As more and more people entered the forest, the only noise was the crunching of grass. This was because there was still no suitable prey at the entrance to the forest.
“Don’t go too far, Your Majesty. I heard there’s a mother bear in the forest who recently gave birth to cubs.”
The Emperor laughed heartily at Eden's words.
“You be careful.”
He didn't seem too worried. No wonder, because there were several knights following him.
“They say you're recovered, but it’s better not to overdo it yet.”
The Emperor turned to Eden as if he was sad and spoke. He couldn't bear to feel sorry for his son who had almost died at the hands of his own brother.
“I will be careful.”
Eden answered meekly. He was the only one who survived among the direct line of the imperial family. Eden knew that he could not avoid responsibility now. He could not die, even for the sake of the stability of the country.
“There’s a deer over there.”
The Emperor aimed his gun at the deer with a smiling face. Eden stood still and watched the Emperor hunt the deer.
“...”
With a deafening gunshot, the deer fell down in an instant. The nobles near the Emperor praised him as a sharpshooter. However, Eden kept his mouth shut. The moment the pungent smell of blood hit his nose, his mood sank.
He didn't really like hunting to begin with, but he's become even more so lately. Not only was he stabbed in the chest without warning, but the image of Cecilia breaking down and crying lingered in his mind.
He couldn't help but be weak towards Cecilia. Even now, when he was keeping his distance, it was the same.
“We will go somewhere else from here, Your Majesty.”
“Yes. Enjoy your time.”
While his attendant was cleaning up the fallen deer, the Emperor allowed them to leave with a smile on his face. The nobles began to disperse one by one. As they moved away, the sound of people talking about deer and foxes as prey dispersed into the air.
“Crown Prince, what are you going to do?”
And then he looked back at Eden and Marquis Calibre and asked a question.
“I will accompany Your Majesty.”
“Shall I give you half of the catch like before?”
As a child, Eden hated hunting. He also hated losing in competitions. So, the kindness of the Emperor to give half of the game he hunted was an act of kindness to his second son, whom he favored.
"It's okay."
Eden smiled faintly and shook his head. This was because he was now in a situation where he couldn't just do what he wanted.
“Then let’s have a nice chat while we go into the forest.”
The Emperor, who had been looking at the sight with pity, called his son closer in a soft voice. The son, who was not even half his size, had grown so much that he was a head taller than him.
“Don’t you miss Damon?”
In a quiet space where only the sound of grass rustling could be heard, Eden asked the Emperor a question. It was a rude question.
“It looks like you feel sorry for Damon.”
“...”
“Well, that makes sense, given your personality.”
But the Emperor was not angry.
“I think about Damon often, too.”
It simply revealed his complicated feelings towards his third son, who died.
“I don’t have nightmares like you do.”
“..."
“He was my son, how could I not think of him?”
He couldn't help but think of his son, the one he had despised and pushed to his death.
“I must have been a cruel father to that child all my life. I can’t deny that fact. How could I?”
The Emperor spoke softly. Eden listened to his confession in silence.
“But if I go back, I’ll make the same choice. I won’t regret it.”
The sound of the dried branches falling to the ground and being stepped on was particularly loud. But the Emperor passed them by without a second thought.
“I’ve already lost Aster, Eden. And I couldn’t lose you, too.”
He read the raw hatred and murderous intent in Damon's eyes that day. It was the kind of aggression that could only be seen in an animal.
“I already saw that kid as a murderer.”
If he had been left alive, Damon would have killed Eden at all costs. That was a certainty. When would he have a foolish thought, when would he try to harm Eden? Such anxiety must have eaten away at the Emperor every moment.
“Even if we had left him alone, our relationship would have been irreversible.”
The anxiety of having to ensure Eden's safety before he died must have consumed the Emperor at some point.
“I would have killed Damon to protect you.”
It was just a matter of time. It was a bitter and honest truth. The Emperor honestly acknowledged his own ugly humanity and fatherhood.
“So leave the guilt to me alone.”
He even took away Eden's guilt. If the Empress or Damon had seen it, they would have sneered at it as great fatherly love.
“I think I hear something.”
At that moment, Eden stopped walking and interrupted the conversation. Then he gestured to the guards who were guarding the Emperor. Two or three guards walked ahead and began to survey the situation.
“There is something.”
