The Emperor collapsed again. The powerless human could only grab the back of their neck as they fell. The Empress has gone missing.
The strange flames consumed treasures that couldn’t be bought even with vast fortunes. Although this was a major incident for the Crania Empire, it was classified as top secret for now. That’s how extraordinary this matter was.
This decision was made after discussion between Duke Ostein and the Grand Duke of Lusenford, members of the Regency Council, and Count Horhen, the Emperor’s chamberlain.
“It shouldn’t be revealed yet.”
Count Horhen spoke while observing the Grand Duke of Lusenford, whose expression had vanished particularly because of his mother.
The Crown Prince, who was present but unable to voice proper opinions and merely got dragged along, felt somewhat anxious. What should one do in times like these?
“It absolutely must not be revealed. We don’t know what kind of talk might arise. We need to silence everything from the start.”
As the chamberlain said this, he glanced briefly at the Crown Prince. Ah, he needed to manage his expression. It was an essential virtue for a ruler. However, the Crown Prince didn’t know what expression he should wear at times like these.
“Your Highness must steel your resolve.”
“I understand.”
“You must not waver.”
Count Horhen’s words contained various implications. With the Emperor’s collapse, the Regency Council had begun to function.
While it was called a Regency ‘Council,’ the real powers were Duke Ostein, who handled politics and diplomacy, and the Grand Duke of Lusenford, who was in charge of military affairs. And the rest of the noble affairs, social circles, and diplomacy would be handled by the Grand Duchess of Lusenford.
Right now, the Grand Duke of Lusenford’s demeanor was particularly ominous. He had submitted to the Emperor all this time because of the Empress. Who could be in their right mind when their only mother had gone missing?
However, the Emperor had shouted that the evil dragon and the Empress were having an affair. That’s why they were being extra thorough about keeping everything quiet.
‘Perhaps this might be an opportunity.’
The Crown Prince had some misgivings.
The Grand Duke of Lusenford, who had been spotted inside the burning magic tool room, had calmly returned to the palace alone, and the Grand Duchess, who had definitely been having tea with Marchioness of Schroz, was suddenly said to be at her townhouse.
This was something he needed to confront Beatrice about. Hadn’t she said the ‘medicine’ was safe!
But with the Emperor collapsed, the next throne would be his anyway. Just by staying quiet, all the power to bury everything would come to him, the legitimate heir. The Crown Prince swallowed hard.
“For now, let’s just announce that there was a fire and everyone is safe.”
At the Grand Duke of Lusenford’s words, Count Horhen immediately brightened and nodded.
“Yes, let’s do that. Let’s do that.”
Since this was exactly what the chamberlain had hoped for, he repeated it twice, and Duke Ostein, who had been quietly observing, opened his mouth.
“Let’s not think we can completely silence everything.”
When the heart of the Golden Palace burns, a dragon will descend upon Craine. When a dragon descends upon Craine, the sun will fall.
People generally thought along the same lines.
Everyone who had been in front of the burning magic tool room – whether Emperor, attendant, knight, or Count Horhen – all recalled the same ominous prophecy, and with so many witnesses, that sinister prophecy was already haunting the palace like a ghost.
The ominous prophecy about the falling sun shakes imperial authority. They needed to silence things quickly, but if the prophecy was true, what use would silencing it be?
Count Horhen anxiously hid his expression.
****
If there was a fire at the palace but no one was hurt, it would just be a slightly regrettable incident.
And people were more focused on a very interesting murder case that had suddenly begun to creep into the papers, rather than the palace’s ‘small fire.’
“7th Duke of Monde, Not Ill But Already Dead Long Ago?”
The corner article that nobles would definitely focus on while pushing aside the important content from pages 1 to 3 was probably already being read aloud at salons, clubs, and outdoor cafes.
With exclamations, questions, and malicious speculations of ‘Oh my, goodness, perhaps, could it be?’ By evening, it would spread to theaters, banquet halls, and concert halls.
But Kaela, who would shock several people if she went out even though she wanted to leave early, just sat on her bed reading aloud by herself.
While the House of Monde was throwing debt parties day after day, on the 23rd, they even put up their main residence, Monde Castle. Built 400 years ago, Monde Castle consists of over 100 rooms…
“And so on… The current Duchess of Monde stripped and sold all the building materials, causing its value to plummet.”
