The Villainess is my fiance: But she is gentle towards me

Chapter 280: Chapter: 280 A man who masterd all.[2]

The emperor's face immediately lost all color.For a brief moment, he looked completely stunned, as if the strength had left his body.

His fingers tightened slightly around the glass, and his lips parted, but no words came out.

Still, he forced himself to stay in control.

Slowly, he straightened his back, steadied his breathing, and brought his expression back to normal, even though the tension in his face did not fully fade.

He remained silent for a while.

The room grew quiet again, heavy and still.

The emperor did not speak, and Vivian also stayed silent, giving him time to think things through.

Vivian watched him calmly.

He could clearly understand what the emperor was thinking.

Anyone in his place would react the same way.

What he had just said was not something simple that could be accepted or even understood easily.

In the first place, they did not even know that another continent existed.

Everything they had known until now was limited to their own land.

And now, suddenly, there was another continent far more developed and far stronger than Elora.

And the one ruling over that place…

Vivian's eyes lowered slightly.

It was only natural for the emperor to react like this.

Once someone learned who that ruler was, and what he had done, it was impossible to stay calm.

The gap between them was not something that could be ignored.

More importantly…

They could only hope that those people would not show any interest in this continent.

Because there was no way they could fight against them.

At least not right now.

Vivian's fingers tightened slightly around his glass as a faint determination appeared in his eyes.

'Not until I reach that stage myself.'

Even though he was still far from it, he could feel it clearly.

He was moving forward on the right path, slowly getting closer to something he did not fully understand yet.

Once he reached it… once he truly understood it…

His thoughts stopped there.

Before he could continue, the emperor finally spoke.

"Do you think he has any interest in this continent?" he asked.

His voice was calm, but it carried a slight heaviness.

He looked at Vivian directly, waiting for an answer, though his expression remained tense.

Vivian turned his gaze toward him.

A faint, bitter smile appeared on his face.

"It seems… he has," he replied.

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"As you might know, the clown was from that continent."

The emperor's eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on him again.

Vivian leaned back a little, his hand resting on the table as he spoke.

"He revealed that he was sent here," Vivian said, his tone steady. "Though the exact reason was not clear."

He paused again.

In truth, he already knew the reason.

But he did not want to say it.

If he revealed it now, it could bring trouble, not only for him but for others as well. Some things were better kept hidden.

After all, the clown had not come here by chance.

He had been sent.

Sent to wait for his birth.

Sent to watch him.

Even the clown himself did not fully understand why he had been given that task.

Vivian's grip on the glass tightened slightly.

There was also something else that he could not ignore.

The way the clown used to speak to him.

The way he looked at him.

He used to call him… heaven's child.

Vivian's eyes lowered slightly as his thoughts deepened.

It was not just that one thing.

It was everything.

The way he had survived situations that should have been impossible.

The way things always seemed to move in a direction that helped him, even when he did not understand it at the time.

At first, he had ignored it.

Then, he had started to question it.

And in the end, he had come to a conclusion.

He was not normal.

And neither was this world, not in the way he had once believed.

That thought had stayed with him for a long time.

But it became certain after his battle with the clown.

After that, there was no doubt left in his mind.

Something… or someone… was behind all of this.

Guiding it.

Influencing it.

Pushing things forward in a way he could not fully see.

Vivian's fingers slowly tightened around the glass again.

According to him, there were only a few possibilities.

It was either… that man.

'Vern Kael.'

The name passed through his mind again, bringing the same heavy feeling as before.

Just thinking about him was enough to make the atmosphere feel colder.

Or… there was someone else.

Vivian's gaze lowered slightly, and his expression turned quieter.

There was another possibility he had considered for a long time.

But even now, he was not sure about it, and he had no proof to support it.

Because of that, he did not continue that thought.

Instead, he lifted his gaze again and looked forward.

His expression returned to calm, as if nothing had crossed his mind at all.

