Gardenia of Blooming Desire - Chapter 174: A Cute Little Brother

The news about the marriage finally reached Ludwig Audric Camellia, the Crown Prince who acted as war commander now. His hand trembled when he read the letter from his subordinate in Golden Camellia.

“FUCK!” Ludwig slammed the wooden table with his hand. The wooden table cracked and split in half. His soldiers inside the tent shuddered when they saw their commander looking extremely furious. As if he just got possessed by a demon. His eyes went fully black instantly.

“That Harion! I trusted my sister because I thought he could help her develop the country!” Ludwig crumpled the letter and threw it. He looked around and asked the soldiers inside the tent.

“Tell me, don’t you think I’m perfect inside and out? Don’t you think I deserve her more?!”

Everyone in the room didn’t understand who this woman was inside their commander’s heart. But they nodded instinctively, because their commander wasn’t clear headed right now.

“I will kill him! Even if she tried to stop me, I will kill him!”

After that, Ludwig went to the war like a madman. Usually, the commander was inside the tent to strategize around, or observed the war. But the enemy soldiers were shocked when they saw a heavily adorned commander with his gold cape lead his army in front.

He was like a man possessed by a blood lusted monster. He slashed and killed many soldiers without mercy. His movement was swift and sharp, he alone killed an uncountable number of soldiers.

The enemy staggered and tried to retreat, but Ludwig kept chasing them. With only one man, the thousands of enemy army scattered, as if they were fighting against a giant demon. The demon had weird eyes that made their knees weak.

Crown Prince Ludwig’s eyes were ink black. There were no iris pupils, just pure black that gave him a frightening aura. Even Golden Camellia’s soldier begged for their commander to stop this. Because the enemy soldiers were already begging on their knees.

Crown Prince Ludwig finally stopped after there were only a quarter of enemy soldiers left, most of them dead by his bloody hand. The meadow was full of blood and corpses lying around. It was not a war, it was a massacre by one man.

Ludwig dropped his sword and looked up. He finally recovered his composure and his eyes gradually turned into a normal golden circle again. The rain started pouring and it soon turned into a heavy rain that washed away the blood in the battlefield, so Ludwig could cry freely without any soldiers noticing.

“Big sis… why are you doing this to me? I… I love you so much, too much that I will go crazy,” Ludwig lowered his head, letting his tears flow freely with the blood in the meadow to wash away his broken heart.

Crown Prince Ludwig returned victorious half a year earlier than expected. He returned with complete victory and the rebelling kingdom inside the empire finally surrendered. However, he didn’t look happy at all. His face was cold and he didn’t even greet the people as he used to.

He just let his subordinate hold the festival and he immediately went to his room in Golden Palace.

He opened a box full of his memory with his big sister, Camille. His first drawing with Camille, his first shawl knitted by Camille, the first painting of Camille. It was all about his big sis. In fact, his life was dedicated to his big sister Camille.

It was all ruined in just a few months, she got snatched by somebody else, “That bastard Harion!”

Harion was his close friends, they had the same thought process, thus they became familiar instantly. He trusted Harion to help his sister, not to marry her.

Ludwig readied to go to Lantern Palace in Dionde City, no matter how, he must kill that man. So he could marry his sister. If his sister was trying to protect Harion, he would forcefully take his sister back and marry her nonetheless.

But, just when he was going to open the door, the door was opened from outside and he saw the woman he had countless dreams of.

She was surprised with him already packing a bag of clothes, although he just returned back from war, “Where are you going?” she asked.

“B—Big sis? But, I thought…”

“What? I’m here to congratulate you for your achievement, you won the war triumphantly,” Camille smiled. She gently caressed her brother’s head.

Ludwig trembled, then he hugged his big sis tightly, he drowned his face on her nape, trying to feel the warmth that he had been craving for. “Big sis… don’t leave me, I will do anything you ask, just don’t leave me…”

Camille smirked. As she predicted, Ludwig would have a mental breakdown about this. She had long realized that she was Ludwig’s golden circle. Camille resumed her worried expression and tapped his head, “What happened? Of course I won’t leave you, you are my brother!”

“I don’t want to be your brother,” Ludwig refused.

“Huh? Ludwig, are you okay?”

“Big sis, I love you. I love you not as a sibling, I love you as a man,” Ludwig confessed, “I will kill that bastard Harion, so we can be together.”

Camille stopped tapping Ludwig’s shoulder and then pushed him, “Ludwig, we are siblings, and the law of Golden Camellia forbids the marriage of direct blood relatives!”

“I will erase that law once I become the emperor,” Ludwig said resolutely. Camille shook her head in disapproval.

“You will ruin your own reputation in Golden Camellia,” Camille warned him, “Ludwig, sit and listen to your sister.”

