I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress - Chapter 47
Adele always apologized to Lucio. When asked what she was sorry for, she would just smile and not provide an answer. She believed her younger sibling remained unaware of the incident until now, so she finally left behind a letter of apology. However, Lucio had already discovered the truth several years ago. Lucio was born the year Adelaide turned ten.
At that time, Adelaide was a princess, and Lucio received the title of prince. But when she turned fourteen, Adelaide defied her mother and established the Tower Resistance Headquarters. The current empress, who was then the queen, acknowledged the Tower Resistance Headquarters but also made this claim:
“The succession of a kingdom should prioritize one’s safety above all else. The princess who declares that she will navigate through the political arena by establishing the Tower Resistance Headquarters should delegate her position to Lucio Gotrov and leave the tower.”
The emperor supported Adelaide, but the winner of this battle was the empress. Adelaide relinquished her position as princess, but it wasn’t easy for her to accept. Surrendering that position felt like a death sentence for someone who had always lived as a princess. However, she couldn’t give up on the Tower Resistance Headquarters. Some of her followers made a cruel proposition to her. It was an offer solely for her benefit, yet it was also something she shouldn’t accept.
“Eliminate Prince Lucio.”
Normally, Adelaide would have unhesitatingly rejected such an inhumane proposal. But backed into a corner, she found herself wavering for a moment. Ultimately, she rejected the proposal, but the courtiers noticed her momentary hesitation. Adelaide’s relinquishment of her princess position was a painful event for those who had supported her wholeheartedly. How could they watch their ship sink? Some of Adelaide’s most extreme followers resorted to desperate measures.
They secretly laced a potent poison into the four-year-old prince’s snack. If Nox, the prince’s guardian and the head of the Nox clan, hadn’t informed Adelaide in advance, Lucio would have perished that day. Adelaide rushed frantically to save Lucio, who held the poisoned snack in his hand, and then held her younger brother close, crying endlessly. The momentary weakness that had shaken her had turned into poison for her beloved sibling. The late emperor arrested all those involved in this incident, but no records were left indicating that they were Adelaide’s followers. As the blood of those who had once supported Adelaide flowed freely and the acrid smoke from burning bodies covered the sky, Adelaide realized that as long as she remained in Gotrov, such incidents would repeat themselves sooner or later.
“I’m sorry, Lucio. Please forgive the momentary weakness I showed.”
And now, after more than a decade, Adelaide finally wrote a letter to Lucio, confessing everything to him. Perhaps going to Echmont was her self-imposed punishment and a final act of consideration for her brother. So she must have accepted the turmoil akin to exile with resignation.
“Did you threaten my sister, Mother?”
The Emperor growled as he asked, and the Empress responded with a cold, piercing gaze.
“Do you think Adelaide would simply obey such threats and leave? Who do you think my daughter is?”
Lucio faltered at the Empress’s acerbic words. Her compassionate smile had disappeared, and her face, as she looked at her son, had transformed into that of a ruthless politician.
“She left of her own accord.”
“That can’t be true!”
Lucio vehemently denied it, but the Empress patiently explained.
“Emperor, there cannot be two suns in the sky. There can only be one. Despite her failure, why do you think Adelaide’s followers tried to kill you that day? Just her existence alone is like a sword hanging over your neck.”
“Are you saying that my sister’s presence would lead to my demise?”
“It’s not just a matter between the two of you. Adelaide’s child, who will be older than your child, will have an impact on your successor. Wait for ten years, and you will be grateful to this mother.”
Mother and daughter seemed so different. Adelaide had left silently, having understood that. However, as the Emperor listened to his mother’s words, he suddenly laughed coldly. The resemblance of that laughter to Adelaide was uncanny, and for a moment, the Empress found her son very unfamiliar. Finally, Lucio, who had honed his sarcasm, rose from his seat. It took the Empress a considerable effort to look up at him, as he had grown so tall.
“Yes, I understand. Let’s see if such a day ever comes.”
With those words, the Emperor turned and slowly walked out of the Empress’s chamber. The Empress slowly calmed her anxious heart.
Back in his palace, the Emperor ordered Cain Nox, who had followed him, “Gather a few trustworthy individuals and go to Echmont. Find out how Adelaide is doing. If my sister is unhappy there… If she no longer wishes to stay there.”
The Emperor’s golden eyes gleamed with clarity.
“Bring my sister back to Gotrov. I am willing to wage war for that cause if necessary.”
****
Meanwhile, defying Lady Giggs’ objections, the Empress headed towards the residence of the Magicians’ Guild within the imperial palace. A magician who was working at the entrance was taken aback and almost stumbled when he suddenly saw the Empress. Rumors had spread that the Empress had fallen, so he looked at her with widened eyes. Adelaide, as if ignoring his bewildered state, gazed into the interior of the guild and said,
“I would like to meet the head of the Magicians’ Guild. I have come without prior notice, so I’m not sure if he’s here.”
