Chapter 019
The emperor was pleased with Capren’s words.
He looked down from the throne with his cloudy light blue eyes and asked,
“What do you think?”
Sioden found it difficult to answer immediately.
Kneeling and bowing one’s head was a loyalty oath that had existed in the past but was now obsolete. It was an old custom that slaves sometimes performed for their masters.
He was younger than the heads of other families. Even so, he was not in a position to endure such humiliation to swear loyalty.
In fact, the current emperor had regarded Lerox as a thorn in his side when he was alive, yet he did not treat Raslet carelessly.
This was due to the military achievements Lerox had accomplished and the army he commanded.
It was then that Capren Rowen spoke up.
“Do not push too hard. He is still young.”
The man smoothly turned his golden eyes.
“If he is young, he does not know what is truly important.”
At that moment, Sioden realized he could not afford to waste time.
If he refused the emperor’s proposal, the emperor would use it as an excuse to suspect Raslet at any time.
Most of the soldiers had been inherited, but his father’s achievements vanished with his death.
The generals who had served under the previous duke acknowledged the sole heir but did not obey him as they had the former duke.
He had not even properly established his position within the family, so he could not afford to create problems with the imperial family.
In the end, he had to kneel on the ground in front of the emperor and Capren Rowen.
When he lifted his head again, the emperor spoke.
“Your loyalty has been well received.”
His voice was soft, seemingly kind, but it concealed a base delight.
“From now on, you shall remain loyal to the imperial family.”
Sioden hid the boiling humiliation and shame and replied,
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Upon seeing his clean, polished face, the emperor raised the corners of his mouth once more.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
After leaving the audience chamber, there was a place he had to go. It was the banquet hall where a harvest festival celebration was being held.
“Are you alright?”
Ben, the aide waiting outside the audience chamber, followed him and asked.
“If you are going to the lounge, I will guide you there.”
Sioden shook his head at the concerned aide. There were eyes everywhere. It was best to avoid actions that could be scrutinized.
As he entered the banquet hall, dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward him.
He felt nauseous. Sioden did not like being the center of attention. Regardless of intent, he disliked the feeling of others’ gazes upon him.
Some people whispered to each other. Since their eyes remained on him, Sioden could easily guess the subject of their conversation.
Raslet, who had secluded himself in the North, the child born of the woman who almost became empress, and the emperor’s old friend who had seduced her into marriage.
Some of them approached him and spoke.
“Hello, I am a close friend of the previous Duke of Raslet.”
Their faces wore a painted-on friendliness.
He did not want to smile back at those faces, which held a sinister curiosity opposite to the apparent goodwill.
The man continued speaking.
“I remember seeing your face when you were young, and now I see you really resemble your father.”
“You truly take after your father.”
The image of the woman’s distorted face flashed through his mind.
“But how could I ever love you?”
His heart churned. He did not want to think of Evelyn even in moments like this. Both she and Lerox, the source of all his resentment, had been buried in the grave.
Yet he did not want to live as if he were the only one ensnared by a ghost.
Sioden nodded vaguely.
“Is that so?”
He turned his back immediately.
“I don’t have time, so I’ll take my leave.”
The man seemed to have more to say, but Sioden did not look back. The space he vacated was filled by Ben, who had been following him.
Leaving the aide to manage the socializing in his stead, Sioden scanned the banquet hall for an empty terrace.
He realized that stepping outside would only expose him to the stifling air of the South. However, he did not want to remain inside the banquet hall any longer.
When he found the only terrace that wasn’t lit and opened the door, there was already a guest present.
His eyes were drawn to the slender figure with shoulders exposed beneath the fashionable dress fabric.
The woman turned around. Brightly colored hair adorned with various jewels flowed over her shoulders. The glossy hair reached down to a brooch hanging on her chest. It bore the family crest, but it was too far away and dark to see clearly.
As he was inadvertently captivated by her flowing hair, Sioden realized he was being rude.
He bowed his head to the unfamiliar woman, who had surely been disturbed from her rest because of him.
“…I apologize.”
The woman stared at him for a moment before speaking.
“You can come in for a while.”
It was a simple invitation, but Sioden hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to make a stranger uncomfortable.
However, he also wanted to avoid returning to the crowd if possible.
Especially into the midst of others who would be discussing topics he had no desire to revisit, filled with memories that were not his own.
His contemplation was brief, and the decision came quickly.
If he only took up space for a short time, he figured it wouldn’t be a big problem to leave if he felt uncomfortable.
Even if the woman had other intentions, he thought that one person was better than the many outside.
“Then, for a moment, I will take you up on your offer.”
The woman nodded and looked back over the railing. Before them lay a landscape he had passed with indifference, yet she focused on it as if it held great significance.
It seemed she truly did not know who he was. Sioden realized that in the darkness of night, the family crests on their clothes were not visible. It was a strangely reassuring fact.
The woman stood still for a moment, then suddenly approached the door. She seemed ready to step aside if she felt uncomfortable, so Sioden turned to her. But before he could say anything, she opened the door.
