The Emperor, who should have been lying on the bed, was nowhere to be seen.

“Where could he have gone?”

After a brief moment of confusion, the chamberlain headed to the dressing room.

“He’s not here either.”

This time, he moved his steps towards the toilet room.

And there he found the Emperor collapsed, which startled him greatly.

“No…! Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”

At the chamberlain’s loud voice, the knights outside quickly rushed in.

“What’s the matter!”

“His Majesty has collapsed, call the royal physician!”

The chamberlain shouted while supporting the Emperor’s body.

The knight standing at the entrance hurriedly ran out, while the remaining knights moved the Emperor to the bed.

“……”

The faces of the knights and the chamberlain watching the Emperor lying on the bed hardened.

It was because the Emperor’s body was so cold.

Joshua’s hand, which was cutting the steak, came to an abrupt stop. His green eyes also widened slightly.

However, after a brief pause, the elegant hand movements cutting the large piece of meat continued.

“His Majesty?”

“Yes.”

Joshua asked before putting a properly sized piece of meat into his mouth.

“What did they say was the cause of death?”

“They said it was natural causes.”

Joshua swallowed the meat he had been chewing and said in response to the servant’s answer.

“…I see.”

Even at the news of his father’s death, the Crown Prince did not show much surprise or agitation and quietly continued his meal.

The servant watching this scene from the side felt a chilling sensation.

It wasn’t just because of the blood oozing out between the pieces of meat cut by the Crown Prince’s knife.

He tried to change his thinking, considering that this might be the proper demeanor of a monarch who would rule the great empire, but it didn’t work.

Because the Crown Prince before him seemed somehow devoid of emotion.

“Tell the chef that the meal was especially excellent today.”

“…Understood.”

After steadily finishing his meal, Joshua carefully wiped his mouth with a napkin and then stood up from his seat.

It was when Joshua left the dining room and turned into the corridor.

A servant who was walking this way saw Joshua and his lips quivered.

“I heard the news about His Majesty.”

“Ah, I see. The Empress is looking for you. To discuss that matter…”

Joshua cut off the servant’s lengthening words.

“I was on my way to see Mother.”

“I, I see.”

The servant’s face turned red, seemingly very flustered. However, Joshua paid no mind and spoke again.

“Where is Mother now?”

“She is in the Emperor’s bedroom.”

Joshua immediately headed towards the wide corridor.

As he approached the corridor near the Emperor’s bedroom, the faint sound of the Empress’s crying could be heard.

“……”

Joshua barely managed to hold back the laughter that was about to escape.

He was not unaware that the servants inwardly regarded him as an emotionless Crown Prince who did not grieve over the death of family members.

So he knew well that he should pretend to be appropriately sad.

But nothing could stop the corners of his mouth from curving asymmetrically.

Because they didn’t know that the person who killed the Emperor, his biological father, was his mother, the Empress.

Joshua, who entered the Emperor’s bedroom filled with the Empress’s sobs, quietly approached the bed.

As if sensing his presence, the Empress raised her tear-stained eyes to look at Joshua.

“The Emperor, His Majesty…”

Unable to finish her words, the Empress sobbed. To Joshua, that sight only felt repulsive.

Of course, the Empress had fulfilled her role as a mother sufficiently well.

After all, she had taken care of the Emperor who had no intention of abdicating, nor was he willing to readily acknowledge him as his successor.

But that didn’t mean he was purely grateful.

Joshua knew for what purpose the Empress had killed the Emperor.

‘She must have decided he was no longer useful since he wouldn’t listen.’

It was the Emperor who had placed absolute power in the Empress’s hands.

Yet she was a woman who would eliminate even the Emperor if he displeased her.

Would it be any different for her son?

Joshua had seen more than enough precedents of what fate awaited those who went against the Empress’s will.

If he didn’t resist now, it was clear he would remain a puppet Emperor under the Empress’s control for life.

So he had to move now.

While inwardly recoiling at his mother’s duplicity, shedding false tears pretending to grieve over the Emperor’s death, he gently embraced her.

It was a sign that he would play along if she wanted to act for the watching eyes.

“…From now on, you’ll need to listen carefully to every word I say. Mother.”

At Joshua’s sudden low whisper, the Empress’s sobbing stopped for a moment, but he paid no mind and slowly patted her back.

So that to those unaware of the inside story, it would appear as if he was comforting the grieving Empress.

“Did you really think I knew nothing?”

