Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 46
If it wasn’t my imagination, Lecan definitely smiled subtly.
‘What is it? Something feels off.’
“Thank you for allowing me to participate despite my late arrival, Your Majesty.”
“Why would you think I would do otherwise? As handsome as… no, how could I not be delighted? …Leyesha.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Quickly, present the participation badge and stop standing there.”
Startled by the Empress’s commanding voice, I awkwardly picked up the participation badge placed on the table and approached Lecan. Although I had handed out participation badges to hundreds of huntsmen before, I never felt any excitement. I was too occupied trying to think of something productive to do with my time.
‘Participating in the hunting competition won’t lead to any meaningful conversation with me.’
But surely, I must be mistaken. There’s no way Lecan would attend the hunting tournament, which he didn’t even enjoy, just to catch a glimpse of my face. He wouldn’t have traveled all the way here for nothing more than the briefest touch of my fingertips as I gave him a participation badge.
‘It couldn’t have been like that.’
Lecan, putting the participation badge I gave him into his pocket, descended the stairs and mounted a horse. I watched in disbelief as he grabbed his horse’s reins and rode off into the forest. But it was fleeting. Sleepiness overwhelmed me once again.
“Leyesha, do you have any information suggesting romantic feelings between the Princess and Lecan?”
The Empress, whose once friendly face now stiffened, asked me sternly.
“I haven’t heard anything, but yesterday His Majesty the Emperor personally invited him to dine with the Princess, and he accepted. You may have heard that the Princess, suffering from lovesickness for you, has not been eating for the last few days. Right now, he probably just came from their lunch together.”
“…Wait, what if I could secure him as a son-in-law for the imperial family?”
“…What?”
“There’s a rule that the Princess’s spouse cannot participate in politics. Although it’s hard to believe that someone as cold-blooded as him knows what love feels like, he did go as far as to attend the hunting tournament with her handkerchief in hand. The victor has probably already been decided at this point, but his purpose may have simply been to honor the Princess who gave him the handkerchief.”
“Ah…”
“Leyesha, you are remarkably intelligent, yet surprisingly foolish in matters of the heart like this.”
Due to my overwhelming fatigue, I didn’t have the energy to fully interpret the words coming from the Empress’s mouth.
So, is she planning to use the Princess for a political marriage, then convince Lecan, who becomes a son-in-law of the imperial family, to voluntarily withdraw from politics? Is that the strategy she’s formulating?
‘…Lecan retiring from politics? Highly unlikely.’
The Lecan I had read about was a man whose lust for power was as strong, if not stronger, than the Empress’s. He wasn’t the kind of opponent who was willing to discard his ambitions for a love affair. To develop effective strategies, one must truly understand the enemy.
However, to avoid conflicting butting heads with the Empress, I reluctantly agreed.
“…I will consider it. If Her Highness the Princess can capture his heart, it will indeed be a favorable path for the imperial family.”
“I mean, Leyesha, there are certain things that only you can do.”
Since attendants and knights were present, the Empress lowered her voice more than usual.
Something only I can do?
‘Are you talking about developing a magic potion?’
In hindsight, if she could somehow arrange for Lecan to spend a night with the Princess and she ended up pregnant, the Empress could push for a political marriage, staking the honor of the imperial family. A night or so might be possible with the development of a magical potion, after all.
‘Lecan falling in love, becoming a son-in-law, and cleanly withdrawing from politics? Unbelievable.’
Though it hadn’t crossed my mind, it seemed worth attempting.
Had I ever considered using a love potion on Lecan? Not at all. There was no indication that it would work, so I had dismissed that possibility entirely.
The Empress’s gaze felt oddly focused on me. I wanted to yawn, but I bit my tongue and held it back.
“You seem tired. You may go rest now.”
“…Thank you.”
Finally granted permission, my face must have visibly brightened. Did I appear overly pleased? Seeing the Empress’s slightly furrowed brow, I once again bowed deeply and stepped back. Although not far from the palace, there was still a long road ahead back from the hunting grounds in the woods.
All I could think of was lying down on a soft bed and sinking into a deep sleep.
***
Getting lost in the woods was completely unplanned.
‘People are the worst when they’re sleepy.’
I couldn’t recall how I ended up heading towards the entrance of the forest, but I felt uneasy. The Empress, being someone who collected all sorts of rare animals, had released dangerous beasts for the hunting competition. Even with a few defensive magical items, it might not be enough.
‘Was that Lecan?’
But there was one more unplanned development. From a short distance away, I saw Lecan confronting five monsters all at once. The horrifying appearance of the monsters sent a shiver down my spine. The situation looked excessively perilous for a hunting tournament.
‘…It would be nice if he died right there, fighting those beasts.’
I had no intention of helping. It was challenging enough for me to survive alone.
As I stumbled backward, a branch on the ground snapped with a loud crack. Whether it was my quick movement or the monsters being alert, they all turned around simultaneously, looking straight at me. Shortly after, Lecan’s eyes also locked onto me.