The sound of something heavy hitting the ground and the crackling sound of tree branches snapping were quite loud. Eden listened to the sound and looked around.
“Oh, it’s a bear!”
The guard shouted in a panicked voice. The hunter said the bear was deep in the forest. It was true that it had not yet shown itself.
“Ugh!”
Before the bewildered guard could retreat, a strong force struck him. His body, which was suspended in the air after being hit by a thick black foot, crashed into a tree. Without even making a sound, his body fell to the ground, unconscious.
“Your Majesty, please step aside.”
The hunter said that it had recently given birth to a cub, so it was showing a lot of caution and aggression. The guards surrounded the bear with tense faces and asked the emperor to step aside. While the bear was distracted by the guards, Eden quietly walked behind the bear. Marquis Calibre and several guards followed behind.
Gunfire shook the forest as Eden and Calibre attacked. But the sporadic sounds that followed buried the special situation. No one noticed their danger.
“Surround the bear!”
It was literally a scene that made you scream. The mother bear fought back strongly as if she was trying to protect her child, even though she was bleeding profusely. Her blunt feet struck hard, and her sharp claws tore at their chest.
Two guards fell out after being shocked by the unexpected. Unable to watch this, Eden pulled the trigger behind the bear.
The bear became extremely excited by the bullet that grazed its nape. Then, it started running in the direction of Eden.
“Get out of the way!”
Every time the bear ran, the ground beneath them shook. The medicine was rising so high that if it touched it, it would be absolutely impossible for it to be safe. The Emperor was furious, pushed the guards away, and grabbed his gun.
The bear, struck in the side, howled as if tearing the air. And contrary to the Emperor's intention, it rushed at Eden with its eyes wide open.
“Eden!”
The Emperor screamed Eden's name. Eden gritted his teeth, aimed at the bear again, and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
And the bullet dug right into the bear's heart. Eden's two strong arms, still holding the gun, trembled slightly. It was a shot that caused such a strong vibration.
The bear that had completely blocked Eden's vision suddenly stopped moving. Then it rolled its eyes. Its heavy body slowly tilted backwards.
“Oh, bear...!”
Bang!
At that moment, another gunshot ripped through the air. It was the result of a precise shot, with a sound like something popping.
"Your Majesty!"
Marquis Calibre screamed at the top of his lungs.
There were no additional wounds or traces of blood on the collapsing bear's body. Eden blinked slowly. Kuung, the Emperor's staggering figure was finally visible behind the bear's body that had fallen.
"...Your Majesty?"
Eden called the Emperor without realizing it. At the same time, blood flowed from the emperor's mouth.
"Your Majesty!"
Eden threw down the gun he was holding and ran towards the Emperor 4. He had no time to be afraid of the bear, which was still faintly breathing.
“Your Majesty. Your Majesty.”
“This, this...”
The Emperor covered his abdomen with his hand and exhaled deeply.
“I’m glad you’re safe...”
“Your Majesty, please do not speak.”
As the Emperor snorted, the smell of blood between his palms became more intense.
“What are you stupidly watching? Bring someone over here right now!”
Eden ordered the guard, who was barely holding on to his senses with a tattered appearance, to bring someone to him. The guard, who had been blinking blankly, nodded and started running along the path he had come from.
“I received the punishment...”
The Emperor muttered. After all, he had killed his son, Damon, by pushing him away so thoughtlessly. There was no way that karma would not come back to him.
“Your Majesty, please. Don’t say anything.”
Eden asked the Emperor with a yearning face. The Emperor quietly looked up at his son.
“Just call me father once..."
And he asked. Like the day he asked Aster to keep his distance from power. For example, the day he asked to be addressed as His Majesty, which clearly showed the power relationship, instead of as father. Like the day he ordered him to leave the palace as soon as he came of age.
In fact, the Emperor was not only cold to Damon. He loved Eden, but that was why he kept his distance from him.
“Again, call me father.”
While Damon couldn't accept it, Eden accepted it and backed off. And he kept his distance as much as he wanted, if not more. That's why he was a more grateful and affectionate son.
If he had known this would happen, he would have just kept it a little closer.
"Father."
Eden softly called out to his father. The Emperor smiled faintly as he checked his son's face with his blurred vision.
You must be tired. Close your eyes for a moment.
