Carson spat out a curse and touched his forehead at the situation. He soon raised his head and glared at the Emperor with eyes mixed with resentment. However, he ignored Carson. As the Emperor ran out of the hall, his knights pushed Carson out.
Noah could not keep up with the situation and had no choice but to be pushed by the knights with his eyes wide open.
“I will serve you, Your Highness.”
When one of them, who seemed to be the commander of the knights, spoke, Carson bit his lips and spat.
“I will go to the Emperor’s palace.”
“I will follow your orders.”
Noah bowed his head as if he'd been his vassal from the start, then crumpled into a ball and hastened his steps in Carson's presence.
***
The Emperor was neither in the audience room nor in his office. He was in a bedroom on the second floor of the Emperor’s palace. It was a place where the beautiful view of the Imperial Palace spread out beyond the balcony.
While Carson searched anxiously, the Emperor sat leisurely on the balcony. He had already had a drink.
“Why on earth did you do that?”
The Emperor remained silent despite his sudden shout.
“Your Majesty!”
“Would you like a drink?”
The Emperor pointed to the seat across from him with his chin and asked.
“Aren’t I asking why on earth did you do that?”
“The sunset here is magnificent. If we wait a little longer, won’t the sunset?”
Carson felt dizzy for a moment and pressed his eyes tightly to catch his breath.
Before he knew it, his feet had been pushed into the middle of a storm. He was hanging from a cliff without a rope. He had been swept up in a whirlwind of political strife that he had never wanted.
“Your Majesty!”
“Calm down, my son.”
“Calm down? Are you saying that now? Why on earth did you do that?”
“I just did what I always wanted to do.”
Carson laughed in amazement, even making an irreverent “Ha.”
“You always wanted that? Has there really been a day like that?”
“You don’t know everything about this father’s heart, do you?”
“Be honest.”
The Emperor put down his wine glass loudly at his sharp words. Their golden eyes, shining in the same color, looked at each other.
“What more can I be honest about here? I chose my eighth son, not the Empress’s second son. That is my inherent right, and since you are my son, you must accept it as a Prince.”
“Are you saying that you made such an important decision without saying a word?”
“Then, I should have consulted with you? You must have told me not to do so.”
“Father!”
It was the first time Carson had called him father. The Emperor laughed in vain because it was the voice of a man so enraged.
“Yes, I am your father. What did you promise to the Empress who asked you to swear allegiance to Anthony this time? The land of Landhill? So you will give it up without a word?”
“If I don’t give it up. Are you telling me to take the blame for treason and flee to the duchy?”
The Emperor shook his head and looked up at his son.
“This time, you can give her one piece of land, but what will you give her next time? If I let it go like this, do you think things will be okay next time? Do you know what the Empress will ask for next time!”
“How could someone who knows so well endure it all this time? Why! Are you telling me to do what even my father could not do?”
The father’s mouth snapped shut. What could a truly incompetent father say to a son who calls him incompetent?
“You are different from me.”
It was a difficult word, but it did not move Carson’s heart.
“All my children were my children, so I couldn’t help it. But not anymore. I have come to realize that making you the emperor is the way to save everyone.”
Carson could not say anything to the selfish emperor until the end.
“I don’t want to lose any more of my children. If Anthony becomes the Crown Prince, all the remaining Princes and Princesses will soon die. And eventually, you will die too. But when you become Emperor, only Anthony will die.”
Carson tilted his head toward the still sky. A chill ran through his body as if a heavy rain had poured down.
“Besides, you have accomplished something. As you know, in the Keynes Empire, the royal family that expanded their territory was given priority in the line of succession to the throne. So the nobles will support you.”
The father’s mouth snapped shut. What could a truly incompetent father say to a son who calls him incompetent?
“You are different from me.”
It was a difficult word, but it did not move Carson’s heart.
“All my children were my children, so I couldn’t help it. But not anymore. I have come to realize that making you the emperor is the way to save everyone.”
Carson could not say anything to the selfish emperor until the end.
“I don’t want to lose any more of my children. If Anthony becomes the Crown Prince, all the remaining Princes and Princesses will soon die. And eventually, you will die too. But when you become Emperor, only Anthony will die.”
Carson tilted his head toward the still sky. A chill ran through his body as if a heavy rain had poured down.
“Besides, you have accomplished something. As you know, in the Keynes Empire, the royal family that expanded their territory was given priority in the line of succession to the throne. So the nobles will support you.”
He had not expanded the land of Monstera to become Emperor. However, there was nothing wrong with what the Emperor said. Carson was astonished by that.
“There is no choice for me or for you.”
