Yerpi was also excluded from the temple’s investigation targets.
Sending a woman who had been so frail since birth that she never debuted into society to a distant foreign country—well, while it might be called marriage, in reality, it was no different than selling her off.
Moreover, Yerpi’s marriage took place while Charlotte was serving at the temple, and it was known that the two had never exchanged any communication prior to that.
But that wasn’t the truth. Yerpi had become the Dragon’s Bride, and Charlotte had committed murder under certain circumstances, then fled to Growen.
‘There must be a connection between Growen and the Saintess candidate’s actions.’
Dreonn, upon receiving Ubbus’s report, did not let this pass by.
Dreonn was a predator crouched low, waiting to leap.
Born as the son of a palace maid touched by the Emperor, he inherited the Emperor’s distinctive violet eyes, thus recognized as a true imperial bloodline.
His mother, once a palace maid, had been poisoned when Dreonn was young, and Dreonn himself lived separately in a private palace.
The reason Dreonn survived was precisely because he was born physically weak and prone to illness.
Thus, Dreonn was excluded from the struggle for imperial power, allowing him to quietly build his own influence.
The magic he had taught himself alone proved immensely helpful.
He was a genius, one who might appear only once in a century.
The fact that he had awakened magical power on his own and could wield powerful magic capable of breaching ice walls was purely due to his innate talent.
But that alone was insufficient for entering the imperial power struggle.
‘To formally challenge for imperial authority, recognition is necessary.’
Only with the acknowledgment of the Emperor, the Empress, or someone beneath them who wielded influence stronger than imperial nobility could one officially enter the imperial power contest.
This was not only about gaining powerful allies within the empire, but also the only way to compensate for his lack of legitimacy.
The succession issue had become so tangled because the current Empress had no sons.
With no Crown Prince, the one now rising as a candidate for Emperor was Crexker, son of the second consort, Reinas.
Crexker was known to possess a cruel nature from birth; in his palace, palace servants died daily with alarming frequency.
His desire to become Emperor was strong, and he did not hesitate to eliminate any imperial relatives who might stand in his way.
Under such circumstances, rashly revealing oneself would almost certainly make one Crexker’s next victim.
Thus, Dreonn set out on a journey to Growen.
Avoiding suspicion was easy.
Since everyone believed him to be weak and confined within the palace, feigning a contagious illness and setting up a decoy would ensure that Crexker, who dreaded even caring for himself, would not come near.
It was clearly a journey that risked his life.
Even as a powerful mage, his magical energy was limited, and the harsh cold was not something a human could easily endure.
Moreover, surviving while protecting someone like Ubbus, who was practically a civilian, was a gamble.
Having passed through countless dangers to reach Growen, it was no wonder Ubbus was angry.
“I’m sorry. But you don’t know the reasons that left me with no choice.”
“…But isn’t this going too far? There’s no guarantee the master of Growen will even accept your request.”
Ubbus grumbled, somewhat appeased by the sincere apology.
His face was still clearly furious, yet he genuinely worried for the prince. Sighing deeply, Ubbus continued.
“It’s true there’s no backing more solid than the master of Growen’s recognition, aside from the Emperor and Empress. But historically, hasn’t there never been an Emperor recognized by dragon blood?”
“Weren’t there in the distant past?”
The founding Emperor of the Empire and several of his descendants had directly received the dragon’s recognition and ruled the nation.
But now, with dragons gone and only bloodlines of dragon descent remaining, the relationship between the imperial family and Growen had grown distant.
Still, Growen’s support would wield immense power—so much that even Crexker would hesitate to interfere.
Dreonn’s eyes grew serious. That gaze resembled the current Emperor’s.
Wasn’t it precisely because of that look that Ubbus had sworn his loyalty?
Though his body was frail and his life as a priest had been humble, Ubbus had no doubt Dreonn was the one destined to become Emperor.
Finally, Dreonn smiled again.
Playfully, he cast a spell, restoring Ubbus’s torn and dirty clothes to their original, pristine condition.
“There are no capable nobles in the capital who will side with us now. So whether it succeeds or not, we have no choice but to try. We should target the mistress of Growen rather than the Duke.”
“The Duchess does seem quite kind-hearted.”
“She appears to be the soft-hearted type—good for us. Besides, the Duke seems completely under his wife’s thumb.”
Dreonn had seen Charlotte once from afar.
It was during the Blessing Ceremony held at the Grand Temple for imperial family members.
Charlotte, standing behind the current Saintess, already possessed the qualities of a Saintess.
It was incomprehensible why she would act so strangely.
In contrast, the Duchess was fresh and vibrant, like a newly bloomed flower.
According to the legend of dragon blood, they needed the existence of a spice to survive.
Thus, it was as precious as life itself. The one he needed to approach was not the Duke, but the Duchess.
‘The Dragon’s Bride.’
To have the legendary figure standing right before him was a profoundly moving experience.
Even the fact that he had stepped into this mystical world still felt hard to believe.