The brief article mercilessly critiqued the terrible value of Monde Castle and the fallen status of the Monde ducal family, then reported on suspicious traces discovered in Monde Castle when it was opened for sale.
Very suspiciously, it threw out the hypothesis that the current Duke of Monde, Beatrice Ravalley’s father, might have already died there, adding as evidence the testimony of a worker who had worked at Monde Castle.
It was a frightening night. A doctor went in, and something came out on a stretcher. I saw it clearly with my own two eyes! A man’s limp hand falling from the stretcher!
“The only sick person in Monde Castle that day was Duke Monde. As always…”
Kaela set down the newspaper containing this article that read like something from a detective novel, with its dramatic descriptions, on her finished breakfast table and tapped it gently.
For nobles, having their honor tarnished and reputation ruined was an irreversible disgrace and social death. Peon was now wearing the mask of a merchant guild and grabbing Beatrice by the collar to throw her down into the mud below.
He’s putting all his effort into trampling down the once-revived Lady Monde so she can never rise again. The nobles who had started to lose interest in her spectacular fall through debt parties would become excited about the murder case again.
How frightening people’s eyes were. Their biting mouths were even more frightening. Being anxious that someone might be watching, feeling like laughter is mockery directed at you, having words catch in your throat until you vomit up all your food.
It was the cruelest thing, slowly killing someone by drying them up completely, but it was also something that happened carelessly in Craine’s social circles.
Beatrice, who had always been the perpetrator, would now become the victim. She who had been running around trying to borrow money would no longer be able to come out under the bright sun. Kaela fell into quiet thought.
‘Since His Majesty the Emperor has collapsed, the money line will be blocked for now… But the Marchioness of Schroz…’
“Kaela.”
Her thoughts were cut off right there. Peon, who had gone to the palace meeting early in the morning, had entered. Seeing the state of the breakfast table in front of her, he couldn’t hide his very regretful expression.
“I was going to feed you.”
“I eat well enough on my own.”
“I know.”
He bent down and gave her a long kiss.
“I know, but it’s my joy. Let’s wash up.”
“Hmm?”
“Since you’ve finished eating, we should wash up.”
Peon lifted her up lightly in his arms. Kaela felt his touch as he held her, politely but very quickly, and realized.
“Together.”
Her husband was angry. Very angry.
****
Peon had no hobbies he enjoyed. It wasn’t that he had nowhere to pour his heart because each day was just a harsh and fierce survival diary. Rather, people tend to immerse themselves more in places to pour their hearts in such situations.
Even in Lusenford, men had knitting as a hobby. Because the climate was extreme, quiet winter night hobbies developed in that direction.
In Craine, you could easily meet gentlemen obsessed with chess, horseback riding, hunting, polo, or rowing. They formed clubs with others sharing the same hobbies and enjoyed them together.
Peon could do all of these things too. In fact, he was good at everything once he picked it up and learned it, to the point where there was nothing he couldn’t do. He could play most instruments. Reading was relatively better among them.
Because it gave him new knowledge while letting him briefly forget complex reality. But reading books didn’t bring forth joy. It was just habitual learning, putting knowledge in his head and opening his perspective.
Since his mother was the Empress, he had an environment where he could accumulate various cultural refinements and have a couple of good hobbies, but everything was boring. Yes. Even bloody battles were just tedious, and now he was indifferent.
If he tried to recall what he had found fun, there were a few things.
Just one more bite.
It was enjoyable when he occasionally ate with his younger sister who would specifically come over and grab his clothes. Because it was cute how she would obediently eat what he fed her. It was also fun to retie her hair ribbon with clumsy hands when it came loose while playing with her.
Let’s play again next time.
Even though he knew there might not be a “next time,” he enjoyed taking care of his younger sister who followed him around, enough to make such promises.
In short, Peon’s innate nature itself was one that couldn’t find interest in anything, a dull and boring nature. It was a dragon-like personality suited for living a long time, and simultaneously a fatal personality.
After living a life like a storm and even regressing to settle everything, nothing remained for him. Having shed all pleasure, joy, anger, and revenge, there was nothing left.
From the time he regressed, he thought he would endure by watching Kaela live happily after marrying Beatrice and sweeping everything away.
For her parents’ sake too, he would maintain his lifeline while watching over her, and on the day she breathed her last, he would release his life without regret. It was a naturally established plan without having to think about it separately.
