Under The Divine Veil 【bxb】

CHAPTER VI

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SIX

                             The emperor, Augustus the II, steps down the red-carpeted stairwell. A golden, bejeweled crown sits atop his head of dark brown hair— much like Princess Annabelle's. He wears a military uniform, dozens of medals decorating the lapels.

It seems that the emperor is a man that prefers extreme extravagance.

Dozens of holographic screens appear all across the grand hall, displaying a close-up of his face as he talks.

"I thank you all for coming today to the annual spring gathering," the emperor begins. His voice is booming with authority, no less powerful than Master Saer's. "The Rhendor Royal Family expresses their deepest appreciations, and we hope you all enjoy a splendid time in the palace."

I watch as he speaks, and I can't help but feel nervous. If he saw through my disguise, my identity— I could end up without a head. He is undeniably one of the most dangerous people in this room, and to meet him, along with so many other nobles in my first week as "Rion Seraphis", is a chilling, nerve-wracking experience.

I am afraid of the emperor, but for some reason, I am not afraid of Onyx, who even Princess Annabelle struggles to be around.

I can't bring myself to look at the emperor in the flesh, so I watch him through the holographic screens instead. Both Princess Annabelle and Onyx stand by the emperor's side, at his left and right side respectively.

Princess Annabelle has a bored, uninterested expression on her face, while Onyx looks at the crowd of nobles with indifference. The emperor and Princess Annabelle share undeniable similarities— the same colored hair, eyes, and the same exaggerated features. Although the emperor's face was worn with age, it didn't make him any less intimidating.

I stand beside Atlas, listening to the emperor's speech. It is considerably long, so I start to zone out in the middle.

However, I don't zone out for long before the holographic screens suddenly glitch, and only static is displayed. Even Emperor Augustus pauses in the middle of his speech, looking at the projections with a curious gaze.

The lights flicker once, twice—

And then, the entire grand hall is plunged into darkness. Screams of fear from the nobles arise, and several guards shout over the commotion to calm the aristocrats down.

The emperor makes no move to comfort his citizens, opting to watch the static-filled screens with a calculating gaze.

The screens turn dark for a moment, before it turns on again— this time, the screens do not display the emperor's face. Instead, a lovely golden-haired woman appears on the projection, her long, wavy locks cascading down her shoulders. She looks towards the "camera" with a gentle expression, but I can see the underlying sinister intent brewing underneath her aqua eyes.

Adorned with a long, white cloak and dress, the golden-haired woman also had two pairs of wings poking out from either side of her head. Combined with her ethereal, other-worldly appearance, one couldn't possible assume she was human.

"My apologies for disrupting your gathering, Augustus," the woman says with a sickly sweet tone, her saccharine words practically dripping with syrup. "I just couldn't ignore your destructive actions towards my faction."