At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 74

The Emperor was dissatisfied with everything these days. The boy he had installed as Crown Prince was inadequate since his mother was not the Empress, and the Empress herself still had not opened her eyes.

“Could it perhaps be the influence of the magic artifacts…? No, never mind.”

The physician, about to speak further, quickly shut his mouth under the Emperor’s sharp glare. The Empress had collapsed in a room filled with magic artifacts.

Ordinarily, she never left the palace grounds. The Emperor had strictly limited her range of movement—a classic example of a jealous husband who could not trust his unfaithful spouse.

Then how had she even conceived the idea of going to the room containing those magic artifacts? Despite interrogating everyone who served her, no one could offer an explanation.

According to their testimonies, the Empress had suddenly vanished—poof!—and then abruptly reappeared—poof!—in the sealed chamber with the magic artifacts, collapsing there.

“She must have wanted to see her son. That’s simply a mother’s heart longing for her child. How worried she must have been about her son, kept so far away.”

Thus, she must have gone to that room with the magic artifacts and gazed into the mirror to find her son. It must certainly have been so.

After all, the Empress had always been nimble and light on her feet since her youth; surely she could have reached that place without anyone noticing.

Even now, gazing at her sleeping face, it was impossible to believe she was forty-nine years old. Ever since giving birth to Pheon, the Empress had hardly aged at all.

The Emperor looked down at his own hands, beginning to show wrinkles. Only the Emperor was growing old. Seeing this as some kind of omen, he became deeply furious. Indeed, nothing pleased him at all.

Amidst all this, the only thing that barely satisfied him was the lump of gold Grand Duke Lusenford had sent. The Emperor had never seen such a large ingot of pure gold before.

“She must have missed her admirable son, who’s doing so well.”

Yes. That’s why she probably went to the room with the magic artifacts. Muttering to himself repeatedly as if trying to convince himself, the Emperor left the Empress’s bedside. Aches were beginning to appear here and there.

His back hurt, his shoulders ached. The Empress remained youthful, while the Emperor alone grew old. Though time could not be held back, knowing the reason filled the Emperor with immense irritation.

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