Dreonn had placed all his hopes here. He could only pray that the masters of Growen would raise their hands in support.
***
Early evening. The guest chamber, usually empty, now had lights glowing inside. Yerpi, who had just returned from a walk, gazed toward the illuminated room.
Beside her stood Raymond, and in her arms, Dante was nestled. That day’s evening banquet had been postponed until tomorrow.
This was because Dante had suddenly suffered an anxiety attack.
Though greatly improved, whenever such episodes struck, the child would cling tightly to Yerpi for hours on end.
Following Yerpi’s gaze, Dante tilted his head. Unfamiliar with the lit guest chamber, he asked.
[Who came?]“Yes. A guest arrived from outside Growen.”
[…Outside?]At the mention of someone from beyond Growen, Dante immediately tensed up.
Yerpi understood his unease. She tightened her arms around him and kissed the top of his round head.
“This time it’s different. They came with a request for Raymond.”
[But I feel uneasy.]“I promised Dante I wouldn’t disappear alone, remember?”
[Uh-huh.]Recalling the finger-linked promise, Dante cautiously nodded.
Reminded of that day’s vow, he seemed slightly reassured.
As they slowly circled the lakeside, Dante, nestled in her warm embrace, finally fell asleep.
At last, it was just the two of them. The lakeshore shimmered with light reflected from the guest chamber. It was Yerpi who spoke first.
“I’ve never heard that the Seventh Prince is a mage.”
“He must have been hiding his power. I’ve heard the imperial family is deep in power struggles.”
This was the result of having no officially designated successor.
Moreover, it was said that so many claimed to be the Emperor’s children—given how widely the Emperor had sown his seed—that they were far from few.
Yet these claimants vanished before even receiving the Emperor’s recognition, labeled as victims of accidents or disappearances.
Clearly, this was the work of someone who opposed sharing imperial power.
Even those officially recognized as imperial relatives were now keeping a low profile. But the Seventh Prince seemed different.
“Why did he come to Growen?”
The reason Yerpi had requested to temporarily host them was because they had crossed Growen’s barrier with their bare bodies.
In truth, though the ice wall appeared intact, it had suffered damage to its sacred energy. It was healing on its own, but full recovery would take time.
Yet even such a weakened ice wall would require risking one’s life to cross by human strength alone.
What kind of request was worth sacrificing one’s life for? She had her suspicions, but she could only hope it wasn’t that.
“Well, it doesn’t seem like good news.”
“They’ll pass through without major issues. If necessary, we’ll have to refuse.”
He, too, suspected what the Seventh Prince’s request might be. Yerpi comforted him, telling him not to worry too much.
Above all, what mattered most was Growen and her own family.
Though they had temporarily accepted outsiders, she was prepared to drive the Seventh Prince away if his request became unreasonable.
The night deepened, and the stars in the sky multiplied, twinkling as dozens of shimmering lights.
Raymond had said there would be no trouble, but Yerpi’s heart remained complicated.
‘What kind of events are unfolding beyond these walls?’
She could only fervently hope that Growen would not be placed in danger.
Top Celebrity Younger Brother Bears Her Child (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: Forced to live stream romance with a top celebrity in a female-dominant world.
Yan Jin transmigrated into a brothel, with a fellow transmigrated junior beside her.
Hearing the obscene words coming from outside, the unfortunate junior covered his ears tightly, his cheeks flushed red, and whispered to comfort her, “Don’t worry, I will definitely help you escape.”
“Don’t worry, I will definitely defend your chastity.” Yan Jin looked at the flawless and delicate features of the unfortunate junior and gently comforted, “Because we have transmigrated into a female-dominant world.”
※※※
Top celebrity Yu Shu suddenly fell into a coma during a concert.
Research scientist Yan Jin fainted in the lab after working overtime.
Two people with no connection were rushed to the same hospital.
Three days later, neither of them had woken up.
Suddenly, the entire nation discovered that a live streaming app had been forcibly installed on their phones.
Upon opening it, they heard the two discussing how to escape from the brothel.
The entire internet was in an uproar.
After the two successfully escaped from the brothel, Yu Shu’s fan group rushed to make a banner and sent it to the hospital overnight.
“Big sister bravely took action to defend the chastity of our idol!”
※※※
When Yu Shu was diagnosed with pregnancy, Yan Jin stared at his belly for a long time.
Covering his stomach, he muttered gloomily, “If you don’t like it, I’ll go get an abortion.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it.” Yan Jin hugged Yu Shu and said softly, “I just feel like I’m not human.”
Yu Shu comforted Yan Jin, “I was already an adult when we got together.”
Yan Jin hesitated, “But you won’t be of legal marriageable age even after giving birth to the child.”
At the same time, a flood of bullet comments appeared in the live streaming room that the two couldn’t see.
[Although it’s inappropriate, I also want a young and handsome boyfriend to have my child.]
①Male pregnancy (highlighted)
The female lead is five years older than the male lead, and the male lead is already an adult when he appears.