“Bring the drinks. No need to turn on the lights; just go.”
Voices from outside flowed into the space where he was.
Their eyes met. He noticed her strikingly light-colored eyes.
The moment he wondered what the exact color of her eyes was, she spoke.
“I said there’s no need to turn on the lights. If the terrace is bright, the shadows of the people inside can be seen.”
So, she had been considerate of him.
If she had turned on the lights, surely someone would have noticed he was inside.
“Thank you.”
“No, it’s nothing. I wanted to keep the lights off today as well.”
It was then that her white shoulders caught his eye again.
It might be cold. That thought suddenly crossed his mind. To him, it was just the warm southern weather, but for the people of the capital, it was said to be a chilly day.
One coat wouldn’t be a big problem.
When he draped his outer garment over her, the woman smiled. Her pure white eyes gently closed. She seemed to know how to appear kind, with a beautiful expression.
After that, she spoke to him in a pleasant voice. Sioden did not refuse her attempt at conversation.
The more he talked with her, the more the discomfort he had felt before entering the terrace faded away.
It was unclear whether it was because he had something to distract him beyond just dwelling on his emotions or if it was because the person before him was special. All he knew was that in the place where his emotions had vanished, there was only the pleasant voice and her beautifully shaped eyes filling the space.
Though he did not even know her name, he answered her questions honestly.
Except for one thing.
“My lineage isn’t that impressive, so please don’t be intimidated.”
That was the only exception.
Still, it wasn’t a lie. Just because the family name was grand didn’t mean the blood running beneath it was noble.
His parents had high status, but they were not people of great distinction.
When he asked her where she was from, he received the answer he had expected.
“I was born and raised in the capital.”
Sioden carefully examined her face. Suddenly, Evelyn’s words came to mind.
“The capital is so much more beautiful compared to the north.”
At the time, he had thought it was just a complaint from someone reminiscing about an era that could not be returned to.
Looking back now, it didn’t seem like an incorrect statement.
He had never felt this way in the north.
Was that why?
Impulsively, he reached out his hand to the woman.
“I’m Den.”
He was relieved to have the judgment to use a pseudonym.
The woman smiled at him again. Her brightly colored eyes held him. Without context, Sioden thought that she really had a lovely smile.
If he had seen her in a place where the light fell properly, her smile would have made his heart skip a beat.
“Please call me Ella.”
He wondered why she was alone. That thought crossed his mind.
If he had entered with her, he wouldn’t have been able to leave the seat next to her empty.
With such transparent eyes, a name that rolled off the tongue smoothly, and a woman with a pleasant voice, he would have done everything possible to stay close to her.
He soon learned why Ella was not with a partner.
“I came in with my father. I’m not engaged or married yet.”
That father seemed to be someone who didn’t know much about people’s intentions. Or perhaps he was so pure that he didn’t understand what other men were thinking.
If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have left his daughter alone like this.
Even now, he kept trying to engage her in conversation; other men would likely be no different.
That day, Sioden did something he normally wouldn’t have done, trying to talk to her a bit more. He suggested, acting like a very kind person, to the woman who was looking down and sighing.
“If you’re feeling suffocated, would you like to take a walk with me?”
In fact, he had never been someone who paid much attention to others’ feelings.
But at that moment, he felt like he could act with even more attentiveness.
Yet, like a foolish child, he did something reckless. He was jumping down from the railing to pull the hesitant woman toward him.
“Den!”
Ella widened her eyes and looked down over the railing. Sioden stood below, looking up at her. Her bright hair cascaded down over his jacket, which covered her round shoulders like golden threads.
Under the moonlight, Sioden discovered one thing he had been curious about all along.
Ella’s eyes were a clear green.
For some reason, that made him feel good. He thought he must walk with her tonight.
It was a feeling he had never experienced with a stranger before, but it was a distinct impulse that he couldn’t mistake for anything else.
At that moment, he hoped the woman would come down to him soon.
“If you ask the servant to light a fire before coming down, it won’t be obvious that you’ve left your seat.”
Even knowing he was trying to entice her, Sioden didn’t stop.
He didn’t think it was wrong.
No, rather, he only wanted her to come over.
If she wanted to spend this time with him, he couldn’t wish for anything more. Just like he wanted, he hoped she would want to walk with him. He wanted her to want to hear his voice more.
He wished she would take his hand.
Ella stared down at him.
With just a glance, she made him nervous, and then she spoke.
“Just wait right there.”
At those words, Sioden couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
That night, even if he had to stand in the same spot to follow her sulky command, he would have been unable to harbor any complaints.
Before long, the woman returned again. With a face showing a bit of tension and adventurous spirit, she looked at him and asked,
“How do I get down?”
Sioden taught her how to rely on him instead of how to jump down.
The woman, who knew nothing about his true feelings, acted as he instructed. Sitting on the railing, she reached out her hand toward him.
When her delicate hand, which felt almost weightless, was placed on top of his, Sioden pulled her in without hesitation.
Soon, a golden wave of hair poured down towards him.
