital seemed a bit chaotic, like a baby waking up early and whimpering softly.

Carriage after carriage lined up neatly and headed towards the palace.

When people opened the doors of their own stores, they saw carriages speeding by one after another, raising dust as they left.

Pedestrians also retreated to both sides and could only enter the store to take a look casually and avoid the carriages.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know... Looking at this situation, it seems like something big is happening."

Soon, the last carriage to stop in front of the castle was an extremely luxurious one.

Duke Levi got off the carriage gently and looked around.

Basically all the mages had arrived, but without exception, all the mages were staring at him with hostile eyes.

If looks could turn into bullets, Duke Levi would probably be full of holes.

Duke Levi's reputation had dropped to the extreme in the mage community after that volcanic incident.

There was no rumor or slander. Everyone saw it with their own eyes.

No one took the initiative to greet the duke. Even the relatively close noble Beck could only shake his head helplessly.

He stood alone in front of the door, neither humble nor overbearing.

After a while, the towering gate of the castle slowly opened, and a strong wind burst out from inside the castle, making the clothes of all the mages present rustle.

It was like a fierce beast, wanting to devour the pride of everyone present.

A knight escorted a noble man with silver-white hair and walked out.

The man seemed to be less than thirty years old and was still very young. He was dressed luxuriously and had an extraordinary bearing.

Seeing this face, many people recognized him and all bowed.

The duke stood at the forefront. Facing one of the most noble men in the empire, he also bent down and bowed respectfully.

"Your Highness, the second prince."

The second prince nodded to Duke Levi and raised his hand, indicating that everyone should stand up and there was no need to be overly polite.

"Since everyone is here, let's go in first."

After receiving permission, the mages entered one after another. When it was the duke's turn, he was stopped by the second prince.

He smiled at Duke Levi and said:

"Duke Levi, shall we go somewhere else and talk?"

Duke Levi looked at the second prince with a forced smile and replied:

"Your Highness, I don't want to keep His Majesty waiting for too long."

The second prince shook his head and continued to persuade Duke Levi:

"Father is old and it is time for him to rest more."

"If you go in now, you will also have to wait for a while."

"Besides, I really want to communicate with you."

The second prince leaned closer to Duke Levi. He covered his mouth with one hand and whispered in his ear:

"Perhaps, it can help you get out of your current predicament."

Duke Levi listened to his words expressionlessly and did not reply.

Now the second prince relaxed and smiled.

The duke did not respond, so naturally he agreed.

He said to Duke Levi: "Your Grace, please follow me."

Under the protection of the knights around him, the two did not enter through the main entrance. Instead, they took a fork in the road and arrived at a palace.

"This is my place, Your Grace. You can speak freely here."

Duke Levi glanced at the guards around the second prince.

"These guards are naturally also our own people."

He waved his hand and signaled his subordinates to bring a seat for Duke Levi.

The duke was not polite and sat down directly. The two looked at each other.

The duke laughed when he heard this and said, "Your Highness, the second prince. You start developing your own confidants so early. Isn't it... a bit inappropriate?"

"His Majesty, he is not dead yet."

The duke's question carried a bit of chill, making the second prince tremble slightly.

He showed a helpless expression and replied with a smile:

"Your Grace, I don't want to die for no reason at some point."

"Whether to compete or not in my position is not up to me."

The duke fell silent and did not reply.

The atmosphere between the two dropped to freezing point for a moment, and they were both silent.

The second prince took the initiative to break the deadlock:

"Let's not talk about this. Your Grace, the current situation is not good for you."

"There are too many people impeaching you. Father is very likely to be unable to withstand the pressure."

"To be honest, what I want to talk to you about is this matter."

Before Duke Levi could respond, the second prince picked up his teacup and took a sip. Then he continued:

"I heard that the duke's daughter will come of age in a year."

When Duke Levi heard this, he slowly raised his head. His eyes were a bit cold, and there was also some mockery in them.

"So what?"

The second prince put down his teacup, looked at the guards around him, and smiled elegantly.

"Your Grace really wants me to be direct."

"If I form an engagement with your daughter, the duke will have a family relationship with the royal family. At that time, Father will naturally have a reason to protect you..."

Crack——!

Before the second prince finished speaking, the teacup in his hand suddenly shattered.

The knights were panicked and drew their swords and pointed them at Duke Levi.

The second prince was not afraid. Instead, he clapped his hands, patted off the fragments in his hand, and looked at Duke Levi quietly, with a hint of a smile in his eyes:

"Your Grace, this is the palace."

"You don't want your daughter to lose all her future because of your recklessness, do you?"

Duke Levi stood up. The powerful magical pressure dissipated instantly when he stood up.

The look in the second prince's smiling eyes froze slightly, and he sighed in his heart.

What exquisite magic control.

