The Cat Who Weeps in the Dark - Chapter 53

Though most nobles had now turned their backs on him due to the widespread knowledge of the Emperor’s disdain, the power held within those eyes always made Damian uneasy.

He wasn’t talking about physical power. It was the nobles’ faith in Solaris. He feared that this faith might eventually lead them to choose Helion.

This was precisely what Damian’s mother, Empress Bella, also worried about.

The nobles wielded strong influence in the Empire. The reason Damian hadn’t yet been appointed Crown Prince, despite enjoying the Emperor’s favor, was precisely this. They loved to meticulously scrutinize everything, and because of this, they would stubbornly blabber that they couldn’t place the second son on the Crown Prince’s throne while the first son was still alive.

From Damian and Bella’s perspective, it was an absurd argument. They were all on Damian’s side. Yet, trapped in their aristocratic mindset, they prattled on about customary law and such.

The nobles feared that if one fell, all the others would follow. They seemed to believe that if the second son became Crown Prince, the principle of primogeniture, which sustained the Empire, would crumble.

‘What’s wrong with getting rid of those useless traditions!’

Damian thought so, but the nobles didn’t. Most of them had many children and didn’t want them to fight over succession, disrupting the family discipline. The fact that all current heads of families were the ‘eldest sons’ also played a part in this.

Ultimately, there was only one way to ease Damian and Bella’s anxieties for Helion to die and disappear.

This visit from the diplomatic mission was also a means to achieve that wish.

“So, Brother. Hosting events is the Empress’s unique prerogative, isn’t it? Mother…”

“Did she tell you to submit my escort list, too?”

“Huh? Oh, no. How could you know that?”

“It’s obvious what Mother is planning for me. It’s understandable she didn’t come herself to say such a thing. She wants to kill me, even if it means reducing my escort, so she doesn’t even want to see my face directly, isn’t that what she means?”

“W-what are you saying that’s so hurtful? It’s just for the purpose of getting a headcount. I submitted a list of not only my escorts but also the attendants who will participate in the welcome ceremony with me.”

“Ah, I see. Since you did it, I should do it too. Is that what you’re saying now?”

Helion straightened his body, which had been slumped in the chair. Only then did Damian realize that Helion’s constant slouching was his own way of navigating the situation.

Once he straightened up, he was overwhelmingly menacing. As his bent back straightened, his gaze immediately rose.

Damian tilted his head back to look at him but quickly lowered his eyes as soon as their gazes met.

However, the view from below was just as formidable. As soon as Damian saw his broad shoulders and chest muscles straining his shirt, whatever composure he had left was completely crushed.

“I’m… asking for a favor. If it’s difficult to submit the escort list, then at least the number of escorts…”

It was humiliating, but there was nothing he could do. What was he supposed to do when he was scared?

Just as he stammered out his words of appeal, a polite knock came from the firmly closed door.

“Your Highness. I’m coming in.”

The words were followed by a thin yet resolute echo. Damian momentarily doubted his ears. It was a voice he couldn’t possibly mistake. This was the voice of the woman he had pursued for years.

“Come in.”

As soon as Helion’s permission fell, the door opened. Katie strode in, saluted Helion, and for some unknown reason, took off her jacket with a determined expression and draped it over her arm.

But that was only for a moment. As if sensing his gaze, the woman turned her head, finally spotted Damian, and her expression hardened.

“Why is Your Highness here?”

That was exactly what Damian wanted to ask. He hadn’t seen her for a while and wondered if she had gone on vacation. There was no way she could take a two-week vacation, but that was the limit of Damian’s narrow understanding.

Because of this, he didn’t know she had become Helion’s escort. It was natural, as no one would inform him about the movements of a mere mid-level knight. Everyone knew he had a crush on Katie, but it was also common knowledge that his affection was so shallow he’d allow knights to harass her.

“Who are you to be asking that? What makes you think you can just waltz in here? Don’t tell me you heard I was here and followed me?”

Just as the clueless Damian blurted out his exasperated question, Katie’s face flushed crimson, and she frantically clutched the jacket she had just taken off.

Only then did Damian look at her body. His eyes had been so drawn to her familiar face that he hadn’t noticed, but she was wearing only a white shirt. As a woman who always adhered to a neat appearance, this was the first time he had seen her like this. What’s more… The shirt was soaking wet for some reason.