The Impact of the Author's Intervention on a Blank Page - Chapter 33
About 50 years ago, the Emperor bestowed this territory as a Grand Duchy upon his younger brother, the Imperial Prince, along with the castle of Izatrix. It was common knowledge, ingrained in me before coming here, that this Grand Duchy had fully established itself as a sovereign duchy approximately 20 years ago.
All those who carry imperial blood are born with the power of dragons, be it great or small. The current Emperor inherited particularly strong powers, which had enabled him to maintain his long reign. Though there were occasional variations across generations, it was clear that dragon powers still heavily influenced the position of Crown Prince. After all, they often prioritized those with stronger dragon powers over age.
While other imperial descendants inherited vastly different abilities, they rarely revealed the nature of their powers publicly.
‘That’s why everyone assumes my brother and I possess dragon powers. Though we’re from a branch family, we still carry imperial blood…’
The Emperor, having inherited potent dragon blood and mastered its power, appeared to be in his fifties despite being well over a hundred years old. This meant the very same person who had granted this Grand Duchy fifty years ago still sat on the throne.
Since then, the previous Grand Duke had passed away, and his descendant, my brother Ludwig el Izatrix, had succeeded him. By lineage alone, my brother would be considered a descendant of the current Emperor’s younger sibling.
Then would that make that person from earlier my brother’s cousin? Or perhaps a second cousin? Though the exact relationship escaped me, it was all part of this complicated family tree anyway.
Sorting out these relationships somewhat eased my mind. Yes, we too carried imperial blood.
As the reception room door opened, Ja-hyun found himself pulled inside by his brother. He surrendered himself to his brother’s guidance. Very well… do as you please, brother…
Ja-hyun, seated beside his brother who took the middle position on the centerpiece sofa of the reception room, tried to make himself as small as possible by shrinking into the cushions.
Perhaps this was for the best. It would be wise to understand how things worked here for future reference. Building connections with that seemingly frivolous prince might prove useful later.
Ja-hyun observed the prince before him. The prince kept stealing glances in his direction, apparently quite curious about the person who rarely showed himself in public, as the rumors suggested.
Even upon a second look, the Third Prince before him was nothing like the war-maniac described. Despite the supposed gap between reality and fantasy, his appearance completely contradicted the descriptions.
The war-maniac, the future Emperor, was said to have hair so magnificent it appeared forged from molten sun, and eyes that gleamed an otherworldly red from inheriting the power of the Crimson Dragon.
But the man before him was different. Though his hair was golden, it resembled honey thinly spread on white bread rather than the sun, and while his eyes were unusual, they were closer to purple. Even the gender was different from the start.
The Prince broke the silence.
“It’s been a while, Grand Duke.”
His tone was serene, as if their earlier encounter had never happened. A faint smile graced his lips.
“I noticed the path to your mansion is still heavily covered in snow. I’m concerned whether your Grand Duchy’s people are prepared for the winter.”
His voice carried a refined, aristocratic tone befitting his birth. In other words, it took just one sentence to sense his condescension.
It seemed like he was sarcastically questioning why preparations hadn’t been made for his arrival. Moreover, he deliberately used “Grand Duchy” instead of “Grand Dukedom,” despite it having been elevated long ago. Ja-hyun already felt weary. He particularly disliked conversing with such types.
Speaking of business, this arrogant attitude of measuring up one’s counterpart was absurd. Then again, thinking about it, similar situations existed in Korea too. Like how the merchant Yong-pal would threaten customers with “Want a beating?” Understanding him as someone similar to Yong-pal, whose mind was corrupted by classism even in business, made some sense.
Regardless of the Prince’s words, the Grand Duke of Izatrix responded lightly.
“I’m quite surprised you make such journeys in this adverse weather. During heavy snowfall, even when cleared, it piles up again quickly. We refrain from unnecessary daily labor.”
Come to think of it, his brother was no less elite in his manner. From his corner, Ja-hyun silently cheered for his brother’s victory.
‘Judging by the atmosphere, brother seems like the most impressive noble, right.’
As Ja-hyun watched these two noble-blooded imperial descendants engage in their refined battle of wills, he focused on what he could do – completing his remaining quest.
[‘Plot Development’ has been activated.]
