"Brother... I still don't understand." Princess Zinnia frowned, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why was none of this ever taught in our history classes? Our tutors spent years teaching us about the monarchies of every era, yet not once did they mention the Kromwel Dynasty. I didn't even hear its name until a few months ago—and from a novel, of all places."
Crown Prince Yohannes fell silent. His lips parted as if to answer, but no words came. Even he had no explanation.
Persius stepped forward instead.
"There once was an emperor who ruled the eastern hemisphere," he began. "He was ruthless, driven by an insatiable ambition to conquer. Kingdom after kingdom fell beneath his armies until nearly the entire Southeast bowed to his banner."
His expression darkened.
"But there was one people he could never truly subdue—the Kromwells. They refused to bend the knee, and for that, he came to despise them."
He paused, as though recalling a memory too grim to speak aloud.
