The Emperor, whom I had met after a few days, still looked haggard. Of course, the deposed Prince was currently being Interrogated while in custody. As a result, all the evil deeds he had committed so far were revealed to the world. Even the things he had done to my grandfather and mother ten years ago. And yesterday, the final judgment was finally handed down on him.
He was scheduled to be hanged in front of everyone in the square a few days later. The country had finally had the cancer removed after much pain, but I couldn't even imagine what the deposed Prince's father, the Emperor, would think. The Emperor sighed deeply and began to speak.
"My late brother had a great desire for the throne. The traitor baited him by promising to take back the throne by pushing me aside, and made him a puppet."
The Emperor's eyes were stained with deep regret as he brought up the old story.
"Then my brother was captured, and he lost his puppet... Now, he made my son a new substitute. My son foolishly fell for it."
The Emperor said, touching his wrinkled eyes.
"It is all my fault. And, more than anything, the two of you played a great part in overcoming this crisis."
The Emperor's eyes alternated between me and Dante, then settled on me.
"Sir Eduardo Lopez, who was murdered while trying to expose the treason, will be awarded the Imperial Medal. I hope this will bring you some comfort, Duchess."
I clenched my fists. Being awarded the Imperial Medal meant that my grandfather was being hailed as a national hero. Although it was too late, the truth from ten years ago had finally been revealed. Perhaps it would be meaningless to my grandfather and mother who were now in eternal sleep...
If, as the legend goes, the dead sometimes turn into wind and look down on the living, I hope this fact will bring you some comfort.
I prayed with all my heart. The Emperor sighed faintly and wiped his face with a tired expression.
"I am now old, and I have lost my successor in the worst way. The greatest responsibility of an Emperor is to pass the throne to a worthy successor, but in the end, I ended up becoming a failed monarch. For that alone, history will record me as an incompetent Emperor."
The Emperor, who had been talking for a long time with a sigh, gave Dante a subtle nod.
"So what I'm saying is, Duke."
Ahem. The Emperor coughed slightly and spoke in a slightly more affectionate tone.
"My sugar."
"... For a moment, I doubted my ears.
'Sugar?'
Dante is the son of the Emperor's cousin? When I blankly looked back at Dante, he furrowed his brow as if he was displeased by the sudden change in title, but did not show any further reaction.
'Yes, by the way, the Duke of Heigenberg has imperial blood.'
That meant that Dante could also become a successor to the throne.
'Oh, no way.'
I opened my eyes wide because I thought I knew what was going to happen next. The emperor said as expected.
"Will you succeed me?"
Knock.
At that moment, I thought I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. I looked back at Dante with my eyes wide open. The Emperor had offered Dante the throne. I had no idea what kind of ripples this would cause. My mind instantly became a tangled mess like a ball of thread. But...
"No."
A clear voice cut off the threads that were about to come together like an axe. Dante's expression didn't change at all after he immediately refused. Unlike me who was surprised, the Emperor simply groaned as if he had expected the answer. Then he looked back at me this time.
"Duchess."
The Emperor's eyes looking at me were strangely pitiful.
"How about you persuade the Duke?"
'Me?'
I looked back at Dante blankly again.
Emperor. That was definitely a brilliant name to hear. Becoming Emperor was something anyone would want. If he just accepted that offer, Dante would have the empire, no. Becoming the most powerful person on the continent. It was an unspeakable honor.
'But... Honor certainly comes with responsibility.'
The moment Dante receives the crown, he will never be able to live as an ordinary individual again. Am I being too selfish to even think like this?
I was chewing on the inside of my mouth, not knowing what to do.
"Don't say strange things to my wife, Your Majesty."
Dante said with a hardened expression. It was an impudent tone to say to the Emperor, but this time, as expected, the Emperor only showed a dissatisfied expression.
"And why doesn't Your Majesty have a successor? Isn't there another one?"
As he said that, Dante looked somewhere. I also absentmindedly turned my gaze there. The one standing at the end of Dante's gaze was Katarina.
"Your grown daughter."
