Chapter 30

Aleks stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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Having completed the audience with the envoy from Anteor, which was located further east of Galantia, Aleks crossed the courtyard and hurried towards his office.

Upon entering, not only Ammon, who had brought the news, but also Gruek and Luitas were gathered, waiting for their lord's arrival.

"Is it true that you saw Via?"

"It's true. Please sit down first."

Gruek, calm and composed, gestured to a chair.

"Where is Via? Is she well?"

After confirming that his lord had taken a seat, Gruek slowly began to speak.

"She was ambushed in a store on Midas's main street, which is often frequented by the knights of the Antoré Order, while waiting for Ebeck."

"………! Where did she go!"

"We don't know. After passing on the information to Ebeck, she disappeared again."

Aleks ran his hand through his hair, agitated.

"Why didn't Ebeck detain her?"

"He asked her to return to the palace with him, but the Empress refused."

Gruek paused, then looked at Aleks with a serious expression.

"More importantly, listen to my story! It concerns the Emperor's life."

"My life?"

Aleks, who had been wandering with his gaze, finally met Gruek's eyes.

"The Empress reported that she had a dream where the Emperor and his horse were swallowed by a torrent. She said it was probably during an inspection of the Bize River, as they were discussing flood control."

Aleks gasped. His expression changed, as if the mention of a large-scale natural disaster had cooled his head.

"Do you know the location?"

"There was a huge stone that looked like a face, and three large trees next to it. Since it's late, we didn't send anyone today. We'll send people to walk along the lower reaches of the Bize River tomorrow to pinpoint the location."

Ammon added to Gruek's words.

"The inspection is canceled, Your Majesty. At least during this rainy season, it cannot be allowed."

"Understood. If the location is found, evacuate the residents downstream. Do not allow anyone to enter."

"I will announce it accordingly."

A moment of silence fell, and Ammon turned to Aleks again, to inform him about Empress Via, whom the lord had been most eager to know about.

"The Empress was apparently in a place quite far from Midas. She had the dream two weeks ago, arrived in Midas six days ago, and had been keeping watch at the store frequented by the Antoré Order."

"Ebeck met her, then."

"Yes. She seemed to be wearing a simple... dress, but she was well. She came here out of concern for the Emperor, but she clearly said she did not want to meet the Emperor."

Aleks lowered his gaze to the table. Even though he had been prepared, hearing that she did not want to meet him still shook him.

"It seems she is not married. And apparently, there are no plans for marriage."

Luitas added this in a matter-of-fact tone. When Ammon nudged him with his elbow, as if to say, "Hey," Luitas laughed.

"Besides, it's fine to say that much. The Emperor surely wants to know."

Luitas smiled gently and looked at Aleks.

"Ebeck thought she still loves the Emperor. However, she firmly refused to meet him. That's the situation."

"I see."

Aleks murmured. The positions had not changed from back then to now. It was foolish to still harbor feelings he could not act upon.

"If there was any progress, Ebeck said he gave her his badge."

Luitas reported this as if it were nothing, but Aleks was genuinely surprised. That was not something to be given away easily. For those who could not pass their noble status to the next generation, it was almost a lifeline.

"As long as the Empress has the badge, she can survive even if she finds herself in a difficult situation. Ebeck, who values it almost as much as his life, must have given it without hesitation. But with this, the Emperor can finally rest assured."

"...Yes."

Aleks thought that perhaps the time had come to let go. As Luitas said, Via would be able to survive. He no longer needed to send knights to check on her safety.

"Perhaps... it's time."

Gruek looked at his lord with concern. He had judged that Empress Via should be kept away for the Emperor's sake. But was that judgment truly correct?

Gruek lowered his gaze to the floor, lost in thought with a stern expression. Ammon and Luitas looked at the two of them with a troubled expression and let out a small sigh.

The next day, Aleks ordered the search for Via, which he had commanded in Antoré, to be terminated. This was a decision that required great resolve, but the strong belief that he should not ruin Via's life any further led Aleks to make this decision.

Ebeck's words that Via still seemed to think of him made Aleks elated, but also deeply troubled. During the day, he smiled as if nothing was wrong, but at night, he was tormented by thoughts of Via and the unbearable loneliness and loss.

Luitas sometimes looked at him with a look that seemed to want to say something, but since there was nothing to be done, Aleks pretended not to notice. He was used to living with a void in his heart. He had grabbed the blood-stained crown of the emperor willingly. Those who walk in the blinding light must also bear the deep darkness.

