Episode 113
“Was it you who caused this commotion?”
The Empress stopped at the voice calling her. The Emperor, a deep frown etched on his face, stood before her.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Your Majesty.”
“Are you mocking me?!”
His furious roar struck her like lightning. The Empress knew. That all her plans had failed.
She could never defeat the late Empress’s son. His mother’s gentle nature had been her only weakness, but the Crown Prince was ruthlessly cold and merciless in the face of his enemies.
Perhaps the outcome had been decided long ago.
A laugh welled up within the Empress, and she couldn’t contain it.
“Mocking you…?! Did that woman’s son whisper in your ear, Your Majesty? That the Empress is poisoning you?”
The Emperor flinched.
“How amusing. That you’re swayed by her son’s words and believe that I caused this commotion. You trusted and cherished me for so long, Your Majesty.”
“I’ve received information that you handed Petri over to another country. What you did was a betrayal, Alisha, after I trusted you and gave you such a precious artifact!”
“Since you already know everything, are you here to reprimand me for your own satisfaction, Your Majesty?”
The Emperor, enraged by the Empress’s unapologetic attitude, shouted,
“My satisfaction?! What you did is treason! You endangered the Empire! From this moment on, your son will never become Crown Prince, let alone Emperor!”
The Empress was sick of it all.
She was the predetermined loser in this battle. And her execution would naturally follow.
So she decided to say what she had to say before she died.
“How ridiculous. Did you ever promise the position of Crown Prince to my son, Your Majesty? Or offer me the empty seat of Empress? You gave me nothing!”
It had always been like this.
The Emperor, maintaining his indifferent stance, had always calculated and compared his two sons. And he had kept Aaron, the First Prince, alive, but restrained, just enough to not die, solely for that purpose.
So she had groveled at his feet and acted to win his heart.
But he never gave her the position of Empress. As if her place was only as Empress Consort.
“Why did you so despise that woman’s innocence, yet cherish her wisdom?”
The Crown Prince, having inherited his mother’s intelligence, shone brighter each day, while her own son was fading into the shadows.
“You appointed her son as Crown Prince, treating my son as a mere ornament!”
No matter how hard he tried, it was the First Prince who had everything, from legitimate bloodline to the qualities of an emperor. That’s why she wanted to kill him. Because he had everything she could never have.
But she, as Empress Consort, could only restrain him, not eliminate him.
True power belonged only to the Emperor.
And the Emperor didn’t want his talented First Prince to die.
“Do you even realize the immense favor I’m showing you right now, Alisha? If you say another word, I’ll strip you of your title, imprison you, and punish you for your crimes.”
“Since I know my life won’t be spared, why would I be afraid of you?”
“You’re not even worth talking to. Seize her.”
The Empress laughed at his words.
Since everything was already ruined… there was no reason to hesitate. She already knew the fate of her son and the Crown Prince in the midst of the monster attack.
She had prepared for this, just in case.
Just as the Empress was about to throw the monster-attracting perfume, which she had hidden in her dress, onto the ground, a sudden gust of wind snatched it away.
The Empress looked up, bewildered, and saw the perfume bottle, which should have been shattered on the floor, in a woman’s hand.
“What is this, Your Majesty?”
The Crown Prince’s fiancée, who had been eavesdropping, appeared. The Emperor looked at the unexpected guest with a displeased expression.
“…You.”
“Greetings, Your Majesty. I apologize for the late introduction. I was patrolling the area at His Highness the Crown Prince’s request, sensing a commotion, and I inadvertently overheard your conversation.”
Sylvia apologized, feigning a calm demeanor.
The Emperor was about to reprimand her, but her mention of the Crown Prince’s request made him change his mind.
“It’s fine. I understand.”
He looked at the perfume bottle, now in Sylvia’s hand, and asked,
“What did you take from the Empress?”
Sylvia, listening to her spirit’s whispers, replied,
“It’s a perfume that attracts monsters. If you release this into the air, the rampaging monsters might come here, Your Majesty.”
“You… even until the very end…”
The Emperor looked at the Empress, now restrained by the knights, with disgust.
“Causing such a scene with foreign delegations present. Take the Empress to the Imperial prison. The rest of you, assist the First Imperial Knights with the monster extermination and secure the area.”
“What about the Second Prince?”
“He’s probably dead. If he’s still alive, leave him to the Crown Prince.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor quickly gave his orders and then left, heading towards where the nobles had evacuated. The Crown Prince and the knights would take care of the rest.
He had to formally request the return of Petri and handle this incident before it escalated into a diplomatic dispute.
Sylvia, looking at the departing Emperor, asked,
“…Do you care about His Highness the Crown Prince?”
The Emperor stopped at her sudden question.
Sylvia knew about the Crown Prince Aaron’s difficult past. She had heard his story as they became close, comforting him and whispering words of love.
His story had been filled with hatred for the Empress and resentment towards his father, who hadn’t even mourned the death of his mother, the Empress, merely standing by and watching.
But their conversation earlier had hinted at… a sliver of affection for Aaron.
So Sylvia wanted to ask. Perhaps his wounds could heal, even if just a little, if his father, the Emperor, truly cared.
“I know what kind of answer you want. But I just… wanted him to live because he was useful. That’s all.”
His relationship with the Empress had been a political marriage. There had been no love between them.
He had anticipated that the woman, too kind and gentle for the Imperial Palace, wouldn’t last long.
‘The Imperial Palace is so cold. Everyone is wary, turning their backs, choosing sides. It’s difficult. It’s impossible to accept kindness at face value.’
‘That’s the Imperial Palace, and that’s your place.’
‘Your Majesty… I have a request.’
‘What is it?’
‘Please protect my child.’
It was when the Empress was pregnant with the royal heir.
He couldn’t ignore her, a woman who had entered the palace for a political marriage. He had to at least show some affection.
‘I can’t interfere in the power struggle for the throne. No, I won’t interfere. The one who survives the power struggle becomes the Emperor. That’s the only way to avoid being used as a puppet.’
‘I know. But Your Majesty… we might not have loved each other, but I don’t think our relationship was bad… So please, just… protect my child. It’s my last request.’
The woman, smiling faintly, seemed to have foreseen her future. That’s probably why she made such a request.
He had kept his promise to the late Empress, even though the child wasn’t born out of love and didn’t inherit her kindness, only harboring distrust and anger towards him.
I had crushed the jewel without hesitation, which was good. But then, a sharp blade grazed my face.
I barely dodged it, but I saw my severed hair fall to the ground.
“Gasp!”
‘I almost lost my head!’
I touched my neck and looked ahead. The knight, who had blinked in surprise at my sudden appearance, charged at me again.
But then someone swung their sword from behind, and he collapsed. And then I heard an annoyingly familiar voice,
“You never appear normally, do you?”
“Y-Your Highness?”
He seemed to have cleared the area, as fallen knights and weapons were scattered around him.
“…Did you take care of everyone from the Second Prince’s side?”
“Yes. But the monsters are quite troublesome.”
“How many are there? And where’s Cesar?”
I had crushed the jewel he gave me to go to him.
I narrowed my eyes, wondering if he had tricked me again. The Crown Prince replied,
“There are at least dozens of them. And Duke Clovis is preparing a wide-scale magic attack. I changed the destination of the jewel so you wouldn’t get caught up in it.”
“Dozens? If there are high-ranking monsters among them, the damage will be immense… Will the Duke’s magic be enough to eliminate them all?”
“Well, we’ll have to see. He asked me to take care of the smaller monsters and capture the Second Prince, so I’ve done that.”
I turned my head towards where the Crown Prince was looking and saw a figure tied to a tree, groaning.