Ludwig reluctantly sat on a chair while Camille stood in front of him. It was like the old days, when they were still young and Camille was a lot taller than him. He looked up to Camille and his golden circle started flickering.

“Big sis, why do you betray me…”

“I don’t betray you, Ludwig, I just got married with someone, I’m not leaving anywhere.”

“But, you got married to someone else, not me…” Ludwig was dejected. He was like a child who just lost his favourite person. It was vastly different to the black eyed monster in the battlefield.

Camille gently caressed Ludwig’s head like when he was only a little bratty boy. “Ludwig, you know that we can’t get married, right? But that didn’t mean that I don’t love you.”

Ludwig looked up again, his eyes now full of hope. Hoping that his sister actually loved him the way he did to her. Camille smiled and took off her necklace. The necklace had Camille’s personal silver pin hanging in it.

“Big sis, this?”

“That is my silver pin, of course. I’ve been planning to give it to you.”

“What about a gold pin…”

“Ludwig, don’t ask for something you can’t have,” Camille warned, “Let me tell you something, I married Harion not because of love, but because my position here was severely in jeopardy. Father Emperor is going overseas for a long time, and I keep getting threatened by your mother.”

As if recalling a terrible experience, Camille’s eyes started getting wet, “Your mother ordered someone to defile me, so I would be destroyed forever. Of course people wouldn’t accept a dirty Golden Princess. Luckily, Harion saved me and I decided to marry him in order to save myself, I can’t do anything, Ludwig. I need to survive.”

Ludwig was stupefied when he heard the terrible experience his sister went through, and it was all caused by his mother. He held his big sister’s hand and said, “I will talk to her, and if it’s necessary, I will reprimand her. Then you will be safe and divorce that man, right?”

“I can’t divorce him, we are bound by the Pure Oath of Gardenia of Blooming Desire.”

“GARDENIA OF BLOOMING DESIRE?!”

Ludwig slumped on the chair. The sacred oath of Gardenia, coupled with Gardenia of Blooming Desire was the backbone of the Golden Camellia Empire. It was because of this oath, that the people had the same mind to protect the purity of Golden Camellia.

It was basically the religion in Golden Camellia. Because there were treachery everywhere and many war crimes before, the first king of Golden Camellia married the widowed queen of the country that had long been annexed by Golden Camellia, but had a never ending rebellion.

This marriage started as a political move, but under the Oath of Gardenia and Gardenia of Blooming Desire flower as the symbol, the marriage turned into pure love that brought peace in Golden Camellia for almost five centuries.

People were bonded by pure love, pure relationship, and they would be bonded forever under the Oath of Gardenia.

“Is this the end… I can have anything, but not you?” Ludwig asked weakly.

“Silly, I got married to save myself, not because I love him,” Camille giggled.

“Then, who is the one in your heart?” Ludwig asked expectantly.

Camille didn’t answer and only smiled at him. It was such a beautiful smile that Ludwig’s heart skipped once. He knew it was him, deep inside her heart, it was him along.

‘It is me! It is me inside big sis’ heart! As long as her heart is mine, then it doesn’t matter!’ Ludwig was joyful. His broken heart was healed for most part, he hugged Camille again.

“But I can’t visit you often, because you are unmarried, it might spark some unwanted rumour,” Camille said.

“If—If I got married, will you visit me often? I can talk to you frequently? Can I send letters too? C—Can I get a kiss on my forehead again, like when we were kids?” Ludwig asked excitedly.

“Yes.”

***

In that very same year, with only two months of difference, another grand wedding was held. Crown Prince Ludwig Married at such a young age of seventeen. He married one of his sister’s best friends, eighteen years old Beatrice Wildbrush.

A year later, Prince Charles Audric Camellia was born. Basically securing three generations of Golden Camellia rulers.

Camille laughed happily in her room, her plan went well. With this, Empress Eva had no way to control Ludwig’s marriage, and Beatrice was a really meek girl, she was also a bit naïve. So, the next Emperor and Empress in line would be in Camille’s control.

‘Oh, I’m sorry my stupid little brother. It seems I misspoke, I DO love Harion. But I know you are in your prime as Golden blood. So the best way to stop you is to trick you into this trap you can’t escape!’

Harion finally finished his work and entered the bedroom. He saw Camille laughing happily and he smiled, “Why are you laughing?”

Camille shook her head and giggled, “Nothing, I’m just thinking a funny thing.”

Harion stared at Camille adoringly and hugged her from behind, he kissed her nape and inhaled gently, “I’m busy with work, I hope you don’t feel lonely.”

“It’s okay, but, tell me when you have finished your work.”

“Hm? Why?”

Camille turned her head and then kissed Harion’s lips, “Because I’m ready to bear your child.”