280

Very few people were aware of the child's existence, and most of them believed he had died shortly after birth. Although the imperial court wished to keep the child as a "substitute" for the crown prince, Regina lived in constant dread. She knew it was only a matter of time until he would be taken away from her and silenced forever. She endured her days in the palace like a prisoner, bound to a fate that seemed cruel beyond measure. Each day, she prayed for an end to her torment, hoping without hope that they would simply end her suffering by killing her child.She continued to serve Empress Cayetana for as long as she could hide the growing swell of her stomach. The empress ensured that no one suspected her pregnancy. As her time drew near, Regina was confined to a chamber, hidden away from curious eyes, while everybody else was informed that she had retired to her hometown to rest.

A mere two days after giving birth, she was forced back into the empress's service, attending to Cayetana's needs from dawn until dusk. Once night fell, she returned to her chamber where her baby awaited, starved and crying. Even then, she could only breastfeed him briefly under the watchful eyes of the empress's loyal aides or knights, forbidden to feed for more than a brief moment.

Desperate, Regina eventually knelt at Cayetana's feet and pleaded, "If you mean to starve him to death, then I shall not offer him my breast. I beg you... release me from this torment."

The empress had responded with a smile, "I cannot allow that. Though his blood may be tainted, he remains a precious son of the emperor, and his life has its uses."

Regina had been but seventeen at the time; the weight of her situation crushed her. Each night, her child's cries echoed through the small chamber, and she sobbed alongside him until the sun rose, helpless to offer him comfort. She could neither sleep nor breastfeed him properly, ordered only to keep him silent.

She simply didn't know what to do with the baby. Some days, she wished he would die in her absence, that his death might free her from this nightmare. On other days, she entertained thoughts of ending both their lives, longing for escape.

Only one person turned a blind eye even if she nursed her child longer than permitted-the young knight who always watched her with an unreadable emotion in his eyes. When she once made a clumsy attempt to take her own life in a moment of utter despair, he had simply disposed of the evidence after cautioning her that failure would only bring her greater suffering. That was the first time she realized there was a certain skill required in order to kill herself.

And so, Regina lived in a haze of misery, unable to even find escape in death. She spent every night holding her child and begging him to stay silent, then she had to rush over to serve Cayetana when it was daybreak. Yet, she could manage a smile whenever her child's belly was full, thanks to the knight's generosity. The small chamber, in those brief hours, seemed almost palatial when her baby nestled close to her in his sleep, and the long nights passed by in a blink. When the dawn came and she had to return to her duties, her chest ached like she was leaving her own heart behind.

One day, as she assisted the empress with her hair, a sudden, violent urge took hold of her-a desire to wrap her hands around Cayetana's slender neck and squeeze until life left her. Although it was a terrible, traitorous thought, Regina felt no kind of excitement.

Over time, a strange calmness settled in her heart. She performed her duties as Cayetana's loyal lady-in-waiting, suppressing the growing hatred that festered within her. She bowed her head with a polite smile whenever she saw the emperor laugh joyfully, though she wanted to drive a dagger to his face. She loathed the emperor with every fiber of her being, internally cursing him and resenting the fact that her life had been completely ruined simply because she had pleasured the vile man for a few fleeting days.

Still, she ate whenever she got the chance, even though food tasted like dirt in her mouth. She feared that without it, she would be unable to breastfeed her child. He was no longer an infant, but she wasn't allowed to feed him anything beyond her milk, so it was all she had left to give.

One evening, Cayetana had indulged far too freely in her wine and sneered, "I have no doubt she will be perfectly fine even if her miserable child dies one day. considering just how much food she shoves in her mouth while her own son is withering away.

What kind of mother does that?" She paused, letting the venomous words linger before adding with a mocking laugh, "A sow, surely, but a reasonable one, wouldn't you agree?"

Her lover, always eager to appease her whims, responded, "Indeed, Your Majesty. Regina is incredibly faithful and loyal."

A wide smile spread across Cayetana's face. "Perhaps I should pay the mongrel a visit," she said, her voice lilting with malicious amusement.

At that time, Regina's son had just turned three. However, his frail frame made him appear far younger, almost a twig compared to Oscar, who was only a year his senior.

The empress stood before the child and stared at him with disgust in her eyes. "A substitute for my precious Oscar..." she murmured as she studied his attire. Regina had made them herself with pieces of fabric she took from her own dress. Although her sewing skills left much to be desired, the richness of the fabric made the clothes look decently presentable. Yet, under Cayetana's gaze, he looked like a pitiful orphan from the slums.

"It seems you've done exactly as I ordered," the empress said, her lips curling into a thin smile. "He cannot even speak at his age-how fitting."

Regina remained silent, her eyes lowered.

"Personally, I would like it if he lagged behind for just a few more years... That's not such a terrible thing to wish, is it, Regina?"

