Oscar came home! But in reality, 31 Penelope Road was not really his home. This was only the place in the Capital that was bestowed upon Duke Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel by His Majesty the Emperor. The Duke had never been to Dulin since his youngest son was put into jail.
The wife of Duke Andrew, Celia Andrew Nedgabel needed only one glance to recognize Oscar. The little fatty did not seem to change much, only that the Madame realized one important thing about him. His eyes! The gleam in his eyes looked exactly like his father. It was the gaze of the Duke that was cleansed and polished after countless battles. What about Oscar? Oh G.o.d! He was still a child! What in the world had he gone through in Damorga?
Celia held Oscar in an embrace and kissed his forehead. "Welcome home! My dear Oscar!"
"Yes! Thank you! Mother Celia!" Oscar flashed a friendly smile at the Madame.
"Sa...Sasha! Did you hear that? Oh G.o.d! Oscar called me mother! You... Did you hear that? I almost thought he could not recognize me!" The Madame"s surprise was understandable. Oscar had always been a rebellious child! He had never showed any form of respect to the other wives of his father, not to mention calling them mother.
Oscar felt funny with the overreaction of the d.u.c.h.ess! He hugged the Madame. His tone was calming yet full of sincere emotions. "Mother, are you surprised? Ola! How would I not remember you? You had cared for my mother when she was seriously ill; you decorated our rooms with fresh narcissus; you were the one by my side when my mother pa.s.sed away. Not knowing better, I rejected your kindness then. I seem to have said some hurtful words as well. Oh! Please forgive me. I have always regretted my actions during those times! Will you forgive me?"
The Madame was sobbing unstoppably! She wanted to call Oscar"s name loudly, but all she could do was sob. She could not do anything. She was full of happiness yet there was a hint of deep pain inside her! Oscar had grown up! Truly grown up! Who would blame a five-year-old child? Who could be blamed for the incident that year? Those guilty were actually the grown-ups, like themselves!
The Madame once again took a long glance at the youngest son of the family whom she had not seen for ten years. She did not feel ashamed of her gaffe in front of others. No one could ridicule a mother! The Madame held Oscar"s face lightly. She said, "Oh G.o.d! Those guys in Damorga. Have they been torturing you? You look much skinnier!"
Oscar wanted to cry now, yet no tears came to him. He glanced at the Liar and the Poison Doctor who were snickering by his side. He could not help but think of the figure he had as a child. Oscar asked sincerely. "Was I that fat?"
"Please allow me to introduce you to these friends of mine! This gentleman here is Baron Erbe sent by father. This is Mr. Parker and he is my doctor! And this is Paul. He is my bodyguard. You have seen Antonia in the past! And these are my lovely maids. They used to be ladies of n.o.ble families. Even though they are from Damorga, but their background is clean!" As if he was showing off his jewels, Oscar pushed everyone forward towards his mother.
"h.e.l.lo! Thank you for caring for my youngest child." The d.u.c.h.ess bowed to them in an extremely respectful manner.
The people were a little fl.u.s.tered. The status of d.u.c.h.ess Andrew was no less than that of the Queen. They quickly bowed back to this Madame. This Madame was just as what she was rumoured to be. Beautiful, n.o.ble. It was truly impressive!
At the guidance of servants, everyone was brought into the dining hall. The dining hall was huge. It seemed as if it was a place that was owned by the Imperial family of the Morisette Dynasty when they ruled. The indoor decorations from that time efficiently adorned the s.p.a.ce in the room. The story about the religion of the G.o.d of Light was engraved on the ceiling of the dining hall; the crystal lamps on the walls were exquisite; the whole set of furniture that was made of red pine wood emanated a soft wood fragrance. All of these made the whole dining hall seem extremely neat and elegant.
At the two sides of the dining table sat fifteen chairs. Thirty sets of cutlery that was made of pure silver gleamed brightly. All of the dining plates, forks and knives, all these cutleries had the family emblem of the Andrew Family engraved upon them. This simply showed that the master would only use them during festivals or when they served important guests.
Miss Sasha E. Nedgabel Andrew still had her arms around her brother. At the dining table, Oscar actually wanted to remind her to let go at an appropriate time, but even before he spoke, he was stopped by the glare of the young miss. Oscar had no choice but to pat her on the head. If she enjoyed it, then let her be!