Meanwhile, the rain continued intermittently, and one day, a messenger brought news that a large-scale landslide had occurred on the Bize River. The torrent had quickly swept away nearly a dozen villages.

Decades ago, a similar landslide had occurred in the Bize River area, resulting in hundreds of casualties. This time, however, the residents downstream had been evacuated in advance, so there were almost no fatalities. However, over a thousand people had lost their homes, and the state alone could not support the reconstruction of the lives of the displaced. As a result, the country had to mobilize to provide support.

Simultaneously, meetings were held to discuss flood control measures, leaving no time for idle thoughts.

One day, while Aleks was busy with state affairs, going through a mountain of petitions and documents, Gruek approached him with a determined look.

"What is it?"

Aleks, who had raised his head from the documents, asked curiously.

"I will bring the Empress to you."

The sudden bombshell made even Ammon and Luitas, who were in the same room, look at Gruek in shock.

"What's this all about? Has an unbreakable marriage proposal come in?"

Originally, Aleks had asked Luitas to find good reasons to decline marriage proposals. When he looked at Luitas for an explanation, Luitas, who had been staring at Gruek in shock, suddenly smiled.

"I thought you were secretly working on something, but it seems to have gone well."

When Luitas asked, Gruek answered with a serious face.

"I have a good idea of the situation. Lord Roffman has been strongly pushing for it."

"Hey, what are you talking about?"

Gruek slowly turned to face Aleks, his eyes filled with strong resolve.

"I propose that Empress Via be made the Empress."

Aleks was taken aback by the unexpected words.

"Make Via the Empress? But..."

"Ansheize is now a thriving nation. The only thing lacking is that the Emperor has no children.

I want the Emperor to welcome an Empress as soon as possible and have a legitimate heir. This is the top priority for Ansheize. If you do not want to take any other concubines, there is no other choice but to make Empress Via the Empress.

I have obtained the approval of the main ministers—Clift, Garius, and Nekker.

First, we will have Empress Via return to her position as a concubine, and then we will hold a roundtable meeting to make the decision."

"But... we don't know where Via is, do we?"

"Empress Via must return on her own."

After saying this, Gruek seemed to be searching for the right words but couldn't find them.

"We will lay the bait."

"Huh, bait...?"

Aleks was speechless. Luitas thought the expression was a bit off but found it amusing and kept quiet, thinking it suited the Empress.

"So, what do you plan to do?"

"Make Prince Celtis fall ill. If we spread the rumor that he has suddenly fallen ill and is in critical condition, the Empress will surely rush back."

"Technically, Prince Celtis is the first in line to the throne, so this might not be the best idea."

It's better than making the Emperor appear critically ill, but I don't want to destabilize the country, Gruek replied seriously.

"There is no other way. Prince Celtis is the only important younger brother to the Empress. Even if the Emperor's illness doesn't bring her back, Prince Celtis will."

Gruek's words left Aleks feeling a bit hurt. Indeed, Via had stepped aside for Aleks. Even if he were truly on the brink of death, she would likely say it would cause trouble and refuse to come.

"Don't be discouraged by trivial matters now."

Luitas, noticing Aleks's state, subtly reminded him and turned back to Gruek.

"As long as we ensure the people are not alarmed, it's not a bad plan. I believe the Empress will definitely return. So, where will you ambush her?"

"Like last time, we'll have Ebeck wait at the store frequented by the Antoré Order. However, this time, I don't think she will go through such a tedious process. I believe she will use the badge to contact us in some way."

"...Will Via really come back?"

Aleks murmured, his words tinged with a fear of hope, which made Luitas sigh. He wasn't the type to show weakness, but the wound must be deep.

"If she doesn't come back, Prince Celtis will be the one to suffer. He will be even more devastated than you."

Luitas responded brightly and turned to Ammon.

"So, let's have Prince Celtis take to his bed at the Purple Jade Palace immediately."

"He might complain that the rumor of his frail health has just disappeared."

Ammon smiled wryly but seemed to be enjoying it.

Both Luitas and Ammon had been secretly hoping that the Empress, who brightened everyone's day, would return to the Emperor's side.

Finally, Gruek looked at his lord with a stern face.

"This is probably a one-time opportunity. Please keep that in mind. If we miss this, we will never be able to bring the Empress back."