Chapter 6

Adele was locked in her room, lost in thought, adding one thought to another. How many people could she really trust?

“The maids in the Queen's Palace aren't trustworthy either.”

On the first day of her marriage, even though the Queen had declared that she would not meet anyone, the maids showed no surprise. Instead, they were preoccupied with observing the Queen's expression, as if they already knew the Emperor wouldn't come. Gottrop and Echmont had not had much interaction for a long time, mainly because a deep and rough sea separated the two countries. There was no reason for them to covet each other's land, so the two countries did not cross the line of merely recognizing each other's existence. Gottrop had planted many spies in neighboring countries to monitor their activities, but not a single spy in Echmont. The same would likely be true for Echmont. As a result, what Adele lacked was information. Adele took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Thinking of the Emperor, now officially her husband, made her chest feel heavy as if a stone had been placed there. After burying her face in her palms for a long time, Adele lay down on the soft, large bed, trying to clear her head.

“First, I need to find out why Karl Ulrich chose a Gottrop princess as his queen.”

‘Don’t expect too much.’

The sudden voice in her head made Adele clench her fists and grind her teeth.

“There are limits to humiliation.”

The nobles who had witnessed the scene would undoubtedly gather in small groups and lose track of time discussing it.

“By tomorrow morning, there will be even more interesting news.”

It was clear how quickly the news of the Queen being snubbed on her wedding night would spread. Whether she was snubbed or refused first wouldn't matter; in such rumors, she would be the weak one. A sudden ominous feeling flashed through her mind.

“Surely... he wouldn’t go to Dian Poitiers on a day like today, would he?”

Muttering this, Adele's face darkened instantly. She sighed and uttered a curse she hadn't used in a very long time. ＊ ＊ ＊ Adele's ominous premonition was accurate. The Emperor rushed to the Ivory Palace as soon as the banquet ended. The maids rushed out to bow as the Emperor burst through the door of the Ivory Palace.

“Have you woken up?”

“She hasn’t woken up, Your Majesty.”

Karl frowned and entered Dian's bedroom. On the large bed lay a pale woman, as if she were dead. His purple eyes sank deeply. It felt as if someone had gripped his throat. He took a deep breath.

‘Karl, Karl.’

‘Karl, my son.’

The pitiful voice that couldn't be heard made the Emperor clench his teeth and tightly close his eyes. The large bed, the golden hair scattered on the pillow, the pale woman. Cold sweat trickled down his back, and his hands were drenched in sweat.

“...Your Majesty?”

The faint voice brought Karl back to his senses. Dian was sitting up, half-awake, looking at him. Karl quickly approached her. Dian's gaze fell on the Emperor's attire. He was still in his wedding formal wear. Her lips curled up, and she tensed her jaw.

‘Seeing me collapse, the wedding must have been a mess.’

“Are you feeling better?”

Dian slowly nodded. She looked at the Emperor with a dazed, just-awakened gaze and then spoke in a scolding tone.

“You came here right after the wedding? What am I supposed to do, Your Majesty?”

“Enough.”

“Sorry. I always cause trouble...”

“Enough.”

Dian managed to sit up.

“...The Queen will be waiting. You should go.”

“I said I won’t go.”

At this, Dian bit her lip and cried.

“I chose the Queen’s wedding dress, Your Majesty.”

“...”

“I also chose the crown she would wear for the ceremony, Your Majesty.”

Dian didn't know that Adele had changed the crown to a gold one.

“I chose everything needed for the ceremony, the flowers... everything.”

“...”

“It felt like my heart was being torn apart.”

She stopped there. She wanted to vent more of the frustration in her chest, but she couldn't let it go too far. She couldn't make him tired of her. So, Dian suppressed her anger by crying. After crying for a while, she raised her head and looked at the Emperor. Suddenly, her heart turned cold. He watched her cry without any sign of emotion, his face cold and even showing a hint of weariness. The last traces of her tears dried up instantly.

“Nothing will change from before.”

“Can I stay by Your Majesty’s side like this?”

“Yes.”

“But... how should I introduce myself to the Queen? The nobles will openly call me a concubine now that the Queen is here.”

Dian, clutching his sleeve with a pitiful hand, pleaded desperately. A ripple appeared on the Emperor's previously calm face. The frowning Emperor tilted his head and asked.

“Do you have a preferred title?”

“...Lover.”

“...”

“Please tell the Queen that I am Your Majesty’s lover.”

After saying this, Dian's heart raced wildly. Her breath quickened, and cold sweat began to trickle down. A wolf can never be fully tamed. The Emperor looked at her for a long time with an unreadable expression. Then, in a calm tone, he replied.

“Understood.”

With his permission, Dian felt like she could fly. Taming a wolf is impossible, but you can provoke a reaction by touching its weak spot. Emperor Karl was a sensitive wolf hiding a burning fire. And Dian knew his weak spot well. When she reached out to him, the Emperor took her hand. She lay back on the bed and moved a little to the side.

“Hold me.”

Even with her frail voice, Karl stood there for a moment. Dian looked at him with a desperate expression, and the Emperor finally took off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, and pulled her into his arms. Listening to the steady heartbeat through his formal wear, Dian buried her face in the Emperor's chest. Her pale lips curved into a smile. In the end, she succeeded in taking the Queen's first night.

