Chapter 26: Poison

The main palace was a massive structure divided into several parts, each section belonging to one of the Emperor's consorts, where they lived with their children.

Each part was as grand as a noble mansion, large enough to house hundreds of people. These sections were named after the respective consorts, and like every other consort, the late Consort Lyria—Lucian's mother—had her own residence. His room had been located there, and it was where he had lived until he was exiled from the palace.

Consort Lyria's residence boasted the most beautiful garden among all the consorts' quarters, as she came from a kingdom where planting flowers and dancing were cultural pillars. Before she passed away, she spent most of her time tending to the garden, planting and watering flowers with her maidservant, while little Lucian watched in amusement as his mother seemed to make the flowers magically glow just by touching them.