Perhaps because he failed to kill Ian, he seemed to be trying to create an even more terrifying atmosphere than before.
“Has His Majesty the Emperor given an answer?”
While wet nurse Karen was breastfeeding Ian, Amelia was confronted by Mrs. Warner, who had come to see her.
“He told you to come right away.”
“Right now?”
Mrs. Warner nodded at Amelia's question. It was a surprising decision, considering Ivan had repeatedly refused Amelia's requests for an audience and had been furious with her over the trust issue.
“Mrs. Howard.”
At Amelia's call, Mrs. Howard, who was sitting next to Karen reading a book, raised her head.
“Don’t leave Ian alone.”
“Don't worry.”
Mrs. Howard smiled softly and answered Amelia's request. The palace had already been turned upside down once. Rodan, under Ivan's orders, selected each person one by one with Mrs. Warner. And even then, he made them move together in groups of three while keeping an eye on each other.
Even in such a situation, Mrs. Howard never touched any snacks given to her. She was even careful about her meals and did not eat anything that was not prepared at home.
“Please.”
"Yes."
Amelia, who had said so, stood up from her seat.
“Let’s go, Mrs. Warner.”
Mrs. Warner's eyes asked if she would like to leave right away. Instead of answering, Amelia motioned for her to go ahead. She was wearing a dress anyway, and she didn't think it was necessary to dress up for such a sudden request. He had already seen her naked, so why should clothes be so important?
As if sensing such feelings, Mrs. Warner obediently took off. Amelia followed quietly behind her.
“By His Majesty the Emperor’s order, I have brought the priestess here.”
Mrs. Warner explained the situation to the guards guarding the entrance to the main palace. The guards quickly crossed the passage and removed the spears that had been blocking it. Amelia passed between them without difficulty.
“Just go a little further.”
Although she had seen the exterior in passing, this was her first time setting foot in the main palace. Just like in the temple, Ivan always came and left late at night like a thief. He had never personally invited Amelia to the main palace.
"Your Majesty."
She knows. There was no reason for that.
“I have brought the Priestess.”
Mrs. Warner stopped at the door where Ivan was and announced that she had brought Amelia.
“His Majesty has ordered you to come in.”
Then the door opened, and a man wearing glasses came out and allowed them in. Mrs. Warner stepped back sensibly.
“Rodan, you go out too.”
Rodan, who was about to close the door, stopped. His eyes alternated between Ivan and Amelia. Ivan nodded at the door again without saying a word. Then Rodan, as if he had no other choice, followed Ivan’s order.
Amelia and Ivan were the only ones left. Amelia was still sitting on her chair, staring blankly at the man who showed no sign of getting up. As if it were a fight where the first one to speak would lose, the space was filled with silence as no one spoke up.
“...Why did the Duke of Russell try to kill Ian?”
It was Amelia who lost the battle of keeping silent, as was always the case in their relationship.
“Because that’s beneficial.”
Ivan's obedient answers continued unexpectedly.
“The moment a child dies, I will be the first person suspected. Furthermore, the moment you protest the death of a child in the temple, I will arrest you according to the oath. Then you will become a persecutor of the representative of God.”
“...”
“That would be an excuse for treason under the pretext of a temple.”
He seemed to have guessed everything right away from the Duke of Russell's attempt to kill Ian, even though Amelia, who was always with them, did not realize it right away.
“A tyrant who dared to disobey the will of God and killed countless people. He will kill a scoundrel who even persecutes God’s representative, so any excuse will do.”
Amelia suddenly felt empty. She was convinced that she couldn't protect Ian if she stood up alone and protected him. She wasn't as good at interpersonal relationships or politics as Ivan was. She was naive and believed what she wanted to believe.
“Then, will he continue to try to kill Ian?”
She wanted to find the answer to something she had been wondering about all along, but had never found the answer to on her own. Ivan didn't answer Amelia's question for a moment. It seemed like he thought that was probably the case.
“Because you know I won’t acknowledge him as the Crown Prince until the end. You’ll think it’d be more efficient to use that as an opportunity to stage a rebellion.”
Ivan and the Duke of Russell were both skilled at reading the human mind. And they were also skilled at using it. So the Duke of Russell knew better than anyone that Ivan would not acknowledge Ian. He knew that if he could just endure the immediate anger and pressure of the people, Ivan would eventually win.
