The underground of the Central Palace resembled a mysterious cave temple. Strange rocks emitting a bluish light had luminous pearls shining like bright stars, and jewels were scattered on marble columns and walls that appeared half-buried in the rocks.

“My goodness. This feels like another world. It resembles the architecture of skilled dwarves who once worked under dragons in ancient times.”

“Whoever designed and built this is remarkable.”

Most of those invited by the emperor were high-ranking nobles or officials in prominent positions. Naturally, most had frequently seen beautiful and exquisite things. But the space the emperor revealed today displayed a beauty on an entirely different level from what they had seen before.

When everyone had finished looking around, servants guided people to their seats at the emperor’s signal. Multiple long tables. People sat where they were directed. Before them were golden goblets and golden plates piled high with food like towers. Looking at the food arranged like works of art, people marveled once more.

“This is everyone’s first time here.”

The emperor spoke with satisfaction at their reactions. Beautiful concubines still flanked him at the head table. However, the flush on his face had somehow faded, and his eyes shone with clear light.

“I’m honored, Your Majesty. But when was this place built?”

One of the nobles asked the emperor. He replied with a strange smile,

“This was where my mother stayed. The late emperor personally ordered its construction. It’s also a secret space I’ve never shown to anyone until now.”

Silence descended instantly. Delaila, the late emperor’s concubine and only love, was Kedrick’s mother.

“My father was a great emperor. He was perfect in every way. Except for one thing. Father…… The late emperor loved a commoner. He cherished a lowly dancer and gave her his whole heart.”

Kedrick’s eyes showed neither affection nor respect for the woman who bore him as he coldly called her his mother. His frowning expression clearly revealed what he thought of her.

“Some of you here might remember my dead mother.”

Kedrick giggled as he looked around the quiet gathering. Then he asked one elderly marquis,

“Marquis Cruman! You would know. How beautiful was my mother?”

“Your mother was a flower cherished by the late emperor, lacking nothing. She was very beautiful. When she danced, no one could take their eyes off her.”

The aged marquis barely managed to answer while hiding his bewilderment. It was also an honest answer. The late emperor’s concubine that the marquis saw in his youth was truly beautiful.

“So the marquis also feasted his eyes on my mother whom the late emperor cherished. Why? Did you want to possess her?”

“Y-Your Majesty. What I meant was……”

The emperor made vulgar jokes about his own mother. The marquis didn’t know how to respond to his answer. The emperor laughed loudly, then groped the concubines on either side of him and said,

“No need to tremble. I also keep these lowly creatures by my side. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

The nobles exchanged glances. Had the emperor gone mad? Even mentioning his mother was a weakness for the emperor. Yet not only did he expose her, but he also disparaged her. He was damaging his own already weak legitimacy.

“Stop making those faces…… Tell me honestly. You all thought I was unworthy of this position because of my mother, didn’t you?”

But the emperor went even further. He openly discussed his bloodline and the imperial throne. The shocked nobles lowered their heads. Even if they thought so, they couldn’t say it to the emperor’s face.

“……I used to think so too.”

The emperor muttered as he looked at the people. Then he spotted one person whose expression remained unchanged. Sitting closest to the head table. It was Roshan, his half-brother and the late emperor’s legitimate son.

For once, the emperor didn’t avoid Roshan’s gaze. Rather, he straightened his shoulders and back even more as he addressed him,

“An emperor should be noble, so he must take a noble mate. And between them, they should bear a child who will become the next emperor. That’s only natural.”

“……”

“So even after becoming emperor, I worried a lot. I felt uncomfortable. Though I inherited the blood of the great and noble late emperor, my mother was lowly. I wondered if this position suited me. I thought about it a lot until recently.”

The emperor continued to speak outrageously offensive words that no one dared to refute. At some point, a strange light began to gleam in his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling after gazing at Roshan. More precisely, at the Goddess of Light carved on the ceiling.

“But not anymore. I, Kedrick Vistius, recently heard directly from the Goddess. The Goddess told me that my mother was merely a trial given by the Goddess before I could become a perfect emperor.”

People looked at the emperor and thought he had finally gone mad. They had heard about his eccentricity in k*lling the high priest in the prayer room, but his actual condition seemed much worse. Some even secretly sighed with relief. How fortunate that this inadequate man would soon step down from the most noble position.

“So I decided not to worry anymore. My mother is dead, and I am the emperor. I’m already perfect. Don’t you think?”

