The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 52

In truth, Emperor Lorenzo’s words weren’t entirely wrong. Peruno had always been an aloof man who never paid women any attention.

However, could it be that he was finally planning to use the monstrosity that was rumored to be “two in number”? Hendrick might have exaggerated, but it was still a fact that the man had willingly taken the princess.

As Hendrick grumbled, Emperor Lorenzo, having already vented his frustration by striking him, bared his teeth. “Get a grip. Have you forgotten how far we’ve gone to appease this madman demanding gems like a crazed crow?”

“Of course not. Didn’t you even give up valuable territory to stop the invasion?”

It was a land that held great significance, being the first colony of Pantege. Hendrick muttered his complaints under his breath.

The Pantege Empire, which had grown through pillage and conquest, was no longer able to expand its territories, all because of Calis.

Calis, a mysterious country that occupied the entire northern region, was known for being extremely closed off despite its vast land. Very little was known about it, with most information coming from legends passed down like rumors. Tales of the Peruno bloodline with a thousand-year history, the highly evolved physique of the northern people, and even stories of monsters and curses—all of it seemed like fanciful stories for children.

The Calisians lived quietly, as though curled up to ensure no one could verify the truth of the myths. While their large builds made them formidable, they weren’t considered a real threat to Pantege.

Then, several centuries ago, Calis emerged from its isolation, expanding its sphere of influence and even coming down to the southern continent to collect gemstones.

It was as if they had received a divine command overnight.

Neighboring countries feared an invasion from the north. As expected, the audacious northerners crossed the clearly drawn borders without hesitation.

However, it wasn’t an invasion. Calis wanted trade. And their sole demand was gems.

Surprisingly, the negotiations between Calis and the smaller nations proceeded smoothly. The countries, terrified of Pantege’s invasions, desperately needed forces to defend their borders, and the north could provide overwhelming military power.

Faced with the prospect of losing their sovereignty to Pantege, exchanging gemstones for soldiers was an obvious choice. What’s more, just one northern warrior possessed the strength equivalent to fifty southern soldiers.

One wealthy peninsula nation, which had long been coveted by Pantege, even formed a specialized exploration team to recover sunken treasure ships, offering large amounts of gems to Calis. That small nation still had northern warriors stationed along its borders.

In this way, the Peruno bloodline had collected gems wherever they could and allocated Calisian forces across the continent.

This gradual expansion of influence became a major obstacle to Pantege’s ambitions of territorial expansion.

Lorenzo’s fists trembled.

‘The biggest problem is…’

At long last, Pantege found itself face to face with Calis, and this time, they didn’t even seek an exchange.

They “commanded” Pantege to regularly present gems as tribute, declaring that failure to comply would result in an invasion, and that they would seize the imperial treasury in its entirety. Their attitude was entirely different from how they treated the smaller nations.

Thus, the once fearless Pantege Empire found itself grudgingly offering tribute to Calis.

The empire’s coffers, which had been steadily filling, were now on the verge of being depleted. In the meantime, one of Pantege’s colonies, Largo, had successfully declared its independence.

Lorenzo had always dreamed of establishing the most powerful empire. Now, he fervently wished for the downfall of Peruno and Calis, behaving like a madman who would die if he didn’t see the sparkle of gems every day.

His prayers had become so desperate that he even offered up the spiritual power of twenty priests to plead for an answer from the gods, and soon, a prophecy was revealed.

The most desperate wish will be granted through a forgotten gem and the light of a beautiful star.

The wish of the one who desires most shall be granted through the forgotten gem and beautiful starlight.

As they sought to uncover the meaning behind “the beautiful starlight,” they discovered that a certain princess from a small kingdom, whom the second prince, Hendrick, had shown interest in, was called “The Star of Largo.”

Skeptical at first, Lorenzo soon received a report that Peruno, who had never shown any interest in women, had kidnapped the princess. Only then did Lorenzo become certain that the “star” mentioned in the prophecy was her.

And as for the “forgotten gem,” could it be…

Greed gleamed in Lorenzo’s eyes, and his excited breath slipped through his teeth. The moment he had longed for—the fall of ruthless Calis—was finally approaching.

