A/N: The chapter ahead has been grammar-checked but may need proofreading and editing. The author will do so if she has free time in the future.
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Third Person's POV
Among the realms that make up the Warlock Empire, Voxwein of the South is the largest state. Pure Nobility or direct male or female kin of the Empress are legally entitled to reside there.
The Empress's uncle, Archduke Karrygyl's (the Empress's biological father) brother, Grand Duke Breuce Warlock, is currently in charge. He was the late King's third-born son, a real Prince by blood. However, on the day of the Restoration, the Empress bestowed upon him the title of Grand Duke.
The Pure Nobility has a well-deserved reputation for resentment towards the Empress's return and her reign. They oppose her and are arrogant since they still have the Empress's blood coursing through their veins. The imperial rules ensure their safety, however antiquated they may be. They retain all authority and claim to the throne. However, they are confident that their destruction has begun with the delivery of the new Princess.
Appreciating the Earthlings' expertise, they devised a study to augment their political stance in the social class.
This can be accomplished by creating an artificial Princess.
After numerous tries and mishaps, two fake princesses were successfully born.
Viscount Crolly stutters, "Y-Your Grace, the Princesses," while presenting the young girls in his arms to the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke peers at his kids with icy disdain.
His magic, flesh, and blood are all used to create these offspring. He never anticipated a miracle would occur. All of this is made possible by their pet's amplification power. To take the throne, they plan to use the princesses as pawns. They may end up on top, so it hardly matters. Once seated, they will fire back at the arrogant Dragunovvs.
"Are you not going to hold them, Your Grace?"
The Grand Duke takes a deep huff through his nostrils and rotates his heel. "The third lady has now been born. Let's use this occasion to make our announcement even more resounding than her arrival. The competition is about to begin."
"Your Grace, that's right!"
Despite the Princesses' artificiality, the Diamond Palace will welcome them because they have a Warlock's blood and flesh. They have created masterpieces that the Imperial Family will be unable to fault. They will be recognized as legitimate and eligible to ascend to the throne if granted entry to the Diamond Palace.
The situation will resemble a race. It is not just a race to see who is the best but also a test to see who is evil enough to eliminate the other threats.
Although Azarese knew the situation, she could do nothing to prevent it. The artificial Princesses are destined to exist. In the past, the Pure Nobility had always planned to seize power, but she stopped them from doing so. Because they were terrified of her, they abandoned the Princesses and denigrated them as failures. Grand Duke Breuce takes advantage of Azarese's unfortunate condition to manipulate and poison her mind, provoking the loud voices within her head and ultimately pushing her over the edge into villainy.
If Azarese wishes to live her second life, she must prepare for this race. Even though she's confident in her ability to prevail, she needs to assemble a support system that may help her further cement her position as an influential figure with extensive social ties and other hallmarks of high society.
She has no trouble winning the Forsaken Princes over to her cause. If she successfully keeps them on her side and gets them back to their original positions, she will have the support of not one but two Empires. Empress Clastigaufeas, the ruler of the Vernignac Empire, swore allegiance and service to Empress Siofra. Three Empires will have fallen before her and then the Church.
She's hiding so many powerful cards under her sleeve that the Pure Nobility must concede.
Empress Siofra was roused from her sleep in the wee hours of the morning. Her entire body shivered all of a sudden.
She looks at LIFE and sees that he is sound asleep, making a soft snoring noise. A photograph under his pillow made her smile bitterly. It was their precious son Astaroth when he was three years old.
"Asta... Come to... Daddy..." Before he faced the other way, he murmured.
Empress Siofra's eyes welled up with tears. Her husband's resentful yearning for their third child was palpable. He has recurring nightmares involving him. LIFE is not a stone. Although he is a terrible father, he loves his kids very much. Without hesitation, he will lay down his life for them. He is, however, conflicted. There was something about him that nature seemed to influence more than any of the other Dragunovvs, and no one knew why.
The term "Ancient" refers to the inhabitants of the planet Cosmo-Vale, and the Empress herself is a pure Ancient. It's the equivalent of the Earth term for "human." Her husband, on the other hand, is of mixed race. Since he is the first Knight's descendant, he's got the Ancient and human races. And there is another, a Veil.
Veil does not qualify as a race. Veils are Ancients who have been corrupted and influenced by evil. Ancients are immortal, and Veils are not. On the other hand, Veils are the Ancients' one and only Achilles' heel. Once an Ancient has become a Veil, it no longer possesses immortality and will die at a certain point in life. The Veils rely heavily on Ancients as a source of sustenance because Ancients increase their lifespan.
Ancients can't be killed by anything, but they will perish if they get eaten by a Veil. Veils are indestructible but have a finite lifespan. Veils were untouchable since ordinary Ancients couldn't kill them, but the Gods could.
