I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress - Chapter 64
Meanwhile, Lady Giggs, who had just settled into bed, hastily rose at the urgent sound of someone seeking her. To her surprise, the visitor was none other than the Emperor’s messenger. Lady Giggs quickly discerned the purpose upon seeing his face.
“Has a maid disappeared?” The Emperor’s messenger nodded with labored breath. “I confirmed her entering the Ivory Palace. It seemed like she was heading underground.”
It was no secret among the nobility how Diane had guarded the Emperor with her mysterious skills. With Diane unable to manage internal affairs after the Empress’s ascension, the nobles, as if waiting, began sending women with blonde hair and blue eyes as maids to the Imperial Palace through the Emperor’s messenger. If a maid with such features caught Diane’s attention, Lady Giggs, through the Emperor’s messenger, discreetly sent her out of the palace, pocketing a considerable amount of money. Since nobles blinded by greed would continue sending women with blonde hair and blue eyes as maids, Lady Giggs did not want to expose them to Diane’s scrutiny unnecessarily. People’s nerves gradually became more sensitive, and she didn’t want Diane to get upset over anything. Though Diane deliberately ignored Lady Giggs, claiming she was outdated, Lady Giggs, seasoned by years in the sharp-edged palace, had anticipated such a day would come. The Emperor’s feelings for my birth mother, Lady Beatrice, are not love. Just pity. And the emotion of pity cools faster than iron forged in cold water. Lady Giggs coldly illuminated her sharp eyes, changed into a new outfit, elegantly arranged her hair, straightened her posture and headed to the Imperial Palace.
*****
Karl met Lady Giggs, who came at a late hour, with a puzzled expression. Despite her ambitious timing, Lady Giggs appeared as usual, but he suspected that there was something unusual about her visit.
“What brings you here at this late hour?”
Lady Giggs took a deep breath and looked straight at the Emperor. Then, carefully choosing her words to avoid any personal implications, she spoke.
“Your Majesty, please, I implore you to save a pitiable maid. I came at this late hour because only Your Majesty can save her.”
Karl’s brows furrowed deeply at her words.
“Explain yourself so I can understand.”
“One of the dedicated maids in the Imperial Palace has disappeared. There’s a witness who saw her being dragged into the Ivory Palace, and it is believed that she is currently confined underground.”
“Ivory Palace? Why would an Imperial Palace maid be in the Ivory Palace? What wrong has she committed?”
“Even if she committed a mistake, she will be punished according to the palace law, Your Majesty,” said Lady Giggs in a stern voice. Karl’s expression gradually changed in response. Lady Giggs respectfully lowered her head.
“Please grant permission to investigate the Ivory Palace.”
“…,”
The Emperor remained silent at Lady Giggs’ request. How long did it last? Lady Giggs lifted her gaze and looked at the Emperor. In a fleeting moment, she keenly sensed the Emperor’s emotions. How pitiful the word ‘pity’ is. Is there a significant reason to pretend not to see a pitiable being? Perhaps it’s due to waning interest, the emergence of something more interesting, laziness, or getting tired of it. The reasons for the disappearance of pity are countless and light, and only those with a firm heart continue to care for the pitiable. However, the Emperor was not one of those. Perhaps at this moment, he unknowingly sought a reason to abandon his now burdensome compassion for Lady Giggs. Despite his disdain and resentment towards her, he might not have known he was listening to her reasons instead of immediately rejecting her.
“Diane took an Imperial Palace maid and confined her in the underground of the Ivory Palace. Are you certain of this?” the Emperor asked.
“It’s my speculation.”
“If you’ve come to me directly to request this, shouldn’t it go beyond speculation? If nothing is found in the underground of the Ivory Palace, can you take responsibility?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will.”
The Emperor, who had been silently staring at Lady Giggs, stood up, put on his coat, and, passing by her, gave the command.
“Lead the way.”
****
Every time Diane swung her hand, the maid’s head swayed from side to side. The maid’s mouth was filled with droplets of blood due to the severity of the beating.
“I’ll hide quietly… Please spare me… Ugh, huk.”
Despite the maid’s tearful pleas, Diane was merciless. It seemed as if Diane had reached a point of no return, unleashing all the accumulated resentment on the maid. With a glint of madness in her bloodshot eyes, she continued to strike with a dagger in hand. Loraine and some of the direct maids waiting nearby trembled, tightly clenching their jaws and avoiding eye contact. As Diane, who had vented her frustration, suddenly grabbed the maid’s collar and growled.
“Have you spent the night with His Majesty?”
“…Yes?”
“I know you deliberately came in, circling His Majesty. Speak the truth, did you spend the night with His Majesty?”
“Ah, no, no!”
Diane’s words were half true and half false. It was true that she came to get close to His Majesty, but she had not succeeded yet. As the maid widened her eyes and shook her head, the loosened hair swayed along. Diane, eyeing the tantalizing golden hair, ordered Loraine.
“Bring scissors. I need to cut off this hair.”
With a snip, a chilling sound accompanied the cutting of the luscious golden locks. Terrified, the maid, who had been screaming, stared blankly at the hair that had fallen messily onto the red velvet carpet. What had been clinging to her body just moments ago was now scattered on the carpet.
“Now it’s just hair, but next time, it might be your neck.”
Fear clogged her throat, and she couldn’t even scream. As Diane, with fierce eyes, raised the scissors again, someone urgently rushed down and whispered into Diane’s ear.
“Milady! His Majesty the Emperor is on his way here!”
Diane’s face turned pale at those words.
How?!
