A way to not send Cassian or the Fourth Prince to the battlefield?
I was lost in thought for a moment...
In fact, neither Cassian nor I had considered this option at all.
'But there's no need for me to reveal all my cards now.'
I'm still not sure about the second wife's intentions behind approaching me.
Maybe she just invited me to ease her guilt by suggesting another solution.
To find out where she really stands, I decided to test her.
“What if the First Prince took to the battlefield instead of them?
Would that be acceptable to you?”
The second concubine stared at me silently, then picked up an apple slice with her fork, put it in her mouth, and nibbled softly.
“It seems that I was too hasty and did not explain things to you properly.”
She lowered her gaze at the peeled apple slices, then continued in a cold, emotionless voice:
“I had to start by explaining why I prepared the food myf, and why I kept a few maids in the palace.”
She began to tell her story in a calm voice, but her words carried traces of the harsh past.
“When I first entered the palace, I was the fourth concubine, last among everyone.”
Then, shortly after, the third concubine died in a fall from her horse.
She was three months pregnant at the time, and after her death, the Emperor was so angry that he ordered the execution of all her servants and the exile of her handmaidens.
"But do you really think she didn't know she was pregnant?
You're a woman too, don't you find that strange?"
I did not answer her, but simply stared at her, listening silently.
She continued her talk, telling me how she became the second concubine, and what she had to face to reach that rank.
“Three of my bridesmaids died, and the chef was changed so many times, that I decided to abandon his presence altogether.”
“After several miscarriages, I was finally able to give birth to the fourth prince, but one day I saw the nanny trying to turn him on his face as an infant.”
She paused for a moment, then added in a shaky voice:
“My heart almost exploded with anger then.”
Her tone was calm, but I felt the overwhelming anger she tried to hide behind her words.
“All these things, you and I know who is behind them.”
An expression full of emotions appeared on her face, after she had been rigid throughout her speech.
“But still, would I be a hypocrite if I said I didn’t want to hold children accountable for their parents’ actions?”
I answered her simply, shaking my head.
Then I began to calmly organize my thoughts.
‘All these misfortunes were orchestrated by the Empress, that’s true.’
But the real reason lies in someone higher than her.
It was the Emperor himf who presented us all with this difficult choice.
But it was not wise to make a hasty decision.
“I will return now, Your Highness.”
“Well, by the way...”
As if she had just remembered something, she summoned one of her maids and asked her to bring a small box and hand it to me.
“The people of the Snow Kingdom never forget a favor.
Please hand this over to Prince Cassian.”
“It's my mother's earring.”
Cassian checked the earring inside the box, then spoke in a calm tone.
He explained that he was wondering why one of the earrings disappeared from the group.
“So, this means…?”
“Maybe my mother was helping the second concubine.”
“Now that I think about it, I was poisoned a few times when I was young.”
I froze for a moment before furrowing my eyebrows in concern.
“…Why do you talk about your near-death experience as if it were just a meal?”
“Because it happened a lot.”
Cassian smiled weakly.
“But, every time I felt like I was about to die, someone would come and pour medicine into my mouth and wipe my forehead.”
He told me that this was one of the greatest mysteries of his life.
“At that time, there was no one I could rely on to protect me.”
Cassian's mother had died some time ago, and it was not long before his wet nurse died as well.
There was no one to take care of him..
“But I remember one thing...
One time, when I was between consciousness and unconsciousness, I saw strands of hair swaying in front of my eyes.”
“Was it the same color as the second concubine’s hair?”
“All I remember was thinking about bread.”
His strange answer confused me, but I realized it after a moment.
“Yes, her hair is the color of ripe wheat fields.”
“Exactly, just like the hair color of the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince.”
We exchanged meaningful glances.
“So, that means...”
“She is someone you can trust.”
After this conclusion, Cassian reached out and held my hand tightly.
“In other words, we now face a difficult dilemma, right?”
“It seems so.”
As I spoke, I began to organize the information in my mind.
‘The Second Concubine was a character of little importance even in the original story, so not much information is available about her.’
In the latter half of the story, while the other concubines supported the Empress, she stayed put.
