For the One Who Hates Me - Chapter 11

“A rebellion? Are you sure?”

“There’s solid evidence. We’re just watching him for now.”

It wasn’t entirely impossible. Karl, a commoner-born prince, had become emperor, so Isen could, too. Especially now, when the throne was not yet firmly in his control, it was the perfect opportunity.

But that was just in theory. Isen Aura was a kind-hearted boy. No matter how much three years had passed, he wasn’t the type to become a traitor.

Aura scoffed. “His Majesty the Emperor seems to be suffering from a bad case of anxiety. To be suspicious of his own naive brother.”

Karl shot back. “You’re right. Isen is naive. The problem is that there’s someone behind him.”

“Someone behind him?”

“It must be one of the late Crown Prince’s followers. Isen was one of them.”

Aura was surprised. Both Isen and Karl had been ostracized by the “true-blood” members of the Kasa royal family. She was shocked that Isen had been close to the Crown Prince.

This was another opportunity for Aura. If he had been part of the Crown Prince’s circle, he might know something about the Pin. Aura decided to dig a little deeper.

“But you were quite close to Isen, weren’t you? Did you two fall out?”

“As soon as I took the throne, Isen came to me. He asked for territory in the eastern region and the right to govern it.” That was a reasonable request for an emperor’s brother. It would also help to prevent conflict and rebellion within the royal family.

“And? Did you give it to him?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s not capable of handling it.”

“…”

“If he wanted to rule, he should have stayed in the palace, no matter how dirty it was. He shouldn’t have been traveling.”

He wasn’t wrong. Isen’s travels from a young age had been a form of escape. It was unlikely he knew anything about ruling.

“…Well, putting that aside, why can’t I talk to Isen?”

“Because you’re in the perfect position to be used as well.”

Karl would often remind Aura of her circumstances. A foreigner, imprisoned for three years, a mentally unstable empress. To someone plotting a rebellion, she was the perfect prey.

But it was ridiculous that Karl would point this out, as if he had no part in her situation.

To Aura, who was staring at him in silence, he warned, “Promise me. You won’t interact with Isen.”

Aura looked up at his shadowed face. After a moment, she answered calmly. “Alright. I promise.”

“…Is she going to be okay?” Josh mumbled, looking at the door to the lounge.

Theo replied, “I don’t think so.”

The princess consort and the emperor had entered the lounge with a tense atmosphere, and there had been no news since.

“Maybe he’s in there complimenting her? She’s gotten so much prettier in the last few days.” Josh said in his usual optimistic tone. Theo nodded in agreement.

“That’s true. All that money wasn’t a waste. But… do you really think His Majesty would compliment her?” Karl wasn’t the type to get along well with women. It was a miracle he didn’t cause misunderstandings with his blunt personality. As one of the few married men in the knightage, Theo found it frustrating.

Meanwhile, Tasha and Mina were standing side by side. Tasha glanced at Mina. To be replaced as head maid by a girl who used to feed horses… Tasha was so full of rage that she couldn’t help but let out a comment. “Those people from Zenia… so vulgar.”

Mina clenched her hands. ‘She’s insulting the princess consort.’

Tasha pretended not to have said anything, her eyes fixed on the door. Mina glared at Tasha and noticed a torn seam on her sleeve. She also saw that the collar and hem of her dress were faded. ‘What’s this? As the emperor’s wet nurse, she must have made a lot of money. Doesn’t she have enough to buy new clothes?’ Mina sneered at Tasha.

Just then, the door to the lounge opened, and Karl came out. Servants and maids followed him. On the way to his office, Theo quietly asked Karl, “What did you talk about with the princess consort?”

“Necessary things.”

That was probably true. The problem was the fear that he only talked about what was “necessary.”

“The princess consort seems to have worked very hard. Did you praise her?”

“No.”

“Your Majesty, then you should…”

“I tried, but she refused.”

“…Ah.”

“She probably didn’t do it to please me, so she doesn’t need my praise.” Karl didn’t sound hurt at all. ‘It would be a hundred times better if he were hurt.’ Theo sighed to himself and followed behind.

The morning of the coronation arrived. The princess consort’s room was a flurry of activity. The imperial attire for the empress was complex. From her hairstyle to her shoes, everything had to follow the proper etiquette. Mina guided the maids, looking at an etiquette book.

Once the preparations were more or less finished, Aura sat at her vanity and looked at herself. A rosy blush had returned to her face, and her platinum hair was shiny again. The dress fit her perfectly. The past week’s efforts had paid off.

“Mina, remind me of today’s schedule.”

