Morning light gently peeked out from behind the mountains.
Golden rays spread across the royal capital's blue-brick streets, draping the ancient city in a soft glow.
Rumble! Rumble!
Wheels raced across the brick roads with a rolling clatter, the sounds of the bumps rising and falling through the morning air.
One luxurious carriage after another, decorated with jewels and ornate embellishments, gathered toward the center of the capital from every direction.
The towering imperial palace looked even more magnificent beneath the golden morning light.
The sounds of hooves coming from all sides gradually blended together before finally settling into silence at the square in front of the palace.
With the help of their servants, nobles slowly stepped out of their carriages.
They gathered together, yet not a single greeting was exchanged.
The ministers and nobles all fixed their eyes on the towering palace.
With steady steps, they lined up neatly on both sides and headed toward the palace.
Everyone knew that something major would happen in the palace today.
Naturally, it was because of the return of the head of the Lesser family.
And all these hurried ministers were merely spectators of this grand drama.
The nobles lined up neatly before the palace gates. Morning light shone upon their splendid robes, outlining dazzling brilliance.
Just as they were about to enter the palace, they all stopped at the entrance at the same time.
Because at some point, a man was already standing in the center of the palace.
He gave off a calm and mysterious presence.
Standing on the red carpet, he faced the throne directly, showing neither reverence nor humility.
Both sides of the palace were empty and quiet, as though waiting for the arrival of its officials.
Red curtains hung from the golden ceiling above, like flowing rivers brushing elegantly across the floor.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth raised in a faint smile.
His body looked somewhat slender, and he appeared young. There wasn't a single wrinkle on his handsome face.
He wore a perfectly tailored suit, with the Lesser family crest pinned to his chest, like a blooming golden flower.
A black top hat sat on his head. Holding a cane, he looked toward the throne and stood silently in place.
Near the edges of his ears were two small golden wings embedded there.
Within his golden eyes, mystery and authority seemed to shift endlessly.
The ministers standing at the palace entrance widened their eyes the moment they saw him.
Because not only did they recognize him, they knew exactly who he was.
Leopold Lesser.
His reappearance was undoubtedly a good sign, at least for the ministers who supported the First Prince.
Yet not a single minister or noble present had received any notice beforehand.
They had originally thought that someone as distinguished as Leopold Lesser would return to the capital accompanied by a grand convoy.
Then they, the ministers, would rush to welcome him at the city gates.
At the very least, some important ministers should have been invited.
With colorful banners flying, flowers scattered everywhere, and a red carpet laid out, this imperial relative should have been welcomed into the city with the highest honors.
Yet the head of the Lesser family had returned without making a sound, completely beyond everyone's expectations.
He had been so quiet that it was almost strange.
Every noble present had their own intelligence network.
Their loyal shadows were hidden everywhere, gathering information diligently.
At the very least, they were all experts at collecting intelligence.
Yet not a single person had noticed something as significant as the return of the Lesser family head to the capital.
All they knew was that he would be returning soon.
Then early the next morning, he had already been waiting inside the palace for quite some time.
Like a ghost, he had suddenly appeared before all the nobles.
'This man is as mysterious as ever.'
'He hasn't changed.'
However, Leopold simply stood on the red carpet without moving.
He paid no attention to the murmurs coming from the ministers in the distance.
Then, as though sensing something, he slowly raised his head and looked toward the deep corridor behind the throne.
The other nobles followed his gaze and looked behind the throne as well.
There, a hunched figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
A thick robe dragged across the floor as the bent figure leisurely walked toward the throne.
Despite his hunched posture, everyone still saw him as a mountain, radiating a heavy and imposing aura.
Even from such a distance, he made the hearts of every minister present pound faster.
Only Leopold remained where he stood, his expression as calm as ever.
Aubrey clasped his hands behind his back and walked alone toward the throne.
Feeling the heavy pressure coming toward them, fine beads of sweat appeared on the foreheads of the nobles, revealing their unease.
Crowding near the entrance, they all bowed respectfully.
When the Emperor appeared before him, Leopold gently placed one hand on his chest and gave a graceful bow.
Then he slowly spoke, "Your Majesty, I returned to the capital without informing the Imperial Royal Family. I hope Your Majesty will not blame me."
Even before the Emperor, he maintained his calm elegance.
The nobles couldn't help but envy him.
Aubrey sat down on the throne, his gaze heavy and clouded as he looked directly at Leopold.
He waved a hand and said, "You can skip the bow."
"And the rest of you, if you have something to say, come inside and say it. Standing at the doorway doesn't look good."
'Doesn't look good? What could that possibly affect?'
The ministers lined up on both sides of the palace entrance looked at one another, exchanging puzzled glances.
Though they couldn't understand Aubrey's meaning, they slowly rose and entered the palace in an orderly and respectful manner.
Each minister found their position and stood there, solemnly looking toward the Emperor.
Only the head of the Lesser family remained in the center of the red carpet, still maintaining his bow.
Aubrey's gaze fell on him.
"Leopold, it seems you have some opinion about me."
"Is there something you want to say?"
Still bowing, Leopold remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, "Your Majesty, I am here to confess my guilt."
Aubrey leaned back slightly, resting lazily against the throne, and spoke with amusement, "Oh? Then tell me, what crime have you committed?"
