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Chapter 23 – I Won’t Let Go Anymore
“You. You’re crazy.”
Erun said coldly in response to Kaien’s maddening obsession that he would kill all the concubines that come to Gloria. At those words, Kaien stood up and took off a leaf that had fallen on Erun’s shoulder. He tried to slap his hand down fiercely, but Kaien pulled it away before it. Drenched in shame and hatred, his face had long lost his usual kind smile.
“Do you think I’m crazy for wanting only Gloria? To me, you look crazy for the throne.” Kaien spoke low.
“You’re out of line!”
At the Duke’s inference of ‘aiming for the throne’, Erun couldn’t contain his anger and slammed his fist at the Duke’s face. However, he swung his body back and simply avoided it, then grabbed Erun’s arm roughly with one hand, and twisted it mercilessly.
“Ahk! this bastard-!”
Erun tried fiercely to loosen the grip, but Kaien did not budge and spoke coldly.
“From now on, I will not give up. I will have everything I want, swallow it, and hold it in my hand. It’s weird when I think about it. I have the status and wealth, so why did I give up?”
“…”
“Gloria and the honorary knight. A fianceé… Did you think you had it all after a lot of effort?”
“I… I got it all because I worked hard. All my best, I–!”
Kaien continued speaking while looking at Erun, who was trembling and arguing, with an openly pitiful gaze.
“Because I gave up, the opportunity just went to you. It wasn’t even yours in the first place.”
“No…no!”
As he shook his head violently and struggled, Kaien released him as if he was wiping away some dirt.
The Marquis bumped his head into the tree behind him and stumbled, and Kaien turned around without regret.
‘Giving up once was enough. Now I will never let go.’
He looked at his black-gloved palm and clenched it as if holding something. He had no interest in anything like being an honorary knight of the Empire. However, he was thinking of trampling, crushing, and stealing every single thing Erun had in his hand. In that way, he planned to weaken his position little by little and make him fall to his knees in front of Gloria. Actually, he hated the idea of seeing that piece of trash just reflected in her dark blue eyes for even a second.
“If Your Majesty wants, I’ll give you anything.”
Thinking of Gloria’s happiness at seeing Erun kneeling in front of her, he wore a pleasing smile.
The hiding women swallowed their breath at the sight of Kaien’s sweet smile as if it was going to drip honey as soon as he turned around after being bloody. He was thought not to have any blood, tears, or emotions, yet when he made such a face, everyone gawked at him as if possessed.
“Ahhhhhhhh!!!”
The eyes that were surveying the back of Kaien as he soon disappeared down another path, were startled by Erun’s sudden beastly roar. It was so full of hatred that it felt like the howl of a demonic beast. At the murderous shout, the ladies screamed a little, but he didn’t hear them as he was engulfed in fury.
“We’ll see. I will definitely crush you.”
Scratching the tree with his fingernails, Erun glared murderously. Duchess Praud observed his bloody appearance and turned around.
“Lady Praud?”
When the Duchess moved toward Gloria’s palace, not the main palace, the ladies hurriedly followed her. She gave a solemn command to the terrified ladies in a low voice.
“If you thoughtlessly choose to spread what you saw today in the palace, make sure to be able to play the part and speak with care for the future.”
In response to the Duchess’s command, which felt more eerie than usual, the ladies swallowed their saliva and bowed deeply.
“I will keep that in mind.”
Gloria was uncomfortable at the sight of Duchess Praud’s strangely hardened face and approached her while the ladies hurriedly greeted her.
“I see Your Majesty.”
“I see Your Majesty.”
Gloria nodded at their graceful greeting, but the terrified, stiff look on their faces raised doubts.
“Your Majesty, will you walk with me for a while?”
“Yes, Aunt.”
To the confused Gloria, Duchess Praud asked her for a walk and she didn’t refuse it. She had been on her way to the main palace for inquiry and raised her hand. Ten palace members bowed their heads and quickly stepped down. After confirming that no one was around to hear the conversation, Gloria said.
“Since morning, this niece has been very concerned about what has clouded Aunt’s complexion.”
Gloria swept her red hair behind her back. The Duchess had more frowns than smiles, but today she was particularly stiff. Like someone who had seen something they shouldn’t.
Duchess Praud took a deep breath as if not understanding and spoke to Gloria,
“Thanks to Her Majesty’s reign, the country is at peace, and so I thought fools were spreading misleading rumors.”
