Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 92

Count Darius Bayes raised his head to look up at the towering door before him. It was tightly closed, leaving no gap, as if it were invisibly rejecting him. This was Lantrea, the largest cathedral in the Empire Capital. To show their mourning, the cathedral had extinguished all its lights tonight, leaving only candlelight in the funeral hall.

Prince Annot’s coffin lay just behind this closed door. Darius had been busy on the front lines, fighting against the rebellious Duke’s army, and hadn’t even been able to attend the sorrowful wedding. In a way, he had intentionally kept himself busy because he didn’t want to see Annot linking arms with another woman and getting married under everyone’s blessings. That scene would have been very warm, but unbearably cruel for him.

However, now Darius regretted it. He should have come back sooner, like an ordinary brother or a simple friend, to offer his blessings to Annot. Even if he couldn’t stop him from doing something foolish, at least he could have seen him one last time while he was still alive.

Now it was too late to say anything. Annot had ended his young life with a laser beam while Darius was still light years away. By the time he returned to the capital, he could only see Annot’s body the night before the funeral.

Darius reached out to push the door, but hesitated when his fingertips touched it. Was there anyone behind the door? If there was no one, he would be facing Annot’s body alone. What should he say? Annot couldn’t hear him anymore, so who would he be speaking to? Was the Prince’s soul resting in the embrace of the Lord, or was it still lingering in the mortal world? If it were the latter, would he see Darius, who was late? What expression would he show? Would he open his arms as usual, embracing his brother and friend, or blame him for being too late?

Trembling with fear, Darius pushed open the door. The warm orange candlelight illuminated the hall, which had its seats removed from the aisles to make space for the mourners. Now they were gone, leaving the hall empty, with only the sound of the night wind echoing.

Thousands of candles were lit in the hall, with a sea of flowers in the deepest part. The white flowers made the coffin look like a small boat sailing on a sea of flowers, carrying the person inside to heaven.

A slender figure knelt before the coffin, hands clasped in front of the chest, head bowed, seemingly praying for the deceased. Darius recognized her as Annot’s sister, Alveira. The Princess was dressed in a black mourning dress, her long hair tied up, and covered with a black veil. Because she had her back to Darius, the Count couldn’t see her expression.

A gust of wind blew in through the slightly open door, causing the candle flames to flicker. Alveira, startled, turned to see who had so rudely intruded into the funeral hall on the night of rest before the funeral. When she saw that it was Darius, she was so surprised she was speechless.

Darius silently closed the door and walked towards the coffin under the girl’s gaze, stopping at a spot where he couldn’t see the body inside the coffin.

“Darius?” Alveira asked. “Is that you? Have you returned?”

“Yes, I have returned.”

Alveira’s lips trembled, her blue eyes brimming with tears.

“You came too late… too late…” she said, trying to hold back her tears.

“I’m sorry.”

“What good is apologizing to me!” the Princess suddenly shouted, her voice shaking the nearby candles. “Apologize to Annot! Go! Apologizing to me won’t change anything!”

“I’m sorry.” Darius accepted Alveira’s anger, though he didn’t know why she was angry with him.

“Can I… see Annot?”

Alveira glared at Darius with eyes that seemed to burn through him, then lifted the skirt of her mourning dress, stepped back a few paces, and made way for him.

Darius felt as if his legs were filled with lead; each step was unbearably heavy. The air seemed to stagnate, making it hard for him to breathe.

The coffin was also filled with flowers. Due to the low temperature, the flowers remained as fresh as when they were first picked, just like the person lying in the coffin. Annot lay quietly with his eyes closed, hands folded on his chest, holding a golden eagle-headed scepter. The excellent mortuary makeup and low temperature preservation made him look nothing like a lifeless corpse but like a young man sleeping in a sea of flowers, ready to open his eyes at any moment.

Darius gazed at the prince’s peaceful face, feeling as if a sharp knife had carved out a piece of his heart, causing immense pain and emptiness. The last time he saw Annot, he was still alive, and now they were separated by life and death.

He still had many things left unsaid to Annot, many promises unfulfilled. He remembered the night before he left the comfort of the palace to attend military school. He knelt before Annot and offered a kiss, representing loyalty to the young prince, vowing to become the Empire’s sword, to clear all obstacles, and to kill all enemies for the heir to the throne. In the days that followed, this vow appeared in his dreams every night, and Darius climbed the ladder of power step by step, building his own fleet, gaining his own strength. He knew this power ultimately belonged to Annot, and in times of internal and external troubles, he would use this power to protect his Prince, ensuring he ascended the throne and became the ruler of the galaxy.

But now this vow could never be fulfilled. His Prince had left this world first, going to rule his empire on the other side. Sometimes Darius even ridiculously worried: Would Annot find a loyal subject like him in the other world? Would he find someone who loved him as much?

Alveira walked towards the door. The wind she stirred up disrupted the candle flames. “Darius,” she said, “You loved Annot, didn’t you?”

Darius’s eyes widened slightly. “When did you know?”

“I always knew. I was hiding outside the door, listening when you swore your oath to Annot that night. I was too young then, thinking you were playing some knightly game. Later, when I understood the conflicts of power, I thought it was a secret agreement between you. Only now do I understand…” Alveira walked to the center of the hall. “You loved him, didn’t you?”

Darius looked up at the statue behind the coffin. The Lord gazed at him with merciful eyes.

“Yes,” he answered. “I loved him.” May the Lord forgive this forbidden love, he prayed in his heart. May the Lord forgive me for not fulfilling my vow. Please let me meet Annot after death, to apologize to him face to face and then become his knight again, protecting him forever.

Then he grasped the edge of the coffin and leaned down to kiss the prince’s cold lips.

If this were a beautiful fairy tale, Annot would surely open his eyes and come back to life. But it wasn’t. This was cruel reality.

Darius found himself crying. He hadn’t shed tears since his mother died. The tears fell on the white flowers like dew drops on petals.

“What will you do now?” Alveira’s voice came from a distant place behind him.

“After the funeral, I will return to the front line. First, I must defeat Duke Winnet. Then…” he paused. He had planned to return to the capital after defeating the rebels. By then, Annot would have married the young lady of the Greenwald family, and the Chancellor would support his ascension. Darius could then eliminate the Chancellor’s power in the long political struggle, consolidating Annot’s position. But now the one he served was no longer in this world. What should he do next?

With Annot’s death, Alveira became the first heir to the Empire. Could this young girl take on the heavy responsibility and become queen?

“Darius, does your vow still stand?” the Princess asked.

“What?”

“You once vowed to become the Empire’s sword, to clear all obstacles and kill all enemies for the heir to the throne. Do you still decide that now?” Alveira’s voice was frighteningly calm. “Do you want to avenge Annot?”

Darius looked again at the merciful Lord. Would his vow ever be fulfilled?

“Darius, the Lord took my beloved from me, then took my brother. I have nothing left, only you. Will you help me?”

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to avenge the dead and send those who took their lives to hell. If you are the Empire’s sword, I will be the Empire’s shield. I will guard the throne left to me by my ancestors and brother. I will become the Queen who reigns over the galaxy.”

Darius turned back. The Princess had already reached the door, far away from him. He always thought Alveira was still a little girl, forever young in his memory. When did she become so strong? In the candlelight, her silhouette looked so tall.

“Yes, my vow still stands.”

Alveira pushed open the door and walked into the starlit night.

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