I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress - Chapter 30
The bustling merchants bid farewell to the Ivory Palace, their ship resounding against its docks. The maidens, having finished tidying up the purchased items, retreated as well. Once the maidens had left, Diane was left alone in the room, feeling strangely unsettled. It hadn’t been like this just a moment ago. The hustle and bustle of the merchants’ flattery and praise, the maids’ flattery and commotion during the selection and finalization of purchases—it had been fine then. But now, with the people who treated her like a queen gone, her time as a queen had come to an end. Diane forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to calm the turbulent emotions within her chest. Yet, despite her efforts, she couldn’t seem to find peace. She stood up and began pacing restlessly.
The emperor had come last night, unexpectedly, and disappeared just as abruptly. And then he returned. It was peculiar behavior. When he returned, he did nothing for Diane but sleep, without even lifting a finger. He seemed to have no intention of explaining where he had been or why he had done such a thing. So she couldn’t even ask. Why did he suddenly behave that way? Why did he suddenly ask the questions she had never asked before, sniffing at her neck? In an instant, her heart, which had only been roiling, seemed to sink with a thud. As a terrifying thought brushed her mind, she couldn’t help but run outside and call for Lorraine.
“Lorraine, Lorraine!”
“Yes, Your Highness. You called?”
“Go to the maids of the Empress’s Palace right away and bring only one person who won’t be noticed. Hurry!”
“Yes, yes!”
***
As Diane anxiously paced the room, she rushed towards Lorraine as soon as she returned and grabbed the shoulder of one of the maids in the Empress’s Palace, almost like a drowning person clutching a lifeline.
“You, you!”
“Your Highness!”
“Did His Majesty visit the Empress’s Palace yesterday?!”
“Yes, yes?”
“Did His Majesty go to the Empress’s Palace yesterday?””
Trembling in fear from Dian’s intimidating demeanor, the maid replied as best she knew.
“Yes, he did.”
“How many times?”
“W-Well, you see…”
“How many times!!!”
“Tw-Twice! Twice, Your Highness.”
Feeling a chill run down her spine, Diane let out a groan. Fear rushed over her like a tidal wave. Amidst the intense clash between her desire to know and her desire to remain ignorant, Diane managed to gather herself, but barely.
“When did he come? Tell me about each time.”
It was a growling sound, reminiscent of a fierce beast.
“It was evening. Before Her Majesty went to sleep, she took a bath, and right after that, he came. And then, as if she were angry, he left, only to return less than an hour later. He didn’t even stay for twenty minutes.”
“What was the time of her second visit?!”
“Around ten o’clock.”
“…Ten o’clock.”
“Yes, it was around that time.”
The maid nodded as if she were sure and answered. Diane, who had been gripping her shoulder tightly, slowly released her hand as if her strength had left her, and the maid stepped back, bowing slightly. Diane, who stood there absentmindedly, feeling drained, turned quickly and returned to her bedroom. She lay down on the pillow where Karl had slept, resting her head on it, and took a slow breath. Her heart kept pounding. Diane’s pupils trembled uncontrollably.
“She went to the Empress’s Palace and then came here. And he returned to the Empress with that face. With that face.”
Purple eyes filled with excitement and ragged breath.
“I know that face of yours. Only I know. It should be known only to me. Why, why? Why did you run to the Empress’s Palace with that face?!” Diane tore at the pillow in anger.
After venting her frustration on the pillow for a while, she suddenly stood up and rushed to the mirror. And she looked at her own face.
“Wrinkles have appeared. There’s no radiance. Your Majesty likes my skin.”
She should have called a skincare specialist instead of a merchant. The touch that had been checking her waist to see if her figure was still fine had suddenly reached her lower abdomen. There was not a trace of flab on her flat belly. She wasn’t pleased to see it as slim as her belly.
“Why won’t it happen? Why on earth?”
According to the palace physician, both she and the emperor were not infertile. They were both healthy. Several people confirmed that fact.
“But why…”
Diane murmured desperately, with a tone of despair, pleading earnestly. Crying without even realizing it, pouring out her whole heart.
Please let a child be conceived. Save me.
****
Meanwhile, at the Empress’s Palace.
“One of the Ivory Palace maids took a handmaiden with her.”
“She must be curious about something.”
“What should we do?”
Adele, who had been moving her pen without pause, stopped her hand and looked up at the question. Mrs. Giggs, who had been assisting her in writing orders, calmly faced her with a cold expression.
“Should we recruit new maids?”
“Do you know anyone suitable?”
