âThatâs why doctors keep coming in and out of the castle? To cure that slave?â
âYes, thatâs right.â
âThen guide me there at once.â
ââŠâŠ.â
In the silence that followed, the hand leisurely waving the fan stopped moving.
Veloa straightened her body from her seated position and crumpled her brow.
âWhy canât you say anything? Donât tell me you still donât know where that b*tch is?â
âThe doctor said that he was blindfolded before he could enter the castle, so it would be difficult to locate the exact location.â
âSo you didnât find it?â
âIâm sorry.â
The escort quickly bent and grovelled, but Veloaâs forehead did not relax.
âIn any case, youâre incompetent,â Veloa retorted as she swept her hair up.
âThen did you find out what kind of illness she has? It must be quite severe considering that she keeps looking for a doctor.â
âThe doctor said itâs his first time seeing such an illness.â
âThe first time heâs seen it?â
âItâsâŠâŠ.â
The escortâs pupils visibly shook.
He knew that what he would say next would incur Veloaâs wrath.
âTell me.â
âTo put it bluntly, pregnancyâŠâŠ.â
âPregnancy? That filthy thing even carries a child?â
In an instant, Veloaâs voice sharpened.
Flames seemed to flare up from the fierce eyes.
âN-no!â
âThen?â
âShe has symptoms of pregnancy, but the doctor says sheâs not pregnant.â
âIs that possible?â
Veloa frowned slightly.
It was unpleasant but common to roll around with a vulgar slave.
[T/N: To âroll around (in the hay)â is an informal and old-fashioned term that refers to the act/instance of having intercourse.]
And there was no reason to interfere with how other people used their things.
Of course, that was only valid on the premise that the existence of the thing was unknown.
âThatâs what the doctor said.â
âThe doctor may have misdiagnosed. Did you ask the other doctors?â
âThe people here are very wary of outsiders and have absolute trust in the Grand Duke of Schwarhan. It wasnât easy to find someone willing to talk. I barely got the doctor to open his mouth.â
âYou have too many useless excuses.â
Veloa irritably threw down her fan.
She could tolerate him having a slave but not a child.
Whether it was the stigma of an illegitimate child, or a slave as a mother, in the end, half of the child would still inherit Cabellenusâs blood.
Even if it were impure, as long as the child inherited his blood, they would become a hindrance.
âAs expected, Iâll have to deal with that slave b*tch as soon as possible.â
âFirstly, for nowâŠâŠ.â
âWe have to get rid of it now. Itâll become difficult if that filthy b*tch really has a baby. Even the emperor of the great empire had a lowly mother. We canât say that the child of a slave will have no chances of succession.â
âPrincess, to say such a thingâŠâŠ.â
The escort looked around hastily, but Veloa didnât care at all.
âSo what? Itâs not like I made up those words. Everyone knows that the Emperor is nothing but the descendant of a Roaquinâs dancer.â
âHeâs the Emperor of the Empire. Even if he doesnât have a strong background, to insult himâŠâŠ.â
âI donât care. When I become the empress, Iâll take care of that dirty bloodline first.â
Veloa pursed his lips.
She didnât Gerpenus very much. She was just being polite since he was currently sitting on the throne.
He may be elated now that he was emperor, but his mother was just a dancer who was offered as a tribute.
No matter what he did, the birth of a barbarian would never change.
âPrincessâŠâŠ.â
âThanks to the Emperor, the precedent of an emperor with a vulgar mother has risen, so I donât have to worry about that.â
Although the succession of illegitimate children wasnât recognized except in unique cases, there was always room for precedents.
âDonât look at me like that. Anyway, for now, I need his help. Oh, thatâs right. Since the situation is like this, Iâm going to ask for his help.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âDonât you think itâll be quite interesting to see how the Emperor, who has been suffering all his life due to his lineage, would react if he heard that there would be a child similar to himself?â
Gerpenus was busy pretending to be a good brother, but in the end, it was Cabellenusâs lineage that made his half-brother special.
It was clear how he would react once he heard that Cabellenusâs lineage was tainted.
