I clenched my teeth tightly.
‘Above all, that land, instead of managing it properly, they ended up handing it over to uncle who only cared about his own interests!’
Unaware of the fact that there was a diamond mine on that land, the Empress and Prince Fritz handed it over to uncle who promised to pay ten times its value.
‘Just mining the minerals from there could be worth billions of gold, yet they foolishly gave away that land…’
It still hurts as if my stomach will burst when I think about how Marquis Arzen used to be so kind to me, now greedily taking my land.
Fortunately, I had already experienced this situation.
“Suddenly saying such things, it seems like my talented younger brother has gotten himself into trouble again? Perhaps gambling away money, or falsely promising noble ladies marriage as a princess consort, or maybe…”
“Shut up! Rather than covering up for a little brother’s mistakes as a sister, you’d rather criticize like this!”
Fritz is now eighteen years old. He has reached adulthood, so it’s unreasonable to call him a child.
But the Empress still treats him as if he’s a little child.
‘That’s all she did, indulging him like that, and that’s how he turned out like that.’
Before the regression, Fritz excessively raised taxes for his own pleasure and luxury, and he captured and killed those who opposed him.
Moreover, he seduced noblewomen with promises of making them Empresses, regardless of social statuses.
And the one who dealt with the aftermath was my maternal uncle, Marquis Arzen.
Eventually, only loyalists and the Emperor’s concubines were left in the palace, and the nobles incited the enraged populace to rebel.
Desperate Fritz and mother, who just became the Empress, tried to rely on my maternal uncle, Marquis Arzen.
But Marquis Arzen, who was the most adept at playing both sides, was already involved with the rebels, and he betrayed the Empress and the Emperor to prolong his own position.
Until I died, he was still alive to stand trial, but afterward, he disappeared with the dew of his sentence.
‘If you had thought of me even a little, maybe I would have behaved like a fool.’
But nothing changed, and I was only considered your child when you needed me.
Now, I no longer want to live as your daughter.
“Why should I fix the mess made by that child? I don’t understand the reason.”
“He’s your brother, he’s family! How can you say such things…!”
I sneered at the predictable response.
“Have I ever been considered as family with Your Majesty the Empress?”
My short statement denied the childhood desire I had suppressed for so long.
I want to be loved. I want to be your family. Please, see me as your child.
To the young me who begged like that, the current me responded.
I was never their family from the beginning, and now it is time to let go of that futile hope.
However, the Empress, thinking I was mocking her indifference, discarded her elegant facade and raised her voice.
“Are you daring to say that I’m not your mother?”
“You yourself said that daughters become part of another family when they marry, didn’t you, Your Majesty? Surely, as an outsider, I would be more pitiable than the disgraced Lord Gottfried’s daughter, rather than Prince Fritz.”
“You damned woman…!”
Without properly hearing my words, she was consumed by rage, her eyes rolling back as she tried to hit me again.
“You’re still the same.”
So why? I didn’t feel any inclination to indulge her.
“And isn’t it unusual to ask how I found out about these situations?”
“What?”
I said it casually, but everything I mentioned was about recent incidents caused by Fritz.
Moreover, I just revealed who the noblewoman Fritz recently touched was.
I, an outsider who rarely visits the palace, know the secret of the Crown Prince, which only a handful of the Empress’s closest aides know?
Especially in a situation where there’s strict control over information?
As I pointed out the fact that the Empress hadn’t realized due to her agitation, her hand abruptly stopped.
Her trembling pupils and pale complexion showed how surprised she was.
“You…!”
Approaching her, I whispered softly into her ear.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it a secret that Fritz has been dabbling in gambling and touched the ‘treasury’ of the Crown. You don’t have to worry about it.”
I pulled back, squinting at the Empress.
“Of course, assuming Your Majesty won’t interfere with me anymore and will grant my request.”
If I had crossed her, She would have slapped me, grabbed me by the hair, and dragged me to the ground while saying, “How dare you threaten me!”
But the Empress just gritted her teeth and glared at me.
It’s because the one I threatened is her precious son, who might become the Emperor someday.
