The Empress, who had been looking out the window, furrowed her brows at a minister’s report. Though the messenger worried about her potential rage, her reaction was calmer than expected.

“The rumors are too unsettling to ignore… I think you should take some action.”

Despite the minister’s concern, the Empress merely snorted without saying anything. Unable to tell if she was angry or dismissive, the minister who delivered the message grew more anxious.

“It seems Marquis Belmont is making his last desperate move.”

When she turned to face the minister, the Empress’s expression was more composed than expected. Seeing her reaction, the minister thought perhaps the rumors were false after all. Until coming here, he had worried that if the rumors were true, it could turn the imperial family upside down.

“These aren’t new rumors.”

The Empress continued calmly.

“Forces trying to defame me have long spread such irreverent stories, linking me with Marquis Belmont.”

The minister bowed his head, praising her wisdom when she said she had known but ignored it to avoid causing discord. Indeed. How could Prince Lloyd possibly be Marquis Belmont’s child? When the Empress was pregnant with Lloyd, the Emperor had been completely infatuated with her, visiting her almost daily. If Lloyd were somehow Belmont’s offspring, it would mean the Empress had been seeing both the Emperor and Belmont simultaneously.

Even for someone bold, would she have dared to two-time the Emperor?

“I appreciate your concern, but ignore it. Perhaps they’re waiting for me to react. Whether it’s Marquis Belmont’s fabrication or defamation by other forces, it’s better not to give any reaction to those trying to inflate the story.”

When she subtly included Aidan’s supporters in her statement, the minister swallowed dryly, acknowledged her words, and withdrew.

Left alone, the Empress finally contorted her face. This must be Marquis Belmont’s doing. While they wasted time not knowing where he was hiding, he was pulling such petty stunts. But what good would his desperate moves do now? No one would listen to him anymore. Marquis Belmont was now just a traitor who had tried to kill Prince Aidan out of misguided loyalty.

“Go ahead and struggle all you want.”

Though she thought he could do nothing, she couldn’t completely shake off her unease. Marquis Belmont knew too much about her. Could he have evidence? Had she accidentally left traces somewhere? It was too long ago to remember clearly.

“Eden!”

When she called out loudly, her knight waiting outside entered.

“Tell the mercenaries to postpone tracking Marquis Belmont and thoroughly search all his mansions instead. Order them to burn everything they find related to me, without exception.”

The knight bowed to acknowledge her order.

*

“Public sentiment is turbulent. Children are spreading the song thoughtlessly, and their parents are whispering about its meaning. It’s only a matter of time before the imperial family’s dignity hits rock bottom. No, even the nobles are already gossiping after hearing the song.”

Though the Emperor showed no response to Knight Commander Colin’s report, deep wrinkles formed between his brows.

Widow Lilith met a new man, seduced him for honor and wealth, then married another man while carrying his child, riding in a flower carriage.

Just hearing the lyrics, it seemed like a common tale of romance. The problem lay in the song beginning with ‘widow Lilith.’ The children singing didn’t know who Lilith was. However, those who knew Lilith was the Empress’s name could naturally guess who the new man and the other man were.

After becoming a widow, the current Empress met Marquis Belmont, gained honor and wealth, then married the Emperor while carrying his child.

As Emperor, he couldn’t easily dismiss this content. The very fact that common children were singing it bothered him. Unlike nobles who took great interest in each other’s private lives, commoners didn’t know much about what happened among nobles. Something like that appearing in children’s playground songs meant someone had deliberately composed and spread it.

Who would do such a thing? Who would dare try to disgrace the imperial family?

Marquis Belmont? To shame the Empress for betraying him?

It didn’t quite make sense. If the song’s lyrics were true, it would mean Belmont had also fooled the Emperor. He wouldn’t spread a song that included himself just to get revenge on the Empress.

What if it was true? What if the relationship between Belmont and the Empress had been deeper than he thought? What if the Empress had truly deceived him about whose child she carried?

