Your Majesty, I’m Not that Man - Chapter 2: Not the Second Wife, but the Mistress? (1)

The human heart was a strange thing. A person one pitied and poured affection into, convinced that they could be saved, could suddenly become a source of resentment when perceived as a threat.

Until now, Hans’s actions had harmed only Lavinia.

Though she was Maxim’s daughter, Lavinia was a burdensome figure to him, constantly reminding him of an unwanted connection. Perhaps that was why, despite knowing the truth would hurt her deeply, he continued to act in ways that prioritized Hans.

Because he loved Hans. To him, enduring such complications was a small price to pay.

Besides, Maxim had justified it all by thinking, What’s so wrong with this arrangement?

Hans and Maxim could never have children together. But the union of their respective bloodlines—through Albert and Lavinia—created a child. To Maxim, that child felt like it was his and Hans’s.

Albert had grown into a strikingly handsome and capable young man. A Swordmaster, no less! That was a talent Maxim himself lacked.

While Lavinia was undeniably the more intelligent of the two, the era barred women from pursuing official positions of power. And, of course, there was the lingering resentment Maxim held toward the late duke, his predecessor.

The idea of mixing common blood into the noble lineage would have driven the previous duke into a fury. If the old man had learned of it, he likely would have dug his own grave and jumped in, shovel in hand.

That Maxim’s actions had now led to this dangerous situation left him bitter. Though he had made every decision willingly, he couldn’t help but resent Hans for setting the chain of events in motion.

Hans had always captivated him. With his beauty, freedom, and enigmatic charm, Hans embodied the ideal Maxim secretly longed for—a man who understood his hidden desires and remained by his side despite the stigma.

“Should I end it all?”

The safest way to avoid being caught by the Emperor would be to eliminate Hans. But Maxim couldn’t bring himself to harm him. His feelings for Hans ran too deep.

“Fortunately, I still have Albert as a card to play.”

Hans would never leave if it meant protecting Albert. For now, Maxim decided to send Hans away to the countryside, at least until he could discern the Emperor’s intentions.

Once everything settled, Maxim planned to bring Hans back into his life.

＊ ＊ ＊

“…Step back for now.”

Hans felt a wave of relief wash over him at the sound of Maxim’s voice. Maxim was safe. That meant this situation could still be reversed at any moment.

“Your Grace!”

The locked door creaked open, and as Maxim entered the room, Hans didn’t hesitate. He threw himself into Maxim’s arms. Maxim, as he always did, held Hans close.

“I was so scared, locked in here with no way of knowing what was happening. If only Your Grace had been here, they never would’ve treated me this way… I thought something terrible had happened to you…”

Hans rambled frantically, playing the part of the frightened servant, but something about Maxim’s demeanor felt… off.

“Your Grace?”

“Albert… Did you not convince him?”

“What are you saying…? Of course, I convinced Albert! He’s infatuated with Lady Lavinia and owes you his deepest gratitude. Right now, it’s just a temporary misunderstanding…”

“Misunderstanding?”

Maxim’s voice was colder than Hans had ever heard it before.

“A misunderstanding that could tarnish the honor of the ducal family! Do you not understand how dangerous this kind of scandal is?”

“Your Grace… No one knows about Albert’s… feelings for the young master. It’s only you and I who are aware… Albert’s mother is dead, and… all the others who might have known have also…”

When Maxim had brought Albert into the household, anyone who had cared for Albert or known him closely had been dealt with. Their deaths were conveniently timed, and Albert’s name had been changed, leaving no one alive who might identify him.

“That’s not certain. Didn’t you say the boy is the spitting image of his late mother? There could be someone, someone we overlooked, who has ties to Albert.”

“And even if there were, we could simply deny it! That’s not evidence of anything! There are countless people who resemble each other in this world!”

Hans wasn’t wrong, but it was too late. The Emperor had taken an interest in their family. Even the smallest blemish couldn’t be allowed to remain—it was far too dangerous now.

“Even so, it’s too late. His Majesty has forbidden Albert’s engagement to Lavinia. He’s ordered the records of their betrothal to be expunged from the noble registry.”

His Majesty? Why was the Emperor involved in their affairs?

“That can’t be… Does Lady Lavinia have some connection to His Majesty?”

