Chapter 1
I sat by the bed, staring at the boy—no, the boy named Claudiel. It had already been a whole day since my mother brought him home.
“Stay by his side until he wakes up. You should be the first face he sees when he opens his eyes.”
Mom had laughed as she said this, comparing him to a baby bird that imprints on the first thing it sees. Then she left the mansion.
From time to time, servants and the butler came in, asking if I needed anything. But I only shook my head. Except when I went to the bathroom, I stayed next to Claudiel.
Honestly, I didn’t need to follow Mom’s words so seriously. The truth was—I was just curious.
Is he really the emperor’s illegitimate son? And how did he end up here?
I wanted to ask Mom, but she left before I had the chance. So I just waited. I thought he was only sleeping, so maybe he would wake up after one night. But a whole day passed, and now the sun was already setting behind Uncle Ail’s ranch fence—and Claudiel still hadn’t opened his eyes.
By then, I started to worry. He hadn’t eaten anything. Was he sick? Should I wake him up? Just as I was thinking that, someone knocked and opened the door.
“Elena!”
The voice was familiar. I turned and saw a blonde woman with a bright smile—my mother, Cecilia. She was holding a notebook in one hand. She walked over, patted my head, and looked down at Claudiel.
“He’s still not awake?”
“No. Mom… is something wrong with him? Could he be cursed, or sick, or something strange like that?”
“Oh, oh, really!”
Mom lightly tapped my nose and gave me a very sad look.
“My daughter is so clever, using such difficult words. I’m proud of you. But you’re only ten—you should sound like a ten-year-old! And calling me ‘Mother’? That makes me sad.”
She even pretended to cry like a tragic heroine. I sighed and answered, “Fine. Mom.”
At once, her cheerful smile returned, as if nothing had happened. She stroked my head again and turned back to Claudiel.
“I know what you’re worried about, but that’s not it. Maybe the medicine was too strong?”
“Medicine?” I blinked at her.
Mom rested her chin in her hand, staring at the boy. Then, noticing my expression, she looked back at me.
“Ah, don’t misunderstand. I mean the sedative they gave him at the slave market. Slaves usually resist a lot, so they’re given sleeping drugs.”
“Sl… slave? He’s a slave?”
“Yes. I would have preferred to bring him before that, but I couldn’t find him until now.”
Mom touched her cheek and spoke casually, then opened her notebook and scribbled something down. Her calm attitude only made my shock worse.
So… she really bought him from the slave market?!
“You look full of questions, my daughter.”
She smiled softly, and before I could reply, she hugged me close.
“Don’t worry. Remember what I always told you? You are the most special person in the whole world. Do you remember why?”
“…Because I’m your daughter.”
“Exactly! Because you are my daughter, you can become the one and only empress. Do you understand?”
Not at all! Yesterday I was just a normal girl, and today there’s suddenly the emperor’s illegitimate son in my house—who is also a slave!
“Mom. Is he really the emperor’s son?”
“Mm? Of course.”
“Really?”
“That gray hair proves it, doesn’t it?”
Well… she had a point. Gray hair was the mark of the imperial Adeboil family. But that didn’t mean every person with gray hair was royalty.
“Maybe he just looks similar. How do you know for sure?”
Even though slavery wasn’t forbidden in the empire, it wasn’t common or open. And people had already started debating whether to abolish it. Selling the emperor’s illegitimate son at auction? That was unthinkable. Surely even the auctioneers didn’t know who he was. But then… how could Mom be so sure?
She gave a sly smile and wagged her finger.
“Because I know everything.”
“How?”
“Because I’m your mom!”
“…”
I let out a long sigh.
Mom placed her pen and notebook on the table next to Claudiel’s bed, then cupped my cheeks with both hands and looked straight into my eyes.
“My daughter, you’ve been sighing too much lately. Didn’t I always tell you? If you sigh, your luck runs away. Keep smiling. If you smile, good things will come.”
Good things? Surely she didn’t mean suddenly bringing the emperor’s illegitimate son into our house. I swallowed the words before they could escape my mouth.
Mom straightened her back and looked down at Claudiel again. This time, her expression turned serious.
“Don’t worry, Elena.”
Unlike a moment ago, she now spoke with certainty, her lips curling into a confident smile.
“This boy is genuine.”
“…What?”
Her choice of words shocked me. Genuine? Like a real product?!
My mouth slowly fell open.
