A few days later.

Pelena, who had been confined in the imperial palace, disappeared without a trace. Whether Daniel entered the palace and took Pelena away or Pelena escaped on her own was not important. The problem was that she had vanished without a trace, penetrating the strict security of the imperial palace.

Fearing that the escaped Pelena and Daniel might try to break Ruans out, they secretly moved Ruans to a deep solitary cell in the palace. They surrounded it with double and triple layers of alarm magic that would sound if breached.

When Lorencia heard news from the Isuter Empire, she tried to summon the amethyst orb to locate Pelena due to the changed future.

But Pelena did not appear in the amethyst orb. Just like when asked to show the future of the white snake Saraf, only dark scenes were visible.

An ominous feeling arose from Pelena’s future that showed nothing.

Ruans heard from the guards’ conversations that Daniel had escaped and then Pelena had also escaped.

‘Duke Daniel rescued Mother…’

He believed without doubt that they would come to rescue him as well.

“Haa. How irritating.”

Did Daniel and Pelena know that Adrian was alive? How could they break him out? When would they rescue him? Why did they escape without him?

As all sorts of thoughts arose, everything became irritating. Though it was painful and unacceptable to be in such a dark, damp solitary cell, he held hope that he would be rescued from the cell since Daniel and Pelena had escaped, rather than having negative thoughts.

So he just needed to endure for a little while.

Staring only at the candle in the darkness, he smiled, then got angry and shouted. There was no one to hear his voice echoing emptily.

Ruans leaned against the wall, watched the dying candle, and closed his eyes.

The door of the solitary cell opened and the sound of clicking shoes was heard. For a moment, Ruans’ heart raced. Had Daniel come to rescue him? With anticipation, he stood up, feeling along the dark wall.

“Could it be Duke Daniel?”

The corners of Ruans’ mouth began to lift.

“Why did you come so late to rescue…”

When he confirmed who the owner of the footsteps was, Ruans looked up at the person who approached.

“Father?”

Ruans addressed Adolf who had approached.

“Have you come to release me? You believe that I fell into a trap, right?”

He began to plead his case, reaching his hand through the bars.

“Ruans.”

“Yes.”

Adolf knelt down and looked at Ruans, grasping his hand that was stretched through the bars. Ruans poured out his story of suffering from solitary confinement and his indignation at not knowing why he had to be imprisoned.

After venting his frustrations for a while, Ruans hung his head low. As a moment of silence passed, Ruans felt anxious.

“Ruans. Have you said all you wanted to say?”

At the cold voice, Ruans came to his senses and looked at Adolf with uneasy eyes. He became angry, feeling that his words had not reached him. He was irritated.

“You planned to kill me together with elder brother Adrian, right? That’s why you pretended to be dead, right? How could you do this to me?”

“Ruans. I did not love your mother Pelena. She was someone I had to accept for political reasons. I went in after having a drink because I had to go through with the unavoidable first night. And I lost consciousness from the drink Pelena gave me. No matter how I think about it, we did not consummate the marriage, but Pelena said we had slept together. A first night that I have no memory of.”

Adolf grasped Ruans’ hand that was stretched through the bars.

“Looking back now, everything was suspicious, Ruans.”

“Why are you saying such things now? What are you trying to tell me?”

“Just once… You were conceived from a night I don’t remember.”

“Father!”

“When Pelena, in her last month of pregnancy, suddenly said she would rest at Greican’s mansion, and when she suddenly brought you back after giving birth at the mansion, I never doubted that you were my child. Or perhaps I didn’t want to doubt it.”

“I am your son, Father. Why are you speaking as if I’m not?”

“Do you know the daughter of Marquis Monbellionst? The child Pelena took in as a concubine, saying she was pregnant with your child.”

“Yes, I know. But why do you keep saying other things instead of answering my questions?”

Ruans’ voice trembled.

“Actually, the Monbellionst lady was not pregnant.”

Ruans couldn’t believe his ears. He couldn’t trust Adolf’s words at all, as he had deceived him.

“What do you mean she wasn’t pregnant? Mother said she was pregnant. The doctor said so too.”

“According to the Monbellionst lady, even though she was not pregnant, Pelena forced her to pretend to be pregnant and become a concubine. And she said that when the last month came, she would go to Greican’s mansion and make her give birth to a son. Of course, the doctor who said she was pregnant also confessed that the pregnancy was a lie.”

Ruans shook his head.

“Don’t lie.”

