"How do you know all this?" Tang Feiliu stared at Ivans. He finally understood why Edward had to go to this warâit was revenge, and closure.
He would go without fail. Not only could Tang Feiliu not stop him, but Edward himself might not be able to stop himself.
Yet those secrets seemed to be matters known only to Edward and Her Majesty Josephine. Why would Yivansi know? Tang Feiliu vaguely sensed Ivans was different. Yet as he looked at the man before himâhis loyal friend from the Black Swan, his devoted valet through thick and thinâthey had shared laughter and conversation in oxcarts, explored every corner of the castle together.
When Ivan hadn't accompanied them to the imperial capital, Tang Feiliu had already sensed something unusual about this man. Though Edward treated him no differently than any other servant, Tang Feiliu had still keenly perceived something amiss.
And now, as Ivan casually recounted the palace's dark secretsâthose hidden, unspeakable past eventsâhe spoke of them all with intimate familiarity... Some of those stories even dated back to when Ivan was just a child.
"...Lord Lance, you must have guessed why I didn't come to the Imperial City." Tang Feiliu had once asked Edward privately, but Edward had only replied, "There are people in the Imperial City Ivanis doesn't wish to see." Tang Feiliu pondered for a moment, then ventured hesitantly, "...I thought you might be the illegitimate son of some noble."
Such matters were all too common in this era, and Edwardâs response had hinted at something similar. Yet Ivans merely chuckled softly, nodded, and revealed a truth that made Tang Feiliuâs scalp tingle: "Indeed... I am the child of His Majesty and a minor noble."
"What?!" Tang Feiliu blurted out in shock before clamping his hand over his mouth. Ivans found his reaction amusing. Having spent considerable time with Tang Feiliu, he understood his mindset. Smiling, he said, "...It's fine. It's an open secret. After Her Majesty ascended the throne, she wrote to me many times. Not long ago, she even sent word through someone, saying she wanted me to accompany her to study..."
Nathians tended to speak in veiled terms, and Ivanes initially followed suit. Only when he saw Tang Feiliu's utterly bewildered expression did he finally burst out laughing. Shaking his head, he recounted his story in Tang Feiliu's own style of bluntness.
Only then did Tang Feiliu grasp the full extent of Ivanis's origins and trialsâa journey no less tumultuous than Edward's.
Ivans' birth had been an accidentâa product of a royal ball held after Charles, the legitimate heir, was born. At the time, Charles was already three or four years old. His Majesty the Emperor was deeply involved with a certain lady, so the palace was filled with balls and songs nearly every day, an atmosphere of extravagance and merriment.
At that time, Empress Josephine was a woman whose marriage had just begun to falter. She still loved her husband deeply. Her character was bright and passionate, and the Emperor still cherished her. However, once he could no longer control his infidelity, the proud Empress Josephine never looked at him kindly again. She even moved out of their shared bedroom, leaving their marriage a mere formality.
The young Empress Josephine forgot that the Emperor was not merely her husband, but also the ruler of France. Their marriage was not just a union of hearts, but a political calculation.
Yet Empress Josephine had grown up as a young lady of a powerful estate. She had never faced adversity before in her lifeâhow could she possibly resign herself to such compromise? Other nobles might endure such a marriage in name only, content with maintaining a facade of peace. But Empress Josephine could not bear it. While she was still grieving over her broken heart, her lover had already taken advantage of the emperor and empress's estrangement to firmly establish himself, even conceiving a child.
To celebrate his mistress's joyous occasion, the Emperor hosted a banquet lasting half a month. Wine and laughter filled the imperial palace. Hearing the revelry outside, Empress Josephine dressed herself one day and appeared directly at the feast.
The young nobleman, also a knight, had been utterly captivated by Empress Josephine from their first meeting. He passionately extolled her beauty and even pledged his loyalty to her.
At first, Empress Josephine acted out of spite, but the young, ardent knight's sincerity soon took root in her passionate heart. Before long, they genuinely fell in love.
They met secretly within the palace walls. The Emperor, preoccupied with his own mistresses, remained unaware of the turmoil unfolding in his own household. By the time he discovered the affair, Empress Josephine was already pregnant. As panic gripped her, she received the devastating news: the young nobleman had been expelled from the imperial city and, shortly after leaving, met his death in a horse-riding accident.
