It was large and magnificent, befitting its name as the castle of the five Dukes of the empire.
However.
‘Why is the atmosphere...’
Deborah felt it from the village, but it didn't seem like a place where people lived at all.
Even the Oroz estate, which has a smaller population than other noble families, is not like this.
Even though it was much warmer than the north where she had been staying, she felt a strange chill.
Deborah followed him for a long time with such a puzzled look on her face.
The butler arrived at the heavy door and announced Deborah's arrival, and as soon as he finished speaking, the door opened.
“Come in, Deborah.”
Graham leaned back on a chair in the center of the hall and greeted Deborah.
He looked down at her with his red eyes and golden hair, befitting a man of royal blood.
'Is that the Emperor...?'
Deborah's gaze, which was looking at the Emperor with curious eyes as she met him for the first time, reached his neck.
The rumor that he had once died was not false, for the Emperor's neck clearly showed a sword cut.
Deborah was looking at the wound and making all sorts of guesses.
Graham stepped down from the stage and approached Deborah.
“You’ve grown up so well, Deborah. You’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady. You really look like Charles.”
Charles was a nickname for Charlotte, the former Duchess of Oroz and Deborah's mother.
He deliberately showed off his friendship with Deborah's mother by mentioning the nickname Charles.
“If the carriage accident hadn’t happened that day, Charles would have been standing next to you...”
He smacked his lips as if he was truly sorry.
Deborah's mother died when her carriage fell off a cliff on the way back from meeting the Emperor, but Graham didn't bother to point that out.
“Still, I am so happy that you have awakened as the successor of the Oroz family in such a wonderful way. Charles will surely be happy in heaven.”
But Deborah couldn't concentrate on the Emperor's words, which were full of good words.
That would be the case because the Emperor gave off a terrible smell.
'What on earth is that smell?'
She had never smelled it before, but it was so foul that she thought it might be the exact smell of a rotting corpse.
She was proud that there was no smell in the world more horrible than this.
But it is impossible to reveal that to the Emperor.
Deborah answered him, trying to hold her breath.
"...Thank you for telling me, Your Majesty.”
Graham spoke to her in a gentle voice.
“First of all, the journey must have been difficult, and I’ve been holding you back for too long when you’re tired. Besides, Deborah, you’re not in good health.”
As he spoke, the Emperor patted Deborah on the shoulder and gave an order.
“Ernest. You show Deborah to her room.”
"Yes."
Only then did Deborah realize that there was someone else on the stage besides the Emperor, and she turned her gaze.
Deborah's eyes opened wide as the man hidden in the shadows appeared.
'His Highness the Crown Prince?'
Although she had never seen Ernest's face in person, she recognized him at a glance.
Because there was only one family in the empire with golden hair and red eyes.
“Come this way.”
“Yes? Yes...”
Ernest, who was staring at Deborah indifferently, who could not hide her surprise, gestured to her, and Deborah followed him.
As the two of them left, Graham's smiling expression hardened.
“Paulo.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor silenced the sound and called out to Duke Philosykos, who was standing quietly behind him.
Even the Emperor was not unaware of the rotten smell coming from him.
However.
‘Why is the atmosphere...’
Deborah felt it from the village, but it didn't seem like a place where people lived at all.
Even the Oroz estate, which has a smaller population than other noble families, is not like this.
Even though it was much warmer than the north where she had been staying, she felt a strange chill.
Deborah followed him for a long time with such a puzzled look on her face.
The butler arrived at the heavy door and announced Deborah's arrival, and as soon as he finished speaking, the door opened.
“Come in, Deborah.”
Graham leaned back on a chair in the center of the hall and greeted Deborah.
He looked down at her with his red eyes and golden hair, befitting a man of royal blood.
'Is that the Emperor...?'
Deborah's gaze, which was looking at the Emperor with curious eyes as she met him for the first time, reached his neck.
The rumor that he had once died was not false, for the Emperor's neck clearly showed a sword cut.
Deborah was looking at the wound and making all sorts of guesses.
Graham stepped down from the stage and approached Deborah.
“You’ve grown up so well, Deborah. You’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady. You really look like Charles.”
Charles was a nickname for Charlotte, the former Duchess of Oroz and Deborah's mother.
