CHAPTER 73 #7
"Ngunit hindi lang iyon. Beaumont Stavros Vacardi never wanted the throne either, but he had no choice. He understood the responsibility that came with it, and before his reign ended, he made a decree that was preserved within the Imperial records."
Bahagyang tumalim ang kaniyang tingin.
"He declared that if a Vacardi ever failed the Empire and could no longer fulfill the responsibility of the throne, a member of the Quentin bloodline would have the right to reclaim it."
Nagkatinginan ang lahat ng mga konseho bago unti-unting napunta ang kanilang mga tingin kina Megan at Lurtheron. The sudden revelation had clearly shaken the room, especially those who had spent years believing that the Vacardi bloodline possessed the unquestionable right to the Imperial Throne.
Napataas ang kilay ni Megan, and the disbelief on her face quickly turned into anger as she stepped forward, refusing to accept Anastacio's words.
"Isang lapastangan!" mariing sigaw ni Megan.
"Hindi iyan totoo! There are no records proving that such a decree ever existed! Wala sa Imperial Archives at wala sa records ng Imperial Council! You expect us to believe that an ancient decree was suddenly discovered simply because that wench, Rassia Saint Quentin wants to claim the throne!?"
Lucy Pearl rolled her eyes as she stared coldly at Megan.
That wench... she's the one responsible for Nadea's death... I want to make her pay for what she did right now. I want to kill her with my own hands.
"Saan ka nakakakita na isang Sovereign Spirit ay may kakayahang magsinungaling, you bitch?" malamig na sambit ni Lucy Pearl habang nakatingin kay Megan.
"Do you really think the history of this Empire is limited to whatever your council decided to preserve?"
Unti-unti siyang lumapit, her dark eyes never leaving Megan's face.
"Anastacio was there. He served Aurelius Archimedes Quentin himself. He witnessed the history you're desperately trying to deny, while you weren't even a part of it. So don't stand there and call him a liar simply because his words threaten the position you've grown comfortable with."
bahagya siyang tumawa.
Napangisi si Rassia nang marinig si Lucy Pearl na ipinagtatanggol si Anastacio. The two were always loud in her dimension, constantly arguing over the most nonsense things.
"Impossible! How come are you still alive?! You are dead! You were supposed to be dead along with your father and that fuckass vampire!" muling sigaw ni Megan, her voice echoing throughout the throne hall.
Nawala ang ngisi sa labi ni Rassia. Her expression immediately turned cold as she stared at Megan from the Imperial Throne. The atmosphere around the throne hall seemed to grow heavier. Then, in the blink of an eye, Rassia suddenly disappeared from the throne.
Nagulat ang lahat nang makarinig sila ng isang napakalakas na sampal na umalingawngaw sa buong throne hall.
Every head immediately turned toward Megan, who was now kneeling on the floor with one hand pressed against her right cheek.
Namumula at bahagyang namamaga ang kaniyang pisngi from the impact, while her eyes widened in disbelief as she tried to process what had just happened.
My cheek... It feels like it's burning... sobrang init nito... no... hindi puwedeng masugatan ako rito...
"Oh, you are indeed an enchantress, Megan..." ani Rassia habang malamig na nakatingin sa kaniya. "My slap immediately disappeared from your cheek... how annoying."
Nagkatinginan sina Lucy Pearl at Anastacio dahil sa kanilang nasaksihan.
The slap should have left a clear mark on Megan's cheek, but the swelling and redness had already begun to disappear as though they had never been there in the first place.
Even the warmth that had spread across her skin was gradually fading, leaving no trace of the impact.
Lucy Pearl narrowed her eyes.
Anastacio remained silent, his expression becoming more serious as he observed Megan.
Bahagyang yumuko si Rassia kay Megan. Dahan-dahan niyang hinaplos ang mukha nito pababa sa kaniyang leeg, before violently choking Megan and lifting her completely off the floor.
Desperadong napahawak si Megan sa braso at kamay ni Rassia, struggling to breathe, pero wala man lang epekto ang pagpupumiglas niya.
?Dahil sa matutulis na kuko ni Rassia, unti-unting bumaon ang mga ito at mabilis na dumugo ang leeg ni Megan.
?The other members of the 13 Guardians immediately moved to help the Empress Dowager, pero bago pa man sila makahakbang, mabilis silang pinalibutan at tinutukan ng espada nina Raja, Lazlo, Stain, Agarus, at Katarina.
Nakatitig lamang sina Caspian at Dazro sa ginagawa ni Rassia kay Megan, tila wala silang pakialam sa nangyayari.
Samantala, muling gumalaw ang panga ni Lurtheron habang nakatingin kay Rassia at Megan.
He wanted to move forward, but he couldn't.
Nakatayo si Lucy Pearl sa mismong harapan niya, completely blocking his path.
Every time he tried to take even a single step forward, Lucy Pearl's presence alone was enough to make him hesitate.
She was clearly making it known that Lurtheron would not be allowed to approach Rassia without going through her first.
