TYND 80

Chapter 80

Lucy stared at the ceiling and let out a bitter smile.

She had asked the same question herself countless times. Why does he dislike it? Every time, Alec’s answer had been the same.

“There might be a reason to like something, but there’s no reason to dislike it.”

As expected of a madman who wanted to judge the world on his own terms.

Yet, in order to approach Alec, Lucy had to uncover the motivations behind his desires—hidden in his unconscious, or perhaps even unknown to him.

For that, she had gathered an amount of information about his upbringing and beliefs that could almost be called research.

Why he wanted to unify the continent.
And why he sought to drive out other races was probably…

“This is just my speculation.”

It was a theory she had never shared with anyone for fear of the crown prince finding out. Speaking it aloud now caused her mouth to water slightly, as it was the first time she had put the thought into words. Lucy kept her gaze fixed on the ceiling and spoke softly.

“His late mother… Beatrice, Alec’s biological mother, was a noblewoman from the Free City of Alphiren. Unusually, from her childhood until she entered the palace, she always had a Lycan companion with her.”

She recalled a story she had once heard from an informant.

The Empress’s Lycan—a creature known for being rough and hot-tempered—was said to be an elegant Lycan with long white fur, contrary to common perception.

This Lycan, whom Beatrice had personally raised after finding it at a slave market during her childhood, was considered inseparable from her by anyone who knew her early life.

“Even after becoming Crown Princess and later Empress, she always kept that Lycan close whenever she visited her family. The problem was… that Lycan was male. And then strange rumors began circulating in the palace.”

“Rumors… you say?”

“Rumors that the Empress was having an affair. Furthermore, after being childless for a long time, she returned from her family’s estate and was soon discovered to be pregnant. That child… is now Crown Prince Alejandro.”

A chilling silence filled the office, colder than the winter mountains, at this unthinkable revelation.

Both Walter and Kill kept their faces stiff and said nothing. The one who spoke up was an unexpected figure.

“Th-That’s impossible. A child cannot be born between different races.”

Whis, standing guard by the door, opened his beak slightly and let out a groaning sound as he spoke. Lucy nodded in acknowledgment.

“That’s what they say. Even if a relationship is possible, no hybrid could ever be born. And Alec… he looks fully human, doesn’t he? No tail, no ears… But the truth—nobody can know for sure.”

In truth, no one could know whether a child could be born between races.

It was rare for anyone to see the other as an equal, and even if they did, attraction as a sexual being was an entirely different matter.

Especially between a human and a Lycan.

If word spread among the empire’s citizens—who looked down on Lycans—that the exalted Empress had a relationship with one, the royal family’s reputation would be in tatters.

Lucy furrowed her brows, thinking it through.

No, it wasn’t about the royal family’s reputation. The Crown Prince himself would not be able to endure it.

If the truth of being a child born from an affair came out,
and worse, if Lycan blood—considered superior to even slaves—was mixed into his veins…

Even ordinary people would find that scandal unbearable, and the impact on Alec was unimaginable.

“Huh… I never imagined there was such a background… By the way, how did Your Majesty find out?”

“That’s a secret. Anyway, let’s leave the talk about the Crown Prince here. Let others interpret what they will. Speaking of which, what did the General want to tell me?”

Skillfully changing the topic, Lucy turned her gaze to Walter. He shook off the dark look on his face and replied calmly.

“Ah, yes. A candidate who volunteered for the maid position is waiting in the reception room, Your Majesty. If it’s alright, shall I send them in?”

“Let them come in.”

Lucy rose and moved to lead the way. Walter bowed to Kill and followed Lucy out of the office.

The palace garden was bathed in sunlight, late summer in full bloom, with hydrangeas decorating the paths in splashes of blue.

Lucy walked slowly along the corridor, lightly touching the flower buds with her fingertips.

“They say the border situation is tense… If left alone, it’ll only get worse. What’s the best course of action?”

After her coronation, she recalled Walter’s request to speak to her as an equal regardless of protocol, and she hesitated before speaking informally.

Watching her graceful fingers brush the hydrangeas, Walter finally looked up and responded.

“First, we should assess the local situation. It’s about time to go down to the Southern Command, so we can combine the border inspection with the trip. If the situation is severe, we may need to consider mobilizing troops.”

“Going south? Why?”

Walter seemed briefly flustered at the obvious question, then composed himself and continued softly.

“Visiting each command quarterly is part of the Marshal’s annual duties. We must ensure that the commands follow orders correctly and that the system isn’t falling apart. Additionally, visits from the upper ranks help boost morale.”

“…I see. Come to think of it, about three months ago, you went to the Western Command and were away for about two weeks, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“So if you go south this time, I won’t see you for two weeks?”

After a quick calculation, Walter shook his head.

“If we include the border inspection, it will take roughly a month. I will return as soon as possible, so don’t worry.”

“A month?”

Lucy’s eyes went wide at the thunderbolt-like news.

A month… How could the Central Command be without Walter, away from her side, for an entire month?

She pressed her fingers against her forehead, stopping herself from sighing.

She couldn’t show how unsettled she felt.

After spending two weeks apart from Walter previously, she realized a few things:

• There was no one to banter with about Kill Duke’s antics.

• There was no one to kindly provide necessary information when needed.

• Most importantly, there was no one to listen to her trivial chatter at the end of the day like Walter did.

The first two could be replaced, but the last—absolutely no one could replace Walter.

Before her coronation, she had spent time at the command, chatting casually with soldiers, but now at the palace, surrounded by servants and nobles, she had to maintain a dignified facade all day long. It was exhausting.

The soup at lunch had been delicious.

During today’s meeting, seeing Count Bubehol with a booger dangling from his nose was hilarious.

And every day, Minister Kill only talked about his second son. What about the first? Did anyone know?

Ordinarily, she would have shared such trivial observations with family or friends, but Lucy had neither.

So she collected these small thoughts and, after her duties at the command, would latch onto Walter during his palace visits to report and chat endlessly.

“You had tomato soup? Seeing Your Majesty dislike vegetables, I assumed you were picky, but that was excellent.”
“About Count Bubehol’s nose… Well, at least you didn’t laugh in front of him. He is a shy man despite appearances, so caution in speech is necessary.”
“The eldest son of Duke Kill resembles the Minister in both personality and looks. Unlike the gentle second son, he is considered cold and calculating. Personally, I think…”

Even if others found Walter dull, to Lucy, his patient, unbothered responses were the best audience she could imagine.

Yet his absence meant the end of these chats.

Maintaining a dignified demeanor all day was bearable, but having no one to share trivial stories with was terribly lonely.

Ten days into Walter’s absence, she found herself muttering to herself,

“I just discovered something hilarious today. That old man Gödel Kill… Did you know he raises his pinky finger whenever he lifts a teacup? His expression is so solemn, I could barely stop laughing.”

Lucy muttered to herself as if holding a bird in a cage.