“When I went to Greican’s mansion, there were women locked in rooms. All those women had blonde hair and green eyes, or hair and eye colors like the Monbellionst lady.”

“So what?”

“Seeing the women locked up in Greican’s mansion made everything about Pelena suspicious, Ruans.”

Daniel always doted on Ruans. People also said Ruans was the spitting image of Daniel whenever they saw him.

“When we investigated all the pregnant women at Greican’s mansion, there was only one father. You can probably guess who that is without me saying it, Ruans?”

Shaking his head, Ruans pressed his lips tightly together. It was an unbelievable story even after hearing it. No, it was a story he shouldn’t believe. He must be lying to deceive him.

“The reason you’re telling me such lies… Is it to abandon me? Father.”

“Since you don’t seem to understand, I’ll say it bluntly.”

“You can stop lying now. I was wrong. I know I did terrible things to my own blood because I was deceived by Duke Daniel. So.”

‘Don’t say it. I don’t want to hear it.’

Ruans desperately reached out to Adolf. But he felt despair at his cold gaze. His heart sank. At the same time, anger boiled up.

“Why are you lying to this extent? Did you hate me that much?”

“Ruans. You are not of the imperial bloodline of the von Isuter Empire.”

Ruans glared at Adolf with eyes full of hatred.

“You are an illegitimate child of the Greican ducal family.”

And Ruans realized from Adolf’s words. That regardless of his connection to the imperial bloodline, he never thought of him as a son from the beginning.

“Are you saying the woman I called Mother is actually my half-sister, and my maternal grandfather is my real father? Are you telling me to believe that? Are you insane?”

Ruans couldn’t stand it. And he pounded on the bars and spewed out abusive language.

“I’m not telling you to believe it. I’m just telling you the truth. I’m not being cruel, I’m just telling you about the cruel things Duke Daniel and Pelena did.”

“If you’re lying to abandon me, you should kill me right now. If Duke Daniel rescues me soon, I will point my sword at the Isuter Empire!”

Ruans shouted angrily.

“You were never of my blood.”

“I am your son, Father. You can’t abandon me like this.”

“The moment you sat on the emperor’s throne, it became irreversible.”

“No. I didn’t know. Duke Daniel did it all by himself.”

“Lady Illina confessed everything. Your plans to kill Adrian, Ines, and start a war to kill everyone.”

“Illina is a wicked woman. You wouldn’t believe the words of such a wicked woman, would you? Please spare me. I really don’t know anything about this.”

“Count Brant knew of your plans but couldn’t stop them, so he ended his life, consumed by guilt.”

“Didn’t I say it’s not true! Why won’t you believe me! It’s slander.”

Ruans grabbed the bars and shouted at Adolf.

“Is that it? Did you foolishly believe the false information that I’m an illegitimate child of Duke Greican without a drop of your blood, and then create more lies to drive me out and throw me in this prison? Is that why you pretended to be dead and deceived me?”

Ruans, who had been pounding the iron bars with his fists, spat on the floor while taking labored breaths. His head felt like it was going to split. With his vision blurry from the tears welling up in his eyes, he glared at Adolf.

“I can’t communicate with you.”

Adolf shook his head as he looked at Ruans.

When Ruans learned that he was an illegitimate child of the Greican ducal family created by Daniel, he felt more like ‘I thought so’ than betrayal. Perhaps that’s why it wasn’t shocking.

“Do you have any intention of talking with me? I am your son, Father.”

“That son tried to kill me.”

“It’s slander. I said I don’t know anything about it. Why won’t you try to believe me?”

Adolf turned his back on Ruans with a bitter expression. It was the last time for the two of them.

After Adolf left, Ruans felt miserable. No, it was painful.

“I’m an illegitimate child of the Greican ducal family? You want me to believe that? It’s a lie.”

The being he called Mother was actually his half-sister, and Daniel, whom he thought was his maternal grandfather, was actually his father…

“I can’t accept it. I am someone with clear bloodlines, inheriting the blood of the ducal family and the emperor… Someone who will become emperor. Yes. It’s a lie. A lie. It’s all lies. Lies to deceive me and crush me to the very bottom!”

I absolutely don’t believe it. I won’t believe it. I shouldn’t believe it.

“I can’t be shaken by their lies. When Duke Daniel rescues me, I’ll behead him first thing! I won’t let this go.”

In any case, he is the only one who will become emperor of the Isuter Empire.

“I won’t forgive them.”

Unable to control his trembling body, Ruans pounded on the walls and bars over and over, screaming.

“I’ll kill them all.”