The Emperor, who had been moving his lips silently, quietly closed his eyes.
“Don’t go too far, Your Majesty. I heard there’s a mother bear in the forest who recently gave birth to cubs.”
The Emperor laughed heartily at Eden's words.
“You be careful.”
He didn't seem too worried. No wonder, because there were several knights following him.
“They say you're recovered, but it’s better not to overdo it yet.”
The Emperor turned to Eden as if he was sad and spoke. He couldn't bear to feel sorry for his son who had almost died at the hands of his own brother.
“I will be careful.”
Eden answered meekly. He was the only one who survived among the direct line of the imperial family. Eden knew that he could not avoid responsibility now. He could not die, even for the sake of the stability of the country.
“There’s a deer over there.”
The Emperor aimed his gun at the deer with a smiling face. Eden stood still and watched the Emperor hunt the deer.
“...”
With a deafening gunshot, the deer fell down in an instant. The nobles near the Emperor praised him as a sharpshooter. However, Eden kept his mouth shut. The moment the pungent smell of blood hit his nose, his mood sank.
He didn't really like hunting to begin with, but he's become even more so lately. Not only was he stabbed in the chest without warning, but the image of Cecilia breaking down and crying lingered in his mind.
He couldn't help but be weak towards Cecilia. Even now, when he was keeping his distance, it was the same.
“We will go somewhere else from here, Your Majesty.”
“Yes. Enjoy your time.”
While his attendant was cleaning up the fallen deer, the Emperor allowed them to leave with a smile on his face. The nobles began to disperse one by one. As they moved away, the sound of people talking about deer and foxes as prey dispersed into the air.
“Crown Prince, what are you going to do?”
And then he looked back at Eden and Marquis Calibre and asked a question.
“I will accompany Your Majesty.”
“Shall I give you half of the catch like before?”
As a child, Eden hated hunting. He also hated losing in competitions. So, the kindness of the Emperor to give half of the game he hunted was an act of kindness to his second son, whom he favored.
"It's okay."
Eden smiled faintly and shook his head. This was because he was now in a situation where he couldn't just do what he wanted.
“Then let’s have a nice chat while we go into the forest.”
The Emperor, who had been looking at the sight with pity, called his son closer in a soft voice. The son, who was not even half his size, had grown so much that he was a head taller than him.
“Don’t you miss Damon?”
In a quiet space where only the sound of grass rustling could be heard, Eden asked the Emperor a question. It was a rude question.
“It looks like you feel sorry for Damon.”
“...”
“Well, that makes sense, given your personality.”
But the Emperor was not angry.
“I think about Damon often, too.”
It simply revealed his complicated feelings towards his third son, who died.
“I don’t have nightmares like you do.”
“..."
“He was my son, how could I not think of him?”
He couldn't help but think of his son, the one he had despised and pushed to his death.
“I must have been a cruel father to that child all my life. I can’t deny that fact. How could I?”
The Emperor spoke softly. Eden listened to his confession in silence.
“But if I go back, I’ll make the same choice. I won’t regret it.”
The sound of the dried branches falling to the ground and being stepped on was particularly loud. But the Emperor passed them by without a second thought.
“I’ve already lost Aster, Eden. And I couldn’t lose you, too.”
He read the raw hatred and murderous intent in Damon's eyes that day. It was the kind of aggression that could only be seen in an animal.
“I already saw that kid as a murderer.”
If he had been left alive, Damon would have killed Eden at all costs. That was a certainty. When would he have a foolish thought, when would he try to harm Eden? Such anxiety must have eaten away at the Emperor every moment.
“Even if we had left him alone, our relationship would have been irreversible.”
The anxiety of having to ensure Eden's safety before he died must have consumed the Emperor at some point.
“I would have killed Damon to protect you.”
It was just a matter of time. It was a bitter and honest truth. The Emperor honestly acknowledged his own ugly humanity and fatherhood.
“So leave the guilt to me alone.”
He even took away Eden's guilt. If the Empress or Damon had seen it, they would have sneered at it as great fatherly love.
“I think I hear something.”
At that moment, Eden stopped walking and interrupted the conversation. Then he gestured to the guards who were guarding the Emperor. Two or three guards walked ahead and began to survey the situation.
“There is something.”
