Chapter 13
Karl gripped Aura’s hand tighter, a silent pressure to refuse.
Aura smiled in front of him and said, “I suppose I should be the prince’s dance partner.”
“Are you serious?”
Karl asked quietly. Aura answered calmly, “Of course. He’s His Majesty’s only brother.”
Aura took Issen’s hand and went back to the ballroom. Karl stared at their backs, then chuckled in disbelief.
‘Keep your promise. Don’t contact Issen.’
‘Okay, I understand.’
The faint smile Aura had shown then. He seemed to understand its meaning now.
‘She has no intention of listening to me, promise or not.’
“…She’s driving me crazy.”
Karl leaned his back against a pillar and crossed his arms. He stared intently at Aura and Issen dancing, as if he wouldn’t take his eyes off them until their dance was over.
“Your Majesty.”
Then a middle-aged man approached him. Karl found his appearance annoying, but he couldn’t ignore him.
“Duke Taine.”
“Congratulations on welcoming your wife. Please forgive me for arriving at the Imperial Palace only now due to many affairs in my territory.”
Duke Taine was the late Crown Prince’s closest aide. After Karl ascended the throne, he pledged allegiance by offering his personal soldiers. However, he was still suspicious and suspected of being Issen’s backer.
“Your Majesty, I have brought my niece to celebrate this auspicious occasion. If you don’t mind, please accept her greetings.”
“Niece, you say…”
Karl looked at the woman standing behind Duke Taine. Soon, he expressed his delight as if recalling a long-forgotten memory.
“Elise, it’s you. It’s been a while. It seems like the first time I’ve seen you since we were children.”
“It is an honor, Your Majesty.”
Elise bowed politely. The surrounding nobles and knights glanced at her. Elise’s appearance and attire were that strikingly beautiful.
Karl said, “Now that I think of it, I was in Debla and couldn’t express my condolences at your father’s, the late Duke’s, funeral. I hope you will accept my belated condolences.”
“Thank you so much, Your Majesty. My father would be pleased as well.”
Elise smiled brightly, seemingly genuinely happy. Karl also gave a rare, comfortable smile. And at that moment, he met eyes with Aura, who was dancing.
‘Does she even care who I’m with?’
Karl scoffed at Aura and turned his gaze away, continuing his conversation with Elise.
Issen and Aura danced to the music. Issen’s golden hair shone in the chandelier light.
“The prince resembles the late Emperor very much.”
“Haha, that’s right. That’s why my mother is so upset.”
That appearance and smooth personality. Because of those things, Issen mingled more easily with the Casa Imperial Family. Still, he was treated as a half-breed.
Issen lowered his voice and said, “I’ve heard about what happened to you, sister-in-law. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you when you must have had a hard time.”
“I appreciate your concern.”
“Still, three years… such wounds don’t disappear easily. Are you alright now?”
Issen probed Aura like that, testing Aura’s feelings for Karl.
And Aura decided to play along for now, as she also had something to gain from Issen.
“Prince. If the prince is alright with it…”
That’s when she looked over at Karl. Karl was talking to some young lady.
‘Who is that?’
The young lady was a beauty with rich blonde hair cascading softly down. When the young lady smiled brightly, Karl also showed a comfortable smile. A look Aura had never seen before.
‘I thought he hated talking to nobles.’
“Sister-in-law?”
Issen spoke to the dazed Aura. Aura quickly came to her senses and said to Issen, “Ah, I’m sorry. If it’s alright with the prince, shall we go to the terrace?”
“I’d like that. I have something to tell you anyway.”
Aura left the ballroom with Issen and went to the terrace.
She was about to draw the curtains on the terrace when she met eyes with Karl, who was still talking to the young lady.
Going to the terrace in the middle of the banquet was as good as implying a private conversation. Karl widened his eyes as if telling her to get out of there immediately. But Aura drew the curtains anyway.
Issen was waiting for Aura, leaning against the railing.
“Sister-in-law.”
“Prince.”
The two spoke at the same time. A strange atmosphere flowed, and Issen smiled first.
“Please speak first, sister-in-law.”
“No, you go first.”
The winter wind blew. Issen’s lowered eyes deepened.
“I heard you ran away to Ansena and came back?”
Aura didn’t react.
“I understand. You must have wanted to run away from a husband who abandoned you in a tower for three years without any promise.”
Aura said to Issen, who was smiling slyly, “It’s nice that the prince is so kind, even worrying about me like this.”
“I’ve wanted to get close to you since you married into the family. I also like Xenia’s culture so much. Especially those novels, they’re mysterious, maybe because there are so many wizards.”
