"…."
Xavier could guess where this was heading, and he inadvertently bit his lip. It was a long-forgotten habit.
"Don't you think you should welcome a wife?" Henry continued.
"I haven't thought about it yet," Xavier replied as formally as possible. "I will try if you wish."
"It seems like there's a young lady that you're close with these days," Henry observed.
"…"
No matter who heard it, he was clearly speaking about Maristella. An involuntary shiver went through Xavier's body.
"Do you have any inclination to take in a wife?" Henry said again.
Xavier didn't bother to give the excuse, "It's a personal matter." The selection of the Crown Prince's wife was by no means a personal matter, but a national one that had to take place under the Emperor's careful eye. But Xavier didn't want to follow that custom. If his father weren't the Emperor, it would be a meaningless charade.
"We're not at that stage yet, Your Majesty. We only have brief conversations—" Xavier began.
"Either way, you need to get married soon and have an heir. You know you have no brothers, don't you?"
"…I know."
He didn't have other brothers, and his now-deceased mother had only given birth to one son. It wasn't like he wanted that, though.
After a momentary pause, he opened his mouth to speak. "I'm not yet ready, anyway."
He was not yet confident of himself. He carried Imperial blood in his veins, and while a child might assert that they were an independent entity, it was impossible for them not to take after their parents at all.
What if he followed in the footsteps of the Imperial Family? Good god. That would be a terrible thing. His flesh shivered at the thought of his family. Bravely and recklessly, he brought things into a standstill.
"You will be thirty soon. What if I die before that?" Henry pressed.
"…"
The Emperor won't die early, Xavier thought to himself. "That's nonsense," he said a moment later.
"You don't know the future. I still want to see my daughter-in-law before I die." Henry stroked his chin once more. "I won't believe it until I see her with my own eyes."
"I won't keep you waiting for long," Xavier said slowly.
The next words were surprising. "The truth is, I have someone in mind," Henry revealed.
"…"
So, would it turn out like this after all?
"Who is it?" Xavier asked, his expression darkening.
"You've heard of the name before." Henry spoke to his son with a strangely delighted voice. "Lady Trakos."
Odeletta. The same young woman that Maristella suggested that Xavier meet. Xavier laughed inwardly.
"Is there a reason why you chose her?" he asked.
"She comes from a good family, and has an admirable character that I've always wanted. If you are planning to put off marriage selection, then choose Lady Trakos instead."
So that was it. Xavier was taken aback by the abrupt pressure into a taking partner, and he couldn't help but speak up.
"Why are you in such a hurry, Your Majesty? Or is it the other nobles who are—"
"Not at all. I just had that thought yesterday," the Emperor interrupted. "Before I die, I want to see you married, and I want to see my grandchildren. That is why I feel an urgency."
"Do you have any health problems?"
"No. But just in case," Henry said cryptically.
Xavier lifted his head and looked at his father's face for the first time. Normally, one wasn't allowed to stare directly at the Emperor. That was a rule that even Xavier strictly abided by, if only to put some distance between him and his father.
"I don't want to rush into marriage, Your Majesty. If I do that, it may ruin everything."
"Will you still be willing to marry anyway? Or perhaps you'll marry that young woman you've been getting closer with these days."
"I don't want to rush into this either way," Xavier said, then swallowed dryly. "Even if it's a political marriage, we still need time to get to know each other. If I make a mistake, I might make my wife as unhappy as my dead mother."
"What?"
"My mother lived her life in unhappiness. Due to a certain imperial father."
"How dare you say that!" Henry roared. His face twisted in savage anger, but Xavier's cool expression remained unchanged. Henry's face was purple as if he were about to explode on his son, but he forced his anger to abate.
"Very well. So what the hell do you want now?" he said some time later, his voice steady.
"…"
"You don't want to marry the young lady you have an inclination towards, and you don't even want to consider a political proposal with your father's chosen partner. As the crown prince of this country, aren't you being excessively complacent?"
"Your Majesty."
"You are next in line for the throne of the Yonas Empire, and you have an obligation to continue the line of succession. Are you going to enjoy the benefits of being a crown prince while ignoring the responsibilities?"
"It won't take long, Your Majesty. But just not this fast," Xavier tried to reassure.
"I don't understand you at all. If there's a lady you like, then I'd rather you marry sooner. 'I don't like this, I don't like that!' How indecisive," the Emperor mocked.
"…"
It was no exaggeration to say that Henry's failure to manage a family accounted for eighty percent of the reason why Xavier was cautious about love. However, Henry didn't seem to think much about his mistakes.
Xavier sighed inwardly. "I can't let the next empress follow the footsteps of Mother."
"It sounds like you're saying that what happened to your mother was all my fault."
"Is it not?"
Xavier shot a fierce stare at his father, and Henry remained silent despite the blatant disregard for imperial etiquette. Before Xavier's eyes, which resembled an abyss, could turn red with blood, Henry spoke.
"I cannot say I'm not responsible."
"…"
"But it's not entirely my responsibility, either. Believe me."
"If you need to make an excuse to comfort yourself, then do so," Xavier bit back.
"…"
Henry stared at his son as if he had just been stabbed, but Xavier's face remained as closed off as a statue's. The only feelings he expressed throughout this long conversation were through his resentful eyes. Henry, who stared back at Xavier for quite some time, spoke again.
"Is Lady Bellafleur arranging for you to meet with Lady Trakos?"
How does Father know a private conversation that just happened?
Xavier's expression contorted at the way Henry revealed it so casually.
"There is not a single thing I do not know about you, Xavier," Henry said in an imperious tone.
"Are you planting spies?"
"How can you describe adding a few people in your son's palace as planting spies? That is so unkind."
"Why did you do it?"
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to hear the answer."
Xavier knew it meant it was an answer that would hurt him if he heard it. A brittle smile spread on his face. "You must be worried that I would hang myself like Mother."
"What?"
Henry leapt up from his throne and strode down towards Xavier. The Crown Prince simply stared as his father came towards him, then bit his lip to brace himself.
SMACK!
Xavier's head turned sharply to the left, but his face was indifferent.
"How dare…how dare you say that!" his father roared.
"…"
"Are you going to insult me this way! You damned fool!"
"Anyone who hears it would think I said something wrong." Xavier's emotionless mask remained on his face, but his voice was tinged with indescribable grief.
Noticing it, Henry relaxed a little, but his fury soon flared up again. "I see. No matter what I say, you won't listen."
"…"
"Instead, you will go to the place Lady Bellafleur will arrange for you."
"Your Majesty!" Xavier protested.
"You cannot refuse," Henry said in a chilling voice.
"You're good at playing with people's minds, both then and now."
"That doesn't change the outcome."
"I know. You say what you want to say," Xavier said, glaring balefully at his father. "If you keep doing that, I don't know if you'll ever see a daughter-in-law or grandchildren in your lifetime."
"Don't make such baseless threats. You are in no position to choose."
"…"
That was true. At least until the death of the Emperor. As crown prince, there were very few times Xavier felt helpless, and this was one of them. He clenched his fists.
Henry stared down at his son. "Lady Bellafleur must have returned to the mansion by now. Let me know the contents of her letter and what you've decided."
"…"
"Or should I be the one to tell you?" Henry suggested.
"…If that's all you have to say," Xavier said through clenched teeth, "then I'll take my leave, Your Majesty."
"Very well."
"Glory to the Great Sun of the Empire," Xavier said bluntly, then turned his heel and strode away. He did not look back as he went through the hall and back to Thurman Palace.