Episode 56

I looked down at Aiden’s hand, which was holding mine.

His large, strong hand, capable of breaking anything, gently and tenderly held my small hand.

I was still ashamed of my cowardice.

Right now, I couldn’t reveal what Lian had done or hold him accountable for his crimes.

The nobles would rise up like a swarm of bees, and there was a risk that a civil war might break out in the Belpator Empire.

I also didn’t have the confidence to honestly tell Lottie the truth.

Perhaps when she grows up into a strong adult, but for now, throwing such a heavy truth at her felt no different from tormenting her.

That’s why I felt ashamed of myself.

But thanks to Aiden, I thought I knew how to overcome this shame.

Last night, Lian was wrong.

Just because someone else did wrong first, doesn’t mean I am granted the excuse to commit wrong as well.

Even so, I must not be wrong.

I believe that is the right way for a person to live.

I tightened my grip on Aiden’s large hand and said,

“Thank you, Aiden. Thank you for saying that.”

Aiden raised the corners of his mouth and smiled gently, then lowered his head to kiss the back of my hand.

“Thank you for listening to the words of an arrogant dog.”

“You are not a dog, and you weren’t arrogant.”

As I said that, my other hand, which he wasn’t holding, naturally moved toward Aiden’s head.

Despite saying he wasn’t a dog, I almost stroked his black, fine hair without realizing it.

Just as I was about to pull my hand back, Aiden lifted his head.

His red eyes stared at my hand, which had stopped mid-air as it reached toward him.

If I withdrew my hand now, it would be obvious that I had intended to pat his head like a puppy, so I decided to go through with it.

But instead of his head, my fingertips landed on his cheek.

Is it better to touch his cheek than his head? No, isn’t stroking his cheek even weirder?

I lightly cupped his cheek and then quickly withdrew my hand.

I was slightly surprised at how smooth and soft the touch of his cheek was against my palm.

And it seemed Aiden was even more surprised.

His red eyes were trembling like flower petals swaying in the wind.

“Sorry. I wanted to express my feelings, but I didn’t know how.”

This time, his Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably.

Aiden stood still, stiff as a board, and spoke with eyes that somehow seemed desperate.

“It seems the time was too short for your feelings to be conveyed.”

It was indeed brief since I pulled away as soon as I touched him…

Although I had half-heartedly used the excuse that I was trying to convey my feelings, I couldn’t do anything about it now.

I reached out again and lightly touched Aiden’s cheek.

He seemed to flinch slightly as soon as my hand touched him, but he carefully tilted his head, leaned his cheek into my palm, and closed his eyes.

And then, without moving an inch, he resembled a large dog feeling the touch of its owner, though I felt a bit guilty for thinking that.

No matter how you look at him, Aiden is a handsome man, but sometimes, he oddly resembles a dog.

I held my hand there a little longer than before, then let go.

His red eyes showed a hint of disappointment, but Aiden stood up without saying anything.

“In that case, I’ll have the guards withdraw. The distant relatives of the Marquis are clamoring for the blockade to be lifted.”

I nodded without saying a word.

Once the relatives of the Marquis retrieve the bodies, they will begin preparing for the funeral.

I would have to discuss with Lottie whether or not to attend, but the thought of breaking the news to her made me sigh.

Even without mentioning the serpent’s schemes, it was still a shocking story.

As I let out a long sigh, I noticed Aiden hesitating as he looked at me.

“Aiden? Is there something else you want to say?”

“We found a letter from the King of Dirmil in the Marquis’s residence.”

“Ah, that.”

Last night’s events were so overwhelming that I had completely forgotten about it.

The letter had been the catalyst for all of this.

I finished exhaling my sigh and held out my hand to Aiden.

I had no intention of keeping it, but I was curious to see what my father had written. However, Aiden hesitated again.

“Aiden. Show me the letter.”

“There’s no need for you to see it. I’ll destroy it.”

“I’ll do it myself, so give it to me.”

Reluctantly, Aiden pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me.

Judging by the condition of the paper, it didn’t seem like it contained anything pleasant.

Steeling myself, I unfolded the wrinkled letter.

“Hah…”

The contents were what I had anticipated, but seeing them with my own eyes was still exasperating.