“Thank you for saying that. I brought some books when I got married, so I’ll lend them to you next time.”
For a while, they exchanged trivial stories.
After a while, Issen, who had been silent, asked, “Do you want to return to the side of the Xenians?”
Issen came out blatantly. Desire seemed to be visible in his eyes. Whether it was the throne or power.
Aura didn’t back down.
“What if I said yes?”
Aura slowly approached Issen.
“Will the prince help me?”
“Sister-in-law.”
“Yes.”
“Are you aware of the existence of the Pin?”
Aura’s hair fluttered in the winter wind. Goosebumps rose on her neck.
What she was going to ask came back as a question. Aura repeated to herself. Now is not the time to be hasty or show your feelings.
“Pin? What is that?”
“It is a crystal ball that seals the magical power of Xenia wizards. As you know from going to Ansena, Xenia wizards have had all their magical power taken away by the Pin.”
Aura grabbed Issen’s arm, pretending to be surprised.
“…Really? Who would do such a thing…”
“It was the late Crown Prince. I only found out about it recently. But don’t be too discouraged. If you break that seal, the magical power will return.”
“Then where is that Pin?”
Aura asked urgently. Issen stretched his lips into a long smile.
“That’s all the information I can give you for now. If you want to know more about the Pin, please help ‘us’.”
Issen subtly revealed that he had someone backing him.
Aura’s heart was pounding. If she helped him and got the Pin, everything could be easily resolved. If what Issen was trying to do wasn’t treason, she would want to be on his side right away.
“If I help the prince, will Karl be in danger?”
“There is no reward without a price. However, um… let me just say this. If you just release the seal of the Pin, you will be able to escape the Imperial Palace freely. Freely.”
“…”
“You’re conflicted.”
“Give me time. Time to think.”
“Yes, I will. Oh, while we’re at it, let me help you decide.”
Issen came to Aura’s side and drew back the curtains. He pointed to Elise, who was standing far away with Duke Taine. Karl was nowhere to be seen.
“That young lady over there. Her name is Elise Taine, the only daughter of the late Duke of Taine.”
‘Elise Taine.’
Aura muttered inwardly. Karl’s smile to Elise seemed to come to mind again.
“The current Duke, Wale Taine, wants to get in good with the Imperial Family. So he’s trying to push his niece, Lady Elise, into the position of concubine. It’s already a rumor circulating secretly among the noble families.”
Aura’s face slowly hardened at the word concubine. She deliberately answered more emotionlessly.
“Marriage is sometimes a good means of politics.”
Issen seemed a little embarrassed by Aura’s reaction.
“Well, what I’m saying is… the position of Empress is not so solid either. Especially if it’s Karl’s wife’s position, wouldn’t it be even more so? So think carefully.”
With those words, Issen left the terrace. Only Aura, left alone, faced the cold wind.
Her heart was complicated. She never thought that the choice of treason would be involved in getting information about the Pin.
But anyway, no matter which direction she went, there was only one answer. She had to break the Pin.
She looked at the dark sky and quietly muttered, “Freedom…”
And she turned around and looked at Elise in the banquet hall.
“A concubine…”
When Aura came out of the terrace, the banquet was already over. Only a few nobles were gathered in groups of three or five, chatting. And among them were Duke Taine and Elise.
Then Mina approached Aura.
“Your Majesty the Empress, His Majesty the Emperor has already gone to the bedroom. I will help you prepare for the marital night and escort you to the bedroom.”
She felt like what was coming had come. But it was not something she could avoid.
Aura obediently followed the maids’ guidance and prepared for the marital night. It was the marital night right after the Empress’s coronation, so it could be considered the first night. But there was no excitement or anticipation. The bath was long and the makeup was just cumbersome.
While putting on her chemise, Aura thought about what had happened on the terrace.
The decision was… postponed. Rather than immediately taking Issen’s hand, it was not too late to dig into Karl a little more and then decide.
Also, she was afraid of tonight. Karl’s eyes when he met her when she drew the curtains on the terrace did not leave her mind.
After a while, Aura stood in front of the Empress’s room.
The maid carefully opened the door. She passed through the middle hallway alone and arrived in front of the inner door.
‘I have to spend the night with an angry man.’
She swallowed hard and calmed her mind. It was already a scheduled event when she decided to let go of Karl’s hand and dance with Issen. Anyway, there was nothing she could do without offending him. Now all that was left was to accept it.
Aura opened the door and entered the room. The room was filled with dim darkness. Only the scattered candles gave off a faint light.
Click.
The door closed behind her. Aura was startled and looked back.
