The Twin Siblings’ New Life - chapter 37

At that moment, Lulahel was startled and hesitated, but soon opened her mouth and began to speak.

“Your child! Your Majesty’s child!”

“Did you think such nonsense would work?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!!”

“It seems like you thought you could do anything and even opened your mouth in front of me just because I treated you well as the last Hebi.”

“But…..!”

He felt like his words were getting longer, so he raised his wine glasses again and said lowly.

You’re not worth keeping alive.”

She expected too much from the emperor who stepped on blood with his own feet.

She realized that fact belatedly. Lulahel staggered.

This life of hers was not a big deal. It was already punishable by death to dare yell at the emperor, but she looked angry as if she didn’t know the fact.

“If you treat a Hebi like this, the forest will be furious!”

“Such words don’t work for the imperial family.”

It was when he tried to call a knight standing behind him by raising his head.

“If you kill me, you’ll die too!”

As if it was the last step, she grabbed her stomach and twisted her lips sweetly. Terrible words burst through those distorted lips.

“Do you think the people who killed the Hebis will still be fine? Don’t make me laugh. The Hebis are beautiful flowers and poisonous plants. They can place a curse on the heart of a single person in their lifetime.”

“….”

“If you kill me, you’ll die with me. You’re not going to escape.”

The curtains fluttered in the wind. The dreary wind swept through the interior as he watched Lulahel trace along her lips with her fingers.

“How can I believe that?”

“If you don’t believe it, kill me. That’ll prove it!”

She finally smiled brightly as if she had found a way out and stepped back a couple of steps. The sound of shoes clicking against the floor could be heard again and again.

“Hebis are poisonous! They can kill only one person, only one person in their lifetime with their own two hands, even the Emperor!”

“………”

“Don’t worry too much. The Emperor will be fine unless you kill me or commission someone to assassinate me.”

“……What do you want?”

The words spoken were so cold. At the cold and subdued voice, Lulahel smiled with a joy.

“The person who is cursed must unconditionally do me a favor.”

“Because my life is at stake?”

“…… if I kill you, I’ll also die too. That option is just a last resort.”

“……..”

He quietly scraped down the surface of the wine glass that he had put down. He turned his gaze obliquely and looked at Lulahel.

“What do you want?”

“……The seat of the Empress~!”

“No.”

“Your life depends on me!”

“It’s not possible.”

He would rather pass the throne to his first son and die because that seat belonged to his partner who had already passed away. It was a place protected by the green serpent, a guardian who also died.

“……Why?”

“I’ll listen to the rest, say it.”

He didn’t have to kill Lulahel with his own hands. As he was thinking about going in a direction that would make her take her own life, he caught sight of the round belly when he tilted his head.

If it was really his child, it would be quite annoying.

When his gaze reached her stomach, Lulahel finally stumbled and pointed.

“It’s your kid! How can you look at it with those eyes?!”

It was his turn to frown at what she wanted from him. With a dejected smile, he gradually shrank back from his already distant body.

“Yes, good! I don’t need the Empress seat! But the child in my belly belongs to me. Don’t be late to find me! Even if it’s you, you have to listen to my demands on these children!”

“Let’s do that.”

“Give me Derolina Castle! Make it completely in my possession, so that no one can enter unless they have my permission!”

“I’ll allow that, too.”

The one who wanted the empress seat was not ordinary to just ask for Derolina Castle. She seemed to have other ideas, but he didn’t refuse her request.

“…..Don’t regret it later!”

Unfortunately, he didn’t.

Only later did he hear that Lulahel tried to take the throne, not even the empress seat, by using her newborn babies.

It was news that he learned later, but the moment when the twins were born, she had lost all of her abilities as a Hebi.

Had he known that fact a little earlier…..

Truth be told, he didn’t have the will to find out. What kind of affection did he have for children who weren’t normal and didn’t even have any opinions?

Despite all that, he still remembered the day when He brought Argen and Arien with him after Lulahel died. The 5 year old children looked absolutely terrified with such small bodies and weren’t able to speak for a long time.

If he had paid a little attention to these children just a bit earlier…….

“How funny.”

Unlike the other princes, he would never hurt the children who were so small that there was no room to even touch.

There were so many wounds engraved on those little bodies.

