I Became the Black Swan Mother of the White Swan Princess - Chapter 200

“Have you called?”

Rashid, who was standing by the window, turned around at the sound of the princes entering. Payton focused on Rashid’s face, which seemed lost in thought as he fiddled with his fingers, but there was nothing in his hands.

“Big brother, are you looking for something?”

“Do you have to ask because you don’t know?”

“Sorry.”

Rashid chuckled at Tenon’s response. However, he remained relaxed, leaning against something, and his expression didn’t seem too bad. Since the last gathering, he hadn’t frowned even once, which now made his normally stern face appear somewhat lenient.

“There’s still no news about Haniel today.”

“I apologize.”

“It’s been more than just a day or two.”

Rashid turned his head back outside once more. Feeling puzzled as Rashid’s face was still not visible despite him rubbing his head, Tenon attempted to explain, “As you know, we deployed magicians throughout the Northern Region, but…”

“But you didn’t leave any in the Winter Palace.”

“Pardon?”

“That’s right. The Winter Palace.”

Tenon felt curious about Rashid’s casual remark. It was Rashid who had advised against deploying magicians in the Winter Palace. The only person possessing an absolute power that even magic couldn’t compare to was none other than his elder brother, Rashid.

“There were traces of moisture left, undoubtedly,” Rashid murmured once more as he let his eyes rest between his fingers. When he pulled the diamond ring out from the tip of the sword that day, there was still a slight trace of moisture remaining. What did that signify? Occasionally, he remembered that sensation. No. That couldn’t be true. His eyes, which had slightly narrowed, turned toward Payton.

“Is the apprentice magician I mentioned before still missing?”

“Yes, according to Cedric, communication with him has been completely cut off.”

“Completely…”

THUMP

His finger tapped on the window frame. The discreet movements from a few nights ago now seemed to be engraved on his fingertips.

“It seems that there were not just one or two missing people here once they arrived.”

“Well, there were several missing individuals before. Moreover, there was a small dispute at the last gathering due to those missing people. The Duchess and the other ladies were also present at the event…”

As Big Brother had once said, the two of them were together during the suspicious events in the Northern Region. Tenon looked up at Rashid with a slight tremor in his heart.

“…”

Rashid surprisingly remained silent. It was unclear whether he was listening to them, as his face was turned away, lost in thought. Suspecting that possibility, Payton stepped forward, leaving Tenon behind, and approached the window.

“I heard that the Duchess is currently meeting the women who caused the commotion that day.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It seems she is gradually taking on the role of acting lady. I thought it was just talk, but seeing her meet people one by one shows she’s quite ambitious.”

“She’s a woman who works hard at everything she does.”

“…”

Predictable.

With a mocking tone, Rashid’s stern countenance slightly curved upwards. The gaze of the princes, who couldn’t overlook the change, became complicated.

“Um, Brother.”

“Speak.”

Even though Rashid seemed engrossed in something, he was still sensitive to his siblings’ demeanor. Perhaps it was because of his intuition that this wasn’t just any idle talk, his eyes became sharper than usual.

“It seems like something is going on.”

“Rather than that, I think we should ask how long you’ll stay here, Brother.”

“Why?”

“Aren’t you ‘His Majesty’, the noble Emperor of Rohan? No matter how much you want to find Haniel, it’s not feasible for you to stay here forever. Just by staying in the Northern Region until now, there have been various speculations in the palace…”

“It’s not mere speculation.”

As they all well know. Quietly listening, Rashid surreptitiously glanced at them. Payton cleared his throat at the evident gesture, pretending not to guess what was on Rashid’s mind. Though he didn’t feel at ease, he seemed to feign ignorance for now.

“Rianess is approaching soon. Before the hunting festival, wouldn’t it be appropriate for you to attend the meeting in the capital?”

“Yes. Even if the other meetings are hosted by our second brother, Rianess is a gathering to discuss the empire’s ceremonies and laws. As the Emperor, you should be there to demonstrate your authority.”

Feeling the time was right, Tenon also chimed in, urging Rashid’s return. Rianess, a meeting with the four great clans that occurred once a year, was something that couldn’t be postponed. Rashid, who had been listening with his arms crossed over his chest, finally spoke. “Rianess, huh? What’s the use of just nodding and going back?”

“Oh, is it not different this year?”

“Really? Is there something significant happening in the empire that I’m unaware of?”

“After the official national mourning ends with this year’s gathering, they might officially start discussions regarding His Majesty’s marriage.”

THUMP

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