The reactions were visible. But Kedrick didn’t care and grinned as he asked the people,

“Hmm? Don’t you all think so?”

“Yes. I think so.”

When everyone hesitated about whether to answer, someone responded. A low voice, not loud but precisely audible. All eyes turned to Roshan.

“Oh Roshan. My only brother. Blood relation.”

“……”

“You’re pitiful too. If not for me, you would have been in this position. The Goddess placed us both under the same father……”

The emperor didn’t glare at Roshan as usual. His face showed affection as he smiled broadly at his half-brother. But what dripped from his purple eyes was madness and malice.

“But I am the emperor. You know that, right?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

The emperor asked in an insinuating voice. Roshan answered without hesitation and nodded. The emperor was silent for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. Then he suddenly stopped, glanced around the gathering, and commanded,

“Bring it.”

At the emperor’s command, servants brought wine jugs made of gold like the goblets. Then they poured wine starting with the emperor. The golden-colored wine resembled melted gold.

Wine lovers forgot the previous atmosphere and looked down at their drinks. The mysteriously shining wine emitted a rich, pleasant aroma. The emperor slowly raised his goblet and said,

“This wine is over 100 years old. It’s something I cherish. But since everyone here is a treasure of the Empire and loyal subjects, I won’t hold back this wine. Come, everyone raise your glasses.”

At the emperor’s command, people raised their goblets. Then Duke Day, who caught the emperor’s eye, stood up and lifted his goblet high, exclaiming,

“To the great sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor!”

People echoed the duke’s words and raised their goblets. Golden droplets scattered by reflections from the luminous pearls and jewels created a mystical scene.

Soon the melted gold flowed down people’s throats. The taste, as sweet as the aroma, captivated them. They looked at their empty goblets with regretful eyes.

“Roshan. How does the wine taste?”

The emperor smiled broadly as he looked at Roshan’s empty goblet. Like the others, Roshan wore a regretful expression as he praised the wine,

“It’s good. An excellent taste I’ve never experienced before.”

“Is that so?”

“……”

“Great! That’s wonderful! What are you all doing! Pour more!”

The emperor clapped his hands and laughed. The concubines beside him also burst into high-pitched laughter. The goblets were filled again. People reached for their drinks as if entranced. And at this sight, the smile hidden behind the emperor’s goblet only deepened.

* * *

The small hall seemed to have become a vat of alcohol. The exotic flower scent, sweet honey smell, and the sharp aroma unique to alcohol numbed people’s noses.

As the amount of wine consumed increased along with the laughter, reason disappeared from people’s eyes. A taste that never became tiresome no matter how much they drank. The wine the emperor served could boldly compare to the wine that the now-vanished ancient gods supposedly drank for youth.

“Oh my! How strange. I’m seeing two of you.”

“My, Your Majesty. You’re drunk.”

The emperor, watching those who couldn’t maintain their senses from the wine he served, kissed a concubine and rose from his seat. His face had reddened again.

The emperor peeked at his half-brother over the shoulder of the concubine who fell into his arms. Unlike the others, his half-brother and his close aides didn’t appear very drunk. But from the slightly raised corner of his mouth and the goblet that was quickly emptied and refilled, the emperor could confirm that Roshan was also enjoying the wine.

“You cute things. Let’s go. We need to spend time just the three of us.”

The emperor spoke in a slurred voice and turned around. Then he staggered toward the door. Perhaps due to prior orders, the servants didn’t announce to the gathering that the emperor was leaving.

Thus the emperor left the hall. And when the laughter of the people inside the hall grew quieter, he made a strange face while giggling.

One of the concubines looked at the emperor with puzzled eyes. He groped her while muttering,

“You should know your life was spared thanks to me.”

The concubine, not understanding what the emperor meant, tilted her head. He looked at her and laughed even louder before moving on. His gait was distinctly different from before—proper and quick.

The emperor only stopped walking when he reached the stairs at the end of the long corridor.

As he looked at the stairs leading to the ground, he heard someone running urgently from behind.

“Your Majesty.”

When the emperor turned his head, he saw Duke Day panting for breath. The emperor smiled, pushed away the concubine, and welcomed the duke with open arms.

“Oh Duke. How is it? Do you think my plan will work out well?”

At the emperor’s question, the duke nodded with a disgruntled face. The emperor put his arm on the duke’s shoulder and led him forward, saying,

“Let’s go up first. This place is beautiful but the air is too stale. Well, it’s a burrow dug to keep and view something lowly, so…… tsk.”