His breath caught when his thoughts reached this point. That conclusion rested on the premise that Lloyd was Belmont’s son. No matter how cunning the Empress might be, she couldn’t have done such a thing. How dare she carry another’s child and claim it was of imperial blood?

The Lilith he knew wasn’t capable of such acts.

Or was she really not?

His thoughts wandered without finding direction. At twenty, she had been just a fragile woman with wounds. A woman who blushed at his touch and sometimes cried over an impossible love.

‘All I want is Your Majesty’s heart. Just being able to stay by Your Majesty’s side is enough.’

She had said she had no other desires. She said she could smile just being able to comfort his loneliness by his side. Because she was like that, the Emperor had given her his heart and could rely on her.

‘You are my only one, Your Majesty. Though I was married off like merchandise to an older man due to my family’s financial troubles, you are the first I’ve held in my heart. You will be my last. You are my world and everything to me.’

He believed those words… but could they be false? That she had already had an indecent relationship with Belmont before meeting him, that even while in his embrace, she had held hands with Belmont…

Just considering the possibility made his head feel hot.

No. It could be just someone’s fabrication trying to defame the Empress. If he let mere rumors and children’s song lyrics sway him into doubting the Empress, he might make a fool of himself.

“Actually, similar words have circulated among nobles for some time.”

Knight Commander Colin carefully added. Until now, everyone had kept such rumors from reaching the Emperor’s ears. They knew he would dismiss them as attempts to defame the Empress. But now, rumors were spreading at a frightening speed among commoners. The Emperor needed to know. Moreover, with Marquis Belmont still uncaught and on the run, there was no telling what worse rumors might spread.

The Emperor’s jaw muscles tensed visibly as he clenched his teeth. After a long moment, he took a deep breath and ordered Colin to intensify efforts to capture Belmont. Colin bowed heavily and withdrew after receiving orders to also seize all of Belmont’s mansions.

The Emperor’s clenched fists trembled. No matter how hard he tried to maintain composure, once planted, doubt wouldn’t easily fade away.

*

When Aidan arrived at Karina’s palace, she was still conversing with her guests.

“I will announce His Highness’s arrival.”

Aidan extended his arm to stop the servant who was about to step forward.

“It’s fine, leave it be. I will wait here.”

He answered while standing at the garden entrance, and the servant stepped back with acknowledgment.

In the distance, he could see Karina engaged in conversation with other young ladies. They seemed to be around the same age, but Karina stood out among them. Though she wasn’t wearing elaborate clothes or accessories, her golden hair gleaming in the sunset light caught his eye first. Her graceful expression and upright posture made it impossible to look away from her. She never lost her composure even while conversing with others.

She really lives such a rigid and tiring life.

Though he couldn’t completely understand her lifestyle, he was undeniably attracted to her, who was completely opposite to him. Just watching her from afar brought a smile to his lips.

The women’s chat seemed to go on longer than expected. The sky had already turned red, but there was still no sign of it ending. Aidan had been standing there for quite a while. The servants waiting behind him were growing restless. It was understandable they would be anxious, keeping none other than the Prince waiting like this.

“Oh my, look over there.”

One of the young ladies conversing with Karina gestured with her eyes toward one side. This caused everyone seated at the table to look in that direction.

“It’s His Highness Aidan!”

At someone’s exclamation, everyone hurriedly stood up. Karina, who had been completely unaware of his arrival, also stood and turned toward his direction. When their eyes met, Aidan finally moved, walking toward them.

“We pay our respects to Your Highness.”

The young ladies introduced themselves one by one, slightly lifting the hems of their dress, but Aidan ignored them and approached within one step of Karina, keeping his eyes only on her.

“I seem to have interrupted a pleasant time.”

Karina shook her head at Aidan’s words.

“We were about to wrap up anyway.”

“I tried to wait patiently, but I reached my limit.”