Captain – Chapter 244 – A Hypocritical Play

“Since you’ve come before me, it means that you’ve found a second path for me and the Alexander family to choose, or rather…”

Hearing the implication in the Founder’s words, the old man shifted his gaze from her face to the tightly closed wooden door of the study: “A second person who can take the throne besides Robert, isn’t that right, Gloria?”

Hearing this, there was no surprise in the Founder’s eyes.

Under the hawk-like gaze of those spies, having two visitors was hardly a secret. Presumably, this news had already reached the old man’s ears before the carriage drove into the palace.

After learning this news and conversing with her, if His Majesty the Emperor, who had always been perceptive of people’s hearts, couldn’t guess her intentions, that would be surprising.

“Yes, he is a child you once abandoned.”

The Founder showed no intention of opening the wooden door. She continued looking at the old man’s pitch-black eyes, as deep as the night sky, her tone quite flat.

Seeing this, the old man’s eyes flickered slightly. He leaned back in his chair and said in a deep voice: “Yet now he is to save the fate of the Alexander family. The twists of fate are always unpredictable. So, Founder, tell me the conditions—under what terms would you be willing to entrust him to me?”

“Reveal the truth about the ‘accident’ sixteen years ago that led to the deaths of my royal brother and Princess Hefra, and make the mastermind pay for his crimes in blood. I believe this is my bottom line, and the only possibility for that child to accept you as… his grandfather.”

Hearing her increasingly cold words, the Emperor’s hands gripping the armrests tightened slightly, but quickly relaxed again. He asked softly: “What is his name?”

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After the Founder proposed her condition, the old man only took a moment before shifting his attention to the young man waiting silently outside the wooden door.

This was certainly not a technique to change the subject, but rather because for him, that condition could hardly be called a condition at all.

For the sake of the royal family’s face, he could disregard the deaths of his own child and Princess Hefra from the Mistel Empire—a core member state of the Federation—using his power to suppress the facts and distort the truth. Naturally, he could also sacrifice Prince Ulysses, whom he had once fully protected, for the continuation of the family’s rule.

After all, although this ruler of the Empire had grown old and developed a slight longing for family bonds, he remained fundamentally a cold and ruthless authoritarian. As someone who had stood at the pinnacle of world power for decades, how could he possibly be hindered by soft emotions?

“Curtis, his name is Curtis Alexander.”

In the instant this name reached his ears, the old man seemed to flash back to the infant’s sleeping face and the happy expressions of that couple. He shook his head slightly, suppressing these memories, and said with some fatigue: “Then the matter of Saint Caloie is settled. Next, let’s discuss the issue concerning Robert.”

Raising her hand to interrupt the old man’s continued speech, Gloria turned her head slightly, looking at the wooden door, and said: “This is not an issue for us to discuss, but for you and him to talk about.”

With that, she walked to the wooden door and slowly opened it, gripping the pure silver handle.

Behind the door, the young man wearing a specially made black formal suit lifted his head slightly. After seeing the Founder nod in acknowledgment, he slowly walked into the study and turned his gaze toward the Emperor’s equally mysterious and profound eyes.

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In those pitch-black pupils, the young man saw kindness, sympathy, guilt, and various other emotions. That undisguised complex of feelings was all goodwill the old man was releasing toward him.

He had no doubt that the Emperor would make the truth public, would send the mastermind who killed his parents to the execution platform in front of countless people, and would be incredibly good to him in the days to come, showing a warm demeanor desiring to compensate for the suffering he had endured, longing for family affection, and a firm attitude of unconditional support.

Just like atonement as described in the holy book.

But through the Founder’s description of this Emperor, Curtis clearly understood that the old man’s decisions and subsequent actions were not for him, much less for the young couple long buried in the ground, but simply for the family’s rule and the Empire’s future.

Although he understood this clearly in his heart, the young man’s face revealed nothing. He comfortably accepted the goodwill released by the old man and, under the other’s gentle gaze, respectfully bowed, his tone of address intimate and natural.

“Curtis pays his respects to Grandfather.”

This was destined to be a seemingly genuine but extremely hypocritical play, perhaps continuing until the old man left this world.

This was the royal family.

In the open plains of western Auran.

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The carriage continued to move smoothly westward, escorted by assassins disguised as imperial soldiers.

“So you’re saying the Founder gave the old Emperor two choices, either Robert or the only remaining Elder of the Black Raven Society, and he ultimately chose that boy called, called…”

Seeing the girl pinching her chin, unable to recall the young man’s name after a long moment, Black Raven couldn’t help but remind her: “Curtis.”

“Yes, yes, yes, the boy called Curtis.”

Roy clenched her right hand into a fist and tapped her left palm, her face still showing some astonishment: “But I really hadn’t imagined that fellow would turn out to be an Auran prince, and that the Founder’s true identity was the old Emperor’s own daughter—Princess Gloria. I’ve certainly learned something new.”

“To be honest, if it weren’t for those troubles in the Alexander family, the Black Raven Society would never have been established, and I wouldn’t have met my dear Gloria. So in a way, emotionally and rationally, I hope Auran has more incidents like this.”

Black Raven shrugged, smiling at the captain whose mouth was slightly agape.

The captain wore a look of disbelief: “So you’re saying, the lady you’ve been pursuing… is the Founder?”

“Yes, who else in this world could capture my heart, and who besides me would be worthy of that beautiful and noble lady?”

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Looking at Black Raven’s smug appearance, the girl pursed her lips and said, pouring cold water on him: “But it seems you haven’t won her over yet, Mr. Shelley.”

As if struck at a sore spot, Black Raven’s expression froze, and he said with a darkened face: “That’s none of the captain’s business. Anyway, the situation now is that according to both the Founder’s and that old fellow’s wishes, the royal family will do everything to shield you from pressure from the military…”

“Wait, wait, wait—pressure from the military?”

Roy asked with slight confusion: “What does that mean? Those old fellows wouldn’t dare defy the Emperor’s will, would they?”

Black Raven said with particular significance: “The various Admirals certainly wouldn’t dare, but if that old Marshal sitting in the chief seat has his own ideas, then it’s hard to say.”

Leaning back against the carriage compartment, Roy’s eye twitched as she asked: “So you’re saying that military order to take me away really was the Marshal’s doing?”

“Who knows? The thoughts of old fellows are always difficult to fathom.”

Black Raven didn’t answer directly, only smiling with an inscrutable meaning: “Besides the military, those politicians will also be controlled. At the same time, the Black Raven Society will open all permissions to you and create a shortcut for you to reach Robert. And what you need to do, Captain…”

“Is to end all this in your own way.”