Chapter 4
The imperial palace was centered around the main palace, which was the largest, with the Empress’s Palace and the Detached Palace on either side. Behind those palaces, separate housing was built for the servants.
Louisville came out of the main palace and headed to the Empress’s Palace to greet the Empress Dowager in the morning. However, since the Empress Dowager had not yet called for him, he had to wait for a long time.
After a boring wait, the bedroom door finally opened.
Click.
Empress Dowager Sophia stood there, wearing a gold silk gown. Her first words were:
“Why are you still alive?”
For the past few months, the Empress Dowager had rejected Louisville more openly than ever. Louisville stood upright and looked at his mother.
“I heard a chandelier fell?”
Sophia was saying that Louisville should have died in that chandelier incident. Still, Louisville lifted the corners of his lips slightly.
“It seems I was born to live a long life.”
From as early as he could remember, the Empress Dowager had always been indifferent and cold. So he didn’t expect much from her. He just wished she would look at him warmly or smile at him, but that had never happened.
Instead, all he had ever received from her were eyes full of contempt, fearful looks, and pushing hands.
“Exactly. That’s why you’re not the one.”
Sophia muttered coldly.
If you get stabbed thousands of times with words like knives, your heart becomes hard. Louisville politely asked as if he had heard nothing.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
Sophia turned her shoulder sharply and walked back to her bed. As she lay down on the soft bedding, she answered,
“The bed is uncomfortable.”
“Then I’ll have it replaced for you.”
“There’s no need.”
Sophia snapped in an annoyed voice and glared at Louisville. He patiently waited for the harsh words he knew she would say next.
“If I replaced everything that was uncomfortable, I’d have to start by replacing you.”
Her emerald eyes were full of hostility. But Louisville’s blue eyes, like a calm sea, didn’t show the slightest reaction.
“If I make you uncomfortable, I won’t come here for a while.”
Louisville declared as if he had no choice and turned to leave.
But he didn’t make it out. Sophia’s voice came first.
“Send that prophet girl instead.”
“…What?”
Louisville slowly turned back around. The maids were already gathered around the lying Sophia, giving her a massage. Sophia blew at her bangs and continued.
“I’m talking about that girl who supposedly predicted the chandelier would fall.”
Louisville’s neat eyebrows rose sharply.
“How did you know about that?”
Anier had only ever spoken of her prophetic dreams when she was alone with Louisville. And yet the Empress Dowager knew? What could that mean?
“Did you assign someone to spy on me?”
Louisville asked sharply.
Bang!
Sophia’s face twisted in anger as she slammed her hand on the bed. She sat up and shouted.
“You should’ve died! Then you would have been my true son! Why did that useless girl save you…!”
At that moment, the composure Louisville had kept so well began to crack all at once.
How much more must my heart be torn apart before she stops? Will she stop if I bleed from my heart?
Will she only stop if I really die?
Or do I have to find the witch and kill her in front of her for it to end?
As Louisville clenched his fists tightly, Head Maid Emma came up to him.
“You don’t need to hear any more.”
Emma stepped in front of Louisville, blocking his view, and gestured toward the hallway.
“Go back now. Please.”
Unable to resist the persuasion of Emma, who had once been his nanny, Louisville turned and left.
Late morning, long after the sun had risen.
The emperor’s aide, Hilton, stood at the entrance to the Empress’s Palace, greeting everyone who passed by.
“Good morning.”
The Empress’s Palace, where the Empress Dowager lived, only allowed the head maid, a few maids, and royal family members to enter. That’s why Hilton always had to wait like this whenever the emperor came to visit.
“Oh my, hello, Aide Hilton.”
Hilton had pale skin, a handsome face, a tall figure, and he was still single. So every woman working in the palace felt butterflies whenever they saw this capable and charming man.
Suddenly, Hilton spotted Clark approaching the Empress’s Palace.
“Sir Clark!”
Hilton waved his arm high and ran toward him.
“You’re still huge as always.”
Clark stood nearly two meters tall and had the thick build fitting for the captain of the Imperial Knights. With his bronze skin and ash-gray hair, he stood out even from a distance.
“You’re still like a sheet of paper.”
Clark teased back, mocking Hilton’s slender frame.
As usual, they exchanged friendly(?) morning greetings and stood side by side facing the Empress’s Palace. The arched iron gate, guarded on both sides, still showed no sign of opening.
“To be honest, I always feel uneasy whenever His Majesty visits the Empress’s Palace.”
Hilton’s brown-tinged eyebrows drooped.
“I don’t know why, but he always comes out looking gloomy afterward.”
Clark didn’t respond. He just silently stared at the Empress’s Palace. No knight was allowed to enter it with a sword. To Clark, it felt like both the safest and the most dangerous place for the emperor.
“But Sir Clark, you’ve heard of the witch’s curse, right?”
Hilton broke Clark’s thoughts. He covered his mouth with his hand and whispered,
“You know, the rumor that the witch who was burned 25 years ago cast a curse. No one knows the details, but the target was supposedly—”
“Enough.”
Clark frowned and warned him, but Hilton didn’t take the hint.
“I’m just really curious. His Majesty learned the details of that curse three years ago, didn’t he? After the late emperor passed—”
Just then, Clark drew the sword at his waist.
Shing—
“Whoa! Are you really pulling out your sword over this?”
Hilton paled in shock.
“Alright, alright! I’ll shut up!”
Hilton looked like he was about to cry, but Clark pointed his sword over Hilton’s shoulder.
“Who’s there?”
Hilton turned his head quickly, eyes wide.
A piece of dress fabric was fluttering behind a pine tree.
Oops, I’ve been caught.
I was just wandering near the Empress’s Palace, thinking about how to get inside.
Then those two showed up and started an interesting conversation.
So I hid for a bit and listened in—but I got caught by the captain of the knights.
“You’re not hidden. Step out now.”
Clark pointed out that I wasn’t well-hidden and began walking toward me. I had no choice but to step out from behind the tree.
“Nice to meet you, gentlemen.”
At my polite greeting, Clark returned his sword to its sheath, and Hilton bowed his head.
“I was just out for a walk. The weather is lovely today.”
I looked up at the clear sky and explained vaguely why I had been behind the tree. Then I glanced at Clark and Hilton.
“But something just made me curious.”
“What is it?”
Clark asked in a blunt tone. I rubbed my palm against my light green dress, feeling a bit nervous.
“How can I meet the Empress Dowager?”
But neither Clark nor Hilton could answer easily. I gave them a pleading look.
My goal was to meet the Empress Dowager, who was possessed by the witch. We had to at least talk to figure out why everything turned out this way.
“It’s probably not possible.”
Hilton finally broke the awkward silence, but it wasn’t the answer I was hoping for.
“Why not?”
I asked, and Hilton looked at Clark as if asking him to explain. But Clark pressed his lips together and said nothing.
In the end, Hilton spoke again.
“Well, the Empress’s Palace is closed to outsiders, and even I, who’ve worked at the palace for over two years, have only seen Her Majesty once. Sir Clark here has been around for ten years and said he’s only met her maybe three times, right?”
At Hilton’s question, Clark just nodded.
My face stiffened with disappointment. But then Hilton, who was watching me, tilted his head.
“But if you’re a prophet, there’s actually a sure way you can meet the Empress Dowager.”
“What? What way?”
I looked at Hilton with hope in my eyes.
He smiled brightly, the kind of smile that lifted people’s spirits.
“Just have a prophetic dream about Her Majesty.”
