Chapter 89

After leaving a message that she would visit the Giggs family mansion for a while, Lady Giggs left, and Adel boarded the carriage of the Herbert Marquess family. She wrapped herself in the thick blanket Lionel handed her and leaned her head against the backrest, feeling a drowsy sleepiness come over her. Her eyelids, which had been fluttering heavily as if she were extremely tired, finally closed firmly. Lionel watched her fall asleep, holding his breath. Her face, which was already pale, now looked almost blue, and her fingertips, which he had held, were cold to the touch. Every time the carriage jolted, her slender neck would weakly bend, and Lionel, unable to bear it, got up and carefully approached her. After hesitating for a long time, he reached out his hand to her. He cradled her small head with one hand and wrapped her slender shoulders with the other, gently laying her down. Fortunately, the carriage was spacious enough for her to lie down without any problem. Lionel covered her with the blanket and knelt, gazing at her face. It felt as if time had stopped. Even as her assistant, he had never dared to look at her face for long, always turning his gaze away, but now, looking at her without restraint, his heart felt heavy. At that moment, the demon deep in his heart whispered to Lionel,

'The moon has sunk into the sea.'

Lionel, clenching his teeth, frowned and took a deep breath, returning to his original seat. His shadowed eyes darkly reflected Adel. Adel had said there was a demon in her heart, but it was the same for Lionel. The moment Adel confessed that she could no longer stay in the palace, Lionel made up his mind. He would bring her to where he was. In that resolve, there was a mixture of wicked and dark pleasure. How selfish and terrible his thoughts were in the face of her despair, which was prepared even for death. Sighing in pain, he looked at Adel again. He would hide this selfish heart and do everything in his power to create a place for her to stay. After all, what she wanted was what he wanted. ＊ ＊ ＊ Eventually, the large carriage arrived at the Herbert Marquess mansion, but Adel was still asleep, overwhelmed by fatigue and various mental stresses.

"Your Highness."

Lionel whispered, but she did not respond. Finally, Lionel carefully lifted her into his arms, feeling a sense of fulfillment. He wrapped her body tightly in the blanket to keep out the wind and got out of the carriage. The servants, who had been waiting, were taken aback by the sight of the marquess carrying the duchess, but they soon bowed and stepped back. Lionel walked unhesitatingly to Adel's room, which he had already selected and decorated. Adel's room was the best-lit place in the mansion. The heavy frames and curtains had been changed to a lighter tone in the morning, and soft, white bedding awaited the new owner. When Lionel gently laid Adel on the bed, the waiting maids hurried over.

"Make sure no light gets in so she can sleep well, and raise the room temperature a bit."

Lionel gave a few more instructions as he looked around Adel's room, then confirmed her face one last time before leaving.

"Would you like to rest for a while? You haven't been sleeping well lately, have you?"

The butler, who followed him out, suggested, but Lionel lightly shook his head.

"There's work to be done. If Her Highness wakes up, please let me know."

"…Yes, I understand."

＊ ＊ ＊ The Ehmont Palace, from which the duchess had left, was like a disturbed beehive. The aggressive and short-tempered Ehmont nobles gathered in front of the imperial palace and began to loudly discuss the situation before any official meeting was held. Duke Despoinne, who had been watching the situation inside the palace, came out with an angry face. Normally, the nobles would have been silenced by his presence, but this time was different. The rumors about the tower and the emperor and Duke Despoinne had fueled their courage. Duke Despoinne roared at the still noisy nobles.

"What is this nonsense?!"

"Your Highness! Is it true that you are not destroying the tower but leaving it as it is?!"

"Who is spreading such lies?!"

Duke Despoinne, with a fit of rage, shouted.

"The mages of the Ehmont Empire are doing their best!!"

"But Her Highness the Empress clearly said she could destroy all the towers in the empire within two years!"

"What insolence! Who dares to call the duchess 'Her Highness'!"

"Why are you destroying the tower in Buetta but leaving the one in Calvin?!"

"Ah, I have already answered that!!!"

"Destroy the tower in Buryllian too!"

"Why are you not destroying the tower in Monte?!"

No matter how powerful Duke Despoinne was, he could not withstand the rational questions of the angry nobles. He fled into the imperial palace, storming into the emperor's office.

"Your Majesty!!!"

The emperor sat stiffly at his desk, seemingly indifferent to the chaos outside. Seeing this, Duke Despoinne's anger exploded.

"Can't you see those nobles swarming like a pack of dogs?"