He deliberately showed off his friendship with Deborah's mother by mentioning the nickname Charles.
“If the carriage accident hadn’t happened that day, Charles would have been standing next to you...”
He smacked his lips as if he was truly sorry.
Deborah's mother died when her carriage fell off a cliff on the way back from meeting the Emperor, but Graham didn't bother to point that out.
“Still, I am so happy that you have awakened as the successor of the Oroz family in such a wonderful way. Charles will surely be happy in heaven.”
But Deborah couldn't concentrate on the Emperor's words, which were full of good words.
That would be the case because the Emperor gave off a terrible smell.
'What on earth is that smell?'
She had never smelled it before, but it was so foul that she thought it might be the exact smell of a rotting corpse.
She was proud that there was no smell in the world more horrible than this.
But it is impossible to reveal that to the Emperor.
Deborah answered him, trying to hold her breath.
"...Thank you for telling me, Your Majesty.”
Graham spoke to her in a gentle voice.
“First of all, the journey must have been difficult, and I’ve been holding you back for too long when you’re tired. Besides, Deborah, you’re not in good health.”
As he spoke, the Emperor patted Deborah on the shoulder and gave an order.
“Ernest. You show Deborah to her room.”
"Yes."
Only then did Deborah realize that there was someone else on the stage besides the Emperor, and she turned her gaze.
Deborah's eyes opened wide as the man hidden in the shadows appeared.
'His Highness the Crown Prince?'
Although she had never seen Ernest's face in person, she recognized him at a glance.
Because there was only one family in the empire with golden hair and red eyes.
“Come this way.”
“Yes? Yes...”
Ernest, who was staring at Deborah indifferently, who could not hide her surprise, gestured to her, and Deborah followed him.
As the two of them left, Graham's smiling expression hardened.
“Paulo.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor silenced the sound and called out to Duke Philosykos, who was standing quietly behind him.
“Deborah must have been playing a role because she was trying so hard not to be embarrassed.”
She just has no choice but to stay still.
"Noticing Graham's mood deteriorating,"
"Noticing Graham's mood deteriorating,"
Paulo replied.
“It’s because your body isn’t fully formed yet, so don’t worry too much. This problem will go away as soon as you get Riventia back.”
“Reventiara...”
He clicked his tongue as if in annoyance.
“Are you sure that Riventia is in their hands?”
“Yes. I heard from Ires, who arrived first, that the daughter of Jupiter was wearing it around her neck on the day of the coronation.”
Ires, who had escaped the palace with Deborah, arrived at Gertz before her and reported the situation.
That Bellona had been given the title of Duchess of Jupiter on the day of the Emperor's coronation and that she had a Riventia around her neck.
He added that because of this, the rumors of an affair between Bellona and Carsis were further fueled.
“I thought her real name was Bellona?”
Graham remembered the first time he saw Elizabeth.
"Your Majesty, shall I tell you something interesting? It will give you a refreshing pleasure, as you must be tired from running the country."
Usually, when you first see the Emperor, you tend to cringe.
Elizabeth was unusually bold for her age when she spoke to him, offering to introduce him to a new toy.
“Surely that child is a survivor of the Jupiter family.”
That girl, who was younger than him now, must have been gnashing her teeth at him as she said those words.
When the Emperor first saw Elizabeth, he took a liking to her.
Because she showed a cruelty that was not typical of her Cretian blood.
He had no doubt that a woman like that would complement Ernest's extremely weak weaknesses.
Of course, the last time he saw her in a white dress, she looked quite fragile, restless and anxious, unlike his first impression.
But that child was of the blood of Jupiter.
The child was the one in the prophecy who would kill himself.
How much effort had been put into erasing that prophecy?
In the past, he was overcome with annoyance at the thought that his efforts to destroy the House of Jupiter had been in vain.
How much effort had gone into cutting them out?
Tch.
The Emperor sat down on the platform with angry steps.
There was only one way for Bellona to have the necklace.
“We have to bring them here.”
The Emperor could not attack the capital himself.
In the first place, there were no troops to invade it, and even if there were, it would not have been easy to recapture it.
“But how do we bring them in...”
It was while he was sweeping his chin, thinking like that.
Paulo approached the Emperor.
“How about using that woman?”
“That woman?”
