Chapter 8
“Were you not in good health? Why do you go for a useless walk, while roasting people every day? It seems like the Queen’s ceremony still leaves you with the energy to go for a walk, doesn’t it? Take your maids and go back to the Empress’s palace.”
When she saw Karloi shaking his hand, as if he didn’t want to look at her, Yvonne couldn’t answer. It was even more abominable to see him standing there, hurting her.
What is there to be hurt about it.
Mary Ann nodded after Yvonne was standing still for a while, without replying.
As Yvonne stood up to leave, a loud noise suddenly came from something breaking from above.
Karloi was surprised by the sound and raised his head up to see. But at that moment, his vision was blocked, and he couldn’t see anything.
Yvonne wrapped around Karloi’s head.
There was a sense of tension that made him forget even the sound of the rain for a moment. No one could make a sound and was surprised to see the Emperor and the Empress.
“Your Majesty…?”
It was Keana Roden’s voice, who had just arrived, that broke the silence.
As soon as the slightly high voice was heard, Yvonne moved away from Karloi, startled, as though she had just awakened from a dream. Grabbing the hem of her dress, Yvonne lowered her knees again.
“Sorry, Your Majesty. I unconsciously….”
Karloi was looking down at Yvonne blankly, unable to answer as he was shocked.
Then, a large twig, the size of a human’s leg, fell to the floor.
One of the branches from a large spruce tree that covered the indoor garden had fallen due to the rain. Yvonne seemed to have initially mistaken the sound of falling branches, as something collapsing.
“…Why?”
Karloi’s voice came out hoarsely. As if he was holding his breath for a long time.
“It’s nothing. I just thought something was falling.”
Again, the silence enveloped them. Kiana, who just arrived, was rolling her eyes seeing the unexpected situation.
Eventually, Yvonne raised his head slightly and spoke.
“…I was surprised. I thought Your Majesty might get hurt.”
It seemed that Keana could hear the sighs of the maids behind Yvonne. She could have made the atmosphere worse, but Keana clicked her tongue instead of saying anything.
Soft laughter flowed from Karloi as he thought the same thing. It was a laugh that couldn’t tell whether he thought it was absurd or ridiculous.
“Don’t be foolish, Empress. You don’t need to do that the next time. Anyway, go ahead.”
Karloi muttered, roughly brushing off something from the spot Yvonne had touched, as if it was dirty. Yvonne got up and slowly walked away.
Yvonne, who passed by Karloi, smelled like heavy rain and flowers. She must have stayed here for quite some time.
Yvonne’s gaze stayed on Keana for a while, Keana gave a bow. Even with Keana bowing down, Yvonne’s gaze did not fall from her.
“I told Keana to come.”
Karloi threw the word bluntly. He assumed that the reason she looked at Keana was because he said the indoor garden could only be accessed by those authorized by him.
Yvonne replied without looking back.
“Of course you did, Your Majesty.”
(T/N: she replied this in a sarcastic manner of speech.)
After replying to Karloi, Yvonne left. Keana, who was bowing her head, raised her head when Yvonne was out of sight.
She can see Karloi staring towards where Yvonne left.
“Your Majesty, why are your ears red?”
Keana asked innocently.
“I guess the Empress must have pressed my ears when she grabbed my head without thinking.”
Seeing Karloi answer without being embarrassed and remaining indifferent, Keana tilted her head.
“Why did you ask me to see you? Let’s head in and talk.”
Keana walked along Karloi into the indoor garden. All attendants, including Gorten, waited outside the indoor garden. As soon as he entered, he could smell a strong floral scent. Karloi hated it and sighed for a moment.
“My father found something strange when he was investigating.”
“For the case?”
“I’m not certain. It was fourteen years ago when Your Majesty’s kidnapping took place.”
When an unforgettable memory was mentioned, Karloi stiffened his face for a moment.
“Not long after Your Majesty’s return to the palace, the Duke fired all other Dukes, and some of his employees.”
“Why the employee?”
“After the dismissal order, it appears they all vanished. Not one was found from the two-hundred people. It was assumed that they could be dead, or that they ran off somewhere.”
“Maybe the Duke killed all of them.”
Keana nodded. The harsh conversation was contrasting the indoor garden, where all kinds of flowers are in full bloom.
“What is your opinion?”
“I think there’s a connection between the Duke and those employees who were fired. Otherwise, it would not make sense for him to get rid of them, as though he’s trying to destroy the evidence.”
