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Chapter 35




“This is my answer.”
It felt hot, as if her cheeks were on fire.
Even as Rosena wrapped her cheek, the empress drank tea with a calm face as if nothing had happened.
“I’m glad your son is stupid. I don’t have to get my hands dirty.”
Rosena’s face turned white. The empress was now saying that if Illian was a normal child like others, she would not have let it slide.
The empress was the second most powerful person in the empire after the emperor.
It was not strange if those who were hated by the empress were killed overnight.
No matter how hard Rosenna tried to protect Illian, In the end, it’s all in the palms of the empress.
Rosena folded her trembling fingers into her palms and squeezed them.
Then she swallowed the rough words that had filled her throat and picked out the words.
“I know what you’re worried about.”
The empress was wary of Yerhan, who had the right to succeed to the throne.
For her, Yerhan and her presence was a stain on the white cloth, it was bound to bother.
“I’ve never had greed beyond my means. I will continue to live like the dead as I always have been.”
The empress raised her chin as if to tell her to keep talking. Then Rosena said firmly.
“If the empress harms my child, I will not stand still either.”
“You won’t stay still?”
The empress laughed. But her eyes were freezing cold.
“Just like the empress, I’m a mother of a child before I became a prince’s wife.”
“You’re so rude. I’m the one holding your life.”
Hearing her cold words, Rosena bit her lip. It didn’t matter if the empress owned her life or something like that. But the empress knew clearly that her weakness was Illian.
The empress skimmed Rosena’s face and threw cold words at her.
“You better listen to me. If you’re worried about your child’s safety.”
The empress shook her hand after putting down the teacup.
“You can go.”
Rosena got up from her seat and then felt the pain in her cheek.
It felt like her skin was being ripped off because she couldn’t even feel how hard the maid hit her.
Her rigid body loosened a little and Rosena opened the door.
As soon as she tried to go outside, she saw Yerhan at the door.
She didn’t think he’d be out there, so Rosena paused.
Yerhan’s blue eyes turned toward Rosena like an instinct.
Rosena was choked up when their eyes met.
The feelings that she held back while being alone with the empress were bursting out at once.
Actually, it wasn’t that she wasn’t nervous. She pretended to be as calm as she could, but she was actually afraid. It was because she knew that the future depends on what the empress said.
She had to pretend nothing happened and reassure him that she was okay….. But she couldn’t.
Yerhan couldn’t say anything. His heavy gaze stuck to Rosena’s cheek and he didn’t think of turning away.
Ripples arose as if a stone had been thrown into those still eyes.
It is the usual Yerhan who doesn’t show much emotion. But now he was angry enough for Rosena to feel it.
Rosena flinched in the biting cold energy.
Numerous emotions passed through his distorted face.
Yerhan, whose gaze pierced Rosena’s cheek, turned his head and looked at the empress.
“Did the Empress do that?”
“Who knows?”
The empress rose from her seat and answered vaguely.
Upon the serenity and relaxation felt in her expression and speech, Yerhan hardened his face and spit out the words,
“Don’t touch my wife.”
The empress burst into laughter after a moment of silence.
Her smooth expression like a porcelain doll broke and she laughed as if she was truly enjoying this.
After a long time, the empress smiled, walked in front of Yerhan, looked him in the eye and whispered,
“Maybe it’s because you’re in front of your wife, but you’re in high spirits today.”
The empress cast her eyes on Rosena for a moment, then looked at Yerhan again and raised the corners of her mouth.
“What if we already made an agreement?”
Yerhan, who was silent for a moment, approached her.
A big shadow cast over the empress, and the empress raised her head stiffly.
The empress’s shoulders hardened under tremendous pressure, as if witnessing a huge mountain rage.
She instinctively stepped back and raised her hand. It was to call a knight.
At that moment, Yerhan snatched the empress’s wrist. The empress swallowed her breath, and couldn’t even think it was painful.
Yerhan looked down at the empress with cold eyes and whispered without expression.
“I can accept all the things that you’ve done to me so far.”
“What do…”
“But not to my wife.”
Yerhan, who cut off the empress’s words, slowly let go of her wrist and said,
“Please look forward to it. What can I do.”
Even after the tightening of her wrists disappeared, the empress stood there blankly for a moment.
Red marks remained like scars on the wrist that Yerhan grabbed.
She belatedly clenched her fist and shouted in a trembling voice.
“…How dare you!”
But Yerhan was calm.
The empress’s face, which did not show much emotion no matter what happened, was completely distorted. She chewed her lips in anger.
After the life that had been struck at once like a wave was lifted, Yerhan took a step back.