Contrary to Regina's expectations, Cayetana did not display any kind of hatred or malicious intent as she looked at the child that should have been killed at birth. Although she had initially told the imperial court that she would gladly keep the child, there was an arrogant look to her face which made it obvious that she wasn't willing to let anybody replace her precious Oscar.

In that moment, Regina realized her suffering would come to an end in the near future. From that day on, she leaned close to her son every night and whispered to him, even though he hadn't been allowed to acquire the skill of speech, "Remember, your mother's name is Regina Merillo. You must remember this, darling. Regina Merillo... But you cannot tell anyone..."

***

Bit by bit, Miguel began to recover. At some point, he even regained the ability to hold conversations with others. Isabella, who had been anxiously hovering near Miguel's room whenever she had the energy to do so, quickly bounced back to her normal state as if she had been waiting for her son. His progress was miraculous indeed, considering he had stopped responding to anybody after falling out the window and suffering through several major seizures.

At this time, Isabella belatedly began to teach Inés how to manage the internal affairs of the estate. During one of these lessons, Inés suggested having supper with the entire family that evening, and Isabella had hesitantly agreed, which was how all of the Escalantes found themselves sitting around the dining table.

They had never gathered for such an occasion before, even though Cárcel and Inés had been in Mendoza for quite some time. This was mainly due to the fact that the two of them had left the capital right after their wedding ceremony, not to mention that Miguel had been in a terrible state when they finally returned to Mendoza.

Inés found her own mood reflecting Isabella's, who seemed to be feeling quite upbeat. It felt like they finally had peace, despite how unstable it felt.

The duke chuckled and nodded when Inés brought up some minor gossip that had found her ears while she was in the palace. "Yes, that's typical for their family. They have always been a bit unhinged...all of the sons, and probably the daughter as well. It would be a waste of your precious time to interact with them."

Isabella seemed uncharacteristically tense despite her excitement. Although Cárcel was politely smiling and commenting when it was appropriate, he kept a close eye on Miguel as if he was waiting for his brother to snap and do something foolish.

"Ah... There is something I forgot to mention," Cárcel said suddenly. "I'm afraid I cannot delay my return to Calztela any longer." 

Inés didn't notice anything strange even as he spoke -after all, he should have returned to his post many days ago.

However, something about the duke's face changed immediately, and the air between him and his son turned incredibly tense. Inés and Isabella noticed this shift almost simultaneously.

Funnily enough, Miguel remained completely calm, his mind completely separate from what was going on around the dining table. The duke looked at Miguel with a slight scowl on his face and snapped,

"Miguel."

"Yes, father," Miguel responded quietly.

"Now that we are on this issue... When are you planning on returning to El Ledequilla?"

After a short pause, Miguel said, "I am not sure."

Anger began to bleed into the duke's voice. "Your brother barely managed to have you excused for deserting your post, and he has asked for a few more days' grace so many times that it is ridiculous! If you are not planning on letting your life go down the drain, stop-"

"Juan," Isabella interrupted as she reached out to gently hold her husband's hand.

However, the duke shook his head as if to signal his patience had run out. "I want you to enter an engagement before leaving for El Ledequilla."

For a moment, the room was so silent that it resembled a crypt more than anything else. Inés glanced back and forth between Cárcel and Miguel, her eyes wide open in a rare display of shock. But all of Cárcel's attention was fixated on Miguel, whose face was eerily calm.

The duke continued, "This marriage should benefit you as well. Her Majesty has personally-"

Before he could finish, Miguel sprung out of his seat, sending his chair spinning back.

"Miguel!" Isabella cried out in alarm.

At the same time, the duke barked, "Sit down!"

But Miguel impulsively picked up the cutlery and moved to throw them onto the table. Cárcel rushed over to him and grabbed his arm.

The duke managed to maintain a mask of calmness as he continued, "Dolores has agreed to be your bride, even though all of Mendoza knows of your abnormal state-"

"Dolores? You must have lost your mind!" Miguel snapped venomously.

Isabella froze where she stood, holding her husband's arm, her eyes wide with disbelief. Miguel had always been a good, obedient son, but now his voice was colder than she had ever heard it.

"You are the only madman here, Miguel! There isn't a single nobleman in his right mind who would allow their daughters to marry you now," the duke spat back. "Dolores is His Majesty's only daughter. If this is because she is a Signorelli-"

"I don't give a damn if she's a Signorelli!" Miguel snarled.

Cárcel finally decided to step in. "Contain yourself, Miguel. There is no need for this outburst," he said calmly.

His words seemed to have had the opposite effect. In a fit of rage, Miguel picked up his wine glass and hurled it across the room. The glass shattered against the wall right next to the duke. Isabella jolted in surprise, her breath catching in her throat, though the duke' remained unnervingly composed, even as Miguel began to huff angrily and smashed another glass against the table. Inés shot to her feet, recognizing his intent to cut himself. However, the events unfolded too quickly for her to intervene.

"Cárcel!" Isabella screamed, her voice piercing the air.

Blood began to drip from Cárcel's hand.