ITIF Chapter 115

Possible Because of Patience

The Emperor, who should have been lying on the bed, was nowhere to be seen.

“Where could he have gone?”

After a brief moment of confusion, the chamberlain headed to the dressing room.

“He’s not here either.”

This time he moved toward the toilet room.

And there he found the Emperor collapsed on the floor and was shocked.

“No…! Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”

At the chamberlain’s loud voice, the knights who had been outside rushed in immediately.

“What’s happened!”

“His Majesty has collapsed—call for the physician!”

The chamberlain cried out while supporting the Emperor’s body.

The knight standing at the entrance rushed out in haste, and the remaining knights moved the Emperor to the bed.

“…….”

The faces of the knights and chamberlain watching the Emperor lying on the bed hardened.

Because the Emperor’s body was far too cold.

****

Joshua’s hand, which had been cutting his steak, stopped abruptly. His green eyes widened slightly as well.

However, it was only a brief pause—the elegant hand movements slicing through the large piece of meat continued.

“His Majesty?”

“Yes.”

Before putting the appropriately sized piece of meat in his mouth, Joshua asked.

“What did they say was the cause of death?”

“They said it was natural causes.”

At the attendant’s answer, Joshua, who had been chewing the meat, swallowed it and said.

“……I see.”

Even at the news of his father’s death, the Crown Prince showed no great surprise or disturbance and quietly continued his meal.

The attendant watching from beside him felt an eerie sensation.

And it wasn’t just because of the bloody juice flowing out from between the pieces of meat being cut by the Crown Prince’s knife.

He tried to change his thinking, telling himself this was the proper demeanor of a monarch who would rule a great empire, but it didn’t work well.

Because the Crown Prince before him somehow felt like a person devoid of emotion.

“Tell the chef that today’s meal was especially excellent.”

“……I understand.”

Joshua, who had resolutely finished his meal, carefully wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up from his seat.

It was when Joshua left the dining room and turned into the corridor.

An attendant who happened to be walking toward him saw Joshua and his lips twitched.

“I’ve heard the news about His Majesty.”

“Ah, I see. Her Majesty the Empress is asking for you. To discuss that matter……”

Joshua cut off the attendant’s lengthening words.

“I was just going to see Mother.”

“I-I see.”

The attendant’s face flushed red, apparently quite flustered. However, Joshua paid no mind and opened his mouth again.

“Where is Mother now?”

“She is in His Majesty the Emperor’s bedchamber.”

Joshua headed straight toward the wide corridor.

When he entered the corridor near the Emperor’s bedchamber, the Empress’s crying could be heard faintly.

“…….”

Joshua barely suppressed a laugh that threatened to emerge.

He was well aware that the attendants secretly considered him a Crown Prince with dried-up emotions who didn’t grieve over the death of his family.

So he also knew well that he should pretend to grieve appropriately.

But nothing could stop the asymmetrical curve of his lips.

Because they didn’t know that the person who killed the Emperor, his biological father, was his own mother, the Empress.

Joshua, entering the Emperor’s bedchamber filled with the Empress’s sobbing, quietly approached the bed.

As if sensing his presence, the Empress raised her wet eyes to look at Joshua.

“The Emperor, His Majesty the Emperor…….”

Unable to finish her words, the Empress sobbed. To Joshua, that appearance only felt detestable.

Of course, the Empress had played her role as a mother sufficiently well.

She had taken care of the Emperor on her own—the one who had no intention of abdicating nor any intention of meekly recognizing him as his successor.

But that didn’t mean he was only grateful.

Joshua knew what purpose the Empress had for killing the Emperor.

‘She must have decided he was no longer useful since he wouldn’t listen.’

It was the Emperor himself who had given absolute power into the Empress’s hands.

Yet she was a woman who would eliminate even such an Emperor if he displeased her.

Would it really be different because he was her son?

Joshua had seen more than enough precedents of what happened to those who went against the Empress’s will.

If he didn’t resist now, he would surely remain the Empress’s puppet emperor for life.

So he needed to move now.

While inwardly recoiling at the duplicitous nature of his mother, who was shedding false tears pretending to grieve the Emperor’s death, he affectionately embraced her.

It was his way of saying he would play along if she was going to perform for those watching.

“……From now on, you’ll need to listen carefully to my every word. Mother.”

At Joshua’s low whisper that suddenly came, the Empress’s sobbing stopped for a moment, but he paid no mind and slowly patted the Empress’s back.

So that to those unaware of the truth, it would look as if he was comforting the grieving Empress.

“Did you truly think I knew nothing at all?”