The food was really fancy! There were Italian dishes which Oscar loved. All the big-shots always had some luxurious habits. Oscar especially favored seafood pizza and Italian spaghetti that were cooked with olive oil and fresh prawns. These fresh ingredients were all bought by the d.u.c.h.ess herself from the famous Italian restaurant on Carlo Murray Street.
Oscar was really excited. He had never had this feeling for a long time. By his side, his Liar butler, his doctor, his lover, his maids and his bodyguard were the people closest to him. Now, he had a mother and a sister. He had never been this relaxed in such a long time. He kept telling them some of his experiences in Damorga and shared some jokes to liven the mood. The d.u.c.h.ess was also delighted. A few times, she laughed so much at Oscar"s jokes. Even though this image did not befit her n.o.ble status, but Celia never restrained herself in front of the family.
The only one who kept silent all the time was Sasha. The young miss did not want to share her brother with anyone else. She held on to her brother"s arm and ate the food her brother liked. Upon seeing her brother carefully peel the crab sh.e.l.l for her, she was not satisfied with this. She needed a chance to be alone with her brother. At that time, she would prove to her brother that she still loved him, trusted him and relied on him! She wanted to let her brother know that her feelings did not change even after all these years.
Oscar knew that he was acting a little overboard. He was not usually this way. It was only when Madame Celia was invited to the living room by her butler that he resumed his calmness. What should come would surely come! If it was not anything urgent or important, a qualified butler would never disturb his master when dining.
Celia came back soon afterwards. Her smile was casual, but Oscar noticed that there was a slight hint of worry in her eyes. The Madame sat down at the main seat. She took a sip of grape wine. Oscar was not worried. He knew that his mother had no reason to lie to him.
"His Majesty the Emperor finally started taking action." Celia stopped for a moment. She took a glance at Oscar. She was satisfied to see that there was no hint of anxiety or fear in this child"s expression.
"I just met with the messenger of His Majesty. His Majesty will meet you at Hamilton Palace at two in the afternoon. There should be no danger, but His Majesty had been talking about you with his aides these few days. We know some inside news. They plan to keep you in Feston Palace that is located in the north suburbs of Dulin. They want to keep you there forever! Even though this is still not confirmed news, but this rumor is sure flying around in the Palace. These guys might not plan to just let you go with this!"
"Are you sure it is Feston Palace?" Oscar could not believe that he had such good luck.
"Yes! It is definitely Feston Palace. A servant in the Palace even heard His Majesty mention this matter before. Why? Is this important?"
Oscar did not answer. He had his own considerations about this. And this was very important news. He believed that he had the ability to attain the best results. He was a member of Imperialty. His mother, the deceased Princess Mica Alfa Morisette, was his largest bargaining chip.
"Ola! What is father"s opinion on this matter?" Oscar cared more about his father"s att.i.tude regarding this matter now.
About this, Celia was rather helpless. Her husband, just as the way every head of the Andrew family was, was a natural-born politician and military strategist. But when it came to the matter about his son, her husband, who was like a fierce tiger acted extremely cowardly. She knew Dortmund would surely have his own considerations, but this was simply too unfair towards Oscar.
Upon thinking about this, the d.u.c.h.ess did not know what she should say. There was no way she could say that the child"s father did not do anything at all, right?
Oscar looked at his silent mother and knew roughly what the matter was. Regarding politics and some hidden truths, Oscar naturally had some kind of realization. This action taken by Duke Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel was undoubtedly the most correct way. Oscar truly understood the advantages of these actions.
His Majesty the Emperor was the ruler of the t.i.tan Empire. His every word represented the absolute power that was holy and was not to be violated. If it was not the time to turn hateful towards him, the Duke would in no way challenge the strength of such a person. He used silence to show his disagreement. This way, the Emperor could not find a way to blame the Duke. Also, the Emperor would have surely thought of the consequences of his actions before he made any decisions. Surely the Emperor was extremely troubled right now. He did not know the thoughts of the Duke and had no idea of what the Duke could do. Thus, he had to discuss with his aides continuously about the way to continuously fight against the Duke but without angering him.
