As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

As the three removed their masks, the cheers that had filled the square quickly turned into murmurs.

“

? That person…”

“Wait, isn’t something wrong with the order? The person on the far right is supposed to be the one who hunted the largest beast in the hunt. And that outfit looks like training clothes. A woman wearing something like that?”

“That person is Luize di Servenia, Lensia’s daughter!”

“I didn’t know her daughter was a swordswoman.”

“Neither did I. I thought she was just a typical noble lady… There hasn’t been a notable swordswoman since Lensia. I guess she learned from her parents.”

Amid the mixed feelings of surprise, excitement, and shock, the commotion shifted to Maxion, who stood on the far left.

“That person on the left looks familiar too. Isn’t he from the North?”

“He’s the vice-captain of the Silver Hawk Knights.”

“

, so that dragon egg belongs to the grand duke’s right-hand man.”

“Is it real?”

“How could it be fake? It was brought by the grand duke’s right-hand man, after all.”

“Could it have been found in Perils? Did His Majesty know about it?”

“What’s going on?”

The crowd’s attention naturally settled on Edward.

“Anyway, it turns out the grand duke was the winner of the survival duel. He’s really something.”

“That explains why the results of the last swordsmanship tournament were odd.”

It wasn’t just the audience that was surprised. Although they knew Luize had won the hunting competition, they hadn’t expected Edward and Maxion to be involved as well.

No matter how suspicious the situation seemed, the closing ceremony couldn’t be stopped now. Whatever they were up to, it was likely just an attempt to gain favor with the public and sway some more supporters to their side. If that was the case, the emperor wasn’t far behind, having officially caught beasts to share with the citizens.

“

, it’s amusing that they’re all familiar faces,” the emperor said, forcing a laugh.

Count Retin, who was in charge of the event, took a note with the names of the three and began to speak. “The one who possesses the rarest item, Maxion de Kalliod. Lord Kalliod, please reveal your item and share your thoughts!”

Maxion stepped onto the stage and lifted the black egg. “This item is the egg of the dragon Run.” His voice echoed through the audience via the magic orb. “Recently, I discovered the identity of an egg I picked up in my childhood at Perils and decided to present it.”

He then briefly explained how he came to learn the egg’s identity, attributing it to an entry in the late Lensia’s diary. It was a mix of truth and lies that the listeners easily believed. After all, Lensia had killed Run, and her daughter was right there on stage.

“…And the diary stated that if the egg hatches, this time it will side with the empire, bringing complete peace to Perils and greater prosperity to the empire under the dragon’s protection.”

‘The dragon that awakens from its long slumber will dispel the darkness lurking in the empire!’

The content was like a prophecy. Although some still harbored doubts and fears about Run’s past, the majority of the crowd was swept up in the atmosphere and cheered. The prophecy-like nature of the statement inspired confidence, overshadowing the temple’s interpretations in their minds.

The emperor anxiously awaits Edward’s response.

Edward raised his sword and spoke calmly. “In the past, the late emperor instructed me to be the light that guides the empire’s future and the sword that walks in darkness.” He had never mentioned the past in any official setting before. It was an unspoken rule among those who found the topic uncomfortable or preferred to ignore it.

“I’m glad I can finally fulfill that command.”

That was all he said, but his words stirred a strange emotion among the audience. It evoked nostalgia for the time when he was crown prince and the peaceful, prosperous days of the past.

“Come to think of it, life was pretty good back then.”

“Yeah, it was.”

But that was all. There was no point in yearning for something they couldn’t have. As long as the emperor remained alive, Edward had no path back to the imperial palace unless there was a rebellion.

The emperor felt slightly displeased but not particularly threatened. A few words weren’t enough to shake his position, and the next speech was from Servenia, a family favorable to him, even if she was Edward’s fiancée.

The empress dowager had been busier than usual lately, likely preparing something behind the scenes.

Soon, the final speaker stepped onto the stage. Luize presented the great wolf to the citizens and began her speech. “My mother, whom you know as ‘Lensia,’ taught me swordsmanship and left behind a long diary of her life. Thanks to that, I was able to discover the identity of the egg my dear friend Maxion had.”

Luize started with the story everyone was curious about. The audience nodded in agreement, satisfied that their speculations were correct.

“And she left one more thing.”

One more thing? Curiosity spread across the audience’s faces.

“Before his passing, the late emperor sent my mother a document bearing the imperial seal and signature. I’ve been wondering when to reveal it, and now that I have the opportunity to stand before His Majesty and the people, I’ve decided to bring it.”

The story seemed unbelievable. To open an unknown document in this setting? The envelope was sealed as if it had never been opened, but a mage could easily have forged the seal. However, the contents could not be faked.

Official documents issued by the imperial family contain a unique writing style certified only by the imperial family. It wasn’t just about the seal and signature. When the seal and signature are affixed, the power within the imperial bloodline naturally imbues the document. The only thing that could verify this was the magic stone that stood before the emperor, passed down from the time of the first Emperor.

“Wait…”

“I’ll open it now.”

Before the emperor could intervene, Luize opened the envelope and read with a shocked expression.

“…Edward Elliot von Bellord Kaillon Carl Roblin Estante Orwell is hereby reinstated as Crown Prince.”

The square fell silent. Those in shock couldn’t even breathe, and soon, gasps of disbelief broke the silence.

“What did I just hear?”

“Reinstated… of crown prince?”

As the murmuring spread, a few nobles stood up and shouted.

“It must be a forged document!”

“We must verify it immediately!”

Most of the protests came from the emperor’s faction. Those who quickly grasped the situation turned pale. If they had thought it through for even a moment, they would have realized that mentioning ‘verification’ was the last thing they should have done in this setting.

“…We will verify it.”

If they weren’t careful, they could be forced to prove their innocence without any chance of escape, even if they weren’t on the grand duke’s side.

Before the current chancellor could stop him, a servant approached the emperor with the document and held it up to the magic stone. The white stone turned transparent.

“The document is genuine!”

Of course, the document was real. The emperor’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had hit. The reinstatement of the crown prince? How could someone who was never appointed by the emperor himself become the crown prince?!

“I must verify this myself.”

“Well, that’s…”

The most shocking part was at the bottom of the document.

[…If this document is made public after my death, anyone who defies it will be punished for treason.]

The emperor’s gaze stopped at the last sentence.

The late emperor knew that he would be killed.

“…”

While the emperor was in a daze, the chancellor, who held the highest authority to announce the imperial documents to the people, received the document. With a trembling voice, he read the document from beginning to end once more.

“…If this document is made public after my death, anyone who defies it will be punished for treason.”

When the chancellor repeated the sentence that had shocked the emperor, a tense silence fell over the crowd.

Now, only the final stage remains. Maxion reached out and lifted the black egg high. “There’s something strange with the egg!”

His exaggerated action caused the egg to shake violently. It was a signal for Ren to come out. The audience gasped in shock as they watched Maxion’s actions.

Maxion continued to shake the egg as if it were moving on its own, but Ren showed no sign of emerging. Edward and Luize watched the tips of his fingers with puzzled expressions. Realizing something was wrong, Maxion subtly lowered the egg and pressed his ear to it.

Ren was deep in a peaceful sleep inside the cozy egg. Panicked, Maxion tapped the egg lightly.

From all around, the audience gasped in shock or swallowed nervously.

“W-What are you doing to the dragon age!” What if you incur a curse!”

“The egg seemed strange…” Maxion replied calmly, but cold sweat was trickling down his back.