Chapter 136

“I didn’t know the exact reason. I asked the late empress many times, but she said nothing.”

Mrs. Charlotte swallowed dry saliva once. The whole bathroom was covered with a sweet fragrance, but she felt bitter, as if she were chewing bitter grass.

“Well, the late empress just stayed alive. I would say she was just alive. She was once as bright and beautiful as the sun, but she became thin like a dry twig in a tightly curtained room. It seemed that she found it hard to breathe.”

Marianne was easily infected with someone’s pain by nature. It was a while ago that she barely endured tears while listening to her story about her father. She was now immersed in late empress Blair’s grief, whom she had never met before. It seemed that the woes of the dead empress seemed to resemble her own suffering at first glance.

‘Did she want to hide in a very dark world, concealing a story she couldn’t tell anyone? Did she think anybody could not understand her? Did she feel lonely as if there nobody was beside her in the world? Was she distressed enough to stay away from her husband and her son?’

“And the following year, Mrs. Chester gave birth to a baby.”

Hearing that, Marianne thought about Blair’s situation at that time.

‘Perhaps she might have wanted this terrible world to crumble like her homeland!’

Marianne opened her mouth with a miserable expression, her voice filled with surging anger.

“… That baby is Ober.”

“Yeah. In the same year that Mrs. Chester’s son was rumored to have the late emperor’s blood, the late empress reopened the door of the inner palace.”

Marianne bit her lip unconsciously. She knew better than anyone else that the late empress had to give up her “right to ignore” what she had to do.

“You might think it’s a tall story, but it’s true. The late empress, who seemed to collapse at any moment, began to eat and asked me to comb her hair like before. Soon she met people every day and smiled well just like she did when she first came to Aslan. She even vowed that she would be a beautiful and elegant wife to the late emperor and a sweet and strict mother to her son.”

Mrs. Renault’s face became more gloomy as Mrs. Charlotte lowered her voice,

The cloth in her hand spewed out water when she squeezed it.

“Lady Marianne. Can you guess why the late empress changed overnight like that?”

Marianne looked at Mrs. Charlotte blankly instead of replying. Finally, she nodded heavily.

Obviously she wanted to protect her son. She needed to make sure that as the mother of the future emperor, she would have to be a beautiful, loving Empress of Aslan, not the mad royal princess of the ruined country. She wouldn’t want to be the biggest ‘flaw’ in her son’s path.

“Fortunately, the current emperor grew up to be a good successor. But as he grew up, the greed of the aristocrats, including Marquis Chester, also grew rapidly.”

Blair was born as a princess in a foreign country, and most of Lennox’s nobles, who could serve as her political support, died after the war. Even the force of those who barely survived was greatly weakened in the process of them being absorbed by Aslan.

Late emperor Cassius did not treat them badly, but he didn’t give them any significant power so that they could not have any chance to rebel. His actions were like cutting off Blair’s hands and feet.

On the other hand, the aristocrats inside Aslan held very solid power. Although Cassius made sure they should not covet throne throughout his reign, his actions unfortunately provided a good excuse for revolt for some political factions.The power noble families including Dubble Hubble and Marquis Chester united around their factions to challenge the emperor, revealing their desire to usurp his power.

“You now know what kinds of terrible things their reckless bravado have brought about until now. You went through it in person this time.”

“Yes, I guess so. I do not know well but… I didn’t think the Roshan accident was the first time they caused such terrible things.”

“There were always such terrible attempts in the past, only with different degrees of brutality.

The palace is a very cruel place, so they try not to remember what happened in the past,” Mrs. Charlotte said meaningfully.

Marianne recalled Eckart’s voice that she heard not a long time ago, but she felt distant.

His cold voice severely disturbed her mind right now.

Mrs. Renault, who was silent all the time, interrupted her thoughts again. She waited for Marianne’s gaze to come back to her, and then asked calmly after she finally met her eyes.

“You asked me if something bad happened between your father and the late emperor, right? The late emperor lived with anxiety all his life. He had an obligation to be wary of all, but no right to trust anyone. How could he pleased with anyone who did not swear allegiance?”

“…”

“Every time they harmed the late emperor, the late empress did anything to protect him. Was there any possibility that she asked Duke Kling for help? And didn’t the late emperor know it in one way or another?”

Marianne clenched her fist underwater, fixing her eyes on the countess. The lukewarm bath water and her wet gown were crumpled in her small hands.

“In that situation, it would be very strange if the late emperor didn’t resent Duke Kling.”

Only now did Marianne seem to know why her father was worried about her misfortune.

Her father already knew everything. He knew that the late empress Blair and Eckart resented him and his daughter. He knew they would not be able to forgive him and his daughter easily, and since he betrayed their trust, he himself could be also betrayed.

Although he betrayed them, he was her most beloved father. That’s why he didn’t want to send her off to the emperor who resented him.

“Not only other occupied territories but also Lennox should have been returned to the late emperor long time ago. Lennox belonged to the late empress and now it is the property of her only blood, Eckart.”

Mrs. Renault tried to ignore the despair in Marianne’s face.

How could anybody blame her who was born and grew up in the paradise of Lennox for twenty years without a choice?

But the battlefield she decided to jump into was a hell of blood and flesh. She could not live forever without knowing the fact that the happiness she enjoyed until now was because of someone’s misfortune.

The countess felt pity for Marianne, but did not stop talking. In fact, she had wanted to say this at some point. She continued, “If you really want to be Eckart’s ally, please persuade your father directly. Please persuade him that although it’s already late, he has to be loyal to the current emperor. And if you really love the emperor, regardless of all these political reasons…”

“Madame…”

Marianne replied with a crying voice, but the countess cut her off.

The countess let go of the cloth she was holding. Instead, she grabbed Marianne’s trembling hands. Her heartbeat was pounding like crazy inside her gripped wrists.

“Don’t hurt him anymore for whatever cause,” Mrs. Renault said.

* * *

That evening, the Elior Mansion’s dinner menu was a veal steak and pasta with large shrimp. Smoked salmon salad, savory brioche and peach jam were also served to satisfy Marianne’s appetite. Milk pudding that she had as many ten plates of it with Rane not too long ago and her favorite raspberry tart she used to enjoy with her father in Lennox was also served. Even the tea she would rinse her mouth with after dinner was prepared in five different kinds of brewed petals that she liked.

“Come on, lady. Please enjoy the food!”

Cordelli smiled as if she looked forward to her praise. Marianne looked at the table with a perplexed look. A magnificent supper was ready right before her nose, but she felt her mouth was dry rather than feeling any appetite.

“… Cordelli, did you prepare all this food?”

“Of course. Don’t you remember you told me that if you ate something delicious, you would feel strong? So, I’ve prepared all the foods that you like. I wish your father had a meal with you, but he has not come back yet. He seems to be still busy.”

“…”

“Don’t be so sad. There will be another chance for you to have a meal with your father. I’ll prepare well then.”

Cordelli laughed tenderly. It was a special gift she prepared for Mariane to cheer her up, who had recently been in a bad mood since the morning picnic. Cordelli’s clear eyes rolled as if she tried to read her reaction.

“… Thank you. Let me enjoy it then.”

Marianne could not turn away her tender consolation.

‘I don’t have to act odd. I have been ready for this anyway. He reminded me that I could do or suffer something terrible… ‘