“Au… Aunt!”

Ruan looked at Olivia with surprised eyes as she suddenly opened the door and entered. Cassel hurriedly looked around and closed the door to Ruan’s room, then locked it.

Olivia was about to approach Ruan when she noticed the unfamiliar bottle in his hand and asked,

“What’s in that bottle?”

“It’s… it’s medicine for the Duke, my lady.”

Despite Cassel’s words, Olivia wore an expression of disbelief and reached for the bottle. Ruan hurriedly hid the bottle behind his back.

“If it’s medicine, why are you hiding it?”

“It’s medicine to counteract the poison, Aunt.”

Olivia looked at Ruan, let out a small sigh, and sat down.

“Ruan, you’ve always raised one eyebrow when lying since you were little. Come on, what are you really hiding? Has the poisoning accelerated? Or are you coughing up blood because the pain is too severe?”

Olivia spoke while looking at Ruan, then suddenly wore a shocked expression and said,

“Don’t tell me the medicine you’re holding now isn’t for detoxification, but to end your life?”

“Well, my lady, that’s…”

As Cassel searched for an excuse, Ruan rose from his seat with a resigned look, bowed his head, and said,

“Aunt, I’m truly sorry. The truth is, I’m no longer terminally ill.”

“What? What do you mean? You’re not terminally ill?”

“Actually, I wasn’t poisoned, but cursed, and fortunately, the curse was broken when I collapsed this time.”

“What? Detoxifi… I mean, the curse is broken? So you’re not going to die?”

“Yes, Aunt.”

“My goodness. Your parents who passed away before must have watched over you. Oh Lord, thank you so much. No, this isn’t the time for this. I must tell Mercian about this right away. She’ll be so happy when she finds out!”

As Olivia sprang up from her seat, Ruan signaled to Cassel with his eyes, and Cassel blocked Olivia’s path.

“I apologize, my lady.”

“Sir Cassel, why are you blocking my way? Move aside at once.”

At Olivia’s urging, Ruan replied in a strained voice,

“Aunt, I’m sorry. This matter must remain a secret for now, and I can’t tell my lady either.”

“What do you mean?”

As Olivia asked, not understanding Ruan’s words, Ruan answered with a serious expression,

“I’m truly sorry to my lady, but no one outside this room should know about this.”

Mercian might be able to act as if she really believed he was dead even if she knew the truth, but she might not.

If the Crown Prince noticed that Mercian was acting, this whole plan could fall apart, so Ruan couldn’t bring himself to tell Mercian the truth.

“You. Are you saying you’re going to use Mercian in your plan? I absolutely cannot allow that. Do you know how hard she’s trying not to show her emotions right now? She just fainted outside when she heard you were coughing up blood. She just woke up and was about to come in here, but I barely stopped her and told Clea to put some sleeping pills in her food to make her sleep. What on earth are you trying to do to that sweet child?”

“Aunt, if not now, there’s no way to take down the Crown Prince. He has committed too many evil deeds and must pay the price for them. Of course, I could prove the Crown Prince’s wrongdoings with evidence now, but that would take a lot of time. So we must make the Crown Prince try to kill His Highness the Prince at this upcoming wedding ceremony. Otherwise, the future of the Empire is in danger.”

“You’ll regret this! No matter how much you say you’re working for the Empire, deceiving Mercian like this is truly wrong. Mercian won’t forgive you easily!”

Olivia warned with a resolute expression in response to Ruan’s words.

“Don’t worry, Aunt. I plan to compensate her several times over for what she’s going through now.”

Seeing Ruan respond as if he didn’t care much about her warning, Olivia spoke with a cold expression,

“Listen well. If Mercian finds out about this later and doesn’t forgive you, as I said before, I’ll introduce her to a man several times better than you.”

“Aunt, what nonsense are you speaking now? Remarriage when her husband is alive and well? That’s absolutely impossible.”

When Ruan burst out angrily at Olivia’s words, Olivia looked him up and down as if in disbelief and said,

“Who’s alive and well? Right now, you’re a husband poisoned, coughing up blood, and in a coma. To be more precise, aren’t you a husband who’s alive but worse than dead?”

“Aunt!”

As Ruan shouted at her, Olivia shook her head as if annoyed and replied,

“Stop calling me that. Everyone in this room knows I’m your aunt without you saying it. I’m someone who was prepared to let you go when you were diagnosed as terminally ill. Of course, I’m happy if you come back to life. But that doesn’t mean I can watch you deceive Mercian.”

Olivia felt anger rising again as she recalled Mercian, whose face had become half-dead in just a few days.

No matter if he was her nephew, she thought she could never tolerate making that poor child suffer.

“Ruan, listen carefully to this final warning. Mercian is not just your wife. That child is like a daughter to me now. You know well how that child has treated me for the past 6 months. Moreover, that child cut ties with her own mother and sister, her own blood, to avoid giving evidence for your so-called treason. I was planning to make her my daughter if you died.”

“Aunt, I’m telling you I’m not going to die. I’ll take good care of my wife, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Didn’t you just say you were going to die?”

“Aunt, it’s just for a few days. As soon as we bring down the Crown Prince, I plan to let my wife know I’m alive immediately.”

Despite Ruan’s explanation, Olivia shook her head as if she couldn’t hear his words and said,

“I won’t interfere whether you die or come back to life. But. Don’t hurt Mercian. If you hurt that child and make her suffer, even if you’re my nephew, I won’t let you off easily.”

“When this is over, I’ll do whatever it takes to earn Mercian’s forgiveness.”

At Ruan’s repeated promise, Olivia seemed to calm down a bit and sat in the chair, saying,

“Fine. Make sure you get Mercian’s forgiveness. If not, I’ll remarry…”

“Please, I understand, so don’t even mention the word ‘remarriage’ in front of Mercian.”

