CH 362

The System of the Tearmoon Empire and the Role of Yellowmoon

Lorenz was completely shocked by what Mia did.

There wasn’t even thought of as a chance that the food could be poisoned.

She gobbled up the tart without a second thought and smiled as she said it was delicious. At this point, there was almost no chance that they would try to hurt Mia. As things stood, going against the princess would be suicidal for the House of Yellowmoon, and Lorenz and Citrina would likely die as well. This was a fact that was obvious and easy to see. So, she didn’t have any doubts when she reached for the tart…

That’s not right…

Lorenz knew better because he had seen proof that it wasn’t true. Mia’s hands were barely shaking, but his wary eyes caught it. Nor the way her eyes had followed Bisset’s fingers with intense, unwavering focus.

But, of course, a smart person wouldn’t ignore the chance that something could be poisonous. Even though it’s doubtful, the suspicion still stands. There’s no way to completely ignore it. Only the most stupid people could not know about the risk.

There wasn’t a lack of doubt. She had felt, fought, and gotten past her fear so that she could take the first bite of a tart that could kill her. Mia had not been unaware that she could have been poisoned. She had done it anyway, despite the risk, because she had to show that she trusted Lorenz completely.

It wasn’t being stupid. She weighed the risk of being poisoned against the chance of getting us Yellowmoons to trust her, and decided to win our trust. And that was after she had said that Citrina’s terrible betrayal was a thing of the past. I can’t believe how far she’s willing to go.

He closed his eyes and thought about things from the past for a moment. He could see the face of his teacher, whom he owed so much as a teenager. “If you want to do something, learn as much as you can about it. Even if you don’t know what you want to work toward, don’t stop learning. Learn and study as much as you can to get ready for the day when you will know. Then the only thing left to do is to wait for your chance to come up.”

He opened his eyes, and the dream turned into the real world. The young girl stood in front of him. Her face looked so much like the one he remembered. He felt a rush of feelings in his chest, which he let out with a long breath.

Then she said, “Maybe…the beginning would be best. When the House of Yellowmoon and the first ruler swore an oath…”

He then started telling the story.

The story of how the House of Yellowmoon had been bound by a curse for a very long time.

“From what I know, the First Emperor and our ancestor Yellowmoon were related. Both of them had given up on the world and planned to destroy it. Setting up anti-agriculturalism and starting the Tearmoon Empire were just ways to reach an original goal. It was an epic payback plan that was meant to cause chaos all over the world.”

“The Yellowmoons had to do two things. The first, which Your Highness probably already knows, was to kill enemies of the kingdom and the Serpents in secret. The second…was to become the next imperial family.”

Mia was confused and asked, “The… next imperial family? What exactly does that mean?”

Lorenz shrugged.

“It means what it sounds like it means. In particular, when the current imperial family is overthrown by famine and revolution, our family is meant to claim the throne, continuing the dynasty not in name but in fact. And we should always be making moves behind the scenes to get ready for this possibility. Then, if someone from our family becomes the next boss, they will keep working to spread anti-agriculturalist ideas all over the country. We will rule until a revolution overthrows us. That’s our job and our payoff.”

The Tearmoon Empire was set up so that it would fail. The fall was not a mistake; it was a feature. Beliefs that are against farming would ruin a lot of farmland. The famine that followed would then spark a revolution, which would lead to a messy, long civil war in which many people would be killed and the land would be ruined. And it would happen again and again, like a curse that would never end, soaking this fertile crescent with tears of pain forever. The Tearmoon Empire was a machine that was designed to keep putting its victims through cycles of tragedy.

Because of this, the next kingdom could not have a wise leader. The change had to be led by people who only wanted to cause chaos and destroy order. Those who wanted to bring about a new order by destroying the old one would not do.

“The Yellowmoons would rule after the Tearmoon line fell. And when the Yellowmoons fell, another person who likes chaos up would take over. So, the land would be stained with blood and death from one ruler to the next. This is what the first ruler came up with.”

“Hmm… But why would you keep taking part in such a terrible plan?” Mia asked, looking confused. “It would make sense if the imperial family was still following in the steps of the first emperor, but I’d never heard of a plan like that. I’m pretty sure that His Majesty has no idea that any of this happened.”

“Indeed. Since many years ago, the imperial family has forgotten about the first emperor’s old will. We, on the other hand, have not. That first promise is now our dream. Our hope. The bright light at the end of a long, dark path that can’t be ignored. Because of it, we’ve kept moving in secret for thousands of years.”

And that was the curse that the first ruler put on the Yellowmoons. The weakest and most mocked member of the Four Houses had to take over the broken throne. People who liked the way things were would never start a revolution to change them. So, year after year, generation after generation, the Yellowmoons had to deal with their friends making fun of them. Over time, the hurt and shame they had to deal with made them long for a future in which they were in charge.

‘What we’re going through is just a stepping stone! We put up with our weakness and shame right now so that we can do well in the future. When this kingdom falls, it will be the beginning of our time!’ The more they held to this hope, the stronger their alliance with the Serpents became. ‘Our moms and dads, grandparents, and relatives all went through hard times. And they all stuck it out. So that our kids and grandkids can live well. So that one of them takes the throne. Our ancestors went through shame for us. We can’t waste their determination.’

Part of the curse was that they couldn’t just give up. All of Yellowmoon’s leaders had to answer the same question. Knowing that their clan had been through a lot to get to this point, could they give up on the goal and destroy the result of a lifetime of work? How could they let a wish, an important hope, that their parents had and that they had passed on to them, go unfulfilled in their generation?

“Still, there have been other Yellowmoon leaders like me who didn’t like the killing and damage. But… none of them were able to get away from the Serpents. If you ever got blood on your hands, the Serpents would always use that against you. One murder turned into a permanent chain, and these good people got tired of fighting the snakes’ demands even though they didn’t work. They got tired and gave the Serpents control of their lives in exchange for peace of mind and the promise of future greatness, no matter how short-lived it might be. That’s why Lorenz didn’t want to help kill anyone.”

“I see. So that’s what happened,” said a thoughtful Ludwig. “Then it’s even more amazing that you haven’t killed anyone in all this time. If it were me, I think I would have given up a long time ago.”

His serious tone made Lorenz smile in a relaxed way.

“I was able to do it, Ludwig, because of the help I got from a certain person. This guy told me that I should learn things if I wanted to get something done. I should work hard and be hungry to find it. Then I should wait until my chance comes.”

He did what was told and worked hard on his studies.

Mia was amazed and said, “Wow, that person is so interesting.”

Lorenz’s smile widened.

“Yes, Your Majesty, your grandma was a very interesting person. Her Majesty was without a doubt unique.”

“My… grandmother? I see. I didn’t know her, but…”

“Your Highness, I can see parts of her in you. She was also very wise.”

“Wise like me, you say?” Mia pursed her lips and gave a serious nod. “Hm, I wish I could have met her back then…”

She didn’t try to deny the “wise” part, which is important to remember. Although it might be presumptuous of her, Mia takes her win wherever she can get it.