Chapter 5: The Truth Revealed (10)

Something was off.

On another sleepless night, Terian sat lost in thought.

He should have asked her—directly—what had happened between her and the Baron.

But he hadn’t.

Because the longer he stayed in her presence, the more visibly shaken she became.

And he couldn’t bear to see it.

After the child was born, the captain of the royal guard had already been sent to investigate.

And yet, Terian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

“Chamberlain.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Unable to suppress the strange discomfort gnawing at him, he gave an order.

“Send someone to the Baron’s estate—where the empress once lived.”

It was an unexpected command, and the Chamberlain hesitated.

The Trompérie household was already under heavy surveillance.

“You mean the residence in the capital, sire?”

“Both that and the baron’s estate in the west.”

Only then did the Chamberlain realize this investigation would be unlike any of the others.

He cautiously asked for clarification.

“What shall we look for?”

“Everything about the empress’s past.”

“Her past…?”

Those closest to the throne could already feel it—

In the near future, the most powerful influence in the palace would be the empress.

Even without an official declaration, it was clear: once the coronation was complete, authority would settle firmly in the Empress’s quarters.

And Terian made no secret of his intentions.

This inevitability frightened the Chamberlain.

The empress—daughter of the empire’s greatest traitor—was someone the emperor clearly had no intention of letting go.

Hence, his voice was filled with caution as he echoed the order.

“Everything we can uncover. Especially… any conflict with the baron.”

This wasn’t something born in the span of a day or two—Terian could feel it.

His suspicions pushed him to turn his gaze further, all the way to where Larié had lived as a child, in the Trompérie estate.

Perhaps, more than anything, it was the desire to know all of her—down to the very beginning.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Chamberlain bowed deeply and withdrew.

Night had long fallen, but Terian’s work was far from over.

Not long after the Chamberlain’s departure, the captain of the guard arrived with news.

“The envoy is here to see you, Your Majesty.”

“Let’s go.”

Unlike the visibly tense commander, Terian left the Imperial Palace with a calm air.

“Was their identity confirmed?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. They’ve been verified by the foreign emissaries from the Rassium Empire.”

Terian gave a brief nod at the report. They did not take the palace’s main gate but instead made their way through the rear gardens.

“……”

The lake at night held a strange allure.

The new moon had just passed, so the moonlight had not fully returned—but still, the moonlight touching the surface of the Blessing Lake shone with surprising strength, as if a spirit might rise and glide across its waters.

Terian, who had been quietly observing the lake, turned his head. His eyes naturally found their way to the Empress’s palace. It was a subconscious act—but even after realizing it, Terian could not bring himself to look away.

Only after a long pause did he finally step back into the forest.

“Watch your step, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty.”

A few knights waiting in the woods stepped forward to greet him. They had thoroughly secured the entire area around the lake in case of any potential assassination attempts.

The Rassium Empire had secretly sent an envoy not long ago.

It was even before they’d announced plans to dispatch a formal delegation. Fortunately, Terian had already been devising his own plans against Shupetania, so the timing made for a worthwhile exchange.

“What of the Empress’s palace?”

“Security is airtight, Your Majesty.”

“Proceed.”

Terian had conveyed his proposal to the envoy earlier. The response was to be delivered today by someone trusted personally by the Rassium emperor. Since any documentation risked interception, detailed discussions had to be handled face-to-face.

The envoy had been brought here discreetly from the border. Beyond the Blessing Lake’s forest lay an old trade route, often used for covert meetings like this one.

“The envoy awaits up ahead.”

After walking a good distance through the woods, they reached the road. Dense shadows from the towering trees made the surroundings utterly dark.

The envoy from Rassium stepped down from the plain carriage at the knight’s guidance.

“Release him.”

There was no reason to reveal a path this close to the Imperial Palace.

For that reason, the envoy had made the long journey blindfolded and bound.

“I greet the master of the radiant lake.”

As soon as he was freed, the envoy looked up and confirmed Terian’s face.

Only then did he bow deeply—his every motion steeped in tension.

“Your message?”

Standing on the forest road surrounded by thick trees, Terian was again reminded of Larie.

She resembled the forest so much—he feared she might disappear into it again.

The thought stirred a strange thirst in him.

So his question came out rather dryly.

The envoy bowed once more. From his manner of speech, it was clear he was well-versed in diplomatic phrasing.

“The Alfrang War will soon come to an end, Your Majesty.”

It had been less than two weeks since the war, stirred up again by Shupetania’s schemes, had reignited.

But this time, the outlook was grim. After two years of stubborn resistance, Alfran’s strength was now all but spent.

Terian had already predicted they would surrender within a few months.

“And?”

“There is also intelligence suggesting that once the Alfrang front collapses, Shupetania will march directly on Rassium.”

If Alfrang fell, Rassium would—for the first time—face Shupetania head-on.

That had always been part of the strategy: devour Alfrang to open the road to Rassium.

Terian’s intelligence division had concluded that Shupetania’s sudden halt last winter wasn’t due to the cold.

They believed it was to gather strength for a direct assault on Rassium.

“Therefore, my master gladly accepts the proposal sent by the master of the lake.”