Duke Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel held one fourth of the military power of the t.i.tan Empire in his hands. But no one seemed to care about this number. What people truly noticed was always true strength. For four hundred years, among the never ending years that they fought against the Persian cavalry troops at the border, the armies of the Andrew family formed the strongest combative strength in the West Land. These armies were definitely not something that could be fended off by the guards that have been accustomed to the peaceful days in inland t.i.tan.
The fear of the t.i.tans towards the Persians had been rooted in them since long ago. Four hundred years ago, the strong Persian cavalry troops were all over the West Land, like locusts. The royalty that ruled t.i.tan then, were thrown off the throne by the n.o.ble folk, when they were trapped between the problems on the outside and inside. The hero that totally had the situation in control became the first emperor of the Morisette Dynasty. And the force the emperor relied on were the cavalry troops of the Andrew family. At that time the warriors of the Andrew family began the battle with the enemy that was ten times stronger than themselves upon a small hill that was full of narcissus. The whole process was simple. When the enemy attacked, the warriors defended. The last warrior fell at last and the enemy had no energy to move another step forward. In that war, 13,867 warriors of the Andrew family were all sacrificed. A hundred thousand Persian troops finally stopped their invasion after they threw over forty thousand corpses away. t.i.tan was awakened by the blood of the heroes! After that, every day there was a n.o.ble that swore loyalty to the emperor that s.n.a.t.c.hed away the throne. At the will of the emperor, the Andrew family quickly formed a new troop. This new troop was formally given the name "Narcissus Knights" at the a.s.sembly that was organized at that nameless hill. The people of t.i.tan welcomed the counterattack in which they had looked forward to for a long time.
The next ten years were the bloodiest ten years ever experienced in the history of t.i.tan. In order to strengthen his status as a ruler, His Majesty the Emperor perpetually eliminated the opposing forces in this country. For the Andrew family, they perpetually fought against the invaders in order to protect their homes. When the Narcissus Knights finally took back control of the easternmost province of the Empire, their Imperial status was at a high it had never been before. The emperor at that time only had one last issue to solve. And that was the Andrew family that became significantly stronger during their war with the Persians. The emperor was extremely troubled by this matter. He wanted to take back the military equipment of the Andrew family permanently, but he was afraid that this might cause a revolt of the people and the counterattack of the Persians.
Finally, the emperor did what he thought was the most feasible thing to do. Politically, he gave the Andrew family the honor and status on par with that of his own; in the military, he gave the two provinces at the eastern side of the Empire to the Andrews as their hereditary territory. In this case, he let the Narcissus Knights protect that land forever so that the Andrews had no time to care about other things.
Therefore, every generation of the ruler of the Morisette Dynasty had always kept an eye on the Andrew Family as he relied on their strength. Dealing with the relations.h.i.+p between them and the Andrew Family was something essential to know for every emperor that was about to ascend to the throne.
O Neil Andrew Morisette reached the Hamilton Palace at 1:50pm, 14th of April on the 791th Year on the Light Calendar. He did not pay too much attention to the huge, impressive-looking palace. Nor did he take note of the n.o.bles that pointed their fingers at him. Alone, he was guided into the guest lounge of His Majesty the Emperor. It was a palace that was made of gold and jewels, yet Oscar still did not pay too much attention to this. He was about to face the most difficult challenge in his life.
In front of the doors of this small palace, Oscar dismissed the guards that wanted to search him loudly. The ones who were on duty for the Emperor were two Colonels. The two officials of the Imperial Guards were a little furious. They had never been treated this way before.
The mood was rather stiff. The voice of His Majesty the Emperor came from within the room just in time. "Let him in! He is the son of Duke Andrew. It couldn"t be that you thought the son of a general would be an a.s.sa.s.sin?"
Oscar walked in. He looked straight ahead, and found the key to his victory in the Emperor"s words. Almost in a rude way, he sized up Alfa III His Majesty that was sitting on the high seat.
His Majesty the Emperor of the t.i.tan Empire was already fifty years old. Men at this age would already show signs of ageing, but the His Majesty the Emperor maintained his figure well. He had golden hair and a friendly, kind face. Only the slight curve of his lips hinted his Imperialty. His robe and crown were held by a servant at his side. His Majesty the Third only wore his robes and garments at official and formal events, he usually preferred the fas.h.i.+onable casual clothes that were tailored for him by the tailor.
