Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Translator: Lunarise

Editor: Larkspur

“I have to laugh. Where is that arrogance coming from? Do you truly think that if you went back to how everything was eight years ago, people will listen to you as they do now?”

“Yes.” Viola lifted her head up high. The arrogance did come from an unknown place, but she thought that Lustian’s love would be the same then as it is now.

Anne cackled. “You are foolish. They say lovers grow to resemble one another, but I didn’t expect that you would reach the point of underestimating the power of God. If it were up to me, I would simply go to God and decide to stop the entreaty… Tsk tsk…. You seem to also be a woman of much ambition. At this rate, you will lose everyone you love. Even the child that you so wish to protect. Ho ho.”

Veins showed through Viola’s forehead. She had limits to her patience. She gripped tightly onto Anne’s wrist and used her strength to push her. Just then, her body slid backwards until her back slammed against a tree. Anne stared at the empress with quivering lips.

“What is the meaning of this!”

“I can stand most things, but I do not have the patience for your threats against my child. Listen carefully, Mistress of the Grand Duke, I command you as Empress of Arpen. If you insult my family in front of me, I will not forgive. There will be no second warning.”

She let go of her wrist. There was fear in Anne’s eyes. Leaving the grand duchess behind, Viola turned to where the carriage was. Anne bit her lip with resentment burning in her eyes. Then, she gave the empress a deathly glare.

“Someone like you… must die… You are not needed in the Arpen Empire.”

“Anne….”

Surprised, Anne turned around. Ivan quickly went up to her and pulled her by the hand. She aggressively swiped his hand away.

“Let go. I don’t need your pity. How does it feel seeing me like this? Is it entertaining?”

“Anne…!”

“You are also no different. The emperor, the knights, even the imperial family from the other country. Did everyone collectively decide to never defy this woman? What makes her so great? Why! Why am I the one deserving of this hatred?”

“We do not hate you.”

“I… I… I would gladly send over the troops if my kingdom received such a request but… Does anybody even dare to ask? That must mean you don’t need us, correct? The strength of a feeble country like ours….”

“That isn’t so. We are all saying this in consideration of you, aren’t we? Do not twist these words.”

Even as Ivan tried to hold her and console her, Anne pushed him away harshly.

“The fact that your attitude changed so suddenly is suspicious. Do as you always do. Treat me like you would a cow or a chicken!”

“Anne! Anne!”

As Anne ran to her own carriage, holding back the tears, her eyes met with Rosha. She wiped her tears away in a flash and went inside the carriage. Soon after, the sound of weeping could be heard from within the carriage, Ivan drew an even deeper sigh.

When Rosha glanced at the grand duke, he opened his mouth. “Is there a way to console a woman?”

“Just be there for her. Even if she tries to push you away, all you have to do is hold her without saying a word.”

“I’m not sure….” Ivan tilted his head.

“Simply hold her in your arms and console her. It’s all up to you to put her ambitions to sleep.”

“Ah, I’m not sure. This is so difficult….”

Ivan ruffled his own hair. His face was laced with confusion as if it was a difficult problem.

“You will have to try harder. It’s not like you’ve been a good person in the past.”

“I intend to. Thank you, Rosha. You have a knack for these things. Hah. Make sure Paul is well.”

Rosha went red in the face.

“Love is not something you do by yourself, is it?”

“Hmmm… That is true. Could a naively honest knight have a warm heart? He has abstained for so long that he may have lost his manhood.”

“I don’t think so….”

“Hmmm?”

Rosha’s face became more like a tomato as she clasped Ivan’s hand.

“Ah, could it already be happening? Hahaha. Well, I am not the most tactful person. Sorry! Sorry! Hahaha.”

“Let’s hurry back to the carriage. People will surely become jealous of you when they see you chatting and laughing with me.”

“Ah! Alright.”

Ivan opened the door of the carriage and led her inside. Rosha was relieved when she heard the tip-tapping noises coming from inside the carriage until they subsided.

When love is a one-way street, the one that is pining over the other will suffer the most.

Rosha stared at Paul who was checking on the wheels from afar. With dashing looks and a sturdy build, he, the finest swordsman with incredible strength, was the perfect husband for her. However, he only had eyes for Viola. Even as they lived together in the forest for eight years, they had eyes for different people.

‘Such a beautiful princess… Just like Anne, I too was jealous of the princess. Now that you’re an Empress, you’ve become a special person that earned the respect of so many people.’

Viola opened the carriage door and looked around. It was Rosha that she was looking for. The maid went up to her mistress with a bright smile.

‘Could it be that the duty given to you by God was not to become God’s Companion, but to bring about the unity of the continent instead?’