“Yes, understood.”
Even in the midst of a busy schedule, if it was an act of consideration, it was something I was grateful for.
I tried to hold back the light feelings that were about to surface with a touch of gratitude, and quickly moved on to the main point.
“First, the information I obtained from the tea party held by Count Ambrose’s wife.”
It is very likely that it was Count Stefan's wife who introduced the elegant young woman to the Empress.
If so, then our suspicions that Stefan's family is involved in all of this will be correct.
That was the main point I wanted to get across.
“Perhaps Count Stefan’s wife became close to the Empress because she provided a trusted spokesman,” I suggested.
"That's not it."
His voice, which had been quietly listening to me, spoke in emphatic denial.
"pardon?"
“Count Stefan’s wife was originally a close friend of my late mother.”
“Your mother...?”
If she was the Grand Duke's mother, she must have been one of the Emperor's concubines, the Empress Dowager?
The Empress Dowager was mentioned briefly in books as one of the obstacles the Empress removed.
“In that case, it will not be a pleasant memory for the Grand Duke.”
Whether my guess was correct or not, I raised my head to see the Grand Duke's face, which looked different from usual.
As usual, his facial expression was impassive and emotionless, but today he seemed particularly darker.
"Count Stefan's wife became the Empress's keeper because she betrayed my mother. This is the correct order of events."
Ah, so here's the thing.
In that case, the Grand Duke and Count Stefan's family…were deeply involved in a grudge even before this incident.
* * *
About 30 years ago.
The late Duke Blair could not resist his daughter Messina's sincere pleas to forget her first love, so he eventually sent her to the Emperor's harem as his slave.
However, Messina had a gentle and sensitive temperament by nature.
Although she entered the palace out of love, she was never someone who was able to endure the harsh power struggles of the court.
What allowed her to survive was her desire to protect her son, Kaiyan, whom she conceived shortly after entering the palace.
Kaiyan, the son of a concubine, was born a few months after the birth of the rightful heir, Prince Raiden. The mere fact that they were close in age made Kaien a threat to Prince Raiden's faction.
Then, at Kaiyan's birth celebration, a wizard from the Magic Tower discovered that Kaiyan was a "natural mana user", meaning someone capable of using mana.
This was probably due to the lineage of his maternal grandfather, Duke Blair.
Maybe that was the reason?
Queen Oriana, who believed that Prince Raiden would naturally become the next Emperor, saw in Messina and her son an unexpected obstacle.
The Queen had a cruel nature, and would eliminate any potential threats to the succession before they had a chance to grow.
This means that no matter how much the Emperor loved his concubine, she could not escape the cruel grip of the Queen.
The Queen, who ruled the social circles, chose an extremely easy tool to destroy the concubine – Messina's trusted friend, Lady Audrey Stephane, wife of the Marquis Stephane.
At the Queen's direction, Lady Audrey, who had also been secretly marginalized in aristocratic society, seized the perfect opportunity to betray her friend.
Even if it meant betraying her.
“Concubine, I heard that the Second Prince is still unable to speak. Is this true?”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“Concubine, for the sake of the royal family’s honor, I must ask you to tell the truth. Is it true that the Second Prince can’t speak properly, and doesn’t even know how to call his mother ‘mother’?”
Lady Audrey, to whom Messina had secretly confided her son's suffering, enthusiastically revealed Messina's secret to the queen.
At the emperor's birthday banquet, she publicly attacked Messina with the support of the queen.
“Messina, hurry up and admit it! Denying it is an insult to the royal family!”
"...What? Audrey, what is this?"
I'm telling you that Prince Kian doesn't even have a few words - he can't speak at all. We must provide him with proper treatment!
Messina's concerns about Kayan, who was slower to speak than the other children, went public and spread throughout social circles.
As a natural mana user, it was speculated that the Second Prince, who was a candidate for the throne, might have intelligence problems.
Although Kaiyan was still a young child under the age of three, this became a major flaw and a source of ridicule in cold and calculating social circles.
After that day, the Emperor no longer visited Messina, which became an object of ridicule. Instead, he locked her and Kayan in a remote palace, hiding them from sight.
Left alone, rejected by the person she loved, and cut off from everyone, Messina begins to take out her frustrations on Kayan.
"This is all your fault, Kayan! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have to suffer this humiliation. Because of you!"
As the concubine was gradually losing her mind in the isolated palace, the Queen and Prince Raiden's faction grew stronger.
Lady Audrey became the Queen's most trusted ally, dominating the social scene while laughing at Messina, revealing all her secrets as if she had never been her friend.
After being abandoned by her lover, Messina became more withdrawn and never left the palace again, and relentlessly pressured Kayan.
“You must become the Emperor, Kaiyan. So work hard day and night. You must punish those who brought shame to your mother!”
“Yes, mom...”
Ten years have passed since Messina took refuge in the palace.
She lived each day immersed in longing for her lover, hatred for those who publicly insulted her, and bitterness toward those who mocked her. She died of severe influenza during a winter that reminded her of the harsh northern seasons.
After her death, Emperor Kaiyan was brought to the main palace, and from that moment on, his rivalry with Prince Raiden began to intensify.
but.
“Duke Blair died during a tidal wave, leaving the current Duke Blair without an heir, Your Majesty.”
Kaiyan didn't even have the chance to properly confront Prince Raiden.
Duke Blair's closest blood relative is Prince Kayan. Considering his relationship with him, how about sending him to Duke Blair's lands?
The Queen had already spent ten years building a strong support base for Raiden, and no one in the capital dared to oppose her.
The Emperor also did not want to see any of his sons harmed, so an agreement was quickly reached.
Ostensibly, it was for Duke Blair's request, and Caian renounced his claim to the throne and was sent to Duke Blair's lands.
Upon his arrival, Kayan is welcomed by the people of the North. His grandfather, who seemed strict, embraced him lovingly, and the Blairites, who seemed rude, were kind-hearted and full of warmth.
For someone starved for love and affection, Duke Blair's estate provided a much-needed escape.
He left all his painful past behind in the capital of Klitan.
After he got rid of everything that was tormenting him,
It seems that Kayan has gotten rid of the restrictions that were holding him back, and found the stability and freedom that suits him.
But,
“Kian, you can take a break. There is no need to lock yourself in the study room and exhaust your body like this.”
“Young Master! Your hands are covered in wounds. You have been swinging this sword until it has reached this state… You are hurting yourself!”
"At least eat a meal. Meeting your basic needs is essential."
“Young Master, didn’t you sleep again today? Aren’t you tired? You should rest, if only for a little while...”
Even with his eyes and ears closed, Kayan couldn't escape his mother's voice still echoing in his mind: "All of this happened because you were remiss. Work harder."
yet.