Chapter 12
The orchestra began to play solemn music. The nobles straightened their postures and looked at the platform.
The High Priest and the Emperor stood side by side on the platform. A crown and scepter lay on the red table between them.
The High Priest grabbed the scepter and struck the floor three times.
Thump- Thump- Thump-
The sound of the coronation echoed through the chapel. At that signal, the chapel doors opened. The nobles craned their necks and looked back. There was no greater spectacle than to see what Empress Aura would look like.
However, the nobles who turned their heads expecting an amusing sight could only gape blankly.
Aura was far more beautiful than they had expected. Her face was already famous, but her upright posture and direct gaze were especially striking. Nowhere on her could any trace of confinement be found.
The nobles all thought the same thing.
‘Not bad.’
Meanwhile, Aura prayed. May this choice not be wrong. May this place, where she had thrown away her chance to escape and returned, bring her a pin. That way, she wouldn’t regret staying by Karl’s side.
Aura slowly walked and knelt before the High Priest. The High Priest spoke with dignity.
“Aura Casa, Empress of the Casa Empire, you shall now receive two treasures and ascend to the throne of Empress.”
He held up a slender silver scepter. The scepter signified the will of God, and the lily adorning the handle signified the Empress.
The scepter sparkled in the light of the chandelier. Aura received it with both hands.
Next was the Empress’s crown. The right to bestow the crown belonged to Karl, who guarded the imperial power. The two made eye contact for a moment.
It was the moment Karl reached for the crown.
Bang!
Suddenly, the chapel doors burst open and people rushed in.
“The people of Casa oppose a Xenian Empress!”
“Do not defile Casa with Xenian blood!”
“Casa for Casa blood only!”
In no time, the chapel was in chaos due to the unexpected protesters. Soldiers stepped forward, but they couldn’t easily stop them. The protesters were extremely agitated and pushed the knights with all their might.
If they drew their swords, the protesters would be no problem. But under no circumstances were weapons or violence allowed in the chapel. And the protesters seemed to know that fact, rushing in fearlessly.
“Goodness, how did commoners get in here?”
“What’s going to become of this country! I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
The startled nobles said one thing or another. But their surprise was short-lived, and their gazes focused on Aura one by one. They were all thinking the same thing.
‘I wonder when that frail woman will burst into tears.’
Meanwhile, Karl glared at the protesters who were pushing in more and more, and grabbed the hilt of his sword. As if he didn’t care about the rules of the chapel.
“Karl.”
Aura called him softly.
“Hurry with the crown.”
At her unwavering words, Karl released the hilt and grabbed the crown. As he lifted it up, the protesters became even more agitated.
“No!”
“The blood of Casa will be defiled, Your Majesty!”
“Aah-! Absolutely not!”
Karl, unconcerned, placed the crown on Aura’s head. With this, the coronation was over. Aura was now the Empress of Casa.
“Karl, help me up.”
Karl extended his hand. Aura took his hand and stood up, then turned around.
“……”
The protesters, entangled with the soldiers, were only a few steps away. She stared straight at them.
“Princess Aura, step down!”
“We cannot accept Xenian blood!”
The protesters shouted as if in a frenzy. Unable to watch any longer, the knights began to reach for their sword hilts one by one. At that moment, Aura raised her hand to stop the knights.
‘The moment something against etiquette happens, I lose.’
The bewildered soldiers, the nobles who couldn’t hide their curiosity, the protesters who looked down on the foreign Empress. They all seemed to have forgotten that Aura had been raised receiving the education of a princess.
Aura’s mother, Queen Inia, often gave her daughter various teachings. Teachings that would become the strength for Aura to live her life.
“Aura. A woman of the royal family must always conduct herself with great care. Deal with everything gently, but never let yourself be underestimated.”
“Hmm… it’s always difficult to handle situations.”
“It is difficult. But you must do it. If you are unlucky enough to face the people, remember. The important thing is to make them feel it. What kind of being the person they are facing is. What position they hold and what power they have.”
Facing the people. She wondered if such a thing would ever happen to her. The people she knew always loved the royal family and the princess.
Queen Inia took Aura’s hand.
“Aura. I say it again, royalty must not fight the people. You must always handle them. Understand?”
Aura met the eyes of each and every protester without missing a single one. Her dignified attitude and clear eyes seemed to pierce through them all. It was also the dignity that only someone born and raised as a True Blood could possess.
The protesters instinctively felt it. No matter how much they screamed and shouted, they could not bring shame to such a woman.
The protesters gradually quieted down. Her gaze and silence made even the nobles hold their breath.
