It was a normal tradition to sacrifice the woman who brought a member of the imperial family to the sacred altar. This tradition, passed down through generations, dictated that a maid would usually present the child to the sacred altar. However, in an unexpected twist orchestrated by the baroness to ingratiate herself with Maximus, she found herself becoming the sacrifice instead. Such manipulations were not foreign to Maximus, as he was well aware that beautiful women would resort to all sorts of tactics to get close to him. He had encountered instances where some had disguised themselves as maids, slipping love potions into his drink or food, oblivious to the fact that he was immune to all forms of poison. On occasion, he indulged in his carnal desires, succumbing to their advances.

Over time, they would return, claiming to bear his child. Initially bothersome, Maximus soon realized that this presented an opportunity to silence the incessant pleas from the nobles during court meetings, urging him to produce an heir.

In search of a solution to his predicament, Maximus decided to commission the construction of a grand palace for these women at the hands of the magic tower—an opulent abode known as the Valkyrie Palace. Within its walls, every woman he slept with would find her place, only to be soon forgotten by the emperor himself. Another issue arose when it became apparent that, the pregnant women gave birth to girls. Indifferent to the gender of the child, Maximus held no interest in assuming a fatherly role for any of them.

But, In a world where men wielded the power to control mana while women did not, the nobles were deeply dissatisfied with the absence of a male heir. Despite his disinterest, Maximus acknowledged his duty as the emperor, which necessitated producing an heir.

As a child, Maximus Grew up without love or affection from his parents or siblings and had come to view such detachment as normal. However, the reason he took the life of his parents, lay in his intense loathing for everything they represented. It was this sentiment that compelled him to assume the responsibility of naming his children.

----------------------FLASHBACK.

Back on earth, there was a famous saying, 'Don't judge a book by its cover.' However, Joon never subscribed to this belief. Sure, he acknowledged that sometimes products with an attractive cover might not live up to their hype, but in a generation obsessed with appearances, where good looks and material possessions garnered more views and followers on social media, most people didn't care if their newly bought Bugatti worked only three times a week, as long as it was trendy. Regrettably, he was no exception; he had become part of this superficial group, purchasing a mansion with hard-earned money from years of streaming mobile games, surviving on only three hours of sleep a day, all for the sake of participating in the latest house tour, video trend.

With the increased number of viewers, he got, due to this, he justified his actions seeing them as little white lies that caused no harm.

Or so he had thought…

------------------------END OF FLASHBACK.

“Now, though, I can't help but wonder if the God of this world was thinking of that saying, as he placed the soul of the devil in the body of an angel.”

Joon pondered silently as he gazed upon the ghastly scene of the blood-drenched emperor, who happened to be his father.

 “This is my father…No way.”

Joon trembled at the mere thought of acknowledging the emperor as his father. In his previous life, despite his strained relationship with his father, he knew his father was never a psychopath who would ruthlessly take lives in front of a child.

“Pfft!!... but it was really funny how that annoying bitch died.”

Joon couldn't help but stifle a chuckle as he reminisced about the rather comical and embarrassing manner in which Liliana had met her end.

"???"

Maximus von Merula, a renowned tyrant emperor, is a man, of unwavering resolve, rarely shaken by anything. Whether it was storming into the enemy royal palace alone, taking on thousands of knights to claim the king's head, or killing a humble countryside baroness, it was all as effortless as squashing an ant. However, the imperturbable tyrant found himself taken aback by the reaction of the nine-month-old baby before him. While all the children would cry at such sight, but, this child, gazed up at him and smiled.

“Why are you different?”

Emperor Maximus asked rhetorically. After seeing Joon’s reaction.

----------------------------- A FEW MINUTES BEFORE HELENA ARRIVED AT THE GREAT HALL.

A red-haired maid approached the altar, cradling one of the princesses-to-be in her arms. As she stood before the emperor, fear was evident in her eyes.

But pity was not the nature of the emperor as he took the child from her hands and strangled the maid to death. The infant princess began to cry at the horrifying scene before her.  The emperor, however, found himself intrigued by the innocence of a child's reaction to death. He couldn't help but smile in fascination at this peculiar discovery.

Continuing with the naming ceremony, the emperor declared the child's name to be Aeliana—Aeliana Von Merula, she shall be known henceforth.

"…"

Once the naming ceremony was concluded, a knight, who had arrived, to escort Princess Aeliana away from the altar, stood frozen in shock at the sight of the emperor's unsettling smile.

 "What are you waiting for?"

