Ch. 24: A Deal [2]

I bent my back slightly when the head butler Fedel and Count Andreas passed me. It seemed both of them just finished their business with the Empress. I couldn't help but scoff inwardly as they blatantly ignored me. 

'Well, what can I expect? I'm the son of a villainess, after all.' 

I straightened my posture right after both of them disappeared behind the door. I glanced sideways and a maid approached me. She bowed lightly.

"Her Majesty wishes to see you."

I nodded and followed her. Arriving at a giant mahogany door, she knocked and announced my presence. 

"Your Majesty, the First Prince has arrived."

"Let him in."

She opened the door and I stepped inside. The Empress was sitting on the couch whilst enjoying her tea. The door behind me closed and I leaned forward to pay my respect.

"I greet the Empress of Chrono Empire."

"You may rise."

I rose and stood there, patiently waiting for the Empress' order. She sipped her tea solemnly before slowly distancing the teacup from her lips and without even bothering to look at me, she ordered.

"Have a seat."

I rolled my feet and sat on the couch across from her. She was seen looking at her reflection in the tea and again, completely ignoring me, she asked.

"Would you like some tea?"

I shook my head.

"No, I'm fine."

"Alright."

She drank her tea once more and placed it down on the table. She took out something covered in a handkerchief and put it in front of me.

"You can open it."

I did as she instructed and when the fabric lifted, a dagger with the Desdemona Family crest engraved on its blade came into view.

Of course, I knew exactly what she meant; your mother was responsible for my son's assassination that was what she tried to convey. I raised my head and her face was devoid of any expression.

"I will open up a Trial and that dagger will be the evidence. With that, I will get rid of Desdemona's House on this continent and your entire family will be executed for treason."

She eyed me coldly. 

"I don't know your intention of saving my son, but I'm not someone who doesn't know how to repay a kindness."

The Empress exhaled tiredly.

"I will get straight to the point. Please leave this Empire."

Silence enveloped us as we stared at each other. Since I didn't open my mouth, she continued.

"I will provide anything you need, clothes, money, a place to stay, everything. Including faking your death, so the soldier won't look for you and you can live in peace."

It would be a nice proposal if I knew nothing about the future. But now that I knew the fate of this world, I couldn't accept the offer, because it would be hard to protect that little brat if I got out of the castle. I breathed out a long sigh and gazed at her. 

"If I may suggest, could we have a deal?"

However, she just smiled.

"I'm calling you here to give you a choice not to bargain."

"I promise. Your Majesty won't regret it."

Judging from the Empress' personality, she wouldn't reject it as she was not someone who would turn her emotions into violence, and wasn't fond of unnecessary bloodshed.

It was not like I used her personality as her weakness to accept my deal, but this was something that I must do to change the fate of this world. 

'What was the point of turning back time if I can't change it?'

"Speak."

"I would like to make an 'Elemental Oath' with Your Majesty. In exchange, please don't open up a Trial."

Her smile vanished and her expression turned even darker. The Empress stared right into my eyes.

"The First Prince of the Chrono Empire, Alexander Atreilight. Do you exactly know what you are talking about just now?"

"I do."

I answered bluntly. But, to think that the Empress called me by my title and full name, I thought she was mad right now. She glared at me in disbelief before massaging her temple. 

"I know you want to save your mother and your family. But please, don't request an 'Elemental Oath' so lightly. Prince Alexander, you are still young. You must treasure your life."

"Because if I didn't say it, Your Majesty wouldn't listen to me."

I could vividly see how she was perplexed.

'It must be nice to have a loving mother like her. I envy Damian.'

The Empress sighed as she dropped his head and looked at her hand. Actually, there was so much she needed to think about before opening up a Trial for Desdemona's Family, especially, the Imperial Court. 

The Imperial Court would be turned upside down if the entire family of Desdemona was executed since many council seats had been occupied by Desdemona's Family members and its vassals.

It was not an easy task to replace hundreds of councils with new people within such a short amount of time. Even if the Emperor did, what about their capabilities? 

There would be instability in Malthe Region because the region lost its head. Not only that, dogfights would occur among nobles just to win the power left behind by Desdemona.

Simply put, executing the whole Desdemona Family wouldn't solve the problem but the opposite. Not to mention that the Empress only had one problem and that was my mother.

Executing the entire Desdemona Family meant that she killed many innocent people which was against her personality. After a few minutes of silence, she raised her head and looked at me.

"All right. Let's hear what you have in mind."

.

.

.

I got out of the Empress' Office Room and strode towards the Blink Sphere Room whilst massaging my temples. That little brat, Damian. How come an assassination happened in this timeline? I shouldn't have told him about the secret passage in the first place. 

I couldn't help and facepalm my face before sighing in frustration. But who would know that he found the secret passage and got out of his Palace without a single escort?!

I didn't know what kind of bravery or idiocy he had. That little imp was the one who was at fault yet, why did I feel responsible for this accident?

Now I was wondering, was I turning back time or just being thrown into a parallel world? Also, this Damian was kinda weird, I remembered exactly how we met for the first time.

He was such a cute and lovely little brother while this one... He looked like a total stranger to me and he would frown instead of expressing what he had in mind.

I entered the Blink Sphere Room and chose my mother's Palace as my next destination. Upon arriving, the guard opened the door and I got out of there. My eyes spotted a maid and I approached her.

"Where is my mom?"

The maid was startled the moment she turned to me as if seeing a ghost, but she eventually lowered her head.

"Her Highness is in her Study Room."

I nodded and rolled my feet. I could see how maids and guards widened their eyes right after they saw me. I ignored them and continued to march to the Study Room. Upon arriving, I opened the giant door in front of me without hesitation.

My mother glanced and smiled when she saw me but her smile abruptly evaporated. She stood from her seat and shock decorated her face. Well, it was understandable since my clothes were covered in blood. 

"What happened to you?"

She hastily walked toward me but halted midway when the thing that I threw on the floor stopped before her feet. Her expression shifted to cold after seeing the dagger that was lying on the floor; a knife with Desdemona's Family crest engraved on its blade. She lifted her head and looked me in the eyes.

"Where did you get that?"

I smiled. Just how long had she wanted to play innocent like this? I was not in the mood to joke around right now. That little brat nearly died because of her, which also nearly ruined my regression!

"Why don't you ask yourself where you sent your men?"

We stared at each other for a few seconds before she opened her mouth.

"Everybody get out."

The maids left the room as she commanded and right after the door closed. I spat out a piece of my mind in a low tone. I was tired of all this shit.

"Mom, can we stop this?"

"Stop what?"

I was mad at her ignorance.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested in the throne!"

"It is not your place to say it."

I scoffed at her. It had always been like this. We just kept circling in this never-ending loop. I was sick of it.

"You know it too, right?

"Know what?"

"The throne is not mine to begin with and you know it too!"

"I will make you the Emperor no matter what."

This was just ridiculous. Even after I turned back time, my mother didn't even change. Same and always obsessed with the throne.

Just how many misdeeds she had done to the Empress up until now? Just when she stopped all of this? Wasn't she tired? She even got the 'villainess' title within this castle because of her behavior.

Couldn't we just forget about the throne and live a normal life like any other family? Like the Empress and that little imp? I exhaled a long sigh to calm myself. I tried my best to control my anger and looked right into her eyes.

"Mom. I'll be honest here. I know the truth."

"What truth do you know?"

"That I--"