***
It was the day of the Imperial meeting. Since dawn, a cuckoo had been sitting by the window of the Empress’ bedroom, chirping as if to announce a new era.
Waking up to the breeze, Liv slowly lifted her eyes that had been closed in bed. She turned her stiff body and stared at the corner of the bed.
She naturally thought back to that night. What Carius said before he kissed her.
“Even though I know how you feel, I want to turn a blind eye to that today.”
Was it from that day? There was an unknown turbulence in Liv’s heart, which was tightly closed to Carius’s mournful and desperate heart.
If only she hadn’t known the feeling of love. She would have somehow managed to accept Carius’ feelings. But she already knew what the price of her love was.
Eventually, Liv sat upright with a deep sigh. Then she got up from the bed and opened the window wide.
Then Jane entered and handled Liv the lemon tea she had prepared.
Liv picked up the cup and took a sip. Then she stared at the rising sun.
It was the thread of fate that had returned to Liv. It once again attempted to undo the Imperial meeting as if to change everything.
This was a defining moment that could change history. A war of destiny without swords would soon begin.
Liv closed her eyes softly against the brightly emerging sun. Then Theodore came to her mind.
‘Theodore, the fate of me and Carius depends on you.’
Theodore was the only weapon that Liv could use to fight against the Empress Dowager and Edgar. The cursed child trapped in the tower.
She picked up the letter she had left in a corner of the table, the letter to Carius she wrote in advance last night.
[Your Majesty, just watch my actions at today’s Imperial meeting. No, please follow.]
Liv skimmed over what she had written again. With a determined expression on her face, she sealed the letter neatly again.
Soon, the other maids of honor entered Liv’s bedroom with various dresses and accessories.
“Your Majesty, here are the clothes for today’s imperial meeting. Which one would you like to wear?”
Jane suggested a gorgeous red full dress, but Liv said without even looking at it,
“Get ready with the black dress.”
“What? Did you say black…………?”
‘It’s time for mother to take revenge. On your behalf, my child.’
It was a battle that must end in defeat for one of them. For that reason, Liv wore a full black dress with determined eyes.
She also remembered to give the letter she had just prepared to the other maidservants.
“Hurry up and deliver this to His Majesty.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The maid received the letter carefully and went out.
Liv, who was watching her back, turned away and stood in front of the mirror. A white bloodless face accompanied by a full black dress and a tiara over her high-raised ivory hair.
Her reflection in the mirror reminded her of the funeral of Edmund, who had died earlier.
‘Today is the time for you. So please watch over me.’
Before long, tears welled up in her eyes, but Liv calmed herself down. In the prepared carriage, Liv headed for the pagoda.
In front of the tower, nine priests wearing white robes were waiting for her. Except for Chief priest Jack.
Liv got off the carriage and stood in front of them. Then everyone bowed their heads and greeted her with courtesy.
“What happened?”
At her question, one of the priests stepped forward.
“I have made the preparations as you requested. Your Majesty, you will keep your promise to give us another chance, won’t you?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
All the priests breathed a sigh of relief at Liv’s reply, and shortly afterwards a priest turned to Liv and said
“The Imperial meeting is about to begin. Let’s go, Your Majesty.”
But Liv spoke with a determined look in her eyes.
“I don’t think we should go alone.”
The priests’ faces hardened in bewilderment at her words, and Liv nodded as if she’d read their thoughts.
“What? No way……”
“I’m going to bring the Prince, so wait here.”
The priests only exchanged glances with each other at Liv’s firm voice. Soon one of the priests took her upstairs.
As Liv followed the priest to where Theodore was located, she shivered more fearfully than any time she had entered the tower. As she ascended the stairs, she prayed earnestly in her heart.
‘May God help the Prince to have courage.’
Before she knew it, she reached the front of the room and the priest opened the door.
Clank. Clank.
Soon, Theodore, crouched on the bed, came into Liv’s view. Theodore turned his head at the sign of her presence.
Then, as if he had been waiting for her, he raised his small hand toward her and made the number three with his 3 fingers.
‘Theodore was waiting for me as promised………’
Liv wiped away the tears that kept flowing. Steeling herself, she slowly walked into the room and made eye contact with Theodore. With tears still in her eyes.
“Don’t cry.”
Theodore raised his small hand to wipe away the tears running down Liv’s eyes.
“You’ve really grown up nicely, haven’t you? Even here.”
Liv swallowed her tears and turned her face away.
