I'm so sorry, Vivian Youngae. I did this to your father out of my unworthy jealousy.
The jade box given to Vivienne contained the jade seal and Louis XV's last letter.
When he was pushed to the edge of a cliff and on the verge of death, the person who reached out to him was none other than his political rival's daughter, Vivian.
Upon experiencing this, Louis XV, on his final journey, apologized to those who had committed evil deeds and sought to correct the history that he and Antoine had distorted.
[It's a shame, but for the sake of the empire's safety, I've decided that I must ultimately hand over the throne to Lady Vivian. My children are too young, and I can no longer trust those around me.]
The reason why he sent the jade seal to Vivian through his chamberlain, Count Vanbasten,
It was to elevate Vivienne Saint-Pierre as the next emperor.
Louis XV had two sons and two daughters, but the eldest is just over ten years old.
He could have used the system to request assistance from his close aristocrats, but most of them had already lined up behind Antoine.
So, Louis XVI had no choice but to send a final request for help to Vivienne.
[And... I know I'm ashamed, but I ask you to take care of the Empress, the Prince, and the Princesses.]
When Louis XV felt his end approaching, the person he most worried about was his own blood relatives.
Because he himself had competed with Alexis and seen firsthand what happened to the loser.
If he had entrusted it to other nobles, they would have tried to bargain with Antoine through the heads of the Empress, the Prince, and the Princess.
In the end, he had no choice but to entrust the safety of his blood relatives to Vivian, the person he had stabbed.
As things turned out that way, I remembered when Alexis came to see me towards the end.
I used to bully him with a mean smile,
Louis XV felt a deep sense of guilt and shame in his heart.
“.......”
Vivienne's expression was mysterious as she silently read Louis XV's letter.
‘The one who caused my father’s death is asking me to protect his own blood relatives…’
The wounds engraved deep in her heart are aching.
'father...'
At that moment, naturally, Vivian's mind was filled with thoughts of her father, Alexis.
[Why is this father so diligent in a business that people look down on?]
[Yes, Father... I don't understand it... I think Father would be admired by people for something more meaningful...]
The sight of a royal bloodline doing business was hot in many ways.
In the early days, many of the people around Alexis appeared to be positive on the outside while criticizing him behind his back.
Smart little Vivian met people holding her father's hand and read their moods.
So I don't understand why my father is going down this path.
[Yes, I heard this too. People say that he's trying to buy the throne with money. Hahaha!]
Alexis spoke frankly, stroking the head of little Vivian, who looked distressed at hearing her father say such bad things.
[The emperor's position is bought with money. In a way, it speaks to the immense power of material possessions. Vivian, your father has something he wants to do with that immense power.]
[What is it, Father?]
Alexis, who is called the Emperor's vessel, has a dream.
[I want to feed the people of the empire well, clothe them well, and make them live warmly.]
It is about creating an empire where the people can truly live well.
[Material is needed to make that possible. Magic and academic knowledge have their limits. While it may initially carry a negative image, as people say, this father is confident he can persevere and move forward toward that goal.]
The ancient continent of Pedon was a time of magic. And the ripples of that magical age have been passed down to this day.
Wavelength refers to the lack of proper development in commerce, science, etc.
When someone must step forward and usher in a new era, Alexis, the Emperor's vessel who loves his people so much, is willing to endure the harsh gaze of the people.
Wow! Dad, you're so cool! I want to be someone who loves the people like you!
[Hahaha! It gives me even more strength when our Vivian says that!]
After hearing that, Vivian became Alexis' first passionate guardian.
Always, wherever and whenever, she supported and accompanied her father as he worked for the empire and the people.
‘If it were my father, he would be thinking of the empire and the people at this very moment…’
Vivian's feelings remain unchanged even now.
The reason I started working on the top of the Pieta was to carry on my father's will.
The decision to respond to Louis XV's call for help was also made from a public perspective rather than private motives.
‘Then I...?’
But I was faced with a situation where I could no longer cope with that kind of thinking.
It's time to come out and be the real Vivienne Saint-Pierre, not imitating someone else.
Because being an emperor means not just helping, but taking the lead and taking responsibility.
‘Mr. Eugene...?’
What does Vivian herself consider most important?
What motivates a woman named Vivian to act with the greatest sense of responsibility?
When she thought of it herself, the first thing that crossed Vivian's mind was her husband, Eugene Schneider.
"is it so."
After a brief but profound silence, Vivian slowly spoke to Count Vanbasten.
"First and foremost, let's accept this seal. It will undoubtedly help us resolve this situation properly. And the Emperor's final request will be granted. At least, as long as they don't engage in any foolish activities."
