Before leaving the palace, I had wanted to visit at least once, and unexpectedly, my wish came true.
As soon as I entered the glass garden, a fragrant floral scent greeted me. The attendant guided me courteously, and I went inside, admiring flowers where each and every bloom was like a work of art.
And beneath a red flowering tree that boasted a special splendor among all the flowers filling the glass garden, Eldon stood. As the shadow of the flowers fell upon him, even his silver hair seemed to take on a reddish tint. When the attendant withdrew, I didn’t forget to offer a courteous greeting.
But before I could even lift my deeply bowed head, Eldon shot at me coldly in a low voice.
“I warned you.”
“Pardon?”
“That if that beastman does anything other than guarding, I’ll cut off his head.”
Eldon glared at me with eyes that had settled coldly. Even though I’d formally broken up with Arleigh in front of everyone, he’s having all sorts of bizarre suspicions.
I calmed my pounding heart and protested.
“Forti is a child.”
“Since when did nineteen years old become a child?”
“Of course he’s nineteen, but he spent such a long time living as a wolf that he lacks common human sense.”
“And I’m supposed to understand that?”
In any case, he’s a bastard who ate up any semblance of compassion with his rice.
“Didn’t you promise to give Forti freedom?”
“I don’t recall permitting him to cling to his mate. If you want to keep that guy around in the future, entrust him to the Imperial Household Department’s education officer.”
“I am educating him.”
“Is what you’ve done so far education?”
“Today he was just being affectionate. Forti is like my child. I cannot send him anywhere.”
“I don’t recall having such a son?”
“If you were to give Fushi to someone else, wouldn’t Your Highness dislike it too?”
Forti is my cub. You worry about your cub. He’s my son, I’m not telling you to call him your son.
If it were my problem, I would yield unconditionally, but I couldn’t compromise when it came to Forti. When I held firm stubbornly, he let out a deep sigh and crossed his arms.
“Haa… You brought in a butler without a word.”
Perhaps feeling a bit sorry about the matter with Forti, Eldon didn’t press further and changed the subject. But true to Elegy, this time he took issue with Hereis.
“…I received permission from the Imperial Household Department director.”
“He’s suspicious. Send him away.”
“When Father heard the news that I had been kidnapped, he specially sent him to me. As you know, he’s the youngest son of Viscount Bartrell, and he’s not suspicious in the slightest.”
I already feel sorry enough for him being forced to fast because of me, and now you want me to kick him out?
“I don’t like him at all.”
When did you ever like anything? I’m not particularly fond of people who throw me to tentacle monsters either.
“With humble respect, Your Highness, please do not concern yourself with the household of someone who will soon be leaving.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you say you had something to tell me? You’re going to break off the engagement, aren’t you?”
“You’re still spouting nonsense.”
“Pardon?”
Eldon snorted dismissively. Is he going to ignore me so mercilessly like that?
In the original work, Eldon wants to appoint Seha as Crown Princess. However, he gives up because he’s already married and it’s realistically impossible to depose the second son of Duke Chendewden.
In the original work, Eldon apologizes to Seha, who received the title of rear palace consort, and swears that only Seha is his true mate. Seha instead comforts Eldon, saying that becoming a consort is enough. Eldon is moved by Seha’s kind heart and vows to appoint Seha as Empress once he becomes Emperor.
But the situation has changed, and I’m not yet the Crown Princess. Eldon should be taking ten years off his life from the fact that he hasn’t held a wedding ceremony, and should have been demanding that I break off the engagement.
Yet nonsense and dismissive snorts? Has his love with Seha not ripened yet? Or does he need the power of the Chendewden ducal house? Well, whichever it is doesn’t matter. I had anticipated this possibility too. If Eldon can’t say it for practical reasons, then I will.
“Your Highness…!”
I was about to say let’s break off the engagement, but Eldon plucked a red flower from the tree and tucked it into my ear. What is he trying to do? As I blinked my large eyes in confusion, Eldon smiled bitterly.
“You really have lost your memories.”
“Does this flower have some meaning?”
Somehow it didn’t seem like a good situation for me. As I tried to remove the flower that held moist moisture, Eldon grabbed my hand.
“It’s stifling. Let’s go outside.”
‘For a walk? I don’t want to, it’s cold.’
I wanted to say that, but since getting on Eldon’s bad side was even more unpleasant, I suppressed my homebody nature and obediently stood up.
When I went outside the glass garden with Eldon, not only the Crown Prince’s attendants but also the knights’ faces stiffened rigidly. Their gazes were fixed on the red flower tucked in my ear.
What the hell is this? It’s really suspicious, isn’t it? As my ominous premonition gradually became reality, Eldon led me to the central garden. The central garden, which was permitted to everyone who entered the palace—maids, knights, nobles, and royalty alike—was crowded with people today as well.
Coming with a different man after just two days makes me feel like some kind of femme fatale. But I had no leisure to indulge in useless sentiments. Numerous people began whispering while looking at the flower tucked in my ear.