“I heard that before the rebellion in the palace, there was a fire at the Duke of Cretian’s residence. Because of that, the Duke and Duchess of Cretian went to the mansion to escape the fire. Of course, the Duke died when he returned to the palace.”
The Emperor let out a hollow laugh when he heard that.
“But since they’ve been together since she was young, she saved her life, right?”
“Maybe it means more than that.”
For a moment, the corners of the Emperor's mouth twitched as if a good thought had crossed his mind as he pictured someone's face.
“Then I guess it would be good to try it out. So where is that woman?”
“Don’t worry, it’s very close.”
“Then let me see if you can set the table.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. If you leave it to me, I will do my best to live up to your expectations."
The Emperor nodded, satisfied with Paulo's answer.
Immediately afterwards, a fierce smile appeared on Paulo's face.
The room Deborah was assigned was ordinary.
No, actually, she should say she was a little disappointed.
Although it was impossible to compare the Imperial Palace with the mansion of a common Duke, Deborah pursed her lips at the room that fell short of her expectations.
But that doesn't mean she can complain.
Deborah sighed softly and lay down on the bed as if trying to relieve her fatigue.
“By the way, the Crown Prince is different from the rumors.”
She looked up at the ceiling and tried to picture in her mind the face of the Crown Prince she had seen just a moment ago.
According to rumors, Crown Prince Ernest was said to have a more affectionate personality than anyone else.
He was a nobleman who was always gentle and kind to everyone.
However, the Crown Prince that Deborah actually saw was quite different from what was rumored.
She would say he is closer to a rough mercenary than a nobleman.
It was as if winter had come early only to him, and she couldn't even bring herself to talk to him because of the cold air he gave off.
Everything here was different from what she had expected.
Both the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
Deborah, unable to stop another sigh from bursting out, rummaged through her pockets and took out a small glass bottle.
“Still, it’s fortunate that I brought Carsis’ blood.”
The blood in the vial was Carsis's, which she had carried with her in case of an emergency.
Her pride was hurt, but this was the only cure for her.
“If this hadn’t existed...”
Deborah shuddered at the thought of almost drinking the Emperor's blood, which smelled horrible.
It seemed as if the Emperor's strong scent was still lingering in her nose.
Deborah, who had been shaking her shoulders as if trying to erase the terrible memories, sat up.
“I’m a little thirsty.”
Deborah, who wanted to drink some warm tea in the constantly cold air that enveloped the mansion, searched for a rope to call the maid.
But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find a single one of those common ropes.
Eventually, Deborah gave up on finding the rope and left the room to call the maid herself.
The problem was that the structure of the mansion was more complex than expected.
It's already been 30 minutes since she left the room.
She was getting tired and giving up because she couldn't find even a single person passing by, let alone the kitchen.
Deborah stopped in her tracks when she heard a voice from a room she had passed by without thinking.
'Are you a maid?'
Deborah's face brightened at the sound of a woman's voice coming from beyond the door.
It didn't matter whether the person inside was a maid or a guest staying in the mansion.
Because now she felt like going back to her room, let alone having a cup of warm tea.
It was when Deborah grabbed the doorknob to ask someone in the room for directions.
“It’s because your body isn’t fully formed yet, so don’t worry too much. This problem will go away as soon as you get Riventia back.”
“Reventiara...”
He clicked his tongue as if in annoyance.
“Are you sure that Riventia is in their hands?”
“Yes. I heard from Ires, who arrived first, that the daughter of Jupiter was wearing it around her neck on the day of the coronation.”
Ires, who had escaped the palace with Deborah, arrived at Gertz before her and reported the situation.
That Bellona had been given the title of Duchess of Jupiter on the day of the Emperor's coronation and that she had a Riventia around her neck.
He added that because of this, the rumors of an affair between Bellona and Carsis were further fueled.
“I thought her real name was Bellona?”
Graham remembered the first time he saw Elizabeth.
"Your Majesty, shall I tell you something interesting? It will give you a refreshing pleasure, as you must be tired from running the country."
Usually, when you first see the Emperor, you tend to cringe.
Elizabeth was unusually bold for her age when she spoke to him, offering to introduce him to a new toy.
“Surely that child is a survivor of the Jupiter family.”
