Casius couldn’t hide his scornful laugh at his father emperor’s words.

‘Getting a mistress when we’ve barely been married.’

Well, it wasn’t surprising.

The emperor had taken multiple mistresses soon after marrying his mother, always obsessed with producing imperial heirs.

To him, Casius was probably just another accessory of the imperial family.

Whatever the emperor thought no longer mattered.

But for the first time in a long while, a useless stubbornness welled up from deep within his heart.

“Do you think my feelings will change because of some marriage?”

His voice was devoid of emotion, with no change in tone.

It was the result of years piled up, enough for even regret and anger to become stale emotions.

The emperor showed no reaction other than a slight furrowing of his brow.

It was an attitude of contempt, showing no interest in his son’s feelings.

“Pathetic fool. Still unable to forget a dead woman.”

Casius’s eyes flashed with anger at his father dismissing Rachel as a dead woman.

Living disgustingly long out of fear of death, he still preserved his body by taking elixirs.

That old man casually dismissed Rachel’s disappearance as death, when she should have still been in full bloom.

It was revolting.

How wonderful it would be if he could give Rachel the emperor’s lifespan. With such an impossible thought, Casius calmly sneered.

“Isn’t an emperor without seed better than one recorded as a profligate who scattered countless illegitimate children?”

The emperor had once had the image of a libertine, taking numerous consorts.

Though it was well packaged as being for producing imperial heirs, it was a record that would not disappear from history.

Deep wrinkles settled on the emperor’s brow at the bold prince’s words.

In truth, if Casius wasn’t the only living imperial descendant, the emperor would not have made him crown prince.

And why did every illegitimate child he bore happen to be a daughter?

From the emperor’s perspective, Casius was a troublesome and truly burdensome son.

When Casius raised his eyes, the emperor felt a chill, barely able to believe this was his own flesh and blood.

The relationship between the two, which had maintained at least an outward peace, completely soured after Rachel’s disappearance.

The emperor looked at Casius with a displeased expression.

As expected, the fool still couldn’t forget one dead woman even after all this time.

If she wasn’t dead, she would have had to be killed anyway. What was so special about that insignificant wench? Tsk.

“It’s all for your own good.”

“For my own good, you say.”

Casius let out a laugh, seemingly resigned to life and without any fear. In front of the emperor of a nation, no less.

No matter the father-son relationship, he had never allowed such outrageous behavior before.

The emperor’s face twisted unpleasantly.

“That’s enough. This is as far as I’ll tolerate your childish rebellion.”

“…”

“As one born to the imperial family, it is your destiny to bear an imperial heir.”

“I will end that destiny with me.”

“What?”

“How can I commit the foolish act of creating another human to suffer the same pain as me?”

With one corner of his mouth raised, Casius calmly continued as he watched the emperor’s trembling hands.

“Your Majesty will never see an imperial grandchild.”

The emperor’s fist slammed down on the throne with a bang, his anger palpable.

Casius took in the sight of him, bloodshot as if about to collapse.

“No matter how you struggle, you cannot escape that fate as one who inherited the bloodline of Wolfdor.”

The emperor’s face turned bright red with fury, trembling.

Just sharing the same blood with such a person made disgust well up.

Wouldn’t it be right to end such things with his generation? It was a moment when his resolve was firmly set once again.

“As you say. How could I defy the will of Your Majesty while you live?”

For the first time, the emperor’s face visibly contorted.

Even seeing that, Casius thought of only one thing.

‘How can I provoke the emperor’s temper even more effectively?’

The thought didn’t take long. Casius was quick and meticulous in analyzing his enemies.

“No matter how many wives you make me take, the Wolfdor bloodline will end.”

Deep cracks spread across the emperor’s face. Though he thought he would feel some satisfaction seeing that, Casius now felt nothing at all.

Unable to even think of composing his expression, the emperor clutched his chest and shouted.

“You will understand me someday!”

“Do not worry. This son will depart from this world before such an unfortunate day comes.”

“Crown Prince!”

The emperor finally coughed violently. Each time, dark red blood scattered.

In an instant, it made him look like a criminal.

Casius was sick of this whole situation.

Even in this state, the emperor sent away all the attendants and insisted on having his say to the end.

“You will take in Lady Ivelina of House Winterdell.”

So this was what he had been circling around to say.

The emperor’s intentions were as clear as day.

“Do as you please.”

No matter what objections he raised, the emperor would move his pawns as he wished.

That had been his political modus operandi all along.

And now Casius was able to break free from it if he wanted. He was no longer the young, powerless crown prince of the past.

But for now, he had no need to do so.

