“Let me take a look at my daughter.”
It was a miracle that the dinner at the Duke of Ostein’s townhouse had not been cancelled today.
The Duke of Ostein took a deep breath and carefully observed his only daughter, whom he loved more than anything. He had listened in detail to Johnny’s report about how his daughter, who had experienced something significant in Lusenford, was doing.
He had meticulously read the letters sent by Kaela and Peon, and he had also seen his daughter at the welcoming banquet held this afternoon. However, nothing could compare to the time of having a warm conversation, holding hands, or embracing her.
“How is your health?”
The father, who had always personally nursed her and spent nights by her side if she was unwell, considered it most important that Kaela lived a healthy and happy life.
“I’m fine. How are you, Dad? You must have been surprised today.”
“Oh, between us, I was absolutely shocked.”
Throughout the dinner, Peon did not interject between the father and daughter’s conversation and quietly watched his smiling wife. Yet, when the Duke of Ostein asked a question, he responded smoothly and without hesitation. The Duke was impressed by his eloquence.
“Your eloquence has improved significantly.”
“You’re too kind.”
Kaela’s gaze met her husband’s as he responded modestly. Wearing the outfit she had specially ordered, he was as composed as when he was leaving the house.
‘It must be suffocating.’
This morning, she had seen her husband deliberately change his clothes. Therefore, Kaela knew exactly how many garters he was wearing and how tightly he had tied his cravat.
Perhaps due to the Empress’s influence, Peon always maintained a neat appearance, but in Kaela’s view, he didn’t particularly prefer this attire.
Before his regression, she had seen him frown and loosen his cravat or tie several times.
Every night he spent by her side after regressing, he would wear just a shirt and pants. He dressed so simply that she thought he must be cold. So, wasn’t Peon feeling incredibly confined now?
‘Why?’
Their eyes met. The violet eyes smiled. The edges of his elegant lips curved up coolly. However, his deliberately relaxed but firm arm on the armrest, his large hand, and his masculine, thick neck trembled whenever her gaze touched him.
This habit of unrequited love simply would not disappear. Meticulously observing the person you like and quickly lowering your head if caught. Kaela bowed her head and criticized herself.
‘How disgusting. Stop it already. Why do you keep looking when you don’t even like him anymore? Don’t you know how embarrassing this is? Constantly observing others is truly shameful.’
The critical words had somehow become identical to Beatrice’s tone of mockery. There was nothing normal about her.
Kaela knew well why this habit had become ingrained. At first, she looked at Peon constantly because she liked him and wanted to know more about him.
Afterward, she began to observe him anxiously, filled with fear. She was terrified of the ridicule that she, having obtained an exceptional husband, couldn’t even provide proper support.
What she feared most was Peon despising her. The habit of nervously observing, born of terror, would not easily disappear.
“Kaela.”
At his call, Kaela quickly raised her head.
“…..was very surprised. Moreover, it seems Your Highness was quite uncomfortable having to be with the Marchioness of Schroz.”
Peon intentionally spoke slowly to make his wife look at him and gestured to her plate with his eyes.
Just one more bite.
She knew what he meant just by looking at his eyes—words he always used during meals, coaxing and almost pleading.
Kaela unconsciously picked up her fork again, then hesitated.
[Always trying to be a good, obedient little sister, and now you’re really well-behaved. Better than a military dog. Then at least I’ll survive like a dog.]
A reflexive, sarcastic remark quickly flashed through her mind.
“I see. You must have been tired. Did that lady say anything else? Oh, go ahead and eat first. Eating is the priority.”
When her father gestured for her to eat, Kaela brought the food to her mouth again.
‘What’s the point of being sarcastic when I’m so spineless that I’d eagerly embrace something out of fondness? Stop it. I never had any self-respect to begin with.’
She truly had no self-respect. Living this long had made that clear. Every time she realized how weak she was, she hated herself so much she wanted to die. There were plenty of reasons to die everywhere.
