Chapter 7. The Shiny Apple
“This isn’t right.”
A soft voice murmured.
“What do you mean it’s not right…?”
A slightly younger-sounding voice asked carefully.
“None of our plans are going well. That’s really not right.”
“But the princess will marry the duke and leave the capital. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Of course, that’s true… but how long will that last?”
“Then what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking something more effective. We should try what failed before. This time, we can get a different result.”
The soft voice came to a close.
“Send an assassin to Princess Ailish.”
To end someone’s life.
* * *
Ahntrus had barely gotten a fussy Julia back to sleep early in the morning.
He came to the palace because of the emperor’s command.
The emperor wanted to see him before meeting with the other nobles.
It wasn’t an official meeting—he wanted something more private.
The emperor was wary of Cloveus’s power.
No—he was wary of all powerful noble families in the empire.
So, it was best to comply with his request to avoid suspicion.
That’s also why Ahntrus had married Elia in the first place.
The emperor wanted his loyal relative, Elia, to marry well and gain favor in high society.
Ahntrus was the perfect “shiny apple” he had chosen.
Now, what would the emperor ask of him this time?
“Have you eaten, Duke Cloveus?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How is your health these days?”
“Thanks to your concern, I’m well.”
“And your wife?”
The emperor smiled mysteriously.
Ahntrus frowned slightly.
Recently, more and more people were taking interest in Elia.
Now, even the emperor.
Ahntrus’s voice dropped naturally.
“She hasn’t opened her eyes yet, but she seems to be recovering. I believe she will wake soon.”
The emperor froze.
The calm smile on his face cracked slightly.
“Even so, we can’t keep the duchess’s seat empty forever, can we?”
Ahntrus clenched his teeth.
In the end, the emperor had the same goal as the others.
He wanted to claim the duchess’s seat of Cloveus.
Did he even realize that seat belonged to his own niece?
Ahntrus’s eyes darkened.
“…”
“So I have a good proposal. You know Elia is my niece.”
As if he didn’t already know.
Ahntrus lowered his eyes to hide his displeasure.
“Since I arranged that marriage, it’s only right that I also take care of what comes after.”
“…”
“And since Elia has a child… by law, a cousin can take her place in this situation.”
So.
“I want to send Princess Ailish…”
Princess Ailish.
“I want her to become the second wife of Duke Cloveus.”
As his second wife.
Cloveus’s lips tightened.
Once again, the emperor was trying to trade the position of duchess.
“…But I heard Princess Ailish was engaged to Daniel of Siegfried.”
“Lord Siegfried gave up on that himself. He already agreed to it.”
In short, they thought the princess wasn’t good enough for Daniel anymore.
Ahntrus’s frown deepened.
The emperor was openly using the princess as a bargaining chip.
He’d seen nobles do this countless times, but it still disgusted him.
Ahntrus bowed his head.
“But Your Majesty, this would damage the princess’s honor. And… I’m still a married man.”
“No, no. Under Imperial law, a person in a coma isn’t considered living. So you’re not married anymore.”
“Your Majesty… my wife is still alive!”
“Duke Cloveus. I know it’s sad what happened to Elia. But we must let go of those who are already gone.”
The emperor said gently.
But Ahntrus knew he was hiding his true intentions behind that calm tone.
“Duke Cloveus. This is a great honor. You’d be marrying into the royal family. And this is something the princess herself wants.”
That meant if he refused, it would look like he was rejecting the princess—and defying the emperor.
Ahntrus stared at the floor, pale.
‘The princess wants it.’
If the royal family’s precious princess wanted it, the emperor would push hard.
She was said to be spoiled and deeply loved by the royal family.
They didn’t even let her go outside often.
But what if she changed her mind?
Then Ahntrus might have a chance to refuse.
So maybe it was better to try and convince the princess herself.
Ahntrus bit his lip.
If that didn’t work…
‘Then I’d rather become a priest.’
Priests don’t marry.
But there would be many sacrifices.
He’d be restricted in work and have to live in the temple.
Still, if he couldn’t protect Elia’s place, that seemed better.
“…Since Her Highness wants it, I have no choice, Your Majesty.”
“I’m glad Duke Cloveus understands me.”
The emperor laughed cheerfully.
Unlike the frowning Ahntrus, he looked very pleased.
Ahntrus’s fists trembled with anger.
‘Elia…!’
