Epilogue (Part 4)

“Lau.”

Monica, who had sneaked in, appeared, calling Cloud’s nickname affectionately. Cloud, with reddened eyes, hugged Monica tightly.

“Moca, I was worried.”

Monica patted Cloud’s back as if accustomed to it.

“Hello, Young Master Rockbellion.”

“Lady Monica, it’s been a while.”

“If Crown Prince Cloud gets caught now, it’s an immediate execution.”

Monica spoke as she forcibly separated herself from Cloud, who didn’t want to let go.

“Execution? I expected that. More than anything, since I’ve discovered the dirty secret, Emperor Rezeph will want to get rid of me.”

Cloud hung onto Monica’s small shoulders, seething with anger.

“What is the Emperor’s dirty secret?”

“If you hear this truth, Yan, you might be troubled. It’s better not to know.”

Cloud wore a troubled expression. Revealing one truth would lead to digging deeper into it, and Anthus would learn another truth that Cloud worried about. But hiding it wouldn’t escape the truth, and the mental strength to accept it when discovered late was also important.

“What is Emperor Rezeph’s secret that he wants to hide even to the point of killing you, Crown Prince Cloud? Does it have to do with Lady Loengrin?”

“Yes, it does have to do with Lady Loengrin.”

“Considering he has a fondness for women, I thought he might covet the cute and beautiful Lady Loengrin.”

“Yes, that’s right. When Lady Loengrin turns 16, the Fedeurus family will unilaterally break off the engagement and the Emperor Rezeph will take her as a concubine.”

Hearing Cloud’s words, Anthus paused with the teacup in his hand. The realization that what he had only suspected was true made his heart feel crumpled like a piece of paper. No, he felt a tearing pain.

“Offering his fiancée as a concubine… Does Young Lord Beonar know?”

“Of course.”

Anthus clenched his teeth.

“As a Marquis, Fedeurus can keep her engaged as long as he wants and then force a breakup at the right time. Most of the Emperor’s concubines are women offered by the Fedeurus family.”

Anthus forced a smile with a blank face, but Cloud could sense how angry he was.

“Taking Lady Yuliana as a concubine.”

“The reason most concubines are from the noble faction is due to the influence of the Fedeurus family. What’s certain is that Emperor Rezeph wants Lady Loengrin. It seems he’s trying to resolve his lingering feelings for Saint Rosaline, whom he could never have, through Lady Loengrin.”

Saint Rosaline was the Countess of Loengrin, who was taken to the Holy Kingdom years ago and returned dead. Matthias strongly questioned her death, but the Holy Kingdom said that the disgrace of a saint entering the Holy Kingdom angered God, leading to her death, and remained silent. Rezeph was the same.

“Emperor Rezeph sent Saint Rosaline to the Holy Kingdom with conditions of many holy waters and artifacts filled with divine power. And she returned dead within days.”

Cloud’s face was painted with both bitterness and pain.

“I couldn’t protect Moca’s benefactor. So I want to protect her daughter at least.”

Anthus’s anger boiled. He was overwhelmed by a strong urge to twist their smiling faces into expressions of fear, humiliation, and pain. Even if all the world’s anger was gathered, it wouldn’t match the fury he felt now.

“Otherwise, her life can’t be guaranteed. Didn’t I tell you? Many women who entered as the Emperor’s concubines died… Lady Loengrin could be one of them.”

The teacup in Anthus’s hand shattered with a crash.

The sharp glass shards pricked his hand. Anthus’s sleeve began to stain dark red. He frowned displeasedly, then relaxed his expression and looked at Cloud.

“You didn’t need to tell me in such detail.”

Anthus consciously lifted the corners of his lips. The forced smile was chilling.

“I know why you’re provoking my anger, Your Highness.”

“The reason you’re angry is because you heard the truth. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, but there are diseases that can only be cured by knowing.”

Their gazes met. Anthus sighed and spoke to him.

“I’ll go get treated.”

“Send my regards to Lady Loengrin.”

At Cloud’s words, Anthus smiled silently, raised his blood-soaked hand, and opened the tent door.

“Your Highness, let’s continue our conversation after I return.”

“Sure.”

Anthus’s expression was colder than ice as he turned to leave. Knowing the reason behind Yuliana’s forced engagement, the rising anger wrapped around him like a fierce storm.

A rage that felt like something was about to explode inside him surged up. The desire to whisper all the world’s bad words into their ears and kill them constantly preceded his reason.

