Chapter 45

On the other side, Karl, who was standing outside the door, was counting the time that seemed to be stretched out, as if someone had grabbed both ends and pulled it long. Counting the fragmented moments, he tilted his head when it became too quiet behind the door.

‘Is she waking up from her sleep? If that’s the case, it’s unnecessary.’

Without hesitation, Karl raised his hand to the doorknob. Just as he was about to open the door, it was opened from the inside. Mrs. Gix, who had just opened the door, widened her eyes at the sight of the emperor standing close by, then quickly composed her expression and stepped aside respectfully.

“Please come in.”

As Karl took a step inside, Mrs. Gix quietly closed the door and left. He consciously looked around and took a deep, long breath. It felt as if a thread of spring flower fragrance was mixed in the warm moisture. This smell kept stimulating him. He quickly moved his steps. As he walked down the long corridor and turned right at the end, the empress, bathed in the sunlight, greeted him. The blinding sunlight pouring behind her made her seem like a background, causing Karl to stop abruptly.

“Welcome, Your Majesty.”

Adele greeted him with a low, cool voice, and Karl responded.

“How are you feeling?”

‘Can’t you tell just by looking? Shouldn’t you be lying down more?’

Adele sneered inwardly but did not show it. Karl, sitting opposite her, gazed at her face intently. Her face, which was already slender, had become even more so, making her golden eyes appear larger. The empress, with her hair braided to one side, looked at him with a face full of the pallor characteristic of someone who had just woken from an illness. Adele felt awkward under his persistent gaze.

‘Ha... I really can’t get used to this.’

Adele seriously wondered if this person was really the emperor. What sudden wind had changed his attitude? Adele looked at him with suspicion. His beautiful face sparkled fresh in the sunlight.

‘He looks fine on the outside. What’s his real intention?’

At that moment, Karl continued speaking.

“Did you occasionally lose consciousness when you were in Gotrop?”

“No.”

“Then why suddenly... The doctors said they don’t know the cause. You should see them regularly.”

“I understand. I will.”

“...”

“...”

Silence fell. Adele couldn’t gauge the emperor’s intentions and looked at him, while Karl gazed at her silently. The time that seemed to stretch out for Karl stopped. His black hair, braided to one side, shimmered in the sunlight, and his golden eyes seemed to reflect it. Before she collapsed, his eyes, seen up close, had tiny cracks. The emperor, entranced, looked at Adele and thought.

‘Ah... She’s really beautiful... ...And different from him.’

“Adele Ulrich Echmont.”

Karl slowly pronounced her name. Adele reflexively frowned, but he didn’t notice.

“Adele Ulrich Echmont.”

This time, he pronounced her name more clearly. It sounded almost like a song.

‘Yes, I married you. You are my empress.’

The day he first saw Adele at the wedding, she was etched in Karl’s mind. Her noble and regal demeanor, her commanding presence. He thought it would stir a desire to crush her. But it was a misunderstanding. Or rather, it was subtly different. If he had only wanted to crush her, he would never have bowed and kissed her feet, no matter what. Karl, finally realizing his feelings, laughed deeply. His face, closed in laughter, was astonishingly beautiful and captivating, like a flower with poison.

“...Your Majesty?”

Adele, unable to understand the emotional context, tilted her head and frowned. Karl bowed his head and composed his expression. When he finally looked up, he spoke in a low voice, almost whispering.

“I shouldn’t keep someone who needs rest for too long. I just wanted to see you awake.”

Adele Ulrich Echmont. A golden moon that tore through the oppressive darkness. A light to fill the vast, empty sea. Karl’s deep, dark sea began to ripple, and something suddenly broke the surface.

＊ ＊ ＊

“...I don’t know what it is, but it’s definitely not normal...”

When the emperor left and the door closed, Adele muttered to herself. Memories from the wedding onwards, which were not good, flashed through her mind. The emperor, who had been throwing quills and vases, had finally made her a nominal empress. So, what did she do?

“Wasn’t that a big move?”

The emperor did get angry about it. He rushed in and growled fiercely. But, objectively speaking, the one who suffered wasn’t Dian Poitiers but Karl Ulrich.

“The day I returned...”

Adele’s expression became subtle as she recalled the day she returned to the palace.

“Yes. That’s when it started.”

He growled and then suddenly laughed with his eyes. What was he thinking? Why did he change his attitude so suddenly?

‘...I will build a very wide fence. ...You are mine.’

The voice that suddenly came to mind seemed both like a dream and not. Mrs. Gix entered the room.

“Madam.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“While I was unconscious, the emperor came, didn’t he? Did he say anything to me then?”

Mrs. Gix shook her head in response to the empress’s question.

“I’m sorry, but I was a bit away... Why do you ask?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Adele remained seated, deep in thought. Mrs. Gix, who was watching the empress, spoke as if she could read her mind.

“It seems that the emperor’s mood has changed, though I don’t know why. It’s not a bad thing, is it?”

“...”

Without a response from the empress, Mrs. Gix decided to make tea instead of saying more. She burned incense for relaxation and served a warm cup of herbal tea before leaving. The refreshing scent permeated her lungs, making her heavy head feel a bit lighter. Adele took a deep breath of the scent and closed her eyes.

