Like Pu, who boldly marched into the kitchen when hungry, they could have simply taken action themselves and secured what they needed.
Anje, proud of her clever idea, explained further to Aiden.
“You’re much more capable of finding the certificate than my father is. The idea is to get it first and make it impossible for him to do anything about it.”
“Hmm…”
Aiden pondered for a moment before nodding.
“Actually, when I was looking around the house earlier, I got an idea about where in the imperial palace we might search.”
“Where?”
“It’s something His Majesty, the late Emperor—my father—mentioned repeatedly on his deathbed.”
He had asked, with great emphasis, that his portrait from his youth be placed in the coffin.
Judging by the style of the painting, it seemed to have been a gift from Nancy Dilton, who painted it herself.
“But only items designated by the imperial family can be placed in the coffin, right?”
Such items typically included gold or silver goblets made in honor of the deceased, medals, and occasionally books or portraits that close family members believed the deceased would want to take with them.
The opinions of “close family members”—in this case, Philip and William—were what mattered most at the time.
“Exactly. When I asked for the portrait to be placed in the coffin, they refused, saying they wouldn’t sully the imperial tomb with such a cheap thing.”
Aiden smirked mischievously.
“So, after the funeral and burial were over, I snuck it in when no one was watching.”
“What? How did you manage that?”
“Father must have anticipated Philip’s opposition. Before he passed away, he showed me a secret passage into the imperial crypt.”
The imperial crypt was located beneath the cathedral within the palace grounds—a spacious stone hall lined with sarcophagi.
Guards were stationed at the entrance from outside to prevent vandalism or grave robbery.
However, no one would be crazy enough to dig through the earth and smash the stone walls to break in.
As a result, there were no guards inside the crypt itself, with only two or so officials checking the coffins morning and evening for any irregularities.
“The lock on the coffin—”
“I, of course, received the key in advance.”
“Thoroughly prepared, weren’t you?”
“It was my father’s final request, after all.”
Aiden recalled the dimming light in the Emperor’s eyes.
‘I’m sorry, Aiden. This is truly my last, final request. If you do this, you can leave the Imperial Palace and never have to return..’
Even without such a condition added, it was a request filled with the deep affection the late emperor had for his mother, so Aiden wanted to grant the emperor’s wish if possible.
In the will that the emperor had shown him, there was a provision to grant Aiden a certain amount of jewels and money and ensure his freedom by letting him leave the palace.
But in the final will that Philip announced publicly in front of everyone, there was no mention of Aiden at all.
‘He probably tampered with or swapped the will, intending to send me to the battlefield. And he wouldn’t have wanted to give me such precious jewels or a large amount of money in the first place.’
Lacking the authority to question the will, Aiden could only bite his lip until it bled, suppressing his resentment.
“Then it’s possible that some important document is hidden in that painting?”
“That’s right. At the time, I simply thought it was a portrait filled with memories and didn’t look at it carefully.”
Anje raised her clenched fist high and declared,
“Then let’s leave right now!”
“Right now… you mean right now?”
“Yes! My father is probably traveling by carriage. We can get ahead of him by riding a horse and reach the palace first. What do you think?”
“I don’t think you necessarily need to come along—”
“Oh, please! This involves the Glasster family. How could I not be involved?”
Anje shot him a playful glare.
“Besides, we’re a couple who agreed to face the hard times and the good times together. I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I want to be with you.”
Aiden took her hand, stroking it before lifting it to kiss the back of it.
“I deeply appreciate those words, my noble lady.”
It felt like an extension of the role-playing they’d indulged in earlier before the Duke’s visit.
Smiling, Anje gave him a command.
“Then prepare the saddle, Sir Aiden.”
“But shouldn’t we take care of these little ones first?”
“Oink!”
Pu let out a cry as if reminding her not to forget him.
“Oh, right! Feed for the piglets! And we should stock the chicken coop with plenty of grain. Also, prepare food and drinks for the trip….”
“I’ll handle sandwiches and drinks. It’s chilly at night, so bring an outer coat as well.”
“It’s not that cold yet… but fine, you worrywart. Don’t frown so much.”
“The crypt will be colder, Anje.”
