Chapter 16

Ratil frowned and looked at the article. He was annoyed that Anakcha had called for him. What did it matter if Anakcha starved for five days or six? Ratil didn’t like any of his father’s concubines, but he treated them with the customary respect. However, Anakcha was the person he disliked the most, and even more so after the incident with Prince Tlal. Honestly, he wouldn’t mind if she starved to death, but he knew he had to maintain a certain image. Everyone was still shaken by the fact that he had unhesitatingly killed his half-brother Tlal. The shock was still fresh, so there was no need to give a bad impression by killing her mother as well. He could always do it secretly later.

"Fine. I’ll go see her."

* * *

The first memory Ratil had of Concubine Anakcha was of her being "gorgeous." She wore a larger diamond necklace than his mother, the Empress, and had an elegant crown on her head, clinging to his father’s arm. Anakcha captivated his father like a blooming cherry blossom. Every time she smiled, his father laughed heartily, and the little brat sitting next to her whined about going fishing. Ratil, sitting on his mother’s lap, wondered why this woman was clinging to his father. Why was his father sitting with her instead of his mother? At the time, he was too young to feel angry; it just seemed strange. His mother burst into tears as soon as they returned to their quarters after the picnic. The second time Ratil remembered Anakcha, she was angry. Ratil only had one older brother, Leian, but one day, an unknown brat came and claimed to be his brother. The brat advised Ratil to listen to him, and Ratil, calling him insolent, kicked him in the shins. The brat cried and called for his mother. Just as Ratil was about to kick him again, Anakcha rushed over.

"You have the same temper as Her Majesty the Empress! You’re terrible! You’re wicked! It’s truly a shame for someone so young!"

Concubine Anakcha shouted sharply and pushed Ratil. When Ratil fell backward into the pond, she seemed momentarily startled but quickly left to take care of her son.

"Who did this? Who dared to push you?"

When his mother, seeing his wet clothes, asked angrily, Ratil didn’t say it was Anakcha. Even if he had wanted to, he didn’t know her name. In any case, he chose to remain silent to avoid upsetting his mother. Instead, when he met the brat who claimed to be his brother again, he kicked him even harder in the shins and ran away. The third time they met, Anakcha was glaring at Ratil as if she wanted to eat him alive. Seeing her fierce gaze, Ratil smiled for the first time since meeting her. The woman who made his mother cry looked more fitting when she was distorted like this.

"Seeing you like this brings back old memories."

And now, Anakcha was glaring at him just like back then. Ratil, with his hands behind his back, smiled and looked down at her through the iron bars. He had found it annoying when she called for him, but now he felt it was a good decision to come. How satisfying it was. If his mother hadn’t entered the temple, it would have been better. Ratil, feeling a bit regretful, had a good idea. He should write a letter to his mother. She would want to see Anakcha’s downfall. Showing her this sight would make her even happier. Ratil didn’t say anything, but sometimes silence and expression could convey a more terrifying atmosphere. Anakcha clenched her lips and recalled the past bitterly.

"Your Majesty was a cunning and wicked child from a young age. Yes, it brings back old memories."

"Not 'Your Majesty,' but 'His Majesty.' You should correct that."

"To me, there are only two 'His Majesties': my husband and my son!"

Ratil smirked.

"You seem to have become quite lenient since ascending the throne."

"?"

"In the past, I used to get so angry every time you said something mean. Now, it just seems like you’re flailing."

Seeing Anakcha’s distorted expression, Ratil laughed even more. Objectively, he could understand her perspective. To her, her son was Tlal, and the Empress’s children were Tlal’s competitors. She always won in the competition for love, but her son lost in the competition for the throne. As a result, someone who had lived a luxurious life for over 20 years was now imprisoned in a tower. Anakcha must have been extremely displeased with Ratil. However, understanding her perspective and accepting it were two different things. If Tlal had won the throne, Anakcha wouldn’t have left the Empress and Ratil alone either. In any case, arguing with a defeated enemy was ridiculous, so instead of provoking her further, Ratil asked arrogantly.

"So, why did you want to see me?"

Upon hearing the question, the fierce Anakcha showed a weak side. She hesitated and couldn’t answer easily. But as he waited quietly, she finally asked in a trembling voice.

"My son… Where is my son now?"

Huh? She still doesn’t know? Ratil raised an eyebrow. Of course, Anakcha wasn’t present when the execution order was given. Tlal was first imprisoned and then executed. Given the timing, Anakcha was likely taken away and imprisoned before she knew what happened to her son. But it had been over a month, so he thought someone, like a guard, would have told her. Glancing at the knight in charge of her, the knight bowed deeply. Ratil looked at Anakcha again. She was looking up at him with a frightened face.

"Hmm…"

Ratil thought for a moment. What should he say? Since Anakcha would be imprisoned here for the rest of her life, it wouldn’t matter if he lied to give her some hope. If he told her Tlal was alive, she could believe that one day Tlal would kill him and come to save her.

'Should I comfort her? Or should I not say anything?'

"Your son is dead."

But Ratil chose to cause her pain.

"I ordered his execution."

