Chapter 68

The next day, early in the morning. The Grand Duke knocked the quiet air of the Empress Palace with a firm knock. Lady Gix greeted Elizabeth with a bright face.

"Your Highness, Grand Duke."

Elizabeth stared at Lady Gix's face and then smiled.

"Lady, your face is blooming. Has something good happened to you lately?"

Lady Gix just smiled. Elizabeth gently patted Lady Gix's shoulder and moved forward.

"Did I come too early? Can I see Her Majesty the Empress?"

"Please wait in the parlor for a moment. I'll go and check."

Just then, a clear voice came from above.

"There's no need."

Elizabeth and Lady Gix, who were about to move, looked up.

"Her Majesty the Empress."

The Empress, leaning against the terrace railing, looked at them with a gentle expression.

"It's been a while, Grand Duke. How have you been?"

As Adel smiled and asked, Elizabeth bowed deeply and formally.

"Please forgive my rudeness for coming without prior notice."

"That's fine. Have you had breakfast?"

"Not yet."

Adel straightened her posture and said to Lady Gix.

"Lady, please prepare breakfast."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

＊＊＊

Elizabeth watched Adel quietly eating. Adel, noticing her gaze, looked up.

As they faced each other, both thought the same thing. Elizabeth spoke first.

"I appreciate your efforts in going to Bueta. I heard from Duke Baldur about your bravery. I was quite surprised to learn you were a mage."

Adel, knowing from Lady Gix that Elizabeth and Theseus had divorced, smiled lightly and shook her head slightly.

"It wasn't just my doing."

"I heard there was an assassination attempt. Are you well? You must have been very frightened."

"The Minister of Defense strengthened the guard, so I'm fine. Don't worry too much."

Both of them dabbed their mouths with their napkins. Lady Gix, who had been waiting, smoothly approached and cleared the dishes and brought tea. After taking a sip of tea, the two women caught their breath and observed each other. The reconnaissance was over, and it was time to get to the main topic. Lady Gix, noticing this, took the tray and left, closing the door behind her. As the door closed, Elizabeth spoke.

"Thanks to Her Majesty, the scales that were tilted have finally started to move."

"..."

"Though it's not my place to say, as someone who has fled and abandoned everything... Your Majesty, would you consider pulling the scales with me?"

Adel looked deeply into Elizabeth's eyes. Elizabeth met her gaze without flinching. To join hands, they needed to exchange information.

"I am Elizabeth Ulrich, Grand Duke. I am the legitimate princess of the late emperor and was once married to Duke Baldur. We divorced a long time ago."

Adel listened to her words with a serious face.

"My marriage to Duke Baldur was a promise between my late mother, the former empress, and the late Duke Baldur. After my mother passed away, I married Duke Baldur."

Elizabeth brought up her past, which Adel hadn't asked about, for one reason. Our situations are not different, and our goals are the same, so let's join hands. Elizabeth didn't intend to immediately overthrow the emperor and commit treason. That's why she came to Adel, the empress. What she wanted was to curb the power of Duke Despoina, who was using the emperor to commit tyranny, and to set the politics right. When Elizabeth finished her story, Adel nodded with a gentle face.

"However, what made you suddenly change your mind and reach out to me?"

Though her tone was soft, the content was sharp. Elizabeth, answering Adel's question with a bitter smile, lowered her eyes.

"... I thought I could run, but I couldn't. I realized there was no place left to retreat."

Adel understood her words. A white hand suddenly appeared in Elizabeth's lowered field of vision. The empress, with a calm face, extended her hand to her.

"Alright. Let's pull the scales together."

Elizabeth's lips curved upward at the honest and clear words. Adel and Elizabeth looked intensely at each other and smiled. Elizabeth took Adel's hand. Though they had no friendship, the firm grip of their hands was welcome. Adel's strong gaze and clear purpose were appealing. They firmly shook hands once and let go.

"By the way, Uncle was very angry."

Elizabeth said with a smile, and Adel also chuckled and nodded.

"He glared at me the whole way from Bueta, as if he was going to burn a hole in my face."

"At least you're fine."

Lady Gix, waiting outside, smiled when she heard their laughter. ＊＊＊

"Brother came back, but he didn't even say a word of welcome. What a brat."

Lennox muttered with a frustrated voice, glancing at the gleaming Ivory Palace roof.

"How much trouble I had because of him! Who made it possible for him to live in this palace again!"

Lennox's face was filled with a mix of love and hate for Dian.

"Just let the baby in her womb be a girl."

He muttered with a malicious tone and headed towards the Mage Corps headquarters. Duke Despoina didn't speak a word to Lennox throughout the journey from Bueta. The occasional glances were so menacing that they made his legs tremble. Suppressing his anger, he headed towards the Mage Corps headquarters when someone suddenly called out to him.

"Lord Poitiers!"

It was a servant from the Imperial Palace. Lennox quickly scanned his attire and composed his voice.

"What is it?"

"His Majesty the Emperor wishes to see you."

"His Majesty the Emperor?"

'If His Majesty orders a re-investigation of the Empress' assassination attempt... what should I do?'

Previously, when Lennox asked, Duke Despoina had replied with a very cold face.