The House of Saint-Pierre, whose wings had been clipped by the Dukes of Antoine and Louis, began to rise again as a vessel for the emperor.
“The Demon King... That’s truly an unbelievable story, Eugene...”
Charlotte shook her head, her face pale.
It was from Eugene Schneider that he heard the prophecy that Drake had given him.
"I understand, Sister. Still, as a current nun at the Seonghwangcheong, I don't think it's easy to accept the story of the Eye of the Demon God, which is said to be an extramarital affair, and the subsequent descent of the Demon King. But it's true. I hope you'll accept my faith as it is."
Before they knew it, Eugene Schneider and his group had reached the point where they would meet up with Jeanne and her group.
Eugene Schneider then told Charlotte and Marianne the most troubling information he had learned during his hunt for Drake.
"Something feels off. I think I'll feel better if I ventilate the room before I go in."
Eugene Schneider, who met Drake directly last night and confirmed the arrival of the Demon King.
After that, those words kept coming to my mind.
For some reason, the category of The Demon King's Descent doesn't feel far from me.
It felt like something immediate was about to happen.
That's why I ended up revealing it so suddenly.
“Yes, from the moment we witnessed the Charlotte Dimensional Crack, we needed to broaden our horizons a little more.”
Marianne, on the other hand, worked hard to support her adopted son, Eugene Schneider.
“Did Mother really have some idea of the possibility of the Demon King’s arrival?”
And Eugene Schneider guessed the background that could have made Marianne do that.
Marianne had already made sufficient mental preparations.
"That's right, Eugene. Having experienced the dimensional rift at the Sky Altar and conducting various research since then, I've gained a considerable amount of knowledge about the Demon King, who has been influenced by the Demon God. The signs I've seen over the past month or so have been very consistent with that knowledge."
Marianne nodded slowly in agreement.
Marianne had studied the cultures of other peoples for a long time, enough to acquire and use the Heart of the Sun.
The target can of course also be said to be the demon tribe.
As a result, the signs that appeared when the Demon King, who had received the grace of the Demon God, descended in ancient times and the events that have been happening recently were very similar.
"So, I was wondering if I should tell you guys, and I'm glad you mentioned it, Eugene. Something like that happened at Enclema..."
She had been thinking about it since she started recruiting the Gray Bear Mercenaries.
Then, seeing that Eugene had joined, I thought about whether I should mention the Demon King while talking about the Heart of the Sun.
But in the end, she gave up, but Marianne was happy when Eugene Schneider took the initiative.
"I hesitated because I had sworn a confidentiality oath to the Imperial Knights. But in the current situation, I felt it was pointless to pursue that further. The Empire itself is in danger."
What happened at Enclema left Eugene Schneider in chains.
It wasn't simply because the Imperial Knights were his opponents, but rather because his relationship with Victoria had grown stronger, and he kept the secret.
However, at this point, it is considered out of standard, so I changed my mind.
“Then, Mother, does the descent of the Demon King through the Demon God take place among the Demons who have settled in the North?”
Charlotte finally accepted the situation when both her role model mother and her beloved younger brother, Eugene Schneider, spoke with one voice.
"That's unknown. It could be true not only for demons, but also for those of mixed race, or even those with a deep connection to them. It's said that the Demon King, influenced by the last ancient demon god, was of mixed race."
Marianne shook her head at Charlotte's question.
There were several reasons why Marianne hesitated to talk about the Demon King, one of which was the fact that not only pure-blooded demons could receive the Demon King's grace and become a Demon King.
It can be said that this is a theory that directly contradicts the doctrine of the Gwangmyeong Goddess Church.
“Then, could it be Eugene too? Is our Eugene also included in that possibility?”
It was Charlotte, the bishop's nun, who should have been running wild, demanding that the doctrine not be disturbed.
But her thoughts turned in a different direction.
Because she recently found out that her beloved younger brother, Eugene Schneider, is a half-demon.
"Haha! Don't worry about that, sis. Drake said I wasn't. That's why he implanted in me the power to seal the dimensional rift."
Eugene calmed Charlotte, whose expression was filled with worry.
Because he received direct confirmation from Drake last night.
“Whew... Well then, that’s fortunate...”
After hearing Eugene's words, Charlotte took a deep breath and cleared her chest.
but
‘A secondary, deep connection...?’
Eugene Schneider, who was calculating that the Demon King would descend from among the Demon Tribe or the Demon Half-Blood,
A sense of foreboding suddenly appeared on his face.
And that expression
“Mina-san... has become the Demon King, Eugene...”
From Jeanne's mouth, it became a reality and flew to Eugene Schneider.