The sound of laughter and sobbing slowly began to die down.
“...”
As she realized her situation and laughed, her chest, which had been rising and falling violently as if she had been running, slowly calmed down. Amelia grabbed the tabletop and stood up from her seat. Then she wiped her wet face with her hand again and wiped the moisture off her skirt.
Don't lie around weakly. Think of the cruel man who might kill your child, and think of what you have to do.
Amelia slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if trying to collect her thoughts. This was not the time to be foolishly absorbed in emotions like despair.
“Your Ladyship.”
A belated knock followed.
“Come in, Louis.”
Amelia, recognizing that the familiar voice was Louis, allowed her to enter. Louis was momentarily taken aback when she saw Amelia's disheveled attire.
“Are you okay? What if the Emperor does something...”
“There was no such thing.”
Louis hurried over and examined Amelia’s face. There was no major damage except for the broken pearl decoration. Amelia’s denial also confirmed her guess.
“Then why did the clothes turn out like this?”
“Don’t dwell on things that don’t matter, Louis.”
Amelia gave a short answer. It was a cold response that made Louis, who had been worried about her, feel embarrassed. Louis quickly became angry and stuck out her lips.
“I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
However, she did pay attention to Amelia's questions. No matter what, she was the Priestess's maid, so she couldn't pretend not to know her name.
“The Duke of Russell.”
Louis flinched reflexively at the familiar title.
“Is he your and Aaron’s real owner?”
Amelia asked. Louis blinked for a moment without answering. Since she had never even mentioned the Duke of Russell to Amelia, it was somewhat surprising that she had noticed his identity.
“What are you talking about...”
Louis mumbled and trailed off.
“We all know there is no such thing as God anyway.”
But Amelia did not back down easily.
“And yet you and Aaron continue to relay someone’s orders to me. If you and Aaron could hear the voice of God, there would be no need to go against me, since he would be human like us.”
Every word she said made sense and was reasonable. Louis rolled her eyes, taken aback by the sudden, unexpected question.
“And he must be the person the Emperor hates the most.”
“I’m also in a position to hear it from my brother, so I don’t really know what you’re talking about.”
All she could do was deny it and stretch out. Amelia noticed this and smiled briefly. Louis stared at the sharp anticipation in Amelia’s eyes with unfamiliarity.
“Really? Even if I go to the Emperor right now and tell him that Ian is actually my child born from my own stomach, wouldn’t he understand?”
Louis opened her mouth, unable to say a word. She didn’t know that Ivan already knew that Ian was his son. Aaron was so good at manipulating human psychology that he would have dragged Amelia into doing what he wanted, but Louis was not like that.
“My Lady. Why are you doing this?”
Louis asked with a face that looked like she was going crazy. It was only natural that Amelia was caught up in the sudden chaos without being prepared for it.
“If the Emperor could kill my child, what wouldn’t I do?”
That's why. There was no way to stop Amelia's eyes from rolling back when she heard the voice threatening her child. If Aaron had been there, he would have stopped her by force, but it would have been difficult for Louis alone.
“Tell the Duke of Russell that I wish to see him.”
Louis sighed deeply at Amelia's command.
“I don’t think he’ll respond.”
Finally, Louis sighed and said, It was true, it was uncertain whether the Duke of Russell would really respond to Amelia's call.
“No, he will. If it doesn’t work out, I will send Aaron in.”
Amelia answered with a faint smile. Louis nodded her head absentmindedly, as it was an action that could not be shown without confidence. Then she went out the door while keeping an eye on Amelia's expression. There was no way to win against a woman who had gone mad.
“...”
As soon as Louis left, Amelia pulled her arms out of her exposed dress. The ivory silk dress fell limply to the floor with a thud. Her small feet stepped on the tear-soaked dress and pearls.
“That’s why we learn from a young age to kill and eliminate anything that poses a threat.”
She knew that he wasn't just talking about Ian. He was talking about Ian, Duke Russell, Aaron, and her. In fact, he didn't care if the rest of them died. She was the same.
But shouldn't we protect our children?
That one will move Amelia. Amelia, wearing a gown over her bare body, turned her gaze to the vanity mirror.
