C70
I quickly hid behind the statue of the armored knight next to me. Fortunately, they didn't seem to notice my presence because they were deeply engrossed in their discussion.
"Now that I think about it, the emperor wasn't in the banquet hall. Did he come here while dancing with Terence while trying to find the Empress? Perhaps the Empress could have summoned him."
"How dare you bring that disgusting illegitimate son to this imperial palace? And at the same time, acknowledge him as a prince?"
Even in the face of his wife, who screamed as if spitting blood, the emperor responded calmly.
"Whether he's illegitimate or not, that doesn't change the fact that Terence is my son. It's only natural for him to be treated as a prince."
"Are you so sad about your first love being dead? Is that why you can't even distinguish between right and wrong?"
"Be careful with what you say!"
"No matter with whom you had a passionate love, I'm the one you ended up marrying! How much have my family and I done for this empire?"
The Empress shouted. I learned from her that it's possible to feel pity even when looking at someone burning with anger.
"I know, I know well. When my brother died, and I suddenly became the crown prince, you and the Birod family became my hands and feet."
The emperor also sighed, feeling bitter as he saw his wife like this. But he didn't give up.
"So, despite your attempts to kill my son several times, haven't I held you accountable?"
"What crime is it to get rid of an illegitimate child? I should have killed him when he was young!"
The Empress was also a ruthless person in power, regardless of its injustice.
"I am your wife and the empress of this empire! No matter how much you love that woman and her illegitimate son, my son is the next emperor!"
"Empress... It seems you are mistaken about something. Do you really think I loved my ex-fiancée so much that I brought Terence to the palace?"
The Empress seemed embarrassed by those words, lacking warmth. The heat in my head seemed to have cooled a bit, and my senses returned.
"T-Then why do you insult me like this?"
"My personal feelings and the fact that you are my first wife are secondary matters when it comes to succeeding to the throne. What matters is who should become emperor for the benefit of the Asteroth royal family."
"Does this mean Mikhail is not fit to be the next emperor? Since a young age, the boy worked hard to become the successor. He is a prince with both civil and military skills."
"He was like that until a few years ago."
"What do you mean...?"
"In fact, don't you know well? The one blinded by love is not me but Mikhail."
The Empress was left speechless.
"If I brought Terence here out of affection or regret, I would have done it a long time ago."
"I see..."
"I'll speak bluntly. I believe that if the crown prince ascends to the throne, it will be the Cassius family, not Asteroth, that will rule this empire in the future."
"Your Majesty!"
"Look at the nonsense he did today again! He clung to that girl while offering her drinks and pretended to be her servant!"
"It's a misunderstanding!"
"What a misunderstanding. Although Duke Cassius and his two sons openly bared their teeth and growled, he just laughed. Now he even calls the duke 'father-in-law'?"
"Isn't all this an effort to tame Cassius?"
"Stop making excuses, Empress. Your son is crazy about the young lady from Cassius!"
Now I finally understand. The truth is, I had some slight doubts. Why did the emperor, who loved his illegitimate son so much, name Terence, who was always in the shadow in Liena's first life, as a prince in her second life?
"Liena assumed that the emperor, who loved his illegitimate son, was taking advantage of the weakened power of the Birod family to satisfy his personal greed."
However, even when I saw the scene face to face between the emperor and Terence in the story, I felt a barrier for some reason, so I couldn't help but feel that there must be another hidden reason, and the truth was this.
The emperor is someone who values the continuation of the royal family more than his dead first love, his wife, or his children. A person who pities and loves his poor son but can write as many words as he wants.
"If both Mikhail and Terence are considered unworthy to wear the emperor's crown, I will pass the emperor's crown to a suitable successor, even if it means taking care of someone else's children. It's not a bad idea to consecrate a useful collateral son."
"It's not possible! That can't be possible! Mikhail can do it well!
"A mother's love is truly amazing. It can firmly protect a son who abandoned his mother's family, the Duke of Birod.
"...!
"During the Rock of Abundance incident, the Empress said that. "Mikhail will regain his senses after a while."
Rock of Abundance. I knew that name.
In the trial over the ownership of the rock, Farrell, Cassius' veteran lawyer, achieved victory using a device called a recorder.
"That's right. Now that I think about it, during that incident, Mikhail sided with Cassius."