Then he walked out of the hall, with his back to the empress and an arm wrapped around Rosena’s shoulder.
By the time Yerhan was completely out of the hall, Rosenna, who had left the main palace with him in a daze, also stopped.
Yerhan, who let out a loud breath, turned his head and examined Rosena’s face.
Yerhan bit his lips looking at her swollen cheek.
“…Doesn’t it hurt?”
Rosena just nodded, her head stiff. It was still burning, but it wasn’t unbearable.
Rather, she was more concerned with Yerhan’s expression than the pain felt on her cheek.
Standing silently, Yerhan reached out and swept Rosena’s hair away.
Then, the vivid, reddish mark on the cheek was revealed.
Yerhan was silent for a long time, then he bowed his head.
“I’m sorry.”
She felt resentment and sadness at those powerless words.
She felt strange. It had been a long time since someone felt hurt and sad for her.
Her father, who can be said to be her only family, had that expression whenever she was injured.
A tingling sensation spread to her heart, and Rosena unwittingly reached out and grabbed Yerhan’s hand.
As the warmth delivered through their connected hands, his cloudy blue eyes turned to Rosena.
“Ah, this…”
It was then that Rosena realized that she had held his hand and tried to pull it out. But he held Rosena’s hand tight and wouldn’t let her go.
“I will make sure I never let this happen again.”
She felt determination in a small whisper. When Rosena nodded, he finally let go of her hand.
“Mom….”
Rosena lowered her head to the voice of Illian. Then Ilian stretched out his arms.
As Rosena leaned down slowly, Illian’s finger touched Rosena’s cheek lightly.
Warm little fingers ran pass through Rosena’s cheeks.
“Does it huwt?”
With a teary face, Rosena gave Illian a light hug.
“Mom’s fine.”
At Rosena’s sweet voice, Illian buried his face in her arms.
The warmth of Illian, who hugged her tightly, was comforting.
Rosena felt weird. It was unfamiliar to her that there were two people who felt hurt for her.
But it wasn’t that bad.
The three left the Emperor’s Palace. Rosena’s cheek was swollen and red, so she planned to return to the Prince Palace first.
The trio walked through the garden of the emperor’s palace to get to the carriage.
The sun was moderately warm and the garden was beautifully planted with all kinds of flowers.
Nevertheless, Illian walked silently without saying a word.
He realized how little power he had compared to the emperor and the empress.
Illian, who quietly followed Rosenna, glared lightly at Yerhan. It was because Yerhan was not responsible for Rosena’s injury at all.
There was no one in front of him to blame, so he needed a replacement.
Despite feeling the low, passionate gaze, Yerhan only walked silently.
It was the moment Rosena was about to walk around the corner of the garden.
“Oh my!”
Rosena, who bumped into a person approaching from the other side, stumbled.
Then an arm stretched out grabbed Rosena’s arm.
As she got closer to her opponent, there was a strange and familiar scent. Rosena, who managed to balance, looked up.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince…”
Instead of saying thank you, an unexpected name popped up from Rosena’s startled mouth.
When the name was called, the crown prince holding Rosena’s arm smiled brightly. Then he called Rosena in a very friendly way.
“Long time no see. Rosena Estarot.”
When her name was called, Rosena opened her eyes wide. It was because she didn’t know he would call her by her name without a single title.
Meanwhile, Yerhan immediately came forward.
He pushed away the crown prince’s hand that held Rosena’s arm and gently pulled Rosena toward him.
“The title is wrong. Your Highness.”
“I’ll keep it in mind in public places.”
Crown prince Zigrit replied leisurely. Rosena, who was standing between the two men with sharp eyes, greeted him first.
“Long time no see, Your Highness, and thank you for holding on to me.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Zigrit smiled, calming his sharp energy at once.
“By the way, I’m lucky to bump into you. I was wondering if I could meet you when they told me you were going to the main palace.”
Rosena narrowed her eyes to his overly friendly and pretentious attitude.
She wondered what he had to do to come all the way here and wait. She just felt uncomfortable for no reason.
As Rosena remained unanswered, Zigrit’s gaze clung to her cheek.
Rosena reflexively covered her cheek slightly with her palm. The swollen cheek seemed to have resulted from being slapped by someone.
Zigrit squinted at Rosena’s cheek. And it was the moment he reached out and naturally tried to touch Rosena’s cheek.
“I guess you don’t see me.”
Yerhan held Zigrit’s hand. When the action was stopped, Zigrit narrowed his eyebrows slightly and shook off Yerhan’s hands unpleasantly.
“I keep forgetting you’re here.”
He replied calmly as if he had not seen him because of his weak presence.
