Chapter 1

"Queen Myaarl is said to be pregnant."

The moment this news was delivered, the room, which had been filled with the first prince of the Ancheze Empire and his entourage in a warm atmosphere, suddenly became taut as a string.

"…Is it true?"

Leaning back in a sofa with armrests, Alek kept his gaze on the glass on the table and asked in a flat voice. His right hand unconsciously traced the imperial crest carved into the glass, a symbol of the empire's direct lineage, where two dragons intertwined.

"It seems the emperor himself sent a physician to confirm it. Rather, it’s not just Queen Myaarl, but Lord Sezon, her father, who is spreading the news. By tomorrow, it will be known throughout the palace."

Repeating the information from a familiar lady-in-waiting with a bitter smile, Louis was known for his good family background and amiable personality, which allowed him to gather various information from his wide network. Incidentally, three years ago, it was Louis who first informed Alek about a beautiful girl being sought within the Sezon family, and that girl is now the emperor's concubine, carrying a child who could potentially block Alek's path to the throne.

"This is troublesome," Gruuk, who was standing next to Alek, muttered with a grimace.

Currently, Emperor Paresis has two heirs: the first prince Alek, born to Empress Tora, and the second prince Seltis, born to the late Concubine Tsitti. In practice, Alek has been seen as the next emperor.

This is because the other prince, Seltis, has no power base and is extremely frail, rarely appearing in official settings. Alek himself has no memory of ever speaking to his younger brother, who is rumored to be a delicate and slender prince, having inherited his mother's frail appearance. He is said to be twelve years old.

"By the way, it seems that Lord Sezon himself requested a direct examination by the emperor's personal physician," Louis added, and Alek nodded in agreement. Lord Sezon, who had taken in a beautiful girl from his family as a foster daughter and sent her to the emperor's harem, was skilled at reading the emperor's mood and had gradually moved closer to the center of political power despite being a new noble.

On the other hand, the family of Empress Tora, while a prestigious family in Ancheze, had lost its influence after the death of her father, the prime minister, over a decade ago. Furthermore, her brother, the head of the family, died last month, and the current head is his son, Rizock, in his mid-twenties, who lacks the charisma to support Alek.

If Queen Myaarl gives birth to a son, the balance of power could shift dramatically toward Sezon.

"At this point, the death of Concubine Tsitti is truly regrettable. She was deeply loved by the emperor but had no ambitions."

Tsitti was a beautiful dancer who caught the emperor's eye at an informal banquet. At the time, Tsitti already had a husband and a daughter, but the emperor, captivated by her beauty, brought her to the palace and never let her leave the harem again. Her lustrous golden hair, which flowed like spun sunlight, and her skin, as white as porcelain, left those who saw her for the first time speechless. She was that pure and beautiful.

After Alek was born, the emperor, having fulfilled his duty as an emperor, stopped visiting Empress Tora and impregnated three other women, giving birth to princesses. However, after bringing Tsitti into the harem, he stopped all his womanizing and always kept her by his side. His excessive favoritism was even the subject of rumors in foreign countries. After giving birth to Prince Seltis, Tsitti's health deteriorated, and she could no longer bear children, but she continued to monopolize the emperor's nights until her death five years ago.

The emperor's grief over losing Tsitti was profound, and for about a year, he lost interest in women and did not even visit the harem. Eventually, he welcomed a lady-in-waiting and had a fifth princess, and now he has taken Queen Myaarl, prepared by Lord Sezon, into his bed.

"Tsitti used to distribute the bribes she received to the common people. I'm not saying Myaarl should do the same, but she should show some restraint," Alek remarked.

"The real problem is her father, isn't it?" Gruuk interjected, and Ammon, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but speak up. Born into the Antore family, one of the three knight orders in the palace, Ammon was destined to lead the order.

"I've even heard rumors about Lord Sezon. If a son is born, who knows what he might do."

What Alek fears most is that Sezon will gain visible military power. By having Ammon as his close advisor, Alek has control over one of the military factions, the Antore Knights. Sezon, who possesses strong military power, would surely want it. If he were in Sezon's position, he would try to form an alliance with one of the remaining two knight orders, Rofman and Reiatou, as soon as possible.

"Sezon might be targeting the Rofman Knights," Louis suddenly said, as if reading Alek's thoughts.

"Is there any movement…?"

"No, not yet," Louis hedged, and Alek smiled wryly. He was sure Louis had already picked up on some suspicious activities, even if he wasn't saying it out loud.

"All we can do is hope the child is a princess."

With that sigh, the four of them fell silent, raising their glasses. The rain, which had started in the evening, suddenly intensified, and the sound of heavy rain could be heard outside the window. Suddenly, the door was knocked on, breaking the somber mood.

"What is it?"

Ammon straightened his back and walked toward the door.

"Princess Viatora has arrived."

"Princess Viatora, you say?"

Surprised by the unexpected name, the four of them looked at each other in confusion. Viatora, the fourth princess of the Ancheze Empire, was the stepdaughter of Concubine Tsitti and the half-sister of Prince Seltis.

Gruuk, who had turned to Alek with a sudden movement, was the one who broke the silence. With his handsome appearance and good breeding, Gruuk was not unaware that his master had dalliances with various women.

"Could it be that you, Alek, have been with Princess Viatora?"

The other two also turned to Alek in shock, and Alek, accused of something he hadn't done, gaped.

"Enough with the jokes. I've never even met her."

