25-294

EP.294. [Vivian Becomes Emperor.] 

[I'm sorry, and sorry again, Lady Vivian. Out of my own unworthy jealousy, I did such things to your father.] 

Inside the imperial seal box delivered to Vivian was not only the imperial seal, but also the final letter from Louis XV. When he was driven to the edge of the cliff, the one who reached out to him was none other than the daughter of his rival, Vivian. Experiencing this, Louis XV, as he approached his end, sought forgiveness from the one he had wronged and tried to set right the history twisted by himself and Antoine. 

[I am ashamed, but for the safety of the Empire, I judged that the throne must ultimately be passed to Lady Vivian. My children are too young, and I can no longer trust those around me.] 

The reason he sent the imperial seal to Vivian through his chamberlain, Count Van Basten, was to establish Vivian Saint-Pierre as the next emperor. Louis XV had two princes and two princesses, but his eldest was just over ten years old. He could have asked a close grand noble for assistance, but most had already sided with Antoine. Thus, as a last resort, Louis XVI had no choice but to ask Vivian for help. 

[And... I am sorry, but I ask you to look after the empress, the princes, and the princesses.] 

As his end drew near, what weighed most on Louis XV’s mind was his own family. He had seen firsthand what happened to the losers in the rivalry with Alexis. If he had entrusted them to other nobles, they would have used the empress and royal children as bargaining chips with Antoine. In the end, he could only ask the very person he had once betrayed Vivian to protect his bloodline. This reminded him of when Alexis visited him at the end, and he had treated him with a sneer. Now, Louis XV was filled with guilt and shame. 

“.......” 

Vivian read Louis XV’s letter in silence, her expression complicated. 

‘The one who drove my father to his death is now asking me to protect his own blood...’ 

A deep wound inside her ached. 

‘Father...’ 

Naturally, Vivian thought of her father, Alexis. 

[Why is your father so devoted to a business that people look down on?] 

[Father... I don’t understand. I feel like you should be doing something more meaningful, something that would earn people’s admiration...] 

A royal by blood working in commerce was a controversial sight. Many around Alexis pretended to be supportive but criticized him behind his back. Young, clever Vivian sensed this atmosphere as she accompanied her father and wondered why he chose this path. 

[Yes, I’ve heard it too. People say I’m trying to buy the throne with money. Haha!] 

Alexis, seeing his daughter’s troubled face, gently explained. 

[Buying the throne with money perhaps that just shows how powerful material wealth is. With that power, there’s something I want to do, Vivian.] 

[What is it, Father?] 

Alexis, called a vessel fit for the throne, had a dream. 

[I want to make sure the people of the Empire are well fed, well clothed, and live warmly.] 

He wanted to create an empire where the people could truly live well. 

[To achieve that, material wealth is necessary. Magic and academic knowledge have their limits. For now, people may see me in a negative light, but I am prepared to endure that for my goal.] 

In the ancient days of the continent, it was the age of magic, and its influence lingered, stunting the development of commerce and science. Someone had to step forward to open a new era, and Alexis, who loved the people, was willing to bear the criticism. 

[Wow! Father, you’re amazing! I want to be someone who loves the people like you!] 

[Haha! Hearing that from you, Vivian, gives me even more strength!] 

After that, Vivian became Alexis’s first and most passionate supporter. Always, wherever and whenever, she cheered for and worked alongside her father for the Empire and its people. 

‘If it were Father, he would be thinking of the Empire and the people even now...’ 

Vivian’s heart has never changed. She started working for the Pieta Company to carry on her father’s will. Her response to Louis XV’s request for help was also motivated more by public duty than by personal reasons. 

‘But now...?’ 

She realized she could no longer just imitate someone else it was time for Vivian Saint-Pierre to make her own decisions. Becoming emperor means not just helping, but stepping forward and taking responsibility. 

‘Eugene...?’ 

When she thought about what was most important to her, what would drive her to act with the greatest sense of responsibility, the man who came to mind was Eugene Schneider. 

“Yes.” 

After a brief but deep silence, Vivian spoke to Count Van Basten. 

“I will accept the imperial seal. It will surely help resolve this situation. And the emperor’s last request will be fulfilled, as long as they don’t do anything foolish.” 

The Saint-Pierre family, whose wings had been clipped by the schemes of Antoine and Louis, began to soar again as a vessel fit for the throne. 

“A Demon King... It’s really hard to believe, Eugene...” 

Charlotte shook her head, her face pale, after hearing Eugene Schneider’s account of the prophecy he received from Drake. 

“I understand, Sister. It must be hard for you, as an active nun of the Holy See, to accept stories of the Demon God’s Eye and the advent of the Demon King, which are considered heresy. But it’s true. Please trust me.” 

Eugene’s group had now reached the area where they would meet Jeanne’s group. He told Charlotte and Marianne the most troubling information he had learned during his confrontation with Drake. 

‘I feel uneasy. I need to get this off my chest before we go in.’ 

After meeting Drake the previous night and confirming the advent of the Demon King, Eugene couldn’t get it out of his mind. The idea of the Demon King’s advent didn’t feel distant at all it felt like something was about to happen directly. 

“That’s right, Charlotte. Ever since we saw the dimensional rift, we needed to broaden our perspective.” 

Meanwhile, Marianne was actively supporting her foster son Eugene. 

“Mother, did you already consider the possibility of the Demon King’s advent?” 

Eugene guessed the reason for Marianne’s preparedness. She had already steeled herself. 

“Yes, Eugene. After experiencing the dimensional rift at the Sky Altar and conducting various studies, I’ve gained in-depth knowledge about Demon Kings influenced by the Demon God. The signs over the past month matched those ancient records exactly.” 

Marianne nodded in agreement. She had long studied other cultures, including the demons, and found that the signs of the ancient Demon King’s advent matched recent events perfectly. 

“I was wondering whether to tell you, but I’m glad you brought it up first. So it happened in Enklema...” 

She had considered mentioning the Demon King when recruiting the Gray Bear Mercenaries and after Eugene joined, but had ultimately decided against it until Eugene himself opened the subject. 

“I had a confidentiality oath with the Imperial Knights, so I hesitated. But now, with the Empire in crisis, it doesn’t matter anymore.” 

The events in Enklema had been a secret, partly out of loyalty to the Imperial Knights and to Victoria, but now the situation was too extraordinary to keep silent. 

“So is the Demon King’s advent by the Demon God happening among the demons in the north, Mother?” 

With both his role model mother and beloved sister on the same page, Charlotte finally accepted the situation. 

“That’s not certain. It could be a demon, a half-demon, or even someone with a deep secondary connection. The last Demon King influenced by the Demon God was a half-demon.” 

Marianne shook her head. One reason she had hesitated to mention the Demon King was that it wasn’t only pure demons who could become Demon King a theory that directly contradicted the doctrine of the Radiant Goddess Church. 

“Then could Eugene be included in that possibility?” 

Normally, as a nun, Charlotte would have objected, but she was thinking differently now, having recently learned her beloved brother Eugene was a half-demon. 

“Haha! Don’t worry, Sister. Drake said I’m not the one. That’s why he gave me the power to seal dimensional rifts.” 

Eugene reassured Charlotte, having received direct confirmation from Drake the previous night. 

“Whew... that’s a relief...” 

Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. 

But  

‘A deep secondary connection...?’ 

Eugene had assumed the Demon King would be a demon or half-demon, but now he was struck by a sense of foreboding. 

And that expression was mirrored when  

“Mina... has become the Demon King, Eugene...” 

Jeanne delivered the news, making the prophecy a reality for Eugene Schneider.