Yerhan’s face was about to turn fierce, and Illian, who held onto the hem of Rosena’s clothes, looked up at Zigrit and asked,
“Who is… this uncle?”
Zigrit’s smiling face broke upon the word ‘uncle’.
In the brief silence, Rosena barely swallowed her smile, and Yerhan’s ferocious energy was shattered.
Illian leaned his head with an innocent expression.
“Why do you keep… touching my mom?”
The innocent question hardened Zigrit’s face. Rosena hurriedly smiled and apologized.
“I’m sorry. Forgive me with your great generosity.”
Zigrit, who had been rigid, barely recovered his expression and asked with the corners of his mouth pulled up.
“Is that your child?”
“It’s our child.”
Yerhan, who was watching what Illian was doing behind the scenes, replied clearly.
Rosena looked at Yerhan, who was full of blades.
He was sharper than when he met the emperor.
Like a man who was wary of something dangerous.
“…He’s cute.”
Zigrit bent down and made eye contact with Illian.
Illian flinched at Zigrit’s gaze.
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were so cold as if it could freeze everything in the world.
Zigrit slowly straightened his back. And, as he continued to do so, he only made eye contact with Rosena.
“What’s wrong with your cheek anyway?”
“…….”
Rosena was silent. She couldn’t say that the crown prince’s mother, the empress, was to blame.
When Rosena did not speak, the arrow returned to Yerhan.
“What did you do until your wife became like this?”
Yerhan’s eyebrows shifted. Yerhan replied with a sarcastic tone.
“The empress has a quick hand. She was indeed Your Highness’ mother.”
Zigrit’s face hardened. Yerhan twisted his mouth and added,
“I will keep your words in mind when things like this ever happen again.”
Yerhan, who was smiling at him, drew closer. The distance between the two narrowed, and Yerhan whispered leisurely.
“And don’t provoke me too much. Don’t you still need me?”
“Yerhan Herbet…!”
A voice boiling from the inside of his throat popped out of Zigrit’s mouth.
But Yerhan remained cold, unlike the burning Zigrit.
“Well, I’ll see you formally next time. I have something to do on behalf of the crown prince soon.”
Taking a step back, Yerhan grabbed Rosena’s hand lightly.
“We’d better go back and rest.”
The soft whisper was completely different from the way he just spoke to Zigrit.
Yerhan, who didn’t even give her a chance to greet, took a step. Rosena walked quickly to keep up with him.
Zigrit did not hold on to such Rosena and Yerhan.
As he grew farther and farther away, Rosena continued to stare at Yerhan.
She didn’t know the details, but the relationship between the two seemed bad.
Since they are half-brothers, they may seem strange even if they have a good relationship, but how to say it… They looked closer to natural enemies that could not coexist with each other.
Rosena asked cautiously while agonizing alone.
“Is there something that happened between you and the crown prince?”
When the story of Zigrit came out, Yerhan’s eyebrows naturally narrowed.
“Are you worried about the crown prince?”
“No, it’s you…”
Yerhan stopped at once. He looked surprised if the answer was very unexpected.
“Are you, are you worried about me?”
There was a faint excitement in the voice that slowly replied.
With Yerhan’s look that changed much better, Rosena briefly pondered.
Whatever the case, it was natural that she cares more about him, who she meets face to face more often than the crown prince.
“Yes.”
A brief answer returned, and Yerhan closed his mouth.
Yerhan, who was looking down at Rosena, turned his head towards another place.
It was an expressionless face as usual, but the tip of his mouth was slightly raised.
It was a minor change, but Rosena, who had been watching him from the sidelines for more than a month, could notice.
Yerhan hesitated and answered slowly.
“I’ll tell you everything.…. someday when the time comes.”
He blurted out that it’s not because he didn’t want to talk, but because he couldn’t.
Rosena wondered what had happened between the royal family and Yerhan, but if she asked further, she might not be able to hear the answer.
The three climbed into the waiting carriage.
As soon as he got on the carriage, Yerhan drew a curtain across the window and looked straight at Rosena.
“Keep away from the crown prince.”
Rosena recalled the crown prince’s face for a moment.
He is definitely a beautiful person, and there seemed to be no problem with his character. But talking to him made her feel uncomfortable.
She wanted to avoid him instinctively, and she got goosebumps when thinking of it.
Rosena stuttered away the thought of the crown prince as she narrowed her eyes.
“I don’t even have any intention to get close to him. How to put it… he’s kind of creepy.”
Yerhan nodded satisfactorily at Rosena’s judgement.
“You have seen it correctly.”
Rosena thought it was the first time she had ever seen Yerhan look so satisfied.