"I want to fucking kill you, Megan. I want you to be burned by my own flames... or get eaten alive by Dragoroth and Razareth... but no, I want you to suffer far more than that. I will deal with you later... marami pa akong dapat pagtuunan ng pansin kaysa sa iyo."
Walang awang itinapon ni Rassia si Megan patungo sa labas ng imperial throne hall. Sa sobrang lakas at malayo ng kaniyang binagsakan, the others truly believed she might already be dead from the sheer force of the impact.
Mas dumami ang mga Imperial Knights sa labas ng throne hall, mabilis namang itinaas ni Lurtheron ang kaniyang kamay bilang senyas na huwag silang pumasok.
Some of the knights immediately obeyed his command, while others rushed toward Megan to help her stand and quickly escorted her farther away from Rassia.
"What do you want? Why are you here this instant, Rassia Saint Quentin?" malamig na tanong ni Lurtheron, his voice carrying throughout the throne hall.
If she wanted war against me, she wouldn't be here at this moment.
She would have gone to House Quentin first, perhaps to Emberman, to secure more connections and gather more support before confronting the crown.
But... why come directly to me? Why walk into the Imperial Palace and choose to speak instead of attack?
What exactly is she planning?
Sa isang iglap, sa sobrang bilis ni Rassia ay bigla na lamang siyang nakatayo sa harapan ng trono. Ngunit hindi na siya muling umupo roon. She simply stood before the throne, her gaze lowered toward Lurtheron.
"Because I wanted to speak to you, immediately, Lurtheron."
Sinenyasan ni Rassia sina Lucy Pearl at Anastacio na bumalik sa kaniyang dimension. Tahimik namang tumango ang dalawa before returning to Rassia's dimension.
Samantala, sina Raja, Stain, Lazlo, Agarus, at Katarina ay naghanda na ring umalis. Lumapit sila sa lagusan na binuksan ni Raja, habang nanatili lamang si Rassia sa harapan ng Imperial Throne, watching them disappear one by one.
"Now I am the only one here, Lurtheron. I am not here to cause trouble. I simply wished to speak to you."
Napatingin si Rassia sa council ni Lurtheron, her eyes slowly scanning each of them before returning to Lurtheron.
"Privately."
Lurtheron hesitated at first but eventually agreed. Sinenyasan niya ang kaniyang council na sumang-ayon din upang hindi na lumala pa ang sitwasyon at upang hindi maging mas lalong hindi kaaya-aya ang pakikipag-usap kay Rassia.
Napataas ang kilay ni Lurtheron nang magsimulang maglakad si Rassia patungo sa kaniya. Ngunit sa halip na huminto sa harapan niya, nilampasan lamang siya ni Rassia na para bang wala siyang pakialam sa kaniyang posisyon bilang Emperor, tila papunta na sa Imperial Office.
As the Emperor of Erenhal Sartorias, Lurtheron knew that it was considered an act of high treason for someone to simply walk past the Emperor without permission, especially inside the Imperial Palace.
Magsasalita sana si Solomon, ngunit mabilis siyang pinigilan ni Lurtheron sa pamamagitan ng isang marahang pag-iling.
"Right Hand Solomon, give orders to the Imperial Healers to come here immediately and escort the injured knights to receive treatment."
Naiwan doon ang mga council, habang si Lurtheron ay mabilis na sumunod sa likuran ni Rassia. His eyes briefly moved toward her exposed back, where the phoenix tattoo on her lower back was clearly visible. Saglit niya iyong pinagmasdan bago muling itinaas ang kaniyang tingin sa kaniyang harapan.
Samantala, agad namang sumunod sina Caspian at Dazro sa likuran ni Lurtheron, habang ang iba pang miyembro ng 13 Guardians ay sumunod sa kanilang hanay. Sa likuran naman nila ay nagsimulang maglakad ang mga Mysarea Knights, keeping their formation as they followed.
Si Rassia ang patuloy na nangunguna sa kanilang paglalakad habang papunta sila sa Imperial Office. She walked without hesitation, completely calm as though she had already memorized the halls of the palace.
Nagulat naman ang ibang Imperial Knights sa nasaksihan.
Lurtheron, the Emperor of Erenhal Sartorias, was supposed to be the one walking in front, with his Imperial Knights following directly behind him.
Ngunit ngayon, si Rassia ang nasa unahan, habang si Lurtheron ay naglalakad sa kaniyang likuran.
Sinamaan ng tingin ng mga Imperial Knights ang mga Mysarea Knights bago sila napilitang sumunod sa kanilang hanay. They couldn't accept the sight before them. Their Emperor was walking behind Rassia, while them, the Imperial Knights, were positioned behind the Mysarea Knights.
While walking, everyone behind Rassia could feel the heat radiating from her presence. Hindi lamang ito simpleng init. It was a heavy, suffocating warmth that seemed to linger in the air around her, making every breath feel slightly more difficult.