I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress - Chapter 41
Consciousness drifted beneath the surface of slumber. Her body sank slowly, feeling languid. Ah, this isn’t so bad either. Adele closed her eyes, withdrawing the strength from her entire body and shutting the eyes of her soul. The flow of time vanished. Adrift in the currents of the deep sea, even as she swayed to and fro, Adele remained as she was. She entertained the thought that it wouldn’t matter if countless hours passed and her body turned to sand. How long had she been in this state?
“Adele, my daughter.”
A gentle voice caused Adele’s eyes to flutter open, almost involuntarily. Amidst the deep and dark sea, a scene from her past floated before her. Her father, about two years before he departed, was looking at her.
“Don’t pretend to be so much like your mother. That’ll only make things harder for you.”
Even in the underwater environment, it felt as if waves were crashing against her, pushing her further away. Adele reached out her hand toward her father’s fading face, trying to call out to him. Yet, her voice wouldn’t come, and she couldn’t resist the flowing current. How long had she been drifting like this?
“Adele.”
Her mother’s cool and distant voice called her, its distinct tone piercing the water.
“Haven’t I told you that a branch that doesn’t bend will break? It’s not too late even now. Be wise and yield.”
And then it happened.
“Sister!”
Upon hearing that voice, her heart ached. Adele hastily turned her body against the current of guilt. Before her eyes appeared the face of the Emperor, Karl Ulrich.
“Kneel. Submit it to me. Then you shall find comfort.”
The visage of Duke Despone followed.
“Take my hand and become the owner of the tower, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Adele covered her ears, desperately wanting to block out the voices. Please, please… Just be quiet… Adele spun around in desperation. There, she saw the people who had shared her purpose lined up one after another. They were all smiling kindly at her.
“Your Highness, please do what you believe is right. We will guard your back.”
The words resonated deeply in her chest. Adele reached out her hand towards them, attempting to draw closer. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, the distance between them didn’t seem to narrow. Then the scene shifted.
“Take any one of us. Or else, we’ll hide in Ehmont ourselves!”
“Don’t go. Your Highness, please don’t go.”
Then her voice is heard.
“After all, walking alone is our path. You should walk your path. What’s the point of unnecessary worry for those who have their duties to fulfill in Gothrop?”
Please, come with me!
“Don’t follow.”
Damn, it!! Please, just say you’ll come with me! No, no… Hold on there…
They smile. They smile while shedding tears. And then they slowly lower their heads. Adele struggled and resisted with sobs.
Don’t go, don’t go; please, just me, me… I wasn’t coming for you. Just one, even just one person, I should’ve brought. So I could have a breath of relief.
Adele crumbled within her deep subconscious. As she was being sucked into that endless abyss, someone’s voice penetrated her ears like a lie.
“… Yes.”
Adele blinked her eyes slowly. Then a sincere voice echoed clearly.
“Whatever you desire, I will assist you.”
****
Empress Adelaide had collapsed and lost consciousness, and upon hearing the news, Emperor Karl rushed to the Empress’ chamber in a single stride. Entry by outsiders was strictly prohibited, but he was no outsider. Karl confidently stepped into the Empress’ chamber.
There, on the bed, lay the Empress. Her feverish face was unbelievably hot and pale. Despite having taken fever-reducing medicine and somewhat lowering her temperature, this delicate woman didn’t emit even a single whimper. Her parted lips continued to release hot breath incessantly. It was as if flickering flames might be visible beneath her translucent and fragile eyelashes.
Then, at some point, her labored breathing beneath those silky, fluttering eyelashes became rougher.
“Empress?”
Caught off guard by the sudden situation, Karl called out to Adelaide while gently shaking her shoulders. However, Adelaide continued to gasp in pain, her breath hitching. Then, from beneath her shimmering ebony eyelashes, something clear and delicate rolled down. A sob escaped through her lips, cracked from the fever. Adeleaide, that woman as cold as ice, was crying. Karl stared at her as if enchanted.
Gently enclosing her petite face with his cautiously outstretched hand, he felt the warmth transmit through his touch. It was like his hand was melting against her skin. Labored breaths barely held back, a face drenched in tears.
“Adelaide.”
Karl called her name like an incantation, his tone gentle and tender.
