Chapter 151

“Are you still mad at me, Your Majesty? You told me you would forgive me…”

“I’m not angry. That was not something you needed to apologize for from the beginning.”

“Then, why are you keeping a straight face like that? The ring that the duke brought you is genuine, and no matter how much you review it, there is little probability that the late empress’s promise was false, right? Besides, the duke’s request in return for the ring is for you to guarantee Lady Marianne’s safety. There is no better deal than this, I think.”

“As for her hiding place, don’t worry about it. I’ve already secured a special villa and safehouse for her. If I hurry up, I’ll be able to move her to a new residence next week or the week after the next.” As Jed grumbled, Colin quickly chimed in.

They saw eye to eye on this and waited for Eckart’s decision. From the moment the two heard about the unhappy accident several days ago, their views were in exact agreement in two aspects.

First, it was a little unfortunate for the emperor to lose a good card like Lady Marianne. If Duke Kling actively cooperated with the emperor, it would not turn out to be a bad deal. It was a pity that Kling’s promise was revealed after his judgement that his daughter was in danger, but to take issue with it would not be a good idea.

Anyway, the duke deserved to be praised for his hard work until now.

Second, it would be even more welcome to consider him as a friend of the emperor, not his advisor. Even if his promise to the late empress was revealed, Eckart’s suffering would not disappear overnight. But the fact that Eckart set his mind on his daughter would help Kling no longer feel a sense of guilt that he betrayed Eckart’s mother.

As this was going to be a fight related to treason, they understood that Eckart didn’t want to use Marianne as a card on the dangerous battlefield. They would feel much more relieved if they could work out a plan to help Marianne escape on this occasion after wrapping up the Kling issue.

But Eckart poured cold water over their idea.

“Put the plan on hold from moving her from the Elior Mansion for a while.”

“Really? Put on hold?”

“Why? If you drag your feet, they may smell a rat. I think Duke Kling wanted to move her as soon as possible. Most of all, you won’t need to be concerned much if you move her out of the current residence as soon as possible. Of course, you might have some regrets as you can’t see her for the time being…” Colin, who had big red eyes, said with an embarrassed voice.

Jed was also embarrassed, but he tried to make some plausible excuses to move her.

“She doesn’t want to flee.”

After he said that, Colin and Jed looked dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

“Really? Did she say that?”

“However, the duke will never move easily unless the safety of his daughter is secured first. The reason he revealed his promise to the late empress only now was because he was concerned about his daughter’s safety, right?” Jed said.

What Jed said was a reasonable argument. Actually, that’s why Eckart tried to convince Marianne on that day.

Marianne flatly rejected his offer to exclude her from the upcoming political strife.

He could still vividly recall the warmth when she grabbed his wrist forcefully.

“Well, good, Your Majesty. You also want her to step out of this battlefield right away, don’t you?”

asked Jed, knitting his dark eyebrows.

Eckart squeezed the temples with his exhausted face resting on the armrest of his chair.

Jed was correct. Regardless of her will or Duke Kling’s will, he no longer wanted to use her in the ongoing political strife. If he could have his way, he wanted to isolate her and hide her in a secure place until the political strife was over. That’s why he knowingly didn’t stop Jed and Colin from working on an escape plan for her without his permission.

Those were Marianne’s words.

Eckart was bothered by her resolute words all along.

Of course, he had the power to break Marianne’s resolve. It was the emperor’s power that he most detested but used valuably above all else. It was the most desperate and hateful power of the emperor that he inherited from his father.

If he wanted to use that power secretly, he didn’t need anyone’s consent. If he just wanted to use it as much as he could, he could mobilize all kinds of legal forces supporting the imperial family and the empire. As a result, it may be a piece of cake to confine a powerless daughter of a duke in a place for some time. The question was whether he had the right to betray her pledge.

Eckart doubted the limitations of his rights as the emperor for the first time in his life.

‘Did I have the right to decide on her goal, her anger, and her future on her behalf?’

‘Even if I have it and use it as much as I can, can she accept and understand it? Did she really want me to persuade her to give up revenge for her peace? Even if she doesn’t want it, do I have to go ahead and confine her at the risk of her resentment if that’s the only way to ensure her safety? In other words, like how my mother did the same thing to me?’

At that moment Jed said, “Why don’t you try to persuade her directly? In fact, Lady Marianne lost her mother in the political strife, so I think she will understand your concern fully.”

“Yes. The situation has changed now. As Lady Marianne is a woman full of understanding, she will understand your concern,” Colin said, as if to comfort Eckart. Jed next to him nodded.

“Got it.”

“And another one. Most importantly, you no longer need to feel a sense of unnecessary guilt. Whatever you decide, please keep it in mind, Your Majesty,” said Jed.

Eckart bit the inside of his mouth at Jed’s definitive statement.

Jed and Colin had some misunderstandings about the reason why Emperor Blair asked Kling to take care of Lennox. Eckart did not want to let them know about the terrible tricks involved in the Lennox War. He didn’t want to inform them about Empress Blair’s true will and the fact that he was now paying the price of what he knew.

He closed the jewel box cover instead of replying. His mother’s relics, shining blue, disappeared into the dark green velvet box.

* * *

As it was summer in Milan, the day gained on the night gradually. In spring, it got dark quickly while dinner was being prepared, but during the summer, the sunset still lingered after dinner

Marianne recalled what she had heard from Mrs. Charlotte when she just moved into the Elior Mansion.

She said she would like to take a walk to the garden alone after the meal. Although Iric, Cordelli, and Ms. Charlotte said they wanted to serve her from a distance, she rejected their kind help.

She overcame their persistent help by threatening that she would stay put in her bedroom again if they followed her.

Eventually, after the guards were dispatched around the garden, she was allowed to go there alone after being handed over a knight’s whistle to use in contingencies.

“I’m going to take a long break. So, I hope you don’t interrupt my break before I call you or come back.”

After she gave them a short instruction, Marianne began to cross the garden alone.

The rest of the people left behind seemed puzzled, but they had to see her off at a distance.

The garden, with restricted access, was more serene than usual. Like Mrs. Charlotte’s words, who said it had beautiful scenery, the sky with the setting sun and the shadows of the grass created a wonderful landscape.

She saw large garden trees in many places, a fountain spouting out water, a bridge made of stone and a cluster of roses with colorful buds in full bloom. One of them that drew her attention was a glass greenhouse built in the middle of the garden. It was a transparent and warm flower garden all year round, which she named “Sea of Snow.”