Obsession... What's That? I Just Wish Someone Would Help Me Escape - Chapter 94
He pulled his knees up and hugged them, burying his head down.
“They said I’d meet my father here, but there’s so much I don’t understand. Why do I have to call someone other than the Emperor ‘Father’? Why can’t you be Empress?”
There was a brief silence, and he continued, his voice subdued.
“You’ve cried so much more since coming here. You don’t look happy.”
The woman’s expression grew somber, though she forced a smile.
The boy sighed softly.
“Maybe it’d be better if I had only you as a parent… and multiple fathers.”
?
That detached way of talking—now that is exactly like the Johann I know.
A man who looked like an attendant called to them from a distance.
“Lady Catriel, there you are. The young master’s lesson is about to start.”
I scratched my head and let out a sigh.
It was clear—I was inside Johann’s mind.
And not just any part, but a past moment seared into his memory as trauma.
What’s more, it seemed they couldn’t see me here.
I glanced at my reflection in the window and froze.
The woman with black hair staring back at me was my past self.
* * *
One thing I learned inside Johann’s memories was that he and Enrique were half-brothers.
Though Johann had been officially recognized as the illegitimate son of Duke Dachten, a royal who died in battle, they were publicly known as cousins. The Emperor brought Johann and his commoner mother into the palace, justifying it as “preserving the royal bloodline.”
The Empress, aware of the full story, despised Lady Catriel, and the courtiers humiliated and scorned her at every turn.
Royals and nobles would exclude Lady Catriel by speaking in cultured language or discussing complex topics like politics, philosophy, and the arts.
Whenever she tried to join in after diligently studying, they’d escalate to even more difficult subjects, mocking her ignorance.
“A mistress with no power to her name, truly disgraceful.”
While society condemned adultery as sinful, the Emperor was an exception.
He’d institutionalized the “official mistress of the royal family” position, giving it the status of a court role, like a lady-in-waiting.
The Emperor’s favored mistresses were known as “Royal Mistresses,” wielding influence as weapons, attending state events and council meetings, and even exerting political sway in the imperial court.
But Lady Catriel was neither politically astute nor cunning.
A good-hearted person with no backing couldn’t possibly survive in aristocratic society.
Her status as the Emperor’s mistress was kept a tightly held secret, so much so that even gossip-mongers were unaware.
She never received any of the privileges expected of a royal mistress.
Considering this, it would be easy to assume that Enrique, the Empress’s son, and Johann, the illegitimate son, would be at odds…
“Enrique, let me show you the life of a rugged man. Come to the training grounds, now.”
“All right.”
Though they were of opposing ranks and temperaments, the two boys got along well.
Just watching Enrique panting to keep up with Johann, who seemed tireless, showed how different their upbringings had been.
It seemed Enrique, the refined young master, was trying to adapt to Johann’s world.
“Hey, ever tried roasted grasshoppers? Not everyone gets these.”
“Mmm, tastes like meat. Would be perfect with a bit of truffle.”
“Really? Most people freak out when they try it.”
“If you like it, I’m trying to like it too.”
The fact that he was willing to taste-test roasted grasshoppers—Johann’s favorite snack—showed that Enrique genuinely saw him as a friend.
Johann was also interested in Enrique’s hobbies.
“That book, why do you read it all the time? Is it that good?”
“Because it’s full of grown-up secrets.”
“What, like a legendary power technique?”
“No. It’s a bit more profound than that. If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.”
Enrique straightened Johann’s crooked tie and looked up at him.
“Keeping a secret is like protecting someone’s world.”
“So if a secret gets out, someone’s world changes?”
“It could change for better or for worse.”
What kind of seven-year-old talks philosophically like this?
Then again, the Empress was famously devoted to education. The royals endured grueling schedules from an early age, after all.
Some noble families even tried to emulate the Empress’s educational methods.
Suddenly, Enrique’s expression darkened as he flipped through his book.
He stood up abruptly, looking at Johann with a serious gaze.
“Johann, go to Lady Catriel’s quarters. Now.”
“Why?”
“Don’t ask, just go. Make sure she can’t leave her room.”
Confused, Johann turned and started running.
The young Johann’s perspective became my own as he sprinted away.
“Mother!”
He burst through the door, startling the palace maids gossiping idly on the empty couch, who turned wide-eyed to stare at him.
“Young Master?”
“Where is my mother?”
The maids exchanged looks, emotions plain on their faces—some were flustered, others looked smug.
One maid with a smirk barely managed to stifle her laughter as she pointed out the window.
“Do you see that big tree on the hill in the Imperial Garden? She’s probably there. You should go quickly.”
“Karen!”
Another maid, her face pale, grabbed Karen’s arm and shook her, then tried to stop Johann.
“Young Master, you mustn’t go there!”
With an impassive expression, Johann looked at the maids, then turned his back on the laughing one and dashed outside.
He was heading toward the large tree in the Imperial Garden.
From this day forward, Johann’s world would never be the same.