She returned Pu to his pen, filled the feed troughs for the livestock, and left a brief note for Meg, apologizing for the sudden trip to the capital due to her father’s affairs and asking her to check on the farm every three days.
It was a relief that this was a quiet season with no crops left in the fields and that Meg was already scheduled to visit the next day.
When she stepped outside, dressed and ready, Aiden was already waiting with the saddle on their horse, Wind.
“Shall we go?”
They had considered taking both Wind and Dancer, so each could ride separately, but decided to bring only the faster Wind for better mobility.
Despite putting on some weight, Anje was still light enough that she wouldn’t burden Wind as an extra passenger.
Anje nodded resolutely.
“All set. Oh, let me take the reins! I’m confident in my riding skills.”
“Judging by your carriage driving, I figured as much. But it’s a long journey, so I’ll take the reins first and switch with you when I get tired.”
“You’re not planning to hog them the whole way, are you?”
The cheerful sound of the horse’s hooves echoed through the tranquil forest.
As the two embarked on their sudden adventure, flocks of migratory birds heading south drew long crosses across the sky above them.
* * *
This is the corner of a wall in the underground crypt of the imperial palace. Along with a faint scraping sound, a man with crimson eyes emerged from the darkness.
The man glanced around and whispered to the woman behind him.
“No one’s here. I think it’s safe to come out.”
The two carefully climbed out of the hole and began to move quietly.
“Do you remember the location?”
“Yes, it’s the most recently added coffin, so it’s the one on the outermost edge… that white marble coffin over there.”
The late emperor originally wanted a plain gray stone coffin with only a simple cross carved into it. However, Philip had the material changed to marble and had a massive angel sculpture carved onto it, claiming that such a simple coffin would not provide proper reverence.
It wasn’t so much about heartfelt mourning but more likely an opportunity to flaunt the imperial family’s wealth. After all, it was the first imperial event Philip led as emperor.
‘If you loved your father so much, you could have visited him more often while he was alive.’
To his recollection, Philip rarely visited the emperor lying sick in bed. At most, he came once a month, merely out of consideration for appearances, and exchanged the usual pleasantries.
‘How are you feeling, Father?’
‘…’
‘I hope you recover soon.’
Though he said those words, his face betrayed a wish for the emperor’s swift demise.
It was no secret that the late emperor didn’t care much for Philip, and everyone knew that Philip would inherit the throne upon the emperor’s death.
The atmosphere between father and son was so strained it hardly seemed like the interaction of family. Aiden, standing quietly in the farthest corner of the room, was careful not to provoke Philip’s temper.
As Aiden recalled those scenes from his memory, a realization struck him.
‘Every time, the current emperor, William, was there too.’
The face of the younger brother, silently standing behind Philip, was always expressionless like a doll. The stark contrast between him and his brother’s anger made William’s pale and composed face even more striking.
Regardless of the season, William always wore high-collared, heavily buttoned clothing, which made his otherworldly aura stand out even more.
Tap, tap―
Arriving at the coffin, Anje stood on tiptoe to examine the angel’s face.
“The sculpture is quite magnificent.”
“Indeed. I heard it was commissioned from a very famous artist.”
Responding to Anje’s comment, Aiden finally broke free from his memories.
Why was that? On the way here to the capital, and even now upon arriving, memories of the imperial palace kept surfacing nonstop.
The sting of Philip’s hand striking his cheek, the strange smell and searing pain of burning flesh, the stale air of death that always surrounded the late emperor.
Perhaps because this place left him with indelible memories, the ones he tried so hard to bury were resurfacing again.
“The key?”
“Here it is.”
He pulled the key from his pocket. Perhaps the bond between him and the imperial family would end here today.
“I’ll check inside myself, so you can step back for a moment.”
“Won’t it be heavy? Wouldn’t it be better if I helped you lift it?”
“When I tried before, it was surprisingly manageable. Don’t worry.”
Anje nodded and took a few steps back, concerned she might scream unintentionally if she saw the deceased—or worse, a long-decayed corpse.
Clank―
Aged dust scattered, creating a fine mist as the lid of the coffin, which seemed like it would never open again, began to slowly lift.
* * * *
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