Anthus approached Yuliana’s tent. As the door opened, their eyes met.

“Blood…”

Yuliana noticed the blood flowing from Anthus’s arm and approached him in surprise.

“You got hurt! How did… Let me see your arm. Undine.”

Anthus extended his arm to Yuliana.

As the water spirit touched him, the treatment was over immediately. Unable to speak words of thanks, he closed his mouth like a mute and then courageously opened it.

“Thank you, Lady Loengrin.”

“You’re welcome. It’s my job. Be careful not to get hurt, Young Master Rockbellion.”

Seeing her bright smile directed at him made time feel like it had stopped. The emotions that had settled somewhere in his heart began to intensify. His heart pounded more vigorously than usual.

It was the first time Anthus had seen Yuliana’s smiling face so closely. Just seeing her smile made the persistent heart pain disappear. And Cloud’s words came to mind.

<Once you see Lady Loengrin’s smiling face, you won’t be able to give up.>

Anthus understood Cloud’s words clearly.

He couldn’t give up on Yuliana. Just looking at her made him feel good. She had already become an irreplaceable presence within him.

* * *

“Your Highness.”

“Yan, speak.”

“I’ll help you ascend the throne. But I only want one person.”

Yuliana Loengrin.

“I know. Yan, your Duchess of Rockbellion is only Yuliana Loengrin.”

Anthus made up his mind. If you’re hungry, you find food to eat. If someone else finds the food first and you give up because of that, you’ll starve to death. You have to take the food from the person who found it first to survive. You shouldn’t give up the food out of pity. Besides, he’s not kind enough to give it up.

“What should I help with first?”

“Find out where the Second Prince Zaran is hiding.”

“Prince Zaran…”

Zaran had been infatuated with Monica, who was Cloud’s shadow, from the moment he first saw her and stalked her relentlessly. Fortunately, Monica was a skilled assassin, so his attempts at kidnapping always failed, but Cloud could not forgive Zaran’s actions.

“For Monica to move freely, we must find and kill Zaran first. But he’s not in the palace, and we can’t predict where he’s hiding.”

Cloud tapped his head with his fingers as he continued speaking.

“So I need that smart brain of yours, Yan.”

* * *

Philip grew weary in the meaningless war. The longer the war lasted, the more precarious the safety of the Empire became.

The citizens of the Empire trembled with anxiety at the unstable atmosphere.

But the situation driving him crazy was that while knights were getting injured and losing their lives in the war, Rezeph in the palace continued to take concubines and indulge in luxury.

Only sycophants remained by Rezeph’s side. Now, without even funds for the war, they couldn’t compensate the families of soldiers and knights who had lost their lives.

“It’s insane. Truly.”

What is war? Isn’t it to protect one’s Empire, family, and further, the people of the Empire! But the current war started for such a trivial reason.

The princess of the Zentas Empire was deemed beautiful, and Rezeph, ignoring diplomatic etiquette, insisted on taking her as a concubine. Instead of apologizing, he declared that he would take the princess as a trophy after winning the war, leaving no choice but for war to break out.

The fact that war broke out was maddening, but the imperial finances were already depleted due to Rezeph’s spending.

Philip had been loyal to Rezeph and the Empire as a knight before being Duke Rockbellion. But the war gradually cooled his loyalty.

Philip sighed as he opened the tent door and entered.

“Duke Rockbellion, how have you been?”

“How did Your Majesty the Crown Prince come here… More importantly, are you alright?”

He recalled that the Empress had been poisoned not long ago, and Cloud was accused as the culprit. Cloud, known for his filial piety, couldn’t have poisoned the Empress, yet all evidence and witnesses pointed to Cloud.

But Philip knew. Cloud would never kill his beloved mother. No, he had no reason to. He was trapped.

Philip, with a pale face, looked Cloud over.

“Except for the difficulty of secretly fleeing, I’m fine.”

“Where have you been?”

“I’ve been to the Florence Territory.”

“The Florence Territory, I see.”

“You know I’m not the one who killed my mother, right, Duke Rockbellion?”

“Of course.”

“Yes. I’m in an unfair situation. It’s the work of those who want to frame and kill me. So I’ve made a decision.”

Cloud’s expression was more serious than usual.

“I’ll be blunt. I’ve completed all preparations and came to find you, Duke Rockbellion.”

“Please explain in detail.”

“I plan to overthrow Emperor Rezeph and ascend the throne myself.”

Cloud told Philip in a firm voice.