Chapter 4: The Captured Empress (4)

Once more, a heavy silence sliced between them.

To Larie, the expression of shock on Terian’s face was unexpected.

Hadn’t it always been the blood of Tromperie that stood between them?

“There is no chance of that for the rest of my life,” he said through gritted teeth.

Even though she’d expected that answer, Larie still felt the strength drain from her body.

“That’s why, Your Majesty.”

Her voice, too, weakened.

However, to her half-self-deprecating remark, Terian responded without the slightest hesitation.

“That doesn’t matter anymore.”

“……”

Ironically, his answer brought Larie a quiet realization.

Until now, there had never been a single person who thought it didn’t matter that she was a Tromperie.

No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she wanted to change her reality, it had always remained so.

Even she herself had lived as if being a Tromperie were a sin.

She always felt sorry that Rui had inherited this blood from her.

And so, in this moment, Larie had to painfully admit it to herself.

That all along, she had wished someone would say those words to her.

A realization far too late.

So late that it would’ve been easier if she had simply never known it at all—because this pain was unbearable.

It was like a wind from the forest blowing straight through the ribs of her chest.

A chilly emptiness settled in.

“So just endure it, and stay by my side.”

“……”

Forcing their gazes to meet, Terian commanded her with a voice that chewed the words like glass.

He had already made countless compromises for Tromperie.

So she, too, had to endure.

But as he stared into those clear green eyes, he had to face the bitter truth:

Even the position of Empress meant nothing to her.

It felt like everything he owned had become utterly meaningless.

The crown on his head, the radiant throne he sat on—none of it could keep Larie by his side.

Impatience ate away at his insides.

He saw her biting her lip, perhaps unable to bear the command to endure disgust.

Her small, full lips, crushed and reddened, bothered him.

“……”

“……Ngh.”

He let go of her chin and pressed his thumb against her lips instead, forcing them away from her teeth.

He couldn’t look away from the red-tinged lips.

Even now, when she showed nothing but revulsion toward him.

His instincts threatened to erupt.

If only he could lock her away in this place and—

“Waah…”

Rui’s cry interrupted him.

At that moment, the small child in her arms began to whimper.

Thanks to that, Terian just barely held onto the last thread of reason and stepped back.

Even though they were still facing each other across the chair, he hated that this moment was forcing Larie farther from him.

“……”

“……”

Standing arrogantly as he looked down at her, Terian finally turned toward the door.

Though all his nerves were still pulled tight in her direction, it wasn’t until he stood before the door that he could bring himself to look back.

Larie sat with her gaze heavily lowered to the floor.

“……”

It was a sight he had seen countless times before.

In truth, this was closer to the Larie he knew.

Yet somehow, after seeing a different side of her for just two days, her averted gaze now left him parched with longing.

Maybe, without being locked away, she would just quietly return to the way she used to be.

Just like back in the ducal mansion—never stepping outside her room, with not a single place in the house she truly frequented.

There should be nothing wrong with her simply staying here quietly, and yet, something about it made his mood darken.

Which was why, just before he stepped through the door, Terian blurted out impulsively:

“You are to meet with me three times a day.”

Startled by the sudden demand, Larie quickly lifted her head.

She couldn’t understand the intent behind Terian’s strange statement as he paused on his way out.

Her expression reflexively showed her confusion.

Why was he doing this now?

He hadn’t even looked for her before—why now?

“Do not think to refuse.”

Perhaps misreading her reaction, Terian stiffened his expression again and walked out of the room.

As she watched his retreating figure, Larie let out a deep breath.

‘That doesn’t matter anymore.’

“……”

The words he left behind tangled in her thoughts,

like forest winds violently tossing leaves into chaos.

Larie felt like crying a little.

❖ ❖ ❖

The room where he stayed was submerged in deep darkness—like the silence that had divided him and Larie earlier.

Yet the moonlight continued to intrude into his space.

No matter how thickly the curtains were drawn, it always found some gap to slip through.

Even the fading, slanted moonlight managed to seep into him like a single thread of light.

Just like this obsession that he could no longer suppress.

“……”

On the table before him lay an indoor dress.

It had been left in Larie’s room, still stained with grass.

Whenever he had no way to resolve this growing obsession, Terian would stare at her dress.

He would recall the face she had while wearing it.

At first, he had thought to commission a portrait.

Because even in his fantasies, Larie never showed her face, he believed he had to preserve it while it was still fresh in his memory.

If he distributed portraits, it would also make her harder to hide.

But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to summon a painter.

Larie’s face refused to fade from his mind—in fact, it only became clearer by the day.

The idea of displaying her face everywhere only filled him with rage.

The obsession, dark and sticky as tar, festered inside him and kept him teetering on the edge of irrationality.