The Empress’s sobbing lowered again.

“Continue. If you wish to remain the forlorn wife who suddenly lost her husband.”

Joshua continued his act of the world’s most affectionate son while patting the Empress’s back.

As the Empress’s crying grew louder, Joshua looked at the attendant and said.

“I’m worried that Her Majesty the Empress might collapse at this rate. Call for His Majesty the Emperor’s physician. Mother seems to need some calming.”

“I understand, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

The attendant, wiping tears flowing down his cheeks, left the bedchamber.

Joshua gestured with his eyes to the others as well.

Once everyone remaining had left, only Joshua, the Empress, and the Emperor who had become a corpse remained in the bedchamber.

After sobbing for a while longer, the Empress suddenly pushed Joshua’s chest away and stepped back.

And glared at him.

“Just when! ……Since when have you known?”

Her appearance of lowering her voice so it wouldn’t leak outside only seemed pitiful in his eyes.

“How many listening ears and watching eyes do you think there are in the Imperial Palace?”

As if unable to contain her rising anger any longer at her son’s appearance of seemingly threatening his own mother, the Empress raised her arm as if to slap Joshua’s cheek.

But it ended in just an attempt.

Because Joshua caught her arm before the Empress could swing it.

The Empress’s gaze busily moved between her own arm caught by Joshua and his face.

Joshua simply watched those beautiful green eyes so similar to his own shake violently.

And spoke as if mocking her.

“I hope you’re not still treating me as if I were an immature child.”

The Empress roughly shook off Joshua’s hand with a menacing expression.

“Did you, did you plant spies on me…… Is that what you’re saying?”

“Isn’t it the very thing you’ve been doing all along, Mother? Since the moment I was born.”

“……!”

As if struck speechless, the Empress could only glare at Joshua with wide eyes. It was a rare sight indeed.

Staring intently at that appearance, Joshua leisurely opened his mouth.

“You’ve become too complacent, Mother. Haven’t you been rather careless lately?”

When he said that much, a presence was felt from the corridor.

“I don’t know whether you bribed or threatened him, but it must be the physician.”

“…….”

“The one who conspired in the murder of His Majesty the Emperor.”

The Empress stepped back in shock. That alone was answer enough. It had only been speculation and suspicion.

“You’d better be careful from now on. It was merely a guess, but seeing that expression, I’m now certain.”

Joshua approached the Empress slowly, showing her a sly smile.

“You, just what…….”

Embracing the confused woman, Joshua deliberately whispered softly.

“I learned all of this from you, Mother.”

The Empress squirmed, trying to escape from him.

But as the footsteps began to approach, she had no choice but to stop resisting and start sobbing again.

****

“What did they say was the cause of death?”

At Giselle Grante’s question, Kavelaseth answered while loosening his cravat.

“It appears to be natural causes.”

“So suddenly like this…….”

To the Emperor, family was merely a tool to wield at the opportune moment, and she was just one of the Emperor’s many tools.

To her as well, the Emperor was like an absolute ruler she had to please in order to survive, and she had never felt any father-daughter affection in her life.

Nevertheless, his sudden death didn’t bring pure joy.

Her feelings were somewhat peculiar.

‘I had something I wanted to ask.’

But now there was no one to direct that question to.

Because he had died before that. So easily, so absurdly, comfortably without suffering…….

Kavelaseth also wore an expression of not quite understanding.

“The physician said so. That the Emperor’s health had deteriorated recently. But it seems they were quite careful not to let it be known externally.”

When Giselle Grante had gone to the Imperial Palace recently, she had felt puzzled by the Emperor’s comfortable attire—he who always insisted on being perfect.

Naturally, she had also suspected whether something was wrong with his health.

But she had never imagined he would meet such a sudden death.

“…….”

To her, enveloped in shock and just staring blankly, Kavelaseth approached with a stride.

A shadow fell over her face. Only then did Giselle Grante slowly raise her head.

Kavelaseth was looking at her with one eyebrow raised crookedly.

“You look like you’re about to cry.”

“……Me?”

Giselle Grante, flustered, unconsciously averted his gaze.

Then Kavelaseth cupped her cheek and said.

“Was the shock that great?”

One of his eyebrows was still jutting up in displeasure, but his eyes revealed concern for her.

So Giselle Grante spoke honestly without hiding it.

“A little. No, I think I’m quite shocked. When I saw him just a few days ago, although he seemed a bit strange……. he didn’t look so precarious as if he might die any day.”

“……That’s true.”

Kavelaseth nodded slightly.

As if there was no disagreement that it was indeed a death that left questions.