Ian was not of the legitimate Emperor's bloodline and was too young. After Ivan took his wife and made his child the Crown Prince, it was difficult to force him further. The Duke of Russell could not continue to maintain the fake oracle. Then people would forget about the oracle. Along with the evaluation that even the Priestess was no longer magical.
So Ian cannot become the Crown Prince. However, he should not make a false oracle and cut the temple's face. Then, let's use it as conveniently as possible and throw it away.
That must have been the Duke of Russell's thinking. It wasn't hard for Ivan to guess.
“If you acknowledge him as the Crown Prince, can I live?”
Amelia asked in a trembling voice.
“Of course. As long as I don’t try to kill you. They’ll try to use you as my enemy while I’m alive.”
If someone who was not of royal blood wanted to take the throne, there had to be a good reason. For example, it was to save the people who were suffering because the Emperor was a great tyrant, or if both the direct and collateral lines of the imperial family were dead.
Besides, the only thing that could justify their rule was a bloodless entry. The Duke of Russell claimed to be a faithful servant of God. The idea of borrowing God's will was generally positive for him, but it also had the effect of tying his hands.
Peaceful transfer of power. Isn't that a good thing? If Ian becomes the Crown Prince, they will use the name of God to make the child a doll like Amelia. There will be no reason to kill Ian, who will become the second in command, until Emperor Ivan dies.
“And when I, the Emperor, die, he too will be killed like a hunting dog that has been used up. Just as your blood relatives have been.”
It would not have been the Duke of Russell who had begun to show his ambitions simply to become the Emperor's supporter. He would have wanted to become the Emperor someday. In that case, Ian was in a situation where he would inadvertently become a commonwealth of destiny with Ivan.
“You made it like that.”
Ivan stared at Amelia's hand, which was trembling with an unknown emotion. While he was trying to figure out whether Amelia was feeling anger or sadness, her small hand was already resting on the floor.
“...”
Ivan's gaze also gradually lowered, following her, because Amelia had knelt down.
“...What are you doing all of a sudden?”
Ivan stared blankly at Amelia's face. It was a small, white face that looked rather pale. It would be hard to guess what she was thinking, but he must have seen the desperation.
“Save me.”
Amelia pleaded in a small whisper.
“Ian is still young.”
If she had to hang on, she could have hung on. As if he had sensed such feelings, Ivan's gaze moved from her thigh to Amelia's hand that was tightly holding the hem of her skirt.
“It would be strange if, for a newborn, the day of death were closer than the day of life to come.”
Amelia's hands were now trembling. Ivan also thought that was true, and there was no particular objection. It was too early to say that the day of death was near for someone who was not even a year old. Ivan must have sympathized with Ian's biological father.
"I..."
Amelia opened her mouth with her head down. Ivan tilted his head slightly and listened to the small sound.
“I was wrong.”
What followed after a moment of silence that seemed like hesitation was an apology. I apologize for not meeting your expectations. I was wrong. Amelia apologized like that.
“I was really afraid that you would continue to pretend not to know Ian.”
“...”
“You’re the only person that kid can rely on.”
Ivan ran his hand over his eyelids. His face was tired, as if he were remembering the day Amelia betrayed his expectations and gave him a fake oracle in front of everyone. A faint sense of betrayal also seemed to linger.
“If Ian becomes the Crown Prince, I don’t think he will be of any use to the temple, so I don’t think they can harm him.”
“...”
“That’s why I did it.”
Clear tears ran down her soft, smooth skin. Amelia now felt like she wanted to grab onto his trouser leg and hang on.
“Never again, never again. I’ll do whatever you say. So please, Ian...”
Amelia sobbed. Ivan stared at the tears that had begun to soak the hem of Amelia’s skirt. As if it were raining, the fabric of her dress was turning darker as it soaked in the falling tears.
“That was all?”
Suddenly, Ivan asked a question. Amelia looked up at Ivan with her tear-stained face.
“That wasn’t it.”
Ivan's face was messy and distorted in his blurry vision.
“You wanted revenge on me, didn’t you?”
A voice criticized her unclear vision. Amelia felt dazed. Ivan laughed at Amelia, who was staring at him with a face that couldn't figure out what to do.
“I never promised you the position of my wife, nor did I promise you the wealth and honor of your children. You were so angry that you felt as if it was yours originally.”
