As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 217

“U-Unanimous.”

 

“Really? I thought at least one vote would go the other way, but everyone was wise. Haha!” The emperor laughed loudly, but none of the voting officials in the conference room could bring themselves to laugh.

 

The attendant spoke hesitantly. “That, Your Majesty… Forgive my impertinence, but those votes are not against but in agreement with the crown prince’s proposal.”

 

“…What?”

 

The emperor’s expression hardened. He stood up abruptly and approached the attendant. He snatched all the ballots from his hands and checked them himself. Every paper had a circle drawn on it.

 

“How could this happen? Did you all vote incorrectly? This can’t be right. How could this result come to be? There must be some manipulation at play, some manipulation…!”

 

Edward spoke calmly, his face unruffled. “So, the result is out. Your Majesty, you will proceed with the confirmation of the imperial family’s legitimacy through the magic stone before the citizens and nobles tomorrow.”

 

“It can’t be! The crown prince must have done something!” The emperor shouted in denial, but he wasn’t the only one surprised. All those who supported the emperor were equally shocked and frozen in place.

 

I thought at least one or two votes would go to the emperor… However, the fact that no one cast a dissenting vote was evidence that they all shared the same thoughts.

 

Recently, there had been strange rumors circulating within the palace.

 

The emperor is not of imperial blood.

 

The story, which started with the attendants, quickly spread throughout the entire capital. Even the emperor’s supporters, hiding behind the anonymity of the vote, had chosen Edward, and the reason was clear.

 

The crown prince wouldn’t propose something like this without any reason, would he?

 

If the emperor somehow passed the legitimacy test until now but isn’t actually of imperial blood…. We could end up being labeled as traitors who helped assassinate the late emperor and his close aides.

 

Even if the emperor passes the test, he’s an emotional person. A few days of appeasement should be enough to get back in his good graces.

 

Edward was a meticulous person who never proceeded without justification. In contrast, the emperor handled everything emotionally. It wasn’t difficult to become his closest confidant by catering to his whims, and even if you angered him, you could usually smooth things over and escape trouble once or twice. Naturally, Edward’s opinion carried more weight.

 

When combined with the rumors that the emperor might not be of imperial blood, even the emperor’s supporters leaned toward Edward, thinking they could appease the emperor later. But when the result came back as unanimous, they were all taken aback.

 

Those disloyal, ungrateful scoundrels!

 

Though it was akin to spitting in their own faces, the emperor’s supporters were now busy blaming each other, realizing that if the emperor was found to be innocent, it would be even harder to appease his wrath.

 

Reiad also sided with Edward for the same reason. Having observed the emperor up close, he had witnessed the emperor’s sensitivity and anxiety many times. Previously, he had thought these traits were due to the lack of proper care from the empress dowager, but if the reason was that the emperor wasn’t of imperial blood, it all made sense.

 

How ridiculous. He mocked himself internally.

 

Reiad, like other emperor supporters, despised those who were not of noble blood. However, his reasons were different. Unlike those who were driven purely by a sense of noble privilege, Reiad feared that associating with those of illegitimate blood might expose his own half-servant heritage, leading to the loss of his noble status and forcing him to live as a commoner. That was why he scorned Maxion, who had lived as a commoner under a courtesan mother, and why he was wary of getting too close to Edward, who was dethroned due to suspicions about his lineage.

 

The thought of them entering his sphere, shaking Luize, and threatening him, a member of the emperor’s faction, was terrifying. He feared that his noble life would end. That he would end up living a miserable life as a commoner.

 

That’s why Reiad had become the emperor’s dog for his own safety. What he liked most about being in the emperor’s faction was that the emperor was of legitimate imperial blood. Even though he was an illegitimate child, his mother had eventually become empress, and he had gone from crown prince to emperor, so there was no issue with his bloodline.

 

But if the rumors circulating in the palace were true, it meant Reiad had been clinging to the very fake bloodline he most despised and feared. Someone like him, or worse. And the situation had escalated to the point where he might lose everything he had enjoyed until now.

 

Reiad’s gaze turned to Edward. Their eyes met in midair.

 

“Your Majesty, I understand you may find this bothersome, but wasn’t it an easy request from the start? I thought it would seem strange not to grant it, so I cast my vote in favor. Please don’t worry too much.”

