Her Family (4)

He once again clung to his work to forget his resurfacing past resentment. Work served as his sole analgesic. He fixed his gaze on the documents in front of him, pushing aside his distracting thoughts. The emotions that had confused him gradually faded away.

Time passed again, and by the time he no longer felt unsettled when he looked at Kilianerisa as he did initially, the House of Hameln had become one of a kind in the Empire in terms of its power. So much so that it was even considered to be more significant than the imperial family itself.

“But then! How dare he insult the Duke of Hameln?!”

Bang!

Fabius slammed his fist against his desk in a fit of rage. The desk trembled, causing the neatly stacked documents to collapse. His aide, Vanesel, who was accustomed to this, calmly organized the scattered papers and remarked,

“Viscount Seitra is a man whose bluffs pierce the sky but lacks discretion. There’s no need for Your Excellency to take his empty words to heart.”

After meticulously wiping away a few droplets of ink that had splattered on the desk, Vanesel stepped back. Fabius, who had been looking at Vanesel, let out a sigh and shook his head.

“As if anyone doesn’t know that. The problem is that that wretch’s daughter might become the Empress.”

Originally, the House of Seitra was a humble family that no one could remember the name of. The difference in prestige between the two families was so great that they could not even speak to the Duke of Hameln under normal circumstances. However, there was one reason why he dared to defy the Duke of Hameln.

Lerian Seitra.

She was the illegitimate daughter of Viscount Seitra, a woman who had gained the favor of the Crown Prince, who was slated to become the next Emperor. Their relationship was so close that rumors of her being chosen as the next Empress were circulating, and naturally, Viscount Seitra’s nose was raised high.

If he had just been lofty, Fabius might have wrinkled his nose in disdain and ignored it. However, the problem was that arrogant bastard dared to mention his own family. Comparing the House of Hameln, a ducal family with a long history, to a family whose origin was not even clear! Where does he get the audacity to do such a thing?

As Fabius pondered how to put the arrogant bastard in his place, he suddenly heard the sound of a door creaking open. His gaze instinctively turned toward the direction of the noise, and his expression contorted.

“What are you doing here?”

A low, hushed voice emerged from the newcomer. Then, the crimson eyes, resembling his own, trembled slightly.

“I, I was just…”

“That’s not an answer, is it? I’m asking where you learned the habit of eavesdropping. No, forget it. I don’t want to waste my time on something useless. Just go.”

Even the mere sight of that face made his stomach churn. That’s why he wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.

However, Kilianerisa did not move her feet despite Fabius’s dismissal. They looked at each other, harboring no affection between them.

Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong. No, that wasn’t it. Her very existence was a sin, especially for revealing herself before him.

Under normal circumstances, she would have stiffened her expression and quickly left the place, but she remained silently standing without any intention of leaving. Fabius, as usual, began to spit out harsh words to her.

Then, at some point, she spoke.

“Father, you shouldn’t treat me like this, should you?”

It was a cold voice. Was this child, who had never dared to confront him like this before, now arguing with him? Fabius questioned whether he might have misheard.

“What?”

He nodded in her direction as if telling her to continue. After permission was granted, she opened her mouth again.

“I can fulfill your wishes, Father.”

“Wishes?”

“Yes. As you know, I am the legitimate daughter of Duke of Hameln.”

“And how does that matter?”

Fabius stared at her with displeasure, as if every moment of conversing with her made him unhappy. Kilianerisa, however, ignored her father’s gaze and continued to speak with a calm voice.

“If I aim to become the Empress, who could stop me?”

What on earth…

Fabius’ eyes, which had been full of questions, suddenly widened. Kilianerisa’s smile deepened as she watched her father’s confusion for the first time. However, her voice remained cold.

“I am not as useless as you may think, Father. So…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Fabius let out an exclamation.

“Right! That’s it! Haha, why didn’t I think of such a great idea?”

Indeed! It was a perfect way to put that arrogant Viscount Seitra in his place. Furthermore, if Kilianerisa truly became the Empress, the status of House of Hameln would rise as well. If that happened, she would stay in the palace, and he would no longer have to suffer by seeing her.

No matter how he looked at it, if it benefited him, there was no harm in it.

