Chapter 95: A Cruel Fact to Accept

Three days later...

Tomorrow would be the Emperor’s birthday. For the past few days, the palace had been decorated with great fanfare.

The Palace Hall—usually closed and rarely used—had been opened.

Maids, party planners, and many others were busy tidying and organizing the room for the celebration set to take place tomorrow night.

Not only the interior of the palace, but even the courtyard had been decorated to welcome guests from noble families and other kingdoms.

All of this was done to showcase the splendor, power, and majesty of the Great Velmora Empire to the invited guests.

"Brother, have you received your clothes yet?"

Elina peeked into Nolan’s room, where he was lounging on the sofa with a book in hand.

Caught off guard by her sudden appearance, Nolan quickly closed the book and set it on the table.

"My clothes? You mean for the party?" Nolan asked as he crossed his legs.

"Mm-hmm. Your party attire," Elina said gently, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her.

She glanced around the room before walking over to the wardrobe.

When she opened it and looked inside, the new outfit she was expecting was nowhere to be found.

"Where are your new robes? Didn’t the palace designers already finish them?" She asked coolly, closing the wardrobe and turning to Nolan with a questioning look.

Nolan smiled casually as he sipped his tea. "They sent it, but I didn’t like the design, so I told them to remake it based on my instructions."

Elina’s face instantly soured. She walked over, rubbing her temples. "Brother, you’re so reckless. Redesigning those clothes takes time, and they still have to finish everyone else’s too. I doubt yours will be ready by tomorrow. If Father finds out, you’re going to get scolded—or worse, beaten!"

Their father’s birthday was a major event. Every year, a grand celebration was held, inviting noble families from every rank.

Guests from other kingdoms—both allies and rivals—would also attend, either to pay their respects or simply to acknowledge the empire’s invitation.

As a result, each member of the imperial family had a new outfit custom-made by the palace designers.

These outfits were typically delivered one to three days before the celebration.

And now, her brother had requested a redesign—just a day before the event.

Elina was certain that if Father found out, Nolan would be in serious trouble.

And as his sister, how could she just let him off the hook?

Even as she scolded him, Nolan remained calm and relaxed. With a gentle smile, he patted the empty spot on the sofa beside him.

"Sit down. No need to get so worked up."

Elina rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She sat down next to him.

Nolan picked up a slice of watermelon from the table and gently popped it into Elina’s mouth.

As the sweet, cool flavor melted on her tongue, her mood gradually began to lift.

"I appreciate your concern," Nolan said casually, "but it wasn’t necessary. It’s true I asked the palace designers to redo my robes, but I didn’t ask for it for free."

Elina blinked, startled. "You mean... you paid them? How much?"

"Not much—just a thousand Sharn," Nolan replied nonchalantly.

"A thousand Sharn?" Elina’s brow furrowed at once.

It wasn’t an outrageous sum, but it still felt excessive to spend that much just to alter the design of a set of clothes.

As if reading her thoughts, Nolan smiled and tapped the tip of her nose.

"If you think a thousand Sharn is a lot, then you really need to start changing how you think, Elina. You’re part of the succession now, and sooner or later, you’ll be spending far more—whether it’s to buy information, hire soldiers, fund sabotage, or even..."

His expression shifted—his gaze turning cold and sharp.

"...hiring assassins to eliminate your rivals."

Elina’s heart skipped a beat. Her body stiffened, but Nolan gently rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.

"I know this is difficult. But this is the path you’ve chosen," he said softly. "Right now, everything still appears peaceful. Princes like Aldric, Cedric, Zarak, Adalen, and even Cassian haven’t shown their fangs yet. But once they feel threatened, they’ll do whatever it takes to eliminate their rivals—including you."

Succession is called a battle for the throne not just because the princes compete for the crown, but because of how cruel and dirty the game truly is.

They’ll go to any lengths to win the nobles’ support and bring down their opponents—even if it means shedding blood.

One of the most common tactics is eliminating other contenders through murder.

It sounds brutal, but everyone understands the rules. After all, their father—and the emperors before him—had done the same to claim the throne.

Elina fell silent at her brother’s words. As ruthless as it sounded, she knew he was right.

From the moment the battle for the throne officially began, the bond she once shared with her brothers was severed. What remained was a deadly struggle—one of life or death.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, then nodded firmly.

"You’re right, Brother. I’ll keep that in mind."

Nolan smiled gently and lovingly patted her head. "Good."

Then, he looked her over and asked with a teasing tone, "By the way, would you mind showing me your new gown? Maybe I could help evaluate your look. Who knows, you might catch the eye of some young nobleman at the party."

Elina’s expression froze, and a blush instantly spread across her cheeks.

"What are you even saying?" she protested with a sheepish pout, lightly smacking her brother’s arm in annoyance.

After taking a breath and steadying herself, she continued in a softer voice, "For now, I’m not interested in romantic things. It would only distract me from focusing on the succession."

As a young woman, it would’ve been a lie to say she had never longed for love.

But deep down, she knew she wasn’t meant for it—not yet. It wasn’t a matter of lacking confidence in her appearance but a sense that the time simply wasn’t right.

Besides, she had grown up with her brother—someone who had always seemed exceptional in her eyes.

So if she were ever to choose a man to stand beside her, he would have to be someone who could match her brother—both in appearance and in ability.

Although she knew it was nearly impossible, it was a standard she had quietly set for herself.

Nolan just chuckled, shaking his head lightly. To be honest, he was quite satisfied with that answer.

The last thing he wanted was for Elina’s attention to stray toward love—especially now, when things were far from safe.

It wasn’t impossible that love could be her downfall one day.

After all, he had seen too many similar stories unfold in his world—and even in the legends of this one—where men and women alike had destroyed their lives for the sake of love alone.

"In that case, I’ll go get my gown and show you," Elina said as she stood up and walked out of the room.

As he watched her leave, Nolan chuckled and shook his head.

"Time really flies... The little girl who used to follow me around has grown up," he muttered wistfully.