Chapter 4
“Impertinent.”
After meeting Shatrina in the rear garden,
the Emperor walked down the corridor on his way back to his office, replaying their conversation in his mind.
Despite muttering that word, his face was filled not with anger, but unmistakable interest.
‘She said she was fifteen this year, didn’t she.’
A nameless princess from Rebellia.
The reason he had brought Shatrina in the first place had been trivial.
As a princess with no standing, she seemed convenient to use.
The Fourth Prince was terminally ill and unlikely to live long anyway. And if Shatrina were taken in as his daughter-in-law, it would mean keeping a pawn from an enemy nation within the palace.
In other words, a disposable card.
That was the full extent of her value. Which was why the Emperor had never once bothered to meet Shatrina—until today.
And yet, the daughter-in-law he met for the first time today had been a spectacle indeed.
‘Who is making an offer to whom, exactly?’
Even the chancellor—known for his fearlessness—had never dared to show him such insolence.
Yet this tiny child had stood before him with blatant audacity, which was both astonishing and absurd.
The way she lifted her chin shamelessly reminded him of her father, the Emperor of Rebellia.
Well. Blood will tell, perhaps.
“Hm.”
What was truly strange, however, was that despite her insolence, the Emperor felt no displeasure at all.
Rather than irritation, he had merely thought she was audacious enough to spout nonsense with a straight face.
It hadn’t annoyed him enough to tell her to shut up.
‘She was… interesting.’
Her tone when speaking to him.
The way she met his gaze directly.
The Crown Princess had looked as though she knew he intended to assassinate her husband.
She hid it well—so well that he nearly believed her himself.
‘I was told she was an ordinary girl.’
Had he been mistaken?
“Cheeky little thing.”
To offer up the Emperor of Rebellia as bait and ask him to spare her husband meant she knew exactly why he intended to kill the Fourth Prince.
And yet, knowing that, she had still made such a request.
It was astonishing.
“Pel.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Investigate the Fourth Prince’s wife again. Not the same report as before.”
The Emperor ordered his aide, who immediately departed.
Left alone, the Emperor pressed a hand against his heavy eyelids.
As he mulled over the earlier conversation, his thoughts drifted to the son he had seen in that room.
A child with the same silver hair as his own.
Yet because he had barely looked at him over the years, he could not recall what the boy’s face had been like.
‘The Fourth Prince… the Empress’s son.’
His wife had shut herself away in seclusion for years now.
But that had been her own choice—never the Emperor’s will.
How many years had it been already?
His brow furrowed with irritation.
Realizing his thoughts had strayed, the Emperor shook them off and focused on something else.
She had said—
—“Because he dared to strike my husband.”
‘My husband, she says.’
How dramatic.
The Emperor stopped walking and let out a soft chuckle.
Despite harboring ulterior motives, she insisted on calling him her husband every time.
It was oddly amusing.
“Calix.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Take a few knights and go to the Fourth Prince’s residence immediately.”
His voice turned cold.
“Bring back one person. If they resist, cut off their leg on the spot.”
“…Whom should we bring back?”
The attendant looked at him in disbelief.
The Emperor didn’t care.
A smile slowly spread across his lips.
“The head steward of the Fourth Prince’s palace.”
***
“Ugh… I’m exhausted.”
Meanwhile, having escaped the garden from hell, I didn’t return to my room right away.
I wanted nothing more than to rest—but there was one more thing I had to do.
‘I need to go back to the Fourth Prince’s palace.’
After I left with the Emperor, the steward I had whipped would surely have gone off to receive treatment.
Since I hadn’t even spent thirty minutes with the Emperor, there was no way he’d be back yet.
And the reason I was heading straight back instead of returning to my room was simple.
The steward’s followers might retaliate against the Fourth Prince.
“Y-Your Highness!”
As I entered the palace grounds, a maid who had been outside recoiled dramatically.
…She’s reacting even more strongly than before?
Just as I was about to ask what had happened, an elderly man appeared from inside.
“Are you the Crown Princess?”
I nodded silently, and the man smiled kindly.
