IATVWAMOLS 52

52. What a Cruel Woman… That Child Is Also My Blood

[Hidden Episode: A Clue About the “Secret of Birth” Has Been Discovered.]

“Secret of birth?”

I looked between Lady Shailo and the Empress.

It was clear there was tension between the Empress and the Imperial Consort. But could this matter of the heart be connected to a secret of birth?

A new system window flickered before my eyes.

[SYSTEM: You may view a portion of the “Empress’s Faded Memories.”]

[☞View Now☜]

“…!”

Without thinking, I selected “View Now,” and an intense light poured out, so bright I could barely open my eyes.

My vision was flooded with white.

When I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again, the surroundings had changed to an unfamiliar space.

‘Where am I?’

A bed decorated in gold, crimson curtains surrounding it, a fireplace, and a small side table.

It was still within the palace, it seemed, but I couldn’t tell exactly where.

Judging from the luxurious yet cozy interior, I guessed it was the quarters of someone from the royal family.

Then, a door connected to one side of the room suddenly swung open.

“…!”

The Emperor entered the room with angry strides. The Empress followed closely behind, clearly in a rush.

The Emperor’s face was set, but he looked younger and more vigorous than in the present.

The Empress also looked much healthier, her face flushed with color.

The Emperor whipped around and glared at the Empress. His eyes were heavy with sorrow.

“What a cruel woman… Did you really have to treat a child—who isn’t even entitled to the succession—with such harshness?”

“Your Majesty.”

Despair and anger were etched all over his face.

The Empress exhaled deeply, prepared to take full responsibility for his reproach.

“You must be pained that a child is deprived of the light. But to me, he is merely a rival threatening my son’s place.”

“You are truly selfish. I can’t believe I shared a bed with such a cruel woman. It gives me chills.”

“….”

The Emperor buried his forehead in his hands.

He then gasped irregularly, letting his grief and rage pour out.

I could neither move nor speak, only watch the scene unfold.

After gathering his tumultuous emotions, the Emperor fixed his gaze on the Empress. His voice softened, yet was still firm.

“I doubt we can live as if nothing has happened between us. For the time being, remain quietly in the secondary palace.”

“Your Majesty, I will accept any punishment you decree. But not now. If the feudal lords run rampant and it becomes known that there is discord between us, the rival faction—”

“This is my imperial command.”

The Emperor cut her off without hesitation.

“If you utter another word, even as Empress, I will not forgive it.”

Veins stood out in his eyes, and unmeasurable resentment and anger bore down on her.

“That child is clearly of my blood. Consider it mercy that I have not charged you with regicide of the royal line.”

He stared at the Empress with icy, piercing eyes.

With that cold rebuke, the vision of the two gradually faded.

Blink.

‘Was that… the Empress’s memory?’

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the palace dining hall.

Peeking into someone else’s memory… I felt dizzy.

The Empress still glared at Shailo.

I paused to think.

‘A secret of birth, and a child deprived of the succession…’

From recalling the original story, I had some idea, but it was still speculation. I would need to investigate further later.

“Empress, must you always look so stern?”

Shailo smiled brightly, addressing the Empress.

“Though he is not my biological child, I care for His Highness the Crown Prince as if he were my son. That is all I meant.”

“Lady Shailo!”

The Empress was outraged at her audacity.

“We share the same husband anyway, right? When Your Majesty is not present, I will care for the Crown Prince as a mother would, so please do not worry.”

Shailo insulted the Empress without changing her expression. Everyone—myself, Icart, and the officials in the dining hall—watched in disbelief.

At that moment, the Emperor spoke.

“Shailo, do you even realize how reckless that is?”

“Your Majesty.”

Shailo looked shocked, as if she never expected the Emperor to scold her.

“Do not speak of the Crown Prince so lightly. No matter how arrogant he may act, he is my only heir.”

She had been ignoring the Empress, yet the Emperor’s displeasure flared when she threatened his heir.

‘Even an Emperor blinded by women is sensitive about succession.’

