Chapter 225 The Princesses' perspective?
(POV: Lumiere)
After our little discussion with Vice Principal Dark, we were dismissed from the office. Celese and Aurora led me through the ArMerAur forest. Naturally, Aurora almost fell a few times, but just almost. We made our way back to the Dragon Gate. Finally, stepping through the gate we were in Argentia once more.
Celese turned to me, her eyes full of concern. "Will you be able to make it back in time for the classes tomorrow?" she asked.
I paused for a moment, contemplating my answer.
"I'll try my best, but first I gotta discuss it with someone," I replied.
Aurora nodded, her face beaming with optimism.
"If you're ready, we can meet at the café again. It's the perfect place to plan and prepare," she suggested.
A smile formed on my lips as I agreed. "That sounds perfect. I'll meet you there," I said.
With a wave goodbye, I dove into the sea of people going about their daily activities.
Right after, I sprouted black bat-like wings from my back.
I took flight, soaring high above the viscounty, my wings cutting through the air with grace.
I ascended into the heavens, seeking refuge amidst the soft clouds that drifted lazily above.
Using the Summoning Delivery Subsystem, I'd be able to locate the whereabouts of Umbra and Stellaria. In an instant, their presence was revealed to me, and I knew my path was set.
"Hmm, Lucilia?s not gonna be happy."
...
(POV: Akashic Records)
Watching Lumiere's figure disappear into the sea of people, Aurora couldn't help but voice her disbelief.
"It's hard to believe that he's the King's illegitimate child," she mused.
Celese, gently dressing her dark blue hair, turned to her sister.
"Well, if you think about it, his behavior does make it seem unlikely," she replied.
Aurora furrowed her brows in confusion. "What'd you mean?" she questioned, turning to face Celese.
Celese took a moment to gather her thoughts and then spoke honestly.
"Living as the King's illegitimate son in the royal household wouldn't be easy. It'd be a constant reminder that you'll never be on the same level as them, simply because you didn't have the same birth privilege as they did," she explained, empathy stringing her voice.
Celese's words struck a chord with Aurora, and a sense of heaviness settled upon her heart.
"So, it'd constantly remind you that you were a... mistake..." Aurora murmured, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Celese, realizing the impact of her words, quickly reached out to console her sister. "I didn't mean to make you sad, Aurora. I was simply caught up in contemplating how he must feel," she reassured her, gently patting her on the shoulder.
Aurora managed a small, forced smile, but her thoughts lingered on their own family. Breaking the silence, she softly asked, "Do you think Father has any illegitimate children?"
Celese paused for a moment, contemplating her response.
"Well, if you want the honest truth," she began, "there's a high chance that Father has illegitimate children. But unlike the King of the Cross Kingdom, our father isn't proud enough to acknowledge or have any involvement with such a child."
"I... I thought so..." Aurora frowned a bit.
From Celese's perspective, she could've easily disclosed the truth or, better yet, the honest truth. In this regard, the truth would align with what the inhabitants of the Shield Kingdom were informed, namely that the king didn't possess any illegitimate offspring.
However, if we were to embrace the honest truth, it'd reveal that the king did, in fact, have illegitimate children, yet he chose to conceal this information from the public eye.
It's not that the people could hold him accountable for fathering a child out of wedlock, but the mere fact that King Grey was capable of attending to his own illegitimate child while King James failed to do so would undoubtedly enhance the state of his familial affairs.
Then again, it begged the question of, did King Grey have any more illegitimate children?
If he did, why choose Lumiere specifically?
"Aurora," Celese began, "there's naught that can be done about it. And while Lumiere's a different case entirely, for our family, it's better to sever all ties with father's illegitimate children."
Aurora furrowed her brow and questioned, "But why, Celese? Why must we do that?"
Celese let out a soft sigh.
"It's not that condemning them is the best choice. However, illegitimate children often carry a burden of uncertainty. To protect our family's legacy and honor, it's prudent to maintain a certain distance."
Nodding thoughtfully, Aurora replied, "I guess you're right." She smiled meekly, acknowledging her sister's experience.
