The Lotus Of East Palace
Chapter 10 (Elias)

I didn't tell Xavier about the daughter of Princess Seo-Hwa and Wu Yi-Xing. Nor did I tell her that their daughter had been wandering around her palace, becoming one of Elle's bodyguards. But I found out everything about Princess Seo-Hwa's daughter secretly without Xavier's knowledge.

Lee Yeon-Hwa's. He's 20 years oldI think he's a teenager, I forget that Orient people always look younger than his age. In documents I took secretly from General Arianne's office in Montreux Castle, it is said that she was born and raised in Westeria to parents who were also Westeria, Daniel Welsh and Sally Welsh. Princess Seo-Hwa and Wu Yi-Xing had long lived as commoners in Westeria and wanted their only daughter to live a quiet life, away from Palace politics.

I want to respect their wishes because I understand very well what kind of life lies behind the Palace walls.

Elle has never lived quietly and freely since childhood, ever since she was told she would become the Crown Princess and live in the Palace. That's why I didn't tell Xavier about Lee Yeon-Hwa.

When I told her that Princess Seo-Hwa was dead and Wu Yi-Xing was now just a blind old man, Xavier did not ask any further as if she had expected that.

"I didn't expect that... But twenty more years have passed. So that possibility does exist. I just..." Words ceased. He took a sip of his wine, then sighed as if so one of his life burdens was reduced. "I hope she lives happily and quietly all this time." Then he refilled his empty wine glass.

"Princess Seo-Hwa reminds you of someone." I said, which is not a question at all. I more or less know why he cares about Princess Seo-Hwa. And it was not just his desire to dethrone Qin from his position so that the Orient attack could be thwarted.

"They're different."

"of course. Anna is much luckier. Sorry, Princess Anastasia I mean." I noticed Xavier recently so daydreaming more and drinking wine. Sometimes he smiles to himself. Sometimes laughs to themselves. Then suddenly he was silent and looked solemn, not blinking an inch. His mind was somewhere. I am worried about the condition of my country. "Stop drinking and go to Schiereiland."

"You've tasted this wine? Name's Carina. It's wine from Schiereiland. Grand Duchess Smirnoff presented us with this wine at her visit last week. I'll send someone to deliver some to your father. Grand Duke Winterthur will love the taste of this wine."

Without saying any further, I took his glass and the bottle of wine. Then downed the wine.

God fucking. Tastes good.

"You're why!" I snapped. He looked surprised and fully aware.

"You're the reason! You're the one who snatched my wine and finished it and yelled at me all day."

"Don't be like your father."

Xavier bitterly laughed in response, "What does that mean?"

"If there's a problem, you can tell me or Elle. If you really miss Princess Anastasia, you can go there for a few days and I'll find a reasonable excuse. If you think there's no way out regarding the matter with Orient, send me and the wolf army to go there to destroy the land. Don't try to handle everything yourself. You're a king, not a hero."

He did not respond immediately. For a moment his gaze returned blank as if he was not there. But then he asked, "What's Leon's current condition?" He asked that question every day at least ten times a day.

"There hasn't been a change." I gave it at least ten times a day. "If she's conscious, you're the first person Elle will tell."

"That's the problem. If only Leon had been sober... He could return to Schiereiland by Anna's side. He can bring back my mother. He might be able to help us fight the Orient."

"Last I doubt he'll help."

Xavier nodded. "agree. At least two other things he could."

"I don't understand at all. I thought you liked Princess Anastasia."

"Very. I really like it. No. gabe. More than that. L loved her. I want to make her happy. That's why I want Leon to get up and get back to him. That way he will be happy. And I can escape the guilt that's burdening me."

"Why General Leon? Why not just you? Come to her, and tell her you love her and can't breathe without her. Lamar her and make her Queen. It shouldn't be hard."

Xavier does not seem to agree. "You don't understand."

"I don't understand. So what makes you not see him yet?"

"I've already met him."

"When?"

"Every night. Yesterday night. Previous night. Almost every night."

"Sopan me if I ask—“

"Not polite." Answer directly. "We're just sleeping."

I close my lips, trying not to smile. "Gee... I haven't even asked. Alright, I won't comment on the confession. So... you guys have slept with—“

"It's not like that. Just sleeping. Don't think anything."

"I think you're usually insomnia."

