The next day, Duke Winters entered the imperial palace.
Everyone was worried by his visibly excited appearance.
In the reception room, the emperor with a look of anxiety and the empress with a stern face were seated.
The door swung open and the duke shouted,
“I’ve given you my golden daughter, and you make her a concubine!”
At the booming voice, both the emperor and the empress covered their ears.
“You promised to treat her well when you married her, now you speak otherwise?”
They both furtively avoided the duke’s gaze.
Seeing this, the duke’s anger soared.
A few days before, he had recalled the letter he had received from Jaina.
[Duke Trebia begged to take her as a concubine. How can he do such a barbaric thing? I just can’t understand it.Father, I’m so depressed and sad these days, I can’t sleep. Come and visit your daughter in the palace sometime.]
The Jaina the duke knew was only a bright child.
One who fell asleep as soon as she lay down, and lived without any worries!
Seeing Jaina in a depressed state, unable to sleep, and even appearing weak, the duke couldn’t bear it any longer.
“You promised to treat Jaina well when you took her. Whom did I trust, Your Majesty?”
The emperor’s promiscuity was public knowledge, but nobody had ever openly rebuked him for it.
The emperor glared at the empress with a weary face.
It meant that she should handle the matter herself since she had started it.
“Calm down, duke.”
“What father in the world could calm down hearing such a thing?”
The duke trembled and gritted his teeth.
“Tell the aristocratic faction. If they cross swords with the House of Winters, I’ll show them what happens.”
Duke Winters glared at the empress as he muttered.
The emperor, looking rather annoyed, sent the furious empress away.
He had not been impressed by the Trebia family lately.
“Duke, Nathaniel will never take a concubine.”
Duke Winters looked at the emperor with a face full of doubt.
“On what grounds?”
“Because the interests of Duke Trebia and the empress do not coincide.”
“The two of you are from the same family, yet your interests do not coincide?”
Philip sighed longly and said,
“The duke is arrogant and looks down on people, but he wants prosperity for his duchy. He is likely laying the groundwork to ensure that his current status is not shaken.”
The duke that the emperor knew was such a man.
A man for whom the security of the house and the wellbeing of the duchy were more important than the life and pride of his children.
But the empress was different.
“What do you think the empress agreed to this for?”
“I don’t know. I can’t understand what Millea is thinking these days.”
“How much did Your Majesty upset Her Majesty when you were young? This is your punishment.”
At Duke Winters’ violent truth, the emperor shut his mouth for a moment.
The emperor’s colorful affairs were still legendary.
“Sigh…….”
The emperor’s past was his greatest weakness, like a snake.
How many women had he played with, and how many times had he tested for his paternity? The number of times he did was more than all the previous emperors combined.
Fortunately or not, only Anais had been recognized as his legitimate child.
“If it goes on like this, there will surely be problems in the next generation.”
“That might be true.”
Duke Winters spoke in an indifferent tone, ignoring the emperor’s subtle request.
Then the emperor, with his frail body, began to wheedle the duke more.
“They married suddenly, didn’t they? Jaina is shy, but so is Nathaniel. It will take some time for the two to become close.”
“So, what are you trying to say?”
“I want the duke to keep Duke Trebia in check.”
Only then did the duke understand why the emperor wanted Jaina and Nathaniel’s marriage.
The Winters family had hitherto stood a step back in politics.
It was partly because they were from a military family, but also because they held too many cards.
If they made a mistake, the balance could tip to one side.
“I will think about it.”
“Yes, I know it’s not an easy decision to make. But please think of our children and do well.”
The Emperor smiled kindly.
The Duke looked as though he was infuriated by something dancing in the palm of his hand, but he barely suppressed it, as his counterpart was the Emperor.
(This is a time divider.)
Not long after sending the letter, I expected my father to come, but I didn’t know he would come in such anger.
“Not a single sane person in this damn household! Ah, I’m not speaking to Your Majesty.”
“…….”
Even with Nathaniel present, my father didn’t hesitate to badmouth the Emperor and Empress.
Of course, Nathaniel was not the type to care about that.
“Oh, dear, who told you to commit sins in your youth? Just speaking my mind, if Your Majesty falls for another woman, just let me know. Even if we separate, I won’t mind.”
“Father! Please stop.”
I finally had to say something as the situation was getting precarious.
Nathaniel spoke nonchalantly.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of taking another woman.”
I was thankful that he said so, at least.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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