This was merely a pretextâeveryone knew it was no accident. When the furious emperor stormed into her chambers, Empress Josephine erupted in a bitter quarrel. Weeping, she accused him of betraying her first and demanded a divorce. She then boarded a carriage and returned for the first time to her family home in neighboring France.
Their marriage had long been untenable, and the Emperor desired to replace her. Yet divorce and marital dissolution were not matters they could decide independently. Through behind-the-scenes political mediation, Empress Josephine secretly gave birth to Prince Ivan at her family home. Persuaded by relatives, she eventually returned to the imperial city.
Whether it was a sense of regained possession or other factors, upon her return to the imperial palace, Empress Josephine and the emperor experienced a brief thaw in their relationship. Soon after, she became pregnant with Prince Louis.
Yet shortly after Josephine's second pregnancy, His Majesty became infatuated with another woman. He even allowed her to reside within the palace, hosting banquets and entertaining guests daily as if she were his true spouse.
Exhausted by her pregnancy, Empress Josephine fell gravely ill after giving birth to Louis, likely poisoned by agents sent by the rival mistress. That winter nearly claimed her life. When she finally emerged from her chambers the following summer, her body emaciated beyond recognition, she sought to confront the mistress. Yet all evidence had been meticulously erased. Worse still, throughout the palace, it was as if Empress Josephine had never existed. Beyond her private quarters, everything had been taken over by the new mistress.
Worse still, the Emperor repeatedly raised the matter of replacing the Empress during meetings with his ministers.
The prolonged neglect of Josephine's illness likely reflected a desire to let her simply die of it. She trembled with rage, yet like a beast stripped of claws and fangs, she was confined to the harem, clinging to life in a state of captivity for nearly six long years.
What tales unfolded during those years remains unknown to history. What the world does know is that over these six-plus years, Prince Charles gradually transformed from a gentle, respectful young prince into a pompous, conceited fool. The young Prince Louis was sent to the Abbey to study, while Empress Josephine remained in the harem, gritting her teeth and swallowing her pride, enduring until Edward arrived at the imperial palace.
The subsequent events became the stuff of legend, but Evans spoke of the hidden corners. He said that during those years when Her Majesty Josephine suffered, he too endured hardship. The reason Empress Josephine was so cruelly oppressed during those years was that after her beloved father passed away, the younger brother who inherited the family estate was far younger than her. They had barely spent time together in their youth before Josephine was sent far away to marry. Though her brother treated her well and was willing to help, he simply couldn't match their father's devotion. He merely ensured she was looked after, preventing her from truly perishing in the depths of the palace.
But beyond that, there wasn't much elseâno real financial support or political backing.
Still, this was considered quite generous. Yet for Ivan, the illegitimate son, this younger brother showed even less concern. He simply instructed his wife to handle matters. Seeking convenience, this new wife promptly abandoned Ivan at a country estate. To make matters worse, the servants assigned there were far from trustworthy. Ivan grew up in the countryside. The monthly allowance he received never reached him. While the servants feasted on sweet bread and roasted meat, he often went hungry.
Like any country lad, Ivanis spent his days playing in the fields. Occasionally catching frogs or snakes, he would roast them for food. It wasn't until Her Majesty Josephine had eliminated her rivals and begun building her own power base that the boy, locked away in the countryside, was finally discovered.
When the personal maid sent by Josephine arrived, Ivan was being frantically dragged into the house by a terrified butler. The butler never imagined this illegitimate child of unknown origin would be inquired about, let alone that someone would come directly for him instead of simply sending him backâthey only learned of the news midway through the journey.
Thus, caught completely off guard, Her Majesty Josephine's maid witnessed a heartbreaking sceneâ âher noble master being cared for like a stray dog from the countryside. Mud caked his body, his hair reeked of filth. He didn't occupy the brightest master bedroom, but instead lived in a tiny, remote corner of the estate. His bedding was hard and blackened, a half-eaten piece of black bread lay by the bedside. The personal maid, a trusted confidante of Josephine, was driven mad with fury in that instant. She ordered a thorough search of the estate, only to discover the steward occupied the finest quartersâfilled with soft silks and discarded delicacies. He wore silk shirts reserved for the master, dressed like a minor noble, and had even taken a village girl as his mistress!
