The atmosphere at the city gate suddenly fell deathly silent. The afternoon breeze seemed to freeze in the air, leaving a thick tension between them before the man finally broke the silence once more.
"Why are you just standing there like that?" Rodaz barked, demanding an answer, his voice echoing off the steel gate walls. His face still showed annoyance at having his afternoon rest disturbed. "Has being a Duchess in the Yornvast Empire for so long rotted your brain?"
Hearing the title that had just slipped from the man's mouth, all the border guards standing nearby were stunned to their core. The tips of their spears even trembled slightly. The Yornvast Empire was a vast territory with a long history, known for its terrifying military might. And this simple-looking woman they had doubted until now was actually a Duchess from there.
"You don't need to worry about that, Rodaz." Elara replied casually, completely unaffected by the man's raised voice. She brushed imaginary dust from her sleeve. "Currently, I am no longer a Duchess."
"What did you say?" Rodaz countered, his voice rising sharply in surprise. His fierce face displayed utter confusion. "How did your Duchess title disappear? Did you commit a crime there?"
"Hahaha."
Rather than being offended, Elara laughed quite loudly. Her crisp, free-spirited laughter echoed through the main street, successfully drawing the attention of several residents and pedestrians still milling about near the gate. A few people stopped in their tracks, turning their heads with curiosity.
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later." Elara said after her laughter subsided.
The woman then turned to the side, looking at her son and son-in-law who were still standing frozen. "It's better if you introduce yourself to my son!" Elara continued while gently touching Calian's shoulder.
"Ah... that's right, I almost forgot..." Rodaz said, finally realizing the presence of the two teenagers standing quietly near his sister. He cleared his throat softly, adjusting his posture from tense to a more relaxed one.
Rodaz looked at Calian intently, then offered a thin smile. "Hello there, son of Elara. I am Rodazero Wallfend Zien Da Erthland, the leader of the Erthland Empire, and also your mother's younger brother." Rodaz introduced himself very casually, as if he were just mentioning the name of a next-door neighbor.
However, for Calian and Wolvin, that casual introduction felt like a massive hammer blow. The two teenagers' eyes widened. Wolvin's jaw even hung slightly open. They both realized that the man dressed in ordinary noble attire before them was an emperor who led an entire empire. And even crazier, that emperor was their mother's own brother.
An emperor? This man in ordinary noble clothes is an emperor? Wolvin thought, his breath nearly stopping. He stared at Elara with a blank expression. Then... who exactly is my mother-in-law?
Calian swallowed hard. The purple-haired teenager turned his head stiffly to look at his mother.
"M-M-Mother..." Calian stammered, his tongue tied because he still couldn't believe the large man before him was an absolute ruler. His eyes searched Elara's with a million questions. "A-Are you actually a former Princess of the Empire?"
"Yes, something like that!" Elara replied casually with an innocent face, her tone as light as if she were discussing how the sky turns black at night. "After our father died, he was the only younger brother of mine who was required to become emperor, even though they asked me to be the emperor first."
"Your mother is stubborn!" Emperor Rodaz chimed in suddenly, pointing at his sister with a grumbling face. "She just went ahead and got married and lived in the Yornvast Empire, forcing me to lead this empire, when she should have been the next emperor."
"Shut up, Rodaz!" Elara snapped instantly. Her calm face now looked slightly annoyed because her brother was bringing up unnecessary past matters in a public place. "Never bring that matter up to my son!"
"You're the one who should shut up, sister!" Rodaz argued, not wanting to lose to his sister, like a typical argument between two siblings fighting over something. "If you cared about me, you would have decided to become the emperor and lead this Erthland Empire yourself."
"I'm not interested!" Elara replied firmly and to the point. "Becoming an emperor only makes me less free."
Emperor Rodaz's face turned beet red. He grew even more annoyed at his sister, who casually ignored her duty as the heir and left him to shoulder all the burdens of the state alone.
Seeing her brother starting to get emotional, Elara let out a soft breath. "Rather than grumbling here, we should head home!" Elara suggested, not wanting to draw too much public attention. "Look, everyone is already watching us."
Emperor Rodaz looked back, and he never expected that their fierce argument had made them the center of attention for all the capital's residents passing near the gate. Some citizens even seemed to be whispering, wondering who the woman was who dared to scold their ruler on the side of the road.
Emperor Rodaz then let out a long sigh to calm his annoyance, then looked sharply at his older sister from top to bottom. "There is still much you need to explain, especially your face, which hasn't changed since you left this empire more than 20 years ago!"
"Okay... Okay..." Elara replied lazily, sounding completely indifferent while rolling her eyes.
However, a second later, the look in Elara's eyes and the tone of her voice changed drastically, becoming ice-cold. "At the very least, ensure that no one hears our conversation later. If anyone is caught eavesdropping, whoever they are, whether it be your wife or your son, I will kill them on the spot! Do you understand?"
The words that came from Elara's mouth sounded plain and ordinary. However, hidden within every word was an absolute threat and a murderous intent that was no joke.
All the guards nearby could feel the thick dread radiating from the long-lost imperial princess. The afternoon air suddenly felt as cold as ice. The hair on their necks stood up in unison, and some guards even turned pale, unable to withstand the pressure of her aura.
Feeling the genuine intimidation from his sister, Emperor Rodaz's expression turned stiff and serious.
"It seems that it is indeed an important secret." Emperor Rodaz murmured, responding to his sister's lethal threat with full understanding. "Very well, I will ensure no one eavesdrops on our conversation!"
Once the agreement was reached, Emperor Rodaz turned around and walked toward his carriage parked not far away.
"Come on, get in!" he said, stepping onto the carriage's footstep. His tone softened again. "It's getting late. You all need to rest immediately, don't you?"
Elara looked back, then signaled with a tilt of her head for Calian and Wolvin to get into the carriage.
Without a single word of protest, the two teenagers stepped forward following their mother's command, prepared to enter a new life behind the walls of the Erthland imperial capital.