The Invisible Prince

Chapter 13 - Interlude

Emperor's POV-

The emperor remained seated as he stared at the fainting Arien. Contrary to his calm expression, his mind was chaotic.

'Illegitimate children can only be an emperor's weakness because my blood runs through them...and they're my children.'

'For this reason, Rurahel and these children could not live in the palace...because they would become a source of weakness for me.'

His eyes scanned the four children who were in the room, his gaze lingering on the youngest three: Arien, who had bravely protected her brother despite being terrified, Arjen, who remained calm in the face of the emperor, and Arden, who bore a striking resemblance to the emperor and thus held a special place in his heart.

The emperor's facial expression remained unchanged as he thought of the violet haired woman who had approached him.

'Rurahel. A woman whose heart was filled with greed that could not be disguised. She had no plans to keep her children alive because of her secret.'

He caught Arien in his arms.

'I couldn't bring myself to kill them. They were royal babies with my golden hair...so light and small...'

He recalled the moment when he saw them for the first time.

"Their names will be Arjen, Arien, and Arden", he had said while looking at the crib filled with golden haired babies.

'At the time, I thought that if I couldn't kill them, it'd be best to hide their existence forever. Because of a certain contract, Rurahel brought the children to a run-down castle and never came out of it.'

'Five years later, I received news that Rurahel died in vain and met the children who had just turned five years old. They were so small and it seemed like they would break if I held them recklessly. I couldn't help but question myself...'

'Did I...Did I do the right thing?'

[297 words]