“Your Majesty, welcome. Thank you for accepting the sudden dinner invitation.”

“The honor is mine, Your Highness.”

Sandra tensed up at Jonathan’s warm and affectionate attitude. It seemed like a fabricated smile to conceal his sinister intentions.

Just as Sandra was about to take her seat, a man with an unfamiliar face entered.

“I greet Your Imperial Majesty. I am Onyx Loti of the Ashmore Guild.”

“Oh, welcome, Mr. Onyx. Finally, we meet face to face! Thank you for attending.”

Onyx, who had first bowed to Jonathan, now greeted Sandra.

“I pay my respects to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. It is an honor to meet you.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

From the Ashmore Guild? Despite the polite greeting, Sandra’s face was visibly perplexed.

No matter how tall and handsome the man was, dressed in fine clothes, he was still a commoner.

Sandra was more puzzled than displeased, never having dreamed she would sit at the Emperor’s table in the deepest part of the palace with a commoner who wasn’t even a low-ranking noble.

What puzzled her even more was Jonathan’s behavior. He stood up, offered a handshake to Onyx, and even pulled out the chair for him.

“Come, sit here.”

“Thank you.”

Sandra’s mouth gaped wide at the sight. She couldn’t help but be dumbfounded by this very rare spectacle.

‘Why is the Emperor welcoming that man so cordially?’

Jonathan had greeted her warmly when she arrived, but he hadn’t stood up. That was proper for an Emperor. After all, he was the most noble person in this country.

‘Ashmore… it was quite a renowned information guild, wasn’t it? Does that mean… this man found the culprit who killed our Caspian? Is that why Jonathan is treating him so attentively?’

Finally found it! Now only revenge remained. Avenging her precious son, who died unjustly at a young age, was the last task of her life. At the thought that the clue was finally being revealed, Sandra’s heart pounded like a hammer.

As a somewhat awkward atmosphere continued, the food began to come out one by one. When the table was fully set, the servant finally poured red wine into the glass in front of each person.

Jonathan raised his wine glass with a beaming face.

“Come, let’s raise a toast to this special moment!”

Following Jonathan, Sandra and Onyx also raised their wine glasses.

“Your Majesty, congratulations. Onyx, congratulations!”

“Congratulations? For what, Your Highness?”

Sandra tilted her head in confusion and smiled awkwardly. Onyx’s face also contorted for a similar reason.

Then Jonathan slapped his forehead and shouted shamelessly for all to hear.

“Oh my, I haven’t told you yet! Isn’t today the day when a mother and son who have been separated for a long time meet? Of course it’s a day to celebrate!”

Crash!

Suddenly, the strength left Sandra’s hand and the wine glass she was holding fell. The floor was a mess of broken glass shards and red stains. Sandra and Onyx’s faces were even more of a mess.

“Th-that…”

She wanted to say more, but her voice wouldn’t come out properly as strength failed her.

Sandra’s trembling gaze fixed directly on Onyx sitting across from her. But she couldn’t see his face clearly. Her vision wavered as tears began to well up in her eyes.

Sandra abruptly stood up from her seat. Though her body was so drained of strength that even standing was difficult, it seemed better than remaining seated. She glared at Jonathan with bloodshot eyes and said,

“Your Majesty, forgive my rudeness. I’m not feeling well, so I think I must return now.”

“Oh dear. If you’re not feeling well, it can’t be helped. Then we’ll postpone the celebratory drink for next time.”

Though his tone was concerned, Jonathan’s eyes were full of excitement. Sandra gritted her teeth at Jonathan’s eyes sparkling with glee.

‘I will never forgive you. I will remember this insult for the rest of my life!’

Sandra clenched her molars and turned away. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Before leaving, she looked at Onyx one last time.

Their gazes tangled in mid-air. But it was only for a moment; as if even meeting eyes was painful, Sandra quickly moved her steps and left the dining room.