âBut she doesnât actually have a child.â
âIt doesnât matter.â
âIf the Emperor discovers that you lied to himâŠâŠ.â
âThere are many excuses. Weak things die quickly, and above all, itâs a pregnancy that the doctors arenât even sure about. I may have been mistaken.â
Of course, it would be better if they found out she had a real child.
Veloa gently combed her hair with a more relaxed expression.
It was irritating, but it didnât matter whether she had a child or not.
She had no intention of letting the blood of a slave be born on this land.
âAnd, what if he discovers it was a lie? The seat next to the Grand Duke is mine, so in the end, wouldnât the Emperor be unable to do anything to me?â
Because she was special.
A confident smile spread across Veloaâs lips.
* * *
âYour Majesty. You have a call came from Princess Veloa.â
âTo call me at this hour. Did that cunning princess bring me an interesting story?â
It was nearly time to prepare for the harvest.
Gerpenus laid down the documents he was looking at and leaned against the back of his chair.
âShall I connect you with her right away?â
âNo. Refuse it now, and tell her to contact me again an hour later.â
âWith that character of hers, Iâm sure she wonât sit still. Will you be fine with that?â
âThatâs why Iâm ignoring her. To fire her up,â Gerpenus laughed leisurely and nodded.
He could already imagine Veloa bursting into anger at him denying her call.
âThe princess is on our side. Do you really need to provoke her?â
Hans, the attendant, frowned.
âShe is now.â
âYouâre thinking of throwing her away.â
âI didnât mean to keep her from the start. Such a woman doesnât suit Cabellenus.â
Gerpenus was smiling, but his curved, green eyes were colder than the ice.
âThen, why did you send her? No matter how much I think about it, King Christie isnât the type of person Your Majesty prefers.â
âLet alone preference, heâs a repulsive person. However, I really like people like Princess Veloa. Itâs good that sheâs swayed by emotions, easy to read, and has a lot of greed. Well, when I consider her conditions, itâs a bit of a pity to throw her away.â
âYou make the princess sound so great.â
âKing Christie isnât cheap either. But I donât think the princess is capable of withstanding his power.â
If she were a little less stupid, he would have reconsidered letting her become Cabellenusâs wife.
No matter how great the power was, it was no different from hanging pearls around a pigâs neck if it wasnât used properly.
Such a woman was no match for Cabellenus.
Gerpenus clicked his tongue, revealing his regret without concealing it.
âMay I ask what Your Majesty is thinking about?â
âItâs about my brotherly consideration for my beloved brother.â
âConsideration?â
âYes. Consideration.â
Gerpenus put his clasped hands on his stomach and took a deep breath.
He knew that Cabellenus would hate him for this, but he couldnât help it.
It was better to be hated than to have Cabellenus affixed to a substandard woman.
âI still donât understand Your Majestyâs intention.â
âYouâve been assisting me for quite some time, and yet you still havenât caught on, Hans.â
âYour Majesty is a man who deceives allies. I still canât forget what happened during the Battle of Petan.â
âAnd yet you still continue to assist me.â
âWell, if it wasnât for me, no servant would be able to handle Your Majesty, whose like a poisonous snake.â
Despite Hansâs complaint, Gerpenus only smiled. Eventually, Hans frowned and glanced at his superior.
âItâs rude for my attendant to have such an expression all the time.â
âYou already know that Iâm such a rude person.â
âIn any case, you know when to draw the line.â
[T/N: To âdraw the lineâ means to put a limit on what you will do or allow to happen especially because it feels wrong.]
âItâs a virtue of those serving the imperial family.â
Hans answered calmly and arranged the dishevelled papers on Gerpenusâs desk.
Gerpenusâs act of diverging from the topic meant that he had no intention of sharing his plans.
âItâs funny. A mere attendant like you knows the line, but my dear brother doesnât.â
âThe Duke isnât like that.â Hans shook his head.
The Cabellenus he knew would never cross the line.
Instead, he claimed the role of a faithful dog despite his noble status, and it was no different now.
However, even though Gerpenus was currently in power as emperor, his position was still unstable.