The sound of something heavy hitting the ground and the crackling sound of tree branches snapping were quite loud. Eden listened to the sound and looked around.
“Oh, it’s a bear!”
The guard shouted in a panicked voice. The hunter said the bear was deep in the forest. It was true that it had not yet shown itself.
“Ugh!”
Before the bewildered guard could retreat, a strong force struck him. His body, which was suspended in the air after being hit by a thick black foot, crashed into a tree. Without even making a sound, his body fell to the ground, unconscious.
“Your Majesty, please step aside.”
The hunter said that it had recently given birth to a cub, so it was showing a lot of caution and aggression. The guards surrounded the bear with tense faces and asked the emperor to step aside. While the bear was distracted by the guards, Eden quietly walked behind the bear. Marquis Calibre and several guards followed behind.
Gunfire shook the forest as Eden and Calibre attacked. But the sporadic sounds that followed buried the special situation. No one noticed their danger.
“Surround the bear!”
It was literally a scene that made you scream. The mother bear fought back strongly as if she was trying to protect her child, even though she was bleeding profusely. Her blunt feet struck hard, and her sharp claws tore at their chest.
Two guards fell out after being shocked by the unexpected. Unable to watch this, Eden pulled the trigger behind the bear.
The bear became extremely excited by the bullet that grazed its nape. Then, it started running in the direction of Eden.
“Get out of the way!”
Every time the bear ran, the ground beneath them shook. The medicine was rising so high that if it touched it, it would be absolutely impossible for it to be safe. The Emperor was furious, pushed the guards away, and grabbed his gun.
The bear, struck in the side, howled as if tearing the air. And contrary to the Emperor's intention, it rushed at Eden with its eyes wide open.
“Eden!”
The Emperor screamed Eden's name. Eden gritted his teeth, aimed at the bear again, and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
And the bullet dug right into the bear's heart. Eden's two strong arms, still holding the gun, trembled slightly. It was a shot that caused such a strong vibration.
The bear that had completely blocked Eden's vision suddenly stopped moving. Then it rolled its eyes. Its heavy body slowly tilted backwards.
“Oh, bear...!”
Bang!
At that moment, another gunshot ripped through the air. It was the result of a precise shot, with a sound like something popping.
"Your Majesty!"
Marquis Calibre screamed at the top of his lungs.
There were no additional wounds or traces of blood on the collapsing bear's body. Eden blinked slowly. Kuung, the Emperor's staggering figure was finally visible behind the bear's body that had fallen.
"...Your Majesty?"
Eden called the Emperor without realizing it. At the same time, blood flowed from the emperor's mouth.
"Your Majesty!"
Eden threw down the gun he was holding and ran towards the Emperor 4. He had no time to be afraid of the bear, which was still faintly breathing.
“Your Majesty. Your Majesty.”
“This, this...”
The Emperor covered his abdomen with his hand and exhaled deeply.
“I’m glad you’re safe...”
“Your Majesty, please do not speak.”
As the Emperor snorted, the smell of blood between his palms became more intense.
“What are you stupidly watching? Bring someone over here right now!”
Eden ordered the guard, who was barely holding on to his senses with a tattered appearance, to bring someone to him. The guard, who had been blinking blankly, nodded and started running along the path he had come from.
“I received the punishment...”
The Emperor muttered. After all, he had killed his son, Damon, by pushing him away so thoughtlessly. There was no way that karma would not come back to him.
“Your Majesty, please. Don’t say anything.”
Eden asked the Emperor with a yearning face. The Emperor quietly looked up at his son.
“Just call me father once..."
And he asked. Like the day he asked Aster to keep his distance from power. For example, the day he asked to be addressed as His Majesty, which clearly showed the power relationship, instead of as father. Like the day he ordered him to leave the palace as soon as he came of age.
In fact, the Emperor was not only cold to Damon. He loved Eden, but that was why he kept his distance from him.
“Again, call me father.”
While Damon couldn't accept it, Eden accepted it and backed off. And he kept his distance as much as he wanted, if not more. That's why he was a more grateful and affectionate son.
If he had known this would happen, he would have just kept it a little closer.
"Father."
Eden softly called out to his father. The Emperor smiled faintly as he checked his son's face with his blurred vision.
You must be tired. Close your eyes for a moment.
The Emperor, who had been moving his lips silently, quietly closed his eyes.
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