Chapter 129 Mother And Son
“Ahh, welcome. Thank you for accepting my sudden invitation to dine.”
“It is my honor, Your Majesty.”
Jonathan’s affectionate manner made Sandra tense. It was a smile she suspected he’d fabricated to hide a sinister underbelly.
Sandra had barely taken her seat when a man she didn’t recognize entered the room.
“Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty. I’m Onyx Lottie, of the Ashmore Guild.”
“Oh, welcome, Mr Onyx. It’s good to finally meet you, and thank you for joining us.”
Onyx bowed first to Jonathan, then to Sandra.
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowagers. It is an honor to meet you.”
“A pleasure.”
Despite the polite greeting, Sandra’s face showed a hint of embarrassment at being called a member of the Ashmore Guild.
No matter how well-dressed and handsome the man was, he was a commoner.
Sandra was more puzzled than offended, for she had never expected to be seated at the Emperor’s table in the deepest recesses of the palace with a commoner who was not even a lowly noble.
What puzzled her even more was Jonathan’s behaviour: he rose from his seat to shake Onyx’s hand and even pulled out a chair for him.
“Here, come and sit down.”
“Thank you.”
Sandra’s mouth dropped open at the sight. It was a very unusual sight, and she couldn’t help but feel a little frozen.
‘What is the Emperor doing greeting this man with such extreme hospitality?’
Jonathan had greeted him when he entered, but he had not risen from his seat. The Emperor was right to do so. He was the most exalted man in the land.
‘Ashmore is… quite a prestigious information guild, I suppose? Does that mean… found our Caspian’s killer, and that’s why Jonathan is treating him so generously?’
At last, he found it! Now all that remains is revenge. It was the last task of her life to avenge her precious son’s unjust death at a young age. Sandra’s heart leapt like a bat out of her chest at the thought of the clues finally being revealed.
After some awkward silence, the food began to arrive one by one. When the table was full, the servant finally poured red wine into the glasses in front of them.
Jonathan raised his wine glass with a twinkling smile.
“Now, let us raise a toast to this special moment!”
Sandra and Onyx followed Jonathan’s lead and raised their glasses as well.
“Ahh, congratulations. Onyx, congratulations!”
“What do you mean, congratulations, Your Majesty?”
Sandra smiled awkwardly, shaking her head as if she didn’t understand. Onyx’s face contorted for a similar reason.
Then Jonathan slapped his forehead and shouted brazenly for all to hear.
“Oh, I didn’t tell you yet! Today is the day a mother and son reunited after a long separation, and of course it’s a day to celebrate!”
Clink!
Suddenly, Sandra’s grip loosened and the wine glass she was holding fell from her hand. The floor was littered with shards of broken glass and red stains. Sandra and Onyx’s faces were even worse.
“That, that…”
She wanted to say more, but she couldn’t muster the strength, so no more came out.
Sandra’s trembling gaze fell squarely on Onyx across from her. But she couldn’t see his face properly. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision.
Sandra sprang to her feet. Her body was so drained of energy that it was hard to stand, but it was better than sitting there. She glared at Jonathan with red, bloodshot eyes.
“Your Majesty, forgive my rudeness. I do not feel well, and I think I must return.”
“Well. I can’t help it that you’re not feeling well, then we’ll have to postpone our celebration until another time.”
Despite his worried tone, Jonathan’s eyes sparkled with excitement. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and Sandra felt her teeth chatter.
‘I will never forgive you for this. I will remember this insult for the rest of my life!’
Sandra gritted her teeth and turned away. She looked at Onyx one last time before turning to leave.
Their gazes tangled in the air. But it was only for a moment, and as if the mere sight of him was painful, Sandra turned on her heel and strode out of the dining room.
Onyx’s mind and heart raced as she watched Sandra’s precariously striding backwards. The unthinkable had happened, and it was almost too much to bear.
‘… The Empress Dowagers is the woman who gave birth to me? The Emperor knew something I didn’t even know…? What is going on!’
Onyx was angry with himself first. He was furious that despite being a member of the Empire’s top intelligence guild, he had been kept in the dark about important information about himself.
‘It’s just that I never once wondered… I never thought I’d get stabbed in the back like this, you idiot, you better learn!’
He was chastising himself inwardly. Jonathan’s smiling face turned to Onyx.
“You look very surprised. I can’t believe you didn’t know about this. I’m surprised.”
“It was just something that was out of my… interest, and now that I’m in this situation, I’m regretting it.”
Onyx thought to himself with some honesty. He had an ominous feeling that the Emperor had a purpose for revealing the secret in such a dramatic fashion.
“It’s a good thing you know now, isn’t it? You deserve to know who gave birth to you, whether you resent it or not.”
“Well…”
When he was younger, he used to want to find his real family, and he used to resent them. But that was a long time ago.
As he grew older, he stopped thinking about family. He was too busy making a living. Later, when he got a little bit bigger, he was all about work.
“I think you and I could be brothers, even though we don’t have a drop of blood in our veins, we share the same mother. What do you think?”
“…”
What the hell kind of fatuous shit is this? Onyx’s brow creased into a fine line. Even if the person in front of him was the Emperor, he needed to set the record straight.
“I have no intention of having the Empress Dowager’s as my mother, Your Majesty, now or in the future.”
“Don’t be so ungracious, I understand that you may be surprised and bewildered at the moment. But in time, you’ll want to see her again.”
“…”
“Or maybe, on the contrary, she’ll want to meet you.”
Onyx didn’t like the way the conversation kept spiraling, so she asked straightforwardly.
“What is it you want, Your Majesty?”
“Hmph, so you’re the Vice Guildmaster of the Empire’s premier information guild.”
For a man who had risen from the streets to the top, Onyx was perceptive and inquisitive. Jonathan coveted him.
“I understand that you are assisting the Chancellor of Drea. I expect you to give me the same information you give him.”
So he wanted something. And he didn’t care. Jonathan merely smiled at the fierce glint in Onyx’s eyes.
“If you do me a favor, your mother’s old age will be much more peaceful.”
Hehehe, the Emperor’s pleasant chuckle sent a chill down Onyx’s spine.
‘The Empress Dowager’s is the mother who raised you before she was my biological mother… Do you threaten me on the condition of the Empress’s Dowager safety?’
This was a strange turn of events.
***
“What a perfect night.”
A satisfied smile crossed Jonathan’s face as he sat alone in the dining room, slowly enjoying his meal. He’d just gotten Onyx’s promise.
‘I know it’s against common decency to pass on information you’ve been entrusted with, but what’s a little common decency when you can be the Emperor’s brother? I’ll be back to see you soon.’
Jonathan knew Onyx was quite the manipulator, and he hoped he could use this opportunity to keep him firmly under his thumb.
He was sipping his wine. A servant approached with the news that Sandra had fallen unconscious.
“Tsk, tsk,” said Jonathan, “my mother has become very frail in her old age, and this is a great distraction. Tell the imperial doctor to treat her with special care. She should still be alive.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The servant had disappeared and was pouring wine back into his empty goblet when another servant came hurrying up, his heavy breathing indicating that he had raced down the corridor at full speed.
“What is the matter?”
“Your Majesty, there is an urgent message from the south.”
So urgent, in fact, that it interrupted the Emperor’s meal. Jonathan opened the letter with a scowl on his face.
His eyes widened at the contents, and his hand trembled in his grip.
‘What, Veronia is alive?’
