Chapter 399: Count Charlot Mecklenburg Lifts Duchess Annie Bretagne

Maclaine Bretagne chuckled softly, but the sorrow quickly overwhelmed him. In a low voice, he said, "Nanny was also my most precious treasure! I would trade all my wealth, my lands, and my status to bring her back!"

"Go now! Annie will be yours, but that is not my gift to give—it’s something you must earn yourselves!"

Charlot and Antonio left together. The soon-to-be Emperor of the Lionheart Empire, Maclaine Bretagne, stared at the doorway through which they departed, muttering to himself, "Charlot Mecklenburg… just what kind of man is he?"

"Every word he says, every sentence, feels so deceitful, like sheer boastfulness. It makes one want to smack him!"

"Yet… he fulfills every promise he makes, down to the last letter!"

"I’m not sure if entrusting Annie to him is the right choice."

"But… even if I objected, Annie would have eloped with him anyway!"

"Annie, she was snatched from me, right in front of my eyes by this man!"

"Right here, I watched as he pried my fingers apart, one by one, taking Annie away with such overwhelming dominance."

"Even now… I still feel like killing that brat!"

"Annie!"

Maclaine Bretagne glanced at a pile of "statements" in the corner. These were personal confessions handwritten by thirty-two individuals from Silver Dove Castle under rather unique circumstances. They detailed how they "envied" Charlot Mecklenburg’s excellence, "fabricated" rumors about him, and included evidence that Charlot was once a paragon of purity and nobility.

The only concern the aging emperor had was whether this scoundrel would cause too much of a spectacle during the wedding, inadvertently revealing his "pure and virtuous frog-like" nature.

As Charlot left 58 Elysée Avenue in the Val-de-Vas District, he turned back for a final glance at the Bretagne estate. Suddenly, cold sweat dripped down his back.

He had never imagined that the former Count Bretagne, now Emperor Maclaine Bretagne, could operate so skillfully. Without a sound, he had reached agreements with Byron, Ingrima, and the Lionheart Empire to divide the Black Phoenix Dynasty. Compared to Maclaine Bretagne, the old emperor was far too outdated, and Redmir was simply a fool!

Even though Redmir had attempted to seize power by deploying all the Saint ranks away from Strasbourg—such as sending Count Gallanord to Ferranden and Princess Axo Axel to the Lionheart Empire as an envoy, while dispatching Maclaine Bretagne to the frontlines—he still left Strasbourg in a brief "power vacuum." Redmir had also enlisted the support of Duke Mossred and commanded warriors like Midaphis, alongside ten or so loyal Saint ranks. Yet he remained a fool!

Antonio, walking ahead, suddenly sensed Charlot had stopped following. He turned back to see Charlot gazing at 58 Elysée Avenue in deep thought. A surge of emotion filled Antonio's heart as he observed this merchant’s son who now stood as the emperor’s chosen leader of the Twelve Holy Knights!

Though Maclaine Bretagne had not stated it outright, his actions during the investiture ceremony—naming Charlot before even his own son—made his position clear.

Charlot Mecklenburg was destined to become the new powerbroker of the Fars Empire!

His family’s future would include at least one duke and one count. As for raw power, they were not lacking either. Under Charlot's command were seven Saint ranks, five of whom were at the twenty-second tier, in addition to Vigo and the Grand Commander of the Royal Knights, Cresto—a warrior capable of repelling the Lionheart King Amisfida. Cresto’s strength rivaled that of Antonio and Midaphis Axel, and he was once one of the Three Heroes and Five Titans.

To marry the emperor's eldest daughter, to forge a life-and-death bond with the crown prince, to command loyal and powerful forces—Charlot Mecklenburg’s future was limitless!

The only flaw was his current lack of strength…

But for someone of Charlot’s age, being a fifteenth-tier Advanced Transcendent could hardly be called weak.

Antonio called out, "Charlot, it’s time to fetch Annie."

Charlot turned back and replied, "I’ve imagined countless times what it would feel like to walk through that door one day, to stand tall before His Majesty, and say: ‘I wish to marry your daughter!’"

"Yet, I never expected that when I finally did step through this door… it would be to receive His Majesty’s blessing."

Antonio was silent for a moment before saying, "Count Mecklenburg! Let’s get to the matter at hand and retrieve Duchess Bretagne!"

"Time is tight; save your little reflections for later!"

It was the first time Charlot witnessed his brother-in-law’s sardonic side. He raised an eyebrow and fell into step beside Antonio.

As the two left Strasbourg and traveled dozens of kilometers, they encountered Annie’s convoy.

Upon seeing her brother and Charlot, Annie burst into tears, throwing herself into Charlot’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Antonio extended a hand, but upon seeing this scene, he retracted it awkwardly and said, "Let’s return to His Majesty."

Charlot nodded, cradled Annie in his arms, and carried her onto the carriage.

This moment was witnessed by a passing vagrant artist, who later recreated the scene in a painting that became world-famous: Count Charlot Mecklenburg Lifting Duchess Annie Bretagne.

Due to this painting, the act of lifting someone in a bridal carry became known in the Old Continent as the "Annie Princess Carry," or simply the "Princess Carry."

Charlot remained unaware that he would one day become the subject of a "world-famous painting." Annie, exhausted from grief, calmed slightly in Charlot’s arms and eventually cried herself to sleep. Fearing she might be jostled, Charlot held her firmly even in the carriage.

Though Antonio found the situation improper, he silently turned away, pretending not to see.

The young Antonio Bretagne had no idea that while no one saw this moment unfold, years later, another artist, inspired by Count Charlot Mecklenburg Lifting Duchess Annie Bretagne, painted The One Who Refused to Break the Atmosphere. The piece depicted Charlot carrying Annie, while Antonio subtly turned his head away, feigning ignorance.

This painting, too, became a world masterpiece!

Neither Charlot nor Antonio could have guessed that their simple journey to bring Annie home would one day be immortalized in art. Years later, Annie Bretagne learned of these two world-renowned paintings and paid a fortune to acquire both, securing the rights to the works. She included the illustrations in the latest edition of The Chronicles of Charlot.

When Charlot once again stood before 58 Elysée Avenue, he felt a surge of emotion.

Antonio clapped him on the shoulder and said, "From now on, this is your home too."

Charlot hesitated for a moment before replying, "I don’t think it’s suitable. I should ask His Majesty for a duke’s estate instead."

Antonio could sense his brother-in-law’s ambition!

Antonio Bretagne never imagined that one day, he would be openly mocked for merely being a "count" still living in a "count’s estate." Yet he had no retort.

After all, his sister truly was Annie Bretagne, Duchess of the Empire.

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