Chapter 85
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When they arrived at the banquet hall, one by one, the nobles filled the empty seats.
The tables were filled with delicious food and the musicians were as lively as ever, but their faces were not as cheerful.
This was the first imperial banquet in a long time, but it was not an occasion to eat, drink, and be merry.
Although the Black Wolf was destroyed due to Kayan being branded a traitor, the root of the problem was not eradicated.
If Kayan's forces, spread across the country, rose up at once, the chaos would be unparalleled to that of Gakhran.
The nobles who had been summoned to this meeting by the Emperor felt like they were standing on thin ice.
For them, it didn't matter if Kayan's accusations were true or not.
What they did care about was whether or not it would inflame their own family.
The emperor was going to make an important announcement, but what could be more important than what was happening with the Black Wolf right now?
As the ministers exchanged nervous glances among themselves, Hashad entered the room.
Everyone rose to their feet and bowed to the Emperor.
As soon as Hashad took his seat, he turned to the ministers and smiled.
"It is good to see you all here, and I know you don't like the Emperor drinking at this delicate time, but I'm about to give you the news you've been waiting for."
As Hashad raised his goblet, a courtier nearby stepped forward and filled his cup.
He gulped down the clear liquid in one go and spoke.
"I have someone I wish to introduce to you today... but I'm sure you've seen her at the last meeting."
At those words, the Wolf Clan leaders' minds immediately flashed to a woman with a light scar across her face.
A slave had been favored by the emperor for her work in denouncing her master.
They wondered why he would call all these people together to introduce a slave.
"Ah, just in time."
Hashad said as he saw the door in the center of the ballroom open.
Ihedia, dressed in a luxurious attire reserved for the noble women of Anut, strode across the ballroom with a poised gait.
Never before had Anut had such beauty.
Everyone in the room stopped breathing at once, stunned by her beauty.
Everyone in the banquet hall couldn't take their eyes off her.
Her scars had almost healed in the meantime.
They were still not completely healed, but she was so strikingly beautiful that people didn't realize she had scars unless they looked closely.
Even the courtiers present were surprised to see the woman of whom they had heard so many rumors.
She was indeed a beauty worthy of the emperor's affection.
With a dry gesture, Ihedia moved to the emperor's side.
Hashad's mouth curved into a satisfied smile.
"She's the woman who helped us capture the traitor this time."
"...."
"And now that she has the Emperor's child in her stomach, what are your thoughts on making her an official consort?"
The Emperor, who had always stayed out of succession matters, had a child.
The ministers were stunned by the sudden news and were speechless.
"Why are you so surprised? The matter of the succession you so desperately want has been settled, but you can’t even say congratulations?”
Though it was not the Empress's child, the Emperor's birth of a child was surely a sign of imperial favor.
Quaishans returned Hashad's wry remark with a hearty laugh.
"I can't tell you how relieved we are, Your Majesty, that we no longer have to bother you with succession issues, kahaha."
The other ministers, who had been watching, joined in with their own congratulations.
"We congratulate you, Your Majesty."
"This is the future of Anut."
"She is the woman who bore His Majesty's descendant, so it is only fitting that she should be his consort."
Hashad smiled coldly and stroked Ihedia's face.
Ihedia, the Emperor's puppet, clutched at the hem of her skirt and tried to take it all in stride.
***
The Black Wolves had escaped the pursuit of the imperial soldiers and had all converged on their base in the southeast.
There, they communicated with spies scattered throughout the capital, keeping an eye on the Emperor's movements.
On the surface, everything seemed to be going Hashad's way, but things weren't all hopeless for Kayan.
The heads of the wolf organizations all seemed to be in agreement on removing Kayan, but with the exception of Quaishans, they had no reason to follow Hashad unconditionally.
Tachigang had deeply entangled interests with Kayan and was not on good terms with Quaishans, and they were not pleased with this situation.
The high-minded Leom was the Emperor's most loyal servant, and would be the first to turn against Hashad if he learned of his involvement in Emperor Rakil's death.
Kayan had to be as stealthy as possible in his attempts to reach out to the other leaders and prepare to bring Hashad down with the evidence he had gathered.
As the situation became clearer, his judgment quickened.
Now that he knew the Emperor had Ihedia, there was no reason for Kayan to hesitate in making a decision.
His mind was dominated by thoughts of Ihedia, and that became the driving force behind his every action.
It didn't matter if things went wrong and he was forever branded a traitor to Anut.
He was prepared to accept the traitor's label if it was the only way to save her.
"Lord Kayan, I have brought you a servant from the mansion where she had been hiding from Hashad's eyes."
A chill flashed across Kayan's eyes.
The mansion servant might be the last person to see Ihedia.
When he hurried outside, he saw Sawana, a disheveled mess.
"Master Kayan."
Finally seeing her master, Sawana burst into tears of relief.
The Emperor was in the midst of mercilessly torturing anyone associated with Kayan, young or old.
Kayan had assumed there were at least a few of them who hadn't been captured yet, and had instructed the members of his organization still hiding in the capital to find them.
It was a stroke of good fortune for Kayan that he had run into Sawana, one of Ihedia's closest servants.
Kayan asked urgently.
"What happened to Ihedia?"
At the mention of Ihedia's name, Sawana stuttered and shook her head.
Anxiously, Kayan sat down on one knee and gripped her shoulders.
There was so much desperation in his eyes that Sawana felt a twinge of guilt.
She could see how devastated he would be if she told him what she knew.
Kayan's hands grew stronger and stronger on her shoulders.
After some time passed, Sawana finally spoke.
"The Emperor sent someone."
"...."
"While you were away, the maid who served the Princess in Elmir came to the villa, and a few days later, Princess Ihedia disappeared with Master Kayan's seal. I had someone look into the maid, and it turned out she was Emperor Hashad's messenger."
Kayan's face turned into a desolate darkness.
It was painful for Sawana to say this, but it was up to Kayan to decide how to take it.
"Lady Ihedia seemed to have known the Emperor before. I even saw her with a messenger bird in the middle of the night. I didn't know it at the time, but upon reflection, I wonder if it was sent by the Emperor's palace, since birds with golden tails aren't all that common, and......."
"Go on."
Sawana spoke, her gaze on the floor, not meeting Kayan's eyes directly.
"Ever since I found out that Lady Ihedia was in the Emperor's palace, I've been doing some research, and it turns out that the tea leaves she usually enjoys are contraceptive herbs, and she... she's been trying to deceive master Kayan from the beginning."
Kayan stopped listening to her story and rose from his spot, turning to his subordinates.
"Take Sawana to a safe place."
The men picked her up and were about to take her somewhere.
Sawana cried out to Kayan.
"The news has spread to the private houses that the woman is pregnant with the emperor's child and will soon be officially made a concubine. So, Master Kayan, don't get your hopes up in vain."
Kayan made no reply to her words, and Sawana followed the soldiers out of the room with a dejected look on her face.
Then Kayan turned to Doa and said,
"In three days, I will infiltrate the springs of Apeso. You don't have to follow."
"Lord Kayan!" Doa shouted, exasperated.
"I'll have to see for myself!"
The road to the capital was heavily guarded.
Sneaking into the Apeso’s Spring was a fool's errand.
Doa knew Kayan was on the verge of a rampage, and that made him even more anxious.
"Have you already forgotten what the maid told you just now? The Princess... She doesn't want you."
Doa's words stabbed Kayan in the heart.
But Kayan would not relent.
No, he couldn't.
"If you stop me this time, I will never forgive you."
"..."
"I have to go, please."
The moment he met Kayan's reddened eyes, Doa could say no more.
***
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