“I will search for trustworthy individuals.”
If she asked, Lady Giggs would swiftly arrange everything. However, Adele couldn’t easily give her permission. Her mouth felt rough, as if she had swallowed gravel. Could she completely trust anyone she called? It would be better to rely on those who knew whose puppets they were.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Hmm?”
“If we expose this, there will be quite a commotion for a while. So, let’s put that issue aside for now. After all, you are the one who takes care of my affairs, so whatever the maids report to Diane won’t be of great importance.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Let’s continue with what we were doing.”
Adele was in the midst of writing a concise document. While the Empress meticulously recorded the basis of the orders in accordance with the provisions of the palace law, Mrs. Giggs was occupied with calculations. Adele put down her quill pen gracefully, and Mrs. Giggs respectfully presented a stamp dipped in ink. It was the first time since Ehmont that the Empress had firmly pressed her own seal. Adele, who had carefully read the document with the red stamp from the beginning, let out a sigh of resignation and leaned back in her chair.
“To think that my first decree as Empress would be like this…”
Contrary to her resigned murmurs, her eyes sparkled with determination.
The afternoon in the central council chamber.
“Currently, the residents of Count Calvin have taken refuge in the nearby Barultolh County, where Count Barultoth and Viscount Orlion are holding off the monsters in the intermediate zone. The tower in Count Calvin has estimated a Class 3 flying-type monster, Gagoyle, appearing.”
Theseus stared at Duke Lenox Poitiers and Duke Despone with cold eyes. Lennox, with his consistently indifferent expression, listened to the man’s report. As expected, as soon as the man finished his report, the duke began to scoff.
“Estimated level 3. Who exactly made that estimate? Didn’t we see Gagnier, not Gagoyle? Gagoyle is not captured so easily. A bunch of knights without any wizards…”
Hearing this, the commander of the guard, Henri Jackal, stood up abruptly, expressing his anger.
“Are you done talking?! If you’re so good at distinguishing and judging, why are you sitting here?!!”
Flames surged from Lennox’s eyes in response to Henri Jackal’s rage. Duke Despone grabbed Lenox, who was about to rise from his seat, holding him back.
“Stop it, Lennox. His Majesty is watching.”
Against Duke Despone’s objection, Lennox snorted harshly and sat back down.
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
It was unclear whether the Emperor acknowledged or ignored his apology. Since the start of the meeting, he had been continuously staring at Lionel with a stern and threatening gaze. It was a gaze that seemed ready to pounce. He had always been someone who displeased him, but today it felt even more irritating.
“What are your thoughts, Minister of Defense?”
The chilling question made Lionel turn his head to face the Emperor. Karl leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and leaning his body forward.
“Answer, please.”
Countless eyes in the central council chamber were fixed on Lionel all at once. However, he showed no signs of wavering.
“Before I answer, may I ask a question to the heads of the Wizard Corps?”
Karl gestured toward Duke Despone and Duke Lennox, giving his permission, and Lionel opened his mouth as if signaling them to wait.
“Lord Portier, I have one question. What is the most important criterion for classifying a tower as level 3 or 4?”
“…It’s the presence of flying-type monsters.”
“Isn’t Gagnier a flying-type monster?”
Lennox responded to that question with an overly annoyed attitude, shaking his head back and forth.
“Don’t twist my words. Just because Gagnier is a flying-type, does that mean the tower is level 3? Ignorant people might say that, but Gagnier rarely appears even in the upper-class level 4 towers.”
“So, you’re insisting that the tower is still level 4, but do you agree that there is also a sufficient possibility of it being level 3 only?”
Lionel looked around the audience after asking his question, then spoke in a clear tone.
“That day when the tower descended to the palace, I was waiting with the knights for the arrival of the wizards. The tower was getting closer and closer. But then, someone appeared who I never expected.”
Karl’s eyebrows twitched, and he found himself unconsciously biting his lower lip as he glared at Lionel. A sense of inexplicable discomfort that had been trapped behind a transparent barrier suddenly burst forth. Ignoring the emperor’s intense gaze directed at him, Lionel continued to speak.
“It was Her Majesty, the Empress. She suddenly appeared and said that someone around level four could handle it alone.”
In reality, what she said was that “someone around level five or close to it could handle it alone”, but Lionel intentionally left out the first part. The people from the Baldr estate and the knightly houses kept nodding their heads as they listened to him.
“And as you all know, she destroyed the tower alone. She did it in a way that no one had ever seen before. She rode up on an updraft before the tower hit the ground. Thanks to her, not even a single mount was able to leave the tower, and there were no casualties.”
