Chapter 7

Shaking her head, Ethea muttered to herself.  

‘Who cares? I shouldn’t let status hold me back. Whether he’s become an Emperor or even a god, the fact remains that he’s still an irresponsible scoundrel.’  

“It’s customary for official guests to meet His Majesty in the audience chamber along with his ministers, but for personal acquaintances, it’s possible to meet him directly in his chambers. His Majesty also expressed his preference to meet you this way. Now, at the end of this corridor is His Majesty’s room. Hehe. I must admit, I’m a bit nervous myself.”  

“…?”  

“I didn’t even feel this nervous when I became the master of the Mage Tower, but today, I do. Ahem.”  

While explaining the various parts of the palace, Seisil eventually led her to the Emperor’s chambers. The large black door was adorned with a silver decoration in the shape of a scythe, symbolizing exorcism. It was elegant, intricate, and imposing, yet it had an eerie allure that made one unable to look away. Ethea felt as though her feet were glued to the floor.  

“So, this is His Majesty’s room…”  

“Yes.”  

Ethea couldn’t tell if she was reluctant to meet him or just intimidated. Her mind had gone blank.  

Seisil, seemingly in a hurry, gestured toward the door.  

“You may enter. I hope you have a meaningful reunion.”  

Even though she hadn’t told him her name earlier, he had called her by it. He also seemed to know a lot about her relationship with Lyle.  

Ethea knocked cautiously. The door opened. Beyond the slowly opening door, someone greeted her.  

“Welcome.”  

The voice from her memories. Lyle’s voice. But it had become deeper and lower.  

Ethea stood there, staring at the changed figure of Lyle without even closing the door.  

He had grown taller, so much so that she had to strain her neck to look up at his face. His once-slender frame had transformed into a man’s body, with broader shoulders and muscles. His short hair had grown long enough to be tied back beyond his shoulders.  

What had changed the most was his face. The face before her was not the Lyle she remembered. His sharper jawline and firmly pressed lips gave him a cold appearance. The golden eyes that once seemed warm and playful now looked icy and unyielding. His entire being exuded an inexplicable aura of authority.  

Ethea hadn’t changed, but Lyle had changed entirely. She hoped that the anger she felt toward him wouldn’t be dulled by this transformation.  

‘Get a grip.’  

Though he seemed unfamiliar, he was still Lyle. The one who had abandoned her and left her to raise their child alone. The one who had betrayed their friendship.  

She steeled herself, and the words escaped her lips before she realized it.  

“Why did you call me?”  

“…”  

“There must be a reason you called me.”  

The tense atmosphere was broken by Seisil, who cautiously nudged Ethea further into the room and quietly closed the door behind her.  

“Come on, it’s better to have this conversation with the door closed. Haha.”  

It seemed he was concerned about prying eyes, given the meeting with the Emperor.  

‘Whatever.’  

Ethea didn’t take a single step closer to Lyle. She didn’t care about formalities or etiquette. She just wanted to know why he had called her.  

Why now? What did he want from her after all this time?  

Lyle gestured to the sofa behind him.  

“Have a seat.”  

“No. Just tell me why you called.”  

He turned back to look at her as he moved toward the sofa. His face was expressionless, making it impossible to read his thoughts, but it was clear he wasn’t pleased with her response.  

Ethea raised her chin defiantly, determined not to flinch under his gaze. The longer his eyes lingered on her, the more suffocating it felt.  

Finally, he broke the uncomfortable silence by asking about Gin.  

“Where is the child?”  

“Ha!”  

“I wanted to see him.”  

Ethea was filled with disgust. He knew full well that the life born from their bond was a child—his child.  

‘He knew, and yet he ignored me, ignored us?’  

Ethea stormed forward, standing on her tiptoes and even jumping slightly to grab him by the collar.  

Despite the unexpected contact, he didn’t even blink. That only made him seem more shameless.  

“How dare you ask about him, you b*stard!”  

“You’ve become more aggressive.”  

“And you think you have the right to see him now?”  

“I must see him. I can’t delay this any longer.”  

“You…”  

“Besides, there’s no reason I shouldn’t see him. If you think about it, he exists because of me, doesn’t he?”  

The more Lyle spoke, the more brazen he seemed.  

“You’re completely insane.”  

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He couldn’t just talk like this as if it were nothing.  

Ethea wanted to punch him. No, one punch wouldn’t be enough. She wanted to beat him senseless for days on end. But instead, tears started to fall from her eyes.  

‘Stupid. What are you doing?’  

Crying in front of someone you hate is the worst thing you could do. She rubbed her tears away with the back of her hand. Just as she was about to turn away, she was suddenly pulled backward.  

“Ethea.”  

She felt his arms wrap around her from behind. Despite the tension in the air, his embrace was warm, which only made her angrier. The familiar lavender scent that clung to him, the same as when he was sixteen, was infuriating.  

“Let go!”  

She struggled to free herself, but it was no use. His grip was firm, as if he intended to hold her until she melted into him.  

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for leaving you alone. I truly am.”  

For a fleeting moment, there was a change in his voice. It was different from when he had said, “Welcome.” Now, it was low and trembling, as if he were on the verge of tears. His whispered apology pierced her heart like a heavy, painful weight.  

“You…!”  

She wanted to break free and slap him across the face. But she couldn’t. His arms were too strong, and the more she struggled, the tighter his hold became, like a net binding her.  

At this point, all she could do was hurl her anger at him. He was the Emperor, but if he had done something to deserve it, he should hear it.  

“You shameless b*stard. Now you’re sorry? You’ve got some nerve to say that. Do you think an apology is going to make me forgive you?”  

“No.”  

“Good. Then at least explain yourself. Why did you do it? Why did you abandon me like that and disappear?”  

He took a deep breath, and it sounded heavy. Was it guilt weighing on him, or was there some other reason she didn’t know?  

“Eventually… you’ll understand.”  

“Lyle.”  

“But for now, just know this. I did it for you. I thought you’d be happier this way. At the time… that’s what I believed.”  

He was still hiding something. She knew it. She had come all this way because she wanted to know the truth, and now he was saying it was too hard for him to tell her? That she’d find out eventually?  

Not only had she raised their child alone, but now she had to uncover his reasons by herself as well? Was he really planning to dismiss his excuses and just gloss over everything?  

Ethea confronted him.  

“Do you even realize what you left me to deal with? I had to shoulder everything alone. I had to drop out of school, leave my home, and swallow my pride just to depend on my father!”  

“I know. I know everything.”  

“Know? What do you know? Living in this vast, luxurious place, you couldn’t possibly understand my pain. Living alone in a strange place with a child, you can’t even imagine it. And now, you suddenly show up, asking about the child and saying you’re sorry? You call that an apology?”  

As she poured out her anger, Ethea made a decision. When she returned home today, she would make it clear to the child.  

Your father actually went to heaven before you were even born. So don’t ever think about looking for him again.