After a while, the emperor's thoughts seemed to settle.

The tension on his face did not fully disappear, but his expression became more stable.

He slowly lifted his gaze again, as if he had come to a temporary decision, even if many questions still remained in his mind.

Vivian watched him quietly for a moment.

Then he turned slightly toward his father-in-law and spoke in a calm voice.

"We should prepare," he said.

His tone was steady, but there was a quiet seriousness behind it.

The emperor nodded slowly.

A faint frown appeared on his face as his brows narrowed.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table before stopping, as if something was already troubling him even before this conversation.

"But the Zakir Empire is making things harder these days," he said with a sigh.

He leaned back slightly in his chair, his shoulders carrying a visible weight.

"As you know… they have been positioning more and more of their forces near our borders."

His voice grew heavier as he continued.

"They are putting pressure on us from all sides."

He paused for a moment and let out another soft sigh.

"It is already difficult as it is…"

His shoulders slumped slightly as his thoughts drifted toward the past.

"After the war with the duke… and now the thought of another war…"

He did not finish his sentence.

The exhaustion was clear on his face.

The last war had not been easy.

It had lasted for years, draining the empire slowly.

Even though they had won in the end, the cost had been far too high.

Financially, the empire had suffered greatly.

Resources had been used up at an alarming rate.

Supplies, weapons, manpower, everything had been pushed to its limits.

Even for a rich empire, the damage was not something that could be recovered from quickly.

And physically…

The loss was even worse.

Thousands of soldiers had died.

Around a hundred thousand lives lost over the span of seven years.

Among them were not only new recruits, but also experienced veterans, people who had fought for the empire for most of their lives.

That kind of loss could not be replaced easily.

It would take time.

A long time.

Because of that…

Stepping into another war right now was not something they could do lightly.

Vivian understood this clearly.

He remained silent for a moment, thinking carefully.

Then he spoke, his tone controlled.

"How about we attack them first?" he suggested.

The emperor lifted his gaze and looked at him.

There was a brief pause.

"It would be very hard for us…" the emperor began.

But before he could continue, Vivian spoke again.

"Tell our powerhouses to engage their powerhouses," he said.

His voice was calm, but direct.

"There is no need for a full-scale war."

The emperor's expression changed slightly as he listened.

"We only need them to hold each other in place," Vivian continued. "Keep them occupied here."

He paused for a moment before adding,

"And at the same time… contact the Arya Empire."

The room fell quiet again for a brief moment.

Vivian looked at his father-in-law, waiting for his reaction.

The emperor did not respond immediately.

Instead, he leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing again as he thought about it.

After a few seconds, he gave a slow nod.

They had already considered this idea before.

On the surface, it was a good plan.

The Arya Empire shared its western border with the Zakir Empire.

If they cooperated, they could put pressure on Zakir from both sides.

It could force them into a difficult position.

But…

There was something wrong.

The emperor's expression grew more serious.

If even they could think of this… then the Zakir Empire could think of it as well.

They would not act blindly.

And yet…

Despite knowing this risk, Zakir was still moving their forces toward the eastern border.

That meant something was off.

Either they were very confident…

Or they were waiting for something.

The emperor's fingers tapped lightly against the table again.

That was why they had not acted yet.

They were still waiting for more information.

Only after understanding the full situation would they decide their next move.

Finally, the emperor let out a slow breath and stood up.

A faint smile appeared on his face, though it did not fully hide the seriousness in his eyes.

"Alright," he said.

"I will explain everything to you later."

He adjusted his sleeves slightly, as if putting aside the heavy topic for the moment.

"Now tell me… have you had lunch?" he asked.

Vivian shook his head lightly.

"No, I haven't," he replied.

The emperor gave a small nod.

"Then let's go," he said, turning toward the door.

"I'm a bit hungry myself."

He paused briefly, then added in a calmer tone,

"I'll explain everything while we eat."