Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 34
It felt like I had an e****c dream. It was a jumbled mess of disjointed details, and I could only remember a few fragmented scenes, but the general impression seemed so suggestive. As I opened my eyes and breathed deeply, the details of the dream slowly began to fade. All that remained was a faint recollection that it was sensual.
The pounding headache was too much to beard. Reflexively, I touched my forehead and took a moment to catch my breath. The warmth of the blankets made me realize that I was in bed. I remembered having a conversation with Lecan, but after that, it seemed like I fell asleep right in the corridor.
“I should be working…”
Work certainly must have piled up during the time I wasted trying to attend to the Empress at the ball. My stomach rumbled with a hangover, but I needed to know what time it was.The familiar ceiling indicated that I was in my bed, and the sun’s fading light suggested it was around 6 o’clock in the evening. As I turned my head, I was startled by the sudden realization.
Teiles II, the man I had deliberately avoided for nearly three weeks since his ascension, was in my room. Why was he here, especially on the day after I had been drinking, the person I least wanted to come across?
“Your Imperial Majesty.”
Despite the sudden and rapid movement that triggered my nausea, I didn’t let it show. As I slid out of the bed to observe the formalities, the Emperor, in a relaxed posture, was reading through the documents I had left unfinished. My heart raced.
“Since when has Your Majesty been here?”
“Well, for a few minutes?”
I was surprised I got a straight answer. I wasn’t particularly an early riser, but it seemed the Emperor’s presence had awakened me. Having a man entering my chambers was an uncomfortable experience, especially considering the numerous eyes within the palace.
“Even if Your Majesty insists… Given the watchful eyes in the palace, I’m concerned about you entering my quarters alone. You might get caught up in a scandal.”
“I am the Emperor now. Is there any woman I can’t approach even in her private chamber?”
Normally, I might have brushed it off, but for some reason, the suggestive remarks were particularly irksome. Teiles II was shameless even in the face of his own court’s admonition. He was not one to heed gentle words.
I straightened my back slowly. Though the painful hangover assailed me, my mind was clear.
It turned out I had judged people well from the start. Yesterday’s mockery by the Abel Empire’s emissaries flashed unpleasantly in my mind. Teiles II seemed oblivious to his own rudeness, even when meeting my gaze. Instead, he adopted a more arrogant attitude.
“Even if Mother didn’t have all that baggage, she’s in no position to be Empress Regent, so who would stop me from exercising my power?”
“…Me.”
“What? What did you just say?”
“I said I would stop you,” I replied calmly and distinctly.
The envoys from the Abel Empire were involved in diplomatic issues, making it impossible for a maid like myself to openly confront such matters. But this was not the case with Teiles II. This wasn’t a public setting, and Teiles II knew my true identity. I am Winter, the missing noblewoman of the Ducal House of Rotea.
Even though the magical theory he had just set aside was written by me, it was intended to be presented under Teiles II’s name. That was the way it was. Even after his ascension, the Emperor hadn’t even come close to wielding real power. The only thing Teiles II was good at was being a puppet.
“…How dare you.” Teiles II’s face twisted into a fierce grimace. “You are guilty of murdering my father.”
My expression turned cold—he had touched a nerve. That was one thing Teiles II should never have brought up. It was abhorrently contradictory for someone who had no affection or interaction with his father from the start to suddenly hint at some sort of familial affection.
“It is not your place to speak if I hadn’t stained my hands with blood, you wouldn’t even be sitting on that throne.”
For me, Teiles II was also a target for revenge. However, due to the ‘Imprint of the Heart’ that linked him to my younger brother Luteon, he should consider himself fortunate that I spared him. It was an act of mercy. I allowed him to live.
“His Majesty is merely a puppet for the Empress Regent. If you have intelligence, know your place, Your Majesty.”
“How dare anyone question my intelligence!”
After entering Persi Academy, Teiles II was always labeled as a genius. However, perhaps due to being often criticized as foolish by the Empress, his response was unusually intense. But was not even his top admission to Persi Academy only possible with my help?
Knowing this, the Emperor didn’t move any closer, though his fists shook with insult, and he stared at me with eyes that seemed to want to tear me apart.
“I’ll see how long you’ll remain so defiant.”
So this is what it feels like to have your mind worn down. Teiles II stormed out of my quarters. As soon as I heard the door slam shut, I rush of relief washed over me.
‘I haven’t disgraced myself.’
I found it bizarre to take solace in such a trivial fact.
Yet, Lecan was right. Despite being instrumental in the Sixth Prince’s ascension and delivering the world to the Empress, I remained someone who couldn’t properly refuse a drink and had to endure insulting remarks time and again. It seemed fitting to receive such treatment.
I wiped my lips with my wrist. The makeup I had yet to remove smudged and stained the back of my hand red.
