Chapter 101
“Stop sighing and get to work, brother. Complaining isn’t going to stop time from passing.”
Jared, who had been quietly listening to William grumble endlessly, finally snapped. Already irritated at the sight of William doing nothing but polishing his sword, hearing him nag as well pushed William over the edge.
“Hey! You’re not doing anything either!”
“This isn’t my job. I’m not going to be emperor. As long as I do my duties as a knight properly, that’s all I need to worry about.”
He wasn’t wrong. Jared wasn’t the crown prince—just another imperial prince. Pretending ignorance and keeping his distance from internal court politics was the wisest choice for him.
“Then why is our little brother, who has already finished all his responsibilities, here in the first place?”
William already knew the answer, but he couldn’t help letting his voice twist with irritation.
“…I came to ask you something.”
Jared frowned deeply, watching his brother exaggerate a shrug, then finally spoke after a long pause. The seriousness on his face as he set his sword aside made William stop fidgeting.
“You think I have time to answer your questions right now—fine. Go ahead.”
“There are some big rumors spreading about that bastard girl.”
“…”
“You’re the one who stirred them up, aren’t you?”
At Jared’s pointed question, William shut his half-pouting mouth. Helen. She was currently surrounded by rumors—dangerous ones at that.
‘His Majesty has been calling for Lady Helen often these days. It’s already the seventh known audience, isn’t it?’
‘That’s right. And whenever she goes in, she stays for at least three hours, they say.’
It began with the news that the Emperor was frequently summoning Helen. Her closeness to him instantly raised her worth. Helen was no longer just some illegitimate child—she was treated as the Emperor’s daughter, reveling in the flattery of others.
‘Did you see the ruby necklace Lady Helen is wearing? That was a gift from His Majesty. And apparently… she said so herself…’
That was where the real problem began. Surrounded by people constantly flattering her, Helen grew more arrogant by the day.
‘They say His Majesty intends to pair her with Marquis Lloyd.’
‘Oh my, with the Marquis? Well, there have been rumors about them before. But then… what about Lady Aisha?’
‘According to Lady Helen, she’s going to be cast aside. She even boldly declared she’ll soon be officially recognized as a princess.’
‘Nonsense. The Empress is still here…’
‘They say Their Majesties’ relationship isn’t good these days. And apparently… Lady Helen was the first one to spread that rumor, too.’
Drunk at banquet after banquet, Helen’s arrogance spilled over into reckless words. She claimed the Emperor had permitted things he had never said, bragging as if her wishes were already reality. She even brought up the Emperor and Empress’s relationship, running her mouth carelessly.
The rumors, being so provocative, spread like wildfire—until even Jared, who usually paid no attention to such matters, couldn’t avoid hearing them. At first, he was appalled. But he quickly noticed something off. Drunken slip-ups aside, Helen’s boasting seemed too deliberate. Investigating quietly, Jared discovered people around her who were subtly egging her on.
‘Really? To think His Majesty treasures you that much. How wonderful for you, Lady Helen.’
‘Indeed. We’re so envious. Please don’t forget us when you become a princess someday.’
They encouraged her, flattered her, coaxed her. And behind them, Jared recognized his brother’s hand.
“Why would I?”
“…”
“I swear it wasn’t me. All I’ve ever done is collect news about that bastard girl.”
“That’s not true. At the banquets, the people surrounding her… they’re your men. I know it.”
“…The higher she climbs, the harder she’ll fall. That way, she’ll finally learn her place. Isn’t that right?”
William, who had feigned innocence, finally confessed under Jared’s steady gaze. He never intended to destroy Helen outright. To him, she was nothing but a filthy bastard who had brought harm to his mother and sister. All he wanted was for her to suffer, to be miserable, and to be forced to recognize her lowly status.
A cruel gleam flickered in William’s golden eyes, and Jared let out a small sigh. He looked at his brother, troubled, and finally spoke.
“…Do what you want otherwise. But leave Lady Aisha out of it.”
“What?”
“That bastard girl dragging the Marquis and me into her claims… don’t encourage that any further.”
William, who had been listening in silence, was dumbfounded. Of all things, his brother’s serious warning was not to touch the girl he pined after? Realizing Jared’s hopeless one-sided affection was still ongoing, William clicked his tongue—then shared news that would shock his brother.
“I haven’t told you this before, but those things she said—Father actually did say them.”
“What?”