Even if a mistress was brought in, Vivian and Snowfel would be the ones to object. Scratching their pride and honor was also what he wanted.

For a brief moment, Vivian’s last expression flashed through his mind.

That fierce face as she claimed to be a Wolfdor. That forceful voice.

‘Even after being trampled like this, will you still spout lies about liking me?’

The sight of that woman’s face twisting horribly would at least make for good entertainment.

It would also make a good picture to keep the new mistress and Vivian in tense opposition, then expel them when Rachel returned.

It wouldn’t be bad to let the old emperor die in the torture of hoping for an heir while watching that scene.

With that, Casius rose.

Without showing any courtesy to the emperor, he rudely turned and strode away.

Bang-

The motion of kicking open the door was rougher than usual.

No expression was visible on his face.

*

Even after returning to the Crown Princess’s palace, an ominous feeling kept flashing through my mind.

‘Why did the emperor summon Casius?’

Since nothing good had ever come from facing the emperor, I was worried.

It might seem strange to attach such serious reasons to a father and son meeting, but I knew their relationship well.

They were not in a normal father-son relationship where they could have pleasant conversations.

As these complicated thoughts continued, Marianne approached.

“What would you like for lunch?”

“Is it already that time?”

Perhaps because I was so troubled, I didn’t feel very hungry.

Just as I was about to say I was fine, Marianne read the situation and urged again.

“I prepared cream soup, olive steak, and canapés that you like, so please eat at least a little.”

She seemed worried since I had skipped breakfast too.

Who would have thought the warmest words I’d heard lately would be in the middle of enemy territory? I felt grateful yet bitter.

In any case, it seemed a bit much to refuse when she was insisting this much.

As I made my way to the Gracio Room, a feast too grand for one person was laid out.

It should have been a meal shared with Casius, so they must have put in extra effort.

Seeing the servants clearing away dishes, it seemed Marianne had set Casius’s place too, then ordered it cleared away before I arrived.

‘Does Casius even eat meals?’

The image of Casius crying out flooded my mind.

‘How long were you like that? Have you been like that every day since I left?’

As I pushed aside the soup that wouldn’t go down my choked throat, Marianne said with a sob:

“You’re being too cruel. Last time you even just passed by His Highness without a word.”

At Marianne’s agitated voice, I recalled the last glimpse I’d had of Casius’s back.

On the way to the Crown Princess’s palace, I too had felt Casius’s gaze burning into me.

Thinking he would come out right away since the emperor had sent for him, I quickly left the Crown Prince’s palace, but my cumbersome dress slowed my steps.

When I realized Casius’s procession was heading behind me, I felt a chill run down my spine.

Worried it might look like I was conscious of him, I hurried my steps, but… thinking back now, there was no need for that.

Casius had passed by as if he didn’t see me at all.

It seemed he was now determined to treat me like I was invisible.

The last glimpse I had of Casius was only his back, but even so, I could tell he had grown thin.

I felt frustrated, yet also sorry, and then various subtle emotions tangled up inside me.

It was such a complex mix of emotions that I wondered how a person’s feelings could be so divided.

When I recalled you crying out unable to forget me, I felt sorry. I was grateful you hadn’t forgotten the terrible choice I made. And yet I was anxious and frustrated every day, worried I might fail to complete the contract and save you.

How ridiculous that my greatest enemy was my past self.

The turbulent thoughts that crashed like waves didn’t shrink with each passing day, but only grew like a snowball.

The world’s notion that time heals all wounds was completely false.

As false as the saying that love blooms when you see the first snow together.

As I watched the snow piling up on the ground once again, another day passed by slowly.

*

On another morning that came without even noticing the passage of time.

A sharp sound broke the peace.

“Duke Diarob has arrived.”

Casius who should come doesn’t, and it’s the Duke again.

There was no one else who gave me such headaches.

‘How long has it been since he last visited…’

With that incident settled for now, even Diarob should lay low for a while.

There were no scheduled meetings today, so why had he come here again?

Marianne seemed restless, perhaps guessing that the father-daughter relationship was not good.

“Tell him to come in.”

Diarob, who appeared shortly after, was seething with barely concealed anger.

Seeing the Duke, who was skilled at wearing masks, come out like this, it must be quite a serious matter.

Once the servants withdrew, his demeanor became even more blatant.

“What exactly are you doing?”

Diarob lashed out sharply, not even trying to cool his reddened face.

“How could you let such words reach my ears because you couldn’t handle that bastard!”

“What’s the matter?”

Diarob, who had been looking at me with contempt, quickly continued.

“The emperor told the crown prince to take a mistress.”