Chapter 98: I took away Yeju's first love.
After a moment, Karina looked up at him with a slightly dazed expression.
Aster decided to send her back quickly, fearing she might change her mind.
"You came all this way and you're just going to turn back?"
"If I go, the duke won't be very happy."
While it was enjoyable to see Karina's flustered face, he didn't want to show it to others.
After seeing Karina, who kept looking back, off, Aster headed to the place he had seen earlier.
The person who emerged from the darkness had eyes that burned with the same desire as his.
"To see my beloved sister all the way out here."
Aster deliberately called him his brother.
He wanted to make it clear that this was a private, not a public, meeting.
"I came to visit a friend in the capital for a while."
"A friend, a friend. I heard you went to the capital recently because of an urgent matter."
Aster's words made Andrew's faint smile disappear.
He looked relieved, as if there was nothing left to hide.
"I came back in a hurry because something bad happened to my friend."
"A very precious friend, it seems. To come back from your journey."
"Yes, he is someone I would never trade for anything."
They both knew who they were talking about, but they just smiled at each other.
The tension was palpable, but Aster broke the silence.
"I have someone precious too, and I can understand that feeling."
Andrew clenched his fists.
It was obvious that the person he was talking about was Karina.
"Did you feel this way when you got married?"
A creaking sound was heard.
The duke's jealousy caused his power to leak out, affecting the surroundings.
Aster watched him with a smile.
"Did you choose Karina to torment me? If so, please stop."
"I don't understand what you're saying, Duke. You already have a wife, don't you? It was the wedding of the century. I remember it too."
Andrew, whom he thought would either be dead or living in obscurity, returned to the political scene with the hand of the Liberty Marquess's daughter.
"Remember? When you reappeared with the duchess, I was so surprised."
"Life is unpredictable, isn't it? You, who looked like you had everything, changed so suddenly."
The next day after the wedding, Aster vividly remembered the twisted feeling in his stomach at the thought of Andrew's happy face.
The face of a man who had collapsed in despair.
Andrew, losing his composure, grabbed Aster by the collar.
He had forgotten that Aster was the emperor he had once feared.
"What is the reason for this? Just because you hate me? So you're going to marry a woman you don't love?"
Aster moved his hand to grab Andrew's arm and slowly let go.
He couldn't overpower Aster.
Andrew retreated as if fleeing.
Aster looked down at the hand he was holding.
His clean, unblemished hand contrasted starkly with his own.
He once felt inferior about such things.
"Do you know? At first, it was half curiosity and half revenge."
"But Karina only took my hand to seek revenge."
Seeing the eyes, similar in color to his own, filled with despair was always enjoyable.
"Perhaps... The one who is despicable is you, who cares for another woman while having a wife."
"I never loved Tatiana for a single moment."
"That's a convenient love. You call it love when you need it, and say it never happened when you don't. The princess would be very pleased to hear that."
At the mention of Karina, Andrew took a step back.
"Truly shameless and cowardly."
Aster decided to stop teasing Andrew.
He didn't need to confirm his love to him, but he didn't like seeing Karina with those greedy eyes.
"And who said I don't love her?"
Aster's sarcastic tone made Andrew's mouth gape open.
The brother he knew hated the emotion of love.
He had seen firsthand how his father's obsession had destroyed his mother.
"There's no reason not to be."
"That's absurd. If Karina knew about you, she would definitely..."
"Duke, we know more about each other than you think."
Aster straightened his wrinkled shirt and grabbed Andrew's shoulder.
When he applied pressure, Andrew's face contorted.
"So consider this the last time I'll forgive something like this."
Usually, Andrew would have backed down by now, but today he didn't.
"Stop circling around. Didn't I say before that this would be the last time I'd let it slide?"
Andrew knew that Aster was in a difficult position. That's why he always appeared before Karina first.
At first, Aster thought it was guilt, but after the hunting competition, he changed his mind completely.
"You should pay more attention to your wife. You're causing too much trouble, and it's giving me a headache."
When Andrew didn't respond, Aster lightly patted his shoulder and turned away.
Andrew, unable to say anything, lowered his head.
Filled with self-loathing, defeat, and jealousy, he couldn't do anything.
When I returned to my room, I told my father that Aster had proposed to me.
"Yes, technically, it's an engagement."
Father looked at me with a slightly confused expression.
"Do you really plan to marry the Emperor?"
"You know, there aren't many people in this empire who would marry me now."
Unfortunately, my previous fiancés were all prominent figures.
If I couldn't find someone domestically, I would have to look abroad, which I didn't want to do.
"Marriage isn't necessarily essential."
"Until recently, you said I had to get married."
"That's... But if that duchess starts fawning over the Emperor again..."
The betrayal by Tatiana, who took my fiancé, had also deeply shaken Father's trust.
After all, I had been complacent about my engagement, only to have it broken off due to Wilhelm's affair.
"The Emperor seems different."
"But what if something happens?"
My previous engagements had left scars on our entire family.
"It won't happen again. Don't worry too much."
I couldn't explain everything right away, so it was hard to convince Father.
Seeing his still doubtful face, I sighed.
After checking on Mother, I headed to the island.
Thanks to Aster, who supported me when I was about to collapse yesterday, I felt much lighter.
The biggest source of my anxiety was the fear that if my family disappeared, I would have no one on my side.
The fear of losing the only person who could support me through countless betrayals.
Aster had erased that fear.
I didn't realize that the existence of someone who believes in and supports me, even if they're not family, could be such a great source of strength.
'Aster is different from others.'
Mother will surely get better, and the number of people who believe in me is growing.
Recalling the emotions I felt when I saw Aster yesterday, I was sure I could overcome that anxiety.
I patted the worried little fluff ball and turned my gaze.
We were almost at the island.
The purification work was nearing its end.
It would likely be completed by next week.
"If only the head of the magic tower could see this."
Chris sniffled as he reported, making my eyes well up too.
"Chris! You should come out and see this."
A mage who rushed into the tent saw me and bowed.
The mage began to speak at Chris's urging.
"Traces of an ancient civilization have been found inside the mine."
"What? What did you say? Is that true!"
Chris exclaimed in shock.
"An ancient civilization?"
Hearing this for the first time, I asked Chris for an explanation.
"It's a city that only exists in legends among mages. It's said to have fallen during a war involving demigods, but there was no evidence. No related artifacts have ever been found, and it was only recorded in historical texts..."
He seemed eager to go and see it, looking at me for permission.
Is he talking about something like Atlantis?
"I'll go with you. I'm curious to see it."
"Of course, come this way."
I headed towards the cave with them.
The cave was filled with various equipment.
The mages who couldn't take their eyes off the seasonal stone just yesterday were now absent.
They must have all gone to see the ancient civilization.
After passing through a narrow gap, a spacious area opened up.
A large space with a high ceiling and a hole letting in light.
There were a few buildings of an unfamiliar style.
Chris, forgetting I was there, rushed in excitedly.
I leaned over to Pio, who came with us.
"Do you know anything about this?"
[It's just a past civilization that flourished. I heard that all traces of it were supposed to be gone, but it seems some remain.]
I walked over to the giant cave mural the mages were examining.
It was filled with bizarre, indescribable images.
There was a human wearing a bracelet identical to the one Tatiana and I had.