But how would they recover the princess, now that she had fallen into Peruno’s hands?

‘That barbaric bastard…’

Lorenzo found himself unable to stop striking Hendrick.

He had refrained from revealing the details of the prophecy to the reckless prince, fearing he would act carelessly. That had been a mistake.

“You must retrieve the princess. Do you understand? The prosperity and fate of Pantege might rest with her.”

Hendrick could barely suppress a sigh. “Your Majesty… Having met the princess in person, I can tell you that the only remarkable things about her were her pretty face and her large, watermelon-sized chest.”

“You insolent fool.”

“I’m not saying those qualities weren’t important, but she wasn’t exactly beautiful enough to sway the empire’s future.”

Hendrick gingerly touched his bloodied lips. Lorenzo, about to strike him again, stopped himself. There was no sense in causing internal strife when there were greater matters at hand.

“In any case, I recently visited Largo myself and confirmed with King Maurice that the princess is alive and well. How she managed to beg for her life from that beast is beyond me.”

“Listen carefully, you fool.” Lorenzo grabbed Hendrick by the collar and whispered, “We have intelligence that Islay Peruno will be heading south soon. You will go and verify this, and gather information about the princess.”

Calis’s movements were concerning. There was no guarantee that they hadn’t received a similar prophecy. It was essential to keep an eye on Peruno’s activities from close by.

“I’m going myself? The day to deliver tribute hasn’t even arrived yet…”

“Gather any information you can. If the princess is with them, you must bring her back to the capital, no matter what. If that’s not possible, find a way to approach her and persuade her. In any case, they won’t kill her until they’re certain of her value.”

Lorenzo’s voice dropped even lower as he added, “We already have the ‘tool.’ The only thing left is the girl.”

“…What?”

“I’ll explain everything in detail before you leave. Hendrick Regan, don’t forget why I chose you as my heir, even though you’re not the eldest.”

“Well, my older brother is too soft.”

“No, it’s because you’re the best at finding ways to escape. When you can’t defeat an enemy by force, cunning is key.”

“……”

“We are Pantege. We started as a small land, but now we are a great empire. ‘We watch and wait’—that is the motto of the Regan imperial family. We stir up conflict, lie in wait, and then seize our chance. Never forget that.”

Hendrick, his initial dread subsiding, nodded silently. As his father said, their family’s motto was the very strategy that had allowed Pantege to trample over smaller nations and rise to the top.

9. To the Southern Continent

The morning sunlight poured over the towering Ice Castle. On this unusually bright day, the castle’s inner court was buzzing with activity.

“How heavy! What kind of journey is this all of a sudden?” Dora grumbled as she lugged a heavy suitcase from the castle to the front courtyard.

Stella, noticing the northern warriors moving busily around them, hurriedly whispered, “It’s not a long journey, so you don’t need to pack so much.”

“But I only brought the essentials! Let’s see, the soft wool blanket, the rose-scented soap you like, and that plump cushion you sleep with…”

“Please, Dora.”

Fearing someone might overhear, Stella raised a finger to her lips. Though it was the maid’s job to assist the princess, this wasn’t some leisurely trip.

At that moment, Mikel appeared out of nowhere and effortlessly picked up Dora’s suitcase. Then he crossed the courtyard, where two carriages and several horses were waiting for the group.

Dora, staring blankly at Mikel’s back, quickly scurried after him. “Be careful with that! There are delicate glass beads inside,” she warned.

“Why do you need glass beads?”

“The children gave them to the princess during the Resting Festival. Handling them helps soothe her nerves.”

Stella couldn’t bear to hear more and pressed her forehead in embarrassment.

Even bringing extra dresses felt extravagant, yet here they were, packing glass beads. It was true, though, that fiddling with them when she was anxious did help, which made her feel even more ashamed.

As she walked with a flushed face, Stella hesitated upon spotting the man standing in front of the large carriage.

Islay, the one who had proposed this sudden journey, was watching her intently. Stella resumed walking and approached him.