I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart - Chapter 23

Seeing Aurin shrugging lightly, me and Ethyl were silent for a moment. Because we all knew the rumor that Marquis Xuen had another youngest daughter in the household to be the Crown Princess.

“If it’s Varen, then I’m an expert. There are acquaintances there, so let’s go together.”

I thought of Ber, who pretended not to, but was actually very sad when I went to say goodbye. He said he wouldn’t even see me off, but he shouted in a loud voice at the checkpoint.

– I’ll come to see you! In the meantime, don’t forget your teacher!

I think that person would really come, so I have already arranged a guest room.

“Good.”

As I readily affirmed, Aurin answered with a bright face.

“By the way, Euel, are you going to the Concium?”

Did the rumors go out already?

“The youngest is going to the academy, so be careful.”

“Why?”

Ethyl turned his head with a skeptical look, and Aurin looked a little strange.

“She’s my little sister, but what should I say? She’s a little different from me and Nus.”

When we returned to the Empire, I was given a gift from the Xuen family, but Aurin gave a gift separately. The same was true of Nus Xuen.

I understand Aurin. Even so, I couldn’t understand why Nus Xuen personally sent me a gift. Like Xuen’s youngest daughter, he was still a stranger to me, but I didn’t argue with Aurin.

“You better not expect common sense from her.”

It didn’t take long to understand Aurin’s story.

***

One day, not long after I started attending the Concium, a girl with finely combed scarlet hair, characteristic of the Xuen family, stopped in front of me. Unlike Concium students, she was an academy student in uniform.

“Are you Euseniel Hardland?”

I passed the girl with her group of friends behind her.

“Hey! You!”

A girl presumed to be Lili Xuen, the youngest of the Xuen family, was screaming in front of the entrance to the largest auditorium in all of the Concium and academy.

The academy is compulsory for the nobility except for the imperial family, while the Concium is optional, but both are national educational institutions. There is one dean in charge, and sometimes the two institutions conduct activities together.

Now was just such a time. Thanks to this, there were a lot of people and attention was drawn to me unintentionally.

“That’s Hardland? Weren’t they kicked out?”

“Shh, that’s the story from a long time ago.”

“What, isn’t that Xuen? Were the two of them bad?”

Murmur follows.

Even if I don’t go to social gatherings, I can guess what the atmosphere is like. There must be a lot to say about Hardland’s return. I would be a target of interest even if I stood still, but that spoiled girl started it.

Slightly, it was annoying.

“You! Why are you ignoring me?”

The scarlet-haired girl approaches. This is clearly Lili Xuen.

I have to enter that auditorium now, so do Lili Xuen. So if I don’t keep that mouth shut here, it’ll be noisy.

Even if my father was the Minister of the Internal Affairs, he had not been in the capital for a long time, so he might not have a strong foundation for now. In addition, I don’t know how much support the new Emperor has for Father, and how much power the Emperor has.

During the fall of our family, the Xuen’s power must have grown stronger, didn’t it?

Just in case, I’ll finish the situation so it doesn’t become a problem.

“Are you Euseniel Hardland? Why are you ignoring me and just leaving?”

“Then who are you? Is it the right thing to do for a woman from a noble family who learned proper etiquette? It’s disrespectful to call out the name of someone you’ve never met before.”

Somewhere there was a ‘tsk’ voice, Lili Xuen, who was blushing, was furious.

“I am Lili Xuen! Not just some noble. I will become the Empress!”

I should have done a little more social work. Is she really a candidate for empress? I couldn’t tell, so I decided to give it a try.

“Who is it?”

“What?”

“Who said that? Who said you would become the Empress?”

“Th, that-”

Lili Xuen’s eyelids shook in embarrassment.

“It’s been a while since I came to Alin, so I’m asking because I don’t know, did His Majesty say that?”

“Wh, what?”

“Was an edict issued without my knowledge? Did you get an official title that you would become the Empress? If so, will you be generous and let me know?”

“It’s not-”

I wanted to smile at the opponent’s trembling lips, but I held it in. It was easy to figure out this kid.

Marquis Xuen had this child who would be the Crown Princess or Empress.

Originally, I would be a rival, but when I was exiled, the threat disappeared, so it is clear that they raised their youngest daughter, thinking that she would become the empress. In the midst of all this, Aurin was sidetracked, and Nus Xuen had to take over the family, so he must have been treated better than Aurin.

“If there’s not even that, you dare say something like that recklessly? Did you know that false information related to the Emperor can be reported directly to the Imperial Family? Doesn’t this also constitute a conspiracy to commit treason regardless of your status?”

Perhaps no one had ever made such a point because of the prestige of Marquisate Xuen and the fear that Lili Xuen might become Empress in the future.

I’d like to pour water on her head if I could, but I should end it like this.

“Apologize for spreading false information to the people gathered here. If you don’t, I’ll report you in Hardland’s name right away.”

“Do you think you can do anything just with the fallen Hardland’s name?”

The fallen Hardland. That’s straight to the heart.

The situation just turned around right away.

I bit my tongue to keep my expression from swaying. As soon as I get the sharp taste, I feel a little nauseous.

“You seem to be bragging because you were close to His Majesty when you were young, but be careful. Don’t dream when you’re just a Hardland.”

“What.”

Seeing Lili Xuen clasping her arms as if she had something to say, she grinned.

“Are you just here to talk about that?”

“That?”

“If you want to, do it, be the Empress. I wasn’t interested in that in the first place, didn’t you know?”

Watching Lili Xuen’s cheeks twitching, I twisted my lips.

“You are really weird. Why are you judging other people’s thoughts as you please? I never said I wanted to be the Empress, don’t you know it’s rude to say this all of a sudden?”

“Of course you want to be the Empress!”

“I don’t.”

“You’re ostentatious and fake… !”

“That’s all your misunderstanding. Maybe you don’t understand what I mean? Are you unable to learn?”

In a public place, I don’t want to be noticed, but she stabbed me in a painful place. A disrespectful appearance and the fear that there might be problems with the family also went away.

“Yes, I am the fallen Hardland. However, I am still a descendant of the founding family and a Duke. You are only a Marquis.”

“You…… !”

“So, bow your head.”

According to imperial law, a duke has a status equal to that of the king of a small country, and has a different rank from those below it. The implicitly stronger Marquis families do not actually bow their heads to those of the Dukes.

However, officially, it is correct to greet a superior.

“Did you not understand what I said? Or are you saying you can’t do it because I’m the fallen Hardland?”

Lili Xuen’s eyebrows rose. It was unusual to see her clenching her fists, but I had no intention of backing down.

I’m a little worried now that my reason has gradually come back. What will happen to my family if we get a retaliation later. If it doesn’t work out, I’m making a resolution to secretly cut off Lili Xuen’s head with my hard-honed swordsmanship, or even ask Ber for an assassination request.

“Hmmmm. What are you all doing here?”

A questioning benevolent voice distracted my eyes.

“Dean.”

“Why is everyone standing in the hallway and not the auditorium?”

As I turned to the presence I felt from behind, Lili Xuen, who was in front of me, hurriedly spread her skirt and bowed her waist.

Huh? She didn’t bow when I told her to bow her head, but now she’s trying to mess with me?

As I wanted to ask what trick this is, a shrill voice came.

“Lily Xuen greets His Majesty the Emperor!”

“Your, Your Majesty!”

“Greet His Majesty everyone!”

Everyone is moving in a hurry, but it seems slow to me.

“Illi’s-”

“To the ruler of the North-”

“Greetings to His Majesty!”

Your Majesty. Emperor of the Northern Empire.

My childhood friend.

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