Just Enchanted by Her Strength

Chapter 3: The Sinblood's Shadow

Phoenix merely smiled at his cousin's disdainful look, offering no retort.

After all, he was now a universally acknowledged good-for-nothing, and there was little he could argue.

Eleanor, pulling him along, tirelessly visited any noble family who might potentially offer them assistance.

Phoenix, unable to dissuade her, could only watch as she eagerly ran around, engaging in perfunctory conversations.

As night fell, the largest square outside the Aurelian Oak Palace was illuminated with lights, transforming into a ballroom after the evening banquet.

The young nobles, especially, seized the rare opportunity to meet so many peers. Elegant young men and women, with noble blood and ancient lineage, gracefully danced across the floor.

"Stellaris Duke, would you do me the honor of a dance?"

A beautiful noble girl, her skin fair and eyes alluring, approached Phoenix, curtsying and blushing as she spoke.

Phoenix shook his head. "Thank you, but please find someone else."

"But, Stellaris Duke, aren't we..."

"Please leave."

Phoenix bluntly rejected the lovely lady, causing her eyes to well up with tears as she fled, covering her face in embarrassment.

Eleanor glanced over. "Brother, that's the eleventh lady you've turned down... the daughter of the Perkins family, I thought you were fond of her."

Young, naive, just playing around.

Phoenix massaged his temples, his mind instantly flooded with vivid memories.

There were glamorous, sensual, curly-haired women, innocent and pure straight-haired young ladies, and sweet, adorable blonde... from noblewomen in the Imperial Capital to wealthy merchants' daughters, the self-destructive head of the Phoenix family indulged in the most extreme debauchery to vent his inner sorrow and despair.

Phoenix said casually, "Purely physical relationships, nothing to do with affection."

"But even so, you remain completely unmoved, don't you?"

Seeing this, Eleanor said to Phoenix with concern, "You're not overindulging and suffering from some illness, are you? Your mind is already twisted enough, at least your body should be healthy!"

Phoenix retorted, "Baseless accusations, I'm just not in the mood right now."

It wasn't that Phoenix was incapable of appreciating beauty, but such pleasure would never be his top priority. Enhancing his strength was always paramount.

"Brother, are you looking for someone?"

Eleanor noticed Phoenix's gaze constantly darting around and asked.

"Eleanor, I recall the Imperial Family also attends these balls, right?"

Eleanor replied, "The Second Imperial Princess and Third Prince are not currently in the Imperial Capital. HRH the Regent... well, it's possible she might attend, but she's more likely occupied with official duties."

The platinum-haired girl pondered for a moment. "Are you hoping to speak with Her Royal Highness the Prince Regent? If it's her, she might actually agree to assist in the reconstruction of Stellaris Domain..."

Phoenix shook his head. "No, I'm not looking for the Regent."

"Then who..."

"Ah... found her."

Throughout the grand plaza before the palace, almost every spot was occupied by guests engaged in conversation or dancing.

However, one corner stood out as a void, a detail that would normally be insignificant and easily overlooked.

Yet, Phoenix keenly noticed it and quickly headed in that direction.

As he approached, he could see that the cause of the vacuum was a girl sitting in a wheelchair.

The girl in the wheelchair wore a simple white dress, a stark contrast to the ornate and glamorous attire of the other noble ladies vying for attention at the banquet.

The wheelchair immediately evoked images of a frail, beautiful girl, but from beneath the white dress, no slender legs extended.

Instead, there was only emptiness, with only two slender arms resting on the wheelchair.

Her long, silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, a strand of bangs falling across her lowered eyelids.

Among the lustrous silver hair, her dragon horns stood out like solidified silver lightning or some work of art carved from pure white jade.

The dragon-horned girl's face should have been beautiful, but cracks, as if porcelain had been broken and pieced back together, marred her beauty. From her cheek to her neck, the cracks tore through her smooth skin, making her appear strange and grotesque.

The lively ballroom scene seemed irrelevant to her. Everyone deliberately avoided looking at her, and when they did, their gazes were filled with malice.

Hatred, disgust, contempt...

"That abomination is here too..."

"Well, she's technically an Imperial Princess. Disgusting, how the sacred bloodline could be tainted by such filth."

"Those horns, they're sickeningly ugly."

"Why doesn't she just die? What's the point of living with such a repulsive appearance?"

".................."

Phoenix ignored the surrounding sneers and curses, his gaze fixed on the silver-haired dragoness with fervent intensity.

"Fourth Imperial Princess Daphne."

Eleanor, following Phoenix's steps, frowned upon seeing the sight. "She's always been confined deep within the Aurelian Oak Palace. Why is she here tonight... Oh, I see, under the Holy Decree she's allowed to attend, but is it really necessary? Coming here is just inviting humiliation."

Phoenix asked, "Eleanor, what do you think of her?"

Eleanor paused in thought, then said, "If I followed the crowd, I'd just call her an abomination, but I think... fate has been incredibly unfair to her."

The silver-haired dragoness in the wheelchair, with her incomplete form, was indeed a genuine Imperial Princess.

Despite being of the most noble Royal Family, she was subjected to such extreme hatred and contempt simply because, in the eyes of many, Daphne's existence was inherently dirty and sinful.

Sixteen years ago, the newly adopted concubine of the Emperor gave birth to a child. A new offspring in the family was a joyous occasion for any bloodline, let alone the Imperial family, something worthy of universal celebration.

However, this newborn Imperial Princess was born with dragon horns.

In the the Empire of the Aurelian Oak, "dragon" was directly equated with "demon." This realm had been founded on overthrowing the tyrannical rule of the dragons. For the most sacred bloodline, the Imperial Family, to give birth to a dragonborn was an utter travesty!

The entire Imperial Capital descended into chaos. The Emperor's concubine was exposed as a dragon in disguise and torn to shreds by the enraged Royal Guard.

The terrified Emperor went to the Great Sacred Hall to atone to the God Ancestor. He kneeled for three days and three nights, and the Oracle was finally delivered -

The newborn Imperial Princess must live.

The abomination that had tainted the sacred bloodline must live, so who would pay the price for this foolish blasphemy?

The terrified ruler of the Empire chose to commit suicide as an apology.

The earthquake caused by this scandal was no less impactful than a coup d'état... no, a coup d'état couldn't even compare.

Anyone even remotely connected to the incident, anyone suspected of being connected, anyone accused of having a relationship... countless people died in the Imperial Capital, and those below had no special privileges to escape the tragedy.

The b****y purge lasted for months. After the dust settled, people trembled and asked the God Ancestor who would take over the throne. The The Aurelian Oak remained silent.

Without the God Ancestor's blessing, the Empire ruled by divine right was left with an empty throne.

However, the nation could not be without a ruler for long. After much deliberation, it was decided that the eldest Imperial Princess Celerivira would temporarily serve as Regent, acting in the Emperor's stead.

And it remains so to this day.

Although everyone in the Imperial Capital knew of a Sinblood Imperial Princess hidden deep within the palace, no one would ever mention her, as if she didn't exist.

But when Daphne actually appeared before them, the hatred and disgust could no longer be contained and exploded.

The venomous mockery and curses were not deliberately lowered. The disabled dragoness in the wheelchair could hear them clearly, but she seemed accustomed to it. Unaffected, she wheeled herself to a nearby fountain, gazing at the colorful flower beds.

"Unhappy misplaced anger... Brother, there's nothing to see here, we should leave...!!!"

Eleanor shook her head and was about to call Phoenix when she was shocked to see him walking straight towards Daphne.