She met eyes with an expressionless woman. The pitch-black color that showed no signs of worry or hesitation was impressive.
“You have found the servant of the ugly god.”
Two days later, the Duke of Russell came to see Amelia. His attitude was so polite that he seemed like a devout man who truly served Amelia as God's representative.
“You are truly my god.”
But that was just a thorough act. The Duke of Russell looked embarrassed as if he had no idea what Amelia was talking about.
“Just by complying with my request, you are proving that everything I suspected was true. Why should I continue to delay?”
The Duke of Russell chuckled at Amelia's comment. It was just a good-natured laugh.
“What were you thinking?”
“...”
“Actually, that’s what I wanted to ask, so I came here today.”
However, it was not hard to notice that he was not as good as he sounded. The place where the awkwardness disappeared was filled with a blank expression. The voice asking the question was also extremely cold.
“To discuss God’s will in front of so many people and ask that the child be made Crown Prince...”
The Duke of Russell stroked his beard leisurely.
“It’s something I wasn’t even asked to do.”
Amelia paused, unable to deny what he said.
“This isn’t what I wanted from you.”
“...”
“It’s something you just have to do once, but is your body that valuable?”
The Duke of Russell's narrow eyes slowly descended from Amelia's head. His gaze, looking at her breasts, which had become even more voluptuous after giving birth, was more regretful than sinister. There was no better way to seduce a man.
“I’m not the type of person who likes things to go wrong with plans, so the current situation is very unpleasant.”
Besides, the Duke of Russell knew a few things for sure. Ivan was a man who had great confidence and pride in being the Emperor. He would never allow someone who was not even his son to be brought before his eyes and be made a member of the Imperial family. No matter how much she tried to use the excuse of an oracle, the Emperor would rebel, and many people would surely support his opinion. That would cause a rift in the power he had worked so hard to create.
In addition, the blood of the royal family is connected by blood. Everyone believed so. Even the Duke of Russell did not think that was impossible. Therefore, the false oracle given by Amelia was something that went against all beliefs.
“What happened has already happened, so we have to deal with it first.”
In fact, it was fortunate that Amelia was not stabbed to death by Ivan on the spot. If she had been, everything would have collapsed. Fortunately, even the world-famous Ivan Wade Escliffe seemed to have found it too risky to turn his back on the temple that the people supported.
So the Duke of Russell thought, since Amelia would never succeed in seducing the Emperor, he must now make Amelia's offspring the Crown Prince, the stepping stone to becoming Emperor.
“He will never obediently follow instructions to acknowledge someone as his child, even though they are not his children.”
“...”
“But since you have already decided to have the child recognized as the Emperor’s descendant instead of seducing the Emperor, you must make it so.”
The Duke of Russell spoke calmly. At first glance, it seemed like he was saying that he would do his best to follow Amelia's decision, but in reality, it was more like he was pressuring her to do whatever it takes to make it happen since it was her choice.
“I need something to move him.”
She knew that the Duke of Russell would act in that manner. Even if it had been Aaron instead of the Duke of Russell, it would have been the same. Amelia was not surprised by their cruelty and got back to the main point.
“I think so too.”
“Please tell me how.”
The Duke of Russell agreed.
“You must exert your greatest strength.”
And he told Amelia to do what she could. At that moment, Amelia thought about what else she could do besides relaying other people's stories. Until now, Amelia's world had been like a lake that had no water flowing in, and it had remained stagnant even as time passed. Now, it was familiar.
“Didn’t you do it without permission this time?”
“…Are you telling me to issue a fake trust?”
As if he had noticed Amelia, the Duke of Russell gave a hint. Instead of answering Amelia's question, he smiled.
“No matter how much the Emperor rebels, the belief in the sacred legend that has continued for 200 years cannot be easily broken.”
It was difficult to answer indirectly, but Amelia's guess was correct.
“But what kind of story should I tell...”
Amelia muttered and pondered. The Duke of Russell didn't say anything. His attitude, as if he were wondering if she had to think about such an obvious problem, gave off a similar vibe to Aaron.
So Amelia naturally thought of Aaron. What the hell was that Aaron doing best?
Fortunately, they were able to obtain results in no time.
“Is this a threat disguised as a trust?”