Viatora, the stepdaughter of Concubine Tsitti, was brought into the palace as a foster daughter to please the empress. She was a princess in name only and had never appeared in public. She was said to be quite frail and spent most of her time in the Purple Jade Palace, which was given to her mother, Tsitti. She was supposed to be sixteen, but after losing her only guardian, Concubine Tsitti, she had not yet been betrothed. What could she possibly want with him?

"Never mind. Let her in."

With a glare at Gruuk, Alek called out, and soon a young girl appeared, guided by a servant.

The moment the princess entered, the room seemed to brighten.

A girl with a miraculous beauty, inheriting the features of the empress who had captivated the current emperor. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain, her eyes a clear blue, and her soft, bud-like lips formed a slight curve, exuding a clear and refined elegance, like a true royal.

"Princess Viatora. I am grateful for the opportunity to meet you."

She bent her knee gracefully, with perfect form. As the first prince of Ancheze, Alek had met many royal families from various countries, but he had never encountered a woman with such elegant refinement. Unconsciously, he let out a breath. Any man would wish to have this princess. If she had appeared in public, she would surely have had more admirers than she could handle.

"So, what do you want from me?"

Regaining his composure, he asked, and Viatora tilted her head in a troubled manner.

"Shouldn't I request a private audience?"

Looking at Ammon, who was standing next to him, Ammon silently shrugged. It was out of the question to be alone with the half-sister of Prince Seltis at such a time.

"That's not possible."

Accepting the answer, Viatora nodded and slowly looked around the room.

The tall man with a large sword at his side, who caught the prince's glance, was probably Ammon of the Antore family, with his brown hair and black eyes. The young man with bright golden hair, tied at the shoulders and dressed in a relaxed, elegant manner, was likely the son of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ladus. And the last one, the famous sidekick of the prince, Gruuk Morgan, known for his intelligence and strategic thinking, with his slightly pointed chin and intelligent gaze.

Viatora looked each of them in the eye and addressed them. "Lord Ammon, Lord Louis, Lord Gruuk. You are the three trusted advisors of the prince, are you not? I am Princess Viatora. Please remember me."

The three, taken aback by the sudden greeting, hesitated but returned the courtesy.

As if speaking for their suspicions, Alek slowly opened his mouth.

"Why do you know their names?"

Viatora smiled softly, a delicate and beautiful smile reminiscent of the late Concubine Tsitti.

"I gather palace gossip, you know. The common people often observe the nobles closely, and if you ask the servants, they can provide all sorts of interesting information."

Alek narrowed his eyes, wary of her intentions.

"Why?"

"Of course, to protect Seltis."

Viatora's answer was without hesitation.

"Prince Seltis is in a very difficult position. With only the right of succession and no support, he is more of a liability than an asset, and his life is in danger."

The three advisors, who had been listening, looked at Viatora in shock, wondering if it was right to speak so poorly of their own prince.

"Is that so?"

Even Alek, usually composed, was taken aback by her intensity and had no words to respond.

"Our mother, who was supposed to request that we be demoted to commoners, is gone, and we have been waiting for you, Prince Alek, to be named the crown prince. But before that, the harem has become lively again."

Louis, understanding that Seltis had no intention of opposing Prince Alek, smiled warmly in response.

"Is the princess displeased with the emperor taking a new concubine?"

"That is not the case," Viatora replied smoothly, but continued, "However, I have heard nothing good about Lord Sezon, my stepfather. And just a little while ago, I heard that Queen Myaarl is pregnant. It seems like a troublesome situation is about to arise."

"The princess seems to be well-informed about the palace affairs."

At this point, Alek could only smile wryly.

"To survive, we have been desperate. We thought we could manage by living quietly and not drawing attention. But yesterday, a situation arose that we could no longer ignore."

"Is there another problem?"

Alek prodded, and Viatora nodded seriously.

"The emperor—"

"What about your father?"

A bad feeling washed over Alek, and he furrowed his brow.

"Yesterday, for some reason, he suddenly came to the Purple Jade Palace. And not to see Seltis, but to see me."

Viatora frowned, as if it were a nuisance.

"I have been playing the role of a frail girl, so I was really worried. I quickly let down my hair and pretended to be asleep, feigning a cold."

The four of them mentally facepalmed at the revelation. Indeed, despite the rumors that she spent most of the month in bed, her cheeks were rosy, and she had been talking quite animatedly.

But the real shock was yet to come.

"I was really troubled by the emperor. He asked if I had any problems and offered to indulge me. He even said that Queen Myaarl's pregnancy had dampened his mood."

The implications were clear. The three advisors lost their color, and even Alek, the emperor's own son, was speechless.

"I take after my mother, you see."

While they were still in shock, Viatora casually praised herself.

"Is the emperor the type to be swayed by appearances? My mother said I should be sent out before the emperor noticed me, but now that she's gone, I can't leave Seltis behind."

Alek groaned. There were many things he wanted to point out, but first, he needed to understand the princess's true intentions.

"You don't want to be the emperor's concubine."

"I don't want to be."

Viatora was firm in her answer.

"So, I thought hard about what to do."

Alek instinctively pulled back, sensing that she had come up with something dubious.

"Do you want the prince to refuse?"

Gruuk, asking a straightforward question, received a shake of the head from Viatora.

"No. Even if the first prince opposes it, it's impossible to change the emperor's mind. So, I thought that if it looked bad and made it impossible for him to act, that would be the solution."

Then, Viatora looked Alek straight in the eye and said with a smile.

"Prince, please make me your concubine."