I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress - Chapter 88
Adele’s belongings were truly sparse. Most of what she had brought to Ehremont was part of her dowry, leaving her with only a small stash of emergency funds and a few personal items. The dresses in her wardrobe were mostly ceremonial, giving her no reason to take them, and the various jewels were no different. Despite Lionel’s people discreetly moving most of her possessions to the marquis’s residence, the Empress’s chambers still appeared full.
As Mrs. GIggs, who had insisted on staying by Adele’s side despite the Empress’s protests, briefly left to gather her things, Adele took a slow, deliberate look around the room. She searched for any lingering attachments, anything she might have overlooked. But no matter how many times she scanned the room, there was nothing left to take, nothing she wished to leave behind.
‘Ah, it’s nothing,’ she thought, surprised at how light her heart felt.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway, followed by the door slamming open with a resounding bang. There was only one person who would dare enter her room so brazenly. His golden hair was disheveled, his usually composed face pale, and his violet eyes—sharp and brimming with decadent, dangerous energy—fixed on her with an intensity that could burn. He scanned her up and down, his jaw clenching as he took in her simple attire.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His voice was a low growl, the anger in his gaze as fierce as a predator ready to pounce.
Adele ignored him, striding forward with purpose, but he quickly blocked her path, stepping closer until their bodies were nearly touching. “I asked you a question,” he hissed. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Her golden eyes met his with a challenge, their fiery resolve unyielding. The Emperor wanted nothing more than to imprison her at that moment, to lock her away and bind her to him. If it meant he could keep her, he would have done it without hesitation.
But she didn’t answer. Instead, she took a step back, refusing to be cornered, and turned toward the door. Desperation clawing at him, the Emperor grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around to face him. He knew how much she hated being handled this way, but he was at a loss, unsure of how else to reach her. Predictably, Adele swatted his hand away with a sharp slap. Their eyes clashed, each gaze filled with simmering rage, the distance between them growing with every second.
Shivering as a cold dread settled over him, the Emperor finally voiced the question that had been haunting him. “Are you going to him?”
Adele said nothing.
“Are you going to Lionel Baldr?” His voice cracked with despair, but her expression only grew colder.
He would never understand. The things he thought were important had never mattered to her. Or maybe, what they each held dear was simply too different to ever align.
“Does it matter where I’m going?” Adele’s voice was calm, but her eyes held a sharp edge.
“…” The Emperor remained silent, his gaze locked on her.
“No. What matters now is that I can no longer bear to stay by your side,” she continued, her tone resolute.
“My Empress—if not by my side, where do you think you belong?” he demanded, his voice tinged with a desperate fury. He had deposed her with his own hands, yet now he stood before her, pleading. The whole point of stripping her of the title was to prove that her only place was beside him, that when she was driven to the brink, he would be the only one left to reach out to. But now, faced with this reality, it felt like everything was unraveling.
Adele read his despair slowly and deliberately, her gaze unwavering as she watched his arrogant facade crumble before her. And then, with a cruel edge to her words, she spoke.
“Your Empress? After you deposed me?” Her voice was sharp, cutting through his defenses.
Karl’s response caught in his throat, unable to find the words. Adele, her smile now devoid of any warmth, looked at him with a calm detachment, almost whispering her next words.
“It’s better this way.”
Her demeanor, as if she had just cast off a heavy burden, sent a violent tremor through Karl’s body. Stop, he wanted to scream. Don’t say another word. He was on the verge of dropping to his knees, begging for her forgiveness, but Adele didn’t allow him the chance.
“Even if you hadn’t deposed me, I would have said this eventually,” she declared.
“Stop…” His voice was barely audible, a weak plea that went ignored.
Adele’s lips curled into the enchanting smile he had longed to see, but now it only felt like a dagger to his heart. “I will abandon my place at your side.”
Her firm declaration left Karl staring at her in disbelief, his expression one of utter devastation. Yet Adele felt no pity. She knew that even with such a face, he would never change his ways. And just as she expected, Karl’s eyes filled with bloodshot fury as he screamed.
“No! You cannot do this! The only place for you is by my side. I will use any means necessary to put you back in your rightful place. You are my Empress!”
He dared to speak of her as his Empress, and Adele drove the nail in deeper, her tone unyielding. “I am abandoning the title of Empress. I can no longer endure it.”
Karl, his face crumbling, made one last desperate attempt. “Even now, you can correct your mistakes. I will restore you to your position—just admit your fault and set things right!”