“Oh, please come in, Your Majesty the Empress! The Guildmaster is inside the residence.”
The charismatic wizard effortlessly took the lead, guiding her through the bustling crowd. Passersby hurried to a halt, bowing respectfully as they crossed their path, and Adele responded with an air of casual grace as she strolled forward. Inside the opulent official residence, a world of grandeur awaited. Crystal chandeliers cast a soft, mesmerizing glow over ornate ceiling paintings, evoking the ambiance of an extravagant ballroom.
Adele maintained an outwardly unimpressed demeanor, yet her eyes couldn’t help but wander, taking in the splendor of her surroundings. She paused from time to time, scrutinizing the faces of those who greeted them, determined to etch them into her memory. As the Empress glided past, the assembled wizards respectfully raised their heads one by one. Among them stood Brunhill Alexa, a striking figure with fiery red hair and piercing crimson eyes. Her gaze followed the Empress’s retreating form with an intensity that hinted at secrets hidden beneath the surface.
At that moment, one of Brunhill’s associates approached her, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially, “The Empress is due for public recognition, isn’t she? Are you considering accepting her rank?”
Brunhill sighed and replied, her thoughts wandering back to “that day.” Even Lennox Poitier had been uncharacteristically silent on that fateful occasion. Expecting a blood-soaked rose garden strewn with the bodies of her knights, she had been met with a surreal sight—a floating tower frozen in mid-air, emitting an otherworldly roar. After a time, a diminutive human spirit descended to the ground, leaving the crumbling tower behind.
“She single-handedly demolished the tower in a way no one had ever seen before,” Brunhill remarked, her voice laced with sarcasm. She turned away, her mind racing as she took determined strides forward.
“What really matters,” she mused to herself, “is one’s attitude toward the tower.”
On the other hand, Duke Despone, who served as the head of the Magicians’ Guild, received the news of the Empress’s arrival with great enthusiasm. His smile, filled with warmth and familiarity, made it seem as though she was welcoming a long-lost family member after several years.
“Your Majesty the Empress!”
“You have come without prior notice. Please forgive the impoliteness.”
“Impoliteness? Please don’t say that. How is your health? No, this isn’t the time for that. Come this way. You have worked hard. Go.”
Leading the Empress, Duke Despone rushed down the corridor and into her own office. The people who were passing by hastily stopped and bowed their heads in greeting, and Adelaide responded with a gracious demeanor as she moved on. When the Empress mentioned that her attendant should also have a place to rest, the magician nodded in agreement.
“Yes, of course.”
“You can take a break for a while and come when I call you,” Adelaide told her attendant.
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress!” The maid answered.
Adelaide entered Duke Despone’s office along with her, and the opulent interior of the guild seemed to reflect the tastes of the Duke. Even the smallest decorations displayed appeared delicate and beautiful as if they were crafted by a skilled artisan.
“The office is truly beautiful,” Adelaide remarked.
“Hahaha, I have always loved beautiful things. Please, have a seat. Are you feeling well?”
“Yes, I am.”
The Duke gestured for Adelaide to sit and then called for tea from her attendant.
“I came here hastily without any gifts.”
“No, please don’t say that. Your Majesty the Empress gracing us with your presence is a great gift in itself.”
Shortly, the attendant brought the tea, and Adelaide took a sip lightly. After a few customary sips, she placed the teacup down and looked at the countess. The pleasantries were over.
The countess, seemingly having the same thought, dismissed her attendant and leaned forward, speaking in a hushed tone.
“Did you come here because of what I mentioned earlier? Do you wish to become the owner of the tower?”
“The owner of the Tower… I do enjoy being the owner of something.”
The Empress smiled with the expression of a ruler, which suited her surprisingly well.
“Yes, indeed. Your Majesty, you are already an owner. Shouldn’t you try to control it here?”
Duke of Despone hadn’t finished her investigation about the Empress, but seeing the Empress had crossed the ocean, she could make an educated guess about the situation in Gotrov.
“Yes. As you say, if you are with me, then yes, I will.”
The two of them exchanged warm smiles, gazing at each other with a sense of camaraderie. At the end of a momentary silence filled with laughter, Countess Despoina broke the silence.
“First, would you like to receive acknowledgment from the guild?”
“How do I receive acknowledgment?”
The Duke fetched a document from his desk. It seemed to be a document containing personal information about the magicians.
“The acknowledgment in Echmont is done through a competition between magicians, which also determines the rankings. With your skills demonstrated in single-handedly destroying the tower…”
He raised an inquisitive look at Adelaide.
“Would you be willing to challenge our Deputy Guildmaster? Oh, of course, you’d have to go to an area with magical influence since using magic is prohibited in the capital.”
Maintaining an appearance of kindness, the Duke gave Adelaide a sly look. Although she had not yet completed her background check on the Empress, she had a rough idea of what had happened in Gotrov.
“Yes, exactly as you say. This time, it should be different.”
“If you choose to accompany me, yes, Your Majesty, it will be.”