Indeed, the Rock of Abundance was a sacred object that increased the fertility of the surrounding lands. It is said that a goddess gave it to a human who faithfully served her a long time ago. However, over time, all those who knew the value of the rock disappeared.
If things had gone according to plan, an archaeologist would have discovered the truth while studying the rock, but Liena, who had seen the future, took the initiative and obtained the rock. At a ridiculously low price.
"The original owner of the rock, the Duke of Birod, who later heard the truth from an archaeologist, was furious."
They took with their own hands the rock that turned the territory into the empire's best granary. Due to this, cereal production in Birod's territory decreased significantly. On the other hand, Cassius' cereal production increased significantly.
Birod, wanting to reclaim the rock at any cost, sought help from the emperor. In the Asteroth Empire, the emperor had the power to annul even the results of a trial.
The emperor was worried. Having authority and actually exercising it were two different things. He didn't have the courage to blatantly support his wife's family.
"I would like to leave this matter in the hands of the crown prince who will rule the Asteroth Empire in the future. It would be better to gain experience as a monarch beforehand."
He put his son in his place. Everyone, including the Emperor and the Empress, had no doubts that Mikhail would side with his mother. But surprisingly.
[—As confirmed in the trial, there is no defect in the transaction between Duke Birod and Princess Cassius. Therefore, ownership of the rock belongs to Cassius.]
Mikhail sided with Cassius based on the recording that Liena secretly recorded during the transaction. Even if Birod didn't know the true value of the rock, that doesn't mean there was no transaction.
"It's a clear theory, but..."
The problem was that the political world didn't revolve solely around political opinions. It was a betrayal towards Duke Birod, who had been the greatest supporter of his grandson.
It was difficult to say that Mikhail was selfless. At that time, he was already in love with Liena and hoped to become her strength.
This becomes an opportunity for the Empress, who only later realizes the relationship between her son and Princess Cassius, to develop extreme aversion towards Liena. Well, in the second half of the story, she also falls prey to Liena's beauty.
"The Empress said at that time that Mikhail would regain his senses after a few years, so we should wait, right? But this is the result."
The emperor spoke casually to his wife.
"Give me a little more time! I am also thinking about that child..."
"For the sake of his mother, I hope the crown prince feels a sense of crisis when he sees Terence. It wouldn't be good for me if the crown prince changed, and the confusion increased."
"Your Majesty! Anyway, how can you say such a thing?"
"I assure you that if Mikhail continues like this, I will have no choice but to make a decision."
As if about to return to the banquet hall, the emperor turned and came towards me.
I am ruined. The bronze knight statue couldn't completely cover my body.
Certainly not in the mood to calmly say, "Haha, see you here again...?!"
As the two high-ranking individuals were so upset, I knew sparks would fly in this direction.
At that moment...
"Uh?"
The emperor made a strange sound. Have you found me already?
"What brings you here, Terence?"
A sweet voice came from behind me.
"I came here out of consideration because you've been away for a long time."
Terence, naturally, turned his back to me and welcomed the emperor. I was completely hidden by the statue of the knight and by Terence, so I was out of the Emperor's sight.
"No way..."
Did he want to ask if he heard the entire conversation with the empress? However, the emperor changed the subject.
"Hey, I'm not a child. It's for you, so why are you following me?"
"The main character today is my father."
"Alright, let's go back now."
The two, father and son, walked away towards the banquet hall.
"..."
The word "Father" that came out of Terence's mouth a moment ago sounded particularly hollow. That large back that hid me seemed strangely small.
"This is bad."
In the novel, Terence was generally considered "an arrogant illegitimate son who only believes in the love of the emperor and pursues the legitimate heir, Mikhail." However, Terence's only weapon, his father's love, was extremely unstable.
The Emperor could abandon Terence at any moment if the need arose.
What saddens me the most is that he knows it all. Although he must have heard the conversation between the Emperor and the Empress, his face I saw a moment ago seemed calm.
How did he, the dark figure of the novel, come into conflict with Mikhail, who had everything: a powerful maternal family, a lover blessed by the goddess, a devoted mother, and legitimacy?
It was something I couldn't help but wonder.
"...The throne belongs to my son. I will never hand it over to that guy."
The Empress muttered and disappeared in the opposite direction of the Emperor. I waited for some time and then walked towards the banquet hall.
"I suddenly feel tired."
I was planning to tell the ambassador's family and then return first. However, at that moment, something very strange was happening in the banquet hall.
Naturally, at the center of the incident was Liena.