How the Villainous Consort Avoids His Death Ending

“No, that is not true. I did not…”

“You cherished him, did you not? I, too, cherish my son. And is that all? The late Crown Prince and young Constantine are also all beautiful children.”

“What kind of talk is this, Liander?”

“Whose bloodline belongs to whom, whose seed was received and who gave birth to whom… none of that matters. At least, that is the case for me.”

“Are you saying you admit that child is not my son?”

“Think as you please, Your Majesty. But are we not all greedy beings who pursue power? It is just that the era of Your Majesty has come to an end, and the time has come for my son to hand me power.”

Liander could not understand the Emperor, who was still obsessed with bloodlines even in this situation. To her, Everett was the most powerful tool to wield new power. To use him more efficiently, she had discarded her other child the moment he was born.

If Liander, who came from a humble background as a common laborer, could reach this point, it was unbelievable that someone who claimed to be the Emperor of the Empire could be so oblivious. Liander clicked her tongue quietly and lifted the small teacup she had prepared.

A clear, transparent, odorless liquid sloshed inside the cup. It was a medicinal herb she had been carefully preparing for the Emperor every night for the past few years, a liquid that exerted powerful toxicity if taken over a long period. Thanks to this liquid, the Emperor had been dying slowly without anyone’s suspicion. And this last cup contained a lethal dose that would finally put an end to the long, tedious process.

“Let us end the small talk here, Your Majesty. It would have been nice if you could have lived a few more years until my son settled in more firmly… but as you were so suspicious, I had no choice.”

“You… you, you dare! To me!”

“You have suffered for a long time. You may rest now.”

The teacup touched the Emperor’s lips. The Emperor, who had no strength left to resist, was led by her hand and ended up drinking the tea.

It did not take long for his breathing to stop. The Emperor closed his trembling eyelids one last time, took a deep breath, and moved no more.

Liander slowly reached out and closed his eyes for him. Then, she let out a light sigh and pulled the bell rope hanging beside the bed.

As the maids appeared, Liander’s lips moved softly to drop a heavy declaration.

“The Emperor has passed away. Therefore…”

Her red lips drew an elegant curve as she continued.

“Prepare for the coronation of the new Emperor.”

The maids bowed their heads in unison.

❖ ❖ ❖

The Hezekia fleet, having finished the search of Istenia Island, returned to a reorganization posture. It was one day while they were busy collecting bodies near the destroyed port and performing emergency treatment to recover Everett’s hidden brother, Ishak Dearsby.

A message sent by the little bird of Port of Belforte, or rather, Sawyer Penson, reached Tristan’s hands. As I tore open the envelope sealed with wax, the short, hastily scribbled text caught my eye at once.

[The Emperor of Rubyere has passed away. Imperial Prince Everett ascends to the throne.]

Silence flowed through the Hezekia flagship, which had been in the midst of preparations for departure. Even I was shocked and froze, before barely managing to lift my head to look at Tristan.

His fingertips, which could not say a word, were trembling faintly. Gerhardt, who barely managed to steady his breathing, muttered softly.

“For His Majesty to pass away so suddenly… Then does that mean Everett is the, th, the Emperor?”

A sudden ripple arose from the words that had fallen flat. Lord Mildred swallowed his breath low with a hardened face.

“But he is not the Emperor… he is not the bloodline of the late Emperor, is he…”

Tristan, I, and the knights had rescued Ishak, Everett’s twin brother. While he was being treated on the Hezekia ship, not only the soldiers but also the sailors and the apprentices had all confirmed his appearance.

A pale man with Count Dearsby’s hair on the face of Everett, who had been recognized as the Imperial Prince. What his existence pointed to was clear. The entire Hezekia fleet knew of this.

Everett did not have the qualifications to be the rightful Emperor. He was nothing more than a usurper who had stolen the imperial throne of the Rubyere Empire.