Chapter 224 - Feverish Love

Slouching on the throne and staring off into the distance, the emperor was lost in thought.

'Maximillian is interested in a girl… huh.' Vexed by his son's crafty remarks, the emperor had kept a close eye on his son throughout the banquet. He was usually very careful about maintaining an indifferent expression, so the emperor had not expected much. All he wanted was to find some fault with the guy. Nevertheless, Maximillian ended up showing that he was restless about a certain lady.

'That girl—she was Regis' girl, wasn't she?' Silver hair, fair skin, and jewel-like periwinkle eyes. Recalling her remarkable appearance, the emperor smirked. 'She is quite a beauty.

Even so, what a pleasant surprise.' The emperor had always been anxious to find a way to manipulate his son as he was someone who possessed outstanding swordsmanship. To reduce his son to a mere figurehead, there had been countless searches for Maximillian's weaknesses. This meant the nobles would no longer bear animosity toward the current emperor—himself—for refusing to hand over the throne.

The problem was that his damned son was not interested in women, liquor, or entertainment such as gambling. There had been attempts to get him addicted to an illicit drug, but he was an extremely careful one. He often asked his servants to taste his food first or forced the cooks to prepare the meals in front of him.

To realize that his abominable son was interested in a lady—and Regis' daughter at that—satisfied the emperor. To prohibit his son from gaining influence, the emperor had originally planned to match Maximillian to a woman from a powerless noble family.

'But if he's interested in Regis' daughter, that makes it all the better. That will help me keep both of those dogs on leashes.' Wearing a sinister smile, the emperor stroked his chin. 'I will need to think about how to use that girl first.'

* * *

I changed into comfortable clothes once I returned home then recalled the conversation I had with my father. No matter how I thought about it, I was being mistreated. It was true that he did not look much different from the usual. However, I could somehow feel that he was in a foul mood. Concerned, I had asked him many questions, but…

"It's nothing you need to be worried about."

'Aren't people usually given the privilege to listen to their parents' concerns once they come of age?' I wanted to listen to what he had to say to comfort him. However, it seemed that there was no room for me to squeeze into his life. It was like I was talking to a robot rather than a human!

For a moment, I considered giving up on my ambitious goal of forming an adequate relationship with my father. I clenched my fists before I was swept away by the dreary thought. I couldn't give up after only trying once. I had learned a lot from what happened with Max—the most important of the many lessons being that the "safe road" I was taking might lead me to circle around the truth. Although he had spoken coldly, I could see the affection in my father's eyes. I wanted to put my hopes on the weak possibility that he cared for me.

'First, I need to find out if there are any existing problems between us.'

The reason for our awkwardness was that we didn't converse much. So, by creating an opportunity to have a chat, I would be able to get closer to him.

'But how would I create an opportunity…?'

I began to brainstorm.

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Hope you enjoyed it,

Love,

Biji ^^,

Jan.5.2024