That girl, who was younger than him now, must have been gnashing her teeth at him as she said those words.
When the Emperor first saw Elizabeth, he took a liking to her.
Because she showed a cruelty that was not typical of her Cretian blood.
He had no doubt that a woman like that would complement Ernest's extremely weak weaknesses.
Of course, the last time he saw her in a white dress, she looked quite fragile, restless and anxious, unlike his first impression.
But that child was of the blood of Jupiter.
The child was the one in the prophecy who would kill himself.
How much effort had been put into erasing that prophecy?
In the past, he was overcome with annoyance at the thought that his efforts to destroy the House of Jupiter had been in vain.
How much effort had gone into cutting them out?
Tch.
The Emperor sat down on the platform with angry steps.
There was only one way for Bellona to have the necklace.
“We have to bring them here.”
The Emperor could not attack the capital himself.
In the first place, there were no troops to invade it, and even if there were, it would not have been easy to recapture it.
“But how do we bring them in...”
It was while he was sweeping his chin, thinking like that.
Paulo approached the Emperor.
“How about using that woman?”
“That woman?”
“I heard that before the rebellion in the palace, there was a fire at the Duke of Cretian’s residence. Because of that, the Duke and Duchess of Cretian went to the mansion to escape the fire. Of course, the Duke died when he returned to the palace.”
The Emperor let out a hollow laugh when he heard that.
“But since they’ve been together since she was young, she saved her life, right?”
“Maybe it means more than that.”
For a moment, the corners of the Emperor's mouth twitched as if a good thought had crossed his mind as he pictured someone's face.
“Then I guess it would be good to try it out. So where is that woman?”
“Don’t worry, it’s very close.”
“Then let me see if you can set the table.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. If you leave it to me, I will do my best to live up to your expectations."
The Emperor nodded, satisfied with Paulo's answer.
Immediately afterwards, a fierce smile appeared on Paulo's face.
***
The room Deborah was assigned was ordinary.
No, actually, she should say she was a little disappointed.
Although it was impossible to compare the Imperial Palace with the mansion of a common Duke, Deborah pursed her lips at the room that fell short of her expectations.
But that doesn't mean she can complain.
Deborah sighed softly and lay down on the bed as if trying to relieve her fatigue.
“By the way, the Crown Prince is different from the rumors.”
She looked up at the ceiling and tried to picture in her mind the face of the Crown Prince she had seen just a moment ago.
According to rumors, Crown Prince Ernest was said to have a more affectionate personality than anyone else.
He was a nobleman who was always gentle and kind to everyone.
However, the Crown Prince that Deborah actually saw was quite different from what was rumored.
She would say he is closer to a rough mercenary than a nobleman.
It was as if winter had come early only to him, and she couldn't even bring herself to talk to him because of the cold air he gave off.
Everything here was different from what she had expected.
Both the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
Deborah, unable to stop another sigh from bursting out, rummaged through her pockets and took out a small glass bottle.
“Still, it’s fortunate that I brought Carsis’ blood.”
The blood in the vial was Carsis's, which she had carried with her in case of an emergency.
Her pride was hurt, but this was the only cure for her.
“If this hadn’t existed...”
Deborah shuddered at the thought of almost drinking the Emperor's blood, which smelled horrible.
It seemed as if the Emperor's strong scent was still lingering in her nose.
Deborah, who had been shaking her shoulders as if trying to erase the terrible memories, sat up.
“I’m a little thirsty.”
Deborah, who wanted to drink some warm tea in the constantly cold air that enveloped the mansion, searched for a rope to call the maid.
But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find a single one of those common ropes.
Eventually, Deborah gave up on finding the rope and left the room to call the maid herself.
The problem was that the structure of the mansion was more complex than expected.
It's already been 30 minutes since she left the room.
She was getting tired and giving up because she couldn't find even a single person passing by, let alone the kitchen.
Deborah stopped in her tracks when she heard a voice from a room she had passed by without thinking.
'Are you a maid?'
Deborah's face brightened at the sound of a woman's voice coming from beyond the door.
It didn't matter whether the person inside was a maid or a guest staying in the mansion.
Because now she felt like going back to her room, let alone having a cup of warm tea.
It was when Deborah grabbed the doorknob to ask someone in the room for directions.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment