Sovieshu frowned as if Marquis Karlâs words made no sense, so far-fetched that they didnât even deserve to be heard.
âWhat are you saying? Navier is married to me.
âAfter the divorce, she remarried.â
âShe divorced me?â
There was no edge in Sovieshuâs voice. He didnât believe Marquis Karlâs words.
Marquis Karl tugged at his own beard and didnât say anything to contradict Sovieshu, whose eyes twitched.
Although Sovieshu knew deep down that something wasnât right, he preferred to turn a blind eye because it all seemed so absurd.
âWhy would I divorce Navier? Did Navier⊠did she cheat on me with another man? Does she not care about me? Or is it because of the peaches?â
Marquis Karl felt the urge to cry and laugh at the same time. A smile came to his eyes and sadness came to his lips.
He recalled the close relationship between Navier and Sovieshu in the past. Back then, no one would have expected that Sovieshu would one day divorce Navier. The fight over some peaches was the worst thing that Marquis Karl could remember about that time.
âHow did they end up like this?â
âYour Majesty took another woman as your concubine.â
â!â
âThatâs not all. You divorced Navier to make your concubine the Empress.â
âWhatâŠ? Thatâs⊠thatâs ridiculousâŠâ
âThatâs what happened. So Navier remarried and settled in the Western Empire.â
Sovieshu shook his head with wide eyes.
âThat doesnât make sense. I fell in love with another woman and asked Navier for a divorce? Me? How was I able to do that?â
âYou did.â
Sovieshu, who was constantly shaking his head, suddenly stopped and asked.
âIs that womanâs name Rashta?â
âDid you remember it?â
âNo. I heard the courtiers whispering her name as I woke up.â
Sovieshu thought about it some more and asked,
âDoes that woman have reddish hair by any chance?â
âNo, itâs completely different.â
Marquis Karl answered with certainty.
âI canât believe it. I canât believe I married another woman. I canât believe I asked Navier for a divorce. Itâs absolutely impossible.â
âYour MajestyâŠâ
âEnough with the silly jokes! Please!â
With that, Sovieshu hurried to the Western Palace.
The Knight Commander helped him without saying a word.
Sovieshu entered the room which had been occupied by Navier back then, but it was completely empty. As soon as he saw the empty rooms, Sovieshu lost strength in his legs and nearly collapsed.
The Knight Commander reacted quickly, preventing Sovieshuâs fall. When Sovieshu looked at Marquis Karl with a stiff expression. Marquis Karl bowed his head, his heart heavy with pain.
If Sovieshuâs memory had truly returned to his days as the Crown Prince, then, from his perspective, he had suddenly lost both his mother and his wife. His despair must be enormous.
Sovieshu looked at the floor for a moment and then said, âLetâs go back.â
Back in his bedroom in the Eastern Palace, while he was examined by the palace doctor, Sovieshu asked,
âMarquis Karl. Did Navier⊠suffer a lot? Because of me?â
âYes. She suffered very much. Very much.â
ââŠâ
âShe had a very difficult time.â
Marquis Karl thought that Sovieshu would now ask about Rashta. He thought he would ask about the woman whom he loved so much, enough to leave Navier. As he decided on the right words, Sovieshu asked another question.
âIs it possible to bring Navier back?â
Marquis Karl looked at him in surprise. The palace doctor, who was still there, also looked at Sovieshu with wide eyes.
However, Sovieshuâs expression was serious. He stared at Marquis Karl with determination and repeated himself.
âAlright. Didnât you say Iâm the Emperor? Iâll find out for myself.â
âYour Majesty!â
âAnother question, Marquis Karl. Who did Navier remarry?â
âShe married Prince Heinley of the Western Kingdom.â
âBullshit! Damn it, tell me this is a joke at once! Please! You mean she married that child who used to run away from home all the time? Navier?â
He was startled. He raised his hand and swiped it across his head.
âItâs absurd. As affected as Navier⊠was by the divorce, how could she marry that⊠that childâŠâ
Marquis Karl was close to laughter despite the sadness of the situation. He could understand the reason for Sovieshuâs reaction.
âPrince Heinley is no longer a child, Your Majesty.â
The palace doctor had spoken instead of Marquis Karl. With a frown, Sovieshu recognized,
âI overlooked the fact that the Prince must have grown up by now, too.â
Marquis Karl added a few more words.
âHe is no longer a Prince.â
âReally?â
âHe has now ascended to the throne as the Emperor of the Western Empire.â
âWestern Empire? What do you mean by Empire? Isnât it the Western Kingdom?â
âThe Western Kingdom proclaimed itself an Empire.â
âHow could a country that only has jewels proclaim itself an Empire?â
At that age, Sovieshu had shadowed his father, so he had learned the practical matters regarding geopolitics, and even led some tasks. With help and guidance, he would regain his former skills eventually.
But there was a lot of work to be done right now. Duke Elgy, Glorym, and all other sorts of problems that come up every dayâŠ
Marquis Karl complained internally, â⊠weâll have to manage somehow.â
He felt that he and the other secretaries were under so much pressure, they would die in a few years.
Despite the distress he felt, he didnât show any signs of it and asked the palace doctor,
âHow is he?â
âHe has bruises, sprains and broken bones, but nothing too serious. If he adheres to the treatment, he will recover.â
Marquis Karl looked at Sovieshu and asked quietly, âWhat about his head?â
Sovieshu narrowed his eyes because Marquis Karl had not spoken low enough that he couldnât hear, but he knew that his condition was unusual, so he also waited for the answer.
The palace doctor shook his head without confidence.
âHe did not suffer any serious blows to the head. In my opinionâŠâ
The doctor hesitated, wondering whether it was right to say, âIt seems to be a mental problem,â but Sovieshu asked first, âAm I crazy?â
Once the doctor shook his head hurriedly, Sovieshu sighed and lay down on the bed.
âIâll take a long nap. My limbs hurt a lot. Besides⊠I donât know why Iâm so sleepy.â
âIâll change your bandages.â
âAll right.â
By the time the palace doctor applied ointment to the affected areas and put on new bandages, Sovieshu was already deeply asleep, as if he had fainted.
Marquis Karl ordered the courtiers gathered in the bedroom to leave. He then left with the palace doctor.
However, he made sure to leave a knight in the bedroom to prevent Sovieshu from hurting himself again.