Now, he couldn’t say anything to the children who wanted him to come and support them, but were ignored because they were illegitimate.

When he thought of the pain the children had suffered so far, his heart ached.

He slowly opened his eyes while his body was buried in the chair. Green eyes glistened darkly in the night when the darkness fell. On the bed in front of him, there were two children who couldn’t hide their wounds and only ran away.

He didn’t intend to be forgiven. However, at least as a father, he wanted to let his children know only good things, feel only good things, and see only good things so that they won’t get hurt any more.

******

It was a quiet atmosphere. After a war of nerves with the emperor and the other princes, my heart was sore and I felt even more depressed.

“Are you alright? Arien.”

“…… I’d like to ask you that.”

Argen’s voice broke through the silence as he gently pulled down the blanket that had been tightly covering me. When he asked me if I was okay, even though he wasn’t, my heart ached.

I looked up at Argen while he was looking down at me, and soon I bit the tender flesh in my mouth and asked.

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand a couple of times just in case my face was red from crying earlier.

“Are you really alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then I’m fine, too.”

I tried not to lie, but I couldn’t help it. He was lying too.

I’m not okay at all. So was Argen. I only knew that the emperor would not hit me.

But the fear imprinted on my body made me shrink and feel scared by myself. It was never intentional.

“But why did you do that earlier?”

To change the subject of conversation, I pulled the blanket and fell down on top of Argen’s knees.

“……What?”

“Why did you go against the emperor?”

In response Argen frowned at me and pushed me down from his knees.

“You’re not gonna say anything to me, are you?”

I just rubbed my face on the soft texture of the blanket. I pounded my forehead on the blanket a little and murmured so no one else could hear it.

“I hate the Imperial Family.”

“……But we’re the imperial family, too.”

I threw away the pillow I was holding in my arms at Argen’s words and stared at him.

“I’m kidding. The imperial family……I hate them too. Really.”

“Every time he forcibly does something. It’s authoritative and compelling.”

I felt a little sad because I seemed to be the only one who felt that way since Argen was so calm, but, in that instant, he pressed the pillow over my head. My face suddenly struck the blanket and when I managed to pull myself out, Argen replied while looking at my red face.

“He doesn’t care about our opinions.”

“……”

“Why do they keep asking about the things in the past? Don’t they know you and I will have a hard time?”

Argen spewed out the truth and I shook my head at those sad words. There was nothing wrong with those words.

“He keeps asking. For what reason is he asking about it? He always asks us even though it’s already so difficult to forget.”

Argen always drew out all the things I wanted to say when I couldn’t speak. On matters like this, it was my job to listen quietly.

I sat down next to Argen, gently wriggling and leaning my back against the wall. I tilted my head sideways and made eye contact.

“But……He’s a lot nicer than we thought.”

I stared at Argen’s unshakable red eyes as he quietly murmured those words.

“That’s right.”

“That’s right. He gives us delicious food.”

“He isn’t even violent.”

“He doesn’t even starve us.”

“He lets us study.”

“He doesn’t get angry.”

“……Rather, our mistakes are generously overlooked.”

“He gives us dolls and toys.”

“He gives us a place to sleep.”

“……”

“…….”

I calmly closed my mouth. While I was trying to look away, the door that was far away from the bed slowly opened.

Argen turned his eyes at the small noise. I could see a large shadow slowly approaching through the half transparent curtain.

‘…..Who is it?’

‘The Emperor?’

Since this is his room, I thought it wasn’t strange for the emperor to come in. The curtain slowly lifted. I didn’t know if it was a good thing or not, but……It was the first prince, Lloyd.

He blinked his eyes and looked at the two of us clinging to the wall, then slowly sat down.

‘…….???’

‘Why is he sitting here?’

Argen muttered in shock while my head was filled with questions. Lloyd had an awkward expression.

“Come here.”

“…..”

“……”

He uttered only one word. As a result, Argen relaxed his stiff body and wrinkled his face.

“As you command…!”

“Ah, that is….Will you come over here?”

Argen raised his body halfway almost at the same time as Lloyd corrected his words. I grabbed Argen by the wrist to calm him down, but Lloyd’s eyes swung over.

“……It’s not an order.”

“……”

“……”

“I don’t give orders to my family.”

“……”

“……”

“So I’ll ask you. Would you come and talk to me?”