Once again, the Empress’s sobbing quieted.

“Keep going. If you want to remain the pitiful wife who suddenly lost her husband.”

Joshua continued his act of being the most loving son in the world while patting the Empress’s back.

As the Empress’s crying grew louder, Joshua looked at the servant and said,

“I’m worried the Empress might collapse at this rate. Call His Majesty’s royal physician. It seems Mother needs to be stabilized.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

The servant left the bedroom, wiping away the tears flowing down his cheeks.

Joshua gestured to the others as well.

Once all the remaining people had left, only Joshua, the Empress, and the Emperor’s corpse remained in the bedroom.

After sobbing for a while longer, the Empress suddenly pushed Joshua’s chest hard and stepped back.

Then she glared at him.

“Just…! When did you find out?”

The sight of her lowering her voice so it wouldn’t leak outside only seemed pitiful to him.

“How many listening ears and watching eyes do you think there are in the palace?”

Unable to contain her rising anger any longer at the sight of her son seemingly threatening his mother, the Empress raised her arm as if to slap Joshua’s cheek.

However, it ended at an attempt.

Because Joshua caught her arm before the Empress could swing it.

The Empress’s gaze darted busily between her arm caught by Joshua and his face.

Joshua simply watched as the beautiful green eyes, so much like his own, shook violently.

And he spoke mockingly.

“I hope you don’t still regard me as an immature child.”

The Empress angrily shook off Joshua’s hand with a fierce expression.

“You, you’re saying you planted spies on me… Is that what you mean?”

“Isn’t that what you’ve been doing all along, Mother? From the moment I was born.”

“…!”

As if at a loss for words, the Empress only glared at Joshua with wide eyes. It was a rare sight to see.

Staring at her intently, Joshua opened his mouth leisurely.

“You’ve been too careless lately, Mother. Haven’t you been far too incautious?”

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard from the corridor.

“Whether you bribed or threatened them, I’m not sure of the method, but it must be the royal physician.”

“……”

“The one who conspired to assassinate the Emperor.”

The Empress stepped back in shock. That alone was enough of an answer. It had been just a guess based on circumstantial evidence.

“You should be more careful from now on. It was just speculation, but seeing that expression, I’m now certain.”

Joshua approached the Empress slowly, flashing a grin.

“You, just what…”

As she stood there in confusion, Joshua embraced her and deliberately whispered softly.

“I learned it all from you, Mother.”

The Empress struggled to break free from him.

However, as the footsteps drew closer, she had no choice but to stop resisting and resume sobbing.

“What did they say was the cause of death?”

To Jieselgrante’s question, Cabelased loosened his cravat and answered.

“Apparently, it was natural causes.”

“So suddenly, like this…”

To the Emperor, family was merely a tool to be wielded at opportune moments, and she was just one of the Emperor’s many tools.

To her as well, the Emperor was like an absolute being who had to be pleased at all costs to survive, and she had never felt any familial affection throughout her life.

Nevertheless, his sudden death wasn’t entirely pleasing.

Her feelings were a bit mixed.

‘I had something I wanted to ask him.’

But now there was no one left to ask.

Because he had died before that. So easily, so meaninglessly, without suffering and comfortably…

Cabelased also wore an expression of complete incomprehension.

“The royal physician said that the Emperor’s health had deteriorated recently. But it seems they were very careful not to let it be known outside.”

Jieselgrante, who had visited the palace recently, had found it strange to see the Emperor in casual attire when he always insisted on perfection.

Naturally, she had suspected that something might be wrong with his health.

But she never imagined he would face such a sudden death.

“……”

As she stood there with her eyes wide open, overwhelmed by shock, Cabelased strode towards her.

A shadow fell over her face. Only then did Jieselgrante slowly raise her head.

Cabelased was looking at her with one eyebrow raised crookedly.

“You look like you’re about to cry.”

“…Me?”

Jieselgrante was flustered and unconsciously avoided his gaze.

Then Cabelased cupped her cheek and said,

“Was the shock that great?”

Although one of his eyebrows was still raised as if something displeased him, his eyes reflected concern for her.

So Jieselgrante spoke honestly without hiding anything.

“A little. No, I think I’m very surprised. When I saw him a few days ago, he did seem a bit odd… But he didn’t look so frail as to be on death’s door.”

“…That’s true.”

Cabelased nodded slightly.

As if agreeing that there were certainly questions remaining about this death.