He trampled on Amelia's hasty expectations and hopes, and condemned her actions for daring to rebel against him.
“Has His Majesty the Emperor given an answer?”
While wet nurse Karen was breastfeeding Ian, Amelia was confronted by Mrs. Warner, who had come to see her.
“He told you to come right away.”
“Right now?”
Mrs. Warner nodded at Amelia's question. It was a surprising decision, considering Ivan had repeatedly refused Amelia's requests for an audience and had been furious with her over the trust issue.
“Mrs. Howard.”
At Amelia's call, Mrs. Howard, who was sitting next to Karen reading a book, raised her head.
“Don’t leave Ian alone.”
“Don't worry.”
Mrs. Howard smiled softly and answered Amelia's request. The palace had already been turned upside down once. Rodan, under Ivan's orders, selected each person one by one with Mrs. Warner. And even then, he made them move together in groups of three while keeping an eye on each other.
Even in such a situation, Mrs. Howard never touched any snacks given to her. She was even careful about her meals and did not eat anything that was not prepared at home.
“Please.”
"Yes."
Amelia, who had said so, stood up from her seat.
“Let’s go, Mrs. Warner.”
Mrs. Warner's eyes asked if she would like to leave right away. Instead of answering, Amelia motioned for her to go ahead. She was wearing a dress anyway, and she didn't think it was necessary to dress up for such a sudden request. He had already seen her naked, so why should clothes be so important?
As if sensing such feelings, Mrs. Warner obediently took off. Amelia followed quietly behind her.
“By His Majesty the Emperor’s order, I have brought the priestess here.”
Mrs. Warner explained the situation to the guards guarding the entrance to the main palace. The guards quickly crossed the passage and removed the spears that had been blocking it. Amelia passed between them without difficulty.
“Just go a little further.”
Although she had seen the exterior in passing, this was her first time setting foot in the main palace. Just like in the temple, Ivan always came and left late at night like a thief. He had never personally invited Amelia to the main palace.
"Your Majesty."
She knows. There was no reason for that.
“I have brought the Priestess.”
Mrs. Warner stopped at the door where Ivan was and announced that she had brought Amelia.
“His Majesty has ordered you to come in.”
Then the door opened, and a man wearing glasses came out and allowed them in. Mrs. Warner stepped back sensibly.
“Rodan, you go out too.”
Rodan, who was about to close the door, stopped. His eyes alternated between Ivan and Amelia. Ivan nodded at the door again without saying a word. Then Rodan, as if he had no other choice, followed Ivan’s order.
Amelia and Ivan were the only ones left. Amelia was still sitting on her chair, staring blankly at the man who showed no sign of getting up. As if it were a fight where the first one to speak would lose, the space was filled with silence as no one spoke up.
“...Why did the Duke of Russell try to kill Ian?”
It was Amelia who lost the battle of keeping silent, as was always the case in their relationship.
“Because that’s beneficial.”
Ivan's obedient answers continued unexpectedly.
“The moment a child dies, I will be the first person suspected. Furthermore, the moment you protest the death of a child in the temple, I will arrest you according to the oath. Then you will become a persecutor of the representative of God.”
“...”
“That would be an excuse for treason under the pretext of a temple.”
He seemed to have guessed everything right away from the Duke of Russell's attempt to kill Ian, even though Amelia, who was always with them, did not realize it right away.
“A tyrant who dared to disobey the will of God and killed countless people. He will kill a scoundrel who even persecutes God’s representative, so any excuse will do.”
Amelia suddenly felt empty. She was convinced that she couldn't protect Ian if she stood up alone and protected him. She wasn't as good at interpersonal relationships or politics as Ivan was. She was naive and believed what she wanted to believe.
“Then, will he continue to try to kill Ian?”
She wanted to find the answer to something she had been wondering about all along, but had never found the answer to on her own. Ivan didn't answer Amelia's question for a moment. It seemed like he thought that was probably the case.
“Because you know I won’t acknowledge him as the Crown Prince until the end. You’ll think it’d be more efficient to use that as an opportunity to stage a rebellion.”
Ivan and the Duke of Russell were both skilled at reading the human mind. And they were also skilled at using it. So the Duke of Russell knew better than anyone that Ivan would not acknowledge Ian. He knew that if he could just endure the immediate anger and pressure of the people, Ivan would eventually win.