It felt as if all the blood in her body had poured out at once, leaving her body chillingly cold. Her heart was pounding so forcefully that her entire body seemed to tremble. However, Diane quickly regained her composure. The reason for the Emperor’s sudden appearance was a problem to consider later.
“Turn off the lights! Loraine!”
he order fell, and those in the room moved simultaneously. Bringing an Imperial Palace maid along posed the risk of unexpected variables. This room in the underground of the Ivory Palace was a bedroom Diane had specially prepared for her insomnia. She sometimes slept here from late at night until the morning to get continuous rest. So, she believed she could somehow navigate her way around. Loraine swiftly untied the bound maid from the chair and disappeared into the adjacent room. Not forgetting to gag her mouth in preparation for possible screams. At that moment, the sound of the door opening to the underground echoed. Everyone in the room quickly vanished into the adjacent room, and Diane hurriedly lay on the bed, flipping the blanket over herself. The maid who remained in the room tried to stifle her breath. The creaking footsteps descending the stairs sounded precarious as if they could break at any moment. Every nerve in Diane’s body was on edge. Anxiously trying to discern the footsteps, Diane noticed that two people were coming down the stairs. Diane opened her eyes and looked towards the stairs. The small lantern hanging on the stairs swung, and suddenly, someone revealed themselves. Shortly after, a figure of slightly smaller stature followed. Even with just the silhouette, Diane recognized that they were the Emperor and Lady Giggs. She gritted her teeth.
Hannah Giggs, that cunning snake of a woman!
******
When the Emperor confidently stepped into the underground bedroom, the maid who had been waiting quickly stood up and greeted him. Upon seeing Lady Giggs’ face following the Emperor, she took a sharp breath and took a step back. The Emperor, with a scrutinizing gaze as if examining something, carefully surveyed the darkness.
“Is Diane asleep?”
“Yes.”
“There were screams. Do you know where they came from?”
“Yes? I-I didn’t hear anything.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Bring a lantern.”
The trembling maid quickly brought a lantern, gently illuminating the room. Diane Portier lying on the bed, showed no signs of movement. Emperor Karl, holding the lantern, approached slowly with the maid leading the way. At that moment, something sparkled on the floor. Karl stopped and looked down. Shimmering strands of long hair were scattered across the red velvet carpet. Kneeling, he picked up the strands. Upon closer inspection, it was human hair, with signs of being cut abruptly. Karl’s gaze shifted to Diane, lying on the bed.
“Diane.”
“…”
“Diane, wake up.”
As if just waking up, Diane, who had been lying motionless, opened her eyes. Carefully looking at the Emperor, she stiffened. The Emperor stood over her like a giant, his face illuminated by the lantern captivatingly alluring, but his gaze was as cold as frost. He seemed like a messenger of death.
“Your, Your Majesty.”
Diane, startled, stood up as if prompted. With a blank expression, she looked at him. The Emperor, standing tall as if to look down at her, was both enchanting in the flickering light and chilling with his icy gaze. He seemed like an executioner.
“What are you doing at this hour? Lady Giggs?”
Diane had intended to keep a grip on the situation. By now, Loraine and the maid should have left the Ivory Palace. At that moment, the Emperor reached out and touched her ear. Not knowing what he was doing, Diane turned her head, and the next moment, she almost let out a scream. The Emperor was holding a handful of Diane’s hair in his left hand and comparing it with a few strands of hair held in his right hand. The ones in his right hand were straighter, resembling normal hair more than Dian’s tangled curls. Karl slowly turned his gaze and met Dian’s eyes.
“One Imperial Palace maid has disappeared. Do you know where she is?”
His voice was so ruthless and rough that Dian, shivering, managed to answer with trembling lips.
“I’ve been asleep all this time… Why are you asking me such things…”
“Is that so?”
Tears poured from Diane’s eyes.
“The one in the long blonde hair seems not to be yours.”
The Emperor’s interrogation continued, and Diane desperately held onto his arm.
“Your Majesty, what are you thinking? Why are you doing this to me?”
Karl looked at Diane, then turned to look at the door through which Loraine had left. Dian’s heart raced. Desperately, she clung to the Emperor’s arm, pleading.
“Your Majesty, I was sleeping. Please believe me!”
After a moment of silence, while still looking at the door, Karl forcefully shook off Diane’s hand.
“Diane Poitier.”
“…”
“Before, I mentioned that I would revoke all the authority I had given you. Yet you continued to wield my authority in secret.”
“Your Majesty…”
“I will no longer tolerate it.”
Karl angrily tossed the handful of hair onto the floor, simultaneously releasing his pent-up emotions. The reason he clung to the strands, refusing to discard them, was inexplicable. The act of throwing it away without a justifiable cause seemed bothersome, carrying a weight of guilt. Observing Diane’s wide-eyed shock, Karl finally felt liberated as he shed the burden of remorse. Once, he had bestowed upon Diane a power comparable to that of the empress, yet he remained convinced that Adelaide alone could shield him. The emperor’s unapologetic turn and departure left Diane unable to fathom catching up.
On the other hand, Lady Giggs, standing in silence, cast a contemplative glance at Diane before following the emperor. Witnessing the Empress, favored by Hannah Giggs, shattered over the woman who bore the Emperor’s favor, was sufficient. Mrs. Giggs’ eyes glowed with a tinge of blue. As dawn broke, her maid was discovered outside the palace with her hair shorn. Though Lady Giggs met her personally, the maid, gripped by fear, remained tight-lipped.
“What should I do?”
In response to the servant’s inquiry, Lady Giggs rose, addressing the matter with composure.
“Cease your inquiries; provide generous severance pay and escort the maid out of the palace. The one who altered her appearance has already paid the price and will do so again in the future.”
