I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress - Chapter 46
“Brother,” Diane called out.
In response to Diane’s call, Lennox quickly snapped out of his thoughts and approached his sister. Diane, who had been carefully cradling her belly with both hands, looked at Lennox with a gaze full of anticipation before lowering her head to look at her own belly. A smile played on her lips. Lennox froze in his tracks at the sight of his sister. An intense shiver, starting from the tips of his hair, raced through his body faster than light, reaching all the way down to his toes. Lennox leaned in urgently and whispered softly.
“Are you pregnant?”
At his words, Diane lifted her head. Tears welled up at the corners of her reddened eyes, and soon they flowed down her cheeks, dropping softly. She laughed while crying, and Lennox’s eyes turned red as well, mirroring her tears. He quickly turned to the attending physicians and questioned them as if in haste.
“Is it true? Is she carrying a child?”
“Based on the symptoms, it’s highly likely that she is pregnant,” one of the doctors replied.
Lennox’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. “No, either she is pregnant or she isn’t. What do you mean, ‘highly likely’? Is it true or not?”
The attending physicians’ faces stiffened at his blunt retort. The senior doctor turned away and answered in a businesslike manner.
“With current medical technology, we cannot confirm early pregnancy in expectant mothers. We can only make an initial diagnosis based on the symptoms.”
“So, you’re saying you can’t definitively confirm if she’s pregnant or not?”
Diane, who had witnessed Lennox’s outburst, stepped in. “They say the likelihood of pregnancy is high. The doctors regularly check for changes in the body. It’s been less than a month.”
Lennox, who had been wearing an expression of intense anger, softened slightly upon hearing her words and leaned toward Diane. The attending physicians took turns observing the siblings before leaving with a warning to be careful. As soon as they were gone, Lennox grasped Diane’s hand with tears of joy in his eyes.
“You did well, Diane,” Lennox said, holding her hand tightly.
Diane, with tears in her eyes, held onto his hand as well. When one of the physicians examining her mentioned the possibility of pregnancy, Diane wondered if this could be a dream. All the recent signs—loss of appetite, missed menstrual cycle, persistent queasiness, and mood swings—seemed to align with early pregnancy symptoms, and suddenly, her lower abdomen felt heavy. Lennox stared at Diane’s belly, which was still relatively flat, but held their savior inside.
“Was this what you’ve been waiting for all this time—to appear like a savior in such a crucial moment?”
Savior! This baby was their savior. Lennox’s sky-blue eyes sparkled as he gazed at Diane.
“Your Highness, from now on, please take good care of yourself and the baby. Don’t worry about any disturbances from outside, no matter what happens, alright?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions too quickly. The doctors mentioned the possibility of pregnancy, but it’s not confirmed.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
He thought it was the gates of hell, but when they opened, there was paradise. Lennox smiled brightly.
****
Back at the palace, Lady Giggs, who had been eyeing the sudden decision of the Empress to go out with a puzzled expression, soon objected firmly. It had been raining for a few days, and today was quite chilly for an autumn day. Moreover, the Empress had been fasting for days, but she dismissed Lady Giggs’s concerns, saying she would be gone only briefly, and proceeded to pick out her own clothes from the dressing room. Lady Giggs continued to nag incessantly as she hovered around the Empress.
Adele, knowing that the only way to escape this nagging was to leave quickly, moved faster, almost doubting if the person who had just risen from the sickbed was the Empress herself. Lady Giggs followed her like a shadow, almost doubting if the person had truly recovered.
“Please go tomorrow, Your Highness.”
“Why do you insist on going right now?”
“Is the sky falling down if we wait until tomorrow? Is it?”
“Your health comes first! Look at the weather!”
“Where on earth are you going? Just tell me! I’ll summon them right away!” Lady Giggs continued her relentless objections.
However, the Empress pretended not to hear Lady Giggs’s persistent protests.
“Your Highness, Empress!”
Only after Lady Giggs, with determination in her voice, almost shouted, did the Empress finally turn to look at her. The old lady’s gaze was stern and unyielding. The Empress, convinced that persuasion through words was impossible, closed her eyes and smiled at the old lady.
“Just for a moment.”
“Your Highness, why now of all times?”
“Ah, hearing you raise your voice makes my head spin.”
As the Empress exaggeratedly held her head and pretended to be in distress, Lady Giggs, who had been about to scold her further, quickly examined her complexion. Adel slyly opened her tightly shut eyes and, like a crescent moon, flashed her golden eyes at the snowy-haired old lady.
“…”
And then, with a hearty smile, she whispered to Lady Giggs, who was left speechless.
“I’ll be back.”
The Empress took a step back and pointed to a waiting man behind her.
“Follow me.”
“Yes? Oh, yes!”
The maid quickly followed the Empress, darting out of the main gate at lightning speed as if she feared being caught by Lady Giggs. Watching the fading figures of the two women from afar, Lady Giggs let out a deep, long sigh and lowered her head.
“Sigh…”
This was no ordinary skill for brushing aside nagging. Lady Giggs had raised the Empress in Gottrov and had an unnamed nanny to thank for it.
