The moment she heard the news of Medea's pregnancy and found an alternative to the Third Prince, she remembered the despicable gaze of the man who turned around and abandoned her like a devoted partner.
"Eleanor, if it were that woman, would you have done this?"
He should have known that he would be even more despicable to a woman he had never loved, because he was so obsessed with the woman he once loved.
That late realization shattered Western Empress's pride.
Eleanor, who was only useless and foolish, was more proud of being wiser than that woman.
Western Empress bit her lips. The flesh burst, and blood quickly formed.
No, it is not. It doesn't collapse like this.
"I never thought I would die."
At that moment, she heard footsteps in the darkness. The Western Empress raised her head suddenly.
"I came here because you seem to be worried."
It was Jason who appeared in the darkness.
"You... ! How can you be here!"
All access to the Western Palace had long been blocked by Perdiccas II's strict order.
How could Jason enter the strict guard where not a single rat can enter?
"That..."
Jason slowly stopped walking and placed his hand on the wall.
Dust rose from the cracks in the old stone wall along his fingertips.
"I don't know."
A faint smile spread across his lips.
"When I was a child, I used to play hide and seek in this West Palace. This is also the villa where the Emperor held me in his arms and played with me when he was healthy."
Western Empress shook her shoulders.
Even though she knew about the secret passage, she gave goosebumps on her arms at the insidiousness of Jason, who had kept his mouth shut until now.
She didn't know that the apple given by such a cunning snake was poisonous and bitter.
"All of this is because of you, isn't it? You, what the hell did you do to me by provoking me! You despicable devil!"
With fearful rage, Western Empress glared at the man in front of her. Her eyes were full of resentment.
"Now that you come and hand it all over to me, will it be something that never happened?"
Jason twisted the corners of his mouth.
The Western Empress stopped.
Why doesn't he even show any signs of fear?
Castullo, was he originally so confident? Isn't Cesare's anger scary?
Not knowing what a terrible end those who touched him met,
"What are you thinking-"
The Western Empress, who continued to speak, froze.
Just as she was about to say Jason's name, her fingers and body did not move like a piece of wood.
In an instant, she remembered the dust that had risen from the wall that Jason had touched a moment ago.
"This guy! You used paralysis! You cunning..."
However, it was already too late.
She was given only a small amount of freedom to roll her eyes.
Western Empress stared at Jason.
To be precise, he took out a small vial from his arms, opened the lid, and approached her with one or two steps.
Western Empress's eyes widened and filled with fear for a moment, and the black liquid from the medicine bottle poured into her mouth.
"Ugh, ugh! Oh, Jasooooon!"
"Don't worry. This will end safely."
Jason smiled softly and took out a piece of paper that had been folded tightly from his bosom.
Then he slowly opened it and placed it in front of the Western Empress Dowager.
It was a suicide note written in her handwriting.
"You will apologize with death, but what can that scoundrel, Cesare, do about it?"
"Uh-oh..."
Her tongue hardened, and the Western Empress collapsed right there.
Western Empress, who was loosened, shook her arms. Thanks to this, her fingernails scratched the back of Jason's hand.
It was a deep gash that tore the flesh.
However, Jason did not avoid it and quietly endured the anger of the Western Empress.
Until she no longer struggles.
And finally, everything fell silent.
Her eyes were wide open.
It's not Cesare, but she never dreamed that she would lose her life at the hands of Jason Castullo, whom she had always ignored.
"Don't blame me. We were just thinking of using each other."
Jason leaned down and whispered in Western Empress's ear.
Even so, his hand did not stop.
A rope was wrapped around the neck of the Western Empress to create the intended scene.
Then, he completely erased the last trace of himself and sank into the darkness.
Jason, who came out of the Western Palace, swept his rough and dry face.
His fingertips still smelled of the perfume of the Western Empress.
The sensual scent now pierced the tip of the nose like the stench of a corpse.
