Chapter 1.1 – The Daughter of a Mistress

It’s only in romance novels that an Emperor loves only one woman. Falling in love with a woman of low status and eventually elevating her to the position of Empress is also just a storybook fantasy.  

But Leticia’s mother foolishly held onto hope. She believed she was different from the other women who had shared a single night with the Emperor and then disappeared. And for good reason: the Emperor, who was meticulous about avoiding children with his mistresses, had a child with her. Leticia was the proof of that.  

However, her hopes never materialized. Starting the year Leticia came of age, the Emperor stopped visiting them. His once-monthly visits ceased entirely.  

Because he had found a new woman.  

It wasn’t surprising that the Emperor had a new lover. It had happened before. But this time was different. The woman wasn’t just any mistress—she was a foreign Princess. And the Emperor’s attitude toward her was entirely different. Rumors spread widely that he was genuinely infatuated with her.  

Three months passed without a single visit from the Emperor. Her mother, who had waited up late drinking every night, unable to endure the emptiness, began frequenting gambling dens. She started recklessly squandering everything the Emperor had given her. The gold stored in the safe disappeared entirely, and the jewelry in the house vanished one by one.  

Leticia couldn’t stand it any longer and followed her to the gambling dens, trying to stop her several times. But her mother always managed to evade her and continued gambling.  

And then, a year passed.  

The Emperor still hadn’t come to see her mother or Leticia.  

By then, her mother had sold off even the jewelry Leticia owned. The luxurious life they had enjoyed crumbled in an instant. Leticia had never so much as dirtied her hands while living in the luxury provided by the Emperor, and her mother hadn’t worked in over a decade thanks to his favor. Their wealth disappeared so quickly they couldn’t even react. All that remained before them was a steep downhill path filled with obstacles.  

“Useless thing!”  

Her mother shoved her aside.  

“If it weren’t for you, back then, I might have…”  

After the Emperor left, her mother endlessly speculated. If she hadn’t met him, if she hadn’t gotten pregnant with Leticia, if she had remained just a mistress, if she hadn’t risked everything for love…  

In all her ‘what-ifs,’ Leticia was the obstacle, the impurity. Once, she had been the very proof of love and favor, but her worth had plummeted in an instant.  

It hurt. Though he was her father, to her, he was more of an Emperor than a parent. Even when facing her, his daughter, he never set aside his imperial dignity. She addressed him as ‘Your Majesty,’ not ‘Father.’ He had never permitted her to call him ‘Father.’ After all, she was nothing more than an unacknowledged illegitimate child.  

Even so, she wasn’t sad about the lack of her father’s love. She had given up on such feelings by the time she was eight years old.  

If anything, the Baron Evris, who was only her father on paper, felt more like a parent. Though he was curt and reserved, and cold toward her mother, he had shown her a certain level of compassion and kindness.  

‘You’ve done nothing wrong.’

The only one who ever said that to her was the Baron Evris.

“Leticia, you should go to the Imperial Palace. Go and try to persuade him, won’t you?”  

With what right? With what power?  

The words rose to her throat, but she simply stared at her mother expressionlessly. She knew that even if she went, she would only face scorn. The daughter of a discarded mistress. An illegitimate child. Worthless. She knew that better than anyone. The Emperor already had four children with the Empress.  

“Leti, please!”  

Her mother, who had already been rejected countless times by the Emperor, had no strength left. Even though she understood why she was asking this of her, she couldn’t easily swallow the bitterness and faint disgust that lingered in her mouth.  

When the Emperor’s favor faded, their hollow family fell apart. Baron Evris also left the household, as though he had been waiting for this moment. He didn’t even give notice—it was more like a declaration. A declaration that the Emperor’s favor would never return. Still, he left her with a shred of hope before departing, writing her a note saying she could come to him anytime if she needed help.  

