Only after Behern left was I able to read the letter again.
[Actually, I’m just living. Because…]
Of course you’d get homesick after leaving your hometown.
Reading that part made my heart feel heavy again. But that was only for a moment… After reading the next line, I had to tremble from the chills rising up.
[It’s all because you’re not here. I always want to see you… no, never send a reply. I don’t want a reply from a lowly Omega like you! Well then, farewell.]
***
A concubine’s daily routine was simple. That didn’t mean I had a lot of free time though. Unlike a concubine, the Crown Prince’s schedule was packed full, and since I had to accompany him through all those times, I was busy too.
With my weak stamina, I would be exhausted by evening from following William around. The only reason I could endure it was because of the rule established since his days as Prince that I wouldn’t accompany him to his lesson times – otherwise I might have died from overwork.
“Why are you dawdling so much today? We’re busy, so you need to move quickly.”
Erica nagged as she helped me put my arm through a sleeve. I silently let Erica do as she pleased with my body.
“Erica, I have something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Are His Majesty the Emperor’s concubines also so busy that they’re exhausted every day like this?”
I asked because I was genuinely curious. After becoming a concubine, I couldn’t casually converse with other people, and since William only had me as his concubine, I became curious about other concubines’ lives.
I could ask the book, but Erica explained things in more detail and was kinder, so at some point I stopped using the book’s information window much. This also meant that William’s temperament had become gentler and dangerous moments rarely came.
“What are you talking about? Other concubines aren’t as busy as Daniel-nim. You’re probably the busiest concubine in the Stamili Empire – no, in the world.”
“I suppose so.”
“Yes. But today His Highness the Crown Prince has three lessons, so you’ll have more leisure time than usual.”
Erica smiled as she comforted me, but I wasn’t comforted at all. He wasn’t a nursing infant, yet I didn’t know what to do about William not wanting to be apart from me for even a moment, and it gave me a headache. I had to come up with some solution…
“Daniel-nim, hurry, hurry. Do you know what I heard from His Highness William when we were late that one time?”
“What did he say?”
“Well, he kept pressing me asking if I was conspiring with Daniel-nim to help you escape, telling me to be honest. If Behern-nim hadn’t appeared just then, I really almost died.”
It was a story I could understand without hearing it all. It was when I had just become a concubine and wasn’t used to having other people help me dress. I had sent Erica out and spent a long time struggling to put on difficult ceremonial robes by myself, and William must have interrogated Erica then. Even so, I was grateful that Erica hadn’t complained to me about it once.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
The two of us headed to William’s room together. Walking down the long corridor, she said,
“You don’t need to feel sorry toward me.”
“Huh?”
“Just now. When I said I almost died, Daniel-nim looked at me with such an apologetic expression. You don’t need to do that.”
It was a kind thing to say, but I didn’t understand. Sometimes I felt like I knew her inner thoughts well from the time we’d spent together, but occasionally there were times I didn’t understand at all. Now was one of those times. If she had suffered William’s false accusations because of me, shouldn’t I naturally feel sorry?
“Why are you getting all serious again?”
“I don’t understand.”
Erica sighed as if frustrated. She had an expression that found me pathetic.
“You probably won’t like hearing this, but there’s a saying among attendants. A master’s power is an attendant’s power. Daniel-nim, who receives not just His Highness the Crown Prince’s love but his obsession, is my master, so what should I do if you feel sorry about that? In the imperial palace where many concubines spend their days without even seeing their partner’s face, Daniel-nim is receiving the greatest privilege of all privileges.”
I could only laugh emptily at Erica’s words that explained my situation so accurately.
I knew that a concubine monopolizing power wouldn’t benefit me or William at all. I had to live as inconspicuously as possible while making William a wise ruler, and William needed to become the hope of nobles who had Omegas by holding the Empress position hostage.
I had to do something about this…
Even though William was growing earnestly into a wise ruler, it gave me a headache.
***
After eating breakfast with William and staying by his side while he worked, I was finally given free time. Since he had three lessons today, I thought I could rest comfortably, and I had just returned to my room and was about to lie down on the bed when the door opened and Aren entered.
“Daniel-nim, have you been well?”
Aren settled into a seat.
“You’re speaking formally again in that awkward way. I know you’re doing it to tease me.”
Aren smiled gently. I smiled back and asked Erica to prepare tea.
