Chapter 40
Anel was taken aback.
Even if it were a secondary matter, the name Johann coming out of his mouth was unexpected.
Ern never imagined that he would bring up such a story to her.
Ern was the person closest to Johann and thoroughly Johanne’s confidant.
However, Ern seemed to have already made up his mind.
“Why does His Majesty hate Johann so much?”
Anel couldn’t easily answer, Of course, she had a rough idea.
It must be related to the death of Johann’s birth mother, Lady Mariabella.
Of course, Anel only learned the details after Johann became the emperor.
It was a story she never heard when she was engaged to Samu.
Neither Samu nor the Empress ever mentioned such tales to Anel.
Of course, it was strange that they would tell her anything.
Anel clenched her fists. Perhaps her father knew about this.
It would have been better if he had told her in advance.
Since coming to the palace, Anel felt like a fool, always weak and ignorant.
“I didn’t know.”
“I had a suspicion, To some extent.”
Eren lowered his head.
“‘The situation’ can be guessed. However, no one can imagine the ’emotion’ in that situation. The emotions towards the woman who caused his mother’s death and towards her son.”
Eren was the only person who had witnessed Johannes’ ‘real’ childhood.
Therefore, he knew Johannes’ deep-rooted hatred better than anyone else.
“In fact, I didn’t have any intention of telling you this story. It’s the story that Johannes wants to hide the most.”
“…Then why did you change your mind?”
“I thought you two would just have a relationship as a fake couple, coexisting to some extent.”
“Isn’t that what’s happening?”
“Do you sincerely think so?”
Eren let out a bitter laugh.
Whether it was naivety or excessive defensiveness.
“Well, we can’t know what the future holds. One thing for sure… I’m telling you this not for the Empress’s sake but for Johannes.”
“For him…?”
“Empress, understanding Johannes even a little is the most crucial thing for him now. Of course, he’ll deny it.”
Anel stared into the deeply sunken eyes of Ern.
There was distinct affection and trust contained within.
It was incomprehensible, A man who was violent and unruly in everything, receiving such powerful affection and conviction.
Could there be another side to him that she didn’t know?
Anel nodded her head, thinking she couldn’t understand.
Ern began to speak slowly.
Johannes never revealed his hatred to anyone.
Perhaps to avoid offending the royal family, he had to grow up as the son of Duke Magnem, hiding his true origin.
“Lady, the fact that Lady Magnem had a child was known only to a very few within the Magnem family.”
“…Because of the pursuit of illegitimate children.”
Ern nodded.
“Duke Magnem suddenly declared marriage with the deceased daughter of the Gaesin family. After that, he reported that Johannes was his legitimate son, and Lady Gaesin died during childbirth.”
For Duke Magnem, that level of forgery would have been an easy task.
Moreover, the Magnem family, including Karlphen Magnem, had control over numerous Gaesins.
Once he selected a loyal family, handed them a huge sum of money, and silenced them, it was all over.
Only then did Anel understand how this elaborate deception could have unfolded.
“Duke cherished the Lady immensely. That’s why he never married anyone and protected Johannes all this time.”
“…”
“But… at the same time, he also felt the responsibility to protect the family. So when Lady Maribella began suffering from mental illness, he confined her to the mansion.”
Lady Maribella’s symptoms started when Johanne was born.
Duke Magnem secluded Lady Maribella to protect Johan.
From society, and from Johan.
“And a few years later, the lady couldn’t bear it anymore.”
Johan grew up as a perfect young aristocrat, hiding his mother’s existence.
But behind him, there was always that room where his mother died.
Who could understand the feelings he had to grow up meticulously erasing his mother’s name in the mansion where she died? Even Aaron couldn’t say he fully knew.
“Then how did Your Majesty acknowledge Maribella Lady’s child? It must have been extremely difficult to prove.”
“The Empress testified.”
Emperor Sungho knew of Johan’s existence from the beginning.
However, he resisted acknowledging Johan as his son until the end.
It was to avoid the war with Cartar.
The Empire was still recovering from the damages of the war, and the Emperor was already exhausted.
“However, as a person approaches death… isn’t it common for their heart to change again?”
“…”
It was only on the brink of death that Sunhwang acknowledged Johan as his legitimate son.
No one in the assembly dared to oppose Sunhwang’s acknowledgment, especially considering the fact that the other party was Duke Magnem, a formidable figure.
“Sunhwang, your… father was not a good one.”
Eren spoke with a complicated expression.
“In truth, Sunhwang had no intention of changing his mind. He wanted to make Giers Gong the emperor according to the principles.”
“Then why did he suddenly change his mind?”
“Johan had a direct encounter with him, Just once.”
It was a private meeting.
Only 30 minutes.
In that short 30 minutes, Sunhwang changed his heart and acknowledged Johan as his son.
“I don’t know the details of the conversation that took place in the office.”
Anel couldn’t even imagine the conversation between the two.
A son who had been neglected for too long, and a father who had to treat his son as a non-existent person for the sake of the empire.
Anel closed her mouth at the dismal relationship.
She didn’t think Johan had lived a comfortable life, but this was beyond her imagination.
“After that, Sunhwang could no longer get out of bed. He was very composed until the day before.”
“…You were shocked by the conversation that day.”
“Well, I don’t really know. Honestly, I don’t want to know.”
Ern shrugged his shoulders.
“What I can say for sure is that Johan believes he has already completed revenge against his father.”
“!”
“I don’t really understand the meaning of that. Even Johan wouldn’t tell me about it.”
“Why?”
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe he’s satisfied with it. It was a perfect revenge without the need for further explanation.”
Her heart pounded.
Anel tried to grasp the emotions she couldn’t even guess.
The emotion of having to seek revenge against a person who, despite being a father, was not like a father.
For a moment, a chill ran through Anel’s mind.
The man who couldn’t conclude revenge against Samu, even after taking everything from him.
The fact that he considered revenge against his father complete was probably a sign that it was the best revenge Johan could imagine.
“…Is revenge against Gears still not over? Gears didn’t really do anything wrong, did they?”
“Do you think so?”
Ern smiled wryly.
“I honestly don’t know, Your Highness. The Gears Duke… he grew up gaining everyone’s approval. Of course, he was charming and kind, but it was also because he grew up in a shadowless environment. He didn’t grow up receiving love, did he?”
“Receiving love is not a crime for Duke Gears.”
“But that love should have been for Johann, The one who should have received all that love, Johann, had to grow up alone.”
Ern said bitterly.
From a young age, Calpen Magnus never treated Johann as a son. He treated him only as a member who should shine as part of the family that would inherit the throne someday.
He spared no support for Johann, but he didn’t give him love.
“Your Highness, as the Duke Magnus, you had to participate in every event held at the palace. You had to endure the slaps on your cheeks from the Crown Prince and bow to greet the Queen Empress. Even though you knew all the truths.”
As Ern continued speaking, Anel’s expression hardened.
She vaguely knew about the formalities at the palace, but this was the first time she heard in such detail from Johann’s perspective.
“As he grew a bit older, he deliberately avoided the events where Duke Magnus attended… but how could he forget the memories of his childhood?”
Anel finally understood, Why Johannes Magnus never attended any parties at the palace or Morata Grand Duchy. Morata Grand Duke claimed it was all intentional, but Johannes avoided Samue too much because he hated him. He feared that he might kill him with his own hands, ruin everything.
“That person didn’t kill Duke Gears. Instead, he spared him, and even gave him a false title.”
Ern looked carefully at the woman in front of him.
She, the only friend he had, was now in confusion.
“Why do you think that happened?”
