The Rose Of The South
Epilogue: The Empress of East

My husband loves a beautiful young woman who is stupid, naive, who can be restrained and easily controlled. But he made me his partner. How stupid he is.

I heard my stepson was killed by the Northern Witch Queen. And now thousands of our team are ready to retaliate. Let them shed blood and fight. Qin would not remain silent. He might have gone to the North to chop up the North King who had just returned from the dead and his witch wife. Yi was her favorite son. It always has been, because of my son, our son, sickness. Haru was born with a health condition that made him unable to linger in the sun. Physically weak. His skin is as pale as the northern people. But, for the sake of the Dragons, my son is as smart as I am.

Yi looks like his father. The lover of women who will not stay silent when he finds out the Northern Queen who has peerless beauty is widowed. He thought that it would be easy to snatch the Ice Country from the hands of the Queen. He thought it was easy to pull her into bed. Everyone also knows Eleanor Winterthur is not stupid and is one of the most talented witches. Somehow the Queen managed to make Yi wait quietly and then bring her husband from the dead. Perhaps from the beginning King Xavier did not die. Maybe from the beginning they had their own plans. None of my business.

My business is with the future Southern Queen. A young witch with extraordinary talent and I must admit, as ingenious as a fox. What's-her-name? The luna? I don't know. But he said the young Southern King would soon marry him as soon as his non-talking brother was married to some unlucky man.

Haru, my son, told me that the future Southern Queen showed him a very good item. Mortas. Poisons are made with magic and can be deadly very quickly. Very potent. He sold it at an affordable price on the condition that we would not use it to attack Schiereiland. Of course he knows our target is Nordhalbinsel. I guess he wants revenge with the Ice Country. I don't know what grudges he has to destroy a kingdom.

Prince Yi was not killed by Queen Eleanor, of course. He was so excited to go to the beautiful witch that he didn't realize that part of his army was actually on my son's side. They put Morta in his wine. And I guess, Haru took care of the man. Haru's smart. He never left a trace. Whoever poisoned Yi must have died so as not to betray us and bear witness. No living witness knows what really happened.

And with Queen Eleanor accused of being the murderer of the Emperor's favorite son, we finally found an excuse to attack the land when it was very weak. Qin would not forgive those who had killed his son. And while Qin and his army are fighting for revenge, I just need to sit sweetly while listening to the strings of the Palace musicians. Qin will die in that war—I'll make sure it's—then my son will be Emperor.

Plan's perfect.

"Mother..." My son's soft voice broke my daydream.

Haru was forty-two this year. But anyone who saw him could believe that he said he was twenty-four. I would not even deny that Qin did not age after his thirtyth birthday several decades ago. The people who praised me were probably the sycophants, but I knew what they said was not a lie, I was still as beautiful and as young as I was before marrying Qin. The secret is not because of our ancestors. Not because of Dragon blood as people say. But our technology. The Orient was far more advanced than any country. We bring together magic, our natural wealth and high-tech to create creams and drinks that can keep us young. Of course it was only for the nobles and the people who could afford it.

"Speak, my son." I said as softly as possible.

"I got less news wearing a heart."

Haru never seemed to hesitate. His physique was indeed weak, but he never hesitated. He always knows what to do. His intelligence comes from me, of course. Unfortunately, he still had no descendants. His wife is useless, I think. Only beautiful and came from a noble family. But until now it has not produced anything. I told Haru to find a concubine, but the good boy didn't want to. He said I look very miserable because Qin has many concubines, so he won't do the same as his father. I'll think about it later. As soon as Haru becomes Emperor, I will annihilate that useless woman.

"My son, tell me. What makes you so upset on this sunny day?" My insistence.

"Twin dragon..." Haru gulped for a while before continuing his words. "disappear. Kaze and Shuu disappeared, Mother."

I need to calm down. The Twin Dragons were an imperial fortune. The most valuable treasure. The deadliest weapon. By mastering the Twin Dragons, the people fully believe in us. The Emperor. That the Emperor was the choice of the Dragon King. That the Emperor was the descendant of the Great Fire Dragon and the Great Queen of Zhera—For the sake of the Dragons, the people still believed in that old fable. But if the Twin Dragons are not there, by the time Haru becomes Emperor, then we will be very troubled. The people only supported the Emperor who got the blessing of the Dragons. They may expose the old sin of Qin that killed the family of the previous Emperor.

On that, there is a way out. We just need to send out the Dragon Trackers. People born with Dragon Eyes. They can help us rediscover the Twin Dragons. Haru should know about it too. So why does he still look this chalky?

"Any more, my son?"

"Yes, Mother." Haru then gestured to me. I know what that means. The next conversation should not be heard by anyone. I immediately ordered everyone to leave my room.

"What makes you restless, my son? Tell me everything."

"I heard the rumors in the capital." Haru. His voice was soft as if the walls of the Palace could reveal his secret. "Daughter Seo-Hwa... The daughter of the Emperor before the father seemed to be coming and reclaiming the throne that belonged to him."

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