Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 77
“It’s just a rumor.”
Lecan dismissed it with a single word.
Normally, Lecan never spoke publicly about his former fiancée’s family, so his subordinates instinctively fell silent and became quiet.
When the possibility of an unknown figure was raised, Lecan was fine with it since the existence of the true power, Leyesha, was an undeniable fact. He thought it was merely a sign of competence for his foremost advisor to catch on, even if belatedly.
However, the attempt to link the Rotea Duchy with the current Emperor crossed the line.
‘Winter.’
Suddenly, his childhood fiancée came to mind, but it was a memory so distant that it felt faint. He used to send her birthday gifts every winter. Even now, when the snow falls, he occasionally thinks of her. But there were no deeper feelings beyond that.
The memory of his interactions with the Rotea family before their fall was vivid, however. The two people who he thought would become his father and mother-in-law had been an unusually harmonious couple among the aristocracy.
Even though their marriage was politically arranged, they seemed to get along so well that Lecan had once thought that he, too, wanted to live like that with Winter one day.
He understood why such rumors were circulating.
Emperor Teiles II had blonde hair and blue eyes — traits that were common, but they were also the genetic features most often seen in the Rotea family.
No one really expected the Empress Dowager to uphold any kind of moral standards when it came to her romantic relationships…
Moreover, the general populace was currently favorable toward Lecan, while showing clear hostility toward Teiles II. It hadn’t always been that way, but after the princess’s funeral, that sentiment had intensified considerably. In every nation, before its downfall, the legitimacy of its ruler was first undermined through rumors and scandal.
Lecan interpreted the rumors surrounding Teiles II in this same light.
“If this isn’t a case of someone rallying public opinion on my behalf without my instruction, then refrain from mentioning it further.”
“……”
The librarian acknowledged this, though he bit his lip in frustration, believing it had been a good opportunity.
Benedict, startled by the reprimand, suddenly blurted out in an overly loud voice.
“Oh come on, no way! House Rotea… well, they were famous for being absurdly good-looking, right? I mean, sure, His Majesty the Emperor is handsome and all, but… not that level, don’t you think?”
Benedict had seen Winter alive in the underworld, but hadn’t told a single soul. Even though no one knew, he reacted as if he’d been caught, speaking with a desperate need to justify himself.
“Absolutely not! They look nothing alike!”
‘The idea that the two of them could be half-siblings is just absurd.’
“And this ‘Unknown’—really now. The white elephant stuff? That had to be His Majesty’s own decision! I mean, seriously, who else at his age would come up with such childish… torment? Only a wet-behind-the-ears brat would pull something like that.”
In trying to defend the Emperor, Benedict had inadvertently insulted him more gravely by portraying him as an immature fool. Still, no one here dared to point out the rudeness.
The attendants exchanged glances. They had initially been intrigued by the librarian’s claim about a mysterious figure — this “Unknown.” But the moment he brought up the absurd birth rumor, even as a potential political angle, his credibility had started to erode.
‘A childish torment that only a wet-behind-the-ears brat would think up.’
Lecan, however, who knew this was Leyesha’s doing, let out a brief chuckle.
‘If Leyesha hears of this, Benedict, it will only increase the hatred she already has for you.’
And to think, there were still three more white elephants left…
Lecan didn’t know why Leyesha despised Benedict so thoroughly, but he had no intention of taking sides. Or rather, perhaps he was ever so slightly biased in Leyesha’s favor.
“Have some tea, will you…?”
It was Lecan’s polite way of telling Benedict to shut up. He lifted his own teacup, brought it to his lips, and took a quiet sip.
The librarian, watching his liege’s composed demeanor, held back the additional thoughts that had been welling up. He had much more he wanted to say.
‘Back then… the chief lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager — Leyesha, wasn’t it? Could it be that the subordinate you once said you wished to bring in was her? Could it be… Leyesha herself is Unknown…?’
“Ark.”
Lecan called his name. Startled out of his thoughts, the strategist flinched noticeably before replying.
“Yes, my lord.”
Lecan set down his teacup and said:
“Thank you for holding the line while I was gone. If not for you, we would’ve lost everything.”
“……?”
“I remember your efforts and dedication, always.”
“……!”
The librarian’s face flushed red. The recognition, unexpected in both timing and setting in front of everyone, struck him speechless. He hadn’t the faintest idea why Lecan was suddenly offering praise, but the thoughts he had been entertaining about Leyesha scattered like dust in the wind.
“I-it’s nothing, my lord.”
“…What’s with this atmosphere? It’s reminding me of one of those stories popular among noble ladies lately. Brother, aren’t you curious about the rumors surrounding you and your advisor? With how long you’ve remained unmarried…”
“Shut it.”
Benedict teased Lecan, pressing him on the subject of marriage in a tone of playful mischief, but Lecan didn’t so much as flinch.
Whether or not Benedict kept snickering beside him, the librarian looked utterly at a loss.
“My lord, you’re trying to enjoy a well-deserved rest… As your vassal, I regret troubling you with such careless words. I beg your pardon.”
Lecan drank the rest of his tea in silence, letting the warmth slide down his throat. His librarian still floundered beside him, visibly remorseful, but Lecan spared him no further glance.
For the briefest moment, a woman’s image flickered across his mind, intangible and shadow-like. Whether the formless memory pointed to Winter or to Leyesha, even Lecan couldn’t say.
Only one thought crystallized clearly enough to leave a lingering echo: “I want to protect her.”