His attire was similar to the Fourth Prince’s steward, but subtly different.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rael, the chief steward of the Main Palace.”
“…What brings you here?”
Each palace had its own steward.
But the authority of a steward varied depending on the royal they served—and the Main Palace steward held the greatest power of all.
And the Main Palace meant the Emperor’s residence.
Which meant only one thing.
The Emperor had sent him.
Seeing my displeased expression, Rael looked briefly startled before reassuring me with a gentle tone.
“By His Majesty’s command, the steward of the Fourth Prince’s palace has been executed. I have been appointed as the interim steward here.”
“Oh. I see—”
I nodded absentmindedly.
Then froze.
Wait.
Executed?
***
My confusion was slowly resolved as Rael guided me inside and explained everything.
After hearing it all, I let out a hollow breath.
“His Majesty… truly ordered an execution?”
“Yes. For daring to assault a member of the imperial family, His Majesty declared he would personally see it done. By now, he has likely already been fed to the wolves.”
‘…Insane.’
That escalation though.
I covered my mouth in shock.
I never imagined the Emperor would go this far.
I thought it would end with a light punishment at most.
But to issue a sentence bordering on treason…
Well, technically, the Fourth Prince is imperial blood, so it wasn’t wrong.
‘Still… unexpected.’
Whether this was “typical Emperor behavior” or proof that I was absurdly bold for mouthing off to him—I wasn’t sure.
“The imperial physician has just finished examining His Highness,” Rael continued.
“The maids will be replaced shortly as well. We ask for your patience.”
“Th-Thank you.”
“No need. And as you are a member of the imperial family, please drop the honorifics. If you require anything, do not hesitate to ask.”
“…Alright.”
Overwhelmed by how quickly things were changing, I nodded without thinking.
With a warm smile, Rael excused himself and left the palace.
Left alone in the corridor, I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
Seriously. The Emperor came once, and everything changed in a single day.
The thrill of power was dangerously intoxicating.
But while it was beneficial now, it wouldn’t be in the long run.
If this continued, I would remain powerless forever—relying on others.
And that would limit what I could do.
‘If I survive, I need to build power.’
Yes.
To survive here, power was essential.
“Is His Highness inside?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The maid bowed stiffly, her face twisted with resentment.
The same maid who had blocked me earlier was now lowering her head.
Hmph.
Should’ve behaved better from the start.
I shot her a glare and nodded toward the door.
She clenched her lips and opened it with trembling hands.
I knew she’d curse me behind my back later—but I didn’t care.
If she kept that attitude, she wouldn’t last long anyway.
I focused on what mattered.
As the door closed behind me, I scanned the room.
‘The conditions really are terrible.’
Dust aside, it was practically a ruin.
I hadn’t noticed at first, but now everything needed fixing.
At this level, it was obvious the palace staff had been embezzling the allocated funds.
I mentally listed everything that needed replacing.
Then—
A faint sound came from the bed.
Like something moving.
“Your Highness?”
Since only the two of us should be here, I naturally called out to the Fourth Prince.
As I approached the source of the sound, it grew louder.
Standing by the bed, I touched the raised blanket.
‘…This bedding needs changing too.’
Just as I was thinking that—
A hand suddenly slipped out from under the blanket.
Startled, I instinctively stepped back—
And my wrist was caught in a powerful grip.
“!”
I—got caught?
I stared at the hand gripping my wrist in shock.
It was strong enough that my vision nearly went white.
Then the blanket fell away, revealing silver hair strewn across the bed.
A boy with strikingly pale skin trembled as he slowly opened his eyes.
Only his head peeked out timidly.
His lips moved.
“Wife.”
Despite his frail appearance, his voice was unexpectedly deep.
I narrowed my brows slightly as the Fourth Prince looked at me with trembling eyes.
“When did you arrive?”
The hand that had grabbed me loosened, fingers intertwining with mine naturally.
As though holding back tears, he spoke in a shaky voice.
“I thought… you would never come.”
And then—
“…Hic.”
He started crying.
…Huh?