Ancients had the innate power to slay Veils, known as gods. And there is a method for identifying God. Finding God candidates comes first. The Oracle Tree selects God candidates. One is determined to be a God candidate if the child's body and the Oracle Tree glow at the same time. Second, they'll join knights in battle during an expedition to wipe off Veils called Veil Obliteration. Whoever successfully executes a Veil will be proclaimed a God. Typically, Gods are born into Royal Families. The Warlock Empire has given birth to not one but two female gods: the Matriarch and the Supreme God, Empress Siofra.
A popular theory among humans holds that the presence of darkness is not the primary factor in an Ancient's transformation into a Veil. Voltage, Devonacci, Astaroth, Izaac, and Avenger theorized that a Veil is not the effect of "darkness" but relatively a disease. They haven't concluded anything definitively yet because they're still researching it.
Their thesis was challenged, however, by some who argued that a Veil must be the result of outside influence. This crew includes Voltage's youngest son Watts Xirquit, Izylidas, and the Crown Prince of the Vernignac Empire, Claxiord Vernignac. Thus, the disparity in their study grew into a global controversy.
The tears dried on the Empress' face, and she fell silently off the bed. She lounged on the terrace in her robe and slippers. The chill of the wind didn't bother her. She looks on longingly, remembering her life on Earth. Since the Matriarch, the first Empress, established a law that any female born into their patrilineal lineage is destined to become Empress, her entire clan conspired to kill her when they realized what her future might hold. She was exiled to Earth to keep her safe. A King's power is limited compared to that of an Empress, so their attempts to break and amend the rule were fruitless. The Matriarch herself penned the legislation on the scroll and cast a protective spell over it. Daro, the Gods' Knight, was with her to protect her. After attempting to return to Dragunovv, he abandoned her with the assurance that he would return for her one day. She held the title of Princess of the British Empire during her time on Earth. Her adoptive parents were Prince Devonacci and Princess Elexea Ayuri, the "Almost King and Queen" of England. They believed she was destined for the throne even in another realm.
Following his failed attempt, Daro found himself stranded on Earth. His persona has shifted because he is now an "alien" on a planet with a fundamentally different environment. He mistook "Dragunovv" for his real name because he'd forgotten his own. When a worried woman asked him his name, he put together all the names he had heard around him and came up with LIFE Dragunovv, Lucrese Izaac Flyme Elyxir Dragunovv.
LIFE is at the peak of his nightmare when he feels that the other side of the bed is empty. The nightmare is keeping him there, but the thought of losing his wife is much more terrifying. He shook his head awake and jumped out of bed.
When he finally spotted her on the balcony, he felt a great relief after searching the entire room with his eyes.
He stood up to join her. He gave her a passionate hug from behind. Empress Siofra is caught off guard.
"When did you get up? You were asleep deeply earlier,"
"I can't feel you beside me, so I got scared and woke up in no time..." A drowsy quality pervades his speech. His eyes are closed, and he feels Siofra's body with his hands.
"I love you so much. Why are you outside? It's cold. You'll catch a cold, my sweet love,"
"Just thinking about our children. They're so big now, but I still longed for their cuteness when they were little. How I wish they would never grow up." She feels most complete when she is holding them. Her heart aches whenever she sees them all grown and mature. Their childhood seemed to last only a moment.
"I hope, too. If they remain little, they will be free from guilt, responsibility, worries, and all the shits this world and our family bear. I, too, don't want them to grow up."
As a means of masking his anguish, he buried his face in her neck. Once Siofra realized her shoulders were wet, she smiled and began playing with his hair.
"I wish—-I can be a better father. I want to be the best father for them. I wish... I wish I am not fucked up like this. Why am I like this..."
Using a gentle hand, Empress Siofra tousled his hair. "Shh, don't make this night sad. Fucked up is what makes you unique. Our Van, our Dragon, our Knight, my Flyme: I love you even when you're mentally flawed."
LIFE squeezed her tighter. "I feel better. Thank you, baby honey."
Siofra giggled. "You and your weird endearments. Let's go back to our sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. The celebratory banquet for Holy's birth is the day after tomorrow. We need to rest,"
"No, we're not sleeping. I'm horny."
When the Empress heard what he said, her face nearly erupted. She was whisked off her feet by LIFE, which then retreated indoors. Instead of tossing her, he gently lay her down on the bed.
"Seriously, Flyme? It's past midnight already!"
As he undresses, LIFE gives her a wolfish grin. "And? That's why we have to work in silence."
"Oh, God,"
Embarrassed, Empress Siofra covered her face. Bet he won't let her walk again.