Empress Yerdial was a red fox beast, and Ludien was a red fox with red hair that looked just like her.
Anyone who could inherit the throne, regardless of gender, had to be a wolf with the blood of a divine beast.
Three years later, Yerdial gave birth to Crown Prince Demios.
He was a silver wolf who looked just like the previous Emperor.
Giving birth to a successor was a joyous event for the empire. Yerdial and Demios received everyone's blessings.
She was secretly relieved. After Yerdial gave birth to two children, there was no news from Leticia, who was also a candidate for the Empress.
However, two years later, Leticia, a white-headed eagle, also gave birth to a child.
His glossy black fur and clear golden eyes.
He looked like the devotion of Drodien in the myth.
If the child born to the Emperor’s siblings was of divine blood, that child was also considered imperial.
After the Red King’s successor received the imperial surname, Yerdial began to become extremely sensitive.
“It was around that time that the former Empress first fell ill. She must have been very nervous... After that, her health deteriorated, and when the crowds Prince turned ten, she fell ill with an unknown disease.”
A disease that causes the body to rot.
When Sepia became Empress, it was said that almost half of Yerdial’s body had rotted away to the point where it was difficult to recognize her face.
As Empress, she should have greeted the former Empress, but Sepia only spoke to her through a curtain. It was not that the former Empress did not understand her worries.
However, wasn’t Demios chosen as the heir to the throne as soon as he was born?
“No matter what, the Crown Prince prince is Demios? But why...”
“She must have been wary. In fact... It was a secret rumor, but it was said that the Red King was originally supposed to receive the crown. The Red King gave up the crown, and his younger brother Gilutia became the former Emperor.”
The Red King who gave up the crown.
The heir of the gods from such a family.
That was why Yerdial had no choice but to keep a close eye on the Red King’s successor.
“I understand that the Red King and his wife were well aware of the Red Empress’s wariness, and were very careful. They rarely left their territory except for the border mission.”
That was how the throne was originally.
Even if one had no desire for the position, one could be targeted with a sword simply because they were qualified.
When the Red King’s family was holding their breath, the Red Empress made an unexpected decision. She decided to send the Crown Prince to the Huron Empire.
At this time, rumors about the Red King’s successor, Claude, also spread.
“There was a famine and an epidemic in the Leofold territory. After the Crown Prince left for Huron, it seemed like things would be quiet for a while, but then a disaster struck, and half of the people in the territory died. The King and Queen spared no effort, but... Five years later, the Queen also died of an epidemic. The King left right after that.”
Five years later, Demios would have returned to the Beastkin Empire after finishing his studies abroad.
“What about Roxanne? Was he okay?”
“Fortunately, the successor avoided the epidemic. But that was a misfortune.”
“A misfortune?”
“The people in the territory suspected the successor, who alone did not get sick. At some point, rumors began to spread that the successor was the one who brought famine to the territory. That the bloodline of the gods was possessed by a demon.”
“That... That’s ridiculous.”
The cause of the famine was caused by not getting sick.
It was hard to believe, but that was how misfortunes were. The people in the territory needed someone to blame for the pain that even time could not solve.
“As if things weren’t bad enough, dead animals and unidentified creatures were found in the heir’s room. The maid who first witnessed this was terrified and fled the castle, and the rumors became true.”
The maid’s testimony became the spark that set off the fury of the people of the estate.
The knights had to subdue the people who were going wild, demanding that the castle where the enemy King’s family resided be burned down.
What happened in Leopold’s estate soon spread to the capital and the imperial palace.
The Emperor had secretly ordered that the evidence found in the heir’s room be brought in to investigate.
“I have lived a long time and have believed that many things are revealed in the eyes of others. The Duke is not the type of person to do such a thing. Perhaps someone... framed him.”
She said that she was more certain when she met him in person.
Sepia was convinced as she watched Madame Remody confess her honest feelings.
“So that’s why there are almost no documents related to the Duke.”
