Chapter 143: Chapter 143 Don’t come to Buttuwat River in the summer (1)
Initially, Wendy didn’t care very much about what the emperor said. As for the commoners, the class that occupied the majority of the empire population, the emperor spoke of them with love.
It was a metaphor with nothing special. However, what he said next changed her perception.
“Have you ever heard of the rumors that I am not the queen’s child? I was a bit distressed because of the rumors. Had the rumors been groundless, I wouldn’t have suffered, but the problem is that the rumors are true…”
“…! ”
“My biological mother was a craftsman who was trained as an apprentice under Rokasiz. Ah, Rokasiz is a famous violin master. ” The emperor laughed as he explained.
Wendy wasn’t sure if he was just kidding or telling the truth, so much so that she could not laugh or treat Emperor Isaac’s confession lightly.
“When the late emperor was the crown prince, he went to the summer palace of Charpenti and met her by chance. I still can’t understand how he was attracted to that woman, but her status didn’t matter to him, just like you and Sir Schroder… But that moment was fleeting. Eventually, the late emperor was destined to return to the capital and marry a noblewoman’s daughter. Isn’t it too obvious a story? Any play based on this kind of story would not likely be performed on any stage.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Isn’t it easy to imagine what happened next? After he returned to the capital, the crown prince was so lovesick that he visited her again, and finally, she got pregnant with a baby that should not have been born. It was really a dangerous thing for him because the crown prince’s first baby was an illegitimate child, and that the baby was born to a commoner woman! How could it be acceptable at that time? But thanks to the grace of the queen, my biological mother became her maid and got her protection. My sister and I were also protected by the queen, and could lead a life without any harassment by others. It was a miracle and at the same time a misery because the queen could not have a child any more after she miscarried a baby. The queen was pitiable. I thought she was my biological mother until I turned six. She cried, holding me. I didn’t know why she cried at that time, but I think I can understand her feelings a bit now. ”
“… ”
“This is my whole story. It’s about the origin of my birth.”
He stopped talking in front of the portrait of the late emperor. After hearing his story, Wendy had to frown her unconsciously and calm down her irregular breathing.
‘Was the emperor an illegitimate child like me?’
“That’s why I can’t just live while ignoring my people here because they are my mother, my sister, and myself. ”
“…I would like to know why you are revealing this to me,” she barely said.
“Well, I don’t know why I’m talking to you about myself… I don’t know why I’m babbling about my shameful story.”
He laughed heartily, as if he thought his confession was ridiculous.
“Wendy, I know one of your big secrets, so it wouldn’t be bad for you to tell me about it. You can use this as a weapon to stop me from coveting the power of your finger again. Don’t you think that’s fair?” He spoke casually.
She thought hard to find out why the emperor decided to reveal his painful past to her.
‘Isn’t it his intention to persuade me to use my index finger power by telling me the secret about his birth? Or does he want to have me around him for the rest of his life in return for sharing his secret?’
She recalled various assumptions like that, but none of them seemed valid.
However, when she erased such calculated thinking from her mind, she thought of one clear assumption. Perhaps he told her about his birth in order not to lose his initial determination to save the lives of common people and protect them.
“I wish that at least one person could understand this contradictory emperor.”
Emperor Isaac spoke, awkwardly touching his bangs. The more he touched them, the more his bangs were messed up. He bowed his head before the portrait of the late emperor.
His face was not wet, but she thought he was in tears, the most dry tears in the world. For him, even tears were contradictory, just like her past life.
“You can leave now. Rest,” said the emperor.
She wasn’t sure if she could leave him alone and go back. How could she walk away after she heard his secret story? She thought it would have been better if she hadn’t listened.
“… In the afternoon I’m going to pardon some of those jailed at Bagium Prison. Let me check the list again.”
He was referring to the emperor’s special pardon on the occasion of his inauguration. Traditionally the new emperor selected those who committed crimes for survival and pardoned them. But his pardon was put off because of the confused situation of the country. He turned his back and pulled the string on one side of the meeting room to call an assistant.
“Tell Behas to bring me a pardon list.”
The attendant went out immediately as his order.
Wendy, standing blankly, realized that she had nothing more to do here. She couldn’t tell him to forget what he had confided to her, or ask him to cheer up because she was an illegitimate child like him.
“Then I’m going to leave now.”
After saying goodbye to him, she turned with a heavy heart. Sir Dowain was waiting for her outside the meeting room. When she walked out of Kingsbray Palace with him, she saw a garden attached to the palace. The garden was not that large, given its status as the emperor’s garden. The palace was open in all directions for reasons of security. The large garden was useless in terms of the emperor’s safety.
“Shall we walk for a minute?”
“Sure.”
The two stepped inside the garden. Even though it was small, it was beautiful. She could feel that the gardener tended to it very carefully everywhere. She stood in front of a triangular-shaped boxwood tree past the cluster of fully blooming flowers. When she saw the tree with its fine branches cut out, she felt bitter.
Did the emperor say he gave up playing the violin? Like this tree, the emperor cut off some of his life to calibrate his life as the emperor. His biological mother’s apprenticeship to make a violin and his excellence as a violinist were probably not completely irrelevant.
What complicated thoughts did the late emperor have while watching Isaac growing up?
Didn’t he feel fear as well as sorrow? His concern must have played a decisive role in getting him to give up playing the violin. But was it really the best option?
Illegitimate child. Isaac would have made a lot of effort to get out of the dark shadow of that name, but at the same time he had some affection for his hidden past that was part of him.
His efforts to stabilize the lives of the common people were prompted by his warm considerations of his background. Obviously, he didn’t devise the new legislation to enhance the lives of the commoners just because he was conceited or he learned the ruling basics of the king.
His hidden past and his affection caused by it was not just limited to something political.
Wendy recalled some episodes involving him in the past.
Was it because of his background when he showed excessive interest in her when he first met her at Jerus Hall? Did he look at Lard and her with the hope that he could connect the two, something the late emperor and his biological mother could not achieve? Did he offer the title of baron as the reward for the winner for this reason?
It was only her own guesswork, but she felt heartbroken while reflecting on his past actions that bothered her. She felt he was pitiful, rather than sympathetic towards him.
“Sir Dowain, do me a favor.” Wendy turned to Pascal for help.
Pascal, who heard her story, looked at her strangely, but soon reassured her.
“Please wait, drinking a cup of tea. You look pale.”
She did as he wished. While waiting for him, she drank three or four cups of tea and took a rest, looking out the window. He came back by the time she meaninglessly turned around the mug with cold tea.
“Here it is. I had some trouble finding it. Indeed… he hid it deeply, ” he said as if he was whining.
She got up from her seat with a deep gratitude to him.
Immediately, she headed for the remains of Cheddar Palace.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m