To put it bluntly, if Cabellenus were to strike Gerpenus with the forces behind him, there would be no guarantee whether it would end in a victory or defeat.
âYou know best that he is a person who is lowering himself more than anyone else.â
âThen what am I supposed to do? Should I grant him permission to marry her and give them my blessings?â
In the sarcastic remark, there was an unmistakable sense of emotion that was unlike Gerpenus.
Hans paused for a moment. His superior was calm about other things, but he would always act like a different person whenever the topic of his half-brother came up.
âIt must be a momentâs interest. Even if Your Majesty doesnât intervene, it will be over soon.â
Hans tried his best not to upset Gerpenus as much as possible.
He didnât want the relationship between the two brothers to fall apart.
If their relationship deteriorated, Gerpenus would be the one who would eventually suffer.
âThatâs just a wish,â Gerpenus let out a sigh, covering his eyes with his hands.
âHow are you so sure?â
Even if Cabellenus wanted to marry the slave, Hans didnât think much of it.
He believed that it was unlike Cabellenus to be swept away by a moment of emotion, and he didnât think it would actually turn into a marriage.
Hans believed that Cabellenus made a temporary wrong choice and would withdraw his marriage declaration soon.
âBecause my opponent is Cabellenus.â
The green eyes glistened through his fingers.
He knew him well since he had watched his younger brother for a long time.
Cabellenus had never failed to keep his words.
And, this time, it would be the same.
âYou have a sullen expression.â
âTo be honest with you, we should be very cautious about offending the Grand Duke. And, more frankly, it would be nice if His Grace married a slave to lower his worth.â
Even Hans, a close confidant of the emperor, could not deny the legitimacy of Cabellenus.
Before she officially became the Emperorâs wife, his mother, Empress Seon, was the only daughter of Duke Melta. And Duke Melta was the head of nobility.
Even if the Empress had already passed away, the prestige of Duke Melta remained.
If Cabellenus sought the throne, Duke Melta would be willing to bet everything for his one and only grandson.
âIâll never let that happen.â
âWhy on earth does Your Majesty care about His Grace so much?â
Hans knew well that Gerpenus held particular regard for Cabellenus, but he honestly couldnât understand it.
If he considered the positions of the two men, the public rumour that Gerpenus kept Cabellenus in check and expelled him to Schwarhan were better suited than the current relationship.
âBecause that child is special.â
âIf itâs legitimacyâŠâŠ.â
âLegitimacy?â Gerpenus briefly scoffed, his face contorting.
It wasnât just that.
Apart from legitimacy, Cabellenus was special.
âAs I repeatedly said, Iâm just guarding the seat. The next emperor is going to be Cabellenus. Of course, it should be, and it will be.â
âBut Your MajestyâŠâŠ.â
âI know Cabellenus has no interest in the throne.â
Gerpenusâs eyes darkened.
The power struggle between the Emperor and his wife was filled with bloodshed, and the defeated empress had to live in disgrace.
And, it was the same with Cabellenus, the Empressâs descendant.
In order to save his mother, his younger brother had to kneel before his father and beg for his life.
âMy father ordered Cabellenus to renounce his succession to the throne and wander the battlefields.â
âHow long do you think that promise will last?â
âThereâs no need to think about it. Cabellenus will still keep that promise.â
After ascending the throne, Gerpenus offered Cabellenus the position of emperor and ordered him to return to the capital.
However, instead of accepting the offer and returning to the capital, he asked for the cold, barren land, Schwarhan.
âThatâs the kind of child he is. A child who would never let go of what he once promised.â
Gerpenus couldnât understand why he was so persistent, yet indifferent, in that regard.
Gerpenus clicked his tongue and touched the tip of his chin with his thumb.
âIf Cabellenus were going to stay in the position as Grand Duke, it wouldnât matter if he hung out with the slave.â
ââŠâŠ.â
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âHowever, that child will become the emperor. Since thatâs the case, isnât it only right for him to have a woman that suits him?â
Gerpenusâs eyes curved like a long arc, resembling the shape of a crescent moon.
Once everything was in order, he would select a woman worthy of Cabellenus.
A woman of noble blood and dignity who would suit his younger brother.