Boom! As one of the court musicians struck the enormous drum, the dancers gathered in a circle. With every step, white sleeves fluttered before his eyes. Soon, accompanied by the musicians’ performance, the dancers began their swaying dance. They wore clothing so sheer that everything underneath was clearly visible, and with every movement their bare skin was plainly exposed—Anya was utterly confused about where to rest his eyes.
“Are you pretending to be innocent in front of your husband?”
Royster asked while cutting meat with his knife. It was obvious whom he was asking. Everyone here seemed accustomed to this scenery, except for one person. Even Evernight appeared unfazed, which made Anya feel inexplicably melancholy.
“Hmm…”
Royster put a large piece in his mouth all at once and chewed it while savoring the taste. Then he gestured to summon a servant.
“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”
As the servant immediately rushed to him, Royster wiped his mouth with a napkin and commanded.
“Assign one dancer to each of the dukes. To enjoy wine properly, one needs someone to pour it. Would that be acceptable, Father?”
He seemed to want to consolidate his power in front of everyone. Two imperial princes wearing red earrings.
‘The Emperor will grant anything his legitimate son asks.’ Royster wanted to demonstrate this.
At that moment, Cloy smiled and restrained Royster.
“Elder brother. There’s also the Duke of Tildyen here who attended with his partner, so that would be a bit… wouldn’t it be inappropriate?”
Irritation immediately spread across Royster’s face. He had become much more sensitive since they last met, and seemed somehow impatient. It was probably stemming from anxiety, thinking that his authority, which he believed to be solid, was being threatened.
“Cloy. Who here doesn’t keep a mistress? Isn’t that right, everyone?”
Royster asked while staring particularly intently at Bluoa Shonda. Bluoa Shonda shrugged. He did indeed have many mistresses. The dukes didn’t readily open their mouths. It was because the two imperial princes were currently engaged in a war of nerves at the banquet. What were the odds that Cloy, not Royster, would become the next emperor? Everyone was busy making those calculations.
“Moreover… there’s a rumor circulating in the palace. That you have a child born outside.”
Cloy’s expression hardened dramatically. For him, who hadn’t yet solidified his position, the existence of an illegitimate child was nothing but a weakness that his vassals could exploit and more. Luksus looked at Cloy with cold eyes. Cloy’s fingertips trembled finely. Nevertheless, unlike Royster, he tried not to lose his smile.
“Elder brother. How could the noble First Imperial Prince lend his ear to such vulgar rumors? That’s nothing but a baseless rumor. An illegitimate child? Even if one existed, I would never bring them into Eos Castle.”
“Would smoke rise from a chimney without fire? By the way, Anya. You tell us. As someone who will become the lady of the house, would you need to worry about your future husband’s mistresses?”
The focus of the conversation returned to Anya again. The gazes of everyone present focused on Anya all at once. The answer was predetermined anyway. In the world of nobles, mistresses were common. Some nobles who valued children would even secretly take in and raise illegitimate children. Scholars would prattle to imperial princesses departing on long journeys after marriage that the dignity of a lady of the house meant being able to embrace even such things.
But what about himself then? He wasn’t even an imperial princess, and wasn’t he someone who couldn’t even bear Evernight’s heir? Anya’s eyes suddenly went dark and he answered timidly.
“…N-no.”
“Besides, aren’t you a man? To continue Tildyen’s line, the day will come when you’ll have to select your husband’s mistress yourself. So you shouldn’t feel bad about dancers serving wine or the like.”
Another woman beside Evernight… Imagining that scene somehow made his chest feel completely blocked. Since so much had happened, Anya had absolutely no time to seriously consider such problems.
‘For Tildyen’s sake, that would be right. But why does my heart hurt so much?’
At words like a bolt from the blue, Anya tried hard to maintain his composure, but his gaze kept lingering on Evernight. He couldn’t tell what his husband was thinking. He was someone who would order him to become a dead person for Tildyen’s sake if he couldn’t return within three weeks, so he would probably more than sufficiently take mistresses to continue his line in the future.
That’s what should happen… and there was sufficient need for it… Anya had to do his best to select the most wonderful woman for him.
But no matter how much he tried to think positively, the thought of another woman standing beside him holding his child made him feel like crying. These feelings of his were terribly unfamiliar.
“So Father, how about having the dancers serve the dukes who have traveled such a long way?”
Royster asked Emperor Luksus again. The Emperor stroked his chin beard and spoke in a tone as if tossing out words in passing.
“The Twelfth Imperial Prince is a man who can become pregnant.”