The Emperor had lost too many children to plagues and civil wars. Even rats bite cats when they are cornered. It was even worse when a cat kept killing its own babies. It was an unbearable thing to watch. When he thinks about it, it was such an obvious result.
So the Emperor sent a rat to protect his children instead. Why didn’t Carson know that the Emperor would come to this conclusion?
“So you become the Emperor.”
Carson finally bit his lower lip. There was no way out since the Emperor had designated him as the Crown Prince. He couldn’t leave the capital while being mentioned as the Crown Prince.
He grabbed his head and turned toward the garden.
The Emperor’s words. And it was a declaration made in front of the person who had been chosen as the Crown Prince at the ceremony. It was nothing more than a declaration of war, not to mention a way to escape.
Carson just turned his head and glanced down at his father. What was on his face was not fear. He had kept the throne for so long without seizing power.
“You are truly a great man.”
“I never thought I would hear such an evaluation from you, but I am deeply moved.”
The two people who faced each other with the same expression did not move an inch.
Carson covered his mouth and fell into thought. He had already entered the storm’s current. There was no way out anyway. Then there was only one way left.
As always, Carson erased all the opaque things surrounding him and took a step toward the most certain place.
To protect his people, he had no choice but to grab hold of everyone and go inside.
Into the calm eye of the storm.
“How can I become the Emperor? Is the throne a place where you can ascend with a single word from Your Majesty?”
“Yes, since I am the Emperor of the Keynes Empire, with a single word from me, you are already the Crown Prince. So whether you protect it or lose it, it is all yours.”
“Are I like a rat in a cage?”
His words were still rough, but the Emperor knew that his tone had softened considerably.
“It would be troublesome if you thought of a beast as a mouse just because it was crouching.”
“What kind of plan did you have to do this?”
“What plan? I couldn’t even find a way to protect my life.”
Although he said that, Carson knew that the Emperor had prepared the best defense he could. This was evident from the fact that the Emperor’s knights had immediately surrounded him in the hall where the investiture ceremony was taking place.
Carson sat down in front of the Emperor. The Emperor then filled Carson’s cup with wine.
As the Emperor had said, he had already designated Carson as the Crown Prince, so there were only two options left.
Die or become Emperor.
At that moment, he thought of Ines. It was less than a month until she regained her status. He had finally had her by his side, but once again, the endless waiting had come.
He looked at the amber liquid shaking slightly before his eyes. And he drank it in one gulp.
Without knowing Carson’s speed, the sky was clear. At that moment as if to signal the beginning, the clouds parted on both sides and a huge beam of light poured down.
The inevitable war for the throne had begun.
On a day when the air was clearly spring-like, Ines once again set foot in the Swenden household as a Lady.
Seeing her mother and Susan running towards her from afar, Ines smiled brighter than the flowers in the garden.
Now twenty-three years old, looking back at the mansion where everything was the same, Ines thought that this moment was truly perfect. She smelled the scent of her mother’s warm and affectionate embrace.
Fortunately, neither the plague nor the signs of civil war had passed over the Swenden mansion. Because Carson had already taken action, Landhill had become the safest place in the empire.
Even if she had warned her parents to evacuate in advance, they would never have left Swenden.
Knowing that Ines simply told them to be careful.
The epidemic, which had reached its peak, would begin to recede in the south as the midsummer heat subsided. As Ines entered the living room that had been converted into a restaurant, the warm and soft smell of food filled the air.
“It seems the chef has shown his skills a bit because of you.”
Onion soup, sea bass, cabbage, and capers roasted in an iron pan, steak with grape sauce—all of Ines’ favorite dishes. It was a peaceful scene that made her feel like she had swallowed up three years.
Ines ate a hearty meal after a long time. She could tell without having to see what her parents’ expressions were as they watched her.
“Susan, if you keep doing that, my face will wear out.”
When Ines said a word to their piercing eyes, Susan blushed and stepped back. Ines glanced at her and saw that her belly was slightly swollen. She was so happy that she thought it was fortunate.
Even after the meal, Ines, her parents, and even Susan couldn’t leave the table.
In particular, Elena kept smiling with reddened eyes the whole time. Ines’ gaze toward her mother was the same.
“I wonder how you’ve been doing.”
“There really wasn’t anything to worry about here.”
Elena sat close to Ines and stroked her hair. Her eyes naturally closed at the soft, warm touch.
“The nobles here are all friendly to you and our family.”
Ines furrowed her brow at those words. Before Landhill was united with Lesonia, this territory was quite closed off because it had many mountains and little interaction between nobles. It was also conservative because it wasn’t close to the capital. It was unbelievable that they were friendly to her.
“There is no choice for me or for you.”