“No.”
“…”
“I will never stand by your side again.”
Adele’s words cut through Karl like a blade, leaving a searing pain in his chest so intense that it stole his breath away. He could do nothing but watch as she walked past him, her steps carrying her toward the door. His voice, strained and broken, finally escaped him as she left.
“I will kill Lionel Herbert. I swear it,” Karl’s voice was filled with a venomous resolve that Adele wished she could block out. But his words forced her to stop in her tracks. Karl’s glare bore into her back as he continued, his tone dripping with malice.
“I am the Emperor, and he is my vassal. I have the power to send him to the most wretched, inescapable hell on earth. And I will. If he manages to survive, I’ll send him again. And again. Until the day he finally perishes.”
Adele’s lips trembled as she fought to maintain her composure.
“If you stay by that bastard’s side, I will make sure of it. Remember that if you leave now, it won’t just ruin his honor—it will cost him his life.”
A cold, steely dread pierced Adele’s heart, spreading through her like ice. Her face twisted with emotion, though fortunately, Karl couldn’t see it from behind. With a deep breath, she forced herself to move forward, refusing to look back.
****
Adele walked out of the Empress’s palace without a second glance, leaving behind everything she had once possessed. But the moment she stepped outside, she felt like she could finally breathe again. Her chest heaved as she took in the cold air, each breath ragged and heavy. It was an unusually frigid day. Mrs. GIggs, who had followed her out, quickly draped a thick coat over her shoulders. Silently, the two women walked down the desolate, gray path together.
Life had led Adele to an uncertain place, and the future before her was a complete mystery. Fear clawed at her throat, threatening to drown her in a sense of hopelessness as if she were submerged in deep water. They walked on in silence, until finally, a crossroads appeared before them. As Adele turned instinctively down one of the paths, a sudden gust of wind swept past her. She stopped, staring blankly ahead as something welled up inside her, her eyes burning with unshed tears.
“…Ah.”
It was a long and bitter path she was walking, yet she was greeted by a sight that took her breath away. Countless knights dressed in full regalia were lined up in perfect rows, standing in solemn formation to bid her farewell. It was a truly majestic sight. Even the irate nobles, who had been grumbling moments before, fell silent in the face of such an overwhelming presence.
Henri Jacal, standing at the forefront, stepped forward and bowed deeply to Adele. She watched him through tear-filled eyes before removing the coat from her shoulders and handing it to Mrs. GIggs. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and began to walk forward, one step at a time. With each of her steps, the knights saluted her in unison.
It was a display of respect for a pioneer who had boldly challenged the stagnant order. Though her time as their leader had been brief, she had fought alongside them, valuing their lives. Their support was unwavering, and not a single person questioned their deference to the deposed Empress. Even from a distance, many of the servants and maids bowed their heads in reverence.
As she approached the grand gate of the imperial palace, it began to open slowly, revealing a scene that felt almost surreal. The oppressive darkness seemed to split apart, allowing a flood of light to pour through. And at the center of that light, he was waiting.
Adele’s thoughts drifted back to the day she had first arrived in Echmont. It had been late summer, just as autumn was beginning to take hold. The warm breeze had carried a pleasant coolness, and the lush, green trees were preparing to don their golden attire. But to Adele, Echmont had always felt like winter. No matter how tightly she wrapped herself, the bitter wind found its way into her bones, chilling her to the core. She had never grown accustomed to that cold.
That was why she had always cherished spring. Watching the delicate blooms that had survived the harsh winter emerge to paint the world with color gave her a fleeting hope that her life might one day follow the same path. But her life had been a fleeting illusion, filled with the hollow trappings of luxury. She had carried death in a beautiful glass bottle, finding comfort in its familiarity, yet she longed to rid herself of it. She didn’t want to live with emptiness in her heart, didn’t want to cradle death in her arms.
Perhaps that was why, whenever she looked at him, tears welled up in her eyes. He looked at her now, smiling gently, like a warm spring breeze, like a tender new bud in a desolate winter.
And in this moment, as he reached out his strong hand to her once again, she stared at it in silence. His hand, steady and unwavering despite the countless eyes watching, offered her a trust she had never known. And then, Lionel whispered.
“Don’t overthink it. Just take my hand,” Lionel whispered.
Adele slowly lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes. His dark blue eyes were filled with nothing but her—no fear, no hesitation, no doubt. With a deep breath, she carefully placed her hand in his, feeling the warmth and steadiness of his grip.