Maybe the first time was the emperor’s doing, but not this time.
Ahntrus had no intention of giving Elia’s place to anyone.
‘Please… let me protect you now.’
A deep resentment toward the royal family started to rise.
* * *
News that Ahntrus would visit the palace reached Ailish and me.
I anxiously paced around the room.
Ailish, watching me, spoke.
[If you want to see him so badly, just go. The palace has lots of secret places. You can even spy on the emperor’s private talks. Want me to take you? There’s a secret passage.]
I hesitated.
Was that even a place I could go?
Ahntrus came to the palace because the emperor summoned him.
Most likely, the emperor called him to arrange our marriage—just like I had asked.
If Ahntrus agreed right away, wouldn’t that hurt?
[Or maybe… you don’t want to go? Afraid to see if he takes the bait too easily? What if he says yes right away? Wouldn’t that hurt? Why go out of your way to hurt yourself?]
Ailish smiled like she had read my thoughts.
“I’m not trying to get hurt…”
I tried to argue back but quickly shut my mouth.
Why am I so easy to read?
The maids around me looked puzzled.
I closed my mouth tightly, then spoke in a tired tone.
“Everyone, leave me.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I want to be alone. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
I said coldly.
The truth was, I really did want to go spy on their conversation.
But I needed the maids gone to do that.
The maids and servants exchanged subtle glances.
They seemed to be deciding whether it was okay to leave me alone.
They made their decision quickly.
It made sense to let me be.
Even if Ailish wasn’t truly loved in private, on the surface, she was still a princess.
Once everyone left, only Ailish and I remained.
Following her signal, I locked the door.
Then I tied a string to the doorknob and held the end—just in case someone tried to open it.
[See that flowerpot? Move it. That wall isn’t just a wall.]
I tapped the wall as Ailish said and opened the hidden door.
Ailish giggled behind me.
[See? You should’ve just gone earlier. You still have feelings, don’t you?]
Ah, I do not!
I punched the air.
Ugh, she’s so annoying!
But Ailish just followed me closely, grinning.
[Let’s go together! You don’t even know the way—no, not that way. This way.]
“You seem to know your way around?”
[If I have to live with rotten apples, I better know my way.]
Ailish smirked.
‘What is she hiding now?’
I sighed at her sneaky smile.
The more I knew her, the more I realized she was hiding a lot.
I wanted to find out what “rotten apple” lay inside her one day.
Soon, we reached our destination.
“…Princess Ailish…”
I heard a voice and pressed my ear to the wall quickly.
Ailish floated nearby.
[You can hear it, right?]
“Shh!”
I signaled her to be quiet.
“I want to send her to Duke Cloveus as his second wife.”
I held my breath.
What would Ahntrus say?
After a pause, I heard him respond.
“…I heard the princess is engaged to Daniel of Siegfried.”
He didn’t accept the emperor’s offer.
He was turning it down.
My heart, which had been stiff with worry, began to beat softly again.
[How do you feel? Happy?]
I glared at Ailish for interrupting the moment.
Then I heard the emperor speak again, still trying.
“Lord Siegfried gave up. He already agreed.”
“But this would hurt the princess’s honor. And I’m still a married man, Your Majesty.”
“No, no. The law doesn’t consider coma patients alive. So you’re not married anymore.”
“Your Majesty… my wife is still alive!”
Is he really being loyal?
I was surprised by how firm he sounded.
“Duke Cloveus. I know what happened to Elia is sad. But you need to let her go.”
The emperor pushed harder.
It sounded like a threat. It probably was.
“Duke Cloveus. This is a great honor. You’d be marrying into the royal family. And the princess wants it too.”
“…If Her Highness truly wishes it, I have no choice, Your Majesty.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
I took my ear off the wall.
I had heard everything I needed to.
Ahntrus didn’t give in until the emperor practically forced him.
[So, how do you feel?]
Ailish asked, amused.
“I feel… strange.”
I finally answered.
It really did feel strange.
“I don’t even know why I wanted to check…”
[I know why. Ahntrus will come to see you soon.]
Ailish whispered with a smile in her voice.
I just sat there, thinking over Ahntrus’s words.
‘He refused the marriage…’
And then I remembered what he said before our first wedding.
‘I will always keep my promise to you.’
Somehow, he didn’t feel like the same Ahntrus I once knew.
It felt truly… strange.