For the first time, he realized that she also had some useful qualities. He couldn’t contain his excitement as he spoke.

“I will see the Emperor soon and personally promote you as a candidate for Empress.”

Fabius turned his body and began rummaging through his drawer. The relevant documents were around here somewhere, right?

“Well, then, what about the engagement…”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I’ll take care of everything.”

His hand, which had been quickly rummaging through the drawer, stopped. He finally found it. With a satisfied smile, Fabius held the document and turned to Kilianerisa, who was still in the room. With a puzzled expression, he asked her.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

She looked at him with an expression that clearly held more words. She had a look that clearly conveyed her desire to take back what she had just said. However, he chose to ignore it. After all, this was a decision made for her and him.

He was vaguely aware that she liked the young master of the House of Etrom. That was why he had intended to arrange a marriage that she wanted. But now, an even better option had presented itself.

Was there any reason to refuse it?

Love was like a storm that could sweep in an instant and then disappear. No matter how intense the love might be, like the one he had for his deceased wife, it would eventually come to an end. He didn’t want his daughter, who resembled his wife, to experience that pain.

The love he had given everything for eventually betrayed him, while the power he now held had made him even more honorable.

Every experience he had gone through had become the definition of his life.

But Kilianerisa would never know of such definition. But don’t worry, I will lead you on the right path. He concealed such thoughts and continued to smile kindly at Kilianerisa, who was still looking at him with a fidgety gaze.

“As you said, it seems you have some use after all.”

However, despite his smile, his insides felt queasy, as if he might vomit at any moment. He wanted to chase her away immediately, but if he raised a fuss here, she might reject his proposal.

‘That won’t do.’

Fabius, who had a tense smile on his face, looked at her, who was faintly smiling. For a moment, he forgot that he should be smiling and stared at her blankly.

‘Ah, Arne…’

The name of the woman who had been the only one to stir his heart unwittingly escaped his lips. His heart ached. He hastily shifted his gaze back to the documents and turned away from her.

“Then, if there’s any need for you, I’ll call you. You can leave now.”

“…I understand.”

Only after he heard the sound of the door closing did he let his hand holding the documents drop weakly. His face revealed a complex and bewildered expression.

He felt very strange.

‘That’s not Arne.’

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to suppress his frantically pounding heart. However, his trembling heart didn’t know how to return to its normal rhythm.

***

Several months passed.

Fabius’s plan was executed in a matter of days.

The House of Hameln was a longstanding noble family that had been with the Empire since its inception. There was no reason for the Emperor to reject the Duke of Hameln, which had grown up alongside the imperial family’s history. Thanks to this, Kilianerisa quickly ascended to the position of Empress.

In the process, there was a minor hiccup in which Viscount Seitra’s daughter, who was the previously designated Empress, was ousted from her position. The look on Viscount Seitra’s face, who almost looked like he was about to cry, was so delightful that he wanted to capture it in an image stone and watch it over and over again.

Ever since Kilianerisa became Empress, the smile on Fabius’s face had not disappeared. He looked at the clear sky and thought of his deceased wife. His own daughter had become the second most noble person in the Empire. Surely, his wife would be pleased.

Yes, he had fulfilled his duty as a father. No other father, except himself, could elevate his daughter to the highest position in the Empire.

Several more years passed from then. Despite holding the honor and power second only to the Emperor, he didn’t let go of his responsibilities. As a result, he spent less time talking to his children, and the only time he had conversations with them was during dinner. Even then, it often got interrupted due to his busy schedule.

The time when he felt like he might go mad just by thinking of his wife had long passed, so he didn’t need to be so obsessed with work anymore. Yet, he never took a break, as it had become a habit that left him feeling anxious whenever he rested.

But that didn’t mean he had no purpose.

He may have neglected spending time with his children, and he could find excuses, but he genuinely wished for their happiness. He believed that only happy people could make others happy.

At that point, he realized that he had been mistaken. He wasn’t a happy person. In fact, was he ever truly alive? From the moment his wife died, he had been nothing more than a living corpse. A living corpse could not make his children happy.

All he could do was accumulate wealth and honor to provide them a foundation to cultivate their own happiness.