Chapter 7: Rui’s Secret (3)

“Kyauu? Papa!”

Then, a familiar sound came from behind.

“Oh my…!”

At the sound of the child’s voice, both of them turned around. The Grand Duchess gasped in surprise as she spotted Rui immediately.

The Imperial Palace garden connected to the Empress’s garden. In the path leading from there, Rui appeared, holding the governess’s hand.

Since the last time he had encountered Terian, Rui had often come near the Imperial Palace. The governess and maids were startled, but Terian had instructed them to let the child do as he pleased.

Since then, Rui had wandered around the palace as if exploring, becoming quite accustomed to these encounters.

“Your Highness, would you like to go this way?”

When the governess noticed that the Emperor was with another noble, she wisely guided Rui away. But the Grand Duchess kept her eyes fixed on Rui’s small figure as he waddled along.

It wasn’t until the child had completely disappeared from view that the Grand Duchess let out a sigh, almost like a deep exhale.

Then, with a gentle smile, she spoke a surprising remark.

“He look just like His Majesty when he was young.”

There was no way a child like that could exist in the Imperial Palace, except for the Crown Prince. That was why the Grand Duchess quickly realized Rui’s identity. The rare silver hair was a dead giveaway.

However, Terian stiffened at the remark about how Rui resembled him. The fact that Rui wasn’t his biological child was a secret even to the Grand Duchess. He had kept it hidden, fearing it would reflect poorly on Larie.

Trying to hide his discomfort, Terian simply responded with an effort to mask his unease.

“Is that so…”

The Grand Duchess, leaving behind only those words, soon left.

It wasn’t until he saw his mother completely leave the palace that Terian turned to ask the question he had been holding in. The attendant, who had been standing off to the side, had approached unnoticed.

“And the Empress?”

“…She hasn’t left her chamber today.”

“…”

It felt as though someone had set fire to the ground beneath his feet. His heart, which had been in a pitiful state like melted metal, now began to heat up.

Carefully, he unwrapped the bundle in his hands.

Inside were several tiny garments, things he had no memory of.

“…”

A surge of indescribable emotions rose within him. What color was this feeling? Terian could no longer tell. Would he understand it if he looked at Larie?

As if he had an excuse in his hand, he had never been able to find a reason to approach her, even though she had always been so close.

Pushed forward like a person who had been nudged along, Terian moved his legs almost mechanically.

“I will go to the Empress’s palace.”

Since it was already part of the Imperial Palace, the Empress’s palace was very close.

And yet, the path through the sacred grounds felt strangely far. Perhaps it was because the heavy weight of the lake seemed to follow him.

“Your Majesty.”

The maids announced his arrival, and as they knocked on the door to Larie’s chambers, the wait felt interminable.

It wasn’t until he had resigned himself to the possibility of being rejected that the door slowly creaked open.

“I have come to see you, Your Majesty.”

“…”

Larie bowed deeply, greeting him with a level of distance that seemed to have grown even greater since their last meeting. Terian swallowed nervously, feeling the weight of the situation more acutely than ever before.

He had thought that facing her would give him the chance to define the emotions swirling inside him. He believed that once he stood before her, he would be able to tell her everything he had learned.

However, as soon as he stepped inside, the reality of the situation hit him. He couldn’t even bring himself to meet her gaze. His throat tightened, and he found himself at a loss for words.

Standing there awkwardly, he finally just extended what he was holding, lacking any real purpose.

“These are the clothes I wore when I was a child.”

Despite the suddenness of it all, Larie accepted the bundle without a change in her expression.

“They say it’s good for a child to wear things their parents used when they were young.”

At Terian’s words, Larie simply stared at the small garments in her hands. Her silence grew longer, and with each passing moment, Terian felt a gnawing anxiety eat at him.

Looking back now, perhaps it was presumptuous of him. As an intruder, continually acting as though he were Rui’s father was something he had no right to do.

Was Larie longing for the real father of her child?

An overwhelming and ugly emotion suddenly shook Terian to his core.

“…”

Meanwhile, Larie, staring down at the clothes, felt her thoughts blur into confusion.

She only thought about how she had to greet him without fault. But looking at the tiny clothes in her hands, doubt surged within her.

But there was no wall strong enough to hold all these doubts, and they spilled out, meaningless, onto the floor.

The longer she thought about it, the more difficult it became to think clearly. It felt as though she was becoming someone waiting for despair to approach, moment by moment.

Finally, Larie extended the clothes back to him. No matter what he handed her, it was too heavy for her to hold alone.

“This is… too much for us to accept.”

Was that not the right answer? His blue eyes, which had not been seen in so long, were trembling.

Fearing that his eyes held anger, Larie quickly looked away.

“Do as you wish, my lady.”

After a long pause, he finally gave a response that was akin to permission, though he still didn’t take back the clothes he had offered.

“Why don’t you go outside?”

He suddenly asked her, the question slipping from his lips like a breeze, hollow and meaningless.

“…”

It felt like another bruise was being inflicted on her heart, and Larie helplessly looked up at him.

Without answering, she met his gaze in a way that felt rude, and yet, he was the one who averted his eyes, staring down at the floor.

“…I’ll leave now.”

