Exploitation

The whole world came to a halt.

Unrealistic words echoed endlessly in his mind.

Clayton kept replaying the nonsensical words spoken by the woman wiping her tears before him.

She died while giving birth? Does that mean Dalia is dead?

Clayton slowly asked again, unable to believe the news. But the answer remained unchanged.

"It's truly a sad event... I was so shocked. My hands are still trembling, and my heart feels torn apart."

Rose wiping her tears with a trembling voice looked genuinely sorrowful.

"A letter arrived from Lloyd. It contained news of the duchess's death along with strands of hair. He also wrote a farewell message, saying he had no intention of returning to the empire."

As Rose continued speaking, it was Jason who broke the silence in place of the speechless Clayton.

"Then what about the child? What happened to the child the lady gave birth to?"

Rose, lowering her gaze as if expecting the question, answered slowly.

"…The child also could not see the light of this world."

"How could this be…"

Jason sighed in disbelief at the news. It was truly a horrific and tragic event.

Rose glanced at the shocked Jason before turning her gaze to examine Clayton's face.

The man was frozen stiff. Like someone with a paralyzed face, no emotion was evident on his expression.

He must be in shock. She handed the letter she had brought to Clayton to bring closure to the situation.

"This is the letter Lloyd sent me… Truly, it's also so hard for me to accept this situation."

Just as Rose spoke with a trembling voice, wiping her tears, the man's lips, which seemed sealed forever, finally parted.

"You're spouting nonsense."

"What do you mean…"

Clayton, scanning the letter with a cold gaze, tossed the paper onto the desk.

"Do you expect me to believe the words written on this scrap of paper? A letter with a few strands of hair as supposed evidence?"

"I understand your feelings, Duke. It must be hard to accept this situation. But, Duke, my brother Lloyd is not someone who would speak recklessly about the duchess's death."

Lloyd was not the kind of child who would tell such lies, and Rose was sure of that. However, Clayton seemed to think otherwise.

"If what you're saying is true, bring Lloyd to me directly. And in front of my eyes, Dalia's…"

After hesitating for a moment, he continued.

"…corpse. Don't try to deceive me with just a few lines of text."

"But I can't send a reply. I already tried, but I couldn't determine where it was sent from, and it seems precautions were taken to avoid any possible tracking."

Lloyd, who vowed never to return to the empire, had erased any possible traces before sending the letter to Rose. This was something Clayton had somewhat anticipated.

"Then there's no more value in listening to this."

Clayton, rising from his seat, turned to look out the window and called Jason in a low voice.

Jason, understanding his intention, approached Rose.

"For now, please come with me."

In the past, she wouldn't have let go of this rare opportunity to face the Duke, but now things were different. With Dalia gone, Rose felt calmer than ever and obediently followed Jason.

The day she could freely come and go from this house as if it were her own was not far away.

And so, the once chaotic study returned to an icy stillness.

Clayton, who had been standing rigidly, staggered slightly.

Gripping the window frame, he barely managed to steady himself.

Once he was left alone, the ominous thoughts he had been suppressing began to rise to the surface.

"Dalia is dead?"

Was he supposed to believe those words? In a voice that seemed like it would release a hollow laugh, he muttered quietly.

Yet, contrary to his words, his pupils were already trembling violently.

The corpse of his stepmother, who had died giving birth in the past, flashed before his eyes.

And as that image surfaced, an idea he didn't want to believe came to mind.

"If the child Dalia was carrying really… was my child."

And if that's why they couldn't overcome the curse of the Seiyer family and died.

Then what am I supposed to do?

The strength in his legs, which had barely been holding him up, gave out.

It was agonizing.

He had said he wouldn't believe it until he saw it with his own eyes, but all kinds of ominous imaginations began to eat away at him.

"Dalia…"

In the end, everything he had been holding back collapsed completely.

* * *

Inside the imperial palace of the Granos Empire.

Against the backdrop of the snow-covered scenery outside, Alexion's lips twisted as he read the letter.

"Dalia is dead."

The letter was from Rose. Since he had once allied with the crown prince, it contained important news for him as well.

He leaned back in his chair, repeating the contents of the letter to himself.

According to Rose, Dalia had died giving birth. The child, too, had died before even opening its eyes. But he didn't believe those words.

If it was a fabrication to avoid the eyes of Duke Seiyer, that might be another matter. As his thoughts reached that conclusion, a satisfied smile formed on his lips.

If that were true, it would mean Rose had successfully given Dalia the medicine he provided.

Because that medicine was…

Just as Alexion was continuing his thoughts about the medicine, an unexpected visitor appeared.

"Alexion."

It was the Empress. Entering her son's room, she stood before him with a serious expression.

Without any preamble, she questioned him directly.

"I heard that 'it,' which was strictly managed in the imperial pharmacy, has disappeared. Was it your doing?"

"If by 'it,' you mean…"

Watching her son feign ignorance, the Empress frowned and replied.

"The medicine. The one that creates the symbol of the imperial family."

The golden medicine was one of the greatest secrets of the Granos imperial family.

In truth, the claim that the descendants of the Granos imperial family were born with golden hair and jewel-like eyes was a lie.

It was merely a ploy to deify the royal family and strengthen their authority.

Even for those born of the imperial bloodline, the color of their hair and eyes would naturally vary if they didn't take the medicine.

In other words, even someone without the imperial bloodline could possess the traits of the royal family by consuming the medicine.

Usually, the Empress would consume the medicine while pregnant, and the sons born from such women would all have golden hair and jewel-like eyes.

Only the Emperor, the Empress, the Crown Prince as the heir, and the royal physician knew about this secret—an extremely limited number even within the royal family.

But now, one of the medicines that should have been securely stored in a hidden chamber had disappeared.

This meant that even a beggar's child born on the streets could become a member of the royal family, a matter of grave concern.

The Empress, upon hearing this news, couldn't help but suspect her son first.

His recent behavior and the series of events involving the Seiyer ducal family had been enough to fuel her suspicions.

Frustrated by Alexion's lack of response, she repeated herself to him.

"Did you really take it? If you stole that medicine and used it for malicious purposes, I'll have no choice but to inform His Majesty of this!"

Just as the usually calm Empress raised her voice, Alexion broke his silence and responded.

"I don't understand what you're saying. I don't know what it is, but it wasn't me. Why would I take that medicine?"

"That's…"

"Don't worry. I'll meet with George next time and figure out the situation."

George was the royal physician and the person who knew the secrets of the imperial family best. He was also someone the Empress trusted the most. Alexion continued speaking as if to calm her down.

"So, don't worry, Mother. There's nothing for you to be concerned about."

It wasn't a misuse, after all.

A cold smile spread across his lips.