“What does this mean?”
Eldon avoided answering again this time and headed toward the gazebo at the center of the garden. I had no choice but to follow behind him. While the central garden could be entered by anyone, the gazebo was a place permitted only to royalty.
Passing through the white flower gate guarded by a knight and climbing the stairs, I felt a chilly wind. However, after walking a few more steps and entering the gazebo, despite being open on all sides, warm heat flowed through. This must be magic stones too.
From that place, built up on a raised platform, the central garden could be seen at a glance, and conversely, other people could also look into the gazebo.
As we sat facing each other across a pure white table, the people who came to the garden began openly watching. It’s exactly like being a theater actor.
I tried to remove the flower but was prevented again. A strange smile hung on Eldon’s lips. He must find this situation quite amusing.
Unable to remove the flower due to Eldon’s interference and seeing the people who wouldn’t stop whispering while watching us, I could roughly guess the situation.
‘I’m free today. I’m a prostitute. Anyone please take me away.’ And so on—the flower must contain such vulgar messages.
“Your Highness, it is cowardly to mock me in this manner just because I’ve lost my memories. If I had known you would do this, I would have hidden it to the end.”
“Do you think I’m mocking you?”
Then aren’t you? But he’s not someone I can stand up to. I bowed my head courteously. If Eldon won’t say it, I will.
“…To not even know such basic common sense, I truly am not qualified to be Crown Princess. Therefore, please break off the engagement…”
“Crown Princess, remember this well. If you utter the word ‘break off the engagement’ even one more time from now on, I really will break off the engagement and confine you as a slave in a secret prison.”
“……”
Eldon’s eyes glinted more sharply than a red sword as he glared at me. Scary… It seems today isn’t the right day.
“B-but didn’t you promise to remove the slave brand?”
“I don’t recall saying such a thing. I gave the order to issue an identification certificate to the beastman. I also decided not to question Viscount Bellos for his crimes.”
“…I am deeply grateful.”
“And give up on the brand.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I have no intention of removing the brand. You’re not a woman, and you won’t be wearing dresses, will you? Anyway, I’m the only one who will see that scar, so why are you so concerned about it?”
He’s spouting such shameless bullshit so confidently that I’m speechless. Do you know what happened to me because of this damn brand! I even went through a marriage ceremony with Hereis! I didn’t just receive ridicule—I ruined someone else’s life!
“Are attendants not people?”
“I’ll have blind people attend to your bathing and dressing. Or should I do it for you?”
This is a complete wall, isn’t it? Not satisfied with being trash, he’s evolved into a wall?
“If you’ve finished what you have to say, I’ll take my leave now.”
The fact that the story about the secret ledger changed too, and it seems he hasn’t yet become so infatuated with Seha that his eyes have rolled back, ignoring political advantages. For now, after returning, I’ll have to reconsider methods for a safe breakup. As I stood up from my seat to offer my respects, Eldon suddenly grabbed my arm. Having lost my balance, I ended up sitting right on his lap.
“Your Highness!”
As I was startled and tried to get up, he pulled me into an embrace with his firm hand around my waist.
“Do you know the story about the founding Emperor and his first love?”
“…I apologize. Although I’ve begun studying again, I haven’t yet learned the history portion.”
“Founding Emperor Daudin was originally a frontier nobleman. As the only son of a viscount, he fell in love with a Hyeon Tribe man of low status.”
“……”
“His family opposed it. It was shocking enough that he was a lowly member of the Hyeon Tribe, but he was a man who couldn’t produce heirs, so it would have been strange not to oppose it. Daudin and the Hyeon Tribe man visited the temple of Goddess Wersheen every day to pray for the ability to have children. They offered and offered again the most beautiful Prolain flowers in the empire. Finally, whether their hearts reached heaven, fluid like a woman’s began to flow from the Hyeon Tribe man’s lower gate. The following year, the Hyeon Tribe man gave birth to a child. That was none other than the second Emperor, the sage ruler Arleigh.”
So that’s the Emperor that Arleigh took his name from.
By the way, this story is similar to the love between Eldon and Seha in the original work. Eldon appointed Seha, who was of low status, as Empress, and Seha, though a beta, manifested through his love for Eldon.
“I see…”
Somehow my mood sank heavily.
“Everyone believed that the omega who received Goddess Wersheen’s blessing presented the new empire with a sage ruler, and afterward, the imperial family brought in many omegas as consorts or rear palace members.”
“Did all those who received omega blood become sage rulers?”
“Well… Unless it’s an achievement on the level of Arleigh, evaluations tend to be divided. As long as no tyrant or incompetent ruler who shakes the nation appears, the belief will be maintained.”
“Does Your Highness also believe it?”
I asked even though I knew the answer. If he were someone who obsessed over such things, he wouldn’t have beheaded Rosenthal, a dominant omega who had even become pregnant.
