I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game - Chapter 174

◈ 174. [Side Story] Wintersilver

is a story of my childhood.

The villa where the 2nd Empress Dustia and 3rd Prince Ash live.

Today, the Countess of Wintersilver and her daughter – Serenade visited here.

While the Empress and the Countess had a conversation over tea, Ash and Serenade were playing in the garden in the courtyard of the villa.

“… .”

Today, the serenade was lacking in energy. Ash tilted his head in front of him.

“Why is that, sister? what happened?”

sister.

No matter how much I begged him not to call me that, it was no use. As a child, Ash always followed Serenade by calling her older sister.

Ash asked with an innocent smile.

“Tell me, sister! I’ll take care of everything!”

“Ugh, that… in fact… .”

Serenade, who looked around, lowered her voice and whispered.

“I heard the word heavenly again… .”

On my way here today, I passed through the checkpoint at the entrance to the imperial palace, and I heard whispers from the officers standing guard.

– A family of born-again merchants keeps coming in and out of the imperial palace.

– Isn’t the second empress also born in heaven? Crabs playing with each other.

Seeing as he didn’t bother lowering his voice even though he could hear everything clearly, it seemed like he was doing it on purpose.

Serenade let out a sigh.

“Even outside, the kids are ostracizing me, saying I’m a child of birth… .”

Serenade had no friends.

No aristocratic son would associate with the daughter of a merchant family whose title was bought with money.

That said, it wasn’t even that if he had commoner friends. Even if he bought his title with money, he is a count.

There was no commoner child the same age as the count’s daughter.

Somewhere between nobles and commoners.

The Wintersilver family existed in the gray zone.

Seeing this situation, Ash was the first person Serenade had ever met.

“The only friend who hangs out with me is Prince Ash.”

“Hehe me! My sister is my first friend too!”

Ash was in the same situation.

There was no one on the side of Second Empress Dustia, who was a former battle slave, in this vast imperial palace.

His son, Ash, was treated the same way.

In terms of legitimacy and family strength, it was obvious that the next great emperor would be the son of the first empress, and the first empress openly admired the second empress.

Given the circumstances, no one tried to get close to the second empress and her son.

Except for the people of Wintersilver.

“Don’t be offended by what fools say, sister.”

Ash stretched out his small hand and squeezed Serenade’s hand tightly.

“It’s a business that deals with people who really have nothing to brag about, such as family or lineage, rather than their ability.”

Serenade looked at Ash as he said that with surprised eyes.

The little boy’s hands were warm.

“I promise you, sister.”

Ash smiled like an angel.

“I will create a world where noona doesn’t have to listen to those words.”

“Make the world… … ?”

“huh! It doesn’t matter if your blood is low and noble… … A world for bullied kids like us. A world where mothers don’t have to cry and sisters don’t get bullied.”

Ash’s tiny fingers squeezed Serenade’s fingers.

“I… I will definitely make it.”

Ash’s young face was filled with vague sadness and clear determination at the same time.

At this moment, the serenade was intuitive.

that she would fall in love with this little boy.

Whether this boy keeps his word or not… … .

He said that with just the bright sparkle emitted at this moment, he would follow this boy for the rest of his life.

Looking at the boy’s white smile, I thought so.

***

Serenade suddenly opened her eyes.

It was early in the morning when I saw the faint sunlight penetrating through the curtains.

I felt refreshed. body was light. Serenade quickly got up.

“Are you awake, Master?”

Elise, who was waiting outside the door, heard someone pretend and went inside.

On the tray Elise brought was a basin of hot water.

“Good morning Elise.”

“good morning. Here is the water for washing your face.”

“thank you.”

I took a bath last night and went to sleep, so in the morning it was enough just to wash my face. Serenade washed her face while being attended by Elise.

“Aren’t you tired?”

Elise asked cautiously as the serenade wiped her cheeks with a towel.

“You are already suffering from overwork, but suddenly you are even giving dance lessons to His Highness every day… … .”

“… .”

“I only slept for 3 hours today. I’m worried about your master’s health.”

At those words, Serenade covered her mouth with a towel and laughed out loud. Elise blinked in bewilderment.

“master?”

“Elise. Do I look tired?”

“no… You look in a good mood.”

“that’s right. not tired at all Rather the opposite. Like flying?”

Serenade looked at the mirror in front of her. I saw myself with sparkling eyes with a refreshing face.

It’s okay even if you don’t sleep.

‘Can I sleep now?’

Ash asked him to come and teach him how to dance.

I don’t know why this mischievous prince, who must be more skilled at ballroom dancing than anyone else in the capital, pretends to be inexperienced at dancing.

But the reason was good.

Wearing light makeup and clothes, serenade could not hide the smile on her lips.

I’ve never had this much fun in the last few years.

According to Ash, the Wintersilver family is now facing the crisis of extinction.

Serenade was building defenses against him as Ash told her to do.

Know. This is not the time to be immature.

But to be really honest… … Serenade was willing to pay whatever the price was if she could get close to Ash again, for whatever reason.

‘If I could hold that person’s hand and dance today, I would… … .’

jump!