Leopold lowered his head, his tone filled with humility.
"One of my sons became involved with demons, and my wife indulged him completely."
"For all of this, I cannot escape responsibility."
"Your Majesty, to atone for my sins, I am willing to return all of the Lesser family's wealth to the Empire."
The moment Leopold's words fell, every noble present froze.
They stared at one another in shock and disbelief.
'What was going on?'
'Why would the head of the Lesser family say something like that? Could it be...'
'Was he yielding before the Emperor?'
This was far beyond yielding. He was practically handing the entire Lesser family over to the Empire.
The Lesser family's wealth was powerful enough to control the economic lifeline of the Empire's southern region.
And now he wanted to give all of it to the Empire. To Aubrey?
Even Aubrey seemed somewhat surprised. Sitting upright, he raised an eyebrow and looked at Leopold.
"Oh? Are you sure that's what you want to do?"
Leopold said nothing.
Aubrey let out a soft snort, "You dare to use your entire family as leverage when negotiating with me."
"You're still the same as always."
He waved a hand and said lightly, "Your son has already paid the price for his stupidity."
"You don't need to atone for anything."
"Stand up. If you have nothing else to say, move to the side and wait."
Hearing the Emperor's words, the nobles all felt relieved and let out long breaths.
The cold sweat that had suddenly appeared on their foreheads revealed their discomfort.
Massive waves surged through their hearts, as if an abyss was about to swallow their reason whole.
The ministers wiped the sweat from their palms and steadied their trembling hands.
Fortunately, His Majesty had not actually accepted such a crazy proposal.
What the Lesser family had done was more than just holding their own family hostage.
It was practically putting every noble on a roasting rack.
If the Emperor had actually agreed after hearing Leopold's proposal...
If the Emperor accepted it, then any one of them could become the next sacrifice.
Once the Lesser family set such a precedent, then if anyone else made a mistake in the future, they would likely end up just like the Lesser family today, forced to surrender everything they owned.
Why?
Because if the Lesser family gave away all their wealth after making mistakes, why shouldn't you?
After all, who could guarantee they would never make a mistake in their entire life?
The Lesser family at least had the protection of being imperial relatives.
But what about them?
Aside from their noble titles, they had nothing.
No one could accept having the wealth they spent their whole lives building taken away.
If such a day ever came, the first thing these nobles would think about would be how to safely and quickly move all their assets elsewhere.
Still, many nobles could not understand Leopold's true purpose in doing this.
At that moment, Leopold slowly straightened up and let out a long breath.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
His face remained calm as he silently walked to one side of the palace.
Many ministers secretly glanced at him, anxious beyond measure.
'Please.'
'We didn't come to the palace today to watch this.'
If Aurelia became Emperor, half a lifetime of their efforts would be ruined.
After all, they had never supported Aurelia.
Back when the First Prince and Second Prince were competing for the throne, the nobles could still see a glimmer of hope.
But Aurelia being directly named as the heir was something they absolutely did not want to see...
Except for Clavenna.
The ministers exchanged anxious glances, like ants on a hot pan, whispering among themselves.
They hoped someone would step forward and break this stifling deadlock.
Suddenly, a noble dressed in luxurious robes leaned forward slightly, preparing to step out.
Marquis Cizna!
The ministers widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
After all, in this game of power, those who stepped forward first were often the first sacrifices.
As a supporter of the Second Prince's faction, he could no longer suppress the anxiety in his heart.
Just as he was about to take a step and speak, "Your Maj..."
Before he could even finish the first word, a bone-chilling coldness suddenly swept over him, making his breathing stop.
Marquis Cizna stiffly turned his neck and glanced back.
He saw a deliberate, dry smile on Leopold's face.
Those golden eyes seemed to be issuing a warning.
In the end, the marquis quietly withdrew the half-step he had taken.
His body unconsciously leaned back as he chose silence.
The surrounding ministers sighed when they saw this, and the tension in their hearts surged like a rising tide.
Seeing the ministers hesitate, Aubrey broke the silence in an indifferent tone, "I'm pleased that at least today, none of you embarrassed yourselves like usual."
"At least outsiders won't see the disgrace of our Empire's people."
Hearing this, the nobles became even more confused.
They looked at one another and lowered their heads in silence.
Outsiders?
Wasn't everyone in this palace one of their own?
Yet for some reason, an uneasy feeling wrapped around everyone's heart.
And in the next moment, that feeling became reality.
Aubrey's eyes were deep as his gaze followed the red carpet toward the palace entrance.
Sunlight pierced through the shadows of the palace, making the golden splendor even brighter.
A woman dressed simply and neatly walked in from outside with a peaceful, warm smile.
At that moment, everyone widened their eyes and looked in that direction.
Because beside the woman floated a small white cloud, quietly following her.
And sitting atop that cloud was a figure that looked like a young girl.
Her ears were long and pointed, and her light green eyes looked around curiously.
"When I came before, I didn't notice it. This place is actually so pretty."
The elf's voice sounded leisurely, carrying not the slightest trace of reverence despite being inside the imperial palace.
Then she seemed to sense something.
Through the sunlight, the elf looked directly at the figure sitting on the throne.
A bright smile appeared on her face as she waved at him.
"Yo, Aubrey."
"Long time no see."