Oscar found the seating arrangements in the palace rather amusing. It looked exactly like when he was judged ten years ago. More than twenty high officials arrogantly sat in the lounge. Except for His Majesty the Emperor, Oscar did not know even one other person. But when he saw the casual clothes that the Emperor wore, he seemed to understand - there seemed to be no seat for him here.
"The fourth son of Duke Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel, O Neil Andrew Morisette, is honored to meet with Your Majesty. I hope for your wellbeing and that you will always be surrounded by the blessings of the G.o.d of Light." Oscar walked up to one meter away from the Emperor and stopped to courteously greet the Most Supreme. This courteous greeting was not the one used when one faced the Emperor. The high officials around him were already pointing out his rudeness.
The Emperor was also sizing Oscar up from his seat. He thought that this child did not match the information he got from Damorga. He was just a chubby lad that had not even reached drinking age. Alfa III His Majesty nodded slightly after Oscar gave his greeting. That greeting was casual, but it was a greeting befitting of a junior towards his senior. His Majesty the Emperor seemed to understand something as well. But he was not as sure as Oscar.
Alfa III His Majesty waved his hand to stop the high officials. He turned towards Oscar. "I heard that you encountered an a.s.sa.s.sin. It seems to be fine now. It seems that you, lad, will never stop letting us worry about you." His Majesty the Emperor obviously cared about Oscar"s encounter with the a.s.sa.s.sin. About this, he had strictly warned that Secretary of State who had never stopped trying to pa.s.s judgment upon Oscar. But that Secretary of State swore that it was none of his doing. The Emperor did not approve of that.
"Thank you for your kind thoughts! The most honorable Majesty! I must thank you for granting me my freedom. No one could be more compa.s.sionate than you! Your Majesty!" Oscar chose his words carefully.
The Emperor was satisfied with his words. According to the plan, Oscar would definitely say this, then he could carry on with the following conversation.
"But!" The Emperor paused for a moment, Oscar raised his head and met his gaze. "But! O Neil Andrew Morisette. My compa.s.sion has no relation to your sins. I believe that you understand this as well. The sins that you committed in the past will not be forgiven even by the G.o.d of Light. I can only grant you your limited freedom. Then I am sure that you will not object to whatever order that I will give following this, I presume?" The news that the Emperor will put him under house arrest was actually spread by the Emperor himself. Surely the Andrew Family knew about this as well. No one could defy the order of the Emperor. What followed next would be Oscar getting trapped in his own words. If he had no objections, then whatever the Emperor said would naturally be as it should be.
"Yes! The most honorable Your Majesty. If it was Feston Palace, I cannot wait to move there." Oscar flashed a smile as he said this.
At this point, the Emperor felt a little embarra.s.sed. This was supposed to be announced by him. Slightly furious, he stared at this young man who embarra.s.sed him in front of everyone. Just when he was about to decide the fate of O"Neil Andrew Morisette"s whole life, the young man"s following words stopped all the words that already came to his mouth.
The young man said, "That is truly amazing! Uncle! I have said that you were the most compa.s.sionate one. You must remember that my mother was born in Feston Palace. Am I correct? Oh G.o.d! I can finally accompany her there! Thank you for your grace! Before you announce this decision, can I request one thing of you? Really! Just one small request!"
Alfa III His Majesty was completely stunned! Feston Palace! That was right! It was Feston Palace. The young man"s words brought back many old memories. His sister, the cute Mica was born right at that place! Oh G.o.d! How could he forget? His young self had antic.i.p.ated the birth of his sister for so long. They were the little devils in the palace. They gave every single person who took care of them a headache. They climbed trees together; they pranked their teachers together; they plucked their father"s beard when he was fast asleep. The Emperor was unable to pull himself out of the turmoil of memories.
When did he forget all these things? Alfa III His Majesty knew that he did not forget. He had never forgotten all of these. He had simply not touched upon these memories after he forced Mica to marry Dortmund. The image of Mica gazing upon him for the last time before she was married off to a faraway place appeared in His Majesty the Emperor"s mind again. The agony! The endless agony made the Most Supreme One twist restlessly in his Imperial chair.