It was violence and intimidation.
“...”
As she realized her situation and laughed, her chest, which had been rising and falling violently as if she had been running, slowly calmed down. Amelia grabbed the tabletop and stood up from her seat. Then she wiped her wet face with her hand again and wiped the moisture off her skirt.
Don't lie around weakly. Think of the cruel man who might kill your child, and think of what you have to do.
Amelia slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if trying to collect her thoughts. This was not the time to be foolishly absorbed in emotions like despair.
“Your Ladyship.”
A belated knock followed.
“Come in, Louis.”
Amelia, recognizing that the familiar voice was Louis, allowed her to enter. Louis was momentarily taken aback when she saw Amelia's disheveled attire.
“Are you okay? What if the Emperor does something...”
“There was no such thing.”
Louis hurried over and examined Amelia’s face. There was no major damage except for the broken pearl decoration. Amelia’s denial also confirmed her guess.
“Then why did the clothes turn out like this?”
“Don’t dwell on things that don’t matter, Louis.”
Amelia gave a short answer. It was a cold response that made Louis, who had been worried about her, feel embarrassed. Louis quickly became angry and stuck out her lips.
“I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
However, she did pay attention to Amelia's questions. No matter what, she was the Priestess's maid, so she couldn't pretend not to know her name.
“The Duke of Russell.”
Louis flinched reflexively at the familiar title.
“Is he your and Aaron’s real owner?”
Amelia asked. Louis blinked for a moment without answering. Since she had never even mentioned the Duke of Russell to Amelia, it was somewhat surprising that she had noticed his identity.
“What are you talking about...”
Louis mumbled and trailed off.
“We all know there is no such thing as God anyway.”
But Amelia did not back down easily.
“And yet you and Aaron continue to relay someone’s orders to me. If you and Aaron could hear the voice of God, there would be no need to go against me, since he would be human like us.”
Every word she said made sense and was reasonable. Louis rolled her eyes, taken aback by the sudden, unexpected question.
“And he must be the person the Emperor hates the most.”
“I’m also in a position to hear it from my brother, so I don’t really know what you’re talking about.”
All she could do was deny it and stretch out. Amelia noticed this and smiled briefly. Louis stared at the sharp anticipation in Amelia’s eyes with unfamiliarity.
“Really? Even if I go to the Emperor right now and tell him that Ian is actually my child born from my own stomach, wouldn’t he understand?”
Louis opened her mouth, unable to say a word. She didn’t know that Ivan already knew that Ian was his son. Aaron was so good at manipulating human psychology that he would have dragged Amelia into doing what he wanted, but Louis was not like that.
“My Lady. Why are you doing this?”
Louis asked with a face that looked like she was going crazy. It was only natural that Amelia was caught up in the sudden chaos without being prepared for it.
“If the Emperor could kill my child, what wouldn’t I do?”
That's why. There was no way to stop Amelia's eyes from rolling back when she heard the voice threatening her child. If Aaron had been there, he would have stopped her by force, but it would have been difficult for Louis alone.
“Tell the Duke of Russell that I wish to see him.”
Louis sighed deeply at Amelia's command.
“I don’t think he’ll respond.”
Finally, Louis sighed and said, It was true, it was uncertain whether the Duke of Russell would really respond to Amelia's call.
“No, he will. If it doesn’t work out, I will send Aaron in.”
Amelia answered with a faint smile. Louis nodded her head absentmindedly, as it was an action that could not be shown without confidence. Then she went out the door while keeping an eye on Amelia's expression. There was no way to win against a woman who had gone mad.
“...”
As soon as Louis left, Amelia pulled her arms out of her exposed dress. The ivory silk dress fell limply to the floor with a thud. Her small feet stepped on the tear-soaked dress and pearls.
“That’s why we learn from a young age to kill and eliminate anything that poses a threat.”
She knew that he wasn't just talking about Ian. He was talking about Ian, Duke Russell, Aaron, and her. In fact, he didn't care if the rest of them died. She was the same.
But shouldn't we protect our children?
That one will move Amelia. Amelia, wearing a gown over her bare body, turned her gaze to the vanity mirror.
She met eyes with an expressionless woman. The pitch-black color that showed no signs of worry or hesitation was impressive.
