Chapter 94
The moment Riana faced the slender man, she realized what kind of relationship Feches and Ianheart had.
It couldn’t be helped.
A man with dark dirty-blond hair and reddish-brown eyes.
His soft features carried an air that reminded her of someone she already knew.
‘Ianheart…….’
The atmosphere resembled the man standing firmly by her side, Ianheart Lu Belneurum.
Feches Torca.
Likely the alchemist under Ianheart’s command, the one he strangely showed warmth toward.
Judging from Ianheart’s attitude, Feches was clearly more than just a subordinate.
But she never expected the relationship would be like this.
“……Nice to meet you. I’m Riana Lovelin. Um……”
Come to think of it—what should she call the man in front of her?
Riana opened her mouth, then hesitated, wondering about a proper title.
Feches must have quickly caught on to her dilemma.
“You may call me Sir Torca. In the Empire, even alchemists are granted knighthood. Not many of us, but still.”
“Ah, then…… I’ll do that. Sir Torca.”
At Riana’s small address, silence fell for a moment.
It was Ianheart who broke the quiet.
“I think it would be best if we sat down somewhere and talked.”
“Ah, forgive me. This way, please.”
At Ianheart’s calm remark, Feches let out an awkward laugh.
Riana and Ianheart followed two steps behind him, crossing through the spacious mansion.
“You seem unusually tense, Feches.”
“In this situation, who wouldn’t be? Especially when it’s been a while since I last met Your Majesty.”
“If I saw you often, you’d be the first to complain. You do speak well.”
“……That’s enough.”
The gentle banter revealed just how comfortable the two men were with each other.
‘Is this really something I should know……?’
Once he guided them to the parlor, Feches excused himself to bring refreshments.
Only then did Riana turn her gaze toward Ianheart seated beside her.
“……My guess is correct, isn’t it?”
Though she hadn’t spelled it out, Ianheart’s soft gaze showed he understood perfectly.
“Yes. Feches is also of the imperial bloodline.”
Imperial blood.
“As I thought……”
At that word, Riana let out a small sigh.
Feches, with his dirty-blond hair and reddish-brown eyes, did indeed give off a resemblance to Ianheart.
Ianheart had a sharper, cooler impression, while Feches appeared gentle and warm. Yet the similarity was undeniable.
She had never met the late emperor in person.
But knowing that imperial heirs bore golden hair and red eyes—and judging by Ianheart’s attitude—she didn’t need to be told whose son Feches was.
The current imperial family only publicly acknowledged Ianheart as the late emperor’s child.
That could only mean Feches was an illegitimate son.
‘Royalty or nobility—none of them are ever clean…….’
It was still surprising, but after a short while she didn’t feel as shaken as at first.
Rather, what struck her more was the strange sense of kinship—and curiosity about why Ianheart revealed this truth so directly.
Feches returned while Riana was still lost in thought.
With a small scraping sound, he appeared carrying a silver tray.
Catching the slight awkwardness on her face, he gave a soft smile as he set down teacups and a pot.
“So, it seems you’ve heard already.”
“……Not exactly. I figured it out when I first saw you.”
“From the very beginning?”
“You resemble His Majesty.”
“Me?”
Ianheart asked directly, and Feches blinked with a puzzled look.
Their expressions clearly showed they didn’t agree with her.
Indeed, judged by facial features alone, the two men seemed polar opposites.
But whenever Ianheart smiled softly and kindly……
‘……That’s when he resembles Feches.’
Still, with both men watching her for an explanation, Riana felt too embarrassed to say it outright. She simply laughed instead.
“It’s just…… a certain kind of similarity.”
“……What kind of ‘similarity’?”
“Um…… Atmosphere?”
Her vague answer made Ianheart chuckle dryly.
That little laugh loosened the tension in the room.
The conversation naturally turned toward the cozy decor of the mansion.
“This house was arranged to match my late mother’s taste. She was a modest woman, so sometimes she even felt uncomfortable here.”
His mother.
At that word—which could have been sensitive—Riana averted her eyes awkwardly and sipped her tea.
The fragrance was soft and pleasant, though the subject made it hard to enjoy.
Then Feches’s gentle gaze landed on her, and he smiled faintly.
“My mother was a maid in the Empress’s palace. The late emperor never knew of me. Or perhaps he did and chose to ignore it.”
“Ah……”
She had suspected as much from the start, and their earlier conversation confirmed it. But hearing it directly made her sigh escape.
Feches’s tone was calm, almost detached.
Was it because he had long since become an adult who no longer felt pain from the past—or because he had deliberately buried his feelings? Riana couldn’t tell.
Both possibilities were common enough.
Royalty and nobility were no purer than anyone else.
If anything, those in power often committed filthier, more disgusting deeds.
‘The ones with power are always worse.’
After all, her very existence had come from such corruption.
Riana was still struggling to think of what comfort she could offer when Feches chuckled.
“Haha, just as I’d heard—Your Highness is kind indeed.”
He smiled warmly as he refilled her empty teacup.
“I would love to be comforted by you, but I fear His Majesty wouldn’t let me off easily.”
The mysterious remark instantly brightened the heavy mood.
What’s that supposed to mean……?
Riana was the only one who didn’t fully understand.
She blinked and glanced at Ianheart, but his large hand covered his face as if rubbing it down, hiding his expression.
Only a long, weary sigh escaped.
“I’ve never seen Your Majesty like this before.”
“……Enough, Feches. Are you making sport of me?”
“You’ve always acted as if nothing in the world mattered. Seeing you like this—it suits you.”
Riana tried to follow the exchange but eventually gave up.
Perhaps it was just the banter of brothers.
Though one was the emperor’s legitimate heir and the other a bastard, they seemed to share a close bond.
And here, away from the palace, Ianheart looked lighter somehow.
Not careless, but as if he’d set down the heavy mantle of imperial duty for a moment.
‘……I think I understand what he meant by “it suits him.”’
Riana smiled faintly to herself and lifted her teacup.
The tea was perfectly warm, soothing as it went down.
Its flavor blossomed across her tongue like a flower, finer than any luxury tea she’d tasted before.
She had thought it pleasant earlier when she drank it in one gulp—but savoring it slowly now, she was amazed. It was exactly her taste.
‘What kind of tea is this?’
Familiar somehow, yet unlike anything she’d had before.
Though shunned within the royal family, Riana had gained renown on the battlefield. That had allowed her to taste almost every fine tea imaginable.
Then her eyes met Feches’s.
He smiled softly, and in a gentler, lighter voice than Ianheart’s, he asked:
“How is the tea to your liking?”
“Ah, it’s wonderful. I was just wondering what kind of tea it was.”
At her compliment, Feches looked almost bashful.
“These are tea leaves I modified myself. If it suits your palate, I’ll prepare some for you.”
“……You modified them yourself?”
“Altering the species of plants is also a form of alchemy. Just a little hobby of mine.”
Riana was truly impressed.
To change a plant’s very species—that was no small feat.
“That’s incredible. In Lowen, where I came from, alchemy—and alchemists themselves—are almost unknown.”
“Alchemy has declined greatly since ancient times. Few records or practitioners remain.”
“How did you come to learn it, Sir Torca?”
At her question, Feches glanced at Ianheart.
Relaxed on the sofa, Ianheart answered in his stead.
“He liked reading, so I took him to the imperial library a few times. There, he came across some ancient tomes on alchemy.”
“So, you taught yourself from books……?”
“My brother provided me with many excellent volumes, so it wasn’t too difficult to learn.”
Surprised, Riana spoke half to herself, and Feches only gave a shy smile and a humble reply.
