Episode 78. I Can't Hold It Anymore
Dark clouds gathered in the clear sky, and a torrential downpour poured down.
The intermittent cracks of thunder and lightning mingled with the sound of the wet, sloshing carriage wheels.
The carriage carrying Beliana and Eric was utterly silent.
"I guess the Count still loves his former wife."
Beliana recalled Eric holding onto Rose in the palace.
The desperate gaze in his eyes, something she'd never seen before, was startling.
"I don't understand. Even if the political marriage to the Marquis of Dikar was for political reasons, how could he embrace another woman while leaving the one he loved behind?'
She'd seen many nobles like Eric. Every time, it just baffled her. How could he forsake the one he loved for a deep relationship with someone else?
His former wife, Rose, must have been fed up with that and left Eric.
Well, you do well when you have the chance.'
To her, who wasn't even the real Beliana, the relationship between Rose and Eric was nothing more than an intriguing love story.
Beliana was quite content to live the noble life without any emotional expense.
Soon after, the carriage stopped. It seemed they had already arrived at the count's residence.
Beliana, escorted by the knight who had opened the door for her, went down first.
Eric, oblivious to his arrival, simply stared blankly out the window. A servant called out to Eric.
"Count, we have arrived."
At the servant's voice, Eric slowly moved out of the carriage.
Rose's words kept echoing in his mind.
"I don't love you."
Eric, who had been walking slowly, stopped, his expression aching.
Lightning struck at that moment. A sharp flash of light flashed across Eric's frozen face.
He unbuttoned the buttons clasped to the end of his shirt and cursed softly.
"...Damn it."
At the end of the hallway, Doana was waiting for Eric, smiling faintly.
“Count!”
Doana snorted obliviously and approached him gently. Then, linking arms with Eric, they pressed closer.
“Get out of my way.”
Eric frowned the moment Doana touched him and pushed her away.
“Why is our Count so upset?”
As Doana approached, Rose’s face flashed before his eyes.
“If it weren’t for you... Rose wouldn’t have left me.”
He aimed his resentment at Doana, refusing to acknowledge his own faults.
Eric, already a cold-hearted man, was offended by Doana.
Usually, Eric would forgive Doana for her flattery, but today was different.
Doana wasn’t used to Eric’s coldness.
“What?”
Eric tried to brush past her without a word, but Doana brought up the subject of the child as a weapon.
“He says he likes his father’s voice. Whisper your sweet voice to him.”
She stroked her belly and smiled at Eric.
Eric, who had been staring blankly at Doana, slowly spoke.
“... Rose wouldn’t have done that.”
“Huh?”
“Rose wouldn’t have clung to me like you, unable to read the mood.”
A cold voice pierced her ear. He looked Doana up and down, a displeased expression on his face.
With that comparison, he coldly passed her by.
Eric left, and Doana, left alone, frowned, bewildered.
“What? Are you comparing me to that woman?”
Ha...!
The intermittent cracks of thunder and lightning mingled with the sound of the wet, sloshing carriage wheels.
The carriage carrying Beliana and Eric was utterly silent.
"I guess the Count still loves his former wife."
Beliana recalled Eric holding onto Rose in the palace.
The desperate gaze in his eyes, something she'd never seen before, was startling.
"I don't understand. Even if the political marriage to the Marquis of Dikar was for political reasons, how could he embrace another woman while leaving the one he loved behind?'
She'd seen many nobles like Eric. Every time, it just baffled her. How could he forsake the one he loved for a deep relationship with someone else?
His former wife, Rose, must have been fed up with that and left Eric.
Well, you do well when you have the chance.'
To her, who wasn't even the real Beliana, the relationship between Rose and Eric was nothing more than an intriguing love story.
Beliana was quite content to live the noble life without any emotional expense.
Soon after, the carriage stopped. It seemed they had already arrived at the count's residence.
Beliana, escorted by the knight who had opened the door for her, went down first.
Eric, oblivious to his arrival, simply stared blankly out the window. A servant called out to Eric.
"Count, we have arrived."
At the servant's voice, Eric slowly moved out of the carriage.
Rose's words kept echoing in his mind.
"I don't love you."
Eric, who had been walking slowly, stopped, his expression aching.
Lightning struck at that moment. A sharp flash of light flashed across Eric's frozen face.
He unbuttoned the buttons clasped to the end of his shirt and cursed softly.
"...Damn it."
At the end of the hallway, Doana was waiting for Eric, smiling faintly.
“Count!”
Doana snorted obliviously and approached him gently. Then, linking arms with Eric, they pressed closer.
“Get out of my way.”