Everyone's gaze was fixed on the Princess. Katarina, who suddenly became the center of attention, opened her eyes wide.
"... Are you talking about me?"
"Yes, Your Highness the Princess."
Certainly, no provision in the Imperial Law said a woman could not become the Emperor. It was not like there had ever been an Empress before. Katarina blinked several times and exhaled.
"Well... Well, I appreciate your honest words, but..."
Katarina continued, furrowing her brow slightly as if she had a headache.
"What do you think I know about running an Empire? All I've learned is how to dance, sing, and draw gracefully."
'Lies.'
I knew that the Princess's words were a lie. Of course, there may be many who think so, and even the Princess herself seemed to be one of them. But I wasn't one of them.
"I also agree with what my husband said."
I slowly opened my mouth. This time, all eyes were on me. Katarina also looked at me with disbelieving eyes.
"I believe that Your Highness the Princess has enough qualities to be a great monarch."
"Duchess?"
Katarina interjected with a puzzled look, but I continued.
"When my husband was away on a campaign, Your Highness the Princess supported me when I came to the palace alone to report to the Minister of State."
It wasn't just words that supported me. Recalling that memory, I continued slowly.
"The evidence Your Highness the Princess has personally collected has been the decisive factor in moving His Majesty's heart. I believe that is the proof that Your Highness the Princess has the most important qualities to become a ruler."
"The most important qualities to become a ruler?"
The Emperor, who had been listening with a cold face as if someone had dared to hit him in the back of the head, spoke for the first time.
"What do you think that is, Duchess?"
The Emperor's gaze turned to me. Swallowing my tension, I continued in a calm voice.
"It's my concern for the Empire."
Unlike the Crown Prince who thought of the Empire as his own spoils of war and tried to destroy it when he couldn't obtain it, Katarina had always been genuinely concerned about the Empire. Even when no one was grateful for the Princess's efforts.
"Duchess, thank you for your words, but you are overestimating me."
Katarina repeatedly denied it with a bewildered expression. It seemed that she had never expected this development. The Emperor, who had been staring at her, opened his mouth.
"Thank you for your opinion, Duchess. And Katarina. Let's talk."
Katarina's expression became blank at the serious and earnest tone.
***
As I left the audience room, I sorted out my bewildered feelings. Would Katarina really ascend to the throne?
I didn't know. In fact, there was something else that was more important to me. I cautiously looked up at Dante, who was walking beside me.
"Excuse me, Duke. Are you really okay with that?"
"What?"
"You rejected His Majesty's offer."
Even though he had dismissed the position that many people had been hoping for, Dante's expression was not different from his usual one. Dante looked back at me, smiled, and asked.
"Do you want to be Empress, Ariana?"
"Huh? No! That's not what I was trying to say...!"
I hurriedly waved my hand, worried that he might have taken it as the question of regret for not becoming an Empress, but Dante laughed even harder and whispered.
"If you have any thoughts, tell me. Now."
It was a casual tone as if he were asking me to go shopping at the market. I was flustered for a moment, but Dante stopped walking and gently pulled me closer, saying.
"But even without that annoying position, I'm confident that I can make you the most precious woman in the world."
"..."
My eyes widened at the unexpected words.
"And I."
Dante paused. for a moment and lifted my hand. I held my breath at his next action.
"I am extremely satisfied with my current position as your husband."
After saying that, Dante kissed the back of my hand.
"..."
I couldn't say anything. The gaze that was staring down at me, and more than anything, the words I had just heard made my heart race as if they had legs.
'What should I do?'
I wanted to return those wonderful words. Now that I think about it, I still haven't been able to tell Dante what I promised myself I would tell him when he woke up. However, my heart was beating so fast that I could only move, my lips like an idiot, and say nothing. If I opened my mouth now, I felt like my voice would tremble like a goat's.
Dante, who had been watching me frozen in place, smiled broadly and said.
"Ariana. You said there was a place you wanted to show me, right?"
I barely nodded my head slightly. Dante pulled me by the waist and whispered
sweetly in my ear.
"Let's go now."
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