She was grateful. But she couldn’t bring herself to go to the Baron. She couldn’t leave her mother, who was drowning in alcohol, drugs, and gambling. Foolishly, she thought, she was still her mother after all…  

“You can do it. You carry the blood of the Imperial Family, don’t you? Hmm? I heard that woman has a son about your age. You could approach him and…”  

Her mother murmured incoherently, gripping her arm and shaking it. Looking at her frail arm, Leticia lowered her head completely.  

How foolish.  

She muttered to herself. Leticia wasn’t sure if she was talking to her mother or to herself.  

***

‘Leti, please!’  

Her mother’s drunken voice echoed in her ears. Sitting in the rattling carriage, she clenched her eyes shut and bit the inside of her cheek. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.  

Heading to meet a blood relative she addressed as ‘Your Majesty’ rather than ‘Father’ brought with it a great deal of humiliation and sorrow, but she had no choice. It was her mother’s desperate wish.  

Of course, part of it was her own decision. She wanted to be completely rejected, to have all hope extinguished. And before she left for good, she wanted to secure some financial help from the Emperor.  

She wanted to start anew. It was late, but she still wanted to begin a new life with just her mother and her.  

When the knights guarding the city walls heard her name, their expressions showed recognition. Leticia Evris. There wasn’t a single person in the Imperial City who didn’t know her name or her mother’s. In the end, they opened the gates for her.  

The carriage headed north, where the Emperor resided. Even during the journey, she clenched her fists out of nervousness. She didn’t think the Emperor would even agree to meet her.  

And her prediction was correct.  

Leticia Evris was denied entry to the Solar Palace. She could only alternate her gaze between the firmly shut doors and the knight armed with a sword. She had come all this way… She couldn’t return empty-handed.  

Like a wooden horse fixed in place, she remained standing there. There was nothing else she could do. Even if it was just a whim, she wished the Emperor would open the door for her. After all, she was still his daughter by blood. Perhaps he might show her a sliver of sympathy… She clung to such faint hope in her mind.  

Much time had passed. The door opened. When she raised her head, she saw the face of a man she had never seen before.  

His bronzed skin, fiery red hair, and gleaming golden eyes… It was clear at a glance that he was not from the Chevrem Empire. She realized immediately who he was. The son of the foreign Princess the Emperor had fallen for. It was him.  

The man’s gaze landed on her. As soon as he saw her, he curved his eyes into crescent moons, as though he found her amusing.  

“Leticia Evris?”  

Her body reacted when her name was called. She clenched her fists tightly, trying not to reveal her emotions. The man approached her.  

“Just as I’ve heard, you’re quite beautiful.”  

The man swept his gaze from her head to her toes, as if appraising her. His gaze was blatantly suggestive. A vulgar man. She fixed her eyes on his chest, refusing to react. Although he wore the attire of Chevrem, the two or three unbuttoned shirt buttons made him seem unlike a Chevrem native. Noticing her gaze, he let out a soft exclamation.  

“Ah, it’s so stifling. Do Chevrem people have such a strong aversion to exposure? Is there really a need to button up to the neck?”  

As he spoke, he unbuttoned more of his shirt. His collarbone and chest were now exposed. Leticia lowered her gaze entirely.  

“The Emperor said he doesn’t wish to meet you.”  

Was he here to deliver that message?

Leticia raised her head again and met the man’s gaze. His golden eyes, seen up close, sparkled even more brilliantly than they did from afar. Like stars in the night sky… She found herself momentarily captivated by those unfamiliar eyes, only to realize she had stared too long. Startled, she quickly averted her gaze.  

“Why? You’re allowed to look.”  

The man spoke in a playful tone. Leticia bit her lower lip and took a step back. The distance between them was uncomfortably close, close enough to hear his breathing. But the moment she stepped back, the man stepped forward and grabbed her chin.  

“Chevrem people are all pale, but you’re especially pale. I can see your veins.”  

His eyes roamed over her face, as if licking every inch. The rawness of his gaze and the unsolicited touch made a surge of discomfort rise within her. She raised her hand to slap away his grip on her chin, but his hold was firmer than she expected.  

“Let go.”  

For the first time, she spoke. The man laughed aloud.