Ian was not of the legitimate Emperor's bloodline and was too young. After Ivan took his wife and made his child the Crown Prince, it was difficult to force him further. The Duke of Russell could not continue to maintain the fake oracle. Then people would forget about the oracle. Along with the evaluation that even the Priestess was no longer magical.
So Ian cannot become the Crown Prince. However, he should not make a false oracle and cut the temple's face. Then, let's use it as conveniently as possible and throw it away.
That must have been the Duke of Russell's thinking. It wasn't hard for Ivan to guess.
“If you acknowledge him as the Crown Prince, can I live?”
Amelia asked in a trembling voice.
“Of course. As long as I don’t try to kill you. They’ll try to use you as my enemy while I’m alive.”
If someone who was not of royal blood wanted to take the throne, there had to be a good reason. For example, it was to save the people who were suffering because the Emperor was a great tyrant, or if both the direct and collateral lines of the imperial family were dead.
Besides, the only thing that could justify their rule was a bloodless entry. The Duke of Russell claimed to be a faithful servant of God. The idea of borrowing God's will was generally positive for him, but it also had the effect of tying his hands.
Peaceful transfer of power. Isn't that a good thing? If Ian becomes the Crown Prince, they will use the name of God to make the child a doll like Amelia. There will be no reason to kill Ian, who will become the second in command, until Emperor Ivan dies.
“And when I, the Emperor, die, he too will be killed like a hunting dog that has been used up. Just as your blood relatives have been.”
It would not have been the Duke of Russell who had begun to show his ambitions simply to become the Emperor's supporter. He would have wanted to become the Emperor someday. In that case, Ian was in a situation where he would inadvertently become a commonwealth of destiny with Ivan.
“You made it like that.”
Ivan stared at Amelia's hand, which was trembling with an unknown emotion. While he was trying to figure out whether Amelia was feeling anger or sadness, her small hand was already resting on the floor.
“...”
Ivan's gaze also gradually lowered, following her, because Amelia had knelt down.
“...What are you doing all of a sudden?”
Ivan stared blankly at Amelia's face. It was a small, white face that looked rather pale. It would be hard to guess what she was thinking, but he must have seen the desperation.
“Save me.”
Amelia pleaded in a small whisper.
“Ian is still young.”
If she had to hang on, she could have hung on. As if he had sensed such feelings, Ivan's gaze moved from her thigh to Amelia's hand that was tightly holding the hem of her skirt.
“It would be strange if, for a newborn, the day of death were closer than the day of life to come.”
Amelia's hands were now trembling. Ivan also thought that was true, and there was no particular objection. It was too early to say that the day of death was near for someone who was not even a year old. Ivan must have sympathized with Ian's biological father.
"I..."
Amelia opened her mouth with her head down. Ivan tilted his head slightly and listened to the small sound.
“I was wrong.”
What followed after a moment of silence that seemed like hesitation was an apology. I apologize for not meeting your expectations. I was wrong. Amelia apologized like that.
“I was really afraid that you would continue to pretend not to know Ian.”
“...”
“You’re the only person that kid can rely on.”
Ivan ran his hand over his eyelids. His face was tired, as if he were remembering the day Amelia betrayed his expectations and gave him a fake oracle in front of everyone. A faint sense of betrayal also seemed to linger.
“If Ian becomes the Crown Prince, I don’t think he will be of any use to the temple, so I don’t think they can harm him.”
“...”
“That’s why I did it.”
Clear tears ran down her soft, smooth skin. Amelia now felt like she wanted to grab onto his trouser leg and hang on.
“Never again, never again. I’ll do whatever you say. So please, Ian...”
Amelia sobbed. Ivan stared at the tears that had begun to soak the hem of Amelia’s skirt. As if it were raining, the fabric of her dress was turning darker as it soaked in the falling tears.
“That was all?”
Suddenly, Ivan asked a question. Amelia looked up at Ivan with her tear-stained face.
“That wasn’t it.”
Ivan's face was messy and distorted in his blurry vision.
“You wanted revenge on me, didn’t you?”
A voice criticized her unclear vision. Amelia felt dazed. Ivan laughed at Amelia, who was staring at him with a face that couldn't figure out what to do.
“I never promised you the position of my wife, nor did I promise you the wealth and honor of your children. You were so angry that you felt as if it was yours originally.”
He trampled on Amelia's hasty expectations and hopes, and condemned her actions for daring to rebel against him.
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