AWWEWNR Chapter 9

💫

 

Walking with Lloyd to the North Terrace, Hanaella stiffened at the sight of the Second Prince, Lionel.

 

Lionel Dune Harth Hayden. The Emperor, burned her at the stake for dabbling in forbidden magic. 

 

The question of why he had overtaken Lloyd as Crown Prince to become Emperor was answered as soon as she saw him.

 

The Empress now wishes to replace Lloyd with her son, Lionel. 

 

In the past, when I’d entrusted the Knights to Tharrott and spent my days attending tea parties like any other noblewoman, I’d heard quite a few rumors about the imperial family. 

 

Back then, I had been so infatuated with Tharrott that I approved of everything he did. 

 

After my father retired from the front lines and went to the countryside, I became pathologically dependent on Tharrott.

 

He has no interest in imperial affairs, and when he asks to borrow the power of dark magic to support the Empress and ascend the Second Prince to the throne, she graciously agrees. 

 

Little did she know that the power would be used to harm Lloyd.

 

Lloyd traveled with the Knights and Paladins to the Frozen Plateau to fight the monsters, where he was tragically killed by one. 

 

Soon after she discovered Tharott’s relationship with Rosaryn, she also learned that Tharrott had used the Knights to put the Second Prince on the throne. 

 

Using the power of the dark magic she had given him, Tharrott was able to manipulate the Knight into causing Lloyd’s death on purpose.

 

‘…I wonder why I didn’t remember. I heard about the Crown Prince who was unjustly killed because of my power…’

 

Hanaella’s face grew pale. In the past, she had truly only thought of Tharrott. She hadn’t realized how much influence her power had over the Empire, and the Knights weren’t her legion to command.

 

She was the one who brought her family to ruin. It was she who had brought the Crown Prince to his death. The one who killed her father. 

 

Because she dabbled in forbidden magic that she shouldn’t have, her father eventually drank the poison that Lionel gave him.

 

She would never forgive herself. 

 

Even if they weren’t the same people now that Hanaella returned to the past, she’d already lost the patience to forgive them for trying to do the same thing again.

 

‘Tharrott. He forced me to use my power, my family’s power, in imperial matters. Thousands of years of maintaining our neutrality for his own gain, just to punish the High Priests of the Cathedral.’ 

 

My power, my family’s power. They murdered my father, slaughtered the Crown Prince, and used this power, my Knights, to establish themselves. 

 

And I never forgave them, and I would never do so again.

 

Hanaella clenched her fists, shaking with rage, and Lloyd, seeing her turning pale at the sight of Lionel, quickly moved in front of her, blocking Lionel’s view of Hanaella.

 

“Brother, it’s my sister’s coming-of-age ceremony, and you’re not there.”

 

“The ceremony is over. You’re not at the party.”

 

“I have the same reason as you, but the young lady behind you…”

 

“…Ah! Your Highness, I’m Ari…”

 

“She is none of your concern. Please continue on your way.”

 

Lloyd interrupted before Hanaella could finish her greeting. 

 

With a laughing sigh, Lionel told them he’d see them at the palace, then, walked past them. 

 

Looking up reflexively as he passed her, Hanaella locked eyes with him for a moment. It was a fleeting glance, but it was a chilling, eerie one.

 

💫

 

Upon returning home, Hanaella headed straight to the library. 

 

She realized that she needed to understand more about the dark arts and the Knights. 

 

In the past, her first encounter with the Knights, her appointment as Lord, and the granting of dark magic power to the Knights had all seemed like nothing more than a nuisance.

 

At the time, she hadn’t thought much of the fact that she was the first girl born into House Ariel in hundreds of years. She had the power to change the Emperor of the Empire.

 

Lionel Dune Harth Hayden, the man who had succeeded the deceased Lloyd, was certainly no saint. Even if Lloyd became Emperor, there was no guarantee Lloyd would be a good ruler.

 

However, the reason he became Crown Prince was because he could become the next Emperor. 

 

I don’t know much about politics, but I do know that the Crown Prince could be a bit of a brat, but he’s not a bad guy. 

 

The second prince, on the other hand… Suddenly, I remembered Lionel’s gaze in earlier in the hall, and a chill ran down my spine.

 

‘His eyes were so cold they gave me goosebumps.’ 

 

If only she knew how to change it. The Crown Prince’s death in the North was surely due to the Empress and Tharrott’s involvement in the Knights’ affairs. 

