Chapter 7: Rui’s Secret (1)

When Gafel was interrogated, horrific truths spilled out one after another.

—Throughout their marriage, the Grand Duchess was given medication. The purpose was to prevent her from having an heir.

They are currently examining the components of the drugs he confessed to using. The apothecary who allegedly provided them is also to be apprehended.

This was uncovered just one day after Gafel was thrown into the dungeon. Before the Baron had even begun searching for his missing son, Gafel had already opened his mouth.

—To avoid the drugs being discovered, Gafel continuously threatened the Grand Duchess, preventing her from seeing a physician. He even used other methods if necessary. It’s presumed he used the room in the villa for this purpose.

How weak he was. Larie, still a child, endured all that time without even being able to cry.

“Ha…”

The threats contained in the letters sent to the Empress’s palace were this old.

Terian, setting aside the documents the Captain had left behind, wiped his face in frustration. Learning the reason why she had persistently rejected medical help throughout her marriage left him wracked with self-loathing.

The Captain of the Guard had gone back to the village where Larie had lived. His expression was firmer than ever before.

Wiping his face again, Terian lowered his head with a look of desolation.

“Damn it…”

It was still an unfathomable situation. For them, securing the bloodline of the Grand Duchy would have been the perfect tool for further manipulation.

However, the people interrogating Gafel soon fell silent.

—Several weeks before the Grand Duchess disappeared, the type of medication being administered changed.

They had learned that the last drug given to her was poison.

—The components of the poison were such that it would cause immense pain and eventual death. Evidence suggests there was an attempt to orchestrate something larger through the Grand Duchess’s death. Further details will be reported after more interrogation.

A cold, distant feeling clawed at Terian.

What must she have felt when even the people of the Grand Duchy began to suspect that the poison was part of a staged plot? The more truths came to light, the more it felt like being suffocated by a thorn bush. Having postponed his duties for a moment, Terian sat on a bench in the Imperial Palace’s garden, his thoughts swirling.

“I don’t even deserve the right to feel this pain…”

It was clear to him that he would not allow things to continue this way. Even if it meant that the thorns would dig deep into his skin, he would thoroughly uncover everything now that he had caught the first clue.

He had also contacted the Grand Duchy. He needed to find out why they had refused the Grand Duchy’s heir. To do that, he would need testimony from the physician who had treated Larie at the time.

Terian’s mother had expressed her intent to visit the Imperial Palace. Despite this, Terian’s sharp demeanor didn’t ease. Perhaps, even in the Grand Duchy, someone had silenced her.

The intense pain gripped him again, and as he struggled to breathe, he wiped his face once more.

How could he even tell her? How could he explain that he now knew the full extent of the suffering she had endured alone?

“Shall I bring it to you, Your Majesty?”

A voice came from a little farther away. The sound of footsteps crunching on the grass followed.

“Ahhh! No, no!”

It was Rui, holding the governess’s hand, waddling towards him.

Emerging from behind a tree, about the height of an adult, Rui’s silver hair peeked out. The tree was one of the many surrounding the Imperial Palace’s garden.

From the garden, the serene view of the lake could be seen.

Though it was a symbol of the imperial family, Terian had never really paid much attention to the lake before. It was only after Larie had arrived that he began to seek out the benches by the lake. She used to take walks by the water often, especially in the early days.

“…”

Their eyes met directly. His piercing blue gaze reminded him of the lake just behind him.

Rui was holding the governess’s hand, but seeing him walk on his own two feet was still a strange sight.

When had he grown this much?

“Bwaa, uba!”

The governess, who had been looking down to make sure Rui didn’t fall, looked up when she saw him stretch his hands wide as if greeting something.

When she noticed the Emperor sitting on the bench, she immediately bowed slightly, surprised.

“My apologies, Your Majesty.”

As the Crown Prince enjoyed walking around the sacred grounds, she had unknowingly led him all the way to the front of the Imperial Palace. Only then did she realize how close they had come to the Emperor’s presence.

Whether he understood the governess’s unease or not, Rui let go of her hand, which she had been holding tightly.

Then, with his increasingly steady steps, he quickly approached Terian.

“Your, Your Majesty!”

Before the governess, who had hesitated to touch the royal child, could intervene, Rui reached the Emperor.

Without hesitation, he climbed into Terian’s lap, hugging one of his legs tightly.

“Y-Your Majesty, please, remove him…”

The Marquess of Incarze, who was familiar with the Emperor’s strict cleanliness standards, turned pale. She quickly decided that the best course of action was to detach the Prince, so she approached with a bow.

However, the Emperor, with a voice that seemed a little strained, gave his command.

“Let him be, Marquess.”

The warmth of the small child’s touch against his leg was strangely unfamiliar to Terian.

Rui appeared to have grown much more than when he last saw him. Was this the normal growth pattern for children at this age?

With a strange, unfamiliar feeling, Terian carefully observed Rui. For the longest time, he had only been receiving occasional reports about Rui. He had refrained from showing too much interest, fearing that it would cause Larie to become wary.