Before the silence could fill the space between them, Terian turned and headed for the Emperor’s palace. It almost seemed like he was running away.

As she watched his retreating figure, Larie found herself wondering, for the first time in a long while.

But unfortunately, the question that had forced itself to the surface seemed to scatter into the air like a gust of wind, its meaning fading before it even had a chance to form a sound.

❖ ❖ ❖

Two days passed.

Terian, who had been studying a map of the mountain ranges in his office, suddenly found his gaze fixed on a spot on his desk.

There, on the desk, lay a small blue baby garment. It was something he had found while visiting the village where he had gone to search for Larie.

“…”

Unconsciously, he lifted the tiny clothes. They seemed far too small for his hands.

The size was too small for Rui to wear now, of course. Having seen Rui a few times recently, Terian had realized just how much the child had grown. It was likely a garment that Rui had worn when he was born.

He didn’t even understand why he had kept it until now. He had absentmindedly placed it in his arms that day and had forgotten about it.

Two days ago, when he had gone to the Empress’s palace, Terian felt like he had dropped all his courage by the lakeside.

When he had asked why she stayed in her chambers, Larie had given him nothing more than a quiet rebuke. He knew that it was a foolish question.

What should he do now?

For now, Terian had decided to push the Baron to the brink of death, just short of ending him completely. After that, he would turn to her, asking for her intentions. At least, he no longer hesitated when it came to dealing with the Baron’s family.

They had harbored ambitions to control the Coal trade once more, but it was an impossible task. From Shupetania’s perspective, Tromperie could no longer be considered a useful ally.

Coincidentally, there were a few of the Baron’s associates who could serve as good witnesses. Terian was in contact with them while closely monitoring the situation in Shupetania.

Yet, there was still a lingering indecision that held him back.

Was it truly the right thing to personally bring the Baron to justice and present him as an offering?

‘He resemble His Majesty from when he was young…’

Every time he held the baby clothes, his mother’s voice echoed in his ears. Perhaps it was a result of his own misguided desires.

If it were true, how wonderful it would have been.

“Your Majesty. Lord Fridas has arrived.”

At that moment, the attendant outside spoke. Terian quickly hid the baby clothes in his arms and answered briefly.

“Let him in.”

The Marquess, holding rolled-up blueprints, entered with an excited expression.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Looking at his expression, Terian immediately understood that his uncle had successfully completed the invention he had longed for.

“It’s a success, Your Majesty! A success!”

“Have you finished the experiments?”

“Yes! With this, we have created a much more stable railroad!”

The Marquess’s trains had undergone constant improvements. The first train he had invented now looked like a massive chunk of metal, barely able to carry wood.

As it developed, however, the tracks had become an issue. The faster and heavier the train became, the more the laid tracks couldn’t support it.

But with today’s success, that problem had finally been solved.

 When Terian first saw the Marquess’s invention, he immediately recognized the military potential of the train. While the limitation of requiring tracks was a drawback, the ability to move large quantities of supplies quickly made the train strategically valuable. Especially since Laxtreen shared borders with many foreign nations, constant preparation was necessary.

Recently, Terian had been intentionally spreading newspapers throughout the capital by using trains. While the enlightened nobles were wary of how the common people were gaining access to “information,” Terian focused on another aspect.

If the Imperial Family could place desired content in the newspapers, they could easily project their message across the entire empire, even across vast distances, and without significant delay.

“Shall we proceed with the repairs right away?”

“Yes. I hope to have all the major routes fixed within three months. The first priority should be the railroad to the border of the Rassium Empire and the Great Mountain Range.”

“Three months?”

The Marquess asked, his eyes darkening, surprised at how quickly Terian was pushing things.

The situation was drastically different from when they had only managed to operate a few routes under the pressure of the former Emperor.

“I understand you’re busy, but I hope we can hurry,” Terian replied.

“…You must have something in mind,” the Marquess said, sensing the urgency in Terian’s tone, and straightened his posture.

Terian nodded calmly.

The Coal resources that Shupetania used were a double-edged sword. While they were excellent resources in themselves, for Laxtreen, which lacked any significant Coal deposits, they had proven to be a toxic burden.

However, due to the flow of the times, Terian could not entirely exclude Coal. The development of Coal usage was advancing rapidly, and it was impossible to halt this progress with just timber or coal.

Therefore, Terian had been considering many means to navigate this challenge.

In the Grand Duchy of Avnir, large quantities of Coal had been secretly stockpiled. He had also been diligently maintaining the Coal trade agreement with the Kingdom of Panor.

Moreover, just yesterday, a messenger from the Rassium Empire had arrived. The messenger brought the core details of the Coal export agreement Terian had anticipated.

 More than anything, the most fundamental solution was right before him.

“Then I will hurry and go.”

“Please request the budget you need.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With that, all the necessary measures were in place. Feeling the determined will of the Emperor, the Marquess hurriedly left.

Watching his retreating figure, Terian quietly rubbed his chest. It was where he had absentmindedly hidden the child’s clothes earlier.

“…”

Soon, the entire continent would begin to shake irreversibly.

Yet, Terian couldn’t shake the feeling that all of it was, somehow, futile.