‘If I can’t be the Queen, no one else can have that position intact.’

＊ ＊ ＊ The very next day after the Emperor and Queen's wedding, the rumors spread like wildfire through dry grass.

“Oh my! The Emperor went to the Ivory Palace right after the banquet, you know.”

“So, the Queen was snubbed on her wedding day?”

“Yes. The Emperor was late to the wedding too. I’ve never seen such a thing.”

“Recently, Lady Poitiers has been buying almost all the new items from the Elin Atelier.”

“Goodness, how much does one of those necklaces cost?”

“Where did she get the money?”

It was like a new spectacle had been added.

“What about the Queen?”

“They say she doesn’t show much change in expression. She declared that she wouldn’t allow any visitors yesterday. Well, it didn’t save face, but...”

“So what? She’s not even as good as a concubine.”

“Can she control the palace?”

At that moment, one of the noblewomen who had gathered to talk grabbed the arm of the one who had spoken, startled.

“Why?”

“Shh!”

The other woman, oblivious, stiffened and shook her head, and the noblewomen looked around in alarm.

“!”

The one who had looked around bit her lip in surprise. The Queen was walking down the adjacent corridor with a leisurely pace. The noblewomen quickly greeted the Queen with a respectful attitude, and Adele received their greetings gracefully before walking away. The noblewomen clutched their hearts and watched the Queen's retreating back.

“Did she hear us?”

At this question, the noblewomen narrowed their eyes and recalled the Queen's expression. All they could remember were her striking golden eyes.

“...No. She was too far away to hear, and she didn’t show any sign of displeasure. So, she must not have heard.”

“Right?”

The noblewomen looked at each other and slowly nodded.

“Phew... We need to be more careful with our words.”

“Exactly. She didn’t show any sign of being upset at the insult at the ceremony. Did you see her expression?”

“What... like a black carnivore in the forest,”

“A black panther?”

“Yes! A black panther! It was like looking at a black panther.”

“Oh, really! We need to be more careful with our words.”

“But... honestly, do we have anything to worry about now? She doesn’t have a strong family backing. Don’t you think?”

Meanwhile, Adele, who had been walking down the corridor, had a cold, rigid expression. She hadn’t heard their whispers, but she had seen their reactions. They were startled when she appeared, and the maids and attendants she met on her walk had the same reaction. Adele turned away, knowing there was no point in seeing more. The boiling anger inside her made her step out for a walk, but the reactions from every group she met made it impossible to ignore. Her ominous premonition from yesterday had come true. The cool breeze and warm sunlight no longer felt refreshing, so she returned to the Queen's Palace. Maintaining a calm appearance as if nothing had happened was making her muscles scream. Once in her room, she finally took a deep, ragged breath. She buried her distorted face in her hands and stood there for a long time. It was a path she had prepared for, but the gap between imagination and reality was too harsh. The reason she hadn’t brought anyone from her homeland to Gottrop wasn’t just because of Echmont’s request. They were all needed in Gottrop, and they had no reason to follow her into exile. Adele roughly rubbed her face. Her vivid golden eyes, filled with a wildness, peeked through her black hair. It was time to think about her life here, not look back at the past.

‘Be wise. You’re smart, so being wise is all you need.’

This was her mother’s last words. Adele smiled bitterly as she recalled them. ＊ ＊ ＊ Echmont’s wedding culture also includes a banquet. However, due to the custom of maintaining solemnity on the wedding day and the day after, the grand banquet was held on the third day. The same applied to the Emperor and Queen's wedding, and the entire palace was buzzing with excitement. Dian Poitiers was busy with the preparations from early morning, inspecting the beautifully decorated main hall. The main hall, adorned with colorful crystals and flowers, was breathtakingly beautiful. The seats of honor on the dais were prepared for the Emperor and Queen.

“Lady, is there anything else to be done?”

Dian shook her head at the maid’s polite question.

“No.”

The sharp tone made the maids exchange glances and step back to wait. Dian’s gaze was fixed on the chair where the Queen would sit. The luxurious seat made of red velvet, right next to the Emperor, from which one could overlook everyone. She had lost her parents to the demons that poured out of the tower and had worked hard to achieve the status of a countess. Her efforts had also won her the Emperor’s love and the Ivory Palace. This was the Emperor’s country, and everything belonged to him. Therefore, the only person who should be higher than her, who had the Emperor’s love, should be the Emperor himself. No one who had been born a princess by mere luck and without any effort should be above her. The Emperor had given Dian the Ivory Palace but not the position of Queen. When she cautiously asked why, he didn’t answer. Even when she tried to plead more, his eyes turned cold the moment she mentioned the word ‘Queen,’ and Dian couldn’t beg any further. After the Queen appeared, Dian’s heart was filled with unease. Even after confirming the Emperor’s love and ruining the Queen’s wedding, the unease didn’t go away.

“No. Calm down, Dian Poitiers.”

Dian consoled herself and pressed her chest.

‘What makes a king is the gaze of those around him. That’s all.’

Dian repeated the words she carried like a knife in her heart and stared at the two seats of honor. The Queen wouldn’t be able to sit in that seat today. The wedding, the first night, the first banquet. All the main events would be hers, not the Queen’s. They were always hers.