Unaware of any of this, Rui, with his innocent expression, eagerly moved closer to Terian.

“Gaau, baba, pappa!”

Rui babbled incessantly, his tone imitating an adult’s, though the words were still unintelligible. Despite not understanding, Terian found himself intently listening.

What struck him the most was that the small, drool-covered hand that touched him didn’t feel unpleasant at all.

“Papa…”

Rather than feeling disgusted, Terian felt a sudden impulse to pick up the child, who was tugging at the hem of his cloak.

It was a strange feeling.

However, he worried later that Larie might find it unpleasant, so instead of lifting him, he simply raised his hand and gently ruffled the child’s silver hair.

The soft hair, so much like Larie’s, slipped through his gloved fingers. The child still carried the distinct scent of milk.

“…”

The governess, the Marquess of Incarze, watched them with a curious expression. Her gaze was filled with skepticism, but Terian was too absorbed in Rui to notice it.

“I go, na, uuu… I go.”

At that moment, Rui stretched out his arms. His tiny hand grasped the edge of the bench firmly.

Slightly startled, Terian turned to the governess as if seeking help.

“Does he want to climb up?”

“It seems so, Your Majesty.”

After a brief hesitation, Terian gently lifted Rui into his arms. The small body, almost weightless, made him tense with concern, afraid of hurting the child.

“Kyahaha…!”

Rui clambered onto the bench with his little feet. Grabbing the backrest of the bench, he wiggled excitedly, then suddenly darted toward Terian.

Without any hesitation, he sat down on his emperor’s cloak.

Seeing this, the governess stiffened. Watching Terian’s expression carefully, she spoke sternly.

“Your Majesty, the Emperor’s cloak should be treated with reverence.”

The significance of the Emperor’s cloak was not trivial, and knowing Rui’s secret, the governess’s face tightened as she took in the scene.

“It’s alright.”

Terian quietly shook his head. He was surprised that he didn’t feel as upset by this as he thought he might. Perhaps it was because the child was so innocent.

Sitting on the cloak, Rui busily moved his hands around, clearly fascinated by the fine patterns. He kept poking at it with his tiny fingers.

Then, he burst into a sunny laugh.

“Kyaha…!”

“…”

Terian silently watched the child’s laughter. He was careful, holding his breath, not wanting to disturb Rui in case his sudden movement caused the child to cry.

Rui spent a long time in that spot, perhaps not finding it strange that Terian remained unresponsive. His eyes, once bright, gradually grew heavy and began to close.

“It seems he’s sleepy.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s time for his afternoon nap.”

“Take him away, Marquess.”

As though understanding, Rui suddenly looked at Terian’s face.

The child’s bright blue eyes locked onto Terian’s gaze. After a long yawn, Rui reached out his hand toward the governess.

The governess, approaching carefully, gently took Rui in her arms, her movements cautious, perhaps worried he might touch the emperor’s cloak.

“…”

The child’s laughter had a warmth that lit up the surroundings.

Though Rui was carried back by the governess, the warmth of his laughter lingered in the air, circling Terian for a long while. It almost felt as though the laughter were comforting a soul submerged at the bottom of a lake.

Would she laugh like that, too?

In truth, Rui didn’t resemble Larie all that much. However, if one looked closely, traces of her could be seen—the shimmering silver hair and the gentle, soft eyes.

And so, Terian naturally found himself imagining Larie’s smile. He knew he had no right to it, yet he dared to paint a picture of the smile he had never seen.

“Ah…”

Then, it suddenly hit him.

He had dared to wish for a child with her.

‘I don’t need a child with you.’

Once again, it was a wish he had no right to make. He had spoken those words, ignorant and careless.

That’s why Larie must have had another’s child. She must have left him behind, someone like him, with no real will or strength, and sought to bring a new life into the world, one that resembled her so closely.

“…”

A heavy, suffocating feeling pressed down on every cell of Terian’s being. It seemed as though not even a single breath would be allowed, as it seized his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Since the day he confined Larie to the Empress’s palace, she no longer took walks with the child. She hadn’t been out since, not even for a simple stroll. Even in the Grand Duchy, she had hardly moved around, a fact that, only too late, Terian realized was a way for her to hide from the harsh world that had constantly oppressed her.

It hit him sharply. The pain surrounding her had begun with Tromperie, but he was just as responsible for the suffering she had endured.

He should have asked her from the beginning why she lived such a closed-off life. He should have asked her what she thought of the family members who visited her every week. He should have directly asked her what was on her mind, especially when she was alone in her room, without any close attendants. He should have asked her why, sometimes, she sat silently in the woods.

There had been so many opportunities for him to ask, yet he had failed to take any of them.

How could he have been so blind?

Unable to overcome his overwhelming self-loathing, Terian lowered his head.

“…”

And yet, he couldn’t bear to let her go. The self-hatred he felt for his own inability to let her go was unbearable.