18. The Kingdom of Hashiya (1)

“Beatrice, what happened at the Empress Consort’s tea party?”  

Hearing Jayden’s voice, Beatrice could no longer hold back her tears, and they burst forth.  

“I wasn’t feeling well, so I called for a doctor. That woman gave me a newborn’s baptismal gown as a gift.”  

Jayden felt his blood boil.  

It was widely known among those familiar with the couple that, after four years of marriage, they had no children. If Larael had investigated them enough to request an introduction to the Marchioness, she would have known this. It was clear that her actions were intended to hurt Beatrice.  

“I’ll go to Abella Palace immediately and demand an explanation.”  

Despite her tears, Beatrice felt a bit of relief when she saw Jayden’s resolve. She leaned her face against his shoulder. How wonderful would it have been if she could also have children? Although she always told Jayden that they were happy as long as they had each other, seeing other children always left her feeling envious.  

Tears streamed down Beatrice’s cheeks.  

“My lady, the doctor has arrived.”  

With a knock, the doctor entered the room.  

Jayden stepped aside from the bed and crossed his arms, watching as the doctor examined Beatrice. Meanwhile, he organized his thoughts on how he would confront the Empress Consort tomorrow.  

He couldn’t contain his anger. He couldn’t understand why Larael was being so spiteful to Beatrice.  

‘I’ll have to inform His Majesty as well…’  

“In the early stages of pregnancy, fatigue comes easily, so you must be especially careful,” the doctor said.  

Jayden, lost in thought, straightened his posture and uncrossed his arms. He walked over to Beatrice with a blank expression, staring at her in disbelief. Beatrice mirrored his expression.  

“What did you just say?”  

“Excuse me? Are you referring to the pregnancy? Did you not know? Don’t you have a family doctor?”  

The Marquis of Argen had not hired a personal physician, believing that he and his wife were still young and healthy.  

“It seems to be very early, so you must be cautious. Since you’re expecting children, it would be wise to hire a family doctor.”  

“Children?”  

“While not certain, I can hear two heartbeats. It seems you’re carrying twins. This can be confirmed more accurately once the fetuses develop further.”  

At that moment, Beatrice’s shoulders trembled, and she began to cry uncontrollably. Her sobs grew louder as she released all the sorrow she had been holding back. Beatrice cried out loud for a long time.  

Jayden wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gently patted her back, silently shedding tears himself. He knew better than anyone how much she had suffered in silence, pretending to be fine. He wasn’t just happy about the prospect of having children—he was relieved that she would no longer have to endure such pain.  

“What do you think of the Empress Consort now?” Beatrice asked, wiping away her tears.  

—

– To my dearest Larael,  

I am writing yet another unanswered letter today. I am barely surviving each day, despairing over this tragic fate that prevents me from seeing your beautiful smile. You, the devilish…  

Herwen crumpled the letter in frustration and threw it to the floor, swearing under his breath. The floor was already littered with crumpled letters.  

The sound of heels clicking against the floor was followed by the entrance of a woman with a sweet, gentle face.  

“Why do you look so troubled?”  

Ariella placed the book she had been holding on the table and sat beside Herwen. She stroked his face with a worried expression.  

Herwen’s frown softened into a faint smile as Ariella’s hand touched his face. He took her hand and brought it to his dry lips.  

“Anyone would think you’ve been heartbroken,” Ariella said, pulling her hand away with a pout.  

“Larael isn’t behaving as I expected.”  

“But our plan was perfect, wasn’t it?”  

“Yes, it was. After all, who came up with it?” Herwen said, pulling Ariella into his arms.  

“Then forget about Larael. You’ve already succeeded in tarnishing the Emperor’s reputation. Lately, the Grand Duke seems obsessed with her. I don’t even want to attend my only social activity, this book club, because every time we meet, all you talk about is her…”  

Ariella pouted, her lips unusually red, as if seeking comfort from Herwen.  

“As I’ve said before, I want to become the Empress. I want to rule the world beneath my feet. Ideally, I’d like to be your Empress, but don’t make me wait too long. The seat beside the Emperor is still vacant.”  

Herwen stared at her red lips, but his thoughts drifted to Larael. She was too valuable to discard. Larael was so naive that she was faithfully playing her role. As Empress Consort, she believed she must avoid contact with any man other than the Emperor.  

‘Such an innocent Larael. If she had married me, she would have devoted herself entirely to me.’  

The thought made him feel even more reluctant to let her go.  

—

Herwen was urgently summoned to the imperial palace in the middle of the night by an emergency message sent via a communication stone from the northern region.  

The Kazel Empire shared a border with the Kingdom of Hashiya, separated by the Kayaneuman Mountains.  

Before it became a unified kingdom, Hashiya had been divided and constantly at war, frequently invading the northern region of Kalia in the empire.  

The lord of Kalia, tasked with defending the northern border against these invasions, was granted independent military and administrative authority and the title of Grand Duke.  

It had been less than ten years since a powerful ruler emerged in Hashiya, unifying the kingdom, halting internal conflicts, and signing a peace treaty with the Kazel Empire to end the wars.  

The lord of Kalia, instead of solely focusing on border defense, began gathering intelligence on Hashiya and monitoring its movements, reporting any unusual activities to the Emperor.  

That night, an urgent report arrived stating that Hashiya had broken the peace treaty and was advancing a large military force toward the entrance of the Kayaneuman Mountains.  

Herwen, initially planning to return to the north to assess the situation, decided to report to the Emperor first. No matter how much he considered Edward his enemy, Edward was a war hero who had led the empire to victory. In this situation, Edward’s leadership was necessary. After all, the Kazel Empire was destined to become Herwen’s, and he had to protect it. Becoming Emperor would come later.  

“Where is His Majesty?”  

As soon as Herwen entered the palace, he inquired about the Emperor’s whereabouts. He headed straight to Edward’s chambers but stopped when the attendant informed him that Edward was at Abella Palace.  

Herwen turned sharply and headed toward Abella Palace, his steps quickening as he approached. The closer he got, the more the veins around his temples seemed ready to burst.  

The attendants, barely reaching Abella Palace ahead of Herwen, informed Edward of his visit and woke him from his sleep. Edward hastily threw on some clothes and stepped out of his bedroom, walking down the dimly lit corridor.  

As he buttoned his shirt while listening to the attendant’s report, Herwen appeared at the other end of the hallway.  

Herwen stopped, glaring fiercely at Edward with his sharp, upturned eyes.  

“I greet the sun of the empire, His Majesty the Emperor,” Herwen said reluctantly, bowing briefly before straightening his back.  

Edward swallowed nervously. Of all places, why did they have to meet at Abella Palace? Here, Edward felt even less confident facing Herwen.  

In truth, Edward had nearly forgotten the guilt he felt toward Herwen. But now, standing before him, that guilt began to resurface.  

“It’s been a while, Herwen.”