CHAPTER 70………………………………..
I quickly ducked behind a suit of armor nearby. Fortunately, the Emperor and Empress were so focused on their argument that they didn’t notice me.
‘Come to think of it, the Emperor isn’t in the banquet hall either.’
Had I run into this scene while trying to reach the Empress during my dance with Terrence? Or perhaps the Empress had called him out herself.
“Do you dare bring that filthy illegitimate child into the palace? And recognize him as Crown Prince?”
Even as his wife shouted as if spewing blood, the Emperor responded calmly.
“Legitimate or not, the fact remains that Terrence is my son. It is only natural that he be treated as Crown Prince.”
“Is your first love’s death really that heartbreaking? So much that you cannot tell right from wrong?”
“Mind your words!”
“No matter who you burned for in passion, the one you married is me! Me, and my family! Have we not done everything for this empire?”
The Empress cried out in despair. Even witnessing such fiery anger, I realized one could feel pity for someone consumed by rage.
“You know well. When my brother died and I suddenly became Crown Prince, you and the House of Bilord became my aides.”
The Emperor let out a bitter sigh at his wife’s display but did not yield.
“So far, I have not punished you for attempting to kill my son multiple times, have I?”
“What crime is there in removing a mere illegitimate child! I should have killed him when he was young!”
The Empress, despite her grief, was ruthless in her authority.
“I am your wife and the Empress of this country! No matter how much you love that woman and her illegitimate child, my son is the next Emperor!”
“Empress… you seem to misunderstand. Do you really believe I brought Terrence into the palace out of love for my deceased former fiancée?”
The words, devoid of any warmth, caused the Empress to falter. Her anger cooled slightly, and she returned to formal speech.
“Th-then why insult me like this?”
“My personal feelings and the fact that you are my first wife are secondary in matters of succession. The important question is: who, if Emperor, would benefit the House of Astaroth?”
“Do you mean that Mikhail is unfit to be the next Emperor? He has trained tirelessly since childhood to be the heir. He is a model of an Emperor, both in civil and military skill.”
“That was true until a few years ago.”
“What do you mean…?”
“You know well enough, don’t you? The one blinded by love is not me, but Mikhail.”
The Empress was rendered speechless.
“If my reason for bringing in Terrence had been affection or lingering attachment, I would have done so long ago.”
“….”
“To be blunt: if the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the one who will truly rule this country will not be the House of Astaroth, but the House of Cassius.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Look at him today! Clinging to that little girl, fetching drinks, acting as her servant!”
“You misunderstand!”
“Misunderstand? The Duke of Cassius and his two sons openly bared their teeth and growled, and he just smiled. Now he even calls the Duke ‘father-in-law,’ doesn’t he?”
“Isn’t all that just an effort to tame the Duke?”
“Stop defending him, Empress. Your son is obsessed. With Cassius’ girl!”
Now I understood. I had had lingering doubts. Why had the Emperor, in Riena’s first life, kept Terrence in the shadows, but in the second life, made him Crown Prince?
‘Riena guessed that the Emperor, devoted to his illegitimate child, seized the weakened influence of the Bilord family to satisfy personal desire.’
Yet even seeing the Emperor and Terrence together, a certain wall was evident. There had to be another hidden reason. And the truth was this:
The Emperor valued the continuation of the imperial line above his dead first love, first wife, or children. He could feel guilt and love for his unfortunate son, yet still use him as a pawn.
“If I judge both Mikhail and Terrence unfit for the Emperor’s crown, I will hand it to another suitable heir—even if I must adopt a capable child from a collateral line. That is no shame.”
“No! That cannot happen! Mikhail can succeed!”
“Maternal love is remarkable. You consistently protect your son, even after he forsook his maternal house.”
“…!”
“During the Prosperity Rock incident, the Empress said that Mikhail would come to his senses in time.”
Prosperity Rock. I knew the name. In the trial over ownership of the rock, Cassius’ veteran lawyer, Parell, used a recording device to secure victory.
