9 – Between Suspicion and Relief
“Follow me.”
As expected, there was no answer but silence.
When I still didn’t respond, the Emperor eventually gave up on questioning.
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After giving instructions to the nearby maids, he slowly walked away, and I followed him.
A few court ladies and several knights followed closely behind. Fortunately, there was no commander of the Queen’s guards.
My mind was in turmoil.
How could the Emperor not notice that I had been outside the palace?
Perhaps…
Maybe it was just a stab.
If he were the emperor in my memories, it seemed entirely possible.
After the death of the empress.
The emperor had never been friendly to the prince.
He always glared at him with a cold, pitiful gaze.
Of course, it was only natural, considering the prince was addicted to poison and constantly engaged in wicked behavior.
As I watched the emperor’s back, memories came flooding back to life.
The storm of emotions that rose up spoke vividly.
The crown prince, Eos, despised the emperor.
It was because he had betrayed his mother, the empress, and committed adultery.
As a result, the current crown prince, Servis Caldebrion, was born.
But as someone who had read the novel, I knew very well that it wasn’t betrayal.
It was just a trap, not adultery.
The emperor was also a victim.
He loved the former empress more than anyone else.
Like most heroes in romance novels, he was just a reckless man who loved alcohol.
That’s why.
It was so easy for him to fall into the trap set by Duke Shrein.
He drank the drugged wine.
And under the influence of the drug, he ended up in bed with his daughter.
That chilling tragedy occurred on a day when the Empress’s childbirth was imminent.
“……”
As I pondered the twisted relationship between the Emperor and the Crown Prince, I found myself walking.
And before I knew it,
I was sitting at a splendid table where all sorts of dishes were being served.
The maidservants continuously brought out dishes.
From beef, pork, chicken, and duck to various unidentified fish.
Steaming dishes made of all kinds of meat.
And seaweed soup was being served in large and small bowls, emitting a tantalizing aroma.
There was not a single dish that didn’t look appetizing.
Even my nose was delighted as much as my eyes.
The diverse and sweet fragrances blended together, enchanting my nostrils in real time.
It was a magnificent feast that Flora, after her possession, had never tasted before.
As the table filled up, the Emperor’s gaze turned towards me.
“The child is still far from coming, so let’s eat first.”
There were also dishes placed where the Emperor’s gaze lingered.
Perhaps it was Elaine’s seat.
If this meal was a gesture of gratitude for saving his son, it wouldn’t be so bad.
It would be a good opportunity to get closer to Elaine.
However.
Just now, when I thought of her lying on the bed, I suddenly felt thirsty.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
I quickly emptied the wine in the glass and glanced at the Emperor.
His indifferent face, which had been somewhat stiff, no longer showed any intention to question me.
But.
Perhaps it was because I had come back from the dead.
I felt like my appetite had increased several times more than usual.
I tried to restrain myself as much as possible.
And quickly and swiftly started emptying the plates one by one.
***
Confusion flickered across the Emperor’s face.
Although it was as vague as a mountain shadow, it was not a facial expression that the Emperor, who had guarded the throne for many years, often showed.
It was definitely strange.
The faint discomfort I felt when I saw the Crown Prince coming out of the bedroom.
That vague feeling.
It became as vivid as a landscape painting as soon as I sat at the dining table.
It was a very unfamiliar sight.
The young man in front of me didn’t look like the son I knew, no matter how closely I looked.
The vigorous appetite that had never been seen before.
It felt like he was looking at someone else.
In order to dispel the suspicion that had crept up to his ankles, the emperor delved further into his memories.
Since he was young, his son had always been a picky eater.
It had been that way since he stopped breastfeeding.
As if there flowed within him the noble blood of an elf.
He detested eating grass and ate meat only as much as necessary for survival.
But the young man before him now…
He had the hungry gaze of a beggar who hadn’t eaten for at least a month.
Grass, meat…
He didn’t discriminate between types.
Devouring everything like a famished wild boar.
He even glanced at himself occasionally, as if someone was going to snatch it away.
Although he was using a fork and knife.
He was putting food in his mouth without even chewing, one after another.
It was a very unfamiliar sight.
Had he just now discovered another side of his son that he hadn’t known before?
No.
That couldn’t be.
It didn’t make sense to discover a sight he had never seen in the long, long span of 19 years.
It was a situation that could only be seen as the presence of someone entirely different.
The Emperor’s eyes shook violently.
“Could it be that he’s not my son, just someone who looks like him…?”
Of course, it was still just a hypothesis.
The Emperor exerted all his imagination to verify it.
But no matter how much he thought about it, it seemed absolutely impossible.
His head involuntarily tilted.
His silver hair gleamed as coldly as a lake in the winter moonlight.
It was an inheritance from his mother, the princess of the Elven Kingdom.
It was undeniable proof that he was the Emperor’s son.
His emerald eyes, imbued with a bright light, were the same.
Furthermore, his sharp gaze and chiseled features were a replica of his own face.
At least in appearance, no one could deny that he was his son.
Somehow, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Then, why did he say such a thing? As if he had become someone else. As if he had gone mad.
Come to think of it, it was the same last night.
Was the grudge he held against him so trivial?
It was the day he buried the Empress’s crown.
He had clearly cursed everything.
The resentment his son held, even though death was imminent, was not something that could be easily forgiven.
And yet, he didn’t resent him last night.
Does that even make sense?
Because I desperately hoped for my son’s forgiveness, I believed it without questioning.
The Emperor’s eyebrows twitched.
Now I understood the uneasiness from earlier.