"Indeed. I usually can't sleep. I can't even remember the last time I actually slept. But when he's with her..." He was silent for a moment, his gaze glared out the window as if there was the Princess Schiereiland, then smiled. My king is really going crazy. Just a moment ago he smiled, then he again let out a long sigh. "I can't be like this."

"If you may argue, as far as I am King you are allowed to express your own heart as you please as long as it does not harm this country."

"That's why I—“ His words were interrupted. Xavier clutched his heart and groaned in pain. He spewed black blood on his desk. Not only from his mouth, the black blood also came out from his eyes.

The attack again.

I immediately stood up to call the Palace doctor.

"Don't..." Said. His breathing was stingy, still trying to endure the pain. His right hand was still clutching his chest while his left hand was gripping the edge of his workbench firmly as if it could relieve his pain. "Don't call the doctor. Let no one know. They must not know that their King is like this." His eyes turned red. His blood vessels blackened and were now seen so clearly to his face. Before, it was only up to his neck.

Ever since he returned to the Palace and was crowned King, his condition had worsened even more. No one knows about this. I didn't know what happened to him until he told me. The magic poison that should have killed him was still lodged within his body, mixed together with his blood and could not be eliminated. Although at first he looks like he has healed, in fact not yet. He is just trying to look healthy while continuing to endure the pain in front of everyone because our country needs a healthy King. I think that's why he's been drinking wine a lot lately. Perhaps the wine eased the pain he felt the effects of the poison.

"You want me to let you die? Why don't you tell me to kill you right now? It just so happens that my sword has not been used for a long time."

"If I die now, who can defend your family and save you from the gallows or the law of the fountain? There's still a lot of business I haven't done." He sounded relaxed as if he was not afraid of death, but his hands trembled as he removed the handle from the edge of his desk. The former grip leaves cracks. With that trembling hand he cleaned the blood on his table. He didn't want anyone to know so he usually cleaned his own blood vomit. Once I almost helped him but he pushed me away. He does not want to be treated like a sick person.

It took a lot of effort for him to get up from his seat. He wouldn't like to be helped so I let him go. He walked towards one side of the room and faced the mirror, about to check how bad his current condition was. He cleaned the bloodstains from his mouth and face then took off his clothes buttons and saw the effects of the poison on his body. Even from where I stand, I can see it. Her pale white skin usually looks like a clean canvas without scars, but now the clean canvas was like it was pierced by black ink that formed the black curved lines of blood vessels that were clearly visible all over the surface of his skin. If he was an ordinary man, he should have died.

"So you still haven't told Princess Anastasia this?" My toot.

"Not going to."

"You're with him every night but he doesn't know? How come?"

"When you're with him, something like this never happens. I didn't feel the poison at all. The poison seemed to be completely gone. So she doesn't need to know—“

"You're dying! He should know that. You should have told Princess Anastasia—“

"Anna can't know. No one can know." He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes, his forehead wrinkled, concentrating to hide the poison's effect. Sweat spots appeared on his forehead. In a few breaths, his skin returned to normal and his eyes returned as green as emerald gems. He looks like a king again. The liar king who hides secrets from everyone. He changed his blood-stained clothes, then turned back to face me. Later he would burn the clothes with his fire, removing the evidence. "I entrust this to you only. I knew you wouldn't betray me by telling anyone about my true condition."

"elias... Please..." He looks desperate. I couldn't bear to see it. It frustrates me. I always had to keep her secrets.

"The poison destroys you slowly from within! Who knows, you could die tonight or tomorrow if you let it go on like this! You should think about your health first in order to lead this country well. Find Ludwig and have him make the antidote. Or if it's too hard, send your men to find a cure. There must be a cure. Someone must have healed you. There's gotta be a way out of this."

Xavier again took a new bottle of wine and wine glass to put on his desk. He sat there again and drank the wine as if he had never vomited blood before. "There's no way out, Elias. There is no medicine or potion that can cure me. Even Anna can't."

"But he can stop the pain and slow down the performance of his poison. And like you said, he can make you feel no poison. For every organ of your body that was destroyed from within by the poison, Princess Anastasia could immediately heal him. Repair whatever is broken inside you. You have to tell him so he can help you ease that pain rather than keep it a secret and end up destroying yourself."

