Chapter 2 – Scheh’s Boutique (Part 5)
Inferno harbored a sense of inferiority towards Reubellina. Despite being a prince, he had an elder brother who surpassed him, rendering the throne unreachable. He could only prostrate himself and be a helpful younger brother.
It was Reubellina who had extended a hand to him. After their engagement, the perception of the imperial family towards him had changed. From a useless younger brother, he had become somewhat more presentable.
‘Come to think of it, it wasn’t so bad.’
The past 10 years of being engaged to Reubellina had been quite pleasant in a way. She would resolve matters even before he could express his desires. Inferno had then packaged her actions as his own, earning the Emperor’s trust and the acclaim of the imperial subjects.
That was why he had grown bored. Reubellina, who would do anything and agree to anything he wanted, had become pathetic in his eyes.
In contrast, Bellaruse, the former fiancée of the Grand Duke, was entirely new and refreshing. The love of Bellaruse, who had chosen him over the renowned Grand Duke of the North, seemed more brilliant and beautiful. Even though she was a mere Baron’s daughter, Inferno could fill in the gaps.
He loved Bellaruse, who whispered sweet nothings to him, a different person from Reubellina, who always nagged him to maintain the dignity befitting an imperial prince. That was why he had become more captivated by Bellaruse.
Taking a deep breath in front of the Emperor’s chamber, Inferno spoke to the usher with a determined expression.
“Announce me.”
“Your Majesty, the Second Prince has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
The voice from within did not sound as bad as he had feared. Inferno felt relieved and took a step forward.
As the door opened and he entered, a book suddenly came flying at him. The spine struck his chest, but Inferno dared not even groan. He was too terrified to see the furious expression on the Emperor’s face.
Had Inferno not prostrated himself, another object might have flown at him, not just a book, but fortunately, nothing else came flying.
“Inferno.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Even in this private setting, Inferno addressed the Emperor with the formal “Your Majesty.” The only person who could call him ‘Father’ was his brother, the crown prince. Despite being brothers, due to the long-standing discrimination, addressing him differently ensured Inferno couldn’t surpass the authority of the Crown Prince.
“I’ve heard something strange. That you’ve requested to break off the engagement with the Lady Asillious?”
“Your Majesty, that is…”
“And all because of some Baron’s daughter?”
Inferno could barely breathe under the Emperor’s icy tone. He tried to respond calmly, but the trembling in his voice was unavoidable.
“That is correct, Your Majesty. But…”
“I cannot help that you have decided so, but what can that mere Baron’s daughter do for you?”
“Pardon?”
Inferno’s eyes lit up at the unexpected words from the Emperor, whom he had expected to outright oppose him.
There was hope. If he could persuade the Emperor well here, he could confirm his marriage to Bellaruse without a hitch. He carefully chose his words and spoke.
“She loves me.”
“And?”
“I feel at peace when I’m with her. She is endearing, and I want to protect her.”
“Anything else?”
“When her pink hair sways, my heart sways with it, and her smiling face makes me smile as well.”
“Anything more?”
The Emperor’s expression hardened. Seeing the Emperor’s face change to one that seemed to be looking at something worthless, Inferno felt that something was wrong. But no matter how he racked his brain, he couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong. He had simply answered as the Emperor had asked, about what Bellaruse could provide, so he couldn’t understand where he had gone wrong.
Inferno, unable to grasp why the Emperor was angry, couldn’t bring himself to speak further. Through long experience, he knew that it was better to remain silent than to say something that would further aggravate the Emperor’s wrath.
“My son.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At the affectionate address, Inferno bowed his head. Being called ‘son’ was more daunting than being referred to as a ‘prince’.
“As a member of the imperial family, you must know how to distinguish what is beneficial and what is detrimental.”
Inferno listened attentively to the Emperor’s unexpected words. The Emperor had never spoken such teachings to him before, so he was grateful for the guidance.
“That Baron’s daughter has nothing useful to offer besides her body, does she not?”
The bluntness of the answer left Inferno speechless for a moment. As he blinked, the Emperor’s words continued.
“If you’re so enamored with that Baron’s daughter, you could just take her as a concubine. Why are you discarding the best card you have in hand to hold onto a useless one?”
“…Card?”
“Yes, card. The card you had in your hand.”
The Emperor slapped his hand on the armrest of the throne, the sound weighing heavily on Inferno’s ears.
“You need to at least hold onto that card to avoid being ignored by your elder brother. What use is a mere Baron’s daughter to you? Honestly, do you think that girl can provide you with the kind of clothes you’re wearing now?”
“But this is paid for by the imperial palace’s clothing allowance!”
“Tsk! The clothes you’re wearing are far too expensive to be bought with the allowance given to you. Do you think that’s all? The furnishings in your palace, even the pen you use, are of similar quality to the Crown Prince’s.”
Inferno was struck by the revelation, as if someone had hit him hard on the head.
“Then all the money I’ve spent in the past…….”
“I’ve never given you that kind of money, so it must have all come from the Duke Asillious’s household.”
The Emperor stated firmly. Inferno could only open and close his mouth at his cold words. He was too confused to know what to say, and now that the source of the money he had spent was revealed, he wondered how much it was.
“Surely, my son, you don’t think I’ve been giving you the same amount as the Crown Prince, do you?”
At the Emperor’s final words, Inferno finally grasped his true circumstances.
***
After leaving the reception room to Tartenon and the Duke, Reubellina stepped out into the garden. As soon as she entered the garden, the servants prepared a table and tea for her.
“I don’t need tea.”
“Then shall we bring some light refreshments?”
“No.”
“You haven’t been eating or drinking much these days, my lady. The chef has made lemon tarts, which you like, so I’ll have them brought out.”
Sandy ushered Reubellina to a seat. Despite having covered her irritated expression with makeup, the lack of color in her face, from not eating or drinking much, was even more noticeable. Reubellina sat in the chair, lost in thought.
‘I have to leave for the North in just a few days?’
She was furious. It wasn’t the leaving itself that bothered her, but she didn’t want to go like this.
Reubellina deeply considered the impact of the rash decision she had made. As the tumultuous time passed, her mind had cooled.
After much thought, she came to the conclusion that Inferno could not abandon her.
‘His Majesty, more than anyone else, will not stand idly by.’
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Nous_Defions
That’s some epic faceslap for you, asshole! Oh well, Reubellina is better off without a useless imbecile like you, Inferno… May you burn in hell, as your name suggests… 😈😈😈