Chapter 30
(30) Overwhelming Affection (1)
Of course, Heraith couldn’t do anything to Stephanie right away. After all, she was the daughter of the Duke Calix. If Stephanie were to die for some reason, the Duke would surely seize the opportunity to use it against Heraith and bring him down.
“His Majesty wouldn’t dare harm the Duke of Calix’s daughter, Your Highness.”
“Yes, he won’t kill me. Only if I die would my father take action, so he’ll make sure I stay alive.”
“Still, would the Emperor really go so far against Your Highness, the Empress Dowager? Besides, how would he even know that this was our doing? He’ll probably just think a rift suddenly appeared.”
“…”
“Even if he suspects us, he won’t be able to find evidence to tie us to it.”
Stephanie stumbled back to her seat and collapsed into it. She took the handkerchief Hensa offered and wiped the blood from her face.
“What happened to the spellcasters?”
“I sent men to kill them as soon as the rift opened. We should hear from them soon.”
“Good… good.”
The confusion in Stephanie’s eyes subsided, and Hensa seized the moment to press on.
“In any case, a rift opened in the capital. The Emperor will be tied up at the palace for some time, and the traps we’ve set in the imperial court will slowly tighten around his neck. He won’t even realize what’s draining his strength as he dies.”
“I heard the Emperor declared Eleanor Snow as his future Empress?”
“Yes.”
“What happened to the investigation I ordered into Eleanor Snow?”
“The spy should return soon.”
“Good…”
Stephanie narrowed her eyes in deep thought, then spoke.
“First, send someone to offer the Emperor our condolences. And as for Eleanor Snow, prepare a congratulatory gift… no, I’ll handle that myself. And we should push for the wedding to happen quickly.”
“Pardon? But if the Emperor gains strength through Snow…”
“Think about it, Hensa. On the wedding night of the Emperor and Empress—what if the Emperor dies for some reason? Who would be blamed?”
“Ah!”
Hensa’s face lit up.
“The newly crowned Empress, who has yet to win the people’s trust, would have no one to defend her. She’d have to bear the punishment for killing the Emperor. And since she came from the Snow family, they too would be blamed for the assassination.”
Stephanie’s lips twisted into a smirk.
“We’ll be able to take out two troublesome foes at once. That should be enough to erase Father’s disappointment.”
***
After leaving the Emperor’s quarters, Eleanor didn’t return to her room right away. Instead, she roamed the palace in secret. It was something she did every day since arriving.
She walked slowly, memorizing the complex palace layout and noting the location of ornaments and doors. Once back in her room, she opened a half-finished map and filled in the details she had observed.
Caron, watching her from the side, asked:
“Why are you doing this?”
“Just a habit.”
“A habit?”
After marking the last lion statue’s location, Eleanor pointed with the feather end of her quill.
“Look here. The space between these two rooms is wider than the others. There might be a hidden room or passage here. I enjoy finding things like that.”
Caron, who didn’t quite understand what ‘enjoyment’ meant, listened quietly.
“My father once bought a very old castle to use as a villa. When we were kids, my brothers and I would compete to see who could find the most secret rooms and passages.”
“Who won?”
“Havelion Snow—my second brother. He’s really good at finding things like that. When I asked how, he taught me this method: observe carefully and draw it out, and you’ll spot things that look strange.”
“Did you compete again later?”
“Yes. Even when we visited other estates like the Owen or Osborn houses.”
“Did you win those times?”
Eleanor smiled.
“No. I’ve never beaten him.”
The palace map was just over halfway finished.
“My brother would probably discover more than me from this map alone.”
Once the map was complete, she planned to send it to Havelion. Since the enemy was within the palace, she needed to know it better than anyone.
‘I could ask Heraith, but… he doesn’t trust me yet. He wouldn’t tell me everything. And there might be hidden passages even the Emperor doesn’t know about.’
Just as she rolled up the map and tucked it deep in a drawer, the Empress Dowager’s maid arrived.
Standing stiffly, the maid delivered the message:
“Her Highness the Empress Dowager has invited you to breakfast tomorrow morning. Please dress appropriately and report to the Empress Dowager’s palace in the morning.”
Eleanor was no longer just the ‘guest of Tulip Palace.’ She was now officially declared as the next Empress by the Emperor. Yet the maid maintained a superior tone. Eleanor didn’t point it out and replied politely.
“Yes, I shall obey Her Highness’s command.”
***
She needed a good night’s sleep for tomorrow, but sleep wouldn’t come.
Lying flat in bed, hands resting on her stomach, Eleanor thought about her first battlefield.
“Elli, if you can’t sleep just because it’s a battlefield, I can’t take you with me. You have to be able to sleep anywhere if you want to fight well.”
Her father had said that as he gently tapped her arm, trying to help her sleep.
That night, Eleanor barely slept at all, while her father snored peacefully in the next tent.
Even though he was in the next tent, his snoring pierced right through to hers.
Her eyes stung with longing. She clenched her hands on her stomach and sat up.
The Empress Dowager.
She had seen the Empress Dowager from afar, hidden from view, but tomorrow would be the first time they met in person.
The daughter of the Duke of Calix. And the Emperor’s mother.
Because of the Duke’s power, which rivaled even the Emperor’s, Heraith couldn’t lay a hand on the Empress Dowager even though he knew she was trying to kill him.
How could a mother…
It was one thing for the Duke to covet the throne, but Eleanor couldn’t understand the Empress Dowager.
If she was going to target his life like this, why give birth to him at all? Was he only born to solidify her position as Empress, and once he was no longer useful, she wanted to kill him?
The previous Emperor had several concubines, and they bore children. Unlike Heraith, who used concubines to balance court power, the former Emperor had shown affection to them.
So perhaps it was dangerous not to bear a child. But still… how could she want to kill her own son?
The more Eleanor thought about it, the less she could understand. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how it must feel for Heraith to have his own mother constantly threatening his life.
Her mind was too restless to sleep.
Eleanor opened the terrace window, and Caron, who was standing guard outside, rushed in.
“I thought there was an intruder.”
“I’m just stepping out for a bit. You should rest.”
After Caron withdrew, Eleanor lightly jumped down and strolled through the garden, admiring the begonia blossoms.
Eventually, she wandered into another garden and spotted Heraith, seated unguarded under a large tree.
Leaning against the trunk, he must’ve sensed her presence, for he spoke with eyes still closed:
“Aren’t you scared, wandering around at night? There are rumors in the palace that the ghosts of dead Empresses, killed by my hand, roam around after dark.”
“Surely, the ghosts of your former Empresses wouldn’t harm the poor soul destined to be the next one.”
Heraith let out a soft laugh and tapped the spot beside him.
Eleanor sat where he had tapped and looked up at the sky.
Due to the recent rift, dark clouds obscured the stars.
“How is your injury?”
“Your treatment seems to be working. I may not live to a hundred, but I’ve bought a few more years.”
“You must live long.”
“Hmm. Isn’t that a cruel request?”
Though he replied lightly, Eleanor could hear the deep fatigue in his voice.
His answer, wishing for death more than life, was heartbreaking.
Living for the sake of others when you long for death… He must be doing it for the continent’s sake.
As the last Delgado—descendant of a god-blessed bloodline—if he disappeared, this land would surely fall into the hands of the Raskals.
-
Hello, I am Alaa. A Korean translator and a reader. Please enjoy your time while reading my stories and express your support (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤.
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