Both of them smiled warmly at each other and exchanged glances. After a brief moment of laughter, Countess Despone opened his mouth again.
“For now, would you like to receive acknowledgment only?”
“That’s right!”
In the end, the duke chose the hand of Lennox Poiter, whom he had been in close contact with for years, over the Empress, whose background was not fully known. This answer was exactly what Adelaide had hoped for.
“Since giving me a title is difficult… Then, what does receiving acknowledgment as a magician entail?”
“Oh, right!”
Duke Despone’s expression became subtle at the Empress’s question.
“Let’s see. Don’t be angry, please. I realized that immediately bestowing you with a title would be impractical. So, what about receiving acknowledgment as a magician?”
“Is that what you mean by receiving acknowledgment as a magician?”
Adelaide’s voice sounded sunny, and Duke Despone, who had been nervously shuffling papers on his desk, raised his eyes to gaze at her.
“Well, don’t get mad. Upon further thought, granting you a title within the guild would be difficult in various ways. Who would dare to give orders to Your Majesty the Empress?”
The position he held as Deputy Guildmaster was one she would never yield.
“So, please don’t get upset that your rank won’t change immediately. Just consider becoming a registered magician in Echmont for now.”
“What does that even mean? Whether I receive acknowledgment or not, I am already a magician. I can’t see the need to go through the trouble of receiving acknowledgment, unless it allows me to participate in the Council of Mages.”
Adelaide lowered her gaze as she spoke, picking up her teacup. Duke Despone regarded the Empress sharply, not missing a beat.
“What you said is right, Your Majesty. Whether you get acknowledgment or not, you are a magician. To be honest, receiving acknowledgment might not seem necessary unless it grants you access to the Council of Mages.”
Adele calmly lowered her gaze and raised her teacup, while the Duke of Despone cast a sharp glance at the Empress. It would be quite troublesome if the Empress, holding hands with Baldr, joined a ministerial meeting and started speaking nonsense. However, leaving the tower unattended without recruiting strong and capable talent was not an appealing option. Essentially, they should have a tool in hand, not stashed away in their pocket. At that moment, Adele, having set down her teacup, added a few words as if she had glimpsed into his thoughts.
“Are you finding it challenging to include me, who has Lionel Baldr as an assistant, in the Council of Ministers?”
“…”
“Lord Despone.”
“…”
“As Lord Despone suggested, aren’t we practically family now?”
The Empress bestowed a friendly smile upon the Duke of Despone, who, in turn, clenched his teeth while looking across the sea at the Empress Dowager.
“They say she’s a naive and discreet princess. Empress Gotrov has sent quite a formidable force.”
Having swiftly concluded his calculations, the Duke continued to wear a very amicable smile.
“Yes, no matter what others might say, we are indeed family now. Regarding the Central Council meeting… I will personally speak to His Majesty the Emperor. However…”
“However?”
The Duke’s smile vanished as if it were a mere facade. He bore a striking resemblance to the Emperor.
“After receiving formal recognition, giving gold bars to Count Calvin… It would be advisable to refrain from such actions as much as possible. Only then can you truly assert ownership over the tower.”
Otherwise, the Duke could easily undermine her authority whenever he pleased. He possessed that level of power. For now, the Duke of Despone has decided to weigh her position as the Empress. Adele responded with a smile, her lips curling.
“Of course, but I’ve heard there are countless estates where towers have been constructed. How do you intend to manage them?”
“I’ve heard that Gotrov dismantles the towers systematically. It may be a more effective method of destroying the towers than Echmont, but we don’t know much about the properties of the towers.”
Adele focused intently on his words, and the Duke of Desponet spoke with a secretive smile as if sharing a confidential tidbit.
“Your Majesty, the tower calls out to the tower, and the tower absorbs the tower.”
It was a peculiar statement, and he elaborated.
“When all that I have planned has come to fruition, wizards will finally be able to harness their full power. The era of wizards has now dawned. On that day, those who are not wizards will become second-class citizens.”
Images of the houses in the slum, resembling coffins in a graveyard, flashed through Adele’s mind. She clenched her fists tightly, concealed under the table. The Duke of Despone was engaging in a perilous gamble with the lives of countless people.
****
Lennox returned, and Diane absentmindedly caressed her stomach. She couldn’t believe it, so she continued to stroke her belly, her eyes closing. In the silence, it felt as if she could hear the rhythmic beating of her own heart. At that moment, something deep within her, something she didn’t even recognize, whispered to her.
“It’s alive.”
Joy overflowed.
“Lorraine.”
The voice calling for the maid was warm, a rarity these days. Lorraine, who was tidying up on one side of the room, quickly approached.
“Yes, did you call for me?”
Diane, looking down at her stomach, spoke.
“Please go and inquire if His Majesty can come immediately and escort him here. If they ask for a reason, let them know I will explain it personally.”
“Yes, understood.”
Lorraine removed the apron she was wearing and left the room.
