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the Villainess they took for granted

Chapter 174: a son who lost his father · Oct 27, 2026

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Chapter List (304)

Page number / 7

151 Chapter 151: Yes 2026-10-27
152 Chapter 152: The News 2026-10-27
153 Chapter 153: A Request 2026-10-27
154 Chapter 154: Closure 2026-10-27
155 Chapter 155: The First Move 2026-10-27
156 Chapter 156: Wedding Plans I 2026-10-27
157 Chapter 157: wedding plans II 2026-10-27
158 Chapter 158: Wedding Plans III 2026-10-27
159 Chapter 159: wedding plans III 2026-10-27
160 Chapter 160: wedding plans IV 2026-10-27
161 Chapter 161: reception venue I 2026-10-27
162 Chapter 162: Reception Venue II 2026-10-27
163 Chapter 163: Invitation letter and program 2026-10-27
164 Chapter 164: wedding dress 2026-10-27
165 Chapter 165: of flowers, other arrangements, and a letter 2026-10-27
166 Chapter 166: food menu, wedding cake, and the second letter 2026-10-27
167 Chapter 167: Of Duties and Parting 2026-10-27
168 Chapter 168: the second move 2026-10-27
169 Chapter 169: one month before the wedding 2026-10-27
170 Chapter 170: decision to leave 2026-10-27
171 Chapter 171: the emperor falls ill 2026-10-27
172 Chapter 172: closed gates 2026-10-27
173 Chapter 173: the letter 2026-10-27
174 Chapter 174: a son who lost his father 2026-10-27
175 Chapter 175: The Succession 2026-10-27
176 Chapter 176: the emperor is dead 2026-10-27
177 Chapter 177: the minister of war 2026-10-27
178 Chapter 178: The Emperor’s Funeral 2026-10-27
179 Chapter 179: the report 2026-10-27
180 Chapter 180: the coronation I 2026-10-27
181 Chapter 181: the coronation II 2026-10-27
182 Chapter 182: V2- - 1: Her Return 2026-10-27
183 Chapter 183: V2- - 2: The Emperor 2026-10-27
184 Chapter 184: V2- - 3- Returning to soceity 2026-10-27
185 Chapter 185: V2- - 4: the marraige market 2026-10-27
186 Chapter 186: V2- - 5: an obvious choice 2026-10-27
187 Chapter 187: V2- - 6: the invitation 2026-10-27
188 Chapter 188: V2- - 7: An attempt 2026-10-27
189 Chapter 189: V2- - 8: The opening ball I 2026-10-27
190 Chapter 190: V2- - 9: The opening ball II 2026-10-27
191 Chapter 191: v2- - 10: the opening ball III 2026-10-27
192 Chapter 192: v2- - 11: the opening ball IV 2026-10-27
193 Chapter 193: v2- - 12: the opening ball V 2026-10-27
194 Chapter 194: v2- - 13: the opening ball VI 2026-10-27
195 Chapter 195: v2- - 14: the opening ball VII 2026-10-27
196 Chapter 196: v2- - 15: the opening ball VIII 2026-10-27
197 Chapter 197: v2- - 16: the opening ball IX 2026-10-27
198 Chapter 198: v2- - 17: the dance 2026-10-27
199 Chapter 199: v2- - 18: his private chambers I 2026-10-27
200 Chapter 200: v2- - 19: his private chambers II 2026-10-27

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: a son who lost his father

The Emperor’s condition worsened two days after the wedding date had passed.

Adrian had already stopped counting the hours.

He had learned to measure time by the physicians’ reports instead.

A slight improvement.

A setback.

Another examination.

Another consultation.

Another night in which no one dared to say what they were all beginning to understand.

His father was dying.

Adrian stood beside the Emperor’s bed when the chief physician finally lowered his head.

”Your Highness.”

Adrian looked at him.

The physician’s expression told him enough before he spoke.

”We have done everything we could.”

Adrian said nothing.

The physician continued quietly.

”His Majesty is weakening. At this point, there is nothing more we can do except keep him comfortable.”

Adrian looked toward the bed.

His father lay still beneath the covers.

”How long?”

”We cannot say.”

”Hours?”

”Perhaps.”

The physician hesitated.

”Perhaps less.”

Something inside Adrian seemed to drop.

He looked at his father again.

For days, he had known this was possible.

He had listened to the physicians.

He had watched every small deterioration.

He had understood what none of them wanted to say aloud.

And still—

he had not been prepared to hear it.

”Leave us.”

The physician bowed.

”Of course, Your Highness.”

The others followed him from the room.

The doors closed.

And for the first time in days, Adrian was alone with his father.

He remained standing for a moment.

Then he pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat.

His father’s face looked different.

Not like the Emperor.

Not like the man who had presided over councils, commanded rooms, and settled arguments with a single look.

Just his father.

Adrian reached for his hand.

He held it between both of his.

There was no response.

He hadn’t expected one.

For a while, Adrian said nothing.

He had spent his entire life knowing exactly how to speak to his father.

About the Empire.

About ministers.

About laws.

About mistakes.

About the things Adrian had done well and the things his father believed he could have done better.

