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Book 5: Chapter 7: A Difficult Decision
Book 5: Chapter 7: A Difficult Decision
Book 5: Chapter 7: A Difficult Decision
“T-The will of heaven…?” Lesiah started to think. It did not take her long to figure out what Lilith meant. “You’re saying to find a way to prove to everyone that… Leniah’s ascension to the throne is the will of heaven?”
“Exactly.”
“But… how do I say this… Don’t you think this is too unrealistic?” Lesiah frowned slightly, obviously having a hard time understanding Lilith’s proposal.
“Not at all. In fact, the heroes in that nation I mentioned achieved this through absurd methods such as killing a white snake or rare creatures alike, or hiding a note in the belly of a fish then deliberately making someone discover it.”
Lilith patted her chest and confidently continued, “If it works for a commoner, it will surely work for Leniah who is a royalty. In my opinion, helping Leniah to become an empress rightfully isn’t even a challenge.”
“I see. Looks like you are already prepared for this.”
Lesiah stood up and walked to Leniah, who was playing by herself. The crown princess stroked her younger sister’s long silver hair lovingly. Her gaze was as gentle as water.
“But… I’m sorry, I have to refuse.”
“…Why?”
“Because…”
Lesiah raised her head. Her gentle eyes met Lilith’s, and Lilith could see an unprecedented emotion lurking in them.
“I do not wish for Leniah to follow the same path that I’ve tread on. I know better than anyone the horrible vortex of destruction hiding behind that glorious and mighty throne. A suitable ruler will find that the throne is a path paved with gold and jewels. But for those who aren’t suitable, it is a path paved with bones that will drag you into a hell of no return.”
“And I do not wish to send Leniah on a path of no return at such a young age. She’s still young and blessed with boundless prospects. I don’t want her fate to be bound to royal duties for the rest of her life.”
“……”
“What’s wrong with you, Sister?”
Even Leniah could tell that something was wrong from the sad look on Lesiah’s face.
“Are you unwell?”
Lesiah ruffled her younger sister’s hair until it was all tangled up into a bird nest, then laughed. “Not at all, I’m just peachy.”
“Is that so…?” The little princess tilted her head to the side, seemingly in deep thought. A short moment later, her eyes suddenly lit up. “I get it now. You want a candied fruit skewer too, right?”
“Huh?”
“……”
Before Lesiah could even react, Leniah had pulled out a candied fruit skewer out of nowhere. She then offered it to her elder sister like it was a piece of treasure.
“Here! It’s really yummy!”
Lesiah was at a loss. She did not know if she should accept it or not. In the end, she had no choice but to accept the treat while giving Lilith a side eye.
“Geez, why did you give Leniah these? We don’t even know if the vendors are hygienic enough.”
Despite her words, Lesiah parted her red lips and bit on a piece of candied fruit under Leniah’s hopeful gaze.
Hmm, it’s really sweet.
“So, you plan on placing all the burden on yourself just because you don’t want Leniah to become like you?” Lilith suddenly asked. Her serious tone was one that Lesiah had never seen her take on before.
“What other choices do I have? There are currently only two of royal lineage, Leniah and I. If not her, then who?” Lesiah smiled wryly.
“This is the mission and responsibility that I should bear as the crown princess of the Macedonian Empire.”
“Mission… and responsibility?” Lilith echoed softly, as if digesting the weight of those two words.
Indeed, they were very heavy words. So much that they could bind an incredibly headstrong person to duties that she was unwilling to perform for the rest of her life.
However, Lilith refused to see things going down that way.
“Lesiah, do you know that I actually have the simplest solution to this matter?”
“Hm? Let’s hear it then.” Lesiah’s curiosity was piqued.
“It’s a very simple and direct solution. We just do what I proposed and kill anyone who objects to it,” Lilith elaborated her terrifying solution like it was something as normal as inviting someone out to dinner.
Lesiah’s lovely face instantly froze.
“Wait, haven’t I already mentioned that the empire won’t function without those people for the time being?”
“Yes, you did. That’s why I said we will kill anyone who doesn’t agree to this.”
An amiable smile appeared on Lilith’s face. “They don’t have to die if they’re obedient.”
“But…”
Lesiah was going to argue, but a terrifying aura appeared out of nowhere. Even on a hot summer day, it chilled her to her bones.
Lilith’s eyes glowed gold as she leaned in closer to Leniah and whispered, “Say, have you forgotten who I am, Lesiah? Although this sounds like an impossible solution to you, it’s actually a very simple matter to me.”
“……”
“I…Is that so?”
No matter how dense Lesiah was, she understood what Lilith meant by the simple.
“Kill two to make an example, and then make the others work seriously. Kill any who has ideas that don’t align with ours. With that, even without a crown princess, an emperor, or a ruler, there will still be order in the empire,” Lilith explained with a smile, not caring how cold and brutal her idea sounded to normal people.
“This will be the first time I exercise my power on such a large scale. I’m sure those back home will be happy to assist me. It’ll be a lot of fun for them too.”
Lesiah trembled slightly. To put it simply, Lilith’s idea involved using the dragons’ absolute power to terrorize the upper echelons of the Macedonian Empire, and force them into absolute submission.
That way, even if Lesiah was out of the picture and the throne remained permanently vacant, the minister would not dare to even fart with the dragons hovering over their shoulders like a sword of Damocles. They could only obediently work long hours, six days a week for the rest of their lives until all their hair fell out.
But then, would the Macedonian Empire still be the same Macedonian Empire? It might as well be renamed as the Dragon’s Puppet Empire.
This solution was just transferring the imperial power from the ministers to a more terrifying entity. And this loss of imperial power was completely irreversible.
This meant if Lilith really executed this plan, the royals of the Macedonian Empire would be reduced to insignificant names in history books.
If that happened… would she have failed to live up to her father’s expectations?
“Alright, make your decision now.”
Lilith stretched her hands out, lifting one finger on each hand. “Let Leniah ascend the throne, let me gather two reliable experts to support her with her role so she can enjoy her childhood until she is capable enough to govern the empire by herself, or… we turn those poor and reliable little ministers into the slaves of the empire. Your pick.”
“…..”
The atmosphere seemed to have frozen around them, a heavy silence filled the air.
Lesiah’s eyes moved between Lilith’s fingers, as she carefully considered the options. In actuality, both Lilith and Lesiah knew there was only one choice.
“Hey Lilith, why do you have to force me to dirty my hands in such a disgusting way?”
“Of course that’s because…”
Lilith suddenly looked straight into Lesiah’s eyes. She smiled but her tone was serious.
“I do not want to see you so sad again in front of me.”