Chapter 68: Awaiting the Moment of Death
The capital, Grandera, had fallen silent.
Once a lively hub of activity, it had become somber. The streets that used to echo with laughter were now quiet. The market was deserted, and even those who had once roamed the roads drunk had disappeared. The red-light districts, too, had lost their usual crowd.
The news that the Emperor was on his deathbed had spread like wildfire. Those who needed to know the news already had, and those, who shouldn’t have heard the rumors, somehow did.
The atmosphere was grim.
All eyes were on the Emperor’s deteriorating health. His inability to drink water for days and his shallow breathing made it clear to anyone that his time was near.
“Your Highness. I offer my early congratulations.”
The Third Prince, Edmund von Illumina, nodded with a blank expression. Though he had been shedding tears just moments ago as he grasped his father’s hand, his demeanor shifted the moment he returned to his room.
The tears had dried and a hint of joy even flashed across his face.
Soon, he would ascend to the throne and become the Emperor.
He would stand at the pinnacle of the Empire, nominally holding power over the lives of his subjects.
It was an ironic twist of fate, for he had been the son of the third consort. He had once been incredibly distant from the line of succession, but with the legitimate heirs—Ardein and Arsein—now removed from the equation, the throne was his for the taking.