traitor chapter 2

On the princess’s fourth birthday, the Emperor whispered, “My child, never tell anyone about the numbers and symbols on their palms.” 

The princess nodded. She kept her ability secret until she could fully understand it.

Time passed, and the princess, now the Crown Prince, received her education, and her judgment matured. On her tenth birthday, while traveling incognito to a city of mages, she spoke the numbers for the first time since she was four.

“Father, that child… their number is thirteen.”

The Emperor stopped at his daughter’s words. He had tested many people with this ability during her childhood, but the number thirteen had only ever appeared for the Empress. Even he, the Emperor, was an eleven. And here, in this place, a thirteen? The Emperor’s gaze sharpened, focusing on the spot indicated by the Crown Prince. At the edge of an alley, amidst a group of mages, he saw a cage draped with a white veil. A silhouette could be seen within. One… no, two.

“They’re both thirteen. Heart thirteen.” the Crown Prince stated calmly. “I need them both.”

That day, the Crown Prince received the twins, a boy and a girl, both with Heart thirteen on their palms, as a birthday gift. And on that day, the Emperor finally understood the precise meaning of the symbols the Crown Prince saw.

Besides “Heart,” “Clover,” and “Spade,” there was also “Diamond,” each representing a different talent, as he had suspected. “Clover” signified skill in acquiring and managing valuable resources. “Spade” indicated prowess in combat. “Diamond” marked those blessed with divine power. 

Finally, “Heart,” which the twins and the Emperor and Empress possessed, signified aptitude for magic. Therefore, it was certain that the twins with Heart thirteen would become exceptional mages in the future. They were talents he couldn’t afford to lose.

And so, the Crown Prince, revealing the ability she had kept hidden, brought the twins to the imperial palace. As she had foreseen, the twins with Heart thirteen displayed dazzling talent and correspondingly rapid growth, coupled with unwavering loyalty to the Crown Prince. Thanks to them, the Crown Prince, at the mere age of ten, began to form her own faction. They would become the bedrock of her political power in the years to come.

But the Crown Prince wasn’t satisfied. This wasn’t enough. Two weren’t enough. She needed not only Hearts, but also Clovers, Spades, and Diamonds. The Crown Prince began her expansion early. From noble families and holy temples to slave markets and lawless zones, she scoured every corner of the continent for talent. Thus, the number of those with “thirteen” grew from two to three, then four, and finally five.

With these five, she carefully built her power base, growing alongside them. Inwardly, she fostered deep bonds, and outwardly, she projected an image of strength to deter attacks. She also made sure their voices were heard in the central political arena, cultivating their reliance and loyalty.

Those who grew up with the Crown Prince from childhood were as exceptional as the numbers she had seen. They acted according to the symbols they bore and remained loyal, just as she had intended. A capable ruler with the unwavering trust of her subjects–the Crown Prince’s bright future was assured.

However, good fortune doesn’t last forever. The staunchly atheistic Empress refused divine healing when a hereditary illness, common in her family, manifested. Respecting her beliefs, the Emperor honored her decision. The Empress passed away shortly after.

Three years later, the Emperor himself fell gravely ill. He, unlike the Empress, wasn’t an atheist, yet he suddenly expressed a desire to die naturally, refusing divine healing.

The Crown Prince, recognizing his lingering grief over the Empress’s death, respected his wishes and refrained from using divine power. Two years later, the Emperor also passed away, and the Crown Prince ascended to the throne at the young age of twenty.

The new Emperor grieved the loss of both parents but soon recovered her composure. She had many loyal subjects who had shared her life and now stood by her side, offering steadfast protection. In return, the Emperor placed boundless trust in them, bestowing divine blessings to protect them from harm, just as they had protected her. Having lost both parents to their refusal of divine healing, she didn’t want the same fate to befall her loyal followers.

Unlike her parents, they joyfully accepted the blessings, vowing lifelong loyalty and service.

While the story might seem to conclude smoothly here, this is merely the beginning.