Eric frowned the moment Doana touched him and pushed her away.
“Why is our Count so upset?”
As Doana approached, Rose’s face flashed before his eyes.
“If it weren’t for you... Rose wouldn’t have left me.”
He aimed his resentment at Doana, refusing to acknowledge his own faults.
Eric, already a cold-hearted man, was offended by Doana.
Usually, Eric would forgive Doana for her flattery, but today was different.
Doana wasn’t used to Eric’s coldness.
“What?”
Eric tried to brush past her without a word, but Doana brought up the subject of the child as a weapon.
“He says he likes his father’s voice. Whisper your sweet voice to him.”
She stroked her belly and smiled at Eric.
Eric, who had been staring blankly at Doana, slowly spoke.
“... Rose wouldn’t have done that.”
“Huh?”
“Rose wouldn’t have clung to me like you, unable to read the mood.”
A cold voice pierced her ear. He looked Doana up and down, a displeased expression on his face.
With that comparison, he coldly passed her by.
Eric left, and Doana, left alone, frowned, bewildered.
“What? Are you comparing me to that woman?”
Ha...!
It was beyond absurd; it was burning. Until now, she had always been the “object of comparison,” not the “one being compared to.”
Men had always been busy belittling their wives or girlfriends in front of her.
“My wife, unlike you, can’t even take care of herself, and the more I see her, the less affection I have for her.”
‘She only wears baggy clothes because she's raising a child, and she's gained so much compared to before we got married, it’s so ugly. Tsk, no matter how much I tell her to exercise, she just makes excuses about being busy. She just plays around with the money I earn and does nothing.’
‘If my girlfriend were as pretty as you, I would never cheat.’
They supported her and lamented their situation of being with a worthless woman.
Every time she saw these men, she felt a sense of superiority. She had always been superior, but now she was in the opposite position.
A dirty feeling crept up in her. Her pride couldn’t be hurt like this. And to be compared to someone like Rose, not even Beliana...!
Rose, who possessed her alongside her, was merely lucky enough to rise to the rank of Countess. She wasn't superior to her in any way.
'Rose, you're finally flirting with my husband!'
He must have met Rose at the palace banquet.
After trying to seduce the Grand Duke of Artaeum and being rejected, she must have tried to get back at her man, Eric.
'...This vixen!'
Doana gritted her teeth, completely oblivious to the fact that Eric was clinging to Rose.
Doana had absolutely no intention of giving Eric up.
He was her man now.
Meanwhile, the Grand Duke of Artaeum still couldn't escape the palace.
"Diana..."
Because of his cousin Diana, who still hadn't come to her senses, the Grand Duke felt a pang of guilt at the sight of her struggling with a cold sweat.
She had suffered from poison trauma, but he had thought she would be okay since he had told her his plan in advance.
'If I had known you would suffer this much, I wouldn't have used that method...'
It seemed that the Grand Duke, as well as Diana herself, had underestimated her own trauma.
The Grand Duke took Diana’s hand. A faint light passed through the Grand Duke's hand and entered Diana’s body.
It was healing magic.
This was all he could do at the moment.
Diana’s body was clear, without a trace of poison. She was simply mentally shocked and unable to wake up.
She had been sweating profusely and repeatedly saying, “No...”, but after receiving the Grand Duke's healing magic, her face became calmer than before.
At that moment, the closed door opened, and the Emperor came in.
“Wait, who is this? Isn’t that my beloved nephew?”
The Emperor faced him with a very relaxed expression, as if he had known the Grand Duke was there in advance.
The Grand Duke's expression hardened coldly and rose from his seat.
The Emperor approached the Grand Duke in a friendly manner. Then, putting an arm around his shoulder, he said,
“It’s truly a shame that something like this happened in the palace. How are you feeling?”
“I was able to avoid a dangerous situation by quickly taking the antidote. I’m so embarrassed that you, Uncle, are so worried about me.”
The Grand Duke spoke sarcastically, his voice sharp with barbed irony.
“Hahaha! At first, I was truly shocked. You collapsed from poison. I couldn’t believe it, even when I saw it with my own eyes.”
On the surface, he seemed concerned for the Grand Duke, who had collapsed from poison, but his true intention was nothing like that.
He was saying, ‘It was ridiculous that you, a poison-resistant bastard, were pretending to collapse.'
“I was the surprised one. The security in the palace is so bad. How dare you touch the wine I brought?”
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed at the Grand Duke’s words.
“Don’t worry about that. I beheaded all the masterminds. With my own hands.”
“Have you caught the mastermind already?”
“Yes. They were just commoners begging for a living in the palace.”