“I think so, too.”
Karloi nodded and stopped.
White lilies bloomed and settled beautifully. Since it was a flower that was forced to bloom by magic, it had a strong scent.
Karloi stares at the lily, it somehow reminds him of someone. Keana sneezes beside him.
” Ugh, pollen. Anyway, this is what I thought, Your Majesty.”
Keana spoke as she rubbed her red nose with her fingers.
“The Duke changed all of the employees since the incident. Now the current employees have no clue about the incident.”
“So it would be wise to focus on finding traces of the former employees.”
“Of course, I will try to do that, but it might take a while for the result. Though if the Duke had killed them all, it would be impossible to find the traces.”
“Then what would you do?”
Keana looked down at a bunch of white lilies.
“You know one person. One person who hasn’t been replaced in the mansion except for the Duke. The person who has been here the whole time.”
Although Karloi’s face was blatantly crumpled, Keana didn’t care and spoke.
“Even if she doesn’t know anything about the incident, she is the only one who has access to the Duke or Duke’s house. The only person the Duke would not be wary of is right next to you, Your majesty.”
“Lady Roden, it sounds like you are telling me to seduce the Empress and make her mine.”
“Is there anything you can’t do?”
“It’s a side issue that I hate the Empress. The empress also hates me, so it’s impossible.”
“The issue is that I hate the Empress. The Empress also hates me, so it’s impossible.”
“That’s because Your Majesty treats her that way.”
When Karloi looked at Keana silently, she quickly lowered her head. Although realizing that she had crossed the line, she didn’t stop talking. Keana spoke carefully.
“I don’t think the Empress hates Your Majesty. I felt it during the meal, but… the way she looks at you. You can call it intuition.”
“Thank you very much, but I’m the one who’s going to try to kill the Empress’s father. How would the Empress be blinded by love and choose me, a person who is so insensitive.”
“…My father, unlike the Duke of Delois, was a kind man. He was indecisive, but compared to other people, he allowed me to freely do whatever I wanted.”
Karloi raised her eyebrows when Keana started telling her story all of a sudden.
“But look what I did, Your Majesty.”
Keana’s face turned bitter.
“I broke my father’s will to marry someone I didn’t want, and I signed a contract with Your Majesty for the reason that I wanted to love whoever I want, knowing it would put my father at risk.”
“So?”
“I could do all that, but what about Her Majesty the Empress? Unless you’re an idiot, you know that the Duke is garbage.”
Understanding what Keana wanted to say, Karloi sighs annoyingly with a tired face.
“Okay, fine, I understand, so stop talking about this. I’ll think about it.”
What a joke. This is a crazy plan. It was annoying enough to touch Yvonne. What kind of temptation and love is she talking about?
“Thank you, Your Majesty. That’s all I have to say. May I go now? It’s difficult to stay here because there are so many flowers.”
As Karloi nodded, Keana exhaled a big sigh of relief and bowed. She darted towards the door but was called by Karloi once again. Keana paused and looked back.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Do you know that the offer could be very cruel to the Empress? It could be even crueler than me.”
Keana had no answer.
“If I do what you say, the Empress will sell her father out of love and drive him to his death. Even so, that love would be a lie. I will never love the Empress.”
Keana listened to Karloi without any response.
“Then there will be no family, love, status, anything left to the Empress. Without her father, she wouldn’t even be the Empress.”
It was then that Keana smiled at Karloi’s words.
“That can’t be helped, because my love is more important to me.”
Keana politely bowed again.
“If you are blinded by love, you’ll lose sight, Your Majesty. There is nothing in sight… so it’s good to use that to your advantage.
After saying that, Keana left the Enturarum.
Karloi smelled the strong scent of lilies and chewed the words long. To say that he is blinded by love. He knew the meaning of it better than anyone else.
The reason why the Dynasty was eaten by the Duke of Delois, was because of that crazy love.
Karloi’s grandfather, who was brilliant, was blinded by love, so he ignored everyone’s opposition and fought a war forcibly to win the love of a foreign Princess.
The long-lasting war brought defeat, the kingship was weakened, and the Duke of Delois became influential.
As long as he remembered his memory instead of his grandfather, as long as he remembered whose life was sacrificed for his… Karloi would never be a man who could love someone.
Whether it was fortunate or not, Karloi does not know himself.