Chapter 2

All the doors of the palace could be opened at will by the one person who arrived at the precise moment. It was thanks to the quick action of her lady-in-waiting, who rushed to the emperor to request help as soon as the Grand Duke arrived, as Dean had instructed. Emperor Karl's appearance distorted Dean's face with sadness.

"Your Majesty..."

At the frail voice that seemed about to fade away, Karl's face turned grim. The sight of his beautiful face, which transcended gender, changing because of her was always astonishing. It was always thrilling that the person who possessed the most in this country would react to her call, to her sad face. Karl looked at his sister with a sharp gaze, his eyes red as if splashed with red paint. Elisabeth sighed sarcastically and shook her head.

"Do you leave the administration of the state to search for your concubine?"

Dean swallowed her tears and nodded.

"The Grand Duke is right. I keep... hindering Your Majesty's future."

At her words, Karl frowned as if enduring something and let out a suppressed breath. After a moment, he glared at his sister with a fierce expression and spoke in a cold tone.

"Enough."

"..."

"Stop provoking me."

"..."

"I'm not provoking you. After the wedding, I will return to my territory."

At that, the emperor turned away coldly and left the room. Dean quickly followed him. Elisabeth, who had been staring at the door they had disappeared through, slumped to the ground. Anger welled up in her chest as if she had swallowed lava. She pressed her chest and took a deep, long breath. A past statement by Dean came to mind.

'The Emperor is the sun. The closer one is to him, the more light one receives. Even if you are the Emperor's sister, you cannot go against his will. I am his only moon.'

The sunlight that hit the jewels shattered into pieces. The prince, who the late empress had barely given birth to, died before he turned one. After that, she never gave birth to a son. Thus, the late emperor, Elisabeth's father, had a child with his mother's lady-in-waiting. That child was Karl Ulrich. Elisabeth clenched her fists tightly. If there had been another prince besides Karl, he might not have become emperor. However, Karl's illegitimate status did not significantly affect his political position because there were no other legitimate heirs. Instead, it affected him in other ways.

＊ ＊ ＊

"Your Majesty, it's time to go."

Dean slowly stroked Karl's hair. Karl, lying on her lap, closed his eyes, feeling drowsy from her gentle touch. Dean gazed down at his face. A handsome face, with no feature she disliked: his forehead, eyebrows, nose, lips, nothing.

'Karl Ulrich Echmont.'

Even his name was perfect. So, what came next was important. Dean's hand, which had been gently stroking Karl's hair, gradually slowed and finally stopped. It was natural for Karl, who had been enjoying the drowsy sensation, to open his eyes. When he did, Dean was staring blankly into the distance. Her blue eyes were vacant, her red lips were weakly parted, and her eyes were red. At the sight, Karl sat up.

"Dean."

At his low voice, Dean quickly snapped out of it and apologized.

"Ah, yes... Your Majesty. I'm sorry."

Tears welled up in Dean's beautiful eyes. She couldn't even make a sound as the tears streamed down her face.

"What did the Grand Duke say?"

"...What if the Empress is displeased with me? She won't like me."

The woman, with blurred eyes, pleaded, and the emperor, with a weary face, declared.

"The Empress won't harm you."

"Don't abandon me. Don't abandon me, Your Majesty. I only need Your Majesty."

"Don't say that."

"Yes."

'Don't abandon me. Don't abandon me, Your Majesty.'

Despite this, Dean whispered those words, like a spell, several more times.

＊ ＊ ＊

The preparations for Emperor Karl Ulrich's royal wedding were overseen by Dean Poitiers. From the Empress's dress to the crown, nothing was untouched by Dean Poitiers' hands. The nobles shook their heads at the sight, but no one dared to raise objections. The current Ulrich royal family's only woman was Grand Duchess Elisabeth Ulrich, the emperor's half-sister, but unfortunately, she had divorced. In a culture where divorce was taboo, a divorced woman could not oversee a wedding. Moreover, Dean Poitiers did not seem to be taking the preparations lightly, so the nobles could only watch from the sidelines.

"You must be very pleased."

At the mocking tone, Dean's delicate brows furrowed. She instinctively glanced at the ladies-in-waiting to gauge their reactions. Her gaze lingered on one of them. Dean scanned her from head to toe and then asked sharply.

"I've never seen you before. Lift your face."

At Dean's command, the lady-in-waiting slowly raised her head.

'Soft blonde hair, blue eyes with a slightly deeper hue, not particularly fair skin...'

After a moment of contemplation, Dean turned her gaze and said coldly.

"Everyone, leave. I wish to have a private conversation with my brother."

As the ladies-in-waiting hurried out, Dean turned to her brother, Lord Renox Poitiers, and said softly.

"Didn't I say that blonde hair and blue eyes are unsuitable for a lady-in-waiting?!"

"There are so many with blonde hair and blue eyes. How can you pick them all out?"

"Still, do as I say."

Dean glared at her brother with wide eyes, and eventually, Renox shrugged and nodded. Dean then turned her gaze to the fabric samples she had been examining. It was the material for the ceremonial uniform Karl would wear at the wedding.

"I think this one is best..."

"You're in a good mood. What are you thinking by choosing this?"

"Watch your words in front of the ladies-in-waiting. If you can't choose your words, don't come at all."

"..."

"Let me ask you one thing."

"..."

"Can you endure when the Empress arrives?"

At that, Dean leaned back in her chair and glared at her brother.