“Yes. The empress coronation ceremony will take place at the Grand Temple, followed by greetings from the nobles. A ball and a banquet are also prepared. When all the ceremonies are finished, there will be the hapgung.”

Hapgung—the first night a king and queen spend together. From the coronation ceremony to the hapgung, it was going to be a long day. None of it seemed easy, and the thought of going to bed with Karl sober was the most daunting thing of all.

Just then, a maid told Aura, “Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”

“Show him in.”

The door opened, and Karl entered the room. It was the big day, so he was also dressed in his formal attire.

“What is it?”

“I came to get you.”

‘He came to get me?’ It was an unexpected answer, but she assumed it was part of the ceremony. Karl leaned against the wall and stared at Aura through the mirror. ‘Is something wrong?’ Aura examined herself, but nothing seemed to be out of place.

Just then, the imperial stylist finished doing Aura’s hair. “It’s finished, Your Highness. Your hair and complexion are so beautiful that I didn’t have to do much. You exude elegance.”

“Thank you for your hard work.” Aura smiled at the stylist. He gathered his things, bowed respectfully, and left.

Mina approached her and quietly told her, “Your Highness, it’s time to leave.”

“Alright.” Aura was about to get up with Mina’s help.

“Wait.” Karl walked over and put his hands on Aura’s shoulders. Mina quickly backed away.

“Let me see your foot.”

Aura looked up at him. “Why my foot?”

“It’s not good, is it?”

He had noticed. Unfortunately, her foot hadn’t healed completely. The imperial physician had changed the bandage just this morning.

“You don’t need to see it. It’s completely healed.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Let me see.”

Aura didn’t know what he was trying to do. She tried to refuse again. “I would have to sit down and stretch my leg to show you. It’s impossible in this dress. There’s no stool for my foot, either.”

“Then just sit still.”

Karl suddenly knelt on one knee. Everyone was shocked by his casual action. The maids quickly turned their heads away. It was considered sacrilege for an emperor to kneel, even in front of his wife.

He picked up Aura’s foot and took off her shoe. He placed her bandaged foot on his knee and gently touched her ankle. The frown on his face and the carefulness of his touch confused Aura.

‘He dismissed my three years of suffering as whining, but he has to see a simple burn on my ankle?’

The more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t understand this man. He was a paradox, difficult to figure out, and he constantly flustered her, no matter how hard she tried to look calm.

Karl began to unwrap the bandage. “Who did such a terrible job wrapping this?”

“It was the physician’s assistant.”

“They’ll have to be let go.”

The swelling on her ankle had gone down, but her skin was still red. He cupped the wound in his hands. “It’s still hot. You’ll dance only one song with me. You can rest for the rest of the time.”

Karl began to re-wrap the bandage. The bandage was so tight against her skin. Aura, secretly impressed, asked, “Did you learn this in Devla?”

“I had to learn if I didn’t want to die. What else was I supposed to do?” Karl put her shoe back on and met her gaze. “Keep your promise. Don’t interact with Isen.”

Aura gave him a faint smile. “Alright. I will.”

The coronation took place in the chapel of the Grand Temple. The temple was bustling with Kasa’s nobles and foreign envoys. As expected, the nobles whispered about the future empress.

“I heard she’s not in her right mind.”

“It must be because of her confinement. It’s a miracle she’s even alive. I heard she looks like a skeleton; I don’t know if makeup can cover it.”

“I’m so worried. The throne is already unstable, and now we’re getting someone from Zenia as our empress…”

“Who else would marry into such a dangerous family? Well, at least Princess Consort Aura is ‘true-blood,’ even if her country is gone.” The noblewomen tittered.

Isen, who was watching from the guest seats, clicked his tongue. “They’re all so cruel, aren’t they, Uncle?”

“It’s a hobby for nobles to gossip about the royal family.” The Duke of Lion, who was sitting next to him, replied. He was the ruler of Sutra, the northernmost part of Kasa, and the late-born son of the emperor before the last one. Although he was only twenty-six, he was Karl and Isen’s uncle.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Princess Consort Aura since the wedding.”

“Me too. I remember she was very beautiful.”

“Really? I thought she was just okay. A woman who is too kind and righteous is no fun.”

“You always have such strange tastes, Uncle.”

Lion smirked. “That’s why I have some hope for this. The rumors are quite interesting.”

“Those rumors seem to be coming from over there,” Isen said, pointing to Tasha, who was sitting among the servants. Tasha was surrounded by her loyal maids.

Just then, the Imperial Chamberlain announced in a loud voice, “The coronation ceremony for the empress will now begin!”

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