Confusion arose in Onyx’s head and heart as he watched Sandra’s unsteady retreating figure. He was on the verge of losing his mind at something he couldn’t have even imagined.

‘…The Empress Dowager is the woman who gave birth to me? Moreover, the Emperor knew a fact that I didn’t know… What on earth is going on!’

Onyx was angry at himself first. Despite being a member of the Empire’s top information guild, he was furious that he had learned important information about himself later than others.

‘I just never cared to know… To be blindsided like this! You idiot! Do better!’

As he was inwardly berating himself, Jonathan’s smiling face turned to Onyx.

“You seem very surprised. I didn’t expect you didn’t know either. This is unexpected.”

“…It was just something outside my interest, but now that I’m experiencing this situation, I regret it.”

Onyx expressed his honest feelings and thought. He had an ominous feeling that the Emperor must have a special purpose for revealing the secret in such a dramatic way.

“It’s good that you know now, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you know who gave birth to you? Whether you resent them or not.”

“…I’m not so sure.”

When he was young, he had thought about wanting to find his real family and had even resented them at times. But that was all in the past.

Since he came of age, he hadn’t thought about family at all. It was natural, as he was busy just trying to make a living. When he grew up a bit more, he became obsessed with work.

“Although we don’t share a single drop of blood, since we serve the same mother, couldn’t you and I become brothers? What do you think?”

“…”

What nonsense is this now? A faint wrinkle appeared between Onyx’s brows. Even if the person before him was the Emperor, there was a need to clarify things precisely.

“I have no intention of serving Her Majesty the Empress Dowager as my mother in the future, just as I haven’t until now, Your Highness.”

“Don’t say such disappointing things. I think you might feel that way now because you’re shocked and confused. But as time passes, you might want to meet your mother again.”

“…”

“Or perhaps the other way around, Her Majesty might want to meet you.”

The constant beating around the bush was not sitting well with him at all. So Onyx asked bluntly.

“What is it that you want, Your Highness?”

“Huh, as expected of the vice guild master of the Empire’s top information guild.”

True to his nature as a man who grew up on the streets and rose to the highest position, Onyx was quick-witted and bold. Jonathan coveted him.

“I know you’re helping Prime Minister Drea. I want you to pass on to me the same information you’re giving to the Prime Minister.”

So he did want something after all. And quite shamelessly at that. Jonathan merely responded with a smile to Onyx’s fiercely glowing eyes.

“If you grant my request, your birth mother’s twilight years could become more peaceful than ever.”

Hehehe, hearing the Emperor’s pleased laughter, Onyx felt a chill run down his nape.

‘Before being my birth mother, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is the mother who raised you… Yet you threaten me using the Empress Dowager’s well-being as a condition?’

This situation was certainly taking a strange turn.

“A perfect night.”

A satisfied smile spread across Jonathan’s face as he enjoyed his meal alone in the dining room. He had just secured a promise from Onyx.

‘Although passing on commissioned information to others goes against business ethics, what does a little breach of ethics matter when I could become the Emperor’s brother? I will visit you again soon.’

Jonathan knew well that Onyx was quite a capable man. He hoped to use this opportunity to firmly place Onyx under his control.

As he was downing some wine, a servant approached and informed him that Sandra had lost consciousness and collapsed.

“Tsk tsk, Her Majesty has become quite frail with age. To lose consciousness over something like this. Tell the imperial physician to take special care in treating her. She’s someone who still needs to stay alive, after all.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

As the servant disappeared and he was pouring wine into his empty glass again, another servant approached urgently. Judging by his rough breathing, he seemed to have run down the corridor at full speed.

“What’s the matter?”

“Your Majesty, an urgent message has arrived from the south.”

How urgent must the content be to interrupt the Emperor’s meal? With a frown of displeasure, Jonathan unfolded the letter.

His eyes widened as he confirmed the contents. The hand holding the letter trembled.

‘What? Veronia is alive?!’