"The Emperor acts as if he can't live without you, but he hasn't given you the position of Empress. Can you endure when the Empress arrives? You won't have children, after all."

Though he claimed to be worried, every word from Renox Poitiers stung Dean Poitiers. She wanted to throw him out immediately. If this weren't the palace, she would have done so. Dean calmed herself with cold water and turned her gaze away from him. She continued to examine the items, speaking in a cold tone.

"Brother."

"Yes."

"The Empress will not be allowed anything by His Majesty."

"..."

"What do you mean?"

"His Majesty has an extreme aversion to the word 'Empress.' Do you understand?"

After pondering his sister's words, the lord narrowed his eyes and countered.

"Whether he has an aversion or not, the title of Empress has its own significance!"

"But it's a position under the name of Emperor. I will not lose His Majesty's love. As long as he loves me, no one can be above me, not even Duke Despoina. His Majesty cannot make me Empress because he loves me."

"What nonsense?"

Renox muttered in disbelief, but Dean only snorted.

"And you don't understand men. Love fades. It will fade eventually, Dean."

"I know."

"You know?"

Dean smiled charmingly.

"Love for the living fades."

"..."

"But love for the dead does not. Death is eternal, isn't it?"

Dean sighed deeply and took out a locket from around her neck. Opening the locket, she saw a portrait of a frail woman who looked like her, with wavy blonde hair and light blue eyes. The woman in the portrait was Karl Ulrich's deceased mother.

"His Majesty sees his mother in me. The Empress is a position that distances him. Don't you remember how poorly the late Empress and the current Emperor got along?"

"How can his love for me fade? A concubine with love and power is better than an Empress with only a title. Dean smiled and closed the locket.

"Anyway, how do you plan to get along with the Empress?! You don't even know what kind of woman she is? That's why I told you to get pregnant before the Emperor's wedding!"

"Is that something I can control?!!"

Dean finally burst out in anger. She closed her eyes and endured it as if swallowing something hot, then spoke in a suppressed voice.

"It doesn't matter what kind of woman she is."

The lord frowned and muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"Born a princess, everyone would bow and serve her. People are shaped by the way they are treated. I can make a beggar feel like a king."

"..."

"Make many people bow to a beggar. Then, even passersby will bow to the beggar."

Renox looked at Dean with a disdainful expression as she shrugged and lifted the fabric again.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter what kind of woman she is. There won't be anyone here to make her feel important. What can a foreign princess do? It will take half a year to send a request for help across the sea."

＊ ＊ ＊

About a month later. A group of knights on horseback lined up in front of the grand capital gate, exuding a formidable presence. The black cloaks they wore radiated a heroic spirit. It was late summer. The vast plain was filled with colorful wildflowers, and the sun shone brightly overhead. The colorful wildflowers swayed in the wind, and the sunlight shattered into golden pieces, creating a beautiful scene. Dozens of knights in black cloaks were waiting for someone to appear from the beautiful plain. How long had they been there? The eyes of the one at the front, looking into the distance, narrowed slightly. He was Lionel Valdr, the Minister of Defense and the Commander of the Royal Guard, with a long lineage from the noble Valdr family. He was also a man of extraordinary beauty, with features that could make one's eyes widen. He was specially chosen to welcome the next Empress of Echmont. Lionel stared intently at the black dot on the horizon, feeling a sense of anticipation after waiting for so long in the sun.

"There they are!"

Another knight, feeling the same anticipation, called out to Lionel in a bright voice.

"Yes. I see them too. Let's go."

Lionel lightly tugged on the reins, and his horse began to trot. The other knights followed suit, and the horses, which had been standing for a long time, started to gallop joyfully. The birds that had been resting in the bushes were startled and flew up into the sky. Meanwhile, Adel, who had been enduring a tedious journey in the carriage, sat up at the sound of hooves shaking the ground and looked out the window. The sound of dozens of horses galloping was lively. Sure enough, a group of knights was approaching. They were undoubtedly there to welcome her. Her patience, which had been tested for nearly two months on the ship and in the carriage, was about to break. Adel suddenly asked the person driving the carriage nearby.

"How much longer?"

"The first gate is in sight. We need to pass through the second gate, so it will take about an hour."

"An hour..."

After a moment of thought, she closed the window and drew the curtains. The lady-in-waiting, surprised, looked at her, and Adel smiled as she took out a dress from the box.

"I need to change."

The carriage's speed gradually slowed in sync with the approaching hoofbeats. When the carriage finally stopped, Adel stood up and looked at the door. She could hear the sound of greetings being exchanged outside, and someone was approaching the carriage. Knock, knock. A deep, resonant voice asked.

"May I open the door?"

Without answering, Adel opened the carriage door herself. Through the opening, the first thing she saw was a mysterious blue light. It was beautiful. Adel thought so for a moment. Meanwhile, Lionel, who had been waiting outside the carriage, stepped back in surprise as the door suddenly opened. He met the eyes of the person who emerged from the dark carriage. The golden light was so vivid that it shone even in the dim interior of the carriage.

He realized he had been staring at her rudely only when Adel leaned out of the carriage. Lionel quickly extended his hand politely, and Adel lightly placed her hand on his. As she stepped down the stairs, a breeze blew, and her jet-black hair, like the night, brushed against Lionel's cheek. As he followed the hair that tickled his cheek, the weight on his hand disappeared. The foreign princess stood on the ground, quietly looking at him.