But now, when there was almost no time left, he didn’t know where to begin.

Eventually, he smiled faintly.

”You know...”

He stopped.

The words felt strange in his mouth.

”I don’t think I’ve ever told you how grateful I am.”

His thumb moved slowly across his father’s knuckles.

”Not properly, anyway.”

He looked at his father’s face.

”You’ve always been there.”

A pause.

”Even when I didn’t want you to be.”

The corner of his mouth lifted faintly.

”Especially then.”

He was quiet for a moment.

”I know I wasn’t always easy.”

Another pause.

”But you were patient with me.”

His voice softened.

”You taught me everything.”

He glanced down at their joined hands.

”How to govern. How to listen. How to make decisions when there isn’t a good answer.”

He swallowed.

”I learned more from you than I ever said.”

Silence.

Adrian looked at his father again.

”I hope you knew that.”

His voice grew quieter.

”I hope you knew I was grateful.”

His eyes began to burn.

”And I hope you knew...”

He stopped.

The next words took longer.

”...that I loved you.”

For a moment, he could not continue.

He looked down, blinking slowly.

One tear slipped down his cheek.

Adrian did not wipe it away.

”I don’t say that very often.”

He gave a faint, almost embarrassed smile.

”Actually, I don’t think I say it at all.”

Another pause.

”So I suppose I’m making up for it now.”

His fingers tightened gently around his father’s hand.

”You’d probably tell me I’m talking too much.”

A quiet breath escaped him.

”But you’re going to have to listen this time.”

His eyes remained on his father’s face.

”Because I have quite a lot to say.”

And for the first time, Adrian allowed himself to speak without measuring every word.

He talked about his childhood.

About the lessons his father had given him.

About the times they had disagreed.

About the things he had never properly thanked him for.

Nothing grand.

Nothing that would matter to anyone else.

Just things that belonged to the two of them.

And perhaps his father could not hear him.

Perhaps he could.

Adrian chose to believe the latter.

So he kept talking.

The words came more easily after that.

Memories he had not thought about in years.

Small moments.

Arguments.

Lessons.

Things his father had said that Adrian had dismissed at the time, only to understand them years later.

He even laughed once.

Quietly.

”I remember when you told me I was too stubborn to govern.”

His smile faded.

”You were probably right.”

He looked down at their hands.

”You usually were.”

His voice became quieter.

”I should have told you that more often, too.”

He fell silent for a moment.

Then continued.

”I’m going to miss this.”

His fingers tightened.

”Having you there.”

The words came slower now.

”Knowing that if I needed to ask something, I could.”

His throat tightened.

”Even if I already knew the answer.”

Another tear slipped down his cheek.

This time, he wiped it away almost absently.

Then another followed.

He didn’t bother with that one.

There was no one in the room to see him.

No council.

No ministers.

No court.

No Empire.

Just Adrian and the man who had been his father long before Adrian understood what an Emperor was.

”I’ll take care of it.”

His voice broke slightly.

Adrian tightened his grip on his father’s hand.

”The Empire.”

He drew an uneven breath.

”I’ll take care of everything.”

He wasn’t sure whether he was making a promise to his father or to himself.

Perhaps both.

”You don’t have to worry.”

Silence answered him.

Adrian sat there for a long time.

He spoke occasionally.

Small things.

Things he would never have thought worth saying before.

Thank you.

I’m sorry.

I remember.

I know.

He did not know whether his father could hear any of it.

It didn’t matter.

Adrian needed to say them.

Eventually, he stopped speaking.

He simply held his father’s hand.

The afternoon light shifted slowly across the room.

At some point, the physicians returned.

They remained near the doorway.

Adrian didn’t tell them to leave.

One approached quietly and checked the Emperor.

Then waited.

The minutes passed.

His father’s breathing had become so faint that Adrian found himself watching his chest for every rise and fall.

One breath.

Then another.

A longer pause.

Another.

Adrian’s fingers tightened.

”Father.”

The next breath barely came.

Then—

nothing.

Adrian waited.

His eyes remained fixed on his father’s face.

Another second passed.

Then another.

”Father?”

The physician stepped forward.

Adrian didn’t look at him.

He already knew.

Still, the physician checked.

The room remained utterly silent.

Finally, the man lowered his head.

”Your Highness.”

Adrian stared at his father.

”His Majesty has passed.”

Something inside him broke.

Not loudly.

There was no cry.

No collapse.

Adrian simply bowed his head over his father’s hand.

His shoulders moved once with a breath he couldn’t quite control.

The tears came silently.

He had known this was coming.

He had spent days preparing for it.

He had listened to physicians tell him there was little hope.

None of it had prepared him for the terrible finality of those words.

His father was gone.

The man who had always been there was simply—

gone.

Adrian pressed his father’s hand briefly against his forehead and closed his eyes.

For those few moments, there was no Crown Prince.

No succession.

No throne waiting beyond the doors.

Only a son who had just lost his father.

AN: i cried so many tears here... the emperor was so good. And to be honest, adrian was a very good son too. Ah i just cried so much that i look stupid hahaha

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