“Albert only received his knighthood recently, and Lavinia has been undergoing lessons for courtly duties. She has no reason to meet the Emperor.”

The Emperor was notorious for being a tyrant and a lover of men, a figure feared by noble families. Although his beauty was striking—enough to make him the subject of constant gossip—he was also despised.

Could it be… Is he planning to make Lavinia his Empress?

It was possible. She was of marriageable age, and as the daughter of the empire’s only ducal house, she was a prime candidate.

Cassion, the unmarried and stunningly beautiful Emperor, was infamous for his bloodthirsty reputation. He had massacred his own relatives and was said to keep the imperial palace soaked in blood. No kingdom dared to willingly offer their daughters to him.

When the Emperor demanded a bride, it was either as tribute from a defeated nation or through outright conquest. And even then, to further humiliate them, he would often take their sons as concubines instead.

The Emperor was both a figure of terror and a transcendent being—someone no one dared to oppose, let alone kill.

“…In any case, since His Majesty has taken an interest in our family, we must lie low for the time being,” Maxim said calmly. “It seems the Emperor intends to marry Lavinia to someone of his choosing… likely making that man my successor. I have no intention of opposing this.”

You mean you don’t have the power to oppose it, Hans thought bitterly, glaring at Maxim.

For nearly ten years since Albert had been brought into the household, Hans had played the role of Maxim’s devoted lover. The idea that all his efforts might be for nothing made his blood boil.

If it were anyone else, Hans might have found a way to fight back. But the opponent was the Emperor—a tyrant infamous for his ruthlessness. Hans, a mere commoner and concubine, was no match for someone like that.

My dream of making Albert a noble of the empire… It’s slipping away just like this!

Hans clenched his teeth in frustration but knew he had to survive, no matter what. Fortunately, he had secretly stashed away a considerable amount of wealth stolen from the ducal estate over the years.

“This… This can’t be…”

Hans feigned despair, staggering as though his legs might give out. Maxim quickly reached out to steady him.

“My lord… our dreams… they’re crumbling. I only… I only wanted to achieve something through the children since I could never have my own… That was all.”

Hans’s voice trembled with feigned sorrow, and Maxim’s demeanor softened. Hans knew well how deeply Maxim was attached to him—so much so that he’d used it to orchestrate Albert’s engagement to Lavinia.

“Even if the ducal title cannot be passed down, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you and Albert live comfortably, lacking for nothing. For now, it would be best if you leave the capital and rest at my country estate. Stay there until His Majesty’s intentions become clearer.”

So that’s your plan—to tuck me away in the countryside and bring me back when you need me.

Hans smirked inwardly but slowly nodded, masking his thoughts. If he wanted to escape Maxim, it was best to pretend to go along with his wishes for now.

“But… there’s a more pressing issue.”

“What could be worse than this? Please, tell me.”

Hans slumped his shoulders, playing the part of a man utterly defeated. Maxim studied him carefully before speaking.

“Though I believe in Albert’s innocence, Lavinia and Zelenka—especially Zelenka—are furious. Zelenka is insisting that we send someone to capture Albert immediately. I’ve managed to hold them back for now, but…”

Zelenka had always openly despised Albert. However, ever since Zelenka’s affair had begun, she’d largely ignored the affairs of the Wendell ducal family.

“You must protect Albert, my lord! Even if he bears my blood, he is as good as your son! If you don’t protect him… oh, oh no!”

Hans nearly broke into hysterics, clutching Maxim tightly. Maxim pulled him into an embrace, soothing him gently.

“With you by my side, how could I neglect protecting Albert?”

What?

Hans glanced up at Maxim with a pleading expression, though beneath it, suspicion churned. Maxim’s face lit up with satisfaction at Hans’s apparent dependency.

“As long as you stay by my side, nothing will happen to Albert.”

Hans immediately understood the underlying threat in Maxim’s words. If Hans fled while staying at the country estate, Albert would bear the brunt of the consequences.

Ah… I’ve dug my own grave.

Hans realized he was trapped, but it was too late. The letter Albert had written was enough evidence to brand Hans as a con artist. That alone gave the ducal family the right to track him down and kill him if he tried to escape.

Just you wait, Maxim.

Hans flashed Maxim a bewitching smile, one that suggested he was comforted by Maxim’s presence. Watching Maxim’s expression soften further, Hans ground his teeth inwardly.