“You came all the way here because you have something to ask of me, right?”
Aren pretended to be surprised for a moment, then continued,
“You really are quick-witted. I’ve felt this before, but being with you feels like being with someone my age.”
“You’re too kind.”
While we exchanged pleasantries unrelated to the main topic, Erica set down the tea and left. My precious free time was passing. If I lost more time like this, I wouldn’t be able to rest and would have to endure William’s demands until night.
“Now please get to the point. I’m an Omega, so if I don’t rest appropriately, I can’t serve His Highness well.”
It wasn’t impertinence but words that came from my heart. Aren nodded as if he understood and got to the main point.
“I heard you met Ellawud Ridden.”
At that name, I immediately straightened my posture.
“Yes. There was a small commotion at my birthday party last time.”
Aren frowned. His expression showed he was dumbfounded.
“Small commotion? You call that small? You’re saying that because you don’t know how tremendous the aftermath of that incident has been.”
‘That incident’ would be me hurting the pride of Ellawud Ridden, who was considered the top candidate for the Crown Prince’s companion Omega, and William calling me “my Omega” in front of everyone. However, I hadn’t heard about any aftermath from this incident.
“What happened?”
Aren looked at me with suspicious eyes.
“Acting like you don’t know when you know everything.”
“By any chance, is it that the Ridden family is acting rebelliously, or that the nobles who have established themselves as maternal relatives for generations have turned away from His Highness?”
That’s all that couldn’t happen. The rebellion of the Ridden family and other nobles would be a great hindrance when William ascends to the Emperor’s throne later…
But things always went toward the worst of what I expected.
“You know exactly.”
No way, so the nobles really turned away.
My heart sank at Aren’s words. If I couldn’t somehow turn their hearts around, William would be in danger.
“Your Grace, then how about quickly welcoming Ellawud-nim as a companion Omega? Wouldn’t that calm the nobles’ rebellion? Even if other nobles rebel, no noble would dare oppose the Ridden family.”
At my words, Aren clicked his tongue as if I was pathetic.
“Do you think His Highness the Crown Prince would readily agree to that?”
“……”
When I closed my mouth, Aren’s long complaint continued.
“What happened when we brought up the companion Omega topic after the Crown Prince’s enthronement? Didn’t he replace even the attendants handling miscellaneous work with Betas instead of Omegas?”
Come to think of it, that did happen.
“Is that all? Do you know what His Highness did when I used my wits afterward and directly petitioned His Majesty the Emperor?”
“I-I don’t know that well either.”
“He went to His Majesty the Emperor and played his card. He said instead of taking in a companion Omega, he would solve the complex diplomatic problems with the Emmoros Empire and return. You remember having a hard time then too, don’t you? Didn’t he insist he had to take you along?”
When William was about thirteen, he went as an envoy, and I did go with him then. But I never dreamed that it was negotiated with the Emperor on the condition that he wouldn’t take in a companion Omega.
But there was one thing I didn’t understand.
“His Majesty the Emperor approved? I knew he was obsessed with bloodlines. I heard that even when His Highness Kalroy was Crown Prince, he never yielded on the companion Omega issue.”
Aren spoke with a disgusted expression.
“I approached His Majesty the Emperor directly hoping for exactly that, but as you said, His Majesty has a strong obsession with bloodlines. As much as that, he’s also interested in maintaining strong traits and spreading them widely. He thinks weakening traits means weakening national power.”
Even so, I couldn’t understand. Ellawud Ridden was a noble Omega and a Dominant Omega.
When I tilted my head, Aren suddenly asked a question.
“Didn’t you take a trait examination around that time?”
“Yes. I did.”
“What do you think the reason was?”
I opened my eyes wide and looked at Aren. My trait result then was a Dominant Omega among Superior Omegas. The examiner said it was the most excellent among the superior traits that had appeared so far, so this result must have stimulated the Emperor’s heart.
Then could it be…?
“By any chance, His Highness William…”
Aren caught on and said,
“Exactly what you’re thinking. His Majesty wants even slightly higher traits, but your status is too humble to immediately make you a companion Omega, and he has to consider the nobles’ opinions, so he chose to leave things as they are. He solved the diplomatic problems with the Emmoros Empire, and anyway, since you’re a Dominant Omega, he thought there was no rush.”
“Then you’re saying we can’t expect His Majesty the Emperor’s help now either.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
