The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory-Chapter 114

The Imperial Palace was teeming with outsiders today—and she was the Emperor of the Empire.

It looked as though she was walking alone, but her guards were trailing her silently, masking their presence.

As she’d intended, the palace was steeped in a hedonistic atmosphere.

Fireworks exploded intermittently in the night sky, music echoed loudly, and masked people giggled in hidden corners. Colored smoke billowed in parts of the garden.

Some drunkards grabbed each other’s hands and began to pray.

Murmurs of words like “mercy,” “love,” “understanding,” and “compassion” were uttered as they bowed their heads in devotion.

The common people’s dependence on the Temple has gone beyond all reason.

The Emperor’s eyes darkened.

They have no intention of living independently. All they care about is clinging to the Temple, hoping to receive something in return.

The Temple’s influence was pervasive—present everywhere, suffocating.

Even the High Priest himself had somehow surpassed human lifespan, maintaining a middle-aged appearance through unnatural means.

He had become an object of worship. His symbolism now surpassed even the royal family’s.

...I’m doing the right thing by giving this to the young Duke.

Tucked inside Calliona’s cloak was the keepsake of the previous Duke of Dyfenril.

It’s probably what got the Dyfenril couple killed.

Zahid’s father, the former Duke, had long been wary of the Temple.

He’d risked his life to steal “something” from them. Afterward, he was constantly threatened and harassed.

“Your Majesty, I don’t know exactly what this is. But I’m certain—it’s something that could kill the High Priest. Could the Imperial Family analyze it?”

It was a map filled with unknown ancient characters. But even the Imperial Family couldn’t translate every ancient script.

And it had to be examined in secret, without the Temple’s knowledge—so the process was slow.

Julian tried to investigate it too... before his accident. I wonder if he discovered anything before he lost his memory?

Not every word had been deciphered, but two were barely made out: “Divine Beast” and “Awakening.”

It might be too much to place such a burden on a boy still so young...

The Emperor swallowed dryly.

But it clearly involves the Divine Beasts. If so, this doesn’t belong in the Imperial Palace—it belongs with the families who carry those beasts.

Just in case, she had made a copy.

She had briefly considered handing the original over to the Lavendal Duchy, guardians of the Water Divine Beast.

But it was the keepsake of the Dyfenril family.

Despite his age, Zahid was still the rightful heir. It only felt right to pass it on to him.

I just don’t know how far the Temple’s intelligence reaches. That’s what worries me.

The Emperor, who had stayed in a neutral position until now while she gathered strength, felt her composure begin to crack.

She had gone so far as to host this masquerade in secret and chosen this exact moment to deliver the item—taking every possible precaution.

Especially since Zahid, too, could become a target. She had to be careful.

Even now, the Empress Dowager’s gaze extended to every corner of the palace. Even the Emperor had to tread ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ carefully.

It’s going to rain soon. The sky is dark.

As she made her way to the promised meeting spot with Zahid, her steps took her further and further into a secluded area.

Past the bustling crowds, she arrived at a corridor in a detached wing of the palace, where a young maid was quietly cleaning a statue.

Strange. No one should be here.

According to the plan, all palace staff were supposed to be mobilized for the banquet.

“Hey.”

The Emperor stopped walking, her brow furrowing.

“What are you doing here alone?”

The little maid in the imperial livery looked up as she wiped the statue with a cloth.

“C-cleaning...”

Her movements were meticulous and confident—it wasn’t her first time doing this.

That such a young girl could clean so skillfully with those tiny hands was remarkable.

She didn’t seem like an outsider attempting a clumsy infiltration. Her practiced cleaning dispelled any suspicion.

Because the staff were also told to wear masks today, the young maid was wearing a rather elaborate one.

Fidgeting with her fingers, she explained:

“I overslept... so I was punished. I have to clean all the statues here...”

“...”

Such punishments were common among maids to instill discipline.

The Emperor thought about just sending her away to enjoy the banquet—but if she gave an order too decisively, she might reveal her identity.

Just as she hesitated—

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty, take cover!”

Her hidden guards suddenly burst out from the shadows.

BOOM—a deafening noise, and the building began to collapse.

The Emperor inhaled sharply in shock.

At the same time, flames surged upward with a whoosh.

A bomb?!

A localized earthquake strong enough to bring down a building, followed immediately by a sudden blaze.

The ground split beneath her feet as cracks ran along the walls.

Flames now danced across the entire corridor, licking the walls and floor.

“This—this is!”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The inferno roared, engulfing the annex in searing heat.

This was clearly a trap. An intentional one.

And to destroy a whole building in one strike—the power required was immense.

Only one force besides herself could’ve done this inside the Imperial Palace.

It’s them.

The Emperor’s mind went blank.

The Temple.

Even if it was just an annex, it was still a palace structure. Bringing it down wasn’t easy. The quake meant it was almost certainly the work of the Earth Divine Beast.

And this wasn’t the first time that beast had been used for such things.

The Idra Duchy... they’re the Temple’s puppets. They were used again!

If the entire annex were destroyed and burned, not only would she die—the Dyfenril heirloom would be reduced to ash as well.

After all, it was just a piece of flammable parchment.

The Temple must have figured everything out when the masquerade was announced and used it against her.

They knew.

The Emperor’s gaze turned icy as death crept near.

They’ve infiltrated deep into the palace... even the Empress Dowager must have helped them.

The Empress Dowager, who had served as regent when the Emperor was young, had recently become increasingly hostile toward her.

It was likely because the Emperor kept defying her and distancing herself from the Temple.

This must’ve been a collaboration between the Empress Dowager and the Temple—to replace her with a new puppet.

Even if she’s cut ties with Count Saliod’s house, the Empress Dowager is still capable of orchestrating this.

One small blessing: she had arranged to meet Zahid at the clock tower.

The annex was only part of the route.

At least Zahid Dyfenril will be safe.

But then she saw a new potential victim—

A child... I have to save her!

The Emperor instinctively pulled the small maid into her arms and shielded her throat from the smoke.

And that’s when—

“Hurry, now!”

The little maid suddenly shouted in a sharp, birdlike voice.

“Now! Put out the fire!”

In that instant, a massive torrent of water slammed into the annex like a vortex.

W-what kind of water pressure is this?!

The Emperor gaped in disbelief, stunned into silence. And then—an owl flapped past her eyes.

The Water Divine Beast?

That beast was supposed to belong to the Lavendal Duke—yet it seemed to obey the little maid’s command, nodding toward her.

Wasn’t the Lavendal Duchy not attending today? Wait—did Ray bring it?

But Ray wasn’t even here.

Divine Beasts only listened to their masters. This was strange. Very strange.

Regardless, the moment the beast appeared, the deluge tore the annex apart with sheer force.

And with the quake added to the blaze, surviving this disaster seemed impossible.

They were all going to drown—until—

“Uwaaaah!”

“Wha—!?”

The guards began to dangle from the ceiling, clinging to pillars.

Thick vines had wrapped tightly around their legs, holding them up.

The Emperor, still holding the maid, found herself tied from shoulder to foot to a pillar by the same vines.

The Grass Divine Beast?

No ordinary plant could act with such intent. This had to be the Grass Divine Beast’s doing.

She’d already found it suspicious when the Duke of Orgon—who was supposedly ill and reclusive—said he would attend...

I’m... going to survive this?!

Once the chaos settled and she regained some composure—

“Haha. Good evening, Your Majesty.”

From within her arms, the masked girl gently raised her mask to reveal a bright smile and shimmering green eyes.

“Pleasure to meet you. My name is Rosie Noart.”

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