Not only that, but even the materials that could be used to know the King and Queen were inaccessible or had almost disappeared.
“It is said that the late Emperor destroyed all the information related to the famine in Leopold. He must have been worried about his nephew who would return from the expedition.”
Thanks to the Emperor’s actions, there were now only a few people left in the capital who knew the true story of the Leopold estate.
“That’s what Demios was talking about on the balcony.”
The Emperor must have known about Roxanne’s past.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“I thought the Empress should know. Regardless of your relationship with the Duke.”
Sepia was taken aback by Madam Remody’s smile.
She had told the maids the truth about the scandal.
But the Empress's maids were not so quick to believe their master.
“The Duke and I are not a relationship worth worrying about.”
Friends. And a relationship where they help each other. Nothing more, nothing less.
“More than anything.”
He had a lover he had never forgotten.
However, Sepia could not tell the maids about the Duke’s personal stories.
“Of course. I am the Empress’s hands and feet, so I will follow you in any direction.”
“Madam Remody....”
“Yes, now that the combing is done, let’s go to the living room. The maids will be waiting.”
As Sepia laughed, Madam Remody woke her up.
When she went out to the living room connected to the bedroom, the fireplace was crackling.
The maid who found the two in the living room beckoned them over as if it was a good opportunity.
“Please sit down quickly. I’ve prepared some warm cocoa for you.”
“Thank you.”
Sepia sat down on the sofa and a mug was placed in front of her.
A marshmallow shaped like a snowman was floating on top of the warm cocoa.
The three maids also sat around the sofa.
It was the winter tea time that happened every year when the Empress’s Palace was quiet.
“That fox from earlier, is he okay? He should avoid the snowstorm.”
“He always came on time, so he must have a separate place to stay at night.”
“That would be good.”
Sepia and the maids chatted.
The Maid clapped her hands as if she had remembered something.
“Oh, that’s right. Did you hear that news? The second son of the Marquis of the Kurds got over his illness.”
Sepia racked her brain at the name of the family she had heard before.
‘Kurds... It’s the family that produced the Empress, right?’
The family that produced the Empress had once been proud, but after Yerdial fell ill, their momentum gradually waned and it had been quiet until now.
Since she had just talked to Remody about the Empress, Sepia felt uncomfortable with the family related to her.
However, this was the first time she had heard of the second son of the Kurds.
“Was there a second son in that family?”
“Yes. He had been unable to leave the mansion because of an illness since he was very young, but he is now almost completely recovered.”
“...I see. That’s good.”
The eldest son of the Kurds was currently serving as the captain of the imperial guard.
Thanks to that, she had seen him a few times, but she had never heard anything about his younger brother from him.
‘We weren’t that close.’
On top of that, his younger brother was suffering from an illness. It must be a sensitive topic.
A family related to the late Empress.
At first, it felt uncomfortable, but it occurred to her that the Kurds had long since cut ties with the late Empress.
“I should send them a gift. What is the name of the second son?”
It was something to celebrate that the younger brother of the knight protecting the imperial family had recovered.
“Etennsel... I think I heard it was... Shall I make a list of gifts that look good?”
“Yes. Please.”
Anyone who could inherit the throne, regardless of gender, had to be a wolf with the blood of a divine beast.
Three years later, Yerdial gave birth to Crown Prince Demios.
He was a silver wolf who looked just like the previous Emperor.
Giving birth to a successor was a joyous event for the empire. Yerdial and Demios received everyone's blessings.
She was secretly relieved. After Yerdial gave birth to two children, there was no news from Leticia, who was also a candidate for the Empress.
However, two years later, Leticia, a white-headed eagle, also gave birth to a child.
His glossy black fur and clear golden eyes.
He looked like the devotion of Drodien in the myth.
If the child born to the Emperor’s siblings was of divine blood, that child was also considered imperial.
After the Red King’s successor received the imperial surname, Yerdial began to become extremely sensitive.