“miss!”

Just then, Serenade’s door opened violently, and another maid rushed in. Surprised, Serenade looked at him.

“What’s wrong? What happen?”

“The Count has another seizure! hurry… !”

“Father?!”

Serenade stopped dressing up and hurriedly ran out of the room. Elise followed closely behind her with a hard face.

The Earl of Wintersilver had a seizure in his bedroom.

Fortunately, when the serenade arrived, the resident priest had cast a spell to stabilize the count.

“father!”

The count, who was lying on the bed, lifted his trembling chin and looked at his daughter.

“Three serenades.”

Traces of the disease were evident on the count’s face.

His yellow face was covered with skin and bones, and dark spots were in full bloom.

The Count held out his bony hand to the side, and Serenade approached and took his father’s hand.

“I am here, father. Are you okay?”

“Serenade my daughter… my dear daughter… … .”

Serenade’s face hardened at the Count’s words that followed.

“A seed? What is the seed of the Huang family?”

“… .”

“Did you get it? Did you receive the surname from Prince Ash?”

Serenade kept her mouth shut. The Count was busy.

“Why no answer? How much money did we pour into the imperial family to receive one seed? … .”

“… father.”

“Don’t forget serenade. The contempt and humiliation our family has suffered… … .”

The Count looked up at the ceiling and muttered something to himself.

“Even when I became a baron, I was criticized for buying my title with money, and even when I became a count, I was criticized for being lowly. Even if we earn billions of dollars, we cannot erase this stigma engraved in our blood.”

“… .”

“There is only one way to erase this stigma. We must mix the noblest blood in our family.”

Serenade closed her eyes tightly.

grandfather and father too.

The complex about status and lineage was enormous. I was willing to go up at all costs.

So the choice was money. The upper ranks went on a winning streak, and they got titles as they hoped.

But the low vision did not disappear.

Although they were engaged in line with the imperial family, the actual marriage did not take place even though Prince Ash came of age.

Serenade already had a premonition of breaking up.

Then the father said.

– Even if marriage talks are broken, you don’t have to mix blood with the imperial family! Blood too!

– Beg for Prince Ash! I mean, get some seeds!

What do you mean by that?

It is said that he obtained the seed of the 3rd prince, an idiot who can not become emperor, in a situation where it was obvious that the marriage was broken. What does it mean?

However, the obsession with status and lineage passed down from generation to generation was already out of the realm of rational thinking.

The imperial bloodline The imperial bloodline… … .

My father yelled at me every day, and in the end Serenade had to go and talk to Ash.

Ask for a reward for our family’s dedication to you.

your seeds… … ask me

To beg like this to a man who no longer looked at her.

Serenade just wanted to die in the misery of tearing the last remaining pride.

And what returned from Ash was a cold contemptuous gaze.

– After all, you are just like everyone else.

But the promise was obtained.

When Serenade returned home crying, Serenade’s mother… … The Countess of Wintersilver was about to leave the mansion despite her husband’s disapproval.

– You’re crazy for making your daughter do this!

– What is really low is not your family, but your heart.

Mother left, leaving only one word of sorry for the serenade.

When the mother left, the father became ill and lay down, and Serenade took over and ran the Winter Silver Merchant.

Prince Ash did not keep his promise.

So time passed and we reached the present.

“Your mother doesn’t understand.”

The Count let out a quick breath and muttered.

“Because she is a girl from a noble family by birth, this pain of us, who are strangers from the bloodline… I don’t understand.”

“… .”

“Serenade, do you understand? If you have low-blooded blood like this father, you will surely understand.”

Serenade, who had been silent, grabbed her father’s hand once more and stood up.

“I’ll go and see, Father. Please rest well.”

Behind the serenade as she left the room, the Count’s troubled murmur continued to be heard.

“We have to mix the blood of the imperial family in our family. Only then… … You can break free from this curse… … .”

Serenade closed her mouth and walked down the hallway.

I couldn’t breathe.

Instead of red blood, it felt like dark tar was flowing through the veins throughout my body.

I couldn’t breathe at all.

***

Wintersilver Upper Building. 4th floor.

When the serenade who came running out of breath suddenly opened the door,

“Huh?”

Ash was sitting there.

“Why are you here so early?”

In the bright morning sunlight, the third prince of the Empire was dazzling.

Black, lustrous hair. A clear gaze facing each other. A smile like a painting.

Suddenly, it reminded me of how I looked when I was young at that villa.

The serenade made my heart throb.

– I promise you, sister.

okay.

What I loved you for… … It wasn’t because you were a prince, or because your blood was noble.

Just because he was going through the same pain as me.

And because you embraced and cared for my wounds.

‘iced coffee.’

Serenade slowly lowered her head.

Why couldn’t I have said this then?

What I need is neither your lineage nor your seed, but just.

It was just a piece of your heart… … .

“serenade?”

When Ash asked curiously, Serenade quickly straightened her expression.

“No, nothing.”

Because of her tearful nature, her eyes quickly turned red, but she believed that the morning sun would cover them.

Serenade said with a smile.

“Shall we dance, sir?”