“Is it tasty?”
Just as he always asked when she was younger, her father asked again. Kaela nodded with a smile. At times like these, the reasons for dying would somewhat blur.
“Eat a lot. You must have suffered greatly in Craine without even getting to rest.”
“No, the work is interesting.”
“Yes, work is interesting. It’s always people who are the problem.”
Peon quietly watched Kaela smile. Was she smiling well? Yes, smiling was enough. Today, that was sufficient.
He was remembering Kaela standing on the imperial terrace, gazing down intently.
He had desperately called her name three times, restraining himself from immediately snatching her, but she didn’t hear him. Another unforgettable scene had been added to his lifetime memories.
Whenever he thought of Kaela’s empty eyes that couldn’t hear him, the cravat he was deliberately tightening and the tight garters felt suffocatingly unbearable.
However, if he didn’t put a leash on himself, he felt he would immediately set fire to the imperial palace and lock Kaela away in his lair, so he endured and endured again.
But if he were to see such a scene again, could he restrain himself then?
He was gradually getting tired of wearing a human mask just to be near Kaela. This shouldn’t be happening. Kaela would hate this.
‘She must not hate me.’
It shouldn’t happen. When had he ever dared to hope Kaela would like him? He didn’t hope for such a thing. He knew well that even for a madman, it was impossible for her to have any affection for him. What he desired was……
“Actually, the Marchioness didn’t understand what happened.”
Peon interrupted his thoughts and turned his gaze to Kaela, who was chattering well in front of her father.
“I expected as much. Surely you didn’t try to make her understand?”
“No.”
Would her father know about the incident where the Marchioness of Schroz made Kaela kneel and slapped her? Since the Crown Prince intervened and silenced everyone, her father wouldn’t know unless the Emperor told him.
Kaela shook her head. No matter how naive and stupid she was, she wasn’t kind enough to explain things to someone who had slapped her. More precisely, she didn’t have the strength to do so. That’s why she had simply sat quietly on the terrace.
“Well done. I know you’re kind, but people see kindness as weakness. I’ve always worried about that.”
The Duke of Ostein’s expression darkened as he watched his daughter eat.
“It’s a harsh world.”
A cruel world where good and righteous people are helplessly crushed.
“You and him, both be careful.”
Those who met in the monster garden last winter had never forgotten how close they came to dying. Only those who have unexpectedly faced death pointing at their throats know that terror.
“I always keep that in mind.”
Peon responded quietly. In fact, he could have said, “Do not worry.” He truly had the ability to protect Ostein and Kaela without a single hair being harmed. So he could honestly respond without being overconfident.
This suited the arrogant dragon’s temperament. However, he could never act as he normally would in front of these two.
Peon had caused Kaela the greatest pain. If he had properly fulfilled his role as a husband, or at least treated the princess humanely, Kaela would not have been destroyed.
Therefore, as the root cause, he dared not say “Do not worry.” Rather, “I will keep this in mind and will not do so again” would be more appropriate.
“Between us, I was anxious throughout the entire winter.”
Adeo knew the Emperor was not in his right mind, but to the point of pulling the trigger on his own half-brother. The thought of what would happen to his only daughter if he were to die made him dizzy.
“I thought you would live well after getting married, but seeing today, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
Lowering his voice carefully, fearing the Emperor’s ears might reach this far, he cautiously brought up today’s meeting.
“His Majesty said he wants to change the regency law.”
Kaela momentarily wondered what the regency law was.
“What?”
In the Crania Empire, the Emperor is the only entity ruling above the law. So the Emperor can modify laws. But what is he doing?
“He wants to create a Regency Council and change the qualification requirements for those who enter it.”
“Who is he going to put in?”
“There are few people to put in the royal family.”
That meant Kaela’s father, Adeo, was automatically confirmed. Since there were few options, Adeo would naturally be included.
“He wants to put me and the son-in-law in. Your name is also there.”
