Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 8
The ‘Imprint of the Heart’ was one of the most powerful oaths a person could make. As the name suggests, it was a life-binding contract, known for its compelling strength.
“Come in.”
At the consort’s command, two knights entered, each holding someone in their arms. I couldn’t help but feel bewildered. One of the boys carried by the knights was Lucian, and the other was the Sixth Prince. Both lay unconscious with a pallid complexion, as if they had ingested sleeping draughts.
“Your Majesty, why have you brought Lucian here…”
“I will bind my son’s life and your brother’s life together in this place. It’s a ‘heart imprint’ that links their lives together.”
“…What?”
“If Lucian dies from his genetic illness, my son will immediately meet the same fate, and if my son is assassinated, Lucian will die as well.”
She handed me a dagger with a gem-encrusted hilt and said, “If we enter into this contract, I will generously assist in your younger brother’s treatment, and you will wholeheartedly work for the Sixth Prince’s succession to the throne, won’t you? When you first pleaded with me, promising to elevate the Sixth Prince to the throne, it wasn’t an empty vow, was it?”
“It was not an empty vow.”
“The fate of the second prince who couldn’t ascend to the throne is something you are well aware of. I can’t trust you. Except for your attachment to your family.”
With a dagger similar to the one she handed me, she approached the Sixth Prince with determination. The knights gently laid the Sixth Prince on the altar and stepped aside.
“Winter, you must make this child the Emperor before he turns 22. Only then will I be eligible to be regent, and you will have the power to easily restore your family’s honor.”
Without hesitation, she slashed across the Sixth Prince’s chest. Not enough to kill, but enough to make him bleed.
I was shocked to witness her proceed with such a risky pledge without even consulting her own child.
“Carve Lucian’s chest.”
“Your Majesty, my little brother is very sick. Please consider another way.”
“Carve.”
The Emperor’s mistress remained resolute, showing no signs of hesitation.
This meant she held immense confidence in my talent, but at the same time, it also conveyed that she viewed her child as a tool for her own social advancement, nothing more.
If she truly ‘loved’ the Sixth Prince, she wouldn’t even consider linking his life with Lucian, who could die from a genetic disease at any time.
Elevating the Sixth Prince to the throne was not a goal for her son’s sake. Her ambition was to rule this country as a regent with her son as an royal figurehead.
Her son’s blood was red, spattered across his seemingly innocent face. The chilling precision in her judgment made my skin crawl.
“Lucian’s ailment is a unique genetic disease specific to your family. I’ve heard that even finding a doctor who can handle it is extremely rare. But don’t worry.”
“…Your Majesty, please.”
“I’ve already found a trustworthy doctor.”
She alternated between carrot and whip, smiling too beautifully.
Even in the warm room, the chill made my jaw rattle.
She was my chosen protector, but she was a cruel one indeed.
As I stood frozen in place, the knight forcibly pulled my arm and led me to my younger brother. Lying on the altar next to the Sixth Prince, who was already bleeding, was Lucian. My pale-looking younger brother was indeed suffering from the genetic disease, as the Emperor’s Mistress had said.
I was not oblivious to the astronomical costs of the life-prolonging treatments that the consort was bearing.
“…Hurry.”
What other choice did I have? I was just a young girl, only ten years old.
Clutching a dagger as if it were a lifeline, placed in my hand by the only protector I could call upon for help. As a burly knight with a longsword at his waist watched, I could not defy the consort who whispered that this was the only way to save my brother.
“After this, it must remain a secret shared between only you and me.”
After I had cut Lucian with the knife, she grabbed my trembling shoulders, whispering as if she were indoctrinating me.
Even as the mage initiate proceeded to perform the “Imprint of the Heart,” linking our fates together right before my eyes, I couldn’t stop it. Holding me, trembling like an aspen tree, the Emperor’s mistress continued her relentless speech.
Swear before her that you would make the Sixth Prince ascend to the throne within ten years, or else you and your only kin will face the fate of death with him.
If I do well, she pledged to guarantee not only the restoration of our family’s honor but also a cure for my brother’s illness. I vividly remember that moment when I finally broke down and shed tears in front of her, who repeated her demands again and again.
“Swear to me! Are you telling me that you’re a traitor after all, willing to defy the one who spared you?”
I stammered through the oath, but my determination was unwavering. I was ready to do whatever it took, to transform myself into a tool, and to rise from a traitor to a loyal subject. I took the first step on the path of no return.
“By any means necessary… I shall make him the Emperor.”
Through my teary declaration, the Emperor’s mistress chuckled as if she had already ascended to the throne herself. Her son’s blood stained her cheek.
Her genuinely joyous laughter, her triumphant smile. As I witnessed her happiness, an indescribable sense of despair washed over me.
The last time I cried like that was the day our family was destroyed.
Even in my young mind, I felt something crumbling within me, but I was too occupied with surviving to pay it any mind.