‘Please save me, Your Majesty!’

The desperate voice of the white-haired viscount. If only she hadn’t known that hell. Or if she had had the strength to break it, it might have been easier. Adele sighed. After a moment, she opened her eyes and thought clearly. First, the emperor’s mood has definitely changed. As Mrs. Gix said, it might not be bad immediately, but it’s not something to trust in the long run. No one knows when a changed mind might change again without reason. Second, she needs strength. But based on the reasons she had thought of, she needs strength that comes from herself, not from the emperor’s love. Conclusion. Therefore, regardless of the emperor’s changes, it’s right for her to do what she intended to do. On the first day at the House of Valder, the duke suggested that the empress be recognized as a mage.

‘If you are recognized as a mage, Your Majesty will have a voice as a mage. It would be best if you could attend the council meetings.’

Currently, all the discussions about the tower are monopolized by Duke Despoin and Renox Poitiers, so no one can contradict what they do. Since Adele, who had no power, would benefit from establishing herself as a mage, the empress positively accepted the duke’s suggestion. The transparent red stone with a map stained like blood. The girl discussing her parents’ death in a jaded tone and the boy who considered exploitation a virtue. Adele was certain. If Echmont continues to rot, it will surely fall, no matter how, and it will definitely happen.

“What will be my fault then?”

Adele muttered sarcastically, got up, changed her clothes, and left the room with a wide stride. It’s better to do what needs to be done quickly. Her sluggish mind had become sharp. ＊ ＊ ＊ Rumors spread quickly. The story that the emperor frequently visited the empress’s palace and was concerned about her condition spread through the Echmont social circle like wildfire through a dry forest, through the mouths of attendants and maids. As a result, people’s attention naturally turned to Dian Poitiers and Lionel Valder. Some impatient people started talking about when Dian Poitiers would leave the palace and when Lionel Valder would resign as an advisor. Theseus, who hadn’t returned home for several days, came to visit his brother at the palace residence.

“Brother.”

Lionel, who was working at the residence, quickly got up to greet Theseus.

“Why haven’t you been home for days? Is there something urgent?”

“Why wouldn’t there be? Sit down.”

Lionel offered a seat and was about to serve tea, but Theseus shook his head.

“No, no tea.”

Lionel put down his hands and sat in front of Theseus. Theseus silently observed his brother’s face for a long time. From his brother’s silence and gaze, Lionel immediately understood why he had come.

“Michael visited.”

“...”

“He advised me to find the right time to resign as an advisor.”

Theseus looked at Lionel carefully and asked.

“So, what do you think?”

“After all, an advisor must resign at some point, right? It’s just a matter of timing. There’s nothing special. However, since the empress also had something to gain through me, it might be too early to find the right time to resign now.”

The answer came quickly and was long, as if he had thought about it and prepared it in advance. Theseus repeated his brother’s words and muttered.

“It would be good if the empress could attend the council meetings and change the one-sided discussions about the tower...”

But if that happens, the empress will inevitably clash with the emperor. Theseus’s eyes darkened. Though selfish, he personally hoped that the relationship between the emperor and the empress would continue for a while. He had allowed Lionel to become an advisor because he expected this. Perhaps the emperor, anticipating the house’s intervention, was trying to improve his relationship with the empress? Theseus had to consider all possibilities.

“Lionel.”

He called his brother’s name with a determined voice, and Lionel deliberately smiled.

“Brother, I know what you’re worried about.”

“...”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be cautious and act accordingly.”

The brothers looked at each other with firm gazes. Theseus, looking at his brother’s eyes, which were the same color as his, with affection and trust, smiled and got up.

“By the way, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the empress has woken up.”

Lionel, who was getting up with Theseus, paused at these words. Theseus tapped his frozen shoulders, which were unknowingly holding his breath.

“Be careful. If you feel it’s dangerous, don’t hesitate to step back. The sooner, the better, so you don’t need to ask me.”

Theseus turned and left. After the door closed, Lionel exhaled the breath he had been holding. The autumn sun embraced his back, but a chill ran down his spine, sliding like a snake.

It was a signal from his instinct, warning him to step back immediately. No, it had been ringing for a long time. Get out before you sink deeper. But Lionel felt himself being pulled deeper and deeper. ＊ ＊ ＊ Renox Poitiers also sensed the strange atmosphere in the palace. How could he not? When he heard that the emperor had, as usual, gone to the empress’s palace, he became restless and finally rushed to the emperor’s palace where Dian was. When he arrived at Dian’s room, the corridor was subtly chaotic.

“What’s going on?”

Renox grabbed a maid who was waiting and asked. The maid quickly bowed and answered.

“Lady Poitiers is not feeling well, and the doctors are examining her.”

“Dian is not feeling well?”

“Yes.”

Renox frowned deeply. The fool must have finally fallen ill from all the stress, he thought, and clicked his tongue.

“Open the door.”

“Ah... Please wait a moment.”

The maid hesitated, then quietly opened the door and quickly closed it again, as if the situation inside should not be known outside. Renox tilted his head at the impression. Just as his patience was about to run out, the maid slightly opened the door.

“Please come in.”

He was about to knock on the door and lowered his hand, entering through the gap the maid opened. Renox, frowning and irritated, scolded the maid.

“What