Suddenly, Duke Levi asked:

"Your Highness, how old are you?"

"Twenty-nine. How about it? For your daughter, my age is also suitable."

"Really? Twenty-nine."

Duke Levi muttered this number as if comparing something.

Soon, he suddenly asked:

"Your Highness, you have grown up under my watch. But in these more than twenty years, have you made any progress?"

The cold words were like daggers stabbing into the second prince's heart. He immediately felt annoyed. It was as if a huge rock was pressing on his head, and the smile on his face also froze.

"Admittedly, you are very smart. You know how to use the surrounding resources and also understand people's hearts."

"But you are not strong. The resources you can use are only reflected in your blood advantage."

Duke Levi didn't say it clearly, but the second prince understood.

The implication is that he is favored by his father.

Without this blood relationship, you are nothing.

The second prince's smile slowly disappeared and was replaced by a cold and playful expression.

"Then what? I am a prince. Is there anyone more suitable and excellent than me except me?"

Suddenly, he was stunned because he thought of someone.

There really is.

Duke Levi also smiled and looked at him, with obvious contempt in his eyes.

"I suggest you say this to the head of the Clevenner family in person."

The second prince slapped the table and stood up. With a wave of his hand, he roared:

"He is just a viscount! And he is already dead! Do you understand? He is dead!"

The second prince became more and more excited as he spoke. In the end, he even wanted to firmly grab Duke Levi's collar and point at his nose to tell him the truth.

But he didn't do that. As the second prince, he must maintain due etiquette. Even if he is not calm, he can't be like a wild beast. This is the last dignity of a member of the royal family.

He took a deep breath and then said to Duke Levi:

"He has disappeared forever in that volcano. This is something everyone knows."

"Dead?"

Duke Levi couldn't help laughing as if he had heard a big joke.

He shook his head and looked at him with pity in his eyes:

"In my eyes, your arrogance is not half as excellent as his."

Saying that, Duke Levi left without looking back.

The second prince's face was gloomy. He stroked his silver hair and took a deep breath to adjust his mood.

"Let's go. Let's also go to the main hall."

"I'm looking forward to seeing if he can still be so calm when he is pointed at by everyone."

...

The palace was already full of people. The knights around were wearing heavy armor and holding knight swords, guarding the order around.

Gwen stood near the throne. As the knight captain of the Royal Knight Regiment, the person she needed to protect was the emperor.

The person kneeling at the front was Duke Levi.

Seeing the duke, Gwen's expression was a bit complicated.

Of course she knew what this high-ranking minister had experienced today.

It definitely wasn't good.

But it had to be said that he loved his daughter very much.

Gwen quickly looked away and scanned among the mages.

Not here.

She couldn't find Victor anywhere.

"He, didn't come back..."

For some reason, she felt a bit uncomfortable.

Perhaps it's because Victor is also someone she has known since childhood.

Suddenly, with the announcement of the eunuch, the emperor sat on the throne with the support of many people.

Aubrey Saul, the eighth emperor of the Calensia Empire.

He looked very old and had white hair on his temples.

Although this emperor is only sixty years old, not much different from Duke Levi.

All the mages who saw the emperor knelt on one knee and showed their highest respect to the emperor.

Emperor Aubrey waved his hand and let everyone stand up.

Only Duke Levi did not move and still knelt on the spot.

The old king looked at Duke Levi, closed his eyes, and sighed.

Looking at him quietly, he asked:

"Levi, when the volcano was about to erupt, did you stop the magic formation?"

"Yes."

Duke Levi didn't hesitate at all.

The emperor asked again: "Levi, they said that you wanted to kill all the mages, including the residents at the foot of the mountain, to be buried with your daughter. What's your explanation for this?"

"Your Majesty, I have no explanation."

The emperor looked at him silently and sighed heavily.

"Alas..."

He looked at Levi, his eyes full of reluctance.

Once upon a time, they were the best friends and comrades in arms.

Now, Levi still looked so young, but he himself had taken the first step into the journey of life and death.

He had wanted to protect his old comrades who had been with him for so long in the last few years.

But Levi's actions had affected the credibility of the royal family.

If he wasn't severely punished... it would only chill the hearts of others.

"Levi, understand me and forgive me."

He closed his eyes and was about to make the final judgment on Levi.

Suddenly, all the knights outside the door drew their swords.

A soaring flame vortex rose out of thin air outside the hall, attracting everyone's attention.

The intense heat made them unable to open their eyes. After the heat dissipated.

The mages present slowly opened their eyes.

A figure appeared from the light.

Gwen stared there, a glint flashed in her eyes.

"Victor!?"

Victor appeared in front of everyone. The windbreaker with red stripes moved with the heat wave.

He looked at the emperor and didn't kneel down. He just bowed.

"Sorry, Your Majesty."

"I'm late."