“Your Majesty, this cannot be allowed! No matter how loyally the Sigismund family has served Delcross, to suddenly lead knights into our territory without any prior notice—this is a clear violation of both sacred law and imperial law!”
The one who stood to block the Holy Emperor and his paladins, who had stormed in without warning, was Hendrick Sigismund, the eldest son, who at that time had not yet become the head of the family.
But the young Holy Emperor’s steps were unrelenting.
“Do you dare say such things even after deliberately hiding the existence of my daughter, a member of the imperial family, all this time? Had I given prior notice, what exactly would you have done to my child?”
“That is—!”
“If you are truly curious, I can personally show you what it means to threaten a territory with force. So step aside at once—before I hold you solely accountable for all of this.”
No sooner had those words left his mouth than Katrina, the knight commander who moved as an extension of the Holy Emperor, raised a long shield and shoved the eldest son aside.
“Father! Say something to His Majesty!”
Flustered, Hendrick turned around, but Margrave Vincent merely gazed at the Holy Emperor’s actions without a word.
“…Father?”
Calling out again in confusion, Hendrick flinched and drew in a sharp breath.
The Margrave wasn’t simply acquiescing to the Holy Emperor’s behavior. He was merely frozen stiff, unable to move, overwhelmed by intense fear.
Was it…