Chapter 13: Moonlight, Illness, and an Unwanted Vigil

Moonlight seeped into the dark carriage. Listening absentmindedly to the steady rhythm of hoofbeats, Fria gazed out the window. Since entering the palace last winter, this was the first time scenery beyond the concubines’ quarters passed before his eyes.

“Judith! A deer.”

Spotting a deer darting across the forest, Fria turned to Judith with a childlike excitement.

“The Dowager Empress keeps them. She resides in that palace over there.”

“She doesn’t stay in the main palace?”

“In the main palace, only His Majesty and Prince Leon live.”

“Ah, the grandson who passed away?”

“Yes. He’s the only son of the late prince, so His Majesty treasures him greatly.”

“Then what about the child’s mother?”

“Lady Lindgart resides in the Secluded Palace.”

“The Secluded Palace? There’s a place like that?”

“It used to be part of the concubines’ quarters, but since it’s old and quite small, no one wanted it, so it became the Secluded Palace.”

“Why is the prince’s wife in a place like that?”

“It’s said that His Majesty and Prince Arthur were extremely close when he was alive. After his passing, to avoid scandalous rumors, she was sent there.”

“Scandalous rumors?”

Curious, Fria leaned in. Judith lowered her voice, covering her mouth so no one else could hear.

“There were rumors that Prince Leon might actually be His Majesty’s son.”

“What? Seriously?”

“Of course not. If that were true, it would mean His Majesty had him when he was fourteen.”

“Is that even possible?”

“I said it’s just a rumor! Well… His Majesty kept his distance from women. People even said that the only woman in his life was Lady Lindgart.”

“Ohh.”

Fria responded with genuine interest, even letting out an impressed exclamation. Encouraged, Judith eagerly continued sharing all the rumors she had gathered, until the carriage suddenly jolted violently after hitting a stone.

“Wait… Fria, aren’t you even jealous? Why do you sound like this has nothing to do with you?”

“Why would I be jealous? Me? Anyway, what happened after that? Is that Lady Lindgart stuck in the Secluded Palace forever?”

“I don’t know! Is this really the time for you to worry about someone else?”

“You’re the one who brought it up.”

As the two bickered, the carriage arrived at the main palace, and the attendants disembarked. Watching Fria jump down from the carriage without properly using the step, Judith immediately scolded him.

“Fria! If you hurt yourself, I’ll be the one in trouble!”

Fria slowly lifted his head, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the palace before him. A perfectly symmetrical fortress rose high, its steep spires piercing the sky, granite walls filling the spaces between. From a bell tower at the corner came the sound of wind.

“Fria, hurry. His Majesty is waiting.”

Noticing how Fria was captivated by the grand structure, Judith puffed herself up as if she were the architect who designed it.

“There are 350 bedrooms and 180 reception rooms. There are even seven grand banquet halls. As for the servants’ quarters, there are too many to count.”

“Where’s the library?”

“Across the central courtyard.”

Fria was distracted by a massive mural lining one side of the corridor, and Judith had to pull him along up the palace steps. In the brightly lit marble hallway, the long hem of his cloak brushed softly along the floor.

The chamberlain was waiting for them. Fria hesitated, then bowed in return to the man’s polite greeting.

“You’ve arrived, Lord Fria. We’ve been expecting you.”

With an unusually ominous smile, the chamberlain gestured to the attendants. One of them, dressed in a navy uniform, grasped the ornate handle and opened the door.

“Please, go inside.”

After a brief hesitation, Fria stepped forward. A lavish chamber adorned entirely in gold spread out before him. The ornaments alone looked heavy enough to weigh down several grown men.

Unsure what he was supposed to do in such a place, Fria looked around. The chamberlain then revealed another door leading to a hidden passage, so well disguised in the wall that it was nearly impossible to notice.

As Judith followed behind, the chamberlain shook his head.

“Only Lord Fria may enter where His Majesty is. You must wait here.”

Caught off guard, Judith made a distressed face.

“Then… please come back safely. I’ll be waiting here.”

Fria glanced back several times, uneasy, before disappearing through the door with the chamberlain. Left alone, Judith clasped her hands anxiously. Surely he wouldn’t be in danger? If she had known, she would have given him something for protection.

After climbing a long staircase, they reached another chamber. Though smaller than the previous one, it was still luxurious.

“I imagine you were surprised to be summoned so late.”

“Ah, yes- no- I mean…”

Flustered, Fria stammered. The chamberlain smiled at him warmly, as though looking at a dear relative.

“The reason we brought you here tonight is to ask that you take care of His Majesty.”

“…Pardon? Me? Why?”

“His Majesty is currently unwell. Every year around this time, he falls ill, but this year he hasn’t been able to rise from bed at all.”

Unwell? That guy who looks like not even an axe could draw blood from him?

Only then did Fria understand why the emperor hadn’t come to see him these past few days. He avoided the chamberlain’s gaze, feeling uneasy.

“It is said that his longing for the late Prince Arthur has grown so deep that it has turned into illness. They were brothers closer than any in the world. When I think of how heartbroken His Majesty was as a child, I still-”

The chamberlain suddenly began tearing up. Fria stared at him, bewildered.

“Such a delicate soul, His Majesty… Ever since Prince Arthur passed, he hasn’t been able to find comfort anywhere…”

Just as suddenly, the tears stopped. The chamberlain looked at Fria with bright, expectant eyes.

“And now, having met someone as lovely as you, Lord Fria, he has completely fallen for you.”

“…What? Him? No way.”

“If you personally tend to him, I’m certain His Majesty will recover at once.”

No. I guarantee he’ll get worse.

“Oh, how kind-hearted you are. Then I shall entrust everything to you.”

“Excuse me- hey, old man!”

“Then I shall take my leave.”

With an elegant, almost dance-like gesture, the chamberlain bid farewell. As he adjusted a clock on a shelf, the opposite wall silently shifted open. Before Fria could react, he was pushed inside. The wall closed swiftly behind him.

Fria ran his hands along the surface, searching for any hidden mechanism, but found nothing.

‘…Trapped.’

He let out a sigh.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the room gradually came into view. Unlike the lavish chambers he had passed through, this one was modest, furnished with minimal decoration. Only two paintings hung on the walls, and a gold clock rested above the fireplace.

A breeze stirred somewhere, making the velvet curtains along the wall billow softly. Each time they swelled, the space beyond flickered into view like a mirage. It was larger than expected.

To the left of a half-open window stood a desk piled with documents; to the right, a bed where someone lay.

He had been asked to nurse him, so whether he liked it or not, he had to check the patient’s condition. Hopefully, the man wouldn’t wake up and lash out.

Step by step, Fria approached. The closer he got, the more he could hear the rough, uneven breathing. Just as the chamberlain had said, the condition didn’t seem good.

As the clouds parted, the moon revealed itself.

Under its pale light, beneath the window, the young emperor lay helplessly, his black hair damp with sweat and clinging to his forehead. Shadows from his eyelashes trembled faintly across his closed eyes.

For a moment, Fria stood there, captivated by the beauty illuminated by the moonlight.

Then, as if making up his mind, he moved.

Several neatly folded dry cloths were placed on the bedside table. A basin of cold water had already been prepared beneath the bed. With things laid out so obviously, he had no choice but to at least pretend to help.

He picked up a cloth and dipped it into the water. In the stillness, the sound of dripping water seemed unnaturally loud.

‘Please… just sleep through the night without waking.’

Praying quietly, Fria reached out with trembling hands and gently wiped the sweat from the emperor’s face.

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