“It was around that time that the former Empress first fell ill. She must have been very nervous... After that, her health deteriorated, and when the crowds Prince turned ten, she fell ill with an unknown disease.”
A disease that causes the body to rot.
When Sepia became Empress, it was said that almost half of Yerdial’s body had rotted away to the point where it was difficult to recognize her face.
As Empress, she should have greeted the former Empress, but Sepia only spoke to her through a curtain. It was not that the former Empress did not understand her worries.
However, wasn’t Demios chosen as the heir to the throne as soon as he was born?
“No matter what, the Crown Prince prince is Demios? But why...”
“She must have been wary. In fact... It was a secret rumor, but it was said that the Red King was originally supposed to receive the crown. The Red King gave up the crown, and his younger brother Gilutia became the former Emperor.”
The Red King who gave up the crown.
The heir of the gods from such a family.
That was why Yerdial had no choice but to keep a close eye on the Red King’s successor.
“I understand that the Red King and his wife were well aware of the Red Empress’s wariness, and were very careful. They rarely left their territory except for the border mission.”
That was how the throne was originally.
Even if one had no desire for the position, one could be targeted with a sword simply because they were qualified.
When the Red King’s family was holding their breath, the Red Empress made an unexpected decision. She decided to send the Crown Prince to the Huron Empire.
At this time, rumors about the Red King’s successor, Claude, also spread.
“There was a famine and an epidemic in the Leofold territory. After the Crown Prince left for Huron, it seemed like things would be quiet for a while, but then a disaster struck, and half of the people in the territory died. The King and Queen spared no effort, but... Five years later, the Queen also died of an epidemic. The King left right after that.”
Five years later, Demios would have returned to the Beastkin Empire after finishing his studies abroad.
“What about Roxanne? Was he okay?”
“Fortunately, the successor avoided the epidemic. But that was a misfortune.”
“A misfortune?”
“The people in the territory suspected the successor, who alone did not get sick. At some point, rumors began to spread that the successor was the one who brought famine to the territory. That the bloodline of the gods was possessed by a demon.”
“That... That’s ridiculous.”
The cause of the famine was caused by not getting sick.
It was hard to believe, but that was how misfortunes were. The people in the territory needed someone to blame for the pain that even time could not solve.
“As if things weren’t bad enough, dead animals and unidentified creatures were found in the heir’s room. The maid who first witnessed this was terrified and fled the castle, and the rumors became true.”
The maid’s testimony became the spark that set off the fury of the people of the estate.
The knights had to subdue the people who were going wild, demanding that the castle where the enemy King’s family resided be burned down.
What happened in Leopold’s estate soon spread to the capital and the imperial palace.
The Emperor had secretly ordered that the evidence found in the heir’s room be brought in to investigate.
“I have lived a long time and have believed that many things are revealed in the eyes of others. The Duke is not the type of person to do such a thing. Perhaps someone... framed him.”
She said that she was more certain when she met him in person.
Sepia was convinced as she watched Madame Remody confess her honest feelings.
“So that’s why there are almost no documents related to the Duke.”
Not only that, but even the materials that could be used to know the King and Queen were inaccessible or had almost disappeared.
“It is said that the late Emperor destroyed all the information related to the famine in Leopold. He must have been worried about his nephew who would return from the expedition.”
Thanks to the Emperor’s actions, there were now only a few people left in the capital who knew the true story of the Leopold estate.
“That’s what Demios was talking about on the balcony.”
The Emperor must have known about Roxanne’s past.
“Thank you for telling me.”
“I thought the Empress should know. Regardless of your relationship with the Duke.”
Sepia was taken aback by Madam Remody’s smile.
She had told the maids the truth about the scandal.
But the Empress's maids were not so quick to believe their master.
“The Duke and I are not a relationship worth worrying about.”
Friends. And a relationship where they help each other. Nothing more, nothing less.
“More than anything.”
He had a lover he had never forgotten.