The real Sione was murdered on her way to the Belpator Empire, and the woman currently playing the role of the Empress is actually a maid who served the real Sione.

He demanded that I, the imposter, be sent to Dirmil for punishment, as justice for the murder of his daughter.

“So he outright denied me. It would have caused quite a stir if this had been made public to the nobles.”

“My apologies.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I should not have given it to you.”

“No, it’s fine. I needed to come to terms with Dirmil anyway, so this is for the best.”

Yes, it’s for the best.

After all, we never had a deep father-daughter bond. Now I’m more certain of where I truly belong.

I walked over to the candelabrum and burned my father’s letter.

As the paper turned into black ashes and crumbled, the lingering feelings I had also burned away with it.

Aiden bowed deeply to me as I turned my back on the ashes, and then he quietly left the drawing room.

* * *

I didn’t leave the room and waited until Lottie finished her morning routine.

Given that the Imperial Guard was still on high alert in the palace, a perceptive child like her would have sensed that something was wrong.

I went to see her around lunchtime and delivered the tragic news from the previous night as briefly as possible.

I told her, as it would be publicly known, that Marquis Senwood had killed Bonita and Henry and then taken his own life.

Seeing how deeply shocked Lottie was for the second time in such a short period almost brought tears to my eyes.

But Lottie, being braver than I, managed to compose herself on her own.

Had she cried in my arms like she did yesterday, I would have comforted her, but even with her eyes moist, she did not shed a tear.

“It seems he was punished before a trial could even be held.”

Should I be relieved that she didn’t have to face the revelation that her aunt was the one who killed her father?

Or would she resent me for taking away the chance to see justice done for the snake who harmed her family?

I hoped that someday, I would know what was truly best for this child.

For now, all I could do was hold her, so I hugged Lottie tightly.

“Remember what I said yesterday? You can cry whenever you feel sad, Lottie. I’ll always be by your side.”

She remained silent in my arms for a moment before shaking her head.

“Not today. I just want to focus on becoming the Emperor as soon as possible so that I can protect you, Mother.”

“There’s no need to rush. Aiden and Lian promised to protect us, didn’t they? And I’ll work on convincing Vitrain.”

Our greatest threat had been Bonita, who had coveted Lottie’s throne.

Regardless of the circumstances, Bonita was no longer a concern. There was no one left to seek revenge in her place.

There were no other forces that could threaten the throne, and I had secured alliances with two of the three Beasts.

Although no explicit agreements had been made, I doubted that Vitrain would turn against us now.

With Lottie no longer in a hurry to grow up, she could finally find some stability. That alone brought me some satisfaction.

But then, Lottie, lifting her head in my embrace, spoke with her crimson eyes shining brightly.

“No, Mother. I want to awaken as soon as possible and become the Emperor.”

Her determination was so strong that I couldn’t help but nod.

“Yes, Lottie, you’ll be a great Emperor. I’ll do my best to help you.”

“Just stay by my side, and that will be enough.”

“Of course. I’ll always be with you, Lottie.”

Only then did Lottie’s expression brighten.

She smiled, seeming reassured, and wrapped her arms around my neck.

The atmosphere was lighter than I had expected, and we ate together.

Though a pang of pain lingered in a corner of my heart each time I saw her smile, Lottie’s happiness was what mattered most.

Brincia mourned the sudden tragedy that befell the Senwood family, but the nobles were quieter than expected.

Even the knights from the Senwood family, who Aiden had been closely monitoring, showed no signs of movement.

Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that they couldn’t move.

The Senwood family had been torn apart by several branch families, leaving the knights with nowhere to return.

I postponed all official duties, including administrative meetings, for a week while acting as the Emperor’s regent.

The final tournament of the Imperial Guard was also delayed.

Lottie and I attended the Senwood family’s funeral, but I did not meet with Lian.

He had visited the palace a few times, but I sent him away. I couldn’t bring myself to face him yet, unsure of what I would see in him.

Perhaps because of this.

When I finally met Lian again after some time, his appearance had subtly changed.

Tl/N: I use ‘Emperor’ f0r Lothania cuz I felt it would be more appropriate cuz lottie is the actual heir to the throne whereas Sione married the emperor. Idk if it got conveyed right but