He stopped the romantic relations.h.i.+p between his sister and a paladin. For the benefit of the Imperial family, he married her to the Duke of the Andrew family whom she had only seen twice before. The Duke was older than the princess by more than ten years, and at that time, he already had three wives and two sons.
His Majesty the Emperor was absent-minded for a long time. The seated high officials clearly knew something had changed. There was nothing suspicious of that young man calling Alfa III His Majesty his uncle. The high officials were truly regretful! They had overlooked an extremely important problem. And that was the double ident.i.ty of this young man. They used to retaliate against this young man, treating him as the young son of the Andrew family. But he was also the blood-related nephew of His Majesty the Emperor in this palace! No one dared to interrupt the conversation between two members of the Imperial family.
A servant by the Emperor"s side finally could not hold out any longer and softly coughed.
Alfa III His Majesty finally came to his senses! "Ah... You...What did you say?" The Emperor was fl.u.s.tered.
Oscar observed the changes in the facial expression of the Emperor. According to his a.n.a.lysis, Alfa III His Majesty was an emotional person. If this was not the case, he would not have so many lovers. Even if Alfa III His Majesty completely satisfied the conditions of becoming an emperor in many aspects such as wisdom, a.n.a.lytical thinking, the insidious and unscrupulous, his emotional aspect had become his ultimate weakness.
"Uncle! I hope that you could grant me my wish before you announced your will!" Oscar saw his win coming. This "uncle" that he called was definitely not in vain.
Alfa III the Emperor quickly adjusted his facial expression. "Say it! If it is reasonable, I will definitely grant your wish."
Oscar"s expression quickly turned down. His eyes were slightly red. "Uncle, you must know that my mother was most reluctant to be the model for the painters in the palace when she was still alive. And so there was only one painting of her and that is the one in your study. It has been ten years! I almost forgot what my mother looked like! If you still pity me, please give me my mother"s painting! That is my sole request."
Alfa III His Majesty took a long time to recover from his previous state and was immediately drowned in the heavy emotions of pain and sorrow now. He loved to stay around in those party b.a.l.l.s. He had forgotten how long he had not been to that study already. There was Mica in that study. He was afraid to see her. Even more afraid to think about her.
He knew that Mica was not happy after she was married off to a faraway place. After some time, he heard that Mica got pregnant and then she had difficulty in delivering her child. After delivering her child, Mica"s body became truly weak. She pa.s.sed away on the fourth year after she gave birth to her child. Alfa III His Majesty vividly recalled the situation when he knew of his sister"s death. He had destroyed every single thing he had in his reach to smithereens! As he cried, he cursed Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel. He thought that the Duke was responsible for her death: he did not take good care of his sister! He let her die at such a young age. From that moment afterwards, the Emperor and the Duke had a bad relations.h.i.+p.
The Emperor took a close look at this child in front of him for the first time. His hair was like Mica"s dark brown, curly hair; His nose was like Mica"s small yet tall nose; His lip was like Mica"s as well. The way he opened and closed his mouth was just the way Mica did when she was young. Oh G.o.d! This is little Mica"s son.
He did not answer Oscar"s question. He was shocked by his own observation. He had been thinking of a way to hold Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel down from being too powerful. He had ignored this child all this time. All his foul plans had always revolved around Mica"s son.
Alfa III His Majesty suddenly realized that the relations.h.i.+p between him and the Duke should not be this way. In past history, many emperors in the Morisette Dynasty had been close friends with the Duke of the Andrew family in that corresponding time. He could also be friends with the Duke. The Emperor finally honestly faced the problems in which he had been avoiding for a long time now. That was an unforgivable mistake that he had done. He should not have forced Mica into the marriage with the Duke. He should not have blamed all of this on the Duke after Mica"s death. He should not have used the innocent child to strike a blow at the Duke. Oh G.o.d! After avoiding these problems for so many years, he had come back full circle.