It was the same with declaring the child a crown prince.

The imperial palace possessed a sacred relic capable of verifying royal blood.

That meant the truth about the child not being his would be discovered in no time—clearly a reckless decision.

Yet he had no intention of backing down.

According to the palace nursemaid, the child’s development indicated he was about six months old.

Since everyone knew the empress’s quarters had been empty for two years, the nursemaid had looked pale when she reported it.

Ordering her silence, Terian once again had to accept the truth.

No matter what he did, the child could never be his.

“Your Majesty.”

Someone knocked on the door cloaked in darkness.

Hearing the voice of the Captain of the Guard, Terian briefly ordered him to enter.

The man appeared visibly fatigued, likely having returned to the palace immediately after leaving.

The man bowed with precision outside the door and began his report immediately.

“Your Majesty, we have thoroughly investigated the village where the Empress resided.”

“……”

“……Forgive me, but we did not find anyone who could be definitively identified as the person Your Majesty seeks.”

Because the issue involved the legitimacy of the crown prince, the Captain of the Guard carefully chose his words. Terian’s eyes grew colder, clearly expecting to hear about clues regarding the child’s father.

“And the one who stayed by the Empress’s side?”

“He had just come of age. It’s true that the Empress was frequently in contact with him, but based on our investigation, he could not be considered the father.”

“……”

Terian’s eyebrow twitched at the mention of “frequently in contact.”

Still, knowing how thorough the Captain was, there must not have been any conclusive evidence suggesting he was the father. Sensing Terian’s displeasure, the captain continued his report.

“As ordered, we handled the villagers with leniency during questioning. Those who were close to Her Majesty were uncooperative, but once we revealed it was by Your Majesty’s command, we were able to extract the necessary information.”

“……I see.”

“However, there is some discrepancy in the timeline, so I believe we need to broaden the scope of our inquiries.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems Her Majesty initially stayed only in the mountain house. Therefore, the exact point when she settled in the village with the young prince remains unclear.”

As the explanation continued, Terian slowly nodded.

He suspected she hadn’t stayed in the village for the entire two years. It was far too close to the capital for that. Perhaps she had remained under Tromperie’s influence for a time and ended up in that village due to matters concerning the child.

Sharing that suspicion with the Captain, Terian gave orders for further investigation. If the father wasn’t in the village, he had to be found elsewhere—and quickly.

“Hoo……”

As the captain of the guard withdrew, the damp darkness settled once more over the imperial bedchamber. Terian’s eyes drifted back to the dress she had left behind.

Even though she had returned, he still could not sleep.

***

“Gyaah, ah!”

“Are you that excited, Rui?”

The clear blue sky hung like a curtain over the lake.

Once again, the brilliant morning sunlight caressed the shimmering surface. Near the water’s edge, where the sound of rippling reached her ears, Larie stood with Rui in her arms.

“Is it fun seeing the lake for the first time, my Rui?”

“Kyaaa!”

After breakfast, Rui had been particularly fussy. Especially when looking out toward the lake beyond the window, he kept reaching out and whining, almost as if calling to it.

She hadn’t thought a baby would recognize anything out there, but just in case, she brought him closer to the lakeside. As if by magic, Rui instantly calmed down, his already bright eyes now sparkling with delight.

“……All right. Let’s stay just a little longer before going back.”

In truth, Larie hadn’t wanted to come to the sacred lake at all.

Though the maids hadn’t stopped her, she felt unworthy of setting foot on such hallowed ground. More than anything, getting to the lake meant drawing dangerously close to the emperor’s palace.

With the emperor’s and empress’s palaces facing each other across the lake, the holy waters served as their shared secret garden.

“Gyaa, uma! Uu……!”

“Hm? No, we can’t go any closer.”

Rui began reaching fervently toward the water. For such a tiny body, he had surprising strength and wriggled as if he’d escape her grasp at any moment.

As Larie hurried to steady him, the sound of grass being stepped on came from behind.

“So you were out here, my lady.”

“Ah…!”

Already burdened by the guilt of entering a place she felt unworthy of, Larie reflexively tensed at the voice behind her and quickly turned with a step back. A purely instinctive reaction.

Terian didn’t seem to expect an answer, slowly stepping back instead. His gaze lingered on Larie’s face until the very end. Just before he turned away completely, he spoke quietly.

“……There is no place in this palace the empress cannot go.”

“…….”

Only after he’d nearly reached the emperor’s palace did Larie realize—it was his reply to the apology she had offered earlier.

Her feelings tangled into something indescribable, Larie turned her body back toward the lake. She didn’t want to keep looking at him.

But the moment she turned around, she noticed the trampled grass beneath her feet. Her unconscious backward steps had left tracks reaching dangerously close to the lake’s edge.