In his eyes looking at me.
There was no longer the same hatred as before. Not even a faint trace remained.
I was certain.
That too would never disappear overnight.
But that wasn’t the only strange thing.
In the past month or so.
The Crown Prince’s actions were also inexplicable.
He suddenly stopped his wicked behavior, without caring about others’ opinions.
And then, he spent the whole day locked up in the Crown Prince’s residence.
But even so.
In the early morning when there were hardly any people around, he would go for a walk alone. Without skipping a single day.
What was even more peculiar was the content of his walks.
He would touch the trees and stay still.
Or press his face against the ground.
I even heard that he dipped his hand into the palace pond.
I had never heard of such habits among the elves.
Even if he had such a habit, not long after his mother’s death, the prince completely lost his elf abilities.
The emperor closed his eyes and lowered his head.
But he couldn’t be crazy.
He just wanted to believe that. There was no other choice.
No matter what.
He still wanted to believe that there was hope left.
And then, when the prince took a big bite of a large chicken leg, a disturbing thought flashed through his mind.
Could it be… that his soul had switched with another being…?
If not, there was no way to explain the prince’s current appearance.
But such an unbelievable thing could only happen in myths, right…?
The emperor swallowed a dry spit and locked eyes with the prince.
Eyes that no longer hated himself.
They even faintly smiled.
It was a sight that his past son could never have shown.
If that’s the case, then there’s no other choice.
The emperor let out a small sigh.
It seemed that confirmation was necessary.
The gaze that has been staring at me intently since earlier is quite burdensome.
The Emperor seemed to have no intention of filling the boat.
With his hands clasped under his chin.
For a while now, he has been staring at my face intently.
It was incredibly burdensome. I felt like I might actually collapse.
Tap-
I wiped my mouth after putting down the chopsticks stained with seasoning and oil.
Then I looked at the Emperor with a calm gaze.
I could see a hint of surprise in his gaze.
Somehow, it seemed like he was suspecting me.
No wonder.
After breaking the long silence, the Emperor spoke.
“So, the son of Viscount Levolun’s wife has returned to the Knights.”
As expected.
It was a test to see if I really was his son.
I’ve already thought several times that I might be arousing suspicion in my father, the Emperor.
Considering his actions so far.
To Emperor, who is my stepfather, it was inevitable that I would look strange now.
Viscount Levolun’s wife.
She was the former widow and nursemaid of Prince Eos.
Furthermore,
Among the more than ten victims known to have been killed by Eos,
Sadly,
She was one of them.
And unfortunately,
To her, who was a close friend of the empress and treated Eos like her own son,
She had no son.
From a young age, there was only one daughter who lived with Eos like a sibling.
The daughter’s name was Astia Levolun.
She was the same age as Eos.
“In the future, I will join the Imperial Knights to protect you. You are too weak to become emperor.”
“Please, say that after you win a duel at least once.”
“You, you, did I just let it slide because I’m your older sister?”
Although they always played and argued together in the palace,
Due to manipulated infamy, they had become enemies.
I exchanged glances with the emperor.
The sharpness in my eyes was probably because I resembled my father.
I calmly spoke without avoiding eye contact.
“The Countess does not have a son, does she? Surely, Your Majesty, you haven’t forgotten about Astia?”
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The emperor was taken aback by the intensity in my eyes.
But at the same time, there was a strange sense of relief in his expression, as if he felt that his conversation partner was indeed his son.
“……”
“While we’re at it, I have a request for Your Majesty.”
The Emperor nodded with a stern expression. It was as if he wanted me to go ahead and say it.
Yet, his eyes trembled ever so slightly, as if he didn’t expect me to ask for anything.
“I would like to call Astia back under my protection.”
“Are you saying that now…?”
Anger flashed across the Emperor’s face at my absurd words.
His clenched fist was ready to slam the table at any moment.
His fierce gaze seemed to say, “If that’s how you want it.”
“Of course, I have no intention of forcing her. If she doesn’t want to, I will appoint someone else to be her guard.”
“….”
The Emperor pondered for a while, deep in thought, before finally giving his permission.
It was right after the permission was granted that Elaine entered.
“Greetings, Your Majesty, the most noble sun of my empire!”
She seemed to be brimming with excitement.
Dressed in a splendid dress, she looked more beautiful than ever compared to when she was wearing a maid’s uniform.
“Oh, you’re here. Please take a seat.”
The Emperor’s face lit up in a way that couldn’t be compared to when he was dealing with me.
On the other hand, Elaine…
Before coming here, did she receive some kind of etiquette training from the maids?
She approached with stiff, staccato steps and cautiously sat on the chair that the servant had pulled out, her face rigid.
And then, our eyes met.
As if seeing something they shouldn’t, they quickly turned their head and avoided my gaze.
Their exposed skin had all turned a sickly pale color.
On their fair face, it seemed like words like “I hate you” or “Go away” were written blatantly.
Soon after.
Because of me, things became messy and the cold dishes were replaced.
“I prepared this for you, so please have a lot.”
“Yes, of course!”
Like that.
The sound of forks and knives, and the sound of chewing in closed mouths were the only things heard during the silent meal.
I often heard the sound of Elaine, with an anxious face, trying to avoid my gaze while gulping down wine.
And then, finally.
It was the moment when a tipsy Elaine put down her fork and knife and sipped wine at her lips.
The Emperor, who laughed while looking at her, seemed somehow excited and said:
“When would it be a good time to raise a toast?”
Pffft!
At that moment, like blood, the red wine sprayed towards me.