After several rounds of polite wording, the envoy finally gave his answer.

The knights nearby let out soft sighs of relief.

Though much remained to be negotiated, one major hurdle had just been cleared.

Terian’s proposal to Rassium had nothing to do with a political marriage.

It was a secret military alliance—targeting Shupetania.

“Good to see your nation still has room for gladness,” Terian said dryly.

Whether it was patriotism or dread, the envoy’s face had darkened.

Military alliances, especially covert ones, were never publicly handled.

The very act of forming a mutual defense pact to counter a specific nation could be seen as provocation.

All the more so when the target was a dishonorable country like Shupetania—who had restarted war with Alfrang by staging a false bombardment.

If two empires forged a military pact against them, it would give Shupetania all the pretext it needed to declare war.

“…The formal envoy will bring the full details, Your Majesty.”

Thus, what Rassium’s emperor wanted from this “envoy” was clear.

Though the visit would appear to be for other reasons, the timing was suspicious enough for Shupetania to grow wary.

But that was the point.

If the two empires joined hands, Shupetania would be forced to hesitate.

Strike Rassium, and they risked being attacked from behind by Laxtreen.

During that hesitation, Rassium could prepare for war—and if they stalled long enough to reach winter, all the better.

In this, their interests perfectly aligned with Terian’s.

Not only would it shackle their long-standing enemy, it would also buy Terian time to manage matters at home.

With his main goal achieved, Terian signaled to the knights.

“See him safely back to the border.”

If they could finalize a formal import agreement for Rassium’s blue coal mines in the process, even better.

The delegation would bring that matter forward as a token of goodwill—and to draw out more cooperation from Terian.

“We’ll await your envoy.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

The envoy bowed once again, his expression solemn but firm.

As Terian watched him, a strange heaviness settled in his chest.

Though everything seemed to be going exactly as planned, something still didn’t sit right.

In the grand hall, the nobility busied themselves speculating about the purpose of Rassium’s delegation, just as Terian had intended. Even their enemy, Shupetania, would be no different.

Yet despite knowing this, Terian felt an urge rising within him.

He wanted to declare, openly and definitively, that the delegation’s discussions had nothing to do with political marriage.

He wanted to reassure her—that woman who had told him to use her—that he never would.

“…”

In the black forest, only the wind—so like Larie’s voice—howled through the trees.

***

She had thought new life had taken root in her arms.

Larie stared blankly out the window. Even the sunlight felt like it belonged to someone else, utterly unrelated to her.

Yes. Before she came here, she’d believed she might grow new branches again.

But perhaps she’d already withered long ago.

Perhaps she had never been capable of blooming again at all.

Perhaps she had only been granted Rui by some stroke of fate—

and by nature’s order, she should have faded away long ago.

Like that day, when her family tried to kill her.

“Your Majesty… might you enjoy a stroll with the young prince?”

Charelle approached gently, making the suggestion with care.

Without a moment’s thought, Larie silently shook her head.

As if none of it had ever happened, the confinement of the empress’s palace had been lifted.

But Larie still couldn’t bring herself to step outside.

She was terrified of what might be waiting.

Even though she’d been told over and over that the entire area was heavily guarded—

that no one could get near—

the fear didn’t go away.

Those irrational thoughts clung to her like chains.

“If you desire it, we can double the guard presence.”

“It’s fine.”

Still, it wasn’t as if the palace was a place of peace, either.

This place suffocated her in a different way.

And yet Larie couldn’t let go of the fragile little branch in front of her.

She wanted to believe Terian’s words—that he would keep her family away.

She wanted to believe he wasn’t selling her off in a political marriage with Rassium.

If she had been alone, perhaps she would have resigned herself and closed her eyes.

“Kyah-oo…!”

“…”

But whenever she saw Rui playing near the lake with the nanny, she was forced to realize—

that deep down, she didn’t fully trust Terian.

“Shall I call the nanny and bring the prince inside?”

As Larie continued to silently gaze out the window at Rui, Charelle asked again.

Larie wanted to respond, to reassure the woman who was clearly doing her best to care for her,

but the strength just wouldn’t come.

It was like back at the ducal estate—when she’d withered day by day.

When she’d brought misfortune to the family of Susan, the only ones who had tried to care for her.

“No… Let him play a little longer.”

Her beloved Rui was still wandering by the lake.

And so, Charelle looked perplexed—unsure why Larie seemed bound to this place like a prisoner.

Larie didn’t fully understand herself either.

She didn’t want to let Rui out of her arms—not ever.

And yet, even knowing how Rui’s eyes sparkled at the lake,

she couldn’t bear to drag him into her drowning world.

Thankfully, Charelle understood at least some of what she feared.

That’s why there were always five knights accompanying Rui’s walks.

Perhaps staying quietly confined here was the price she had to pay to keep Rui safe.

“I’ll bring you a light snack, Your Majesty.”

The only thing keeping Larie afloat was Rui—who was growing more by the day.

Now, whenever he grasped something, he would try to stand.

The nanny said he’d be walking soon.

“Your Highness, please don’t go too close to the water!”

“Abuu-ah!”

Rui looked at the vast lake with the happiest expression.

His innocent joy was visible even from a distance.