Chapter 32 :The Silence Between Brothers
Rudravaan stood beside Lukas, unmoving.
The nobles whispered among themselves, confusion spreading across their faces.
"Who is he…?"
"I have never seen this man before…"
But not all were ignorant.
A few among the older nobles had already gone pale. Their hands trembled slightly, and none of them dared to meet Rudravaan's eyes.
They remembered.
And memory alone was enough.
Henry, watching from the side, tilted his head in curiosity.
Lukas leaned slightly toward Rudravaan and spoke in a low voice only he could hear.
"You said you had questions," Lukas murmured. "Now is your chance… ask them directly."
Rudravaan's gaze slowly swept across the hall.
The whispers died one by one.
The air itself seemed to tighten.
Then—
he took a single step forward.
Rudravaan's voice cut cleanly through the grand hall.
"Does anyone here know a man named Valerius of the Sovereign Bone Citadel Sect?"
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then a nobleman stepped forward, a smug smile already on his face.
"Well now," he drawled, glancing around as if inviting the room to share the joke. "And who do you think you are?"
He adjusted his robes with exaggerated calm.
"Just because His Majesty Lukas introduced you does not make you some great figure."
A few nobles snickered.
The man turned slightly, flashing a charming smile toward a nearby noblewoman before looking back at Rudravaan with open disdain.
"You are merely some lesser-state emperor… are you not?"
Laughter rippled through parts of the hall.
But not everyone was laughing.
Those who recognized the name Rudravaan stood frozen, faces pale, eyes wide with dawning horror.
They knew.
And they knew exactly what was about to happen.
Near the throne, Lukas felt cold sweat gather at his temple.
…This is bad.
His fingers twitched at his side as he watched Rudravaan carefully, silently praying the man would restrain himself.
Across the hall, Henry leaned toward Zade, voice tight with urgency.
"Hey… we need to get to them."
The air had already begun to change.
For a fraction of a second—
Rudravaan's killing intent flooded the hall.
It came and vanished in the same breath.
But it was enough.
Every noble froze.
Cold dread sliced through the room as if invisible blades had brushed across their throats. Several staggered where they stood. Others broke into heavy sweat, faces drained of color.
The laughter died instantly.
Silence fell like a guillotine.
And at the center of it all, Rudravaan stood exactly where he had been… calm… composed.
Smiling.
"Oh?" he said lightly. "Now then… shall we continue where we left off?"
The smug noble who had spoken earlier trembled violently, his legs threatening to give way. The arrogance that filled his face moments ago had completely vanished.
Near the front, Lukas exhaled slowly, tension easing from his shoulders.
…He held back.
Beside him, Henry swallowed hard.
Yeah… he definitely held back.
But the nobles who knew the truth…
…were already praying the man in front of them would not lose his patience a second time.
Lukas stepped forward slightly, voice steady but firm.
"Does anyone here know him?"
For a moment, no one moved.
Then—
One noble slowly raised his trembling hand, sweat beading down his temple.
Rudravaan's gaze slid to him like a drawn blade.
"What is it you know about him?" Rudravaan asked calmly.
The noble swallowed hard.
"I—I heard… he is a distant blood relative of the East Bow nobles…"
A faint, dangerous silence followed.
Rudravaan's eyes swept across the gathered crowd.
"Is anyone here from East Bow?"
The nobles glanced at one another, panic quietly spreading through the hall. No one stepped forward.
Rudravaan's smile thinned.
"So… no one is here."
A different noble, forcing courage he did not possess, spoke up shakily.
"C-can you tell us why you are asking for him? So that we may assist—"
Rudravaan's gaze snapped to him.
"Did I ask for your help?"
The man stiffened.
"N-no…"
Rudravaan's voice dropped, cold and absolute.
"Then shut your mouth."
The temperature of the room seemed to fall.
He took one slow step forward, eyes sweeping over the nobles like a predator surveying prey.
"I know what some of you are doing," he said quietly. "Let me make this very clear…"
His smile returned — but there was no warmth in it.
"If you do not stop using the Sovereign Bone Citadel Sect for your little dealings…"
His aura pressed down just enough to make several nobles bend at the knees.
"…then do not say I did not warn you."
At the edge of the crowd, a few nobles who were truly involved felt their hearts drop straight into their stomachs.
Because they knew—
That warning had not been empty.
Rudravaan turned and left the hall without another word.
Behind him, the nobles finally dared to breathe.
Lukas clapped his hands lightly, forcing the tension to break.
"Enjoy the evening," he told the guests with an easy smile.
But his eyes were already following the man who had just walked out.
Henry and Zade, meanwhile, wasted no time making use of the feast.
"This place is insane…" Henry muttered, already reaching for another plate.
Zade chuckled. "Try not to embarrass us."
Outside, the night air was cool.
Rudravaan walked along the quiet garden path, hands resting loosely at his sides.
Footsteps approached from behind.
Lukas.
"Why did you leave the party?" he asked.
Rudravaan didn't stop walking.
"After everything that just happened," he said calmly, "do you really think they'd be comfortable with me there?"
Lukas exhaled.
"…Fair enough."
Rudravaan sighed softly.
"Besides," he added, voice flat, "I hate dealing with people like that."
Lukas placed both hands behind his head, looking up at the night sky.
"…Yeah," he admitted. "I feel the same way sometimes."
"There's something I've wanted to ask since I saw you again."
Rudravaan glanced at him.
"What is it?"
Lukas hesitated—something rare for him.
"…How has life been for you… and Morvyn?"
Rudravaan's brow lifted slightly.
"That's what you wanted to ask?"
Lukas gave a small, self-conscious smile.
"Since back then… when we were kids… you were the eldest among us. The strongest. We followed you everywhere Right up until that incident."
His smile stayed—but the weight behind it didn't fade.
"And now look at us. I became an emperor, just like you told me to. Morvyn became a physician."
Rudravaan turned his head and studied him for a long moment.
"…You're still a brat," he said at last.
Lukas huffed a quiet laugh, but it didn't last.
"Even now," he admitted softly, "I regret that I couldn't do anything that day."
Rudravaan's voice came calm and firm.
"…It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's."
Lukas's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Morvyn and I both know," he said quietly, "that you're still carrying that burden… aren't you?"
For a moment, Rudravaan said nothing.
Then he clicked his tongue lightly and turned away.
"Listen to you," he muttered. "I thought you became an emperor."
He started walking again.
"Come on," Rudravaan added casually. "Let's get a drink."