'I'll handle it. Just do your job properly. Don't mess things up by doing something I didn't ask for.'

Feeling guilty, Lennox's mouth went dry at the sudden summons from the emperor. The servant, looking at his bewildered face, hesitated and then led the way.

"Please follow me."

There was no way to refuse the emperor's command. Lennox, though reluctant, followed the servant. ＊＊＊

The emperor, bathed in the morning sunlight, was as beautiful as if he had stepped out of a masterpiece. His sharp jawline was almost cutting, and his sunken eyes were deep and somewhat precarious. The emperor was lost in thought, his eyes downcast. Adelaide, she had sent him to hell. After returning from the Empress Palace, the emperor wandered at the edge of the abyss all night, unable to sleep. Her enchanting voice and sweet fragrance captivated him and wouldn't let him go. Who tried to kill the empress? He intended to punish Lionel for not providing proper protection, but Duke Despoina subtly intervened. The reason was that since Lionel Baldur had caught the assassin, punishing him would surely provoke the Baldur family. Karl's eyes darkened. How dare anyone try to harm her without his permission. At that moment, the servant who had gone to fetch Lennox Poitiers opened the door and entered. With Karl's permission, Lennox, dressed in his mage uniform, cautiously entered the room.

"Did you call for me, Your Majesty?"

"Sit."

Lennox sat opposite the emperor, watching his expression. As the emperor stared at him in silence, Lennox, feeling uncomfortable, finally spoke.

"...Is there something you want to say, Your Majesty?"

"Did you try to kill the empress?"

"Wh-What?!"

Lennox, startled by the emperor's sudden question, jumped as if hit on the back of the head and turned pale. The emperor, with a cold gaze, leaned forward and asked again, almost spitting out the words.

"Did you hire an assassin?"

Lennox frantically shook his head and knelt.

"N-No, please believe me."

"…Not? Then, was it Duke Despoina's doing?"

"Your Majesty…"

The person who wanted the empress dead was obvious. Duke Despoina or Dian Poitiers. Whoever it was, the one who likely hired the assassin was Lennox Poitiers. That's why the emperor summoned him. Lennox, pale and trembling, looked at the emperor with desperate eyes. Karl slowly stood up, approached Lennox, and lifted his chin with one hand, leaning in. His face, up close, was terrifying like a demon.

"That woman is mine."

The emperor's voice and eyes were filled with a sticky obsession and possessiveness, bordering on madness. Lennox, already drenched in sweat, shivered with a chill.

"So, don't dare to touch what's mine. Understand?"

Any excuse would be useless before the current emperor. Lennox, taking a deep breath, managed to speak.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Karl firmly grabbed his chin and then roughly let go, standing up. He glared at Lennox, who fled the room in terror, and then sighed, brushing back his fallen hair. He couldn't tolerate anyone influencing her in any way. An uncontrollable fire had been burning fiercely in his heart, consuming him. What she wanted was something he couldn't possibly grant. It drove him mad. His thoughts kept turning dark, and the images he mulled over alone kept growing. In the early morning, under the bright sunlight, he suddenly remembered Adel's smile towards Lionel. Karl groaned and clenched his teeth.

'Adelaide. Your gaze, your smile, your life, and even your death are all mine.'

Adelaide Ulrich is Karl Ulrich's wife and the Empress of Echmont. ＊＊＊

Lennox, panting heavily, ran to the Ivory Palace. The atmosphere was strangely off. The palace was eerily quiet, and the maids' expressions were somber. Lennox, clutching his pounding heart, rushed to Dian's office. A maid, startled by his sudden appearance, let out a short scream.

"Where is the palace master? Where are you at this hour?!"

When Lennox barked, the maid, with a trembling voice, said she was in the bedroom. As soon as she finished, Lennox ran to Dian's bedroom and burst in.

"Dian!!!"

"…"

Dian, sitting in an armchair, looked at her brother with cold eyes. Lennox, frowning, sat opposite her.

"Why are you here instead of doing your duties at this hour?!"

Dian remained silent, not wanting to say anything. If only he would pretend not to notice, but as always, Lennox easily read her mind.

"…Did they take away all your authority?"

"Go away, I'm tired."

"Me! Do you even know what trouble I almost got into because of you?!"

At that, Dian's eyes widened, and she vented her suppressed anger.

"Because of me? What have you done that was for me? Why do you always blame me? Why do you always say everything is my fault when things go wrong?!!"

Lennox, seeing Dian's angry face, clenched his fists. It was all true, but it made him feel bad. Dian was silently crying, but he didn't want to ask what had happened. Lennox leaned in and whispered.

"You must have a son."

"…"

"Didn't I tell you before? Love fades."

"Shut up!!"

"Why do I always blame you?"

"…"

"Mom and Dad died because of you. If you hadn't dropped that teddy bear and made us turn back, they wouldn't have died. Isn't that right?"

"No!!!"

"What's not?"

In their harsh childhood, they clung to each other as their only support, but Lennox also hated her. The one who caused their parents' death. Wiping away his tears, Lennox stood up.

"You must have a son."

The siblings, cornered again, glared at each other with red eyes.