‘Although Fritz is the only possible heir, given the Emperor’s character, he might not forgive his son for interfering with what belongs to him.’
Moreover, Fritz’s replacement isn’t entirely non-existent.
Among the nobles, there are those who are eligible to inherit the throne.
Among them, the most prominent is Reinhardt, the son of Duke Tarrant.
A descendant of the first Emperor’s brother and founding father, Rothbart Tarrant, his humble demeanor and brilliance had won him the favor of the Emperor and the support of the nobility and imperial courtiers.
“So you won’t be able to refuse my proposal.”
After a moment, she broke the silence and spoke.
“What do you want?”
My eyes widened.
The woman who always dealt with violence and abuse was attempting to have a conversation with me for the first time.
The first victory I gained from her was more absurd than fulfilling.
‘It wasn’t that difficult after all.’
In the past, I foolishly thought that the Empress who scolded me was the perfect noblewoman and respected her for her power to make noblewomen bow their heads.
However, she, who didn’t even realize anything strange from someone like me, who knew Fritz’s secret, and showed her submissive attitude in response to my strong threat, was simply blind to threats against her worthless son.
‘And all because she was blinded by threats against her own son, a mere fool…….’
An emotional and weak person in front of a strong one, a foolish woman who only knows her son.
Separated from her high position, my mother was nothing more than that.
Feeling disappointed, I wanted to leave this place immediately.
But I suppressed that impulse. There was still a conversation to be had with the Empress.
“If Your Majesty would grant me ownership of the Jade Mine you possess, I won’t expose it.”
My wealthy maternal family dealt in jewelry processing and distribution as their business.
My maternal grandfather, Marquis Arzen, had bequeathed the Jade Mine to his daughter, and the Empress became the owner of the mine with the most jade stored after Duke Blant.
But the Empress always regarded it as useless, just something to have.
But considering that I was asking for it in exchange for my silence, she might have felt it was despicable.
But I already knew how much jade would skyrocket in the future.
Moreover, the fact that the jade from the Empress’s mine were high-quality grade, which was also known to all.
“If that’s what you want, it’s enough.”
“Yes, of course.”
It’s more than enough. Even if I live a lifetime of luxury, it won’t be lacking.
The Empress looked slightly suspicious, as if she thought I might change my mind, and said, “If you ever change your mind, I’ll never…”
“If you’re concerned, we can write a contract. The content will state that I won’t revoke the transfer of the mine in exchange for keeping silent.”
Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately pulled the bell cord to summon the secretary.
“Bring paper, pen, ink, and a seal.”
A moment later, two documents were completed: a transfer deed for the jade mine with signatures from both parties.
“Now you won’t be able to make any other claims.”
Seeing her satisfaction as she accepted the contract, I also felt pleased.
Because this contract ensured that she couldn’t meddle in my mine with baseless claims.
“Yes, I had no intention of making any other claims.”
She narrowed her eyes in displeasure at my response and spoke coldly.
“I will never forget the insolent words you uttered today. Remember that the only reason I’m indulging you is because you’re your brother’s sibling.”
True to form, she remained composed. I replied calmly.
“Yes, I understand.”
Her brow twitched, but perhaps due to the constraint of not wanting to provoke me further, she refrained from raising her hand.
However, there were no constraints on her tongue.
“You useless and wicked woman, I should never have birthed someone like you.”
The words I had once heard became a dagger that stabbed the same spot once again.
The only difference from before was that now I had grown numb to the pain.
“I’ve always regretted it too. Being your child.”
Once, I thought that perhaps one day, if I became a mother myself, I would understand her.
But when I had a child, I realized that I would never understand her.
When my child was in the womb, regardless of whether it was a girl or a boy, I only wanted to meet them as soon as possible. After my child was born, I sometimes thought, even if it was a girl, she would have been beautiful.
Everything about my child was simply lovable, without any calculations.
‘Now I know. You don’t have the right to be my mother.’
I stared at her coldly and continued, “No matter how hard I try, Your Majesty will always hate me. That’s why I’ve decided to give up being your child.”
At my words filled with determination, her face contorted.
𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊
This was satisfying!