Because no matter how much he thought about it, even visiting Kaela’s grave seemed too shameless to do. If he couldn’t even visit her grave, there was nothing left but death. He had no other desires or even small plans.
“Oppa.”
The careful way she called him was quite irritating. If someone else had called him that, he would have completely ignored it. But no matter how deep in thought he was, when that tiny voice called him, however she called him, he had to answer unconditionally.
“Ah, right.”
As he tried to respond somewhat slowly while leaning against the bathtub, the one who called hesitated. Then she gently shook his arm that was hanging outside the tub.
“Honey.”
When she called the awkward term of endearment in a shy voice with that expression, something boiling in his head burst. What exactly was she? Peon immediately grabbed the back of Kaela’s head that was on top of him and pulled her close.
Water splashed violently onto the floor. At the groaning sound “huu,” remembering his wife’s condition, he forcibly suppressed his instinct that habitually tried to act roughly and thought. What exactly was she?
While coloring his world of black and at best gray with various colors, what exactly was she who had died so miserably? What was she that made his heart pound and blood rush even though she was just so fragile and quietly sinking?
“What is it, honey.”
A hoarse voice barely parted the lips and asked.
“What can I do for you?”
It also meant he would do anything. His eyes, gleaming with passion, were devouring his wife who was wet with water.
“No…”
This wasn’t it. Though the bathwater was cool since it was summer, Kaela couldn’t collect her thoughts because her body was burning hot. His gaze was hot too. No, his body temperature touching her was hot too.
“Hmm? Tell me what to do, why?”
At his too-tender voice, she covered her face with her hands like a child while moaning “ah,” and kisses fell like dots everywhere – on her hand, fingers, ears, crown, shoulders, anywhere.
“Why did you call me, honey?”
She couldn’t collect her thoughts because it was so ticklish. Kaela blurted out:
“Because… because you seemed angry…!”
The briefly paused kisses continued again.
“Mm.”
“So… so I thought you should at least talk…”
She wanted to listen. Because when you talk, when you let it out, it gets a bit better. Kaela knows that just having someone to listen is a great comfort.
Looking at her reddened shoulders, wing bones, and below them while gauging how much more he needed to feed her, Peon murmured.
“How did you know.”
“It’s obvious, how could I not know.”
Kaela mumbled while covering her flushed cheeks with her wet hands.
“Ah, it’s obvious? Now you know?”
When laughter entered Peon’s voice, Kaela shrunk her shoulders more. The firm body she had leaned against thoughtlessly became even firmer.
She knows what he feels for her. Knowing makes her shy, ticklish, and also happy. Happy so that it makes her shy again. So happy it’s dizzying, making her want to keep running away.
“Mmm.”
“Then why don’t you tell me. Why I was angry.”
The man who barely opened his mouth at the palace, and even when he did only spoke exactly what was necessary clearly, whispered softly and gently while embracing his wife from behind.
Though his words and attitude were affectionate and gentle, what he showed Kaela wasn’t just affection. Kaela knew this too.
Her husband was holding back. He always held back. He held back his anger, his affection, his sadness, and now he was habitually holding back his desire for her too. Because it hadn’t been long since she drank the poison.
“Hmm? Kaela, why do you think I was angry?”
The lips that had only said pretty words that would drive him crazy closed tightly again. I knew this would happen. He asked on purpose knowing this would happen. But Peon just waited. While waiting he could play with her hands, kiss moderately, there were many things to do.
“This time the fire…”
Finally unable to resist his teasing, Kaela gasped out an answer.
“The fire was set out of anger. Let’s not beat around the bush if you already know.”
As Kaela exhaled, his voice got gradually lower.
“Because… because of me…”
“That’s an enormously wrong answer by a hair’s breadth. Who said they were angry because of you?”
At his voice that suddenly lowered with both anger and hurt in it, Kaela explained more specifically between rapid breaths.
“No, because I got hurt…! When I was dying, Beatrice…!”
Splash! The water made waves noisily and fell outside the tub again. Kaela’s body was completely turned to face him.
No, she was completely buried in his embrace. The sound of his heart beating thump, thump was intense. She wanted to lift her face but couldn’t because Peon was holding it.
“Yes.”
His voice, now wet, murmured.
“Correct answer.”
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