Jane was also quietly wiping away her tears at the sight of Theodore and Liv. Liv turned to Jane and said.
“Dress the Prince nicely. Make the nobles in the conference hall overwhelmed.”
“Yes, I will!”
Liv turned her head again and looked at Theodore. Theodore’s clear eyes were completely filled with only herself. Liv raised her hand and gave the child’s shoulder a light squeeze.
“When you go to the Imperial meeting, you have to be as mature as the Prince of the Empire. You can do that, right?”
Theodore nodded in agreement with her words. It was as if he was vowing to do well.
***
“Prince, come in!”
The door to the conference hall opened at Liv’s strong voice. Behind the door stood Theodore, dressed in a neat black uniform.
With smooth black hair and large shining blue eyes, Theodore walked proudly in and stood beside Liv.
Everyone was surprised by Theodore’s appearance and could not close their mouths. It was as if they had seen a ghost.
The Empress Dowager’s face, in particular, went completely white.
“I can’t believe it. How can the Prince in the tower…!”
The nobles in the meeting hall all froze at once, their entire bodies hardening. Some of the nobles closed their eyes to prevent the curse from falling on them.
Liv looked at the nobles and cheerfully shouted.
“You can’t just sit there when the Prince is here, get up now and be polite!”
At the sound of her overwhelming voice, the nobles had no choice but to rise from their seats. The nobles, who had been scowling at each other, eventually bowed their heads to the Prince.
Liv looked at them slowly. Then she turned her eyes straight to Edgar, who sat in the upper seat. Edgar, who was absentmindedly watching the scene, looked at Liv for a moment. She opened her mouth, staring precisely at Edgar.
“Grand Duke, you are no stranger to the imperial’s order. The Prince is here so you have to give him his seat.”
Edgar was more than a little perplexed by Liv’s words, and Empress Dowager Patricia couldn’t contain her anger, her face flushed red.
The nobles spoke in hushed tones, glancing at each other.
“The Prince must be sitting on the top seat.”
“That’s true….”
Sensing the atmosphere around him, Edgar quickly stood up.
“Please sit here, Your Imperial Highness.”
Theodore looked up at Liv with a look of fear. She smiled calmly at Theodore.
“Go and sit there, Theodore.”
“Yes, mother.”
Theodore gathered up his courage and walked to his right place. Then he took the Grand Duke’s seat.
The Empress Dowager, unable to bear this ridiculous scene, shouted at Liv.
“How did the Prince get out of the tower! Did all the priests want to be beheaded?”
They were priests who had secured their private wealth with the support of the Empress Dowager. Therefore, they were all busy avoiding her cold gaze.
At that time, one of the priests stood in front of the aristocrats despite the harsh glare.
“Our priests have been entrusted with letting His Highness out of the pagoda.”
“Have you lost your mind?!”
But as if he had already anticipated her reaction, the priest raised his head despite Patricia’s threatening glare.
“Please don’t be angry. We do this in response to God’s response, and while His Imperial Highness was in the Pagoda, he ate the dragon deity Lakra to purify his sins.”
As if the Empress Dowager couldn’t hear him properly, she raised her voice even more.
“How can such a long curse be removed?”
The nobles nodded their heads in agreement with the Dowager Empress. Patricia could not contain her anger. Liv looked at Patricia with determined eyes and said in a calm voice.
“If I don’t die, what will you do then?”
“What?”
Patricia’s eyebrows were fully raised.
“If I prove that the curse is not true…. Who here will take the deserved responsibility towards the Prince?”
“What, take responsibility!”
“The priests have agreed to this. God’s response has been entrusted to the Prince. Who would dare to oppose the Gods?”
Patricia’s angry eyes shook. The nobles were all taken aback by Liv’s words, who had subdued the Empress Dowager at once, and kept their mouths shut.
This was a different atmosphere from the imperial meeting that sent Theodore to the Tower three years ago.
Liv put more force into her voice.
“The Prince’s curse is ultimately a problem that I, as the Empress, must solve. If there’s anyone here who hides cowardly without taking responsibility and makes false rumors………….”
Liv paused. Everyone’s eyes were on her lips. Soon she calmly looked at the nobles and shouted firmly.
“You’ll be sentenced to death, and your family will perish without a page of history to show for it.”
At Liv’s words, the room immediately fell silent. The nobles who were seated were busy moving their eyes around.
The Empress Dowager looked at Liv like that and suddenly recalled the past. Because it reminded her of the time when Priest Jack came to visit her.