Lionel looked at Duke Despone and Lennox in turn, and with each word he spoke, he drove the point home.
“You never even thought of that method in Ehmont, did you?”
Remembering the feeling of helplessness he felt when he led the wizards to the tower, only to watch helplessly as the Empress single-handedly destroyed it and left the garden calmly, Lennox’s bitterness erupted from his throat.
“Indeed, Lionel Baldr. It seems that you have the Empress’s favor on your side. You know her very well, don’t you?”
When Lennox taunted Lionel with a growl, Theseus glared at him, and some others became angry, telling him to be careful with his words. However, Lionel remained completely unperturbed. The only one who was shaken by Lennox’s words was Karl. The face of Adele, who had pushed him away with an arrogant expression, flashed before him. The Emperor gritted his teeth roughly. The fact that Lionel Baldur seemed to know the Empress so well was unbearable to him. The Emperor spoke to Lionel in a cold voice.
“Is that the answer to my question?” the Emperor asked.
Even in the face of the Emperor’s hostile question, Lionel remained composed and calmly replied.
“Her Majesty, the Empress, said that if flying-type mounts appear, measures equivalent to level three should be taken. She advised Count Calvin to seek refuge in another territory and provided financial support for that reason.”
The conference room buzzed with murmurs upon hearing his words.
“The Empress said that to Count Calvin.”
“As far as I know, she gave him a gold bar.”
“Ah, so…”
“I didn’t know.”
Duke Despone, who had been observing the situation, leaned back with force against his chin. Lionel continued to observe the turmoil for a while before locking eyes with Duke Despone, who had been watching him.
“I am returning the question that His Majesty asked me to you. Why are the Ehmont Magicians merely observing the current situation? Is it because they have no intention of rescuing, or because they lack the capability?”
Fire surged from Duke Despone’s eyes in a menacing manner as the words left his mouth. However, Lionel was quicker than the wizard’s protests. He stood up from his seat, faced the Emperor, and spoke in a firm tone.
“As the Minister of Defense, I will answer His Majesty’s inquiry. Rescue them. If it is not a matter of capability, then dispatch the wizards immediately and save them without fail.”
As Lionel stood up, Henri Jackal followed suit, and then several members of the noble houses stood up in agreement. In the midst of the heavy silence, Theseus, who had been guarding Lionel’s side, also stood up and spoke.
“I find myself desiring to hear directly from Her Majesty’s opinions in person.”
“For the same reason, it is believed that the rightful Empress should be given the authority she deserves. What exactly is the basis for rejecting the budget proposal?”
Continuing Theseus’s words, Lionel touched upon the issue of the Empress’s palace budget adjustment.
“Now that you’re in the government, you’re quite critical of the Empress, aren’t you?”
Lennox’ sarcastic remark pierced the ears of those present, and Theseus, unusually agitated, lashed out at him.
“Watch your words, Lennox Poiters!”
Lennox shrugged his shoulders, mocking him instead, and the conference room erupted in an instant. True to the hot-tempered nature of the Echmont people, heated arguments broke out. Duke Despone’s allies took advantage of the chaos to launch colorful accusations at Lionel, and the shouts of those who opposed them turned the central chamber into a literal marketplace. Amidst all this, Lionel, the center of attention, sat calmly as if asking, “What did you hear?” It was an attitude so serene that one could sense his indifference. Despite being subjected to the insult of being called the “Empress’s government,” his expression remained unchanged, and he maintained a steady breath. It was as if it were a matter of course. Karl, who had been watching the fight unfold, became increasingly annoyed by this sight.
“That’s exactly why people should be careful about who they let in.”
The sudden words of the Emperor silenced the people who had been shouting in confusion. In the quiet silence, the Emperor openly glared at Lionel.
“Even the commoners say that a wife supports her husband. One must understand the situation and engage in courtship.”
It was a blatant criticism, an attempt to belittle the absent Empress and evade Lionel’s reasonable question. Lennox subtly raised his lips and smiled, while Theseus clenched his fist tightly, grinding his teeth. It was a precarious moment, as if the fragile silence was about to shatter. Just as one could sense a sense of urgency, a courtier hurriedly entered the conference room and approached the Emperor Karl, who had been leaning against his chair, sat up straight and looked at the courtier. The courtier pulled out a thick document from his bosom and handed it to the Emperor. As Karl read through it with his eyes, his brows soon furrowed. It was an official order with the Empress’s seal clearly stamped on it.