Xavier seemed to think carefully about my words. He seemed to be thinking hard, digesting what I told him. This is new, because he usually won't listen to me.

"Good idea, Elias!" He said finally after a long moment of silence.

"I knew. I'm always full of ideas—“

"We can make Orient destroy itself."

"I'm sorry?"

"Poisons can destroy me from within without anyone's knowledge. And you..." He pointed at me, looking much healthier and more vibrant than before. "You'll be poison to Orient and destroy them from within before they destroy us."

...****************...

I had no idea that my conversation with Xavier would leave me with another title other than 'loyal dog king'. Now I am also a 'deadly poison for the Empire'. I left my dying King, my pregnant twin sister and my parents in hiding to carry out this noble task. Become a deadly poison.

I've been going back and forth between Nordhalbinsel and Orient. My ability to teleport is very helpful in this regard. I infiltrated into the heart of Orient's government, their magnificent capital city, Jungdo. It was there that I carried out my role as a 'poison' that was slowly disrupting the empire from within.

Living as a noble from birth made me learn one thing. Rumors spread much faster than any infectious disease—especially rumors regarding the lives of the nobles and members of the monarchic family. So I applied that in Orient. I spread rumors among the Orient folk in Jungdo that Princess Seo-Hwa, the daughter of the previous Emperor, is still alive. The rumors spread and grew. And the more it spreads, the more it modifies the rumor and exaggerates it. Until someone says that Princess Seo-Hwa has her own army. Princess Seo-Hwa gets blessings from the four dragons to claim on her throne. Then the last I heard that they began to believe that Qin killed his own father in order to obtain the throne.

Orient is nicknamed the Land of Heaven, but that does not mean the country is perfect and ideal. There are always people who are not satisfied. Whether because of the taxes are too high, the price of basic food that does not make sense, the military conscription that makes parents have to part with their children, the unemployment rate that never goes down, and other things. Thanks to the help of some of the wolves that I plowed, I managed to find those weak spots and use them to destabilize the Empire. At least I managed to get Qin to delay the assault on Nordhalbinsel. Finally, there began to appear some small movements among the people on behalf of Princess Seo-Hwa, they wanted Qin to be ousted.

My next agency is to enter the Palace to start messing with the imperial family. If they are too busy fixing themselves, they will not have time to launch an attack on my kingdom.

It was a little difficult for me to enter the palace. First, because I don't look like an Orient person with blond hair and icy blue eyes. And I can't transform magic like Elle does. The magic was too difficult to learn so I never learned it. The second reason, was because the Palaces in the Orient had very strict guard so I could not carelessly enter there.

I told Xavier that obstacle. He then told me to come to a winery in the red district on the outskirts of Jungdo. The name of the shop is Dong-gung. He said there were people I could work with there. I don't know where he knows where that place is from, but I do.

"Welcome, General Elias Winterthur." Greet a woman I suspect—from her way of speaking—from Schiereiland. I didn't know him at all, but somehow he was able to recognize me right away. I suspect Xavier may have told this woman that I was coming. "My name is Diana. I've heard from Princess Anastasia that you will come to visit and I'm asked to escort you to a special room."

"Daughter Anastasia?"

"true." He said with a friendly smile. "Please come over here."

Though somewhat doubtful, I still followed the woman. Diana did not look dangerous. She was like the Schiereiland woman in general. The women in Schiereiland always look friendly and cheerful as if they were eating sunlight and drinking morning dew every day. Unlike the women in Nordhalbinsel who always seem haughty and cold. Perhaps the climate of the dwelling affects human nature.

I was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Diana took me away from the other guests—they all looked like foreign tourists from different countries—but then my eyes caught something unusual from that friendly lady. Her reddish-brown hair rolled up as neatly as the women in Orient who were married. But that's not the problem. If most Orient women use beautiful hairpins like Princess Seo-Hwa's, Diana doesn't use any of them. Diana used a knife instead of a hairpin. Knives with scaly handles and decorated with ruby gems.

I don't want to look back at it from top to bottom. Judging how deadly this woman is. She was wearing traditional Orient clothes that I don't remember her name. I didn't pay much attention at first, but now I see it. I found that he kept a kitchen knife in his boots and a pair of daggers covered in extra cloth tied around his waist. She now looks more like a traditional-dressed hitman instead of a wine shop owner woman.

"Why are you looking at my wife like that, Wolf?"