“Not anymore, it seems. But yes—our great Emperor once did plan to pair that bastard girl with the Marquis. Honestly, if the Marquis agreed, Father would still approve it.”
Jared’s face went pale, realizing Helen’s bragging wasn’t all fantasy. His composure broke, and he even stammered as he questioned William.
“T-Then what about Lady Aisha? What would happen to her?”
“Do you think Father wouldn’t consider Count Parden? If he tried to marry off the bastard daughter and offended the Count, that would be troublesome.”
“Then…”
“He was planning to give her a match just as good—or better.”
At William’s words, Jared’s face twisted even further. Aisha loved the Marquis. But if things went wrong, she could lose her place at his side to a bastard and be forced by imperial decree into another marriage.
“…Where was Father planning to marry her off? It’s not to some old man or somewhere far away from the capital, is it?”
“So much for giving up. Seems you’re curious whose seat she’s been promised instead.”
The way his brother fretted over her, afraid she’d be married off somewhere terrible, was pitiful. William looked at him with both pity and disdain before revealing it.
“To your side.”
“…What?”
“Father was going to give her to you.”
“What do you mean…”
“The Marquis is one of the most sought-after grooms in the empire. If his place is taken, the only way to appease the Count is to give her to someone just as good—like you.”
Jared froze, eyes widening. His worry vanished, replaced by a glimmer of hope. William, seeing the subtle tremble of his brother’s gaze, smirked.
“Why? You’d like things to go that way? Want me to put in a word for you?”
Flushed red, Jared flinched as if his feelings had been exposed. But soon he bowed his head, wearing a bitter expression.
“…How could I dare wish for that?”
“…”
“I’m the one who led that bastard to Father. And now Lady Aisha is suffering because of it.”
“What? Those rumors about her and the Marquis came from the Marquis’s own behavior. If he hadn’t given them an opening, would such talk about a betrothed man have spread so easily?”
William bristled with frustration, but Jared shook his head. Clenching and unclenching his fist, he muttered with self-reproach.
“…No. If I hadn’t taken that bastard to Father, you wouldn’t have gotten involved, and the rumors wouldn’t have spread this far.”
“…”
“Now I can’t even face her. Whether I meant to or not, I hurt her. How could I possibly stand before her again?”
“You’re no better than a fool. If it were me, I’d see this as an opportunity.”
“People aren’t objects. If you manipulate things to force them by your side, problems will eventually arise.”
He wasn’t wrong, but the suffocating righteousness of it made William groan. Tugging at his collar, he muttered wearily.
“I must have raised you far too gently. Not that it’s a bad thing… but sometimes I worry—if I suddenly drop dead and you become emperor, what will become of this country?”
The banquet to welcome the Astaria Kingdom delegation was held in the Ruby Hall of the imperial palace. Though smaller than the Grand Hall used for the Founding Festival, the packed crowd only made the atmosphere livelier.
“There—look, that’s Lady Helen.”
“Ah, the one from the rumors…”
“Her red hair certainly stands out.”
Whenever people gathered in groups, the recent rumors were the hot topic. Most revolved around Helen, the Emperor’s illegitimate daughter, though Iaan and Aisha’s names were also occasionally mentioned.
See? Nobody can ignore me now.
Surrounded by a new flock of followers, Helen relished the attention. Dressed in gaudy finery glittering with jewels, she strutted through the hall with her head held as high as it could go.
“What a disgrace. For a bastard to parade around at an event attended by Their Highnesses the princes and princesses…”
Those who despised her scowled, clicking their tongues. Some even kept their children and grandchildren away from her, forbidding them from approaching.
Countess Dihan, Viscount Edon, Marchioness Neuer…
Helen memorized the faces of those who so openly grimaced at her. When she became a princess, they would be the first she’d have expelled from the palace—or better, exiled from the capital entirely. Smug with such thoughts, she imagined her enemies’ downfall under her father’s command and flaunted herself like the star of the banquet.
But Helen didn’t hold the spotlight for long. A herald suddenly announced an arrival, and everyone’s attention shifted to the entrance.
The delegation and the royals aren’t supposed to arrive yet… then who is it?
Annoyed at losing the eyes that had been on her, Helen scowled. She had no intention of sharing the limelight tonight with anyone outside the delegation or royalty.
Snapping open her fan to cover her displeasure, she pushed her way through the crowd toward the entrance. And there, upon seeing the person who had arrived, her eyes went wide in shock.