If I can’t have this wretched ducal family for myself, I’ll destroy it. I’ll make sure it becomes a shackle that drags them all down. It won’t go to my son, nor will it stand unscathed.

Seething with silent resolve, Hans accepted Maxim’s kiss, hiding the blade he was sharpening in his heart.

＊ ＊ ＊

Two weeks after Maxim discovered the Emperor’s involvement in the noble registry, a letter arrived from the imperial palace. It was a summons from the Emperor, instructing him to appear at court.

Maxim, knowing this moment was inevitable, prepared for the meeting with a face full of tension. Though he had attended every formal banquet held at the palace, he always avoided the Emperor whenever possible, bowing deeply to the ground at the mere sight of him before slipping away.

The Emperor, in turn, had always sneered at him. He knew Maxim feared him.

As he followed the chamberlain into the audience hall, Maxim swallowed hard. The intricately patterned marble floor bore faint but unmistakable stains of dried blood. Even after the young Emperor had reached adulthood, the imperial palace was never without the lingering scent of death.

“Please wait here,” said the chamberlain in a cold, doll-like tone before retreating.

Maxim stood alone, his nerves on edge as he waited for the Emperor. Servants, knights, and guards filled the room, their presence oppressive.

Why the audience hall? Maxim thought bitterly. He could have summoned me to a study or some other room…

Even a small room in the palace would be spacious, but this was different. The audience hall had a sinister reputation—whenever someone was summoned here, a death often followed.

“His Majesty the Emperor is arriving!”

At the chamberlain’s announcement, Maxim instinctively bent so low that his head nearly touched the floor. He felt the burning stares of those around him but dared not raise his head. The Emperor must have already entered through the passage reserved for the imperial family.

Cassion smirked at the sight of Maxim groveling on the ground.

He had refrained from meddling with the Wendell family for two reasons: their lack of imperial blood and Maxim’s ridiculous cowardice. Seeing someone tremble at the mere sight of his shadow was, for the Emperor, both amusing and useful.

Cassion despised the weak and conniving, often wanting to spill their blood himself. Yet Maxim had never once stepped out of line in the Emperor’s presence.

To Cassion, Maxim was nothing more than a foolish coward—not worth his time or attention.

“…The duke is always an exemplary servant, well aware of his place,” Cassion remarked lazily, throwing himself onto the throne.

Maxim, still bowing low, broke out into a cold sweat. Though the Emperor’s tone seemed lighthearted, there was no telling when his mood might shift.

“I-It is an honor, Your Majesty…”

His words were dripping with subservience, but Maxim knew the Emperor enjoyed his groveling. Watching the empire’s highest-ranking noble cower before him must have been a special thrill.

“Indeed, it’s an honor,” Cassion replied with a smirk. “And so, I’ve decided to bestow upon you yet another honor.”

Maxim froze. This was it—the real reason for the summons. Blinking rapidly, he prayed it wasn’t what he feared.

Cassion’s smirk deepened as he continued, his tone mocking.

“Your daughter… what was her name? Lay? Leddy?”

“L-Lavinia, Your Majesty,” Maxim stammered.

“Ah, yes. Lavinia. I’ve decided to take her as my Empress. The position has been vacant for far too long. I looked outside the empire, but none of the princesses met my standards. And within the empire, she’s the only suitable candidate left.”

Maxim’s face drained of all color. The thing he had feared most was now a reality.

“I despise troublesome ceremonies, so the wedding will be simple. Two months from now should suffice. Is there something you’d like to say?”

Cassion stroked his chin as he spoke, his strikingly beautiful face akin to a masterpiece. Yet to Maxim, he looked like a demon straight from hell.

“M-My daughter will be… greatly honored by this overwhelming grace, Your Majesty!”

“Good. I’ll look forward to it in two months, then.”

The Emperor seemed to lose interest after that. Waving dismissively, he gestured for the chamberlain to remove Maxim.

The duke, paralyzed by fear, felt his legs give out beneath him. The chamberlain stepped forward to help him up, but Maxim’s large frame made it impossible for just two attendants to support him.

As Cassion watched with amusement, two imperial guards were summoned to lift Maxim and carry him out of the audience hall like a sack of grain.

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