 

Someone was already trying to soothe the emperor.

 

But Reiad knew.

 

“Hmm, we shall discuss your actions later. If there’s no issue with the results, you’ll need to be prepared.”

 

Despite the firm response, the emperor’s eyes were wavering while Edward remained astonishingly calm.

 

Edward had been right.

 

* * *

The empress dowager was sipping tea on the terrace. It was already halfway through the year. The sun was blazing, and the roses that bloomed until summer filled the garden.

 

Emperor Eligos rushed into the empress dowager’s chambers, dismissing all the attendants.

 

“Emperor, what is the matter?”

 

“Mother. The deposed crown prince—no, that scoundrel—must have discovered something! They unanimously decided to conduct a magic stone test the following day. If things go on like this, we will all be dead by tomorrow. You must flee immediately, Mother!”

 

The empress dowager gazed at her son with calm eyes. “Emperor, don’t worry. There’s enough blood, isn’t there? I recall securing enough for you and even your son.”

 

“Something feels off. Why are they demanding a legitimacy test after the one I did at the founding festival… Could it be that he found another method besides the magic stone test? Perhaps the blood won’t serve its purpose anymore.”

 

“…”

 

The empress dowager’s gaze slowly shifted toward the emperor. She spoke in a quiet voice. “Eligos.”

 

“Y-Yes, Mother?”

 

“Do you think you could escape the imperial palace on your own?”

 

“Of course not. But if you help me, Mother, it might be possible. You can use magic, can’t you?”

 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have that kind of power.”

 

“But you said you were gathering power.” The emperor looked at the empress Dowager, bewildered.

 

She looked at him with emotionless eyes, then curled her lips into a smile. “That power is reserved for something else. Something that will benefit you as well.”

 

“W-What is that?”

 

The empress dowager gestured for him to come closer as if to share a secret. When he leaned in, she whispered the method to him.

 

“C-Can that really be done?”

 

“Who knows.”

 

“It would be better to use that power to flee!”

 

“Unfortunately, everything is already prepared.”

 

“How could this be….”

 

The wind blew. Rose petals from the garden rode the breeze and landed on the tea table.

 

“It seems the crown prince has indeed found your weakness. I don’t know how he plans to prove it, but at this point, escaping their eyes is impossible. Fleeing now won’t change anything.”

 

The empress dowager, who had set down her teacup, stared quietly at the petals on the table.

 

“But perhaps it’s for the best. We will be executed as traitors. We’ve committed enough sins to be cast into the depths of hell after death. So isn’t it only right that we pay the price?”

 

“Mo-Mother….?” Eligos’s voice trembled. He looked at the empress dowager with disbelief.

 

“Who knows? Maybe nothing will happen tomorrow. But I don’t mind dying now. I’m sorry about your life. But you’ve lived recklessly, so it’s only right that you take responsibility.”

 

“W-What are you saying…” The emperor collapsed to the floor, powerless.

 

“Unfortunately, there’s no way to save you. Just hope that nothing happens tomorrow. Although that’s unlikely.”

 

The empress dowager indifferently picked up her teacup again while the emperor let out a scream filled with fear.

 

* * *

The next day, according to the voting results, the citizens and nobles of the capital gathered to carry out Edward’s proposal. The square was crowded with Luize and her group, the nine families who had participated in the vote, the imperial knights, and even the mercenaries, including the Dawn Wolf Mercenary. Among the nobles seated in their special section were Diana, with an amused expression, and Reiad, who looked pale.

 

The emperor stepped out onto the wide terrace of the imperial building, where he had greeted the citizens during his coronation. He walked out, trembling with fear, his face openly displaying his terror.

 

“It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine….” He muttered incessantly in a small voice. Near him, the empress dowager was seated.

 

“Now, let’s begin the legitimacy verification!” The chancellor stepped forward and made the official announcement. Then, the imperial magic stone, used to verify bloodlines, was placed before the emperor.

 

The emperor tried to remain calm as he reached into his sleeve pocket. The small vial he always carried was open, ready to smear the blood easily. He dabbed some of the blood onto his fingertip. Then, he pretended to prick his finger with a needle. All he had to do now was touch the magic stone, and everything would be over.

 

But at that moment,

 

“Wait.”

 

Someone grabbed the emperor’s wrist.