The Emperor had lost too many children to plagues and civil wars. Even rats bite cats when they are cornered. It was even worse when a cat kept killing its own babies. It was an unbearable thing to watch. When he thinks about it, it was such an obvious result.
So the Emperor sent a rat to protect his children instead. Why didn’t Carson know that the Emperor would come to this conclusion?
“So you become the Emperor.”
Carson finally bit his lower lip. There was no way out since the Emperor had designated him as the Crown Prince. He couldn’t leave the capital while being mentioned as the Crown Prince.
He grabbed his head and turned toward the garden.
The Emperor’s words. And it was a declaration made in front of the person who had been chosen as the Crown Prince at the ceremony. It was nothing more than a declaration of war, not to mention a way to escape.
Carson just turned his head and glanced down at his father. What was on his face was not fear. He had kept the throne for so long without seizing power.
“You are truly a great man.”
“I never thought I would hear such an evaluation from you, but I am deeply moved.”
The two people who faced each other with the same expression did not move an inch.
Carson covered his mouth and fell into thought. He had already entered the storm’s current. There was no way out anyway. Then there was only one way left.
As always, Carson erased all the opaque things surrounding him and took a step toward the most certain place.
To protect his people, he had no choice but to grab hold of everyone and go inside.
Into the calm eye of the storm.
“How can I become the Emperor? Is the throne a place where you can ascend with a single word from Your Majesty?”
“Yes, since I am the Emperor of the Keynes Empire, with a single word from me, you are already the Crown Prince. So whether you protect it or lose it, it is all yours.”
“Are I like a rat in a cage?”
His words were still rough, but the Emperor knew that his tone had softened considerably.
“It would be troublesome if you thought of a beast as a mouse just because it was crouching.”
“What kind of plan did you have to do this?”
“What plan? I couldn’t even find a way to protect my life.”
Although he said that, Carson knew that the Emperor had prepared the best defense he could. This was evident from the fact that the Emperor’s knights had immediately surrounded him in the hall where the investiture ceremony was taking place.
Carson sat down in front of the Emperor. The Emperor then filled Carson’s cup with wine.
As the Emperor had said, he had already designated Carson as the Crown Prince, so there were only two options left.
Die or become Emperor.
At that moment, he thought of Ines. It was less than a month until she regained her status. He had finally had her by his side, but once again, the endless waiting had come.
He looked at the amber liquid shaking slightly before his eyes. And he drank it in one gulp.
Without knowing Carson’s speed, the sky was clear. At that moment as if to signal the beginning, the clouds parted on both sides and a huge beam of light poured down.
The inevitable war for the throne had begun.
***
On a day when the air was clearly spring-like, Ines once again set foot in the Swenden household as a Lady.
Seeing her mother and Susan running towards her from afar, Ines smiled brighter than the flowers in the garden.
Now twenty-three years old, looking back at the mansion where everything was the same, Ines thought that this moment was truly perfect. She smelled the scent of her mother’s warm and affectionate embrace.
Fortunately, neither the plague nor the signs of civil war had passed over the Swenden mansion. Because Carson had already taken action, Landhill had become the safest place in the empire.
Even if she had warned her parents to evacuate in advance, they would never have left Swenden.
Knowing that Ines simply told them to be careful.
The epidemic, which had reached its peak, would begin to recede in the south as the midsummer heat subsided. As Ines entered the living room that had been converted into a restaurant, the warm and soft smell of food filled the air.
“It seems the chef has shown his skills a bit because of you.”
Onion soup, sea bass, cabbage, and capers roasted in an iron pan, steak with grape sauce—all of Ines’ favorite dishes. It was a peaceful scene that made her feel like she had swallowed up three years.
Ines ate a hearty meal after a long time. She could tell without having to see what her parents’ expressions were as they watched her.
“Susan, if you keep doing that, my face will wear out.”
When Ines said a word to their piercing eyes, Susan blushed and stepped back. Ines glanced at her and saw that her belly was slightly swollen. She was so happy that she thought it was fortunate.
Even after the meal, Ines, her parents, and even Susan couldn’t leave the table.
In particular, Elena kept smiling with reddened eyes the whole time. Ines’ gaze toward her mother was the same.
“I wonder how you’ve been doing.”
“There really wasn’t anything to worry about here.”
Elena sat close to Ines and stroked her hair. Her eyes naturally closed at the soft, warm touch.
“The nobles here are all friendly to you and our family.”
Ines furrowed her brow at those words. Before Landhill was united with Lesonia, this territory was quite closed off because it had many mountains and little interaction between nobles. It was also conservative because it wasn’t close to the capital. It was unbelievable that they were friendly to her.
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