The Emperor had no idea how he could reply to this child"s request. He truly had no idea! He had an urge to look at Mica now as well. But the Emperor knew that this matter should end here. Now that he could face his own mistakes head-on, he would not make this mistake ever again. The Emperor already knew what he should do! The things he had done in the past were none other than emotionally-driven arguments. He clearly remembered the final words of the old Emperor to him: "If there is a person who suggests the idea of weakening the Andrew family, use him wisely if his plan is sound; if there is a person who suggests the idea of eliminating the Andrew family, remember this! Do not hesitate! Sentence this person to death!"
It was over! All over! The Emperor mumbled to himself in his heart. For Mica"s son, all of this should come to an end. There would not be any results from the fight against the Andrew Family. Doing that would only make the other Lord in the Empire cold-hearted. Moreover, this would only benefit the people with bad intentions.
The Emperor had made up his mind to change the Secretary of State at an appropriate time. That fellow had sown hatred towards the Andrew family because of little Oscar! Now that the Emperor had thought clearly about his actions, he must not let Ross do whatever he wanted anymore. If this Secretary of State truly wanted to eliminate Andrew, he would make orders based on his father"s last words. Only within a minute, the place of the Secretary of State in the Emperor"s heart changed from the main force to attack the Andrew family to one of the chess pieces to control its power. The Emperor was still wise. There must still be someone to keep the Andrew family at a balance, as long as it didn"t get too out of hand as before. And he could still slowly fix the relations.h.i.+p between the Duke and himself, then the future still held a lot of hope.
Alfa III His Majesty"s mood was finally lifted up from the pain. He felt amazing now! He felt relaxed. All these years of worrying and self-blame were finally resolved completely because of the words of this child! Alfa III His Majesty felt a little fearful about his doings of attacking the Andrew family wholeheartedly before. Luckily, the Duke was an understanding person. Alfa III His Majesty already knew that the person in fault was himself. Mica! Poor Mica! If he wanted to compensate, then he should begin with her child!
"Oscar!" When the Emperor called the nickname of O"Neil Andrew Morisette, he could recall everything now. The cute Mica! Her favorite puppy was named Oscar as well! This Mica! She even jokes on her own son! Upon thinking about this, the Emperor laughed. The people in the whole palace including Oscar found it odd.
"Oscar! I feel your deep grief. Please tell your father that everything was my fault." Right after His Majesty the Emperor finished his words, all the high officials below him began to clamor in discussion. They knew the power of His Majesty the Emperor"s words. They had no idea as to why His Majesty the Emperor had changed his original intention. Even this afternoon, they were still discussing with His Majesty the Emperor about the handling of this child. But now, everything had changed! The Emperor had given up his political tactics against the Andrew family, that he had adopted for more than ten years.
"Please shut up, would you?" These people had no manners! Alfa III His Majesty"s mood darkened when he faced the high officials who were in a chaotic state.
The high officials shut their mouths immediately. They knew that everything was irreversible now that the Emperor had admitted his mistakes in public. They should reconsider their att.i.tudes towards the Andrew family once again from their own standpoint.
"Oscar! Please forgive these old men that have no manners! You mentioned your mother"s painting just now! Yes! Mica had only one painting of herself. I spent a lot of energy to sit her down in front of the painter back then! But it is really unfortunate! I cannot give you that painting. That is also my memoir of her. But there is one way to make your wish come true. Come forward and accept my order!"
Oscar stepped forwards and kneeled on one knee by the foot of the Emperor.
Alfa III His Majesty took the crown from his servant and wore it on his head. His gaze scanned everyone under his Imperial chair and at last turned to Oscar. The palace was extremely quiet. The people did not even dare to let out a single breath.
"I hereby announce!" His Majesty the Emperor intentionally raised his voice. His dignified voice even resonated to the hallway outside of the palace. "I hereby renounce all the crimes that O"Neil Andrew Morisette had committed. That is to say, the Morisette Dynasty once again accepts O"Neil Andrew Morisette as a member of Imperialty. Stand up, Oscar! You are now a member of Imperialty. You have no need to receive orders in this manner."
Oscar stood up with his back straight! He won! He had won a life-worth of glory!
"Very well then, child! Listen to me. As the sole son of Princess Mica Alfa Morisette, you will become the lawful heir to all property and glory that were once possessed by the Princess. Now, I bestow the t.i.tle of Prince upon you, O"Neil Andrew Morisette!"
