The Emperor's Unfavored Empress

Chapter 13 Cassiopeia: "I have fallen for him."

The grand parade slowly moved its way up the daunting and winding mountain path, with every single member of the court paying their respects to the late Emperor as it made its solemn and somber march. We had to climb on foot since horses couldn't ascend the steep slope, everyone walking in reverent silence as we followed along with the procession.

"Take it slow, be very careful, Your Highness," Hera warned anxiously, gripping my hand tightly. We had to be extra cautious as the path was extremely slippery and there was a heavy downpour of rain. The sky seemed to be crying along with us as it was so incredibly gloomy and surrounded us with an atmosphere of sadness.

Despite numerous attempts by the imperial guards, the murderer of the Emperor has not been caught. It is rumored that the Empress might not pursue the case anymore. "Does this mean that the Crown Prince will take his father's place on the throne?" Hera asked.

"Possibly," Lin answered uncertainly, her voice loaded with a deep sense of unease and worry, "The throne has been left empty for a very long time. I can't help but worry that the longer it remains unoccupied, the greater the chances of rebellion.”

I looked behind the walking Crown Prince, leading the line of princes. His paleness and languishing condition were apparent. The Crown Prince is not improving with each passing day.

As I slowly turned around to look at Magnus, I could see that he was already looking at me. His gaze was intense and unwavering, displaying a firm and heartbreaking sadness. His anguish was written on his entire face.

After a grueling week of mourning, it appeared that life was gradually returning to its normal state as the Empire got ready for the coronation of the new Emperor. People were trying their best to find resilience after losing their beloved leader.

Since I had nothing to do, I decided to go for a walk first. As I spun around, I found myself in the arena where Magnus was training. No wonder he is called the God of War. He is truly good at fighting. I saw how the sword of his opponent broke into two. It was too late when I realized that the broken sword would have hit me if I hadn't seen Magnus standing in front of me with half of the blade in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" he asked me in a cold and stern tone. If he had not moved so quickly and caught the sword that was flying towards me, I might have been hit by it and seriously injured.

"You're bleeding!" I gasped when I saw the blood flowing from his hand that had caught the blade. I was about to reach for his hand when he pulled himself away.

"Go," it said coldly.

"But you're bleeding," I repeated.

"Woman, I've been wounded, bled, and not dressed in war. I have been through worse than this and yet I am alive–” I cut him off and pulled off the lace of my hair.

"Not in my presence, sir," I answered plainly, my hands shaking as I reached out for his hand and quickly started to tie up the wound with a lace of my hair. I could feel him staring at me while I worked, causing my heart to beat faster. I hurriedly finished tying up the wound and stepped away. "Now, I can go," I immediately said, turning my back on him and running away.

Embarrassed, I slapped my cheeks several times, realizing I had already fallen in love with the fourth prince. My thoughts were interrupted when I saw the imperial doctor, who seemed busy and anxious, followed by the doctor taking care of the crown prince and his staff.

"Your Imperial Highness," they politely greeted me when they saw me.

“I spoke with the Empress, and she told me about the condition of the crown prince. Is there a problem with the first aid I did?” I lied. We have not been able to speak with the Empress, but I know that they will not reveal the crown prince's true condition without the Empress's permission.

The two doctors stared at each other, looking somewhat worried, before they finally invited me into the royal infirmary. I felt nervous as I stepped through the door, unaware of what awaited me. The walls were lined with various medical instruments, and there was an unmistakable smell of antiseptic in the air. There, I found the scattered anatomy of the former Emperor and some other information regarding the crown prince.

As soon as I returned to my room, I rushed over to Lin, "Come with me, Lin!"

"Where?" she anxiously asked, her voice wavering slightly, "as long as you don't go to the winery. I don’t want to be responsible to the fourth prince," she quickly added with a tone of worry in her voice.

"No, I was really perplexed as to why there hadn't been any news about the Emperor's case," I said. Lin put down the trunk she was carrying and then sat warily on the bed beside me, her brow furrowing in worry.

"Do you want to go to the Bureau of Justice?" she asked. I nodded. "But an imperial order has just been issued. It is forbidden to go there and it is also forbidden to mention anything about the former Emperor."

I was surprised by what I heard and my doubt grew stronger. Something was wrong with what was happening. "Just when?" I asked. Lin stood up, took the small paper roll, and handed it to me.

"Just this morning," she answered. As I opened the letter, the Emperor's seal caught my attention.

"But we have no Emperor yet, Cassiopeia." Lin’s eyebrow furrowed. I frowned.

“The crown prince was not crowned yet, Lin,” I whispered while staring at the paper.

“Then this the Empress?” Lin concluded. I nodded.

"Lin, I will not be at peace until I go to the Bureau of Justice. They will probably press all of this

on Magnus!” I exclaimed.

"How can that be? It's not the fourth prince who will sit on the throne, but the crown prince himself," said Lin.

"Lin, I need you to pay attention to what I'm about to tell you," I anxiously looked around to ensure that we were still alone, "I just came from the royal infirmary and I found out that the crown prince will no longer recover." Lin gasped in shock at the news that she had just heard. "Unfortunately, there is no cure for the crown prince's illness," I said with a sad sigh, adding more weight to my already heavy words.

"Cassiopeia!" exclaimed Lin, her voice rising in worry and frustration. "You absolutely can't say that here!" She had been hoping to avoid any potential conflict.

"I know, so just be quiet about it." I rolled up the paper again and handed it back to her, feeling a bit of fear and worry as I did so. "The Second and Third princes have already withdrawn their interest in becoming the Emperor and I'm feeling uneasy that Magnus won't easily give up on becoming the ruler of all. " I stood up and took the coat and wrapped it around myself. "So if anything happens to the crown prince, Magnus will take all the doubt and conspiracy."