The pair had clearly treated the place as their own domain, living without restraint. Upon learning this, the maid took the bewildered Ivanka by the hand and led her straight to the carriage.
It was the first time Ivan had ever seen a woman dressed so exquisitely. He had assumed the steward's mistress was the most splendidly attired woman in the world, but the moment the maid appeared, she made her seem utterly pale in comparison.
The maid told him his mother had come for him. Ivan was overcome with excitement. He had longed for her day and night, wondering where his parents were whenever he suffered injustice. Why had they abandoned him in the countryside for so many years without ever visiting?
On this day, led by the maid, he climbed into the carriage. He saw the arrogant steward and his mistress bound, all the servants tied up with ropes. The once-haughty servants wept in terror, some even denouncing others for who had beaten the young master most brutally...
The maid wept with heartache, but Ivanka felt nothing. He had grown accustomed to suffering. He was consumed with the urgent desire to see his mother, unwilling to wait even a minute longer.
They returned to Josephine's family home, dusty and weary. When the maid led the unwashed Ivan out, his aunt's face instantly drained of color.
Even his uncle, who had never paid attention to this illegitimate nephew over the years, was stunned. His initial shock gave way to furious rage as he lashed out at his wife. Meanwhile, Ivan looked around anxiously, desperate only to see his mother.
The commotion dragged on for a long time. By this point, Empress Josephine's influence had grown considerably, though not yet to its later extent. Charles was already the sole heir. Josephine's brother had assumed his nephew was living quite comfortably in the countrysideâif not in luxury, then certainly in fine clothes and sumptuous food. only to discover now that their years of neglect had not only failed to win favor with his sister but might even have eroded the last shred of familial bond... How could they not be frantic?
But even without explicit instructions, the maidâhaving served Empress Josephine for most of her lifeâknew exactly what the Empress would want her to do. Without another word, she left Fran with a cold expression, taking Ivanka with her.
It was the first time in her life that Ivana had ever seen her mother.
Raised in the rustic soil of the countryside, Ivana had never encountered such a beautiful and commanding woman. By then, Her Majesty Josephine had transformed into a woman of unyielding resilience. As she watched her clean, freshly bathed childâstill so frailâtears streamed down her face.
But the Emperor still lived. Josephine could not keep this child. After spending less than an afternoon with Ivan, she had him sent away that very night to York City. She ordered Edward to dispatch knights to protect him well, determined that tragedy must never be repeated.
"I begged her not to send me away, crying the whole time. I'd rather die than leave her..." Ivan's usually composed expression wavered. He gave a bitter smile and said, "But she sent me away anyway..."
The young Ivan, overwhelmed by extreme joy and sorrow, fell gravely ill midway from the imperial city. Years of accumulated injuries and malnutrition caused his condition to erupt violently. Shortly after arriving in York, Dave, acting on Edward's private instructions, found the lonely child in the manor. He took him in, caring for him meticulously for over half a year, and finally saved the little life.
After waking, Ivanis followed Dave like a shadow, never returning to the estate nor acknowledging anyone connected to Her Majesty Josephine. He studied under Dave, striving to become a capable valet. He grew up this way, seeing himself as an ordinary servant until Duke Edward returned to his domain.
"I never intended to return," Evans murmured, gazing at Tang Feiliu. "...I was simply worried about you, Your Excellency."
His eyes were an exceptionally light gray, yet when he looked at someone, the deep concern within them seemed ready to spill over. Tang Feiliu stared at him, listening to the tale of the past. After a long moment, he stared back at Evans and asked blankly, "...So...you're a prince?"
He froze for a moment, then his expression suddenly turned horrified. "My God! I actually had a prince serving as my personal valet for years!? My God!!!"
Ivans froze, then burst out laughing. He helped Tang Feiliu, whose legs had gone numb from crouching, to his feet. Smiling, he said, "It has been my honor all along, Your Excellency."
"Aaaahhh..." Tang Feiliu felt his head throbbing from Ivans's teasing, which only added fuel to the fire!
Author's Note:
Thanks to Tangyuan Nuonuo for the landmine.