***
“You have found the servant of the ugly god.”
Two days later, the Duke of Russell came to see Amelia. His attitude was so polite that he seemed like a devout man who truly served Amelia as God's representative.
“You are truly my god.”
But that was just a thorough act. The Duke of Russell looked embarrassed as if he had no idea what Amelia was talking about.
“Just by complying with my request, you are proving that everything I suspected was true. Why should I continue to delay?”
The Duke of Russell chuckled at Amelia's comment. It was just a good-natured laugh.
“What were you thinking?”
“...”
“Actually, that’s what I wanted to ask, so I came here today.”
However, it was not hard to notice that he was not as good as he sounded. The place where the awkwardness disappeared was filled with a blank expression. The voice asking the question was also extremely cold.
“To discuss God’s will in front of so many people and ask that the child be made Crown Prince...”
The Duke of Russell stroked his beard leisurely.
“It’s something I wasn’t even asked to do.”
Amelia paused, unable to deny what he said.
“This isn’t what I wanted from you.”
“...”
“It’s something you just have to do once, but is your body that valuable?”
The Duke of Russell's narrow eyes slowly descended from Amelia's head. His gaze, looking at her breasts, which had become even more voluptuous after giving birth, was more regretful than sinister. There was no better way to seduce a man.
“I’m not the type of person who likes things to go wrong with plans, so the current situation is very unpleasant.”
Besides, the Duke of Russell knew a few things for sure. Ivan was a man who had great confidence and pride in being the Emperor. He would never allow someone who was not even his son to be brought before his eyes and be made a member of the Imperial family. No matter how much she tried to use the excuse of an oracle, the Emperor would rebel, and many people would surely support his opinion. That would cause a rift in the power he had worked so hard to create.
In addition, the blood of the royal family is connected by blood. Everyone believed so. Even the Duke of Russell did not think that was impossible. Therefore, the false oracle given by Amelia was something that went against all beliefs.
“What happened has already happened, so we have to deal with it first.”
In fact, it was fortunate that Amelia was not stabbed to death by Ivan on the spot. If she had been, everything would have collapsed. Fortunately, even the world-famous Ivan Wade Escliffe seemed to have found it too risky to turn his back on the temple that the people supported.
So the Duke of Russell thought, since Amelia would never succeed in seducing the Emperor, he must now make Amelia's offspring the Crown Prince, the stepping stone to becoming Emperor.
“He will never obediently follow instructions to acknowledge someone as his child, even though they are not his children.”
“...”
“But since you have already decided to have the child recognized as the Emperor’s descendant instead of seducing the Emperor, you must make it so.”
The Duke of Russell spoke calmly. At first glance, it seemed like he was saying that he would do his best to follow Amelia's decision, but in reality, it was more like he was pressuring her to do whatever it takes to make it happen since it was her choice.
“I need something to move him.”
She knew that the Duke of Russell would act in that manner. Even if it had been Aaron instead of the Duke of Russell, it would have been the same. Amelia was not surprised by their cruelty and got back to the main point.
“I think so too.”
“Please tell me how.”
The Duke of Russell agreed.
“You must exert your greatest strength.”
And he told Amelia to do what she could. At that moment, Amelia thought about what else she could do besides relaying other people's stories. Until now, Amelia's world had been like a lake that had no water flowing in, and it had remained stagnant even as time passed. Now, it was familiar.
“Didn’t you do it without permission this time?”
“…Are you telling me to issue a fake trust?”
As if he had noticed Amelia, the Duke of Russell gave a hint. Instead of answering Amelia's question, he smiled.
“No matter how much the Emperor rebels, the belief in the sacred legend that has continued for 200 years cannot be easily broken.”
It was difficult to answer indirectly, but Amelia's guess was correct.
“But what kind of story should I tell...”
Amelia muttered and pondered. The Duke of Russell didn't say anything. His attitude, as if he were wondering if she had to think about such an obvious problem, gave off a similar vibe to Aaron.
So Amelia naturally thought of Aaron. What the hell was that Aaron doing best?
Fortunately, they were able to obtain results in no time.
“Is this a threat disguised as a trust?”
It was violence and intimidation.
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