'The Emperor is looking at me!'

Meanwhile, Katrin’s chest felt like it might burst from excitement at Aslan’s blatant stare. After enduring disgrace and overcoming trials, perhaps true love had finally arrived. Dmitry had long been discarded from her heart.

'Maybe I could become Empress!'

Katrin knew those kinds of looks from men better than anyone. She was certain the Emperor had fallen for her. It felt like not only was everything going exactly according to plan, but even unexpected fortune was rolling in her favor.

'Of course the heavens are on my side. I’m going to be the heir!'

As each person harbored their own thoughts, the priest began the invocation.

“Aldrion Pharmanis Belgarde, first Emperor of the Martenia Empire, and his great comrade and blood-sworn brother, Lord of Wintfall, Reimar Cardeine, hereby unite under this Oath.”

With the priest solemnly reciting the preamble of the Centennial Oath, the Blooded Proof Ceremony formally began. At that very moment—

BWOOOOOOH! BWOOOH! BWOOOOOOOOOOH!

The sharp sound of horn signals announcing a monster invasion pierced through the clear blue sky.

BWOOOOH! BWOO! BWOOOOOOOOH!

The abrupt mix of long and short horn blasts sent anxious eyes skyward. The once solemn and peaceful atmosphere was thrown into confusion in an instant.

“Shouldn’t we be running?”

“What if the monsters get all the way here?”

But Estella and the Cardeine household showed no panic. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Their faces merely tensed slightly. The priest, too, hesitated briefly, then calmly continued.

“Luka Cardeine, descendant of Cardeine and guardian of the Empire, step forward to receive your Blooded Proof.”

At the priest’s grave command, Luka took a step forward. He looked slightly nervous, but stood calmly and resolutely, holding out his right hand before the priest.

From a box of pure white marble—matching his robes—the priest withdrew a small dagger. Luka flinched at the sight, gulping dryly.

Seeing sweet little Luka trembling in fear, Estella wanted to snatch the dagger and toss it away, forget the proof entirely. But Luka didn’t cry. Contrary to her worries, he stood with surprising composure. In fact, it was Estella whose face contorted more than anyone’s. Even Leonora looked calm.

The priest held Luka’s hand and murmured a few more lines of the invocation before slashing diagonally across the boy’s palm.

“Ack!”

The unexpected sting made Luka’s face crumple immediately.

'You just need a bit of blood—why cut a kid’s hand like that?!'

Estella wanted to grab the dagger and slice the priest’s hand in return, screaming 'Let’s see how you like it!'. Her gaze sharpened into a glare.

One would expect some compassion after wounding a child’s hand, but the priest’s expression remained stoic. He collected the dripping blood into a round glass vial.

Luka stepped back, and the priest, holding the bright red vial, approached the fountain where clear water bubbled continuously.

Everyone’s eyes followed his hands. Only Estella looked at Luka with a sympathetic gaze.

The priest cradled the vial in both hands and slowly poured Luka’s blood atop the fountain. The moment it touched the water, the transparent liquid lit up as if illuminated, glowing bright before gradually fading.

“Blessings to the descendant of Cardeine!”

“Descendant of Cardeine and guardian of the Empire, Katrin Cardeine, step forward to receive your Blooded Proof.”

With the priest’s solemn call, Katrin delicately gathered the hem of her white dress and stepped forward gracefully.

Estella’s icy stare locked onto Katrin’s back. It was a markedly different expression from the one she had shown Luka—enough to make the priest flinch.

The priest extended his hand, and Katrin offered her small, pale palm with elegance. Every motion was flawless, like a dancer mid-performance.

Just as he had with Luka, the priest slashed her palm diagonally. Katrin’s delicate brows pinched slightly from the pain, and the young noblemen watching looked on with pained expressions.

The priest collected Katrin’s blood into a clean glass vial and approached the fountain.

Katrin watched the scene with a heart full of emotion. She had endured so much just to witness this moment.

