Despite all my efforts to avoid scandal, rumors spread throughout the court.
The love triangle between the two women captivated the curiosity of those who had been craving intriguing news.
Why did the embarrassment have to fall on me? Several times, I had to explain my flushed cheeks as a result of a hangover. By the time I escaped the meaningful glances, hours had already passed.
Just as I was about to return to my room and take a moment to rest, an unexpected visitor arrived.
“So, you’re quite popular now, aren’t you?”
Standing before me was my mother, Helena, still majestic and beautiful in her role as the Empress.
Why did she choose to visit at such a moment? Her playful, teasing smile sent a wave of anxiety through me. Sure enough, as soon as she sat beside me, she spoke the words I had been dreading.
“Considering how popular you are, it’s no wonder you haven’t sent a single letter to your mother in nearly ten years.”
“I’ve been extremely busy.”
“Too busy to write even one letter?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“No wonder they say raising children is pointless.”
With those words, I felt a sharp sensation on my head. Reflexively, I rubbed my forehead while my mother blew on her fist. After a moment, she directed her slightly teary, dark eyes towards me and placed her more wrinkled hand on my knee.
“You heartless one.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“If you return to the battlefield again, please write to me. Only then will my heart be at ease.”
I nodded, unable to muster the words.
What followed was light conversation, something we hadn’t shared in a long time. Mundane everyday topics we had been estranged from for so long.
Speaking with such ease and comfort, free from the burdens of my duties, felt distant. But more than anything, I was reminded that this world wasn’t just a game—it was reality.
Yes, reality.
The people I wish to protect are living in this reality.
“….It was good to see you, Constantine. You’ll return to Morea soon, won’t you?”
Even long conversations must come to an end. As a mother, she could have stayed longer, but as the Empress, she stood up, prepared to return to the Emperor’s side. Her question carried a mix of regret, resignation, and faint hope.
I would soon break my mother’s heart. The day when I could truly be a filial son would never come. As long as my siblings and I vied for the throne, a tragic fratricide was inevitable. I might even lose my life on the battlefield before then.
I had distanced myself to avoid seeing my affectionate mother in sorrow.
At least in this moment, I could bring her some joy.
“Don’t worry, Mother. I will return to the capital.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. I understand how busy you are.”
Though she politely declined, her face lit up with genuine happiness. Despite her age, she remained a beautiful woman in my eyes.
“I’m just happy to hear those words. I’ll wait, so don’t keep me waiting too long.”
“……Yes.”
I wondered if my mother would welcome me as purely as she did now when I returned to the capital.
The fleeting thought darkened my expression. How many people would still welcome me if my hands were stained with my siblings’ blood? Could a future patricide truly yearn for his mother’s embrace?
In a brighter tone, my mother bid farewell.
“You’ve enchanted quite a few young ladies. You’ve had a talent for that since you were little. Just don’t overdo it. One daughter-in-law is enough, understood?”
“…Yes, of course.”
I forced a smile to part on good terms. Fortunately, my mother left without a trace of worry on her face. Did she not notice, or was she pretending not to? I hoped for the former.
As soon as she left, a wave of fatigue washed over me.
I thought of resting. Too lazy to move to the bed, I propped my chin on my hand, lost in thought for a few minutes. Then, the door moved again. Was my mother returning? I quickly adjusted my posture, but the figure that appeared was someone entirely different.
A boy with a sullen expression, his eyes filled with passion. The enmity in his blazing gaze was unmistakable. Had I done something to provoke such hostility? More importantly, who was this boy…?
“Who are you…?”
“Of course, Brother wouldn’t remember me. You’ve barely seen me.”
Pouting, the boy began to wander around, his hands trembling as if suppressing an urge to release his pent-up frustration. Finally, he bit his lower lip and turned to me, shouting.
“At least know whose rightful inheritance you’ve stolen!”
“Rightful inheritance?”
“Exactly! The fame you now enjoy rightfully belongs to me! It was the honor that should have been mine!”
Who was this boy, calling me his elder brother yet accusing me of being a seizer of his rightful claim?
The answer came swiftly as I recalled our family lineage, and my expression hardened. If my assumptions were correct, this boy was indeed my younger brother, Demetrios.
He was also a potential source of further disputes. He was supposed to be the lord of one-third of Morea, which had originally been intended for a tripartite division.
That was Demetrios’s rightful claim.
“You’re mistaken, Demetrios.”
“Mistaken? Those aren’t words that suit a pretender. You convinced Father to take away the land that should have been mine, and now you speak of mistakes?”
“The mistake I’m referring to is in your assumption that I ever considered your words seriously.”
The imperial throne of this fallen empire had many contenders: the powerful Ottomans, the young co-emperor John VIII, my second brother Theodore with whom I had formed a secret pact, and myself, the Prince of Morea.
There had been no room for new competitors for a long time.
I pointed directly at Demetrios’s heart with my index finger and declared:
“Remember this, whether it’s years or decades from now.”
“Are you flaunting your superiority after stealing what wasn’t yours?”
“….What I’m saying is, I’ve already drawn my sword.”
I needed to be ruthless.
“You will receive nothing unless you submit.”
Grinding his teeth audibly, Demetrios turned his back immediately. A royal with no value as an ally was a dangerous subject, especially one as impulsive and reckless as young Demetrios.
Sigh… Dealing with family members always leaves a bitter taste.
“I need to finalize the marriage proposal and return to Morea.”
I muttered to myself, as if to reassure myself of the path ahead.
However, the following day, a completely unexpected announcement shook me and all the officials of the empire.
“Serbia has rejected His Highness Theodore as a suitor and instead selected His Highness Constantine!”
…What was this about?
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