Emperor’s Alternate - Chapter 25

At that moment, I froze, unsure of how to react. The courtesan was right there, and caution dictated I remain even more careful. She was so close I could almost hear her breathing.

It was on the day of Teiles I’s death that I encountered Lecan in the corridor. Despite knowing it was an opportunity to frame him, I let him go. I didn’t report it to the courtesan either. And now, I was being called out for it.

‘Though Lecan learned of my role as the Sixth Prince’s confidant… There hasn’t been any noticeable movement from him since.’

I wasn’t entirely sure how much he had figured out about me. At the grand coronation, curiosity drove me to spot Lecan from a distance. However, amidst the numerous attending nobles, it seemed he hadn’t caught on to my glances, and we hadn’t had any interaction afterward.

I had always remained dedicated to my duties, appearing as a loyal servant. My cheeks tightened with nervousness, but I managed to move my lips.

“It was a coincidence,” I spoke cautiously. “When we met in the corridor, the Emperor was already screaming. Since then, there hasn’t been an opportune moment for me to report it.”

“What I want to know is why you didn’t hear the report directly from your own lips but learned of this fact through someone else.”

“I apologize. In the future… I’ll be more cautious, Your Majesty.”

She was quiet for a few seconds as she studied me.

Then she let out a short chuckle and let go of my arm. “No need to be frightened.”

For a moment, I felt like my breath was being squeezed out of my lungs, but I let out a deep breath, outwardly calm. The courtesan gradually distanced herself from me, reaching for a wine glass resting on a small circular glass table. The gilded wine glass was ornately engraved.

“Care for a drink?”

“…I still have a lot of work to do,” I replied.

“It’s late.”

“…I’m usually awake at night.”

“Oh, right. You work in the evenings. Always so different from everyone else.”

In this moment, it was fortunate that the Empress was someone fond of alcohol. If she had delved into the current situation, I wouldn’t have had suitable words to navigate around it, but the alcohol seemed to make the conversation flow a bit smoother.

“You’ll need to attend the upcoming celebration party. There will be many ambassadors from the Abel Empire that day. It wouldn’t do to have only me, who knows nothing about politics, representing the court, would it?” she continued.

“I’ll accompany you as the Chief Maid.”

“That day, I must see you drinking at least once.”

I couldn’t quite understand the significance of whether I drank or not, but she seemed to be in a good mood at the moment.

If refusing wine now meant I’d have to drink at the congratulatory party, I would have rather just taken a sip now. Of course, I wasn’t so foolish as to voice that thought out loud.

“My son, nay, the Emperor,” she said, “the Emperor’s son. He’s been telling me that you haven’t gotten over Lecan.”

“…”

“Although I did end the conversation by saying that I trust you, so that can’t be true.” After sipping from her wine glass, she looked at me again. “If I continue hearing similar news, I may be forced to do something about it.”

It was a warning. A warning from a beast that hadn’t yet bared its claws. As in the wild, the hunt belongs to the lioness, not the hunter. When it came to her power and wealth, the courtesan was the most perceptive.

I bowed respectfully.

‘Even before the Sixth Prince underwent the proxy test, he was wary of anything between me and Lecan. It seems that hasn’t changed.’
I was intentionally avoiding him—the Sixth Prince, Fauvan, now Teiles II. I had speculated how he would handle me once he ascended to the throne. Even now, my judgment hadn’t changed. What continued to be clear was Teiles II’s overt preferences. He was fixated on women with blonde hair, blue eyes, or those older than him.

“That would be impossible, Your Majesty.”

Seeming satisfied with my resolute answer, the courtesan began refilling her glass with wine.

Suddenly, my gaze shifted.

‘She’s almost spent the entire embezzled treasury here.’

The room where the Empress resided was extravagance personified. It seemed to be a release from the constraints she faced even as the Emperor’s mistress. The entire room was adorned with gilded furniture, a privilege permitted only to nobility, with a regulation that only the royal family could have more than nine art pieces in a room, yet she had filled her space with artworks as if challenging that rule.

‘The paintings in the rumors…’

There were so many paintings piled up in one corner that they couldn’t all hang on the walls. Each piece would probably be priced astronomically, worth billions of zennen, but for the Empress, they were merely for show. They seemed to be chosen not out of genuine appreciation, but because they were a privilege of royalty.