“Then have you caught the one who gave them the orders? As Your Majesty said, what kind of conscience does a mere commoner have that dares to insult the imperial family?”
The Emperor slowly released the hand he had placed on the Grand Duke’s shoulder. Then, with his arms crossed arrogantly, he looked at the Grand Duke.
The Emperor’s gaze gleamed like a beast that had spotted its prey.
“I will take care of the palace affairs,”
He said authoritatively to the Grand Duke.
“You should just mind your own affairs. I will crush all those who dared to murder my daughter and nephew, so don’t worry about that.”
The Grand Duke, who had been quietly listening to the Emperor, smiled faintly and muttered,
“If someone saw you, they would think you cherish me dearly, Uncle.”
Men had always been busy belittling their wives or girlfriends in front of her.
“My wife, unlike you, can’t even take care of herself, and the more I see her, the less affection I have for her.”
‘She only wears baggy clothes because she's raising a child, and she's gained so much compared to before we got married, it’s so ugly. Tsk, no matter how much I tell her to exercise, she just makes excuses about being busy. She just plays around with the money I earn and does nothing.’
‘If my girlfriend were as pretty as you, I would never cheat.’
They supported her and lamented their situation of being with a worthless woman.
Every time she saw these men, she felt a sense of superiority. She had always been superior, but now she was in the opposite position.
A dirty feeling crept up in her. Her pride couldn’t be hurt like this. And to be compared to someone like Rose, not even Beliana...!
Rose, who possessed her alongside her, was merely lucky enough to rise to the rank of Countess. She wasn't superior to her in any way.
'Rose, you're finally flirting with my husband!'
He must have met Rose at the palace banquet.
After trying to seduce the Grand Duke of Artaeum and being rejected, she must have tried to get back at her man, Eric.
'...This vixen!'
Doana gritted her teeth, completely oblivious to the fact that Eric was clinging to Rose.
Doana had absolutely no intention of giving Eric up.
He was her man now.
***
Meanwhile, the Grand Duke of Artaeum still couldn't escape the palace.
"Diana..."
Because of his cousin Diana, who still hadn't come to her senses, the Grand Duke felt a pang of guilt at the sight of her struggling with a cold sweat.
She had suffered from poison trauma, but he had thought she would be okay since he had told her his plan in advance.
'If I had known you would suffer this much, I wouldn't have used that method...'
It seemed that the Grand Duke, as well as Diana herself, had underestimated her own trauma.
The Grand Duke took Diana’s hand. A faint light passed through the Grand Duke's hand and entered Diana’s body.
It was healing magic.
This was all he could do at the moment.
Diana’s body was clear, without a trace of poison. She was simply mentally shocked and unable to wake up.
She had been sweating profusely and repeatedly saying, “No...”, but after receiving the Grand Duke's healing magic, her face became calmer than before.
At that moment, the closed door opened, and the Emperor came in.
“Wait, who is this? Isn’t that my beloved nephew?”
The Emperor faced him with a very relaxed expression, as if he had known the Grand Duke was there in advance.
The Grand Duke's expression hardened coldly and rose from his seat.
The Emperor approached the Grand Duke in a friendly manner. Then, putting an arm around his shoulder, he said,
“It’s truly a shame that something like this happened in the palace. How are you feeling?”
“I was able to avoid a dangerous situation by quickly taking the antidote. I’m so embarrassed that you, Uncle, are so worried about me.”
The Grand Duke spoke sarcastically, his voice sharp with barbed irony.
“Hahaha! At first, I was truly shocked. You collapsed from poison. I couldn’t believe it, even when I saw it with my own eyes.”
On the surface, he seemed concerned for the Grand Duke, who had collapsed from poison, but his true intention was nothing like that.
He was saying, ‘It was ridiculous that you, a poison-resistant bastard, were pretending to collapse.'
“I was the surprised one. The security in the palace is so bad. How dare you touch the wine I brought?”
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed at the Grand Duke’s words.
“Don’t worry about that. I beheaded all the masterminds. With my own hands.”
“Have you caught the mastermind already?”
“Yes. They were just commoners begging for a living in the palace.”
“Then have you caught the one who gave them the orders? As Your Majesty said, what kind of conscience does a mere commoner have that dares to insult the imperial family?”
The Emperor slowly released the hand he had placed on the Grand Duke’s shoulder. Then, with his arms crossed arrogantly, he looked at the Grand Duke.
The Emperor’s gaze gleamed like a beast that had spotted its prey.
“I will take care of the palace affairs,”
He said authoritatively to the Grand Duke.
“You should just mind your own affairs. I will crush all those who dared to murder my daughter and nephew, so don’t worry about that.”