My steps stopped the moment I heard that voice. I looked at the source of the voice. A Westerian man. And not the usual Westerian.

"Why is a Navarro in the Orient? You lost?" My reply. He, the person before me right now, is one of the deadliest creatures in Westeria. Clan Navarro. I could tell right from his Amethyst eyes.

There is a hidden reason why Westeria shunned wars and conflicts with other countries. Not because they are weak and cowardly. Because they are dangerous. And the Navarro Clan was the main reason.

"Riz, don't be so with our guests." Diana said. Navarro turned his eyes to the Schiereiland woman. I've only ever seen a look like that on two people. To my father, when he looked at my mother. And on Xavier, as he looked at Princess Anastasia. Like a blind man seeing the light for the first time.

I looked at them in turn. Now it makes sense why the Schiereiland woman looks so deadly and has so many knives. She was the wife of a Navarro.

Riz. I don't remember a single son of the Navarro Clan named Riz. I know their eldest daughter, Andromeda Navarro, who is two years older than me, or so it seems. I don't really know the real age of Andromeda because as I recall, the Navarro Clan has a long and youthful lifespan. Andromeda is a former 'fiancee'. But I don't remember his little brother named Riz. All I know is that one of Andromeda's younger brothers ran away from home years ago. But I don't remember his name.

"I'm just kidding, baby." Riz said to his wife. He glanced at me for a moment, "Let me escort this Wolf Master into his room."

...****************...

"You!" I squealed in surprise as soon as I saw who was waiting in the room that Riz was referring to. And it turns out that person was just as surprised as I was.

"You followed me all the way to Orient?" He's accusing me. "Are you too obsessed? What more do you want?"

Riz watched us take turns, then laughed. "Oh, so you guys know each other? Good then. I don't have to bother—ah, but this is part of the task. So be short." Riz stepped into the space between us. "Wolf Master, this Miss is Lee Yeon-Hwa, a spy sent by Princess Anastasia. And... Miss spy, this person is Elias Winterthur who was sent by King Xavier to cooperate with you. Her introductions. You guys can talk. My wife is coming to bring me food and drink. At night you can rest in any room on the second floor, as I recall there are still many empty rooms. Alright... My job is done here." The new Riz will switch and leave this room, but he comes back and says the last message, "Please, don't kill each other in this place. Have a good talk."

After Riz left, I did not immediately sit on one of the chairs surrounding the table in the room. I looked at that room. Who knows if this is all a trap.

The room was roughly five by five meters in size. Too large for the size of a private drinking room in a wine shop on the outskirts of Jungdo—, especially in the red district. The shop itself is suspicious. The building is vast and magnificent. And they sell wine that in Orient including expensive goods at a fairly affordable price. The owners were a couple from Westeria and Schiereiland. Obviously this wine shop is still new when viewed from the building. Could it be Princess Anastasia who sent those two to be in the Orient?

"Please get out of this room if you're done observing, General." Honey Welsh said. Or maybe I should start calling him Lee Yeon-Hwa. He then downed the glass of wine.

I sat down in front of him, pouring wine for myself. "First, I'm no longer a general." I drank the wine. I can know right away. It's Carina. Xavier's favorite wine. "Second, I didn't come to observe. And third, I'm not getting out of this room." I observed Yeon-Hwa. He still looked the same, yet somehow different. Maybe it was because her hair was braided like the unmarried Orient girls. Perhaps it was because he ended up wearing traditional clothes of his own country origin. She now doesn't look like one of the Queen's bodyguards. "So you're a spy sent by Princess Anastasia."

"really. So you're the one who's been chasing me around in the form of a Wolf?"

"true."

"Don't you owe me an apology?"

"For what?"

"For what?" Deuteronomy. He laughed cynically. "You terrorized me. It made me unable to sleep quietly or live quietly for days. You are my nightmare. And then you came that morning, attacking my Dad. Then it made me lose my job. Wh-wh-what for? Say it again!"

"It would all be a lot easier if you told the truth from the beginning. That Princess Seo-Hwa is your mother and she is dead."

"You don't even regret it at all. I'm not going to be able to work with someone like you. Good bye."

Lee Yeon-Hwa leaves this room. I don't have to beg him. There must be other spies better than him who aren't arrogant that I can work with. There's gotta be, right?

...****************...