Drip...

Her blood finally mixed into the fountain’s waters. Her face brimmed with anticipation.

But no matter how long she waited, the water did not glow as it had with Luka.

Whispers began to fill the shrine. The priest, flustered, poured the remaining blood into the fountain—but the result was the same.

His eyes met Katrin’s pale face. He stood still for a moment, then straightened and declared in a solemn voice:

“Katrin Cardeine is hereby declared unrelated by blood to the Marquess of Cardeine, bound under the Centennial Oath.”

“No, that can’t be! Why—! Something’s wrong! Father, there’s no way I’m not your daughter!”

Katrin looked around in desperation and ran toward the marquess, her voice pleading. But his face held no emotion.

“Father! The priest is lying! Estella—this is all Estella’s doing! She conspired with the priest! This whole thing is a setup!”

Katrin wailed, but no one came to her aid.

“This is all your fault!”

She screamed and charged at Estella. But Estella scooped Luka into her arms and easily sidestepped.

“Remove her from the shrine.”

At the marquess’s command, the knights who had been on standby entered the shrine with heavy steps, flanking Katrin as she stumbled. They seized her arms and began dragging her out.

“Let me go! Do you think you’ll get away with this?!”

Her desperate cries were in vain. In an instant, Katrin was gone.

The woman who so desperately wanted to prove herself had just made the perfect exit.

Katrin—the so-called “jewel of Cardeine”—was not of Cardeine blood.

The gathered nobles were too stunned to speak.

'I thought I’d found something useful… tsk.'

Aslan’s expression darkened. Looked like he’d have to tolerate the Mage Tower’s Master acting up a little longer.

“We… we shall now continue the Blooded Proof Ceremony.”

The priest, though visibly shaken, could not bring the ceremony to a halt.

“Descendant of Cardeine and guardian of the Empire, Estella Cardeine, step forward to receive your Blooded Proof.”

Finally, it was Estella’s turn. She looked worriedly at Luka, who still looked faint, then took a step toward the priest.

That was when—

BWOOOOOH! BWOOOOOOOOH! BWOO! BWOOOH! BWOO!

The horns blared again. But this time, the signal was one they had never heard before.

Estella and the marquess met eyes across the space.

And in that glance—they both recognized the same thing: fear.

As the priest calmly reached for her hand, Estella snatched the dagger from him and slashed the center of her own palm.

“What are you doing?!”

“Gasp!”

“My goodness!”

Voices of shock erupted from all sides—angry cries from the priest, gasps from the crowd.

Estella didn’t flinch. She strode to the fountain and clenched her bleeding hand above it.

Blood dripped.

And the moment it touched the water, a blinding flash erupted—far brighter than any seen before.

It was so intense that everyone’s vision went white for several seconds.

By the time they could see again, Estella and the marquess were already gone—racing toward the walls, Luka’s hand wrapped in a strip of white cloth.

Leonora, watching Estella disappear the instant the horns had blared, let out a dry laugh and turned to Luka. She knelt beside him, where his hand was clumsily bandaged.

“Did Estella do this for you?”

“Yes, she tore the blouse under her uniform to— What do I do, Mother? Her outfit’s ruined.”

Despite his fluster, Luka’s cheeks flushed with joy.

“Don’t worry. I’ll buy her ten even better ones.”

“Thank you.”

Relieved, Luka beamed. Astute as always, he didn’t mention Katrin.

“Does your hand hurt?”

“I’m fine. But… since Father and Sister rushed off like that, it must mean the monsters really are attacking, right?”

“Most likely. Are you scared?”

Leonora asked gently. Luka seemed to think, then shook his head.

“No, ma’am. With Father and Sister there, those monsters don’t stand a chance.”

Leonora stroked his round head. His soft hair slipped smoothly through her long fingers.

She watched the disappearing figures of her husband and Estella—unable to tear her eyes away.

Chapter 111

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