When the attempt to bring shame was thwarted, the protesters were rather embarrassed. As they wavered, the soldiers seized the opportunity and dragged them away.
“Hey, hey…! Let go of me!”
“Let go! Let go…”
The protesters, who had lost their strength, were led away helplessly.
“Haa…”
It was when Aura finally secretly let out a sigh of relief. Applause erupted from among the nobles. Especially the noble ladies were very enthusiastic. Noble ladies were bound to be fascinated by that kind of dignity.
“Come up, Aura.”
Karl extended his hand to Aura. Aura took his hand and stepped onto the platform.
Finally, the imperial couple stood side by side and bowed to the people. The nobles responded with even greater applause to the birth of the new imperial family.
At that moment, all the protesters were locked in prison. They still couldn’t believe this situation.
“Why, why did we lose our voices?”
“That woman is strange. How can she not react at all?”
“Isn’t it some kind of magic? There are many magicians among the Xenians.”
“Maybe so.”
A man sighed deeply and said softly.
“Anyway, ‘that person’ secretly opened the back gate of the imperial palace for us, so we’re in big trouble.”
“W-we’ll be okay, right?”
The atmosphere among the protesters sank. The leader-level man said.
“We’ll be fine. That person said so. The foundation of the imperial power is still weak, so they can’t punish the people recklessly. They said they’ll just lock us up for a few days and then release us.”
“That’s right. Besides, we didn’t destroy the chapel or make the Empress cry. We really didn’t do anything.”
At that moment, footsteps were heard. Josh came to the front of the prison and unlocked the lock.
“You’re released. Go.”
“Yes?”
“Already?”
The protesters were rather surprised and asked back. Josh replied irritably.
“Then are you planning to stay here?”
“Ah, no. I’ll go.”
“We’re going, we’re going.”
They grumbled and left the prison.
The Knights escorted the protesters out of the back gate of the imperial palace. They left, grinning, saying that the imperial palace was nothing special.
Josh ordered the knights in a low voice.
“Follow them.”
As Aura and Karl came down from the platform, the nobles lined up to greet the imperial couple. Aura was completely overwhelmed. She wondered if there were so many Casa nobles.
In particular, the noble ladies showed great interest in Aura. Questions mixed with admiration and curiosity poured out, and Aura answered appropriately.
As the greetings with the nobles came to an end, they left the chapel and moved to the grand banquet hall. The official start of the banquet was the ball.
Aura danced with Karl. Karl, who had been silent all along, opened his mouth.
“You have an interesting talent for handling people.”
It seemed like he was talking about how she dealt with the protesters. So she couldn’t read his expression at all whether she had done well or not.
“It’s something only those who can do it can do. Those who only know how to draw a sword will draw their sword first.”
Aura replied, mocking Karl, who had his hand on the hilt. Nevertheless, he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.
“Aura. Aren’t you curious about the identity of the protesters?”
“They must be purists.”
“That’s right. Their numbers have increased like cockroaches during the Crown Prince’s reign.”
The purists were a group that believed that only Casa blood was superior. They were mostly composed of commoners. But judging from their size, there was definitely a noble who was providing funds.
Karl asked.
“What kind of punishment would you like to give those guys?”
“Do as you please. I’m not interested anymore.”
“Then I’ll kill them all.”
It didn’t sound like a lie. If she told him to, he might really kill them all without leaving a single one.
It wasn’t that Aura had forgiven them with a benevolent heart. But killing the people was still on her mind. No matter how much they were Casa people.
“Don’t kill them. It’s not a good time to give such a punishment.”
“Are you worried about me now?”
Aura was flustered by his teasing words.
Just as she was about to say no, the music ended. Karl led her out of the ballroom, as if he didn’t intend to hear an answer.
“The dance ends here.”
Aura nodded. Her feet were already burning.
It was just as they were about to turn back.
“Brother.”
Someone approached them. The blonde man with a bright smile was Issen.
“You’ve arrived, Issen.”
Karl greeted him plainly. Issen looked at Aura and smiled without any pretense.
“Empress… no, Your Majesty the Empress. Do you remember me?”
“Of course, Prince Issen. Did you enjoy your trip?”
“Yes, I enjoyed it very much. I’m really happy to see you again like this.”
Issen kissed the back of Aura’s hand. Issen, who turned nineteen this year, seemed to have barely shed his boyishness.
“Have you returned to the capital for good?”
“I plan to for the time being. I missed the imperial palace.”
“It would be good to sit down and rest, Empress.”
Karl took Aura’s hand. At that moment, Issen also extended his hand to her.
“Ah, if it’s okay, I’d like to ask my sister-in-law for a dance.”
