I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress - Chapter 89
After leaving word that she was visiting the Count of Giggs, the Lady Giggs departed. Adele settled into the marquess’ carriage, wrapping herself in the thick blanket Lionel offered. A drowsiness crept over her as she rested her head against the seat, heavy with exhaustion. Her eyes fluttered slowly, weighed down by fatigue until they finally closed shut. Lionel watched her drift into sleep, holding his breath. Her already pale face now looked nearly blue, and her clasped hands were unnervingly cold. Each jolt of the carriage made her delicate neck falter, and Lionel, unable to watch any longer, stood up and cautiously approached her.
He hesitated for a long moment, then finally reached out, cradling her small head in one hand while his other hand gently supported her frail shoulders. Carefully, he laid her down. Thankfully, the carriage was spacious enough to accommodate her comfortably. After ensuring she was tucked securely under the blanket, Lionel knelt beside her, gazing intently at her face. It felt like time had stopped. During all the time he’d spent by her side as her aide, he’d never allowed himself to look at her like this. But now, staring at her face unguarded, his heart ached painfully.
At that moment, a voice deep within whispered to him:
“The moon has sunk into the sea.”
Clenching his teeth, Lionel squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to rein in his ragged breath as he returned to his seat. His dark eyes lingered on Adele, shadowed and troubled. Adele once confessed that a demon lived in her heart, but Lionel knew he was no different. The moment she broke down and said she couldn’t stay in the imperial palace any longer, Lionel made up his mind. He would bring her to him. That decision was tinged with a dark and twisted sense of satisfaction. Her despair, so desperate it had embraced death, had awakened a selfishness in him that was deeply cruel. As he sat in tortured silence, he glanced at her once more. He would hide this selfish desire deep within and give everything he had to create a place where she could stay—because what she needed was what he ultimately wanted.
****
The large carriage finally arrived at the Marquess of Herbert’s estate, but Adele remained fast asleep, lost in the depths of her exhaustion and mental strain.
“Your Highness,” Lionel whispered, but she didn’t stir. In the end, Lionel carefully gathered her in his arms, holding her close. He felt his heart swell with a peculiar contentment as he wrapped the blanket snugly around her to shield her from the wind and stepped out of the carriage. The servants, taken aback by the sight of the marquess cradling the former empress, quickly bowed their heads and retreated. Lionel, without waiting for the butler’s guidance, strode purposefully toward Adele’s room. He had personally chosen and prepared the room in advance. It was the sunniest spot in the mansion. The heavy frames and dark curtains had been replaced with light-toned decor, and soft, pristine bedding awaited its new occupant.
After laying Adele gently on the bed, the waiting maids hurried over to tend to her.
“Ensure the room remains dim and raise the temperature a little,” Lionel instructed, meticulously inspecting the room himself and giving a few more orders. Finally, he took one last look at Adele’s face before stepping out.
“Would you care to rest, sir? You haven’t been sleeping well lately,” the butler advised as he followed.
Lionel shook his head lightly. “I still have tasks to finish. Inform me the moment Her Highness awakens.”
“…Understood, sir,” the butler replied, bowing respectfully.
The palace of Echmont was in utter chaos after the former empress left. The nobles of Echmont, known for their aggressive and hot-tempered nature, swarmed outside the Imperial Palace, shouting amongst themselves and demanding answers. This uproar erupted even before a formal council meeting could be held. Watching the commotion from inside the palace, Duke Despone stormed out, his face twisted in rage. Normally, the mere sight of him would silence the nobles, but this time was different. Rumors involving the emperor, the duke, and the tower had emboldened them. With a roar, Duke Despone lashed out at the nobles still clamoring for answers.
“What is the meaning of this madness?!”
“Your Grace! Is it true that you’ve deliberately allowed the tower to remain unscathed?”
“Who dares spread such baseless lies?!”
The duke’s voice quivered with fury as veins bulged on his forehead. “The Imperial Mage Corps is doing everything within their power!”
“But Her Majesty the Empress stated the towers could be destroyed within two years!”
“Such insolence! How dare you refer to the former empress as ‘Her Majesty’!”
“Why was the tower of Vuetta destroyed immediately while the tower of Calvin still stands?”
“I have already answered that question!”
“Then destroy the tower of Virilien too!”
“And what of the tower in Monte? Why is that one still standing?”
Despite Duke Despone’s reputation, even he was helpless against the barrage of pointed and reasonable questions from the enraged nobles. His frustration peaked, and with his brow furrowed in distress, he retreated into the palace, practically running towards the emperor’s office.
“Your Majesty!” he shouted as he burst into the room.
The emperor sat rigidly at his desk, his expression cold and unmoving. He remained indifferent, as though the uproar outside was of no consequence. This apathy only fueled the duke’s anger further.
“Can’t you see the pack of rabid nobles gathering like wild dogs?”
But the emperor’s response was unexpected. He muttered quietly as if lost in his thoughts.
“She’s gone to the Marquess of Herbert’s estate… So, it’s come to this after all.”
“This is No Time for You to Be Lost in Thought!”