‘Right. At that time, Mikhail sided with Cassius.’
The rock, a miraculous stone that enhanced the fertility of surrounding lands, had been gifted long ago by a goddess to a devoted human. By Riena’s foresight, she acquired it cheaply before anyone could research it.
‘The original owner, the House of Bilord, was outraged when they learned the truth from an archaeologist.’
They had handed over the stone that made their lands the empire’s granary. Bilord’s grain production dropped significantly, while Cassius’ production skyrocketed.
Desperate to reclaim the rock, Bilord appealed to the Emperor, who had the power to overturn even court decisions in the Astaroth Empire.
The Emperor hesitated. Authority did not always mean action. Openly favoring his wife’s family would have been undignified.
“This matter shall be entrusted to the Crown Prince who will rule the Astaroth Empire in the future. It is best to give him experience as a ruler early on.”
He put his son forward. Everyone believed Mikhail would side with his maternal house. Yet, astonishingly:
“As confirmed in the trial, there was no fault in the transaction between the Duke of Bilord and Lady Cassius. Therefore, ownership of the rock belongs to the Cassius side.”
Mikhail, using a secretly recorded conversation by Riena, sided with Cassius. Even if Bilord hadn’t recognized the rock’s value, it didn’t nullify the deal.
‘Technically correct… but…’
The issue was that politics didn’t run on correctness alone. For the Duke of Bilord, Mikhail’s decision was a betrayal, even if unintentional.
Mikhail had no ulterior motive—he was already smitten with Riena and wished to support her.
This would later become the reason the Empress despised Riena upon realizing the closeness between her son and Lady Cassius. Eventually, she too would succumb to Riena’s charm.
“The Empress said that in a few years, Mikhail would come to his senses. But the result is this.”
The Emperor spoke to his wife coldly.
“Please allow more time! He has his reasons…”
“For the sake of your house, I hope the Crown Prince sees Terrence as a threat. A change in the Crown Prince leading to chaos benefits no one.”
“Your Majesty! How can you say that!”
“I assure you, if Mikhail continues like this, I will have no choice but to act decisively.”
Turning to return to the banquet hall, the Emperor approached. I was trapped—my hiding spot behind the bronze statue was no longer sufficient.
‘No way I can just act calm and greet him here…!’
With both of them upset, the backlash could easily hit me. Then:
“Hmm?”
The Emperor made a curious sound. Had he already noticed me?
“You’re here, Terrence?”
A sweet voice came from behind me.
“I was concerned as your absence prolonged, so I came to check.”
Terrence naturally turned his back toward me while greeting the Emperor. I remained completely hidden behind the statue and Terrence, unseen.
“You… could it be…”
Was he asking if Terrence had heard everything with the Empress? But the Emperor quickly changed the topic.
“You’re no child. This is your moment—why follow me like a shadow?”
“Today’s focus is on you, Father.”
“Yes, let’s return.”
The two walked back toward the banquet hall.
“….”
The word “Father” from Terrence’s mouth sounded unusually hollow. The large back shielding me now seemed strangely small.
‘How unfortunate.’
In the novel, Terrence mostly felt like “a brash illegitimate child, persecuting the rightful heir Mikhail, trusting only in the Emperor’s love.” But Terrence’s one weapon—his father’s love—was highly unstable. The Emperor could discard him anytime if needed.
Above all, it saddened me that he knew everything. He had likely heard the Emperor and Empress’ conversation, yet his expression had been calm moments ago.
I wondered: how did the mastermind from the novel confront Mikhail, who had everything—an influential maternal family, the goddess’s blessing, a devoted mother, legitimate birth? That night, the question lingered in my mind.
“…The throne belongs to my son. I will never give it to that brat.”
Muttering this, the Empress disappeared in the opposite direction. I waited a moment, then made my way to the banquet hall.
“Suddenly, I feel so tired.”
I planned to tell the ambassador’s family and leave first. But at that moment, a tremendous event was occurring in the banquet hall. And unsurprisingly, the center of it was Riena.