Indeed, Shailo’s proposal to adopt the Crown Prince was problematic in many ways.

It not only insulted the Crown Prince’s birth mother, the Empress, but also questioned his legitimacy.

I was the legitimate heir born of the Emperor and Empress. There could be no clearer proof of lineage.

When Perwin was appointed Crown Prince, his legitimacy by blood was decisive.

If, by chance, Perwin were adopted by Shailo, he would become a son of the Emperor and a concubine.

The Emperor’s discomfort was apparent in that scenario.

‘Shailo couldn’t have suggested adoption without knowing this…’

It must have been merely to provoke the Empress.

A declaration: she intended to take not only the husband but also the son.

I glanced at the Empress, noticing her hand trembling. Her attendants behind her looked miserable.

Once, she had been praised as the Mother of the People. Now, the empire’s once-noble moon had dimmed, sinking quietly.

Shailo clung to the Emperor’s arm.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I must have misspoken. Please don’t be too angry.”

The Emperor cleared his throat but accepted her coquettish touch without resistance.

The Empress smiled bitterly.

Earlier, in her memory, she had radiated vitality and energy. But now, before my eyes, she did not chastise Shailo nor scold the Emperor. She had resigned herself completely.

Years of accumulated burdens had chipped away at parts of her.

“….”

I felt an unexplainable concern, as if the Empress already knew of her miserable future.

“We shall take our leave now, Your Majesty.”

“Very well, Young Duke. I will create another opportunity to meet in the future.”

Icart, clearly wanting no more time at the luncheon, left immediately after finishing. I followed him out.

Yet my mind remained tangled with thoughts of the Empress.

‘The Empress eliminated the Emperor’s illegitimate child…’

From the memory, it seemed the Empress had removed the Emperor’s child from a concubine. This act caused a rift between her and the Emperor, leaving her to await a lonely end, overshadowed by illness and a beautiful consort.

‘It’s a useless worry. Feeling pity won’t change anything.’

I was barely managing to avoid my own death flags; whose safety should I even concern myself with?

The Empress was gradually and irreversibly declining. There was no stopping this flow.

‘But…’

I toyed with the brooch.

The Artine Brooch, once connected to Aunt Petunia, was originally a token of engagement with Perwin.

‘And also a gift from the Empress.’

My engagement to Perwin had been a decision by the Emperor, under pressure from rebellion and war.

However, during the selection of Roselia as the Crown Princess candidate, there had been significant opposition.

Roselia, daughter of the noble Serteia, was politically opposed to the Imperial Court.

Moreover, her character and abilities were not considered ideal for an Empress.

The Empress dispelled such opposition, supporting the engagement.

[Who else could care for the Crown Prince as sincerely as a devoted girl? What matters is her genuine concern for the sovereign and her compassion for all people. Any deficiencies can be taught gradually. That is why a grace period as Crown Princess exists.]

[The empire is facing a crisis of division. Accepting opposition factions into the Crown Princess’s ranks should not worry us; it is better that even opposing forces are brought into the Emperor’s embrace.]

The Empress believed this engagement would strengthen the Emperor and secure Perwin’s future. She gifted the Artine Brooch to Roselia, blessing the engagement.

[Be a guiding light for the empire, show mercy to the people, and uphold the glory of the Imperial House.]

She often invited Roselia to the Empress’s quarters to teach her the virtues of a Crown Princess and to ensure harmony between Roselia and Perwin.

‘Those efforts dwindled as the Empress’s health declined.’

After possessing Roselia’s body, I investigated everything around her and learned about the Empress. She had been the one to embrace Roselia when everyone else turned away.

‘Should this be called blind maternal love?’

The Empress’s terrible mistakes, as well as her care for Roselia as Crown Princess, all stemmed from her love for her son.

While “maternal love” cannot justify her cruel acts, it was confusing to face this hidden kindness toward Roselia.

Lost in thought, I followed Icart, who suddenly stopped.

“Brother, why?”

Icart frowned, looking toward the carriage stop.

“Why would the Marquis of Balton come all the way to the Imperial Court?”