Meanwhile, at the Gottrov Imperial Palace, following the customs of mourning for the late Emperor, the palace had been vacant for an extended period. However, the Emperor of Gottrov, who had grown unusually fast from a young age, was only 14 years old this year, yet he was taller than most adults, and his unique presence made him seem far from a typical adolescent. With jet-black hair and striking golden eyes, his name was Lucio Gottrov. He was Adelaide’s younger brother and the current Emperor of the Gottrovian Empire.
Shortly before arriving at the palace, the Emperor received shocking news.
“Sister!!!!”
With his robe flapping wildly, the Emperor strode into the palace, flung open the main gates that Adelaide, the princess, had used, and shouted as if in a roar.
“Adele, sister!!!!”
It couldn’t be. The Emperor stormed forward, finally breaking into a run as he raced up the stairs. He reached the door to the room Adelaide used, but instead of bursting in, he closed his eyes and took a calm breath. When he opened his eyes again, he knocked gently on the door with trembling hands.
“May I come in?”
He hoped for a chilly response, but there was no answer. The Emperor clenched his fists tightly, then slowly opened the door step by step. The neatly arranged room held no warmth from recent occupancy. In fact, this room had often been empty more than it had been occupied, but the feeling was different now.
“When did my sister leave?”
The maid who approached the Emperor with a growling question finally spoke.
“When his majesty left for his father’s funeral.”
“Then, before I left, she already knew about her marriage, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“Even knowing that, she didn’t say a word to me?”
“Yes.”
“Nanny! You must have known too! If you knew, you should have told me!”
The Emperor shouted as if in anguish.
“Her Highness the Princess has requested your presence.”
In Gottrov, marriage was arranged by the parents. Regardless of Lucio’s status as Emperor, Adelaide’s marriage was under the jurisdiction of her mother, the Empress Dowager, making it difficult for him to interfere. Moreover, the Empress Dowager is currently regent. But if he had only been determined, there could have been ways around it, but his sister had prevented it. The Emperor’s shoulders slumped as if all his strength had left him, and even a hint of betrayal seemed to emanate from him.
The nanny, seeing the Emperor in such a state, reached into her bosom and handed him a letter.
“Her Highness left a letter for you.”
The Emperor, who had been extending his arm, swiftly took the letter like a lightning bolt. After dismissing everyone from the room except the nanny, he impatiently tore open the envelope. There was only one sheet inside. The firm, unadorned script and the concise sentences, devoid of any sentiment, were characteristic of her. His golden eyes quickly read the words, and his hand holding the letter began to tremble uncontrollably. Eventually, the Emperor buried his face in the letter.
“Your Majesty…”
“…”
“Your Majesty…”
“…My sister is truly a fool.”
The Emperor wept as he read his sister’s letter.
“Your sister… she’s truly a fool.”
It was a letter of apology.
****
Lucio, the Emperor, headed straight for the Empress Dowager’s palace after leaving Adelaide’s residence. The Empress Dowager had already prepared to receive him upon hearing that the Emperor had arrived.
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
With a beautiful face, she greeted him warmly as if she were showing compassion, her demeanor reminiscent of his mother’s. Upon seeing her, he recalled the words she had spoken to him in the past.
“Adelaide’s creation of the Tower Countermeasures Division has become an obstacle to the strengthening of imperial authority. When you become Emperor someday, you must suppress the power of that wicked thing. Do you understand?”
Even as a young child, Lucio found that statement rather odd. In his eyes, his sister, who roamed the wilderness in robes rather than sitting in the palace adorned with extravagant clothing, seemed more impressive than their mother. With a face that seemed almost wild, she knelt on one knee, looking at him like a towering mountain. When he met her exquisite golden eyes, he couldn’t help but feel proud of his own eye color, which resembled hers.
‘Sister, can’t you send someone else on the expedition and stay in the palace? ’
Whining childishly, he looked at her, and his sister always smiled affectionately in response. It was their mother who had forced this extraordinary and admirable sister to step aside from her position as Crown Princess. Their mother had demanded power that was truly cruel and merciless, even sending her own daughter into exile in a foreign land.
“I request a private audience, Empress Dowager.”
Despite the Emperor’s stern tone, the Empress Dowager remained unfazed.
“Very well. Everyone, please leave.”
At the Empress Dowager’s command, people exited the room like a flowing stream, leaving only the Emperor and her in the vast chamber.
“Why did you send my sister to Ehmont without consulting me?”
The Empress Dowager had anticipated this question. She responded with a gentle tone and a prepared answer.
“Adelaide is not meant to be a mere noblewoman. Being the Empress of Ehmont is better than that. I’m sorry I couldn’t inform you earlier. But isn’t that true for Adelaide as well?”
At that, Lucio chuckled. At his son’s sudden laughter, the Empress Dowager was momentarily speechless; her eyes widened as she stared at the Emperor. The Emperor, with a subdued sigh, leaned toward the Empress Dowager.
“Mother.”
His gleaming golden eyes, so similar to Adelaide’s today, made the Empress Dowager hold her breath. In a solemn tone, the Emperor whispered to her.
“Do you think I wouldn’t know what you were using to pressure my sister?”