However, he lost his power due to the anger and love-hate that now gripped him.
It was not enough for the plan that had been prepared for Cesare's return.
The greatest slope that makes the empire buzz, the pregnancy of the 1st Princess.
"What do you do with me..."
The red eyes shining between his fingers burned like a flame.
"Yes, Medea. It's the man you chose."
He's sure that Cesare will be better than him enough for Medea to abandon him and even have a child.
If so, he has no choice but to break her good faith right away and let her see the reality.
Jason turned.
A low voice sounded low, as if it were inevitable.
"Contact the temple. Move."
"Yes, Your Highness."
As if he had never done that, the palace fell silent again.
And finally, the day after the sun rose.
"Your Majesty, the Western Emperor? Your majesty? Aaaa...!"
A tearing scream erupted from the West Palace like an echo.
***
At that time, the 1st Prince Palace.
The palace was bustling for the first time in a long time.
Knights, mercenaries, maids, attendants, and cooks in the kitchen, all the people in the villa came out to greet the owner of the villa.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
The 1st Prince and his wife got out of the carriage.
After that, the coachman unloaded his luggage from the carriage full of the Emperor's gifts.
"We pray for your safe return! I congratulate you on the birth of a royal heir!"
The news from the imperial palace had already spread quickly to various parts of the castle for a long time.
The people of the 1st Prince faction could not hide their joy.
Heaven and hell are just a little different. When they heard the news that the First Prince had disappeared from the iceberg a few months ago, they had no idea of the happy appearance that now surrounds the palace.
Receiving everyone's congratulations, the couple entered the mansion.
People especially treated Medea like a feather.
They were usually polite, but now they were too much to think about whether she would fly or break.
"We will do our best to take care of your baby. Don't worry."
There was even a glimpse of sarcasm in those faces.
"Welcome."
Old Mrs. Tolin bowed her head. Her wrinkled face had long been soaked with tears.
"Thank you so much. Your Highness, even if this old woman dies, I will not forget this gratitude."
She held on to Medea and vented her joy nonstop for a while.
"Your Highness has finally had a real family. Now is the person who always had nowhere to put his heart like a floating reed..."
From her unusual appearance, which was kind but never disheveled in her hair, Medea could see how happy she was.
"How happy Her Highness Eleanor must have been... I'm sorry. This old woman was too reckless. It will be hard, but I'll prepare the bath water quickly."
Medea was finally left alone. Her face in the mirror was clearly tired.
This was because she was captured by the joyful Perdiccas II, and his stay in the imperial palace was unexpectedly long.
"When will it be born?"
"Did you get gender?"
"How is your physical condition? Isn't morning sickness severe?"
"What are you doing with prenatal education?"
The Emperor's overt interest was beyond imagination.
"It's great. You are no longer Valdina, but the daughter of this Katzen."
The Emperor's tone was full of arrogance, as if he were giving up a title.
"I know I have been heartless to you all along. However, it will be different from now on. Will I be heartless even to my only grandson?"
Instead of his son, who felt the need to establish a new relationship, but no persuasion worked, Perdiccas II decided to target his moderate daughter-in-law.
"My daughter-in-law doesn't want to eat? What do you want to have? Yes, find it in my report."
Medea was so distracted that she couldn't get out of her mind.
When the title called by the Emperor became intimate, she even got goosebumps.
It was not easy not to lose her composure in front of his eyes, shining with anticipation of taking her child away.
Medea stroked her stomach with a tired face.
Her belly was still flat.
At that moment, the door opened quietly. It was Cesare.
"..."
Without saying a word, he hugged Medea from behind.
And as if dealing with something precious, a rain of kisses fell on the top of her head, temples, and thin white neck.
"Medea, you stubborn mule. How can you hide it from me?"
Contrary to his stern tone, straight fingers gently swept down Medea's belly.
The affectionate and young hand was somehow cautious.
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