Chapter 9
“Out of the palace?”
“I want to stay at the Duke of Arctus.”
The Emperor’s face was tinged with shock.
“And thirdly, write all of this in a contract and accept the notarization of the temple.”
“Notarization?”
“Yes, from now on, I want you to come through the temple with the Duke of Arctus when you come to see me. I want to get away from you.”
Rudis knew she would be constantly threatened unless she left the Emperor.
Notarized by the temple, she stayed with the Duke of Arctus to secure her safety and time before leaving the palace completely.
You can’t issue a restraining order on the Emperor, which means you’ll have to impose similar restrictions.
I don’t know how effective the notarization will be, but it is better than nothing.
The Emperor’s face hardened when he realized Rudis’ intentions.
“Are you going to accuse your father of abuse?”
Most of the women who were protected by the temple and entrusted themselves to other families were women who could not bear the abuse of their husbands or fathers.
“I asked if you were going to run away?!”
The Emperor burst into a rage.
Rudis almost became stiff unintentionally but came to her senses at the ensuing words of the Emperor.
“How far are you going to humiliate the family?!”
A disgrace to the family?
Rudis felt even worse than when her desperate efforts were belittled as “stubborn”.
Notarization was the last option to protect herself from the Emperor whose head was filled with thoughts about crushing and abusing Rudis.
But somehow, it’s a disgrace to the family…
“And the Duke of Arctus. Why did you have to go there…”
The Emperor mumbled at the end of his words.
There was only one reason why Rudis wanted to go to the Duke of Arctus.
Because it was the safest place for her in this empire.
“Noble and righteous Imperial Sword of the Empire.”
It was a term that defined the Duke of Arctus for the past five hundred years.
Unlike Ivana, who jumped into politics and sought the throne based on all kinds of conspiracy tricks, Arctus had never desired power since its founding.
It was just the family’s duty to produce an extraordinary knight and take on the job to protect the empire.
Dulio Arctus, now in the Duke’s seat, also used to fight on the front lines; always defeating beasts.
Therefore, the Duke of Arctus would be able to protect himself even if the Emperor interfered.
“The Duke of Arctus won’t turn me down. Since ancient times, the Duke of Arctus has been loyal to the Emperor. It won’t do much harm to His Majesty’s prestige.”
Rudis calmly explained, but the emperor did not calm down.
He let out a deep sigh.
“But there’s still… don’t you know how troubled Selena’s going to get if she finds out? How much Selena has thought of Young Master Arctus…”
Rudis also knew that Selena had long had a crush on Serpis, the grandson of the Duke of Arctus.
But Selena’s feelings didn’t mean she intended to throw away her best option.
“These are my three terms.”
Rudis did not intend to yield a single one.
If she took a step back, she would have to eat rotten bread in the attic again.
Just in time, Rudis heard a knock on the door outside.
“Your Majesty, the priest would like to see you.”
In anticipation of the Emperor’s visit, Rudis had asked Bennett to intervene if the conversation between her and the Emperor was prolonged.
As requested, Bennett seemed to have led the senior priests of the temple and high-ranking officials of the court.
“Rudis, you’re so…”
Rudis lowered her eyes without saying a word.
“I got it.”
The Emperor said, smirkingly.
‘I’ll pretend to let it slide now, and then I’ll have to comfort you again later.’
The emperor, who still saw Rudis’ actions as being stubborn, thought this.
The emperor slammed the door shut and left.
“I’m going back to the palace!”
Then heard outside the door was the voice of the emperor angrily threatening the officers.
Finally, as the emperor’s footsteps grew distant and quiet, Rudis fell down on the bed like a cotton doll.
She had a throbbing pain in her left leg.
In addition, Rudis’s heart was like a heavy rock in her chest.
Rudis, who needed darkness, closed her eyes.
Strangely enough, the first thing that came to mind was the face of Lavane.
Not the existence of chaos swirling in the dark, but the man as beautiful as the ‘real god…’
Masculine and intense, his golden eyes turned to Rudis.
He reached out and caressed Rudis on the cheek.
It was a dream, but the touch from his hands was strangely vivid.
“What’s your wish?” Rudis asked.
Rudis found blood on Lavane’s finger when he touched her cheek.
I looked down and saw the floor, my skirt covered with blood.
I could see someone’s heart scattered on the floor torn apart in the distance.
“No one ever again… Please don’t do it.”
Rudis in her dream made a wish without hesitation.
***
The next day, Rudis opened her eyes in the afternoon.
