Chapter 27: They’re Not Mine

In the dining room, a lavish breakfast was laid out: steaming platters of spiced meats, fresh baked breads, and bowls of sliced, honey-drizzled fruits.

Karina sat at the head of the table, sitting as straight as she could, her face the picture of a composed empress.

Internally, she was plotting a murder.

Breathe, Karina. In and out. Do not flip the table. Do not summon the system to buy a flamethrower. You are the Empress of Zyleria. You are a civilized woman who does not commit arson before nine in the morning.

She carefully cut a piece of soft melon into a bite-sized cube and placed it on Valen’s plate. "Here you go, sweetie," she murmured.

Valen looked at the melon, then up at her. He gave a tiny nod and ate it.

Karina’s heart melted just a fraction, but the molten lava of her rage quickly bubbled back up. Two children. Twins. Hiding in his castle. The sheer, audacity of this man! The original Karina had starved herself crying over this man, and he had been playing house with a panther noblewoman right under her nose!

"Your Imperial Majesty," a soft voice broke through her murderous thoughts.

Karina blinked, pulling herself back to the present. Lady Sophie and General Aldric had just entered. They looked visibly relieved, their shoulders dropping as they spotted Valen safe and sound. Sophie immediately hurried to Karina’s side, while Aldric took his usual post near the door, his blue eyes scanning the room.

"Thank goodness the prince wasn’t harmed!" Lady Sophie breathed.

Karina nodded. "Indeed."

Sophie moved to stand some distance from the empress when the doors burst open.

Karina’s knife paused mid-slice.

Leonidas strode in, with a thoroughly stressed-looking Rafael trailing behind him. Leonidas’s eyes locked onto Karina, and he immediately made a beeline for the chair to her right.

He sat down without asking.

"I’m sorry I was late," Leonidas said, his deep baritone rough.

Karina didn’t answer. She didn’t even blink. She simply set her knife down, picked up her crystal goblet, and took a slow sip of her water.

Silence stretched. Thick. Awkward. Uncomfortable.

"Karina," Leonidas prompted, his voice dropping an octave.

"Hmm?" she hummed, not looking away from the fruit platter.

"Please look at me."

Karina finally turned her head. Her eyes were as cold and dead as frozen lakes. She stared at him for three agonizing seconds before shifting her gaze to the blonde man standing awkwardly by the door.

"Rafael," Karina said, her voice crisp and echoing in the quiet room. "Please tell the king the Empress of Zyleria wishes to eat her meal in quiet."

Rafael blinked, his emerald eyes darting between the furious Empress and the dangerously still King. "Oh... I... uh..." he stuttered, suddenly finding the carvings on the doorframe fascinating.

Leonidas let out a sigh, rubbing his temples. "Karina, it is not what you think."

"I would rather have this conversation alone," she replied smoothly, picking up her fork again.

"Should we have it now?" he pressed, leaning forward. "I can ask them to leave."

Karina paused, her fork hovering over a piece of bread. She slowly turned her head to look at him, her expression utterly flat. "Incase you haven’t noticed, I am attending to my son."

Leonidas’s jaw ticked. He looked at Valen, who was happily ignoring them both while stabbing a grape with a tiny silver fork, and then back at Karina’s unyielding profile.

"Oh..." Leonidas muttered.

His broad shoulders slumped. He swallowed hard, the Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, and silently picked up his own fork.

[SYSTEM ALERT: TARGET’S DESPERATION LEVEL SPIKING!]

[Leonidas’s Heart Points: -35 → -32]

[Analysis: The silent treatment is devastating his ego. Keep the ice queen act going, host!]

Karina didn’t even care, she just took a bite of her bread.

The rest of the meal was eaten in a suffocating, awkward silence. The only sounds were the clinking of silver against porcelain and the occasional soft chew from Valen. Rafael basically melted into the shadows, desperate to escape the crossfire, while Aldric stood by the door.

When Karina finally pushed her plate away, she stood up, smoothing down her gown. "I am finished. Valen, come along."

"Coming," Valen chirped, hopping down from his chair.

Karina swept out of the room without a backward glance, her head held high. The moment she stepped out into the cool, stone corridor, the doors clicked shut behind her.

She let out a shaky exhale, her regal posture instantly deflating.

Sophie was right there, her pink eyes wide with worry. "Your Imperial Majesty," she whispered, stepping close. "What did you see, Empress? When you found the prince, what happened?"

Karina pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache blooming behind her eyes. "Two panther children," she spoke flatly. "Twins. A boy and a girl. Playing in the courtyard."

Sophie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

Beside her, Aldric’s jaw clenched, and his hand dropped to the pommel of his sword.

"That bastard..." Aldric gritted out. "He did that? Sleeping around while—"

"Aldric," Karina warned softly, though she completely agreed with his sentiment. "Keep your voice down."

The door behind them suddenly opened again, and Leonidas stepped out into the corridor. His eyes were fixed entirely on Karina.

Seeing his approach, Sophie promptly grabbed Valen’s hand. "Come, Prince Valen," she said loudly, shooting the Panther King a highly unimpressed glare. "Let the Empress talk with him. Let’s go."

"Wait—" Valen started, but the pink-haired lady was already dragging him down the hall, with Aldric falling in step behind them, casting one last venomous glare at Leonidas before disappearing around the corner.

Karina stood alone in the corridor with her husband.

She crossed her arms over her chest, lifting her chin. "Well? Are you going to explain how you have a secret family in your own castle, or should I just start packing my bags?"

Leonidas stopped a few feet away from her. He didn’t look angry. He didn’t look arrogant. He just looked incredibly exhausted. He ran a hand through his hair, his shoulders dropping.

"They’re not mine," he said quietly.

Karina’s glare faltered.

"Uh???"