Carlyle let out a sigh of a 'humph' sound.
"They must have gotten along well. Savages tend to stick together."
"They must have. Even from the sidelines, it seemed like they filled each other's gaps quite nicely."
For a moment, only the sound of Lionel organizing papers filled the air.
Then suddenly, there was a clatter of porcelain, followed by a splash of water.
"Oops!"
"Oh dear, oh dear."
As Lionel screamed at the sight of papers drenched in tea, Carlyle casually shook the almost empty cup, then got up and sauntered towards the window.
Lionel, left to deal with the mess, wiped the spilled tea hurriedly with a handkerchief, suppressing his annoyance.
'Why would someone do such a thing…!'
It was undoubtedly deliberate. Lionel, who had spent a long time by Carlyle's side, was certain of that. But he couldn't fathom why he suddenly decided to be mischievous.
"Any news from the hawk?"
"Not since the news of the letter's arrival was a day before the entry into Pervaz."
While Lionel dutifully responded, inwardly he grumbled. Carlyle's unpredictable mischief was nothing new, but what mattered now was the ongoing struggle for the imperial throne.
"So, is the news of her father's mistress going to have a son the last we've heard?"
"Yes. Vibiana Lowry, that woman is surprisingly ambitious."
Carlyle bit his lip.
"You should have seen her groveling to her father. Quite the actress she turned out to be."
Thinking of the woman who had tearfully lamented the humiliations one endured as the emperor's mistress, Carlyle's teeth ground together with bitterness.
"If it's her, she'll do anything to have a son. But the Empress will do whatever it takes to stop her."
"Most likely. The Emperor's favor is entirely on Viviana Lowry at the moment."
"My father, unable to control his lust for a beauty, is a sinner, isn't he? But I suppose having no illegitimate children is commendable in the realm of affairs."
Carlyle chuckled. Then, suddenly, he tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Come to think of it, it's a bit strange."
"What? What is?"
"There's only one mistress officially recognized by my father, but there have been more than a few women through affection. How is there no illegitimate child?"
Lionel scratched his temple, lamenting the position that required him to contemplate the Emperor's messy relationships with women.
"So you should be grateful."
"No, no. I mean, how is that possible?"
"Yes...?"
It was 19 years ago when Beatrice gave birth to her youngest daughter, Charlotte.
Although he didn't have any mistresses before that because he had young and beautiful wives, what about after that?
"No matter how careful you are, there is no perfect contraception method. How could it not have happened even 'accidentally'?"
Lionel, who had been wearing a puzzled expression along with Carlyle's words, spoke cautiously.
"Didn't they all get rid of them?"
It was an answer without a subject, but both of them knew who the subject of the action was.
"Maybe there is an illegitimate child living in hiding somewhere."
"Because if they revealed their identity, they would die without anyone knowing?"
"That's right. The women His Majesty the Emperor has met so far were not official mistreses, but just short-term playmates, so even if they had children, they would not have been protected at all."
Carlyle snorted and said.
"Then will that woman named Viviana, who is under the protection of my father, succeed?"
"In fact, if that woman succeeds, this matter will enter a new phase. Because His Majesty the Emperor may actually say that he will give the crown prince position to the flesh and blood of that woman."
"Well...."
Carlyle smirked with an unknown smile.
"The state of the imperial family is really a mess. Isn't it?"
Even though it was the sound of spitting while lying down, his voice was even refreshing.
* * *
In a room decorated with 60 Verona lace, which seemed to have gathered all the flowers blooming at this time, a dazzlingly beautiful woman sat with a hardened face.
"Why didn't it work?"
Viviana muttered to herself, looking at the pajamas stained with menstrual blood.
It was a question as if she was asking herself, but the maid next to her answered with an awkward smile.
"It's not easy to get pregnant unexpectedly, ma'am. Please take it easy for about six months."
"Six months?"
A cold gaze turned to the maid. The maid had to lower her head as if she had done something wrong even though she was saying the right thing.
"Do you think I have that much time? It takes another nine months to get pregnant and give birth. Who knows how things will change in the meantime."
Viviana bit her lip.
The Empress cleverly set a trap and used it to her advantage, resulting in the vacancy of the crown prince position. For that, she deserves some praise.
'It was a position I never even dreamed of, but now…!'
The Emperor's love belonged only to her. Although it was disgusting to flirt and sway her hips at the old man every night, if the reward was the ultimate power in the empire, she couldn't refuse.
However, with two grown princes already in the picture, Viviana was running out of time.
"You drank fertility medicine, called shamans and did their rituals, embraced that old man almost every night! Why isn't it working?"
The maid couldn't possibly answer her irritated outburst.
Just then, someone knocked on her bedroom door.
As only a very few could enter the bedchamber of Viviana, the Emperor's favorite, she quickly wiped away her annoyed expression.
Then, seeing who entered, she scowled again.
"Father!"
"Yes, Vivi!"
Having just thrown a tantrum at her maid for failing to get pregnant, Viviana had quickly contacted her father.
The Baron Peyton, who used to be a mere baron of a modest house, became the father of the Emperor's favored woman overnight. He rushed to his daughter's chambers without a moment's delay.
"Are you sure the shaman you found is truly skilled?"
"Of course! They say he has never failed to help a woman get pregnant."
"Then why did he fail with me?"
"Vivi, calm down. You are about to be a woman of esteemed position, don't get hurt by getting so angry."
He tried to soothe her with a gentle expression, but Viviana felt like she was burning up inside.
"Is the Empress praying for me not to get pregnant? Since her family produced many oracles, could she have bribed one to use their divine power to prevent my pregnancy?"
"Divine power, blessed by God, used to prevent someone from having a child? Nonsense. There's no such thing."
"But the Empress will definitely do something. That woman is rumored to have killed the previous Crown Princess Evelina, you know?"
Since Evelina died after giving birth to a son and Beatrice was immediately crowned the next Crown Princess, such rumors circulated in hushed tones.
"You are different from Evelina, Vivi. His Majesty cherishes you deeply. He will never let you be in danger."
"Ah… well, yes, but…"
"Getting pregnant as planned isn't always easy the first time. But you will succeed within a few months, so relax. Okay?"
It was the same words as the maid, but only then did Viviana finally calm down.
"I'm sorry. I guess I got impatient and threw a fit. This opportunity may not come again…"
"Indeed. But above all, Viviana, your health is important, so don't push yourself too hard. Okay?"
"I understand. You're the best, Dad."
She returned to her usual self, smiling brightly with her angelically beautiful face.
However, Baron Peyton, leaving after their meeting, didn't share her sentiment.
Due to their financial situation, it wasn't until she was twenty-four that Viviana, known for her beauty since childhood, could finally enter society.
While the late debut was unsettling, Viviana didn't disappoint her father's expectations.
He believed she would become a respectable lady of a decent house, but never did he imagine she would snag the Emperor himself!
Back then, he was already ecstatic because he would inherit the wealth of the wealthy Viscount Lowry. After all, the Viscount had no children and passed away, leaving everything to Viviana.
TL/N: Viviana was married to a Viscount before called 'Viscount Lowry'
Yet, now, the Lowry fortune didn't even matter. Everything hinged on Viviana's pregnancy.
'Damn it! Why does it take a woman a month to get pregnant?'
At this critical juncture where every day counts, it felt like a precious month had been wasted.
With the unprecedented situation of Carlyle's 'temporary' abdication leaving the crown prince position effectively vacant, his daughter was currently the Emperor's favorite.
Missing this opportunity would surely haunt him even in death.