With a playful glimmer in her eyes, Celese placed a delicate finger on her chin and added, "Of course I am, silly. After all, how could I be your elder sister if I were anything less?"
Aurora giggled.
"Right again," she playfully nudged her sister's arm.
Just then, a thought sprang into Celese?s mind.
"You know, the kings themselves aren't immune to such... indiscretions. However, the church, with its strict moral code, doesn't look kindly upon such affairs."
As of recent.
Aurora's eyes widened in realization.
"Ah, like the decree set by the dignitaries of the church a century back, to curtail kings from amassing an ungodly number of illegitimate offsprings."
The moral code of the year 354: the Penis Disciplinary Act of 354.
[ Funny it may sound, but it was a rule that was dedicated to making sure that any king who had more than five illegitimate children would gave his penis immediately cut off. Of course, this law wasn't taken seriously until King Grey?s father got his chopped off for having nine bastards.
From then on, this rule became a big deal.
It was used to control the kings of several nations within the Human Continent.
A rule that almost got into the Demon Continent.
Simply because the Demon Emperor has about 900 illegitimate children.
Makes sense given that he had a legitimate harem of 9 wives and an illegitimate harem of 2,500+ women. ]
Celese nodded, her ethereal beauty accentuated by her thoughtful expression. "Exactly, my sister. It seems you are well-informed on the matter."
"You know, I heard that our great grandfather— the kingdom's second king, had not just a few, but an astounding nineteen illegitimate children."
Celese raised an eyebrow, her beautiful blue eyes shimmering with interest.
"Huh," she murmured, a sly smile curling at the corners of her lips, "I actually thought it was thirty-three. The rumors do tend to exaggerate, don't they?"
Aurora couldn't help but giggle at her sister's playfulness.
"Well, I'm not entirely clear on the details either," she confessed, "but considering the history of our kingdom, it could very well be true."
Celese shrugged nonchalantly, her regal bearing intact.
"Well, mother did mention in passing that the Archbishop himself has a daughter."
Aurora's eyes widened in surprise.
"No way, he does?" she exclaimed, greatly curious, "But I've never seen her. Is she hidden away somewhere?"
Celese nodded knowingly. "Indeed," she replied, her words slow and deliberate, "she hardly ever leaves the Archbishop's province. It's as if she barely exists."
Aurora contemplated this for a moment, her delicate finger tracing her chin. "I'd love to meet her someday," she mused aloud.
Celese sighed softly, a bit disappointed.
"I don't have all the details, but our mother did mention that the people within the church walls refer to her as the Saintess of White."
Aurora's face lit up with delight. "The Saintess of White? What a lovely name," she remarked.
"That's what I said too— apparently, she's well-versed in [White Magic]."
"That's a pretty neat magic.."
[White Magic] and [Holy Magic] were one of the two things Lumiere heavily struggled to learn. These two branches of magic completely focused on nurturing and completely fusing with one?s "whole soul".
Aurora had a lot more questions about this "Saintess of White".
Then,
she glanced over her shoulder and noticed the approaching figures of Lucretia and Principal Smith, the esteemed leader of the academy.
Intrigued, Aurora instinctively held her breath, curious about what they might say.
With a raised eyebrow, Lucretia glanced at Aurora and inquired, "What're you guys still doing here?"
The princesses exchanged a startled look before Celese replied, "We were just bidding farewell to one of the new professors who'll be joining us tomorrow at the university."
Lucretia shrugged nonchalantly, her voice dripping with casual indifference as she balanced an impressive stack of books and scrolls in her arms.
"Sounds cool," she remarked.
Principal Smith, a wise yet quirky man with wiry glasses perched on his nose, chimed in, "Oh, that's interesting! Who might this new professor be?"
"He's an incredible guy, he helped u—"
Before Celese could finish her sentence, Lucretia cut her off, playfully rolling her eyes, and interrupting with a swift, "Blah blah, that's boring."
Just as the conversation reached a lively crescendo, Simone, Lucretia's loyal and diligent attendant, appeared from behind, her own hands laden with a stack of books and scrolls.
"I'm hear, Lady Lucretia," said Simone.
"Enough chit-chat. Let's not keep the rest waiting any longer. We've got plans, after all."
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