When Cassian finally ascended the throne,
'She left the palace, with her sons.'
She did not return to her homeland, the Northern Snow Kingdom, but rather disappeared without a trace.
I linked the scene I saw in the Lilac Palace with the information I gathered while working as an assistant in the Imperial Palace.
'A concubine from the cold north, a princess, a war…'
There must be a way..
In fact, I was not only intending to find a solution, I was determined to find it no matter the cost.
“Your Majesty, did you know?”
It was about something that happened before Cassian was born, but I had heard about it before...
“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor and the King of the North were fierce rivals in the past.”
More preciy, they were bitter enemies in a surprisingly childish way.
Even the arrival of the second concubine to the empire was the result of a ridiculous bet between them.
“True, it's an old story, but I once heard it from a retired knight captain.”
Cassian placed his finger on his temple and tapped it gently, lost in thought.
“But, Rose… even if that’s true, the chances of this plan succeeding are only 50%.”
“So, that means it's worth a try, right?”
When I asked, Cassian smiled slightly.
“Of course.”
Then he leaned forward slightly, showing a sly smile.
“After all, it is a son’s duty to give his father some relaxation and travel trips from time to time, right?”
Cassian was indeed a righteous son...but with a fiery spirit.
Once you set the direction, it's easier to decide what to do.
While Cassian and I were discussing our plan, the Second Concubine sent Prince Goyle to the Winter Palace once again with perfect timing...
“Noona didn’t come, so I was very bored.”
“I too would have liked to see His Highness the Prince.”
Of course, this was a completely honest expression of my feelings.
"Really?!
Me too!"
Joel jumped up excitedly and grabbed my hand tightly.
Unlike the first time he came, he was not wandering around the palace curiously, but was busy with something else while talking excitedly..
“You know, I usually don't let anyone see my room, but I'll let you see it!”
He smiled as he revealed another gap in his teeth due to one of them falling out, and it looked so cute that it was indescribable.
After getting the second concubine's permission, she decided to spend some time with Prince Joel in his room.
During that short period, Joel began showing me his possessions one by one.
“This book was given to me by my brother!
Because he knows that reading is still difficult for me, so he wrote it for me in a simpler way!”
The book was filled with the warmth of brotherhood.
Although the Emperor believed that it was not appropriate for a prince to be more interested in books and writing than in the sword, I believed that he was much better than the Emperor who liked to ignite conflicts between his sons.
Honestly, shouldn't ethics be more important than anything else?
In addition, Joel played energetically when he wanted, and even participated in games such as hide-and-seek and others, which means that he was not as weak as the emperor claimed.
Obviously, someone who lacks physical strength cannot play with a seven-year-old all day.
The Emperor, who is enjoying his strange hobby, does not seem to realize this at all.
While we were walking around the room playing, one of the maids came to tell us that thirty minutes had passed.
Immediately, sadness appeared on Joel's face.
“I also want to play with my beautiful Noona all the time...but my older brother Cassian is fish.”
Oh my God, how cute he is that makes me want to smash the Emperor!
“We can keep playing, right?”
"truly?"
"naturally."
Joel's eyes filled with stars with joy.
“So, can I come even when my mother doesn’t send me for you?”
“Sure, uh… but I can be busy sometimes.”
I didn't want to promise a child something and then break my promise and let his hope down.
Then, Joel covered his mouth and laughed happily.
“Then, I'll text you in advance and ask if you're busy or not!”
"consent."
I answered him immediately, and he opened his eyes and mouth wide with joy.
After finishing the short playtime with Joel, she headed to the second concubine's reception room.
After she sent all the servants away, Cassian and I began to explain our plan to her.
Then, she showed a bright expression that looked exactly like Joel's smile.
“That's a great idea!
It was nice to consult with Assistant Salis.”
“But the King of the Snow Kingdom must move first...”
“Don't worry about it.”
Unlike yesterday, the second concubine's face was full of vitality and enthusiasm.
As if...
“I am after all the sister of the King of the Snow Kingdom, right?”
Yes, her expression was exactly like that of an older brother preparing for a fun prank against his younger brother.