“Adelaide.”
If she wasn’t content with just that, it was acceptable. He had to possess her sooner or later, without any clear indication of when he’d calm down. If slipping a leash around her Without her realizing it proved too difficult, he’d have to erect an unseen barrier. Creating a broad fence that didn’t make her feel trapped, he had to figure out what he truly desired. After a moment of contemplation, he brushed aside his passing worries. After all, he was the Emperor, with the power to possess whatever he wanted.
***
Though news of the Empress’ collapse had been kept a secret, how many eyes watched within the palace, and how many ears listened? On the evening of the day Empress Adelaide fainted, the news reached Diane’s ears as well. However, there was something else that intrigued her.
“Where is His Majesty the Emperor?”
When Diane inquired, the attendant didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable as he replied,
“He is in the Empress’s chamber.”
Why in the world?! Inside, Diane silently screamed, but externally, she couldn’t reveal a trace. The palace servants, who had always been attentive to Adelaide’s moods, had started changing their attitudes in the blink of an eye over just a few days. It wasn’t just the palace servants. The number of those who no longer tried to accommodate her preferences steadily grew.
A few years ago, when she first stayed in the guest quarters of the Emperor’s palace at his summons, she hadn’t received treatment worse than this. Back then, someone had emerged from the Emperor’s chamber. Diane had looked at the fleeting figure, quickly turning her gaze away in urgency. She had stared obstinately at his retreating. The refined profile, the elegantly tied golden hair—a maid subtly shifted her direction, inadvertently turning to meet Diane’s eyes. Diane bit her lip and swiftly turned, striding away. Lorraine quickly followed her. Once safely in her chamber, Diane turned around as soon as Lorraine entered and scowled.
“A blonde with blue eyes! Didn’t I tell you not to do that?”
“I’m sorry. But this is His Majesty the Emperor’s palace, and you know I cannot interfere.”
“Did you just see the woman who came out of His Majesty’s chamber? Blonde with blue eyes. She looked young. Is she barely twenty now? What connection does she have with His Majesty?”
A sense of crisis surged over Diane like a storm. She fidgeted with her fingers, pacing around the room.
“How many young women under twenty with blonde hair and blue eyes might there be?”
The curse of Mrs. Giggs echoed in her ears. Trembling, Diane took out a mirror and gazed at her reflection. Even if she’s considered beautiful, her delicate youthfulness can’t compare. The face of the maid, as delicate as a young leaf, came to mind, and Diane couldn’t hold back, shoving the mirror forcefully. It shattered with a crash. The sound of the mirror breaking startled Lorraine, who took a couple of steps back in surprise.
“Lorraine.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Fetch brother.”
“Understood!”
In response to Diane’s command, filled with madness, Lorraine nodded quickly and hurriedly exited the room to summon her brother. The fragments of the broken mirror reflected bits and pieces of Diane’s face. Trembling lips, eyes that had grown sharply fierce. There was no trace of the young Diane Portier. She took a prepared vial of medicine and drank it in large gulps. The vial contained a potion to delay aging and another to aid in conception.
Lionel received news of the Empress’ illness on the same afternoon. Secretary Michael Rosen, who was overseeing the Duke’s affairs, had come to inform Lionel of the news.
“While the details aren’t clear, the Empress’ palace is in turmoil. The chief physician has been going back and forth at least five times, but it seems Her Majesty is still unconscious.”
“Unconscious?!”
Lionel sat up abruptly and asked urgently. Michael narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Lionel’s face. Under that gaze, Lionel quickly composed his expression. A moment later, Michael glanced around and whispered discreetly.
“To be honest, I was in favor of you becoming the Chancellor’s aide. But circumstances are always fluid. If the relationship between Empress and Emperor changes, you need to act quickly.”
“….”
“Please gather information about the Tower more swiftly. Since the Empress lost consciousness, His Majesty the Emperor has been constantly by her side.”
Lionel Baldr’s azure eyes widened slightly. After conveying his message, he quickly stood up, but Lionel urgently caught hold of him and asked,
“Do you know how serious the Empress’ condition is? Could she be poisoned?”
“Minister?”
“Tell me as much as you know.”
Michael Rosen narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, not giving the response Lionel had expected.
