Chapter 33
The aftereffects of their intensely passionate lovemaking left Lysei bedridden for two days.
Her symptoms mirrored those of a bad flu. In a world without thermometers, she couldn’t gauge her exact temperature, but judging by the chills wracking her burning body and the all-over ache, as if she’d been thoroughly pummeled, it felt exactly like one.
Fortunately, medicine in this world seemed as advanced as in her own. After resting and taking the medicine provided by the Emperor’s personal physician, Lysei felt her strength slowly returning.
While Lysei was ill, Edin struggled with the impending necessity of spending his rut with the Empress.
The late Empress’s edict was absolute, and defying it would incur the wrath of the Imperial Council.
Frail from birth, the late Empress had borne no children. Of course, neither of the other two Empresses had produced an heir either, so the lack of children couldn’t be solely attributed to her.
Edin’s father, the late Emperor, had spent every night but those of his rut with Nyxna. That likely played a role in their childlessness.
Edin, born to a mere concubine who hadn’t even attained the rank of Empress, was the late Emperor’s only heir.
Despite her Nyxna status, his mother had become a concubine, creating a deep rift between the late Emperor and Empress.
The late Empress seemed to resent both Edin and his mother due to the late Emperor’s obvious favoritism toward Nyxna.
This same Edin, the object of her resentment, had manifested as an ultra-dominant Alpha and, following the untimely death of the late Emperor during the suppression of heretics, ascended the throne unopposed. To secure her family’s position and honor, the late Empress then decreed that her relative, the daughter of Marquis Beneretti, become Edin’s consort.
At the time, with the council largely composed of the late Empress’s supporters, Raz Beneretti easily secured the position of Empress.
There wouldn’t have been any issue, except the late Empress discovered she was terminally ill.
Fearing that Edin’s mother might claim the title of Empress Dowager after her death, she instructed Marquis Beneretti to eliminate her.
Sensing the danger, Edin’s mother fled without a word, only to meet her demise during her escape.
Her aloofness towards her only son stemmed partly from her circumstances: a Nyxna confined within the palace walls while the man she loved remained outside.
Despite the Emperor’s boundless affection, she couldn’t reciprocate his feelings. His unwanted child became yet another obstacle in her life. She had planned to return to her beloved outside the palace once her Nyxna duties were complete, but the unexpected pregnancy shattered those plans.
So, when Edin ascended the throne, she offered no congratulations. When he entered into an unwanted marriage, she offered no comfort, treating it with detached indifference.
Despite this, his mother held a significant place in Edin’s heart. Though she had abandoned him in her foolish escape, she remained second only to his father in importance.
And it was Marquis Beneretti who had murdered her. Learning that Raz was also complicit in the scheme filled Edin with a burning contempt for both the Duke and the Empress.
The thought of embracing anyone other than Lysei, especially the Empress he so loathed, made him nauseous. He longed to run away with Lysei.
Such thoughts, unbefitting an Emperor, filled him with self-disgust, but the ill-timed inability to control his rut cycle only amplified his frustration.
Once his rut began, he would lose all reason, making the act of bedding the Empress a mere formality. In that animalistic state, he wouldn’t care who it was; he would simply take her. The ‘blessing’ of impotence wouldn’t be an option.
His only concern was Lysei’s well-being during his week-long rut.
Would she understand?
Would she be hurt?
Would she despise him for taking the Empress?
A wave of anxiety washed over him.
“Zerga, have Lysei stay at the Rose Palace.”
He finally decided to send Lysei to the Rose Palace, a separate residence away from the main palace.
The Rose Palace, once home to the late Emperor’s mother, was renowned for its beauty, a place the Empress coveted. However, Edin had insisted the Empress reside in the late Empress’s palace, leaving the Rose Palace vacant.
It had been a petty act of defiance against the Beneretti family, but now, that pettiness proved useful.
“The Rose Palace, Your Majesty?”
“Yes. She hasn’t fully recovered. Ensure she has ample attendants and physicians. Assign a few Shadows as well.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
Zerga’s questioning look, as if asking ‘Why the Rose Palace all of a sudden?’, prompted Edin to run a hand over his face.
“I don’t want Lysei to know about my rut.”
“…Ah…”
Understanding dawned on Zerga, and he nodded.
“Understood.”
“And…”
“…?”
“This is a request from a friend…”
“Yes?”
“Look after Lysei for me.”
“…?”
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