"Lo-, what? I think I misheard it over something ridiculous, can you say it again, Dion?"
Rex said keeping his smile, he believed that his ears weren't working properly as he heard a stupid thing coming out from the mouth of his personal Aide.
Sigh...
Dion sighed inwardly, he was telling the Prince about the newly added subject to the Imperial Education ordered by the Emperor himself, though it was considered as an insignificant lesson, who knows that the brilliant Miss Belial unexpectedly failed to pass the test of this subject.
"You were not mistaken, Your Highness. The subject is Love, L-O-V-E, it's LO~VE"
He is spellings the word with a cheeky face, though, when Nine reported this absurd thing, his jaw almost dropped as well as the Prince's reaction right now.
"Nine said, the teaching of this subject is to learn about love and how to build an emotional relationship between the future Emperor and Empress"
It is certainly a bullcrap thought by the doting Emperor who wishes his only son has a happy marriage life just like him.
Flop!
Rex throws himself on the soft couch, for the second time, today he is feeling a headache caused by his none other than fiancee and father, his logical brain couldn't withstand this nonsense.
"I should've known that Father of mine will arrange something like this when he started to blabber about his flowery marriage life with late Mother"
Again, he massages his temple. As if not enough with a troublemaker fiancee and now he has to deal with a meddlesome love-Cupid Father.
"And who's this fool who accepted Father's dumb request to teach Grizel about this absurd thing called love?"
Dion averted the prince's gaze, seemingly reluctant to answer his question, but still has to.
"It's... The maternal grandmother of Your Highness, Marchioness Béchamour"
Rex facepalmed hearing his grandmother was mentioned here, as someone who raised the lovely late Empress, this Béchamour family have a dreamy concept of love, such as life and death for love or the honorable sacrifice of one's self for love.
That kind of thing would never be accepted by his Villainess Princess, her calculating egocentric character is the exact opposite of his grandmother's belief.
"Did Grizel fail the test because she confronted my Grandmother's teaching?"
Rex asked in anxiety hoping for Dion to say No immediately.
"No, Your Highness. Instead of defying the lessons of love, Miss Belial seems to have no idea about it whatsoever"
He heaved a sigh of relief, Rex thought that Grizel at least knew a little about love then choose to deny that kind of illogical things, but Dion said that she really didn't have any idea about it.
"What do mean, Dion?"
"When Marchioness Béchamour asked her about love, Hhmmm..."
"...Miss Belial just flatly answered that in her perspective, Love is a mental illness"
Dion said in helplessness, who would have expected that Miss Belial's common sense of love will be that low.
"Pfft...Hahahahaha I bet even Grandmother had a hard time reacting to her answer, hadn't she?"
As Rex burst into laughter, Dion just shook his head looking at Miss Belial's fiance who's not a bit better than her in terms of showing affection.
"Indeed, also the very reason Marchioness Béchamour implored Miss Belial to learn about love with her"
"Aaah, I need to stop Grandmother before Grizel get annoyed, it wouldn't be as simple as a family conflict anymore"
The prince gets up off his office chair walking towards the door in a hurry but was stopped by his assistant.
"It won't be necessary, My Prince. Miss Belial has accepted the offer gladly"
Dion forcefully smiled to hide his anxiety since he hopes the Villainess didn't take that lesson.
"Hhmm, That's suspicious. And why is that face of yours showing that kind of expression? Do you know why did she accept it?"
"That's..."
Gulped!
Dion gulped and leaned towards the Prince, whispering.
"Nine caught Miss Belial was mumbling about a new kind of torture through one's love"
"Ha...Hahahahaha, oh my God, I wonder what's inside that head of hers"
Rex laughed loudly, these days he's been laughing a lot, quite different from his past character which was known as a solemn Prince.
Since that day everyone who works at the Palace thought that the Prince's changes were due to his upcoming engagement with the firstborn lady of the Belial family.
Now the rumors spread and everyone is looking forward to the appearance of the mysterious young lady who never once showing herself in the Palace since she moved to the capital.
But...
Instead of preparing her engagement gown, little did they know the young lady is busy preparing a world-shocking theft.
-â¢-
"Levi, open the world map"
Grizel said while sitting on her chair, she and her 3 elite subordinates are currently meeting at a secret chamber within her mansion at the capital.
It was their temporary meeting room since Tartarus doesn't have a place yet.
Shriiiek!
Levi opened wide a huge world map and stick it to the wall for Grizel, Lucy, and Asmodeus to see clearly.
"As Tartarus growing bigger, we need to find a place to settle down"
The rest of the members nodded with Grizel's statement, as the Lunar squad back from their hellish training, their first task is to kidnap desperate slaves and bring them to Grizel, most of the slaves freed by her wanted to work for Grizel to repay her kindness, thus the number of Lunar Squad has tripled in no time.
