Time was passing swiftly. The heat was at its peak, and Ail’s coming-of-age ceremony was nearing its end. The thought that tonight would finally mark the conclusion of a meaningless banquet with distant relatives lightened Ail’s heart considerably. Once tomorrow’s final banquet with the nobles was over, the coming-of-age ceremony would be fully completed, and Ail could officially begin governing as a regent.

While changing into formal attire for the last day of the ceremony, Ail was surprised by the sudden visit of the Empress, Adiba Jenin. He quickly dressed and prepared to greet her.
“What brings you here?”
As Ail adjusted his attire and asked Adiba, who had entered the room looking worn-out, she suggested they talk for a moment. Adiba, now entering middle age, still retained much of her beauty despite a slight shadow over her features. Before Tasha became a concubine, she had been the Emperor’s favorite, largely due to her striking appearance. However, after being abandoned by the Emperor, her family’s fall from grace, coupled with the Emperor’s illness, had left her looking increasingly unwell.

Since his mother rarely sought him out, Ail offered her a seat and dismissed the attendants who had been helping him dress. He then took a seat across from her.
“If you had something to discuss, you could have called for me.”
Ail smiled brightly as he spoke, prompting Adiba to sigh.
“I’ve been sending messages since yesterday, but you’ve been busy,” she said, her tone faintly reproachful.
Feigning realization, Ail replied as if he had just remembered.
“Oh, I apologize. I’ve been so caught up with the ceremony that I completely forgot. There’s been so much to handle.”
“Yes, it’s a busy time. But no matter how hectic it gets, you should have consulted me about the engagement.”

Her words carried an edge. Adiba still hadn’t let go of her attachment to Erita, her niece and the last hope of the Jenin family. She had planned to use Erita’s position as Crown Princess to restore the family’s standing, and she clearly resented how those plans had fallen apart. Even though Erita was missing, she couldn’t hide her disappointment at Ail’s swift decision to break off the engagement.

More than anything, Adiba disliked Salina. To be precise, she despised Salina’s ambition. She worried that if such an ambitious woman became the Crown Princess, she would inevitably clash with her, and in doing so, Salina—backed by the powerful Astro and Kaizel families—might overshadow her.

Ail understood her thoughts perfectly. That’s precisely why he had avoided consulting her about the engagement.
“I should have informed you sooner; that was my oversight. But surely you agree that the Crown Princess’s position can’t remain vacant any longer. And the Astro family is a respectable house.”
“Was this the suggestion of Commander—or rather, Ruth Kaizel?”
At the sudden mention of his name, Ail’s smile vanished. Adiba seemed convinced that Ruth had influenced this engagement. It wasn’t a far-fetched assumption, given that Salina was the sister in law of Eilen, Ruth’s eldest brother. With the Kaizel daughter already married and even Leia engaged to Jessie for four years, it was natural for her to suspect the Kaizel family had recommended Salina.

Seeing through her intentions, Ail felt slightly offended. It was unpleasant enough to have his decisions questioned, but her hostility toward Rus bothered him even more.
“That’s not the case. Ruth never interferes in such matters. You’ve known him long enough to understand that.”
“Yes, I know. He’s a quiet child. That’s why I didn’t object when you took him in. He didn’t seem like someone who would cause a stir in the palace out of jealousy or pillow talk. But there’s no guarantee it will stay that way. He’s in the northern palace now, isn’t he?”
“…Yes.”
“People are capable of anything to protect their interests or their families. I’ve heard unsettling rumors. Did he harm your face?”
“No. Nothing like that happened.”
“Are you telling the truth?”
“Yes, it didn’t happen.”
“What about the rumors of a hunger strike? And two weeks ago, that abduction incident—wasn’t it actually an escape attempt by him?”

At those words, Ail’s expression hardened completely. Two weeks ago, the mobilization of the capital’s military to capture Ruth had ultimately been explained as an incident in which Elsen and Erita abducted Ruth while he was out. Kamiel’s order of house arrest had been framed as a punishment for being by Ruth’s side yet failing to prevent the kidnapping, and the deployment of soldiers near the Kaizel estate was similarly attributed to Elsen and Erita’s proximity. But how did she know the full story in such detail? She even seemed aware of the commotion caused by Ruth and himself. It left a bitter taste.

“Are you investigating me?” Ail asked.
“You’re still young. You could make mistakes if you let your emotions cloud your judgment, so I have no choice but to keep an eye on things. What do you plan to do? At a time when your father’s illness is so grave, you’ve let things get this out of hand because you can’t even manage a single concubine.”

The word concubine struck a nerve with Ail.
“Ruth is not my concubine.”
“True, it’s not proper to call him a concubine since he hasn’t officially entered the palace. I’ve turned a blind eye to whoever you’ve brought into your chambers until now. It’s thanks to that leniency that you’ve managed to survive thus far. But not anymore. Enough is enough. If you’ve enjoyed yourself, then end it now. There’s no need to keep someone in the palace who can’t even bear you children.”

“…”

“If you must bring in a concubine, make it a woman. Choose young ladies from good families— the more, the better—and take your time selecting them. I’ve heard you showed some interest in Ariel last time. If she suits your tastes, you could bring her to the palace when she’s of age. As for men, keep it to a single night of indulgence—no one will say much about that. But you must have sons. The more, the better. Only then will there be no talk of pushing Nathan as the next emperor.”

Adiba’s sudden interference, after a history of never meddling in Ail’s affairs, made his expression turn icy. She knew full well what kind of person her son Nathan was. That was why she had stayed out of Ail’s way, no matter what foolish or reckless acts he committed. She understood that Ail’s gaze always remained cold and unyielding, and she knew that he was a deeply flawed individual. In the past, she had even gone out of her way to avoid him.

Though he was the emperor’s only legitimate heir, and thus a vital lifeline for her ambitions, she had never been able to develop any affection for him because of his chilling demeanor. She had also believed that Ail could handle everything on his own.

Her sudden active involvement now had only one purpose. As Ail transitioned to regency following his coming-of-age ceremony, she sought to remind him of her position and reassert her status within the palace. By presenting herself as “Mother” to Ail, she aimed to reclaim the authority she had lost to Tasha and solidify her standing in the imperial harem. Managing Ail’s concubines was the first step in this plan. She intended to oversee them until Ail took an official consort, and even then, she planned to control the harem.

She was still young, and strengthening her influence within the palace was her best course of action.

But Ail thought otherwise.
“I will not take concubines.”
“What?”