The high officials could not sit still anymore after listening to the reward given by the Emperor! One after another, they stood up for objection. The whole palace immediately became chaotic.
Alfa III His Majesty slammed hard on the armrest of his Imperial seat for a few times. The high officials finally quietened, but there were still a few brave ones voicing their objection in a small voice.
"Okay! If all the high officials object to this, then I have one question to all of you: who among you have the ability to decide the t.i.tle of the sole son of Princess Mica Alfa Morisette?"
Deciding the t.i.tle of a n.o.ble was a right only of the Emperor. Not even the Ministry of Senior n.o.bility had the authority to interfere with this right. His Majesty the Emperor was basically giving a strict warning to the high officials.
"I do not object to all the officials voicing their opinions. But should you speak one more useless sentence, I must ask you to never step into my palace ever again." Alfa III His Majesty"s cold voice made these officials terrified. They felt like rabbits hiding in their holes. None of them dared to raise their heads. All of the high officials had no other option. Their leader, the Secretary of State did not attend this event in order to avoid suspicion upon himself. Little did he antic.i.p.ate this situation would happen at all.
Oscar did not expect Alfa III His Majesty would bestow a t.i.tle upon him. He even suspected that His Majesty the Emperor had known what he had planned to do. He had just been announced as a Prince! Oscar underestimated the feelings of the Emperor towards the Princess. Just like Sasha and himself, who could truly understand this thing called emotions?
Alfa III His Majesty was furious. He knew that these people down there were mostly useless people. The truly wise men all kept a neutral stance during his fight with the Andrew family. It was all these people! If it was not for their instigating, his relations.h.i.+p with the Duke would not be as bad as it was now. His Majesty the Emperor once again found a suitable excuse for his own mistake. He was always this way.
"No more opinions? Haha! That"s great! You! Yes! That"s you! Give your chair to the Prince."
The high official that was pointed at by the Emperor got down from his chair in a fl.u.s.tered manner and respectfully placed the chair by Oscar"s side. Then, he bowed and left.
Oscar knew that it was this official whose voice was the loudest during the commotion of objections just now. He bowed slightly to the Emperor and calmly sat down. This was a normal-looking chair that was fairly comfortable. But Oscar did not feel wronged, sitting on this chair. The Emperor just called him Prince. This meant that this matter had finally been decided. No one could threaten him now.
The Emperor smiled as he looked at Oscar. "Oscar! Haha! Now you are Prince O"Neil. Oh, that"s right! I mentioned that I will grant your wish. You know what, your mother used to have the privilege of entering and leaving my palace at any time when she was still alive. Now, you can inherit this privilege of hers. This way, you can enter my study whenever you think of her."
Oscar stood up and once again kneeled in front of the Emperor. "Thank you for all the things that you have done for me, Your Majesty! My mother will not forget your grace towards me in the embrace of the G.o.d of Light."
The Emperor smiled scornfully at himself. "Grace"? If only Mica could forgive the mistakes I have done to her, her son and her husband. That would be the biggest grace shown upon him.
"Stand up! My child, I am not finished with my words!" His Majesty the Emperor took off the ring that had a huge sapphire embedded in it from his right index finger. Those who were experienced with jewels would find that this ring matched the ruby ring in which he wore on his left hand.
"Your grandmother, and my mother. That kind Empress. She once bestowed this pair of unique gem rings to your mother and I. When your mother pa.s.sed away, I took this ring back. Look, I have worn it on myself for all these years and now I give it to you." The Emperor took Oscar"s hand after he said this. He solemnly put this ring on Oscar"s left index finger.
If His Majesty the Emperor was simply stating the ident.i.ty of O"Neil Andrew Morisette as a Prince just now, the Emperor had now completed the exchange of heraldry and totem along with the gift of this ring. Even though this was simply a symbolical procedure, but the clerk who was by the Emperor"s side had already recorded this important event in his book.
Light Calendar Year 791, 14th of April, the t.i.tan Emperor Alfa III His Majesty had bestowed the t.i.tle of Prince to the fourth son of Duke Dortmund Andrew Nedgabel and only son of Princess Mica Alfa Morisette, O"Neil Andrew Morisette and this was hereby effective from this moment.