***
The maids in the Empress’ palace carefully attended to the Empress’s surroundings like paragons of loyalty. They were certain that the era of Diane Poiters had come to an end. Just like yesterday, today, the Emperor remained by the unconscious Empress’s side.
“Why is she still unconscious?”
“…We are trying to find the reason. I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“Find out quickly.”
“Yes.”
In response to the Emperor’s command, the chief physician bowed politely and left the room. Adelaide’s fever had not subsided, and despite administering various medicines, her consciousness remained elusive. Karl stared at Adelaide’s face intently. With the vivid golden eyes gone, what remained was the fragile face of a small woman.
“Was she really this small?”
Karl found himself thinking. Even with the fever still raging and Adelaide unconscious, Karl had an unfounded certainty that Adele would return soon. She didn’t seem like she would succumb to this fever. For Karl, the Empress was a strong individual, and Adelaide truly lived up to her name. Was it because of this conviction? Karl was oddly satisfied with how unusual the situation was. He personally changed Adelaide’s damp cloth, taking care of her. As he gently stroked Adelaide’s hair, a sense of fulfillment surged through him, akin to holding the night in his hands.
Why do humans show compassion for the miserable and unfortunate? Yet at the same time, they yearn to grasp the noble and precious.
“Adelaide, you won’t escape from my grasp.”
He thought of wild beasts roaming the mountains. Would their lives be comfortable? It didn’t seem likely. In exchange for freedom, wouldn’t they have to engage in endless struggles for survival? That’s when Karl had an idea. A way to tame the beast without even using force.
“Do not try to cross the fence I’ve erected, Adelaide.”
Then it happened. The eyelids that had been closed as if they’d never opened started to slowly open. The long, black eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly, revealing dazzling golden irises. Karl stared at her as if enchanted. She slowly blinked her eyes. Half-parted lips, vacant eyes wandering through emptiness.
“Adelaide.”
As he murmured gently and tenderly, her vacant gaze slowly turned towards Karl. Karl lifted the corner of his red lips, smiling seductively, as he gently brushed away Adelaide’s hair. Holding a handful of the night in his hand, he leaned down and kissed her, whispering,
“You belong to me, Adelaide.”
“…”
“Adelaide Ulrich belongs to Karl Ulrich. Do you understand?”
Karl pressed his index finger softly and then firmly against Adelaide’s unresponsive lips, softly and then firmly. When he lightly touched the delicate petal-like lips, satisfaction spread across his face, and he even chuckled. Adelaide’s gaze remained dazed, and while her eyes were open, it seemed her consciousness had not returned. However, what mattered was that her eyes were open. Surely, her consciousness would return soon.
“Come back quickly, my Adelaide.”
The Emperor repeated the phrase dozens of times, as if trying to engrave his seal onto her unconsciousness. It was like reciting a spell.
****
After the Emperor left, some time passed. The vacant eyes that had been wandering aimlessly began to regain their light. As if suddenly emerging from the depths of a dark and deep sea, consciousness surged to the surface. As it did, the dilated pupils contracted sharply. Adelaide, whose eyes had been wide open, blinked them rapidly. Like a fish that had come out of the water, she gasped for breath and clutched at her throat.
“Uh, ugh, ugh…”
Just as Lady Giggs entered the room, she witnessed this scene and rushed forward in surprise.
“Your Majesty!”
“Ugh, ugh.”
Adelaide’s face contorted in pain as she struggled to breathe irregularly.
“Is there anyone else outside? Call for the physician immediately, quickly!”
As Lady Giggs shouted towards the door, there was commotion outside.
“Your Majesty, take slow, deep breaths.”
Lady Giggs supported Adele’s shoulders and spoke urgently, but Adele could only emit strained sounds and struggled to breathe properly. The blood vessels in her neck seemed to swell, and tears streamed down her eyes, which were reddened from congestion. With trembling hands, Adelaide clung tightly to Lady Giggs’ clothing.
“Yes?”
Unable to clearly hear what she was frantically saying, Lady Giggs brought her ear close to Adelaide’s mouth.
“Bring him.”
“Please repeat that.”
“Bring… Lionel.”
Adelaide commanded, her face contorting as if she might die if he didn’t arrive.