However, Sepia could not tell the maids about the Duke’s personal stories.
“Of course. I am the Empress’s hands and feet, so I will follow you in any direction.”
“Madam Remody....”
“Yes, now that the combing is done, let’s go to the living room. The maids will be waiting.”
As Sepia laughed, Madam Remody woke her up.
When she went out to the living room connected to the bedroom, the fireplace was crackling.
The maid who found the two in the living room beckoned them over as if it was a good opportunity.
“Please sit down quickly. I’ve prepared some warm cocoa for you.”
“Thank you.”
Sepia sat down on the sofa and a mug was placed in front of her.
A marshmallow shaped like a snowman was floating on top of the warm cocoa.
The three maids also sat around the sofa.
It was the winter tea time that happened every year when the Empress’s Palace was quiet.
“That fox from earlier, is he okay? He should avoid the snowstorm.”
“He always came on time, so he must have a separate place to stay at night.”
“That would be good.”
Sepia and the maids chatted.
The Maid clapped her hands as if she had remembered something.
“Oh, that’s right. Did you hear that news? The second son of the Marquis of the Kurds got over his illness.”
Sepia racked her brain at the name of the family she had heard before.
‘Kurds... It’s the family that produced the Empress, right?’
The family that produced the Empress had once been proud, but after Yerdial fell ill, their momentum gradually waned and it had been quiet until now.
Since she had just talked to Remody about the Empress, Sepia felt uncomfortable with the family related to her.
However, this was the first time she had heard of the second son of the Kurds.
“Was there a second son in that family?”
“Yes. He had been unable to leave the mansion because of an illness since he was very young, but he is now almost completely recovered.”
“...I see. That’s good.”
The eldest son of the Kurds was currently serving as the captain of the imperial guard.
Thanks to that, she had seen him a few times, but she had never heard anything about his younger brother from him.
‘We weren’t that close.’
On top of that, his younger brother was suffering from an illness. It must be a sensitive topic.
A family related to the late Empress.
At first, it felt uncomfortable, but it occurred to her that the Kurds had long since cut ties with the late Empress.
“I should send them a gift. What is the name of the second son?”
It was something to celebrate that the younger brother of the knight protecting the imperial family had recovered.
“Etennsel... I think I heard it was... Shall I make a list of gifts that look good?”
“Yes. Please.”
She could just pick the appropriate ones from that list and give them to him.
As the topic changed, they gradually forgot about the Kurds.
Sepia had to suppress the thoughts of Roxanne that kept coming to her mind while talking to the maids.
When the maid threw firewood into the fireplace, the living room became brighter with a light spark.
The sky beyond the window was a dark blue.
The winter night was deepening.
The Kurds’ mansion.
Inside, where the servants were strictly regulated, a small commotion was taking place.
“Brother, look. The Empress sent me a gift!”
A man with orange hair was running around the center of the living room, holding a small box. His innocent-looking green eyes sparkled and sparkled.
However, there was one problem for the young man with the vitality of a boy.
“I said, look at this?”
“...Understood, please put on your clothes, Etennsel.”
Captain Jasper of the Imperial Guard was looking at his naked brother with his forehead pressed against his chest.
As the topic changed, they gradually forgot about the Kurds.
Sepia had to suppress the thoughts of Roxanne that kept coming to her mind while talking to the maids.
When the maid threw firewood into the fireplace, the living room became brighter with a light spark.
The sky beyond the window was a dark blue.
The winter night was deepening.
***
The Kurds’ mansion.
Inside, where the servants were strictly regulated, a small commotion was taking place.
“Brother, look. The Empress sent me a gift!”
A man with orange hair was running around the center of the living room, holding a small box. His innocent-looking green eyes sparkled and sparkled.
However, there was one problem for the young man with the vitality of a boy.
“I said, look at this?”
“...Understood, please put on your clothes, Etennsel.”
Captain Jasper of the Imperial Guard was looking at his naked brother with his forehead pressed against his chest.
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