“Hmm.”
Gloria swept her chin with her finger and moved back, and the Duchess stuck close to her. Ladies and courtiers followed far away.
“Your Majesty. I will respect Her Majesty’s heart, but it is not right for such rumors to circulate when the royal marriage is near.”
“I know.”
“Is this what a person who knows should be doing?”
“Yes. What’s the problem?”
“Your Majesty!”
At the Emperor’s relaxed response, Duchess Praud shouted shrilly. At the rather sharp call, Gloria sighed.
‘The royal marriage. From one to ten they decided on their own accord without asking my opinion.’
The Duchess’ sky-blue eyes fluttered at Gloria’s attitude, openly revealing her displeasure. Gloria spoke to the woman looking at her with a puzzled face.
“No matter how much you think about the future of the Empire, I think the Duke is better than the Marquis. Doesn’t Aunt know this?”
“Still, changing the groom of a royal marriage only increases confusion.”
“This niece cannot understand at all. Is there any reason not to change it?”
“Your Majesty!”
In the end, she burst into anger at Gloria’s unexpected words and actions and stopped walking. At the sound of the Duchess’s voice full of anger and the cold image of Gloria, those who followed them from afar stopped.
Gloria waved to the courtiers and ladies who glanced around. All who followed the Emperor’s instructions moved further away. Gloria confirmed that the distance was enough, and spoke.
“Anyway, I wanted to ask Aunt for something.”
“If you tell me, I will answer sincerely.”
It seemed Gloria could not shake off the image of an overprotected princess, yet she asked solemnly as Duchess Praud took a deep breath.
‘Are you going to support the Duke or the Marquis?’ Duchess Praud, recalling the two men fighting fiercely earlier, looked at Gloria mournfully. However, the Duchess’ expectations were completely wrong. What the Emperor asked in a rather calm voice was,
“Will I be safe if I marry the Marquis?”
“…”
The Duchess wondered for a second if she had heard the Emperor’s question wrong, but when Gloria stared with sharp eyes, she knew she had heard it correctly and her jaw dropped. When the Duchess, who seemed to be uninterested in power struggles, couldn’t answer the Emperor’s question, Gloria opened her mouth with a short sigh.
“As Aunt knows, most of the state affairs were assisted by the Marquis because I was just installed on the throne. Of course, I admit that I was incompetent and foolish when I was raised to the throne without knowing anything.”
“…”
“But look at what he’s doing now. Are you saying I should marry someone who threatens my position just because he’s my fiancé?”
“A promise is a promise, Your Majesty.”
At Gloria’s angry voice, Duchess Praud kept her back straight and cut it off. The Duchess also knew what Gloria was talking about. That Erun was handling the Emperor’s estate affairs ‘on behalf of’ and that his actions excessively threatened the Emperor’s authority.
Gloria approached her, who showed more knowledge than Baroness Berne. She tried to, but Duchess Praud shook her head firmly.
“It is for this country. You may think so now, but as time goes by, you will know that the Marquis’ actions were all for Her Majesty.”
“Is it for me to get rid of my incompetence self and give the Marquis the throne?”
“Your claims are too severe.”
At Gloria’s cold reply, the Duchess widened her eyes and spoke harshly.
‘Her Majesty doesn’t tend to go ahead of herself, but the Marquis…’ Duchess Praud wanted to deny it, but a sense of anxiety crept into her heart. Staring at the Duchess, who seemed to waver with her dark blue eyes full of chills, Gloria asked,
“I want to ask. Why, among many others, why it ‘has to’ be Marquis Lebossi?”
Duchess Praud’s eyes widened at Gloria’s question. She gently brushed her aunt’s hair back and continued.
“Why should it be the Marquis? Why Duke Ludenberg? At the very least, does Aunt know why princes from far away should not be allowed, and only the Marquis should be kept as a Gukseo?”
“That—”
Her dark blue eyes harbored a chill, and those puppy-like eyes became sharp. Gloria said to the Duchess.
“You say it’s for the sake of the royal marriage, but it seems to me that it’s not for the sake of it, but only to support the will of the late Emperor.”
“Even if you say so, I hope you will have a royal marriage as scheduled.”
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“Hahaha!”
Gloria laughed at Duchess Praud’s firm words.
“Ha.”
It was only for a brief moment that she grabbed her stomach and laughed. Soon after, the Duchess had no response to the question on Gloria’s face as it filled with futile tears.
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