With hundreds of new Tartarus members, Grizel couldn't possibly let them keep roaming around the capital. Fortunately, for now, all of them have been dispatched for the second period of training to the forest of Demise lead by the new Captain and vice-captain of the Lunar Squad chosen by the Lunar Commander, Lucifer.
And except for the Captain and vice-captain who help the trainees, those who finished their training are currently doing their main job as spies placed in several Noble Houses, especially the traitors.
"My Queen, if our information is true, we need to remove the Western mainland along with the forbidden area as the potential place for our base"
Asmodeus said pointing out the left and right sides of the Eastern mainland. He was told by Levi all the information gathered by the Lunar Squad including the fact of the ones behind the rebellion within Azure Empire.
"Yes, My Lord. I agree with this flirty little brother"
Lucy added, for her who is still the oldest one in Tartarus Elite members, it's like she got another little brother with a flirtatious personality, since she already witnessed his cheesy way of talking to women right after coming back from her hellish training with her squad.
"So do I, My Liege. As this annoying flamboyant big brother said earlier, we have no choice but to choose a place within the Eastern mainland
Levi irked, as someone who had grown as a solemn young man, he is the opposite type of Asmodeus who is a narcissistic Casanova.
"Oh my, look at my new cute siblings who are envious of my charm yet again, Aaah~ this face is surely a favorite sin of mine"
Asmodeus replied confidently as he swept his flame-like hair back, every time he did it, his surroundings will turn into chaotic fangirls, but not in this meeting room.
In the past, he did it to attract attention and gaining the favor of wealthy women, but now he doesn't have to do it as his new family valued his ability over his looks, but still, it's fun to poke fun at his new siblings by acting narcissistic.
For the first time, Levi and Lucy agreed with each other as they look at Asmodeus in disgust, yet the Casanova just grinning at them.
Sigh...
Grizel sighed inwardly, again, she picked up another troublesome creature into her team.
"Deus..."
Grizel called Asmodeus with a shorter nickname, though it was quite overkilled for her to call this Devil with the name of Deus since it means God in some languages back in her past life.
"Yes, My Queen?"
Deus shifted his gaze from the 2 annoyed siblings to his Queen.
"I understand why you want to avoid the Western mainland as the place of our base, but why did you bring along the forbidden area as well?"
"Pardon? Isn't it common sense to avoid the forbidden area?"
Deus asked in confusion, normal people would want to avoid danger, who would be insane enough to set organizations base in a forbidden area.
Tap!
Both Deus's left and right shoulders are tapped by Levi and Lucy in unison.
"Big bro, common sense is not working here, Hahahaha"
"Yeah, lil bro. common sense is only for the weak, Hahahahaha"
Both Levi and Lucy are laughing in lunatic after speaking nonsense while tapping on Deus's shoulders, these two seem to have thrown away their common sense, and trying to do the same with the confused new member.
Ahem!
Grizel fake cough brings back the eccentric duo to their seat.
"Normally, people will avoid the forbidden area, won't they?"
"Yes, My Queen. Without a doubt"
Deus answered firmly, he is sure no one with their sanity intact would go near the forbidden area which surrounds by an endless deadly poisonous mist that couldn't be purified, moreover, the violent waves that were seen from afar and the rumored giant whirlpool beneath the ocean, no survivors recorded for those who crossed over into this chaotic place.
"In another perspective, isn't it a perfect place to settle down our base? Since no one in their right mind would come to this forbidden area"
Grizel added nonchalantly as she leaned back on her comfortable chair glancing at the overly enthusiastic duo.
"As expected of My Liege, your way of thinking never failed to shock me"
"Woah, cool! The forbidden area will be the territory of Tartarus"
Different from Lucy and Levi who are chirping happily talking about their new house, Grizel smirked at the flabbergasted Deus, it's a normal reaction as his first participation in a meeting with the other Tartarus executive members who are not sane enough as human beings.
Still with her grin, Grizel added another shocking plan...
"Prepare yourself, this time we will steal something big in this forbidden area"
"It's been a long time since we steal something"
Lucy who is drowned in excitement said cheerfully different from the reserved Levi, yet his eyes beaming like a thief who gets a big prey.
"My Queen, may I ask what is this big thing?"
Deus who finally come to his sense asked in anxiety, he doesn't know why but he has a really bad hunch about it, his narcissistic smug smile is no longer exist when these crazy people choose the forbidden area as their base territory.
Thud!
Grizel throws a new world map on the table in front of her, this time is the map drawn by herself according to the information in the novel about the forbidden area.
As she pointed out an object that wasn't visible in the previous world map, she declared...
"We are stealing this whole lost ancient island, Atlantis"
To be continued...