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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 204
"What is it?"
I asked, looking at Aurora walking beside me with a sly smile.
"Miss Aurora, what exactly is your true identity?"
"I'm merely the owner of a small trading company."
"Normally, a mere trading company owner wouldn’t look so at ease on the way to meet the Emperor."
"Is that so? Hehe."
Even though her giggling looked sly, she was such a pale and beautiful woman that she naturally drew the attention of everyone around her.
It made me think: is she the type to highlight her harmlessness while ruthlessly raking in profits?
"Your Majesty, Young Lord Leon Cascadia has arrived."
At those words, an excited voice responded from inside.
"Oho... Let him in immediately."
Creak—!!! Bang!!!
The place I was led to was not the usual audience chamber, but the Emperor’s personal quarters.
As I entered, a fresh scent filled the air, and I saw a spacious bedroom.
It felt less like a simple living space and more like a small mansion had been placed here.
So this is the Imperial Emperor’s personal quarters.
Well, it is practically the only private space allowed to the Emperor.
It looked dazzling, but in reality, the life of someone as high-ranking as the Emperor is far from peaceful.
Assassination attempts, poisonings — those must be constants.
Even if there were none, constantly being on guard would exhaust anyone.
However, putting that aside, there were strange things all around.
"Oh my, it’s increased even more compared to before."
Unbelievable.
All around the room were paintings — paintings that seemed like scenes captured from a game I had made, transferred onto canvas.
They said the Emperor was obsessed with the adventure game I had created — it seems that was no exaggeration.
"Come, come. I am the Emperor of Pascalia."
From deep inside the chamber, a man emerged.
He wasn’t particularly imposing, but he naturally exuded the majesty befitting an Emperor, as if born to it.
"Oh. Aurora, you’re here too."
"Your Majesty, I hope you've been in good health."
Look at that — she greets the Emperor as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
"Hohoho, yes. You said you had good news, and you made it here so quickly."
The Emperor welcomed Aurora as if they were old acquaintances...
No matter how you look at it, Aurora is definitely not just a small trading company owner.
I slowly offered my respects to the Emperor.
"I am Leon Cascadia, heir to the Cascadia family, frontier lords of the Kingdom of Bata. It is an infinite honor to meet the Sun of the Empire."
"Hoho, rise. If I had expected such formalities, I would have summoned you to the audience hall."
He let out a hearty laugh.
"Come, come, sit here. I have so much I wish to talk about."
He led us to a sofa set inside his quarters and had us sit down.
Then, with surprising familiarity, he personally brewed coffee and set it before us.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Forgive me, but isn’t it usually the maids or attendants who handle such things?"
I hadn’t expected the Emperor himself to serve guests.
"If this were outside, yes. But here, this is a meeting of person to person, not Emperor to subject, so think nothing of it."
"In that case, I will gladly partake."
Well, if he says so.
I shamelessly took a sip of the coffee, and he chuckled as if he was very pleased.
There are many rumors about the Emperor.
Some good, some bad.
Some say he’s excessively indulgent in pleasures, but seeing him now, I didn’t get that impression.
"Aurora, you truly are remarkable. If I could, I would have arranged a marriage between you and one of my sons..."
"I still have many things I wish to accomplish, Your Majesty."
"Indeed. It’s unfortunate, but I cannot force it."
Marriage to a prince?
Just what is Aurora’s true identity?
While I was lost in thought, the Emperor clapped his hands on his knees and burst out laughing.
"If only the heiress of the Lavren family would lend me her strength, it would be a great blessing."
He seemed genuinely regretful, but what caught my attention wasn’t his mood.
What did he just say?
Lavren?
If it's Lavren, there’s only one family on this continent with that name.
Though it was a minor royal family of a small kingdom on the Western Continent, even the Empire could not treat their house lightly.
Wasn’t it the Lavren family, the wealthiest among the thirteen great houses that managed the immense flow of capital across the entire continent?
And what else?
The legitimate daughter?
In other words, Aurora—no, Aurora Lavren—had the qualifications to become the next head of Lavren, one of the continent’s most powerful families, alongside Mielephon.
I cast a sideways glance at Aurora.
But Aurora didn’t seem particularly concerned.
"Your Majesty, I wish to focus more on the trading company I established."
"Yes, I know. And that's why I find you even more admirable. If only some of my sons were even half like you..."
I had questions I wanted to ask, but for now, I chose silence.