“That’s absurd.”
Adeo nodded heavily. That was precisely the problem.
“What about the Crown Prince, then?”
Her father couldn’t even respond, and her husband immediately shook his head when their eyes met. No.
Kaela felt the situation she had anticipated since before coming to Craine was gradually becoming reality. Naturally, the person who should be in the Crown Prince’s position was not entering, while the Empress’s illegitimate child was.
‘The Emperor is doing this deliberately.’
****
“He is doing this intentionally.”
At that moment, Crown Prince Gregory was thinking the same thing, trembling.
With only one properly grown son, instead of covering his son’s mistake with tolerance and guidance, the Emperor was punishing him with all sorts of humiliation. The heir, the Crown Prince, was not that important to the Emperor.
The Emperor, always obsessed with the Empress, was increasingly becoming unrecognizable as a person. Is it human to choose actions that would never earn the love he desires, and then get angry that the Empress does not love him?
The concept of family in the royal household had long disappeared, but it had reached a point where a person was no longer seen as human.
“How could he do this! I’ll go and talk to him. No matter what, our Gregory is the heir. The Emperor is just too angry right now. He knows Gregory is the heir.”
The Marchioness of Schroz nervously stroked her grown son’s shoulder repeatedly.
“Please don’t, Mother. The Emperor does not consider the heir important. Can’t you see?”
If the heir were important, he would have properly included the Crown Prince in the Regency Council. But what could be the reason for explicitly excluding him?
“No, how can you say such nonsense when the heir is so important? How much did His Majesty struggle to have you born.”
Gregory raised his eyes stained with betrayal and humiliation.
“This is not an obsession with the heir, Mother.”
The Emperor had forced Gregory to be at odds with the Empress’s faction. He was being made to fight a war without even being given weapons.
“He struggled because he didn’t want to hear that there was a problem with his lineage.”
“Gregory! How can you say such a thing!”
But in Gregory’s mind, there was undoubtedly a problem with his lineage. He was now increasingly eager to prove the whispers that had circulated for years with all his might. Therefore, there must be a problem.
****
The Emperor, angry throughout the evening, returned to the Soleil Palace with a furious demeanor.
“Useless creature. Am I supposed to manage your affairs because you can’t?”
He now hated his disappointing son, who required a separate instruction manual to be set up.
Particularly because Peon, the Empress’s son, was so proper, Gregory became even more despicable. The Emperor’s son should be more accomplished than the Empress’s son, but what kind of situation was this?!
Still, the Emperor believed that bloodline naturally attracts.
‘I must overcome the wall I created myself.’
The Emperor had erected the wall of the Grand Duke of Lusenford. The Crown Prince must diligently observe and learn, and later, upon ascending to the throne, complete his education by purging the wall he would leap over.
That was what an Emperor should do.
‘I must teach this weak fellow to the extent that he can at least perform the duties of an Emperor. But can he truly perform those duties?’
Increasingly doubtful. The Emperor stood tall in the quiet corridor of the Soleil Palace, narrowing his eyes and surveying his surroundings.
An Emperor is composed of the Empress and a proper, grown heir. Only with age was he painfully realizing what constituted a “perfect picture”.
The thought also suddenly arose that if the heir was unsatisfactory, he could simply be replaced.
What could the Emperor not replace?
Imperfection could be exchanged for a perfect item.
“Your Majesty.”
As she entered inside, Beatrice immediately bowed deeply.
“The eternal sun of the Empire…”
“Enough.”
The Emperor waved his hand irritably. Today had been an extremely exhausting day.
“How did the matter in Avenro go?”
Of course, she would have come confidently since things went well. Beatrice was already in the Emperor’s hands now that the debt issue was exposed externally. No one in Crania was wealthier than the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, there were many mysterious things in Avenro.”
“That’s an evil city.”
“Yes. There was an evil existence.”
Beatrice nodded and smiled.