Emperor Maximus commanded in a stoic and cold tone, noticing the knight's foolish and blank stare.

"Yes-Yes, your majesty. I will escort her Highness out."

 the knight responded, bowing respectfully before Emperor Maximus. With utmost care and reverence, he approached the altar, gently lifting Princess Aeliana into his arms. Leaving the presence of the emperor, the knight proceeded to carry the young princess away from the somber scene.

As he walked out of the altar and crossed the bridge to the Great Hall, the knight's mind raced with confusion and disbelief. Surely, his eyes must have played tricks on him. There was no way the tyrant emperor could have had a smile on his face. Such a thing had never been witnessed before. The emperor was like an immovable, beautifully sculpted statue, devoid of any hint of amusement or joy.

"Did I get affected by illusion magic?"

He wondered; his wariness evident. The possibility of magic tampering with his perception was plausible, but in a place as solemn and significant as the naming ceremony, it seemed improbable that one of the wizards from the magic tower would play such a prank.

The knights, trained in the way of the sword, and the wizards, specializing in magic, often clashed due to their differing opinions. However, they all shared one common trait—the fear they held for the emperor. It was this fear that bound them together despite their diverse views.

 “If it wasn't the wizards, then who could have orchestrated such an enigmatic event?”

 The knight couldn't fathom the answer, and uncertainty gnawed at his thoughts as he continued his journey to the Great Hall.

"Hey, Gard… Gard, what are you doing standing there?"

A rough and informal voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

"Ah!"

He turned his gaze towards the sound of the voice, coming face to face with a figure clad in fully plated silver armor adorned with three golden stripes, towering over him like a mountain. He sighed inwardly.

"So, it was you, Captain."

 Gard replied, recognizing the imposing figure before him. The only person permitted to wear armor within the palace was none other than the captain of the imperial knights, Sir Izaak Blackwood.

"Why haven't you taken the princess to the Valkyrie Palace?"

 Sir Izaak asked in an assertive tone, curious about Gard's delay. Recognizing his mistake, Gard lowered his head in apology to the princess in his arms.

"My apologies, Princess Aeliana. I let my thoughts distract me."

 Gard humbly admitted, regretful for allowing his mind to wander and causing any inconvenience to the young princess.

Quiet snickering could be heard from the group of wizards present at the great hall.

"They can't even do their jobs well."

one of the wizards said mockingly, taking a jab at the knights.

"That's why you should leave the thinking to us."

Another wizard added, reinforcing the notion that the knights were better off relying on the expertise of the magic wielders when it came to intricate matters. The tension between the knights and the wizards seemed to surface once again, highlighting their contrasting approaches and opinions.

It was unbefitting of a knight to be distracted by his thoughts when escorting a member of the imperial family, even if it was a child. This fundamental principle was deeply ingrained in the knight code, and every knight knew it by heart. So, how did one of the best-performing knights get distracted? Sir Izaak couldn't help but be curious about the nature of the thought that had enveloped Gard in a perplexing daze.

As the captain of the imperial knights, Sir Izaak took great pride in the discipline and focus displayed by his men. Gard's momentary lapse seemed out of character, and he wanted to understand the reason behind it. The knight's conduct had always been exemplary, making Sir Izaak wonder what could have momentarily disrupted his composure during this significant ceremony.

"What was it that bemused you?"

Sir Izaak inquired, halting Gard just as he was about to leave.

Knowing he couldn't share the absurd notion of seeing the emperor smile, Gard opted for an evasive response.

 "Nothing, Captain. I was just being lazy."

 Gard replied.

"…,"

Sir Izaak scoffed at Gard's words, unconvinced, as he fixed a skeptical gaze upon Gard.

Realizing that lying a second time would only complicate matters, Gard mustered the courage to elaborate further.

"I'm not sure if you would believe me if I told you,"

 He confessed hesitantly, unsure of how the captain would react to his bewildering experience.

Izaak, genuinely intrigued by Gard's response, replied.

 "I would be the judge of that."

 His curiosity was piqued, and he wanted to understand the cause behind Gard's unusual behavior.

As Gard spoke his astonishing revelation, the air around them seemed to shift. Izaak, taken aback by the words, couldn't believe what he had just heard. He takes off his helmet to make sure he had heard correctly.

"Repeat what you said,"

 Izaak requested, hoping for some clarification.

"OK. I-I think I saw His Majesty, the Emperor, smiling,"

 Gard confessed again; his voice tinged with uncertainty.