Seeing Ruan looking at her with a serious expression, Olivia frowned and said,

“Hmph, I’ll decide that after seeing what you do.”

That night.

After everyone had left and before taking the medicine, Ruan got up and entered Mercian’s room through the bathroom.

Ruan stroked Mercian’s hair as she slept, her eyes swollen from crying and under the effect of sleeping pills, and whispered in her ear,

“My lady, I’m truly sorry. No matter what happens to me, please don’t be too shocked. I will surely come back alive to your side, so please wait for me just for a few days. When everything is over, I will formally confess to you. How much I love you. Probably more than you can imagine. Sleep well. It will be very difficult for you for a few days, but please hang in there. I love you, my lady.”

Ruan kissed Mercian’s forehead and lips in turn as she occasionally frowned at his words, then returned to his room and took the medicine Cassel had left behind.

And that day, Ruan Canoloup died.

***

His sudden death plunged the Empire into great sorrow for a moment.

Haiman’s planned wedding was postponed until after Ruan’s mourning period, and the funeral of the Empire’s hero was held under the leadership of the imperial family.

As Ruan had anticipated, his funeral lasted for 5 days, and after the 5-day funeral, he was laid to rest in the family tomb.

Daimond, who was the first to rush over at the news of his death, checked his corpse and struggled to hide his joy while shedding fake tears and mourning Ruan’s death.

Throughout the moment of mourning, he confirmed that Ruan’s corpse was real and that Mercian, who stood blankly as if in a daze, confirmed that he was really dead.

After the 5-day funeral, Bisseluk set a 2-week mourning period to honor Ruan’s death.

Although Daimond was practically confined to the Crown Prince’s palace during the mourning period, he couldn’t control his rising joy all day long.

“Hahaha. He acted so arrogant, but in the end, he died.”

Daimond drank alcohol and rejoiced to his heart’s content at the fact that Ruan was dead.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince. Now is the period to mourn the Duke’s death, so please stop drinking. If His Majesty the Emperor finds out about this, it will be a serious matter.”

At Hook’s restraint, Daimond poured alcohol into his glass as if to show off and said,

“Hook, go and borrow some knights from grandfather.”

“Knights? Your Highness, what’s this about?”

To Hook, who asked worriedly, Daimond raised his glass full of alcohol, drank it in one gulp, and said,

“Hook, think about it. The Duke who tormented me so much has died, so how sad must my beloved brother be? Since they cherished each other so much usually, I should give him a small gift.”

“A gift? What kind of gift are you talking about?”

“Why, of course, I mean sending him to the Duke’s side on his happiest wedding day after the mourning period ends.”

At Daimond’s words, Hook knelt down on the spot and replied,

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, that absolutely cannot be done!”

“Absolutely? Ha! Why can’t it be done?”

“No matter how much you dislike His Highness the Prince, how can you try to kill His Highness at the wedding? If His Majesty the Emperor finds out, he will never stand still.”

“Hook, you’re good in every way, but your guts are too small. Don’t worry. Without that damn Duke, Haiman is just a powerless bastard. Besides, I’ve already secured evidence of treason for that bastard. The Duke was always on my mind, but now that he’s dead like this, there’s no one left to stop me.”

“Evidence of treason? But didn’t you fail to find anything?”

“I’ve caught and persuaded Haiman’s servant. That person will confess in front of everyone on Haiman’s wedding day that Haiman committed treason. Then father won’t trust that bastard Haiman anymore. If Haiman is caught and punished, there will be no one left to investigate the incident, so I won’t lose anything, right?”

“But, Your Highness the Crown Prince, can we trust that person?”

“Don’t worry. I have his weakness in my hands, so he won’t betray me. So stop talking and go bring a few knights.”

Hook looked at Daimond speaking with crazed eyes for a moment, then bowed his head and went outside.

A week later.

The imperial wedding of the Aumanqurut Empire was held in the garden, not in the banquet hall.

In the garden, as large and spacious as the banquet hall, amidst many nobles gathered, Prince Haiman and Princess Petricia walked in side by side to the music.

“Empress, the two seem to match better than I thought.”

At Bisseluk’s words, Antwarp replied in a cold tone,

“Well. I don’t know why it’s so urgent to take in a princess from a vassal state as a daughter-in-law, holding the Prince’s wedding first when Daimond isn’t even married yet.”

“Empress, the Crown Prince seems too immature to form a family yet.”

“……”

Seeing Antwarp staring at Haiman with dead eyes without even responding to his words, Bisseluk let out a small sigh.

When the bride and groom entered the garden fully and stood in front of the High Priest, the High Priest extended his hand to them and gave his blessing.

After the High Priest’s blessing ended, the High Priest shouted towards the guests behind,

“The marriage of these two has been accomplished. May everyone bless them to achieve eternal happiness without difficulties and hardships.”

As the High Priest looked around the quiet garden with a pleased expression and was about to announce the marriage of Prince Haiman and Princess Petricia, suddenly there was a commotion outside the garden, and Daimond entered the garden with a sword and shouted,

“I’ll interrupt that wedding! Or rather, it doesn’t matter if I say you can’t have it at all? Because I don’t intend to let you live anyway?”

“What is the meaning of this?”

At Bisseluk’s question, Daimond bowed his head and said,

“Father, I’m truly sorry for causing such a commotion suddenly. I’ve discovered that Haiman is plotting treason. He planned it together with the Duke who’s already dead. The reason the Duke collapsed while with me last time was because I presented him with evidence of treason.”

Treason?

At Daimond’s words, the nobles in the garden murmured with surprised expressions.