 

Now that she had no intention of marrying Tharrott or giving him full control of the Knights, he would be spared if Lloyd led the North as he had in the past.

 

Hanaella strode into the library, remembering her father’s ear-splitting nagging that she must first read all the family’s ancient texts before she could become the next Head of the Family. 

 

She glanced around at the densely packed stacks of books, sighed, pulled out the books on the Knights, and sat down on the couch by the window.

 

The sun was shining brightly, and the room was more conducive to napping than reading. I was tempted to doze off, but I figured I’d better make a good start and opened the book.

 

「Knights

 

The Knights are a dark army of warlocks that have been passed down to the Ariel family.

 

They are given dark magic power by the head of the House of Ariel and use it to restore their health and use magic skills.

 

Ordinary Knights drink potions infused with the blood of their Lord, the head of House Ariel, to restore their health and magic for battle. 

 

However, the Knight Commander, who leads the Knight Legion, must receive his power directly from the Lord.

 

Girls are born with full dark magic, compared to boys who are born with half of it. It is not just blood that restores their health and magic, but also saliva and even physical interaction with them, as well as skin-to-skin contact.

 

Usually, the next House of Ariel and the next Captain of the Knights are commissioned at the same time, with the Lord of the House distributing dark magic to the Captain of the Knights, and the Knights acting through him.」

 

As she read, Hanaella’s expression hardened. She realized that her past self had never lent power to the Knights. 

 

According to the book, it was impossible for anyone but the next head of Ariel’s family to lead the Knights.

 

‘But how did Tharott accomplish this without the Knights’ opposition, and how did the previous captain of the Legion retain his powers…?’

 

Suddenly, a word flashed through my mind.

 

‘Blood.’

 

Yes, he did draw blood every other week. To make potions for the Knights, and she knew it.

 

‘So that’s what you used to blackmail them.’ 

 

It was written that potions made from one’s blood could keep legionnaires strong, but that the captain of the legion could not maintain his health unless it was given directly to him. 

 

She had only met the captain once, when she had delegated authority to Tharrott, so it would have been easy for him to threaten the Knights with her potions.

 

‘Hah, I was such a futile lord.’ 

 

The thought made me feel apologetic for the Knights’ former captain, whose face I couldn’t recall. 

 

There was a human healing potion that could heal wounds with a simple touch or saliva, and yet it was never used.

 

‘I’m sorry, Captain. In this lifetime, I will give you all my power, as befits a true Lord of Ariel.’ 

 

With a long sigh, Hanaella resumed her reading.

 

💫

 

“Invitation to a tea party?”

 

Gemma had come to Hanaella with an invitation after three days and three nights of reading in the library. 

 

She’s been studying to become the next head of the family, but worries that she’s been spending too much time in the library. 

 

Accepting the invitation, Hanaella’s face instantly stiffened when she recognized the sender.

 

“What is it, miss?” 

 

Gemma asked, gazing worriedly at her.

 

“No, nothing.”

 

“…Are you going?”

 

Gemma asked, pulling out the invitation and reading it, and Hanaella answered with a short sigh.

 

“Even if I don’t want to go, I guess I have no choice, since Her Highness is coming.”

 

“Oh, my, Her Highness is attending the Count’s tea party?”

 

“Yes, she is.”

 

“Oh, my!”

 

“Well, I shouldn’t be surprised if it’s House Thearine.”

 

“Ah… That’s true. Even though the Count is a nobleman, the Thearine family is a family that has produced paladins with divine powers, so it’s not surprising that they would be acquainted with the Princess.”

 

“…I suppose so.”

 

“Perhaps you should get to know her better.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

‘Even if I didn’t want to, I have a reason to.’ 

 

Nodding once at Gemma, Hanaella closed the book she was reading and stood up from her desk.

 

“I need to see my father first.”

 

“You mean Master?”

 

“Yep. Now that I’ve come of age, I must begin preparing to become the next head of the household.”

 

“Lady…!”

 

Gemma called out to Hanaella, looking so moved that she was about to cry, and Hanaella smiled awkwardly at Gemma.

 

“Well, my father is still alive, so there’s no hurry.”

 

“He’ll be so happy to see you, my dear lady, after your coming of age ceremony, when you’re old enough…”

 

“It’s not as if I didn’t already know.”

 

Hanaella said with a slightly heated laugh, Gemma wiped away her tears with the tip of her index finger and said that she was now old enough to die, much to Hanaella’s embarrassment.