“…….”

Her chaotic emotions resembled the rippling surface of the lake, stirred by the breeze.

The emperor’s private dining room wasn’t large. But filled with sunlight like a sunroom, it had a mystical air.

An oval skylight shaped like the lake opened above the ceiling. At midday, sunlight would pass directly overhead and gently warm the table.

Curtains like delicate spiderwebs hung over the windows, swaying like waves in the breeze. Instead of wallpaper, the walls were carved with intricate reliefs and painted, so that when the light hit, they seemed almost to move.

“…….”

“…….”

In such a beautiful room, the only sound was the quiet clinking of tableware.

After much consideration, Larie had left Rui in the care of the head maid and come here. Though some anxiety remained, she knew there wasn’t much she could do if Terian were truly intent on dragging her here by force.

Perhaps that was why she felt able to leave Rui behind—because if Terian had intended to deceive her, he wouldn’t need lies or tricks.

Larie glanced at the jeweled clock on the wall, then resumed moving her utensils. Every item in this room had clearly been crafted by the hands of a master.

Even as she ate with fluid grace and perfect etiquette, she was surprised at herself—surprised she hadn’t forgotten the habits of her noble upbringing.

Well, it made sense. A lifetime of training wouldn’t vanish after just two years.

The realization left a bitter taste. As if she were someone trying to discard that past, Larie cast her gaze briefly downward.

The floor shone like a mirror. Watching the glossy surface, she finally understood the source of the unease she’d felt since returning to the palace. Everything here was too clean—too immaculate.

“Ah……”

Her consciousness was pulled straight back into the past. She remembered why everyone in the palace moved as if even breathing too loudly was forbidden.

‘How can you endure that filth, Your Grace?’

Her hand, which had been moving naturally, froze. The memories flooded in—of how she used to avoid joining meals at the Grand Duke’s estate, fearing he’d be disgusted by her presence.

It was clear his aversion to filth hadn’t improved. So why had he invited her to dine with him?

“Is there something you wish to say?”

Terian’s voice cut in, as though he’d been watching her every move. Larie flinched and lifted her gaze from her plate.

Behind Terian, sunlight poured in from the lake-shaped skylight above, casting light into his icy blue eyes and sending it her way.

The effect was strangely overwhelming. Larie dropped her gaze back to the table, then—after some hesitation—spoke, steering the conversation elsewhere.

“……Is Jean all right?”

Though she brought it up merely to change the subject, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Ever since she saw Jean being bound by the knights that day, guilt had lingered in her heart. In fact, Larie felt ashamed for asking so late.

But Terian’s response came out strangely harsh.

“You’re asking me about another man’s well-being?”

“Pardon…?”

The low voice made her shoulders shrink involuntarily. Larie had no choice but to look up. The sun had shifted slightly, casting heavy shadows across Terian’s face.

She swallowed dryly, unsettled by the tension. The tone he used made it sound as if they were truly a married couple, which only added to her unease.

Then she remembered how Terian had confronted her in the carriage before—accusingly asking whether Jean was the child’s father.

Could it be that he had harmed Jean because of that…?

“Like I said before, Jean is just a boy. Don’t tell me—!”

Her body tensed with fear. The terrible image that flashed through her mind sent a cold wave through her chest.

Terian frowned as their eyes met.

“He’s fine. So stop making that face, madam.”

“……That face…?”

What face was he talking about?

…He was the one constantly looking at her with that strange expression.

“I simply asked what I needed to. I made sure no one in the village was harmed.”

“Ah…”

Relief washed over her. At least there was that. If any of the villagers who’d shown her warmth had gotten hurt—she wouldn’t have been able to bear it.

And for now, she chose to push aside the painful thought that Terian might have lied to her. That would hurt in another way.

“How long were you living in that village?”

“……”

Still reeling from the tension, Larie flinched again at his next question. It reminded her of something she’d forgotten.

Some people in that village knew exactly when she’d given birth to Rui.

In the early days of her escape, Larie had been extremely wary of people, so aside from Emma and the house in the forest, she barely went anywhere. Still, after Rui was born, there were a few people she began to interact with.

Most didn’t know the exact details about her child, but once someone started inquiring about when Rui was born, it wouldn’t be hard to figure it out.

She’d been so dazed after being dragged to the imperial palace that it was far too late to worry about that now. The excuse she’d used back when Terian first found her had only been to get through that moment—its flaws were inevitable.

So what if Terian had realized Rui’s real age?

As Larie stood frozen in panic, her dry lips parted but no words came out. Terian, who had been watching her with a strange look, continued with an odd remark.

“The child’s father, it seems, is not in the village.”

She was about to blurt out another clumsy excuse—but something felt off. Taking a deep breath, Larie cautiously studied Terian’s face.