[No title provided in translation]
Is this what it feels like for a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse? The sky suddenly looked so clear, yet it all felt utterly hollow.
"Why the end-of-the-world face? We're just going to meet him, not walking to your execution."
"From the moment His Majesty summoned me, I've been as good as dead..."
You might treat this Imperial Palace like home and be all relaxed, but to me, it's a battlefield where a blade could pierce my throat at any second. For a lowly baron's second son to be called for a personal audience with the emperor? It's as terrifying as being hauled to the guillotine with ropes around your wrists!
As the carriage rattled on, my soul half-floated away with the clatter—until the noise faded and the shaking stopped.
"We've arrived!"
The coachman's shout felt like the announcement of my death sentence. Just my imagination, right?
"Get out."
"Y-Yes..."
I stumbled out weakly, then offered my hand to escort Astraia von Kailum as she descended. Despite everything, I'd studied noble etiquette, so the motion flowed naturally, like second nature.
"Hm... Unexpected."
"What is?"
"Nothing. I just didn't think you'd have such gentlemanly manners..."
"..."
What the hell am I to this woman? Sure, I'm a noble, technically.
Maybe my glare was too much, because she gave a curt nod of thanks and quickened her pace. Meeting the emperor was coming way too fast—pure agony—but a mere baron's son couldn't keep him waiting, so I clamped down on my trembling legs and headed for the throne room.
"That guy's the princess's—"
"He looks way too ordinary—"
On the way, palace servants whispered as they eyed our group. It was grossly disrespectful to gossip openly in front of royalty, but they seemed tied to her half-brother's faction—or perhaps the emperor's disfavored daughter—treating her with blatant contempt. Astraia saw it all but didn't intervene; she probably wanted to avoid escalating things by ignoring them as best she could.
Soon we reached the emperor's audience chamber, where massive doors loomed, guarded tightly. The gatekeeper spotted us but barely nodded—his attitude screamed he'd long since pawned off any respect or deference to royalty.
"Inform His Majesty that the Second Princess has arrived at his summons."
"...Yes."
He relayed the message casually, got a reply, and swung the doors open.
Kreeeeak—!
"The Empire's Star, Second Princess Astraia von Kailum, and the second son of the Noctus barony, Mars Noctus!"
We entered to his booming announcement. I kept my eyes down to avoid looking at the emperor first, bowing my head slightly so the throne was out of view as we approached.
Tap.
Astraia stopped; I followed suit, then knelt toward the emperor, pledging loyalty to the imperial blood.
From our entrance to our kneel, the emperor made no sound. Only after a moment did his low voice emerge.
"...Raise your heads."
Swish.
I lifted my bowed head at his command. The emperor's face struck me first as fiercely resolute. He didn't look imposing— no academy professor's scars or brutish muscles, just a man on the cusp of middle age. But my instincts screamed: this man is dangerous. Like an aging tiger, wrinkled and claws dulled, yet those fangs still gleamed sharp and deadly.
"...You've come."
He glanced at Astraia and spat the curt words. His slight frown suggested her presence irked him.
She sensed it, pursing her lips tightly and fighting a grimace.
"Have you been well?"
"..."
No reply even to his daughter's greeting. He stared briefly, then turned away.
"You're... Mars Noctus?"
The question turned to me. To make a good impression, I boomed out my response with uncharacteristically lofty diction.
"Yes! I behold the living sun who safeguards the Empire's unblemished glory and eternal peace!!"
It might sound over-the-top or sycophantic, but a baron's house needed this level of flattery to survive.
"...I've heard the reports. The Second Princess's lover."
"Y-Yes, that's right."
What can I say... His scanning gaze sized me up like he was appraising his daughter's boyfriend's worth.
"Noctus... You're connected to Helios Count, yes? Small territory, but known for high-quality crops..."
"Y-Yes, correct."
He even knew that? Or maybe, with ties to an Aura Lord, he rated us above a typical barony and observed accordingly?
"So, Mars Noctus. How did you end up the Second Princess's lover?"
"Well—"
"I'm pregnant."
"Yes, Your Highness is tem-porar—WHAT?!"
Astraia dropped the bombshell from beside me. I jolted; imagine the emperor. Even the kindly prime minister type gaped in shock.
The emperor stared at her in disbelief, then crushed the throne's armrest with bare hands, glaring murderously at me.
...Isn't that solid gold? Does it crumple like that?
His reaction to his child's pregnancy news felt off somehow, but now branded a regicide-worthy criminal by one word, I couldn't chime in.
Cursing her inwardly for shoving me into hell with that blatant lie, I pondered escaping the palace when the emperor spoke.
"A lie."
"!!"
He saw through her fib so easily. His rising fury cooled as he grasped the situation.
"No! I—!"
"Resorting to such laughable lies to tarnish the imperial dignity."
Fair enough... That's the right response. She's no fool; blurting that out of nowhere, he'd prioritize verifying the claim over punishing dalliances. He knew she despised marrying Cretia's crown prince, so pregnancy was just a ploy to devalue herself. A ruler of decades would've calculated that ages ago. An old tiger's still a tiger.
"Think I don't know you after all this time? Selling your virginity to dodge marriage? Pathetic."
"..."
"Heirs of emperor-loyal houses, demoted knights over status, academy standouts. I've let you run wild, but your greed knows no bounds."
"...?!"
"Astraia... You thought you'd built your faction purely on your own power?"
"What? What do you—?!"
The emperor's sudden reveal. It sounded like he'd monitored her faction from the start.
"I've received full reports on your activities. Then I hear this gem: a kid grinding away at studies to claw up from nothing suddenly has a lover? An irrelevant second son? Even a stray dog would laugh."
"...Since when."
"..."
"When exactly—"
"From the beginning."
"!!"
"You've been in my palm from the start."
"Ha..."
"Your dream of reaching this seat was doomed from the outset."
His cold, final verdict. Astraia's eyes dulled, life draining away at the shocking truth.
"And you."
"Y-Yes, sir!!"
"Normally, insulting the emperor merits execution..."
Gulp.
I didn't expect that madness from her either! I'd have fled if I knew!
"But under her name, you couldn't refuse. I'll overlook it this once."
"Th-Thank you for your mercy!"
Relief flooded me as my lifeline returned—my words slipped into period-drama speech.
But Astraia...
"Astraia. Craving this seat? Think scraping vermin gets you here? Foolish. I watched your death throes pityingly, but now you forget your place."
"Ah... vermin."
"Astraia. Lose it all, or just half?"
"!!"
"Thought tumbling with that second son would fix everything? Even a real child wouldn't stop the marriage."
His words were brutal ice. Astraia looked on the verge of breaking, heart shredded.
"The marriage proceeds as planned. Leave—"
"Like—that—!!!!"
Flinch!
"Like... I was the one you hated so much?!"
"...!"
"I get it. Hate me. I killed the woman you truly loved."
"But... just once... couldn't you look back once?!"
"'You grew up well!' 'Good job!' 'You've suffered!'—one word! You could've said it!"
"Did you want me that far gone?!"
"Why hate me this much?!"
"I'm your daughter! Your daughter!!"
"If you're gonna do this..."
"You should've never had a child like me—!"
"ENOUGH!!!!"
His roar shook the windows. Astraia, unleashing pent-up rage, froze wide-eyed at his first raw emotion.
Hiss... whoosh...
"...The marriage to Cretia's crown prince is in two weeks. I'll grant time for final farewells. Defy me further... and you'll be confined until the wedding."
"..."
"Out."