Duke Despone’s voice echoed sharply as he leaned closer to the emperor, his frustration clear. Yet, Emperor Karl seemed to be elsewhere, his mind drifting far from the immediate chaos. It was as if he had traveled back in time to a distant memory—a memory from when he first realized that the late empress was not his biological mother.
“She left me… for that bastard. Abandoned me.”
“…”
“Adele…”
Duke Despone could only stare in stunned silence at the emperor, his expression torn between disbelief and despair. With the empire teetering on the brink of crisis, now was the time to steel oneself against the incoming storm—not to dwell on ghosts of the past. But here was Karl, lost in his memories. The duke’s patience finally snapped as he spun around, his voice ringing out in fury.
“Where in the world is Lennox during all of this?!”
At that very moment, the man Duke Despone was searching for, Lennox, was inside the Ivory Palace. The empire was abuzz with rumors about the empress’ downfall and the mystery surrounding the tower, but nothing compared to the turmoil in Lennox’s heart. He tossed a dark bundle in front of Diane with a thud.
“…”
“…”
The siblings glared at each other, their eyes blazing with barely concealed venom. When Diane made no move to open the bundle, Lennox impatiently tore it open himself and shoved it into her arms.
“!!!”
Inside was a fake belly meant to mimic the shape of a pregnant woman. Realizing what it was, Diane recoiled in disgust and threw it to the ground. Lennox, expecting this reaction, shot her a cold, cutting remark.
“You should be grateful.”
“I told you, no.”
“No? Are you sure there’s no child?”
“…There is. There is one.”
Though she snapped back, her heart was already sinking into despair. The old woman’s words were true—dark red bloodstains kept reminding Diane of the cruel reality. Even if she had been pregnant, the ongoing bleeding made it impossible for the child to survive. But more than anything, she was terrified of letting the palace physicians know. She feared the emperor’s reaction once the truth was revealed.
Lennox, his hands casually stuffed in his pockets, continued mercilessly.
“If word gets out that there’s no child, you’ll be thrown out of the palace immediately. You know that as well as I do.”
“…”
“I’ll supply you with these fake bellies as you go along. Wear it all day, every day. I’ll take care of the physicians and silence anyone who asks questions. If they need to be eliminated, so be it. About five months from now, I’ll find a suitable baby boy to pass off as yours. So be prepared.”
“…”
“Oh, and those two midwives… I killed them.”
With those chilling words, Lennox turned and began to walk out of the room. Just as his hand touched the door handle, Diane’s voice sliced through the tense silence.
“What am I to you?”
Lennox paused, blinking slowly before turning back around. The woman staring at him with hollow eyes bore no resemblance to the once beautiful and vibrant sister he remembered. His expression darkened with disdain as he retorted sharply.
“All that effort you put into looking perfect, and now look at you. Is it any wonder the emperor doesn’t even bother visiting the Ivory Palace anymore?”
With that, he left, leaving Diane staring blankly at the door. Tears fell silently from her eyes, splashing onto the floor. Her gaze drifted down to the loathsome object lying discarded at her feet. To Lennox, that was the extent of her worth. But what was she to the emperor?
Diane stood on the precipice of despair, replaying old memories in her mind. When she first expressed her desire to become empress, the emperor’s response was simple:
“No, you cannot.”
Why not? Why couldn’t she? She recalled his explanation.
“This place is where my birth mother longed to live.”
He had given her a place his mother had dreamed of inhabiting but had never officially acknowledged her as his mother. Diane’s thoughts became more erratic as the memories twisted in her mind.
“Are you pregnant?”
On the day she told him she was expecting, the emperor’s eyes held an expression of disbelief, as though the idea was impossible. Diane’s eyes wavered wildly.
“He never truly wanted me to have a child…”
Because… because…
“He didn’t want an heir from a woman of lowly birth.”
Tears streamed down her face as she broke into hysterical laughter. The taste of salt stung her lips, but she continued to laugh and cry simultaneously.
At last, she understood why she had never conceived a child.
“You were using contraception, weren’t you, Your Majesty?”
Despite knowing how desperately she longed for a child, he had taken measures to ensure it never happened. Her heart-wrenching sobs and bitter laughter echoed off the ornate walls of the Ivory Palace.
****
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
“Ugh, it’s freezing!”
Gavriel shivered, wrapping his arms around himself as he complained, prompting Cain to click his tongue in annoyance.
“If you’re done eating, let’s move.”
The two men quickly cleaned up their campsite and mounted their horses. Gavriel scratched his head and gazed out at the endless plains stretching before them.
“I’m sick of this view—just flat land as far as the eye can see.”
“But we’re almost there. We should reach it by tomorrow morning if all goes well,” Cain replied, glancing at the map again. Gibelin nodded eagerly, a wide grin spreading across his face.
“Finally! I can’t wait to crash into the comfy bed Her Majesty promised us. Let’s hurry, Cain! Hiya!”
Moments later, under the pale winter sun, the two horses galloped swiftly down the wide road leading to the capital of Echmont, specifically toward Adelaide. Little did they know, their mistress had already been deposed.