That wasn’t the important thing.
Of course, it made sense.
Being the legitimate daughter of Lavren, she could meet the Emperor with such casual familiarity.
Now I understood why her business skills were so sharp and why her network was so wide.
After exchanging brief pleasantries with Aurora, the Emperor turned to me.
"Lord Leon. The artifact you created has given me a truly delightful experience."
"Thank you for seeing it so kindly."
"No, I don't think you fully grasp it. You allowed me, born and raised as a crown prince destined for the throne, to experience something I never could otherwise."
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[Translator - Night]
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Someone born as the crown prince, destined to be Emperor, is defined by that existence and shackled by it.
People could never see him as a mere individual, and he was always surrounded by guards who protected him, unseen but ever-present.
In short, to the Emperor, it was impossible for anyone to simply be a friend.
Yet in the game, he was accepted not as an Emperor but as an ordinary adventurer, free from threats and surveillance.
Becoming an adventurer, something he had longed for since childhood, gave him a joy far greater than most could ever imagine.
When immersed in a story, people naturally grow deeply attached to its characters.
The Emperor became very interested in the personal stories of the magician Donia and the warrior Arik, characters he recruited as companions.
And near the end of their adventure, he felt a deep emptiness inside him finally being filled—a feeling he had never experienced before.
"Thus, I made a request. Though it cannot exist in reality, I deeply cherish the experience you gave me. In that sense, Prince, you have given me an extraordinary gift."
The paintings and sculptures scattered around the Emperor’s chambers depicting his adventures weren’t just mementos—they were his way of reliving those overwhelming emotions, almost like clinging to a miracle that still remained.
Responding to his smile, I smiled back.
It felt good as a creator to be praised so sincerely.
"Here are the statues you requested, Your Majesty. I crafted them to be as lively as possible."
I summoned two statues from my dimensional space with a practiced hand.
The Emperor’s eyes widened in astonishment, and he let out a short gasp.
"Ah... Ahh... So this is it. It feels like those adventures were not a dream, but real memories."
Lost in emotion, he stared at the statues for a long while, like someone meeting long-lost companions again.
"I made sure they're highly durable so they wouldn't easily get damaged."
The Emperor, who had been silently gazing at them, turned to me.
"Prince Leon Cascadia."
"Please speak, Your Majesty."
"State your wish. I shall grant you one favor, within my power, whatever it may be."
It's easy for many to say such words.
But when the one saying it is the Emperor, the impact is entirely different.
After careful consideration, I replied.
"Your Majesty, I ask for just one thing."
I said it calmly—and skillfully trapped him.
"Please grant peace to my younger sibling, who leads the Cascadia family, and to myself."
You're trying to end it quickly?
No, Your Majesty.
You’ll have to assist us for quite a long time.
The Emperor was no fool.
Understanding the true meaning behind my words, he pondered seriously.
Then he answered.
"Very well. You have more than earned the right to make such an audacious request."
To think that creating just a single game would elicit such a reaction still felt surreal.
"However, I do not seek an exchange disproportionate to what I gave. Although I presented Your Majesty with the statues, the Paradise Artifact was originally crafted out of a wish for many to enjoy it."
Even though I drew a boundary with those words, he remained unmoved.
"If I have decided to do it, then I will. Such is the Emperor’s will."
Seriously, this guy...
I quietly lowered my head without letting my emotions show.
"Father!"
At that moment, there was a commotion.
Following a cautious report from the chief chamberlain, the Emperor’s eyes widened.
"So, Eilena is here."
"...Pardon?"
Who?
"Let her in. I was planning to discuss something concerning the two of you anyway."
I had been trying to avoid her…
Suddenly, I sensed a slightly different atmosphere from the Emperor.
Princess Eilena coming in when there were guests present?
That couldn’t just be coincidence.
Which meant...
This man had planned everything from the beginning.
The developer of the Paradise Artifact, and the subject of countless rumors.
One rumor attached to the Emperor was his excessive passion for collecting talented individuals.
He was trying to use his beloved daughter to tie me down.
His emotions were genuine, but when it came to politics and strategy, he made no compromises.
No wonder he became Emperor.
There wasn’t much to get angry about—he hadn't overstepped any lines.
I could only smile bitterly as I looked at the beautiful young woman entering the chamber.
I could refuse if I wanted.
It’s just that... I wasn’t good at dealing with people.
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[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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