With a light laugh, Ratil told her, and Anakcha’s face changed as if she had suddenly fallen into icy water. She stared at Ratil in disbelief, her lips trembling and her face gradually turning pale.

"No… No way! Tlal is your brother!"

"He was your son."

"!"

"He tried to kill me."

"That’s…."

"He tried to take what was mine."

"Y-You…."

"He made my mother cry."

"Villain!"

After the shock came anger. Concubine Anakcha, like a bolt of lightning, shouted and grabbed the bars.

"You ungrateful brat! If Tlal had become Emperor, he wouldn’t have killed you!"

"Would Tlal, who sought the throne even by bringing in foreign forces, have left me, a lifelong thorn in his side?"

"Tlal isn’t a cold-blooded person like you!"

"Ah, I’m not a cold-blooded person to my mother."

As soon as he finished speaking, Anakcha spat. Her spit hit Ratil’s face. Everyone around him flinched simultaneously.

"Ah…"

When Ratil extended his hand, several people offered handkerchiefs. Ratil wiped the spit from his face and muttered.

"You’re really wearing down my patience."

Several guards drew their swords threateningly and, in the blink of an eye, thrust them through the bars to press against Anakcha’s neck.

"You traitor! How could you, a knight of His Majesty, assist in the execution of His Majesty’s most beloved son? You’re a traitor! You’re a villain!"

Anakcha shouted at the guards, but they remained expressionless. Seeing this, Ratil yawned and whispered as if revealing a crucial secret.

"That’s enough, Sir Seun. Don’t kill her with a sword."

At Ratil’s gesture, Seun immediately sheathed his sword. Anakcha stepped back to a distance where the sword couldn’t reach her, but she couldn’t escape the chilling words Ratil left behind.

"Well, if that was all you wanted to ask, I’ll leave."

"You cold-blooded, wicked…."

"Yes, I’m a terrible person. So, even if you go on a hunger strike and starve to death, I don’t care. Don’t do pointless things in the future."

Waving his hand, Ratil turned to leave.

"Does it seem like you’ve won now?"

When Anakcha, who had been quiet after her threats and pleas, shouted again as Ratil was about to leave the prison, Ratil, with one foot in the corridor, turned his head to look at her. She was gripping the bars tightly, glaring at him with a terrifying look.

"But no. Latrasil. You wicked, cold-blooded demon, you will be betrayed by the one you hold most dear! Be careful of the person you trust the most."

Then she began to laugh maniacally, as if she had gone insane. The shock of her son’s execution seemed greater than he had thought.

"I’m not cursing you. I’m not crazy. Everything I say is true. When that day comes, you’ll remember my words!"

* * *

Ratil, having been spat on by someone he disliked and hearing her curses with wide, glaring eyes, felt his appetite disappear. He skipped dinner and returned to his bedroom. Seun, worried, followed him into the bedroom and, looking at him with concern, asked.

"Are you alright?"

Ratil answered honestly.

"She said something quite ominous. It’s a bit unsettling."

"It was meant to upset Your Majesty. There’s no need to take it to heart."

"Of course, it could just be empty threats…."

Ratil, unfastening the sword from his waist and placing it on the bed, frowned.

"The letter thief and the assassin haven’t been caught yet. It’s a bit concerning."

If it weren’t for these two issues, he could have played with her even more while listening to her threats. These two issues made him hesitant. Seun, hearing Ratil’s words, also muttered seriously.

"We should verify the accounts brought from Melos as quickly as possible, even if it means staying up for several nights."

"Shall I help?"

"Working overtime with Your Majesty would be a pleasure for me."

"However?"

"If I make Your Majesty work overtime, the head steward might want to wring my neck."

The head steward was the type who would do just that, so Ratil laughed.

"That’s true."

But even as he laughed, his mood remained heavy. The sinister look in Anakcha’s eyes as she clung to the bars and glared at him was unpleasantly etched in his mind.

"Sir Seun, increase the surveillance on Anakcha. Several people with confirmed identities should monitor her simultaneously."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After giving the second order, Ratil, lost in thought, said after a while.

"And tomorrow, I need to go on a secret trip."

"A secret trip?"

"You know Gestaya, even if you’re not close. But you don’t know Tahir, the merchant, or Kalain, the mercenary king."

"You don’t mean…."

Seun’s face hardened.

"Do you plan to meet the prospective concubines yourself? In person?"

"Whether I meet them directly or observe from the side, I think it’s better to see them before they enter the palace."

They would be the ones to become his partners in the future. They might even share a bed with him. No matter how strong the guards were, there would always be a distance they couldn’t breach. But the concubines would be among the few who could enter that inner circle and be alone with him.

"I want to check on them before they become my people. After seeing Anakcha, I think it’s better to judge them in advance. Who they are, whether they can be brought into the palace, whether they will be helpful or a threat…."

Ratil, unconsciously untying his high ponytail, suddenly remembered Seun was still there and laughed awkwardly.

"Oh, right, Sir Seun."

"Shall I untie it for you?"

"No, rather, a handkerchief. What should I do? About the spit from Anakcha."

"!"

"Should I… return it?"