Cathain's Pov~
My eyes widens with shock as soon as I heard Duke Raven's words.
What the? Is this man even serious?!
I could sense Duke Dalton's chilly aura from behind me; he was trying his best to act calm.
"Duke Raven…"
I call him with a cold tone as I turn to face them and Duke Raven just glances at us with his never fading sinister grin before he pretended to be clueless about what he just said and starts to speak.
"I didn't said anything wrong, your highness-"
I was shocked to hear his words.
He didn't say anything wrong?
But before he could complete his sentence, another cold voice rang from behind us and everyone turned to face that person.
"I think it's better if you just don't say anything… Duke Raven."
The emperor narrowed his red eyes as his words were directed at that blonde bastard.
I pressed my lips tightly in a thin line to maintain my expression as my father nailed it.
He just indirectly told Duke Raven to shut up… this was savage and hilarious.
My gaze moved towards Duke Dalton to see his reaction towards this, but this man was still expressionless.
No wonder she always misunderstood him.
"We greet the sun of our empire, your majesty, the emperor!"
Everyone politely bowed their heads as we spoke in unison to greet the emperor, including myself.
There was no need for separate greeting as we were all together.
"Rise up."
The emperor spoke and I was a little taken aback as he was staring at me all of a sudden before his hands suddenly moved towards my head with a frown.
"Why is your hair so long, Crown Prince?"
"…"
Everyone around me became dumbfounded, where I felt like I have turned into a stone.
He is… caring about the length of my hair? Out of every possible thing?
His sudden fatherly gestures made me confused and shy at the same time.
This is the first normal conversation we are having.
But then, Duke Dalton's workaholic nature saved me and I thanked him in my heart.
"Your Majesty, we are getting late for the meeting."
Duke Dalton informs and my father finally removes his hands away from my head… and I felt a little weird; missing the warmth of his hands on my head.
"Right… let's go."
My father turns as Duke Dalton stood behind us as we waited for the announcement of our arrival and then the attendance shouts with a loud voice.
"ATTENTION!!"
"THE SUN OF THE EMPIRE, HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR AND THE LITTLE SUN OF OUR EMPIRE, HIS HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRICE ARE ENTERING!!!!"
Everyone stood up with their heads lower down as father walked in with his intimating aura.
"WE GREET THE SUN OF OUR EMPIRE, HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR AND THE LITTLE SUN OF OUR EMPIRE, HIS HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCE!!"
Everyone greets us and my father walks with full confidence and suppressing aura to make us feel the real power of his.
He was wearing our official imperial knight suit as this was a formal meeting; a black suit and a red cape draped over on his shoulder.
This will later become the dress code for the knights of the third squadron, lead by the empress directly.
The image of her wearing this black knight suit as her silver hair used to tie up in a high ponytail flashes in my mind.
How beautiful she used to look as the red cape used to sway on the air along with her silver hair.
Her cold face with a sharp look in her jewel blue eyes, like she doesn't give a damn to this world… she was like a mythical goddess who came in this world by a mistake.
To get ruined by a beast like me…
But then, the emperor's crown shined brightly on his head and I kept glancing at it, another feeling of sadness filling inside of me.
How much I wanted to hold this power and grow strong to fulfill the duties I was supposed to do.
From my childhood, my dream had to be become the emperor as the crown prince.
Either I liked it or not.
I loved painting more, but I wasn't allowed as they were considered useless for a future emperor to learn this.
My father never opposed of me to learn it, but the people around me easily brainwashed me saying the emperor didn't cared about me; thus he said it.
~As an emperor what will you do by learning painting? ~
~The emperor said so because he already knows the crown prince is hopeless, I wonder if he can even become an emperor~
~This is why the nobles are suggesting the emperor to remarry again and have another heir. His majesty is still so young after all~
~First the empress was from a useless defeated country, now the crown prince is… I feel bad for the emperor~
~They are targeting you, your highness. You won't know when you will be killed if you continue to sulk behind~
~Your nanny is always with you, your highness. I respect your wish but you better follow your tutor's arrangement and stop bothering the emperor with such tiny things. He might be disappointed at you and really bring another child to replace you~
~Just why can't you learn this magic move?! Lady Dalton already did it at such a young age and his highness still can't do it? What will people think if they hear it? ~
I took a deep breath to remove those past voices from my mind.
Everything has already passed.
I can do nothing about it… like my sins.
The emperor takes a seat as he gestures us to take our seats and I sit on his left along with the members of the imperial fraction; people who supports the emperor.
And the noble fraction sat on the left side of the emperor, those who was in Duke Raven's team.
Noble fraction was originally formed to help the nobles to develop their relationship with the imperial family but after Duke Raven took over it, this turned into a mess.
The seat beside the emperor was empty as it was a reserved seat for the empress.
And now I know why my father always looks gloomy whenever he sits here.
Because the person who should be beside him isn't here, she can't be here anymore.
I know it; I can feel it… as I too experienced this once.
How empty it felt to sit there alone when the person who is supposed to sit beside you… couldn't sit there anymore.
Seeing the look on my father's face, I can tell that he is thinking about my mother again.
Those red eyes might still look fierce and conquering, but there was sadness in them too.
Would things be different if my mother was here?
I pause on my thoughts before shaking my head, what am I even thinking?
Let's focus on the meeting.
As the emperor's eyes scan through the meeting room, he clears his throat to get everyone's attention and we all shifts our focus on him.
"Seems like everyone is here now…"
The emperor speaks in a cold tone as he judged everyone by their facial expression regarding this meeting and the smirk on his face told me that he has already decided the ending of this meeting.
He is a person who gets everything he wants and everything has to go according to his wishes.
His elbow was resting on the throne's handle and he rested his hands on his clenched fist as he crossed his legs over the other one before speaking with a fake smile on his face.
"Then let's begin our meeting;"