Despite Duke Despoinne's reprimand, the emperor's response was an unexpected mutter.

"She went to the Herbert Marquess mansion… finally."

"This is not the time to worry about that!"

The duke, his anger reaching its peak, leaned in and shouted at the emperor, but Karl's mind was already elsewhere. It was as if he had returned to a very distant past, around the time he realized that the previous empress was not his biological mother.

"How dare you… leave me… for that damn brat. Leave me."

"…"

"Adelaide…"

Duke Despoinne could only look at the emperor in a daze. At a time when he needed to be fully focused to face the incoming wave, what was happening? Finally, Duke Despoinne turned and roared.

"Where the hell is Renox in this situation?!"

＊ ＊ ＊ At that moment, Renox, whom Duke Despoinne was looking for, was in the Ivory Palace. The news of the empress's dethronement and the suspicions about the tower had stirred the empire, but nothing compared to Renox's heart. He threw a black bundle in front of Dian.

"…"

"…"

The siblings glared at each other with bloodshot eyes. When Dian showed no intention of opening the bundle, Renox roughly opened it and forced it into her arms.

"!!!"

It was a belly band that mimicked a pregnant woman's belly. Realizing what her brother had thrown at her, Dian threw it to the ground in disgust. Renox glared at her, as if he had expected this, and coldly rebuked her.

"You should be grateful."

"…I said no."

"What do you mean no? You are pregnant, right?"

"…Yes. I am."

Though she resisted, Dian's heart sank into an endless abyss. The old woman's words were true. The dark red blood stains continuously reminded Dian of the cruel reality. Even if she were really pregnant, the continuous bleeding would make it impossible for the baby to be safe. Most importantly, she did not have the courage to tell the palace physician. She was afraid of the emperor's reaction if this became known. Renox, with his hands in his pockets, continued coldly.

"If it becomes known that there is no baby in your belly, you will be immediately expelled from the palace. I'm sure you already know this, my intelligent sister."

"…"

"I will replace the belly band at different stages, and you will wear it all day. I will take care of the physicians. Eliminating them all will leave no room for trouble. And in about five months, I will bring an appropriate boy, so be aware."

"…"

"Ah, and those two midwives. I killed them."

Renox turned and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to touch the doorknob, Dian's voice came from behind.

"What am I to you?"

Renox stopped, blinked, and turned around. Dian, with sunken eyes, no longer had the charm and beauty of the past. Renox frowned and shot back.

"Since you were so enthusiastic about your appearance, you've thrown it all away? No wonder the emperor doesn't even step into the Ivory Palace."

With that, he left the room. Tears fell from Dian's eyes as she stared at the door. Her gaze fell on the disgusting object on the floor. Renox saw her as nothing more than that. Then, what was she to the emperor? Dian stood at the edge of the abyss, quietly reflecting on the past. When she told him she wanted to be the empress, he had replied,

'No, you can't.'

Why couldn't she? Why, me?

'This is the place my birth mother wanted to live.'

Even though she had given up the place her birth mother wanted to live, he had never officially recognized her. Dian's movements stopped.

'Are you pregnant?'

On the day she told the emperor she was pregnant, his eyes… had a look of disbelief. Dian's eyes shook violently.

"He… didn't want me to have a child. Truly."

Because… because…

"He didn't want to see a successor from a woman of low birth."

Dian, unaware that she was crying, burst into laughter. The salty taste of tears in her mouth did not stop her from crying and laughing.

Now, she finally understood why she couldn't have a child.

"Your Majesty, were you using contraception?"

Even though he knew how much she wanted a child. The woman's heart-wrenching sobs and laughter echoed off the walls of the luxurious Ivory Palace. ＊ ＊ ＊ Meanwhile, at that time.

"Ah, it's cold!"

After finishing their meal, Gibeon wrapped his arms around himself and complained, and Cain clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"If you're done eating, let's go."

The two of them tidied up their seats and mounted their horses. Gibeon scratched his head and looked at the endless horizon.

"There are no mountains, just endless plains, it's boring, so boring."

"But we're almost there. If all goes well, we'll arrive by tomorrow morning."

Cain, checking the map again, said, and Gibeon nodded happily.

"Alright! I'll sleep soundly in the comfortable bed Her Highness gives me! Let's go, Cain! Hurry up!"

A short while later, the two horses galloped quickly on the wide road under the winter sun, heading towards the Ehmont capital, specifically towards Adelaide. They had no idea. They had no idea that their lord, Adelaide, had been dethroned.