He said it so nonchalantly that everyone except Evernight merely blinked for a moment.
“What…?”
Before long, Anya was so shocked he nearly jumped up from his seat. Kek! Hakseos, sitting across from him, spewed the wine he was drinking into the air. Bluoa wiped off the wine that splattered on his face and glared at Hakseos. A bit of commotion arose among the dukes. Royster’s hand placed on the table trembled with rage, and Cloy showed a victorious smile.
“Lord Evernight. Did you not tell my son that fact?”
Two blue eyes that looked somewhat similar collided in the air. Evernight, just as the Emperor had done, responded in an indifferent tone.
“Since it’s an unusual constitution, I assumed the imperial family would naturally have educated him.”
He was courteous to the Emperor but not intimidated. Hmm, Emperor Luksus let out a long sigh and acquiesced. The two men’s gazes swept over Anya at length.
“……”
Anya’s hazelnut eyes had lost focus and were wavering severely. With a shocked face, he sat with his hands neatly placed on his knees, endlessly clutching only his collar. Anyone could see he was pitiable beyond compare, but Evernight turned away from Anya.
“It is greatly my fault. I naturally assumed he had received a scholar’s education. Isn’t that right, Royster? Didn’t you always inform me that you were attending lessons well with your younger siblings?”
“Yes? Ah… that’s true, but Anya’s body was so weak and…”
The more he opened his mouth, the more it became nothing but lengthy excuses. I’m sorry, Father. Royster quickly bowed his head. However, as if he couldn’t back down like this, he spoke again.
“But Father, even if one bears an heir from a man, according to imperial custom, one cannot pass on the family name, can one? What does Lord Evernight think?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s correct. Looking back, it seems I was too harsh on you, Duke Evernight.”
‘What ridiculous bastards.’
Watching the rapidly exchanged conversation, Evernight inwardly mocked the Emperor’s black-hearted pretense. It was none other than Emperor Luksus who had foisted the youngest prince, worth barely half a penny, onto him as spoils of war with the meaning of mockery.
Evernight placed his hand on his chest and quietly bowed his head.
“Your Majesty, I have no intention of having an heir.”
At his words, the hall was enveloped in silence. Anya turned to look at Evernight with his eyes wide open. Now that Tildyen had been elevated to a duchy, an heir was extremely important for Tildyen’s future development.
“Even if I use my power to allow you to pass on your family name?”
Your Majesty! Hakseos cried out in shock. The other ducal families watched this place as if watching a fire.
“Yes. There will be no heir between me and my partner.”
Evernight’s answer was resolute. His expression was grave and not a trace of falsehood could be found.
“Then what will become of Tildyen’s succession?”
Bluoa, who had been watching the conversation, asked with curiosity.
“When the time comes, I will entrust it to an appropriate one among my vassals.”
To give up his ducal position in the future—it was quite a radical statement. The hall was enveloped in silence but was quietly stirring.
‘After overcoming opposition to seat him as Duke of Tildyen, the Emperor’s face must be in shambles.’
Bluoa quietly whistled and his eyes met with Canon Montrose. When he grinned, Canon grimaced and spat out a curse.
“The North is now the duke’s domain. There is no need for me to meddle one way or another.”
The Emperor seemed to want to wrap up the conversation at this point. Emperor Luksus gestured with a face that had quickly become bored. Then all the musicians stopped playing. When even the softly resonating music stopped, a cold silence flowed.
“However, for the peace of the empire, it will be necessary to continue monitoring the North’s movements.”
Dancers, come here and serve wine to the dukes.
At the Emperor’s successive command, Royster’s expression brightened. Cloy coldly rejected the dancer who sat beside him and tilted the wine bottle.
“Your Grace. Please try some honey wine.”
One of the dancers sat between Evernight and Anya. Her voice, unlike Anya’s, was high-pitched and gentle, and every time she moved her body, a sweet powdery scent wafted. Evernight narrowed his brow and accepted her cup.
‘What a terrible smell.’
It was a smell he had smelled to the point of sickness in the Red Coast brothels. Evernight poured the alcohol into his mouth in one go while glancing at his partner.
“……”
Anya was frozen, his body shrunk as much as possible. He looked exactly like the half-wit he had been when he first came to Tildyen. Was he shocked that he could become pregnant? Or was he disappointed by his words about not having an heir?
‘Even if that’s the case, what would you do about it? Are you going to bear my child or something?’
If that damned body were to bear his child, Evernight would kill both Anya and his child, all of them. Though such a thing would never happen anyway. His eyes sank coldly.