The Grand Duke, who had been quietly listening to the Emperor, smiled faintly and muttered,
“If someone saw you, they would think you cherish me dearly, Uncle.”
The Emperor furrowed his eyebrows in response to the Grand Duke’s words.
"How disappointing. After my brother passed away, who raised you as a child? It was I. I am the one who hates you the most in this world."
Yes. Who else would want to tear you limb from limb like me? I shouldn't have let you live.
He should have sent the Grand Duke, who fearlessly showed his resentment towards him, away with the late Emperor and his wife.
Sparks flew between the eyes of the Grand Duke and the Emperor as they looked at each other.
"Raised you... I just found out today. I thought I was banished to the north because your young nephew, who had lost his parents, was an eyesore."
"Hahaha. You must have been very upset, little one. The north was my brother's most beloved territory. I didn't cast you away. I meant for you to carry on my brother's will and make the north prosper. You are so immature that you find it difficult to understand my intentions."
The Emperor, who had been exchanging empty words, raised his head haughtily and spoke.
"You have grown up, but you still have a long way to go."
His soft voice was laced with mockery.
“Don’t do anything that could be misunderstood by others. You should take good care of your few remaining subordinates, shouldn’t you?”
The Emperor pressed the Grand Duke with a threatening tone, seemingly trying to control him by holding the lives of the nobles who followed him as collateral.
“I tell you, I don’t want the palace to be swept up in bloodshed anymore. Because of you, capable nobles have lost their lives in an instant. If you care about them, don’t even think about causing any more trouble.”
The Grand Duke snickered at the Emperor’s words.
“Funny.”
His eyebrows quirked, perhaps offended by the Grand Duke's arrogant words.
“For the one who has shed the most blood to say such things?”
“What?”
The Grand Duke took a step toward the Emperor.
“I won’t tolerate it any longer, Uncle. Don’t even think about messing with my people.”
This was the first time he had shown such hostility toward the Emperor.
There was no need for further patience.
The Grand Duke was no longer a child, and he possessed the power to strangle the Emperor.
With those words, Grand Duke Artaeum passed the Emperor. He then left the room without a backward glance.
As the Grand Duke left, the Emperor muttered quietly to himself,
“Are you rebelling against me?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a shallow voice followed.
“It was not my brother who rebelled, but my father, I suppose.”
“Diana.”
The Princess, who had regained consciousness, sat up and looked at her father with a sullen gaze.
"How disappointing. After my brother passed away, who raised you as a child? It was I. I am the one who hates you the most in this world."
Yes. Who else would want to tear you limb from limb like me? I shouldn't have let you live.
He should have sent the Grand Duke, who fearlessly showed his resentment towards him, away with the late Emperor and his wife.
Sparks flew between the eyes of the Grand Duke and the Emperor as they looked at each other.
"Raised you... I just found out today. I thought I was banished to the north because your young nephew, who had lost his parents, was an eyesore."
"Hahaha. You must have been very upset, little one. The north was my brother's most beloved territory. I didn't cast you away. I meant for you to carry on my brother's will and make the north prosper. You are so immature that you find it difficult to understand my intentions."
The Emperor, who had been exchanging empty words, raised his head haughtily and spoke.
"You have grown up, but you still have a long way to go."
His soft voice was laced with mockery.
“Don’t do anything that could be misunderstood by others. You should take good care of your few remaining subordinates, shouldn’t you?”
The Emperor pressed the Grand Duke with a threatening tone, seemingly trying to control him by holding the lives of the nobles who followed him as collateral.
“I tell you, I don’t want the palace to be swept up in bloodshed anymore. Because of you, capable nobles have lost their lives in an instant. If you care about them, don’t even think about causing any more trouble.”
The Grand Duke snickered at the Emperor’s words.
“Funny.”
His eyebrows quirked, perhaps offended by the Grand Duke's arrogant words.
“For the one who has shed the most blood to say such things?”
“What?”
The Grand Duke took a step toward the Emperor.
“I won’t tolerate it any longer, Uncle. Don’t even think about messing with my people.”
This was the first time he had shown such hostility toward the Emperor.
There was no need for further patience.
The Grand Duke was no longer a child, and he possessed the power to strangle the Emperor.
With those words, Grand Duke Artaeum passed the Emperor. He then left the room without a backward glance.
As the Grand Duke left, the Emperor muttered quietly to himself,
“Are you rebelling against me?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a shallow voice followed.
“It was not my brother who rebelled, but my father, I suppose.”
“Diana.”
The Princess, who had regained consciousness, sat up and looked at her father with a sullen gaze.
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