“The deputy has repeatedly said you’d better take a good rest because you’ve been overdoing it. I didn’t wake you up on purpose.”
The young priests who came to Rudis’ service said this.
Even as the newbies brought out freshly baked hot bread, golden butter, and fresh figs, Rudis hardly woke up.
I definitely fell asleep last night and felt heavy and tired.
“It must have been all at once that the fatigue had accumulated.”
One old high-ranking priest, who was overseeing the young priests, murmured in a sad voice.
He served tea with extra honey and milk.
Rudis had only a few sips of Dadidan black tea before she managed to get her act together.
After finishing her meal, Rudis stayed still for a while, feeling the cold wind of the late winter blowing through the open window.
“Can I take a walk?”
Rudis asked as the priest tried to close the windows.
“Of course.”
A smile flashed on the old priest’s face.
“While staying at the temple, I was instructed by the High Priest to provide you with anything you wanted and to assist her if you needed.”
Rudis could feel the goodwill of a young priest from his words.
The young priest, who had been guilty of Rudis, was now being warm to her.
Perhaps thanks to her generous acceptance of his apology.
“How many new recruits should I attach?”
Rudis hesitated for a moment at the words of the old priest.
“No outsiders allowed in the garden of the temple, right?’
“Yes, that’s right. Even the Emperor cannot enter this place protected by God.”
“Then I’d like to take a walk alone.”
Rudis asked carefully.
I knew the temple members were trying to be nice to me, but it was still difficult to ask for something.
“Okay, then please get my coat ready.”
Soon the priests brought a warm coat.
Rudis, who had no decent clothes, had to wear a priest’s robe and put on a coat.
As soon as she went outside, the cold and cool air that hurt her head greeted Rudis.
It was the innermost garden inside the temple where only a small number of people came and went.
The walls and buildings were blocked everywhere, but the garden was so wide and the sky was open that Rudis didn’t feel stuffy at all.
Rudis went to a huge fountain in the middle of the garden and sat down.
It was winter, so the fountain was empty. The black stain on the white marble statue in the middle was also clearly visible.
As Rudis turned to the surrounding area, she saw yellow candles sticking out through the thin snow.
Rudis raised her head while counting the petals of the plant.
‘That sound…’
Someone was there.
It was certainly not a royal palace man. Then is it a lieutenant? But I heard earlier that Bennett was busy all day today, so he didn’t have time to come see me.
Except for the Emperor and High Priest, there was only one person who could come to see her.
It’s also possible for them to step into a restricted garden at will…
“Rudis.”
Less than a day later, I heard a familiar voice already.
But he didn’t show up.
“Come here.”
He was used to ordering Rudis.
Rather than treating Rudis as an outsider or a subordinate, it was natural as if he had only communicated with her throughout his life.
Rudis stood up and walked in the snow.
Walking, walking and walking, I couldn’t find him.
The garden was big, but it wasn’t this vast.
Rudis didn’t find him until she was slightly frightened.
He was waiting for Rudis, looking up at a huge old tree full of snow flowers.
Despite the cold weather, he was wearing a thin shirt.
His complexion, which was no different from when he was indoors, seemed to have no effect on him.
As he approached closer, he turned his head toward Rudis.
He was like a picture in the snow. It was so beautiful that I didn’t think it was a creature of enormous and terrifying power.
He smiled faintly at Rudis.
“How’s it going?”
“What…”
“I thought your biological father was there.”
Rudis didn’t answer and looked at Lavane with questionable eyes.
As expected, he knew everything.
Not only the fact that the Emperor would come to find her but all the things the Emperor will do to himself.
Rudis was confused as she could not predict what Lavane was thinking.
Seeing Bennett take care of himself, calling himself a benefactor, and asking after himself in this way, he seemed to cherish it. However, he was not directly involved in his work.
It occurred to me that if he really cared about himself, he wouldn’t be on the sidelines like that.
“You’re wary of me.”
Lavane said as if she had seen through Rudis’s thoughts.
“I don’t help you in person. I’m suspicious, aren’t I?”
“… No, you’re not.”
Rudis hid her true feelings and denied them, but Lavane did not believe her answer.
“The reason I didn’t step up is because you didn’t want to. It doesn’t mean much.”
‘Because I didn’t want to…’
“I can only do what you want. I can’t do anything if you don’t want to. Even if it’s directly related to you.”
Rudis’ shoulders were strained.
The story finally came out.
The story of him moving solely on his own will.
It’s a story that will change my position, reverse the situation, and determine what’s going to happen.