Chapter 1086
Yulia Hercules
The crowd below applauded as Eivass and Isabel embraced. The Old Duke also clapped vigorously, his tightly pursed lips betraying a smile, and a rare tenderness flickered in his deep-set eyes.
The next segment was the cake cutting – which was not a gift from any god, but a confection made by the elves of the Church. It was a colossal, nine-tiered cake, three meters tall. Eivass embraced Isabel from behind and cut into it with a Crystal Sword, specially crafted for the occasion, which gleamed with radiance and frost. This act itself was a form of blessing.
The mist demons, their forms hazy and semi-transparent, shimmering with faint light, stepped forward to slice the cake into portions. Each guest was presented with two servings: one, a perfectly cut and plated portion of food; the other, a gift packaged and preserved with a Preservation Technique that temporarily froze time within it.
As Pope Grey raised her scepter and gently lowered it, signaling the guests to be seated, the attendees began to take their places somewhat sparsely. Many of them looked forward to the cake with great anticipation, having deeply understood the significance of the grand ceremony they were witnessing. If nothing unexpected occurred, this might very well be the most glorious moment of their lives.
As the Old Duke took his seat, he casually scooped up Prince Albert, who was sitting on the table, and placed him on his lap.
“How is it? Pretty good, isn’t it? Your daughter, my granddaughter… they’re both good children,” the Old Duke murmured, patting Albert’s backside with his heavy, firm hand, producing a solid thud. Though he appeared slender, his cat form was surprisingly plump.
“—At least, they’re both much better than their father. Wouldn’t you agree?”
At these words, Albert, who had been squirming slightly and trying to escape, instantly and obediently curled up on the old man’s lap, not daring to move.
“Hmph…”
Seeing Albert settled so docilely, the Old Duke let out a soft hum. Stroking the cat on his lap, he said with a half-smile, “This is how you should be. Why didn’t you turn into a cat sooner? Then you wouldn’t have caused so much trouble. For you, for me… for Avalon, for Iris Flower. For these children.”
Even though they were now in-laws, he still held a strong prejudice against Albert. After all, Prince Albert’s past mistakes had had enormous repercussions. It could even be said that a single thought of his had altered the course of the world’s current state.
Albert also felt a pang of guilt, lowering his head and staying put, utterly silent.
Seeing him in this submissive state, ready to accept any scolding, the Old Duke found himself at a loss. Had Albert appeared before him in his human form, the Old Duke would have punched him no doubt. However, Albert’s new body was far too fragile, and he didn’t dare to apply even that much force, fearing he might genuinely hurt him and lose face.
The old man grunted again, his tone low. “Hmph. Forget it. Without that past, perhaps there wouldn’t be this present… Are you having cake? I mean… can cats eat cake?”
“…I don’t know,” Albert replied, a hint of hesitation in his voice. “Should we ask someone?”
While the old man and the cat regarded each other…
New stirrings arose on the stage—
For some reason, Yulia suddenly walked onto the stage.
Isabel and Eivass exchanged a glance. After Eivass gave a slight nod, she reached out and pulled Yulia to her side.
Seeing this, the guests, who had just begun to eat and drink, paused. Realizing something else was afoot, they all turned to look.
“Aside from the wedding and coronation,” Isabel stated, enunciating each word clearly, “there is another important matter to announce to you all today.”
Yulia, who had been rather nervous, suddenly felt a sense of calm wash over her.
“Her name is Yulia Moriarty, and she is the sister of my husband, Eivass Moriarty. Both were orphans adopted by their foster father. Just as Eivass’s lineage comes from the Vendome family of Iris Flower…”
At this point, Isabel nodded towards Duke Vendome. Hearing her words, the Old Duke couldn’t help but smile and nod, while Annie covered her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. The other guests were stunned. Even those from Avalon who were familiar with Eivass were unaware of this secret.
…After all, the parties involved themselves had only found out less than two days ago.
Duke Vendome, however, had not anticipated that Isabel would openly acknowledge this matter in front of everyone. She was clearly not the type to make decisions for Eivass. Her acceptance meant that Eivass had long since accepted it as well.
After all, Annie was not Eivass’s birth mother in the strictest sense… though they shared the same birth mother. However, she would certainly not remarry. She was unwilling, and the Old Duke could not force her. Therefore, to outsiders, Eivass was now the child of Annie de Vendome… this was how they could truly become a family.
But Isabel’s next words caused the Old Duke’s eyes to widen in shock:
“—Yulia’s true name is Yulia Hercules. She is a direct descendant of the royal family during the Hrasal Empire.”
After a brief pause, the guests erupted into a clamor. Those invited to attend, even if not prominent figures, mostly belonged to the upper echelons of society. They possessed a considerable degree of political acumen and could comprehend the implications of this statement—
Whether it was Star Antimony, Daffodil Duchy, Black Hawk Duchy, or Iris Flower… these four nations all stemmed from the territorial wars that ensued after Hrasal’s demise, caused by the extinction of its royal line. Each of them claimed to be the legitimate successor, while denouncing the others as rebels with false claims.
Iris Flower, with its Art Association and over a third of the nobility from the Hrasal era, representing 80% of all surviving nobles, establishing itself as a kingdom was entirely reasonable. Daffodil Duchy was originally a semi-independent duchy, and the Daffodil Duke was a genuine Grand Duke—his own sister was the former empress. Black Hawk Duchy, on the other hand, represented military power and the minor regional nobility… A marshal of the former Hrasal Empire forged claims and a will, proclaiming himself duke, along with scattered rural knights who had not gone to Avalon, occupied the most fertile plains and forest regions.
Star Antimony was the most commoner-based faction… It was precisely for this reason that the supporters of the first Valentine included the Alchemy Association, the Spirit Tower, Red Fortress, and the Demon Academy. Aside from the first Valentine’s personal charisma, a significant part of it was their mindset of “better to cast a shadow on shining snow than to add fuel to the fire,” leading them to support Star Antimony Kingdom, which had the least likely claim.
Thus, the Star Antimony people firmly asserted that the former Hrasal royal family had long since died out. The incident at the time was too sudden, leaving no bloodline behind, and thus no “will” could exist. They were the most traditional inheritors—Star Antimony Language, aside from dialect, was virtually indistinguishable from Hrasal, originating from Valentine’s hometown dialect. Their laws, customs, and traditions were also almost entirely copied, unlike other nations that had made numerous revisions. If Star Antimony represented anything, it represented the commoners of the Hrasal Empire.
This gave Star Antimony the strongest assimilation power within the Hrasal cultural sphere… but it also had a significant weakness. The Star Antimony Kingdom had absolutely no claim, not even a fabricated one. Their ability to establish a nation was purely due to having a sufficient number of high-level Extraordinary individuals who forcefully occupied a territory, with no explanation as to where Star Antimony came from or why it was established. The foundation of their nation was simply “sheltering a portion of the commoners during the territorial wars.” Later, the pretext for annexing Black Hawk was “punishing fake royal authority that forged claims and wills”; the annexation of Daffodil Duchy was because “mages had usurped the political power of the Daffodil Duke”—they were still “managing on their behalf.”
Unless the descendants of the Daffodil Duke stepped forward and publicly declared their intention to inherit the Daffodil Duchy, Star Antimony held temporary, indefinite administrative rights. It was akin to a parent taking a child’s New Year’s red envelope money and saying, “I’m just holding onto it for you; I’ll return it when you’re older.”
…Maybe they would, maybe they wouldn’t.
However, Yulia’s appearance had now changed this situation—
(End of Chapter)
