Episode 69. The Irreversible
The atmosphere at the Imperial Palace was different from the moment morning arrived. It was shortly after sunrise that Edward rushed from the palace to the main residence. While Martha was organizing morning documents, Edward entered the study, catching his breath.
"A summons has been issued for the Imperial Grand Hall today."
Martha looked at Edward.
"Regarding the punishment of the Captain of the Guard?"
"Yes. His Imperial Majesty summoned it personally. They say the Empress will also be attending."
Martha thought as she set down her documents. So, His Imperial Majesty intends to decide on the Captain of the Guard's punishment in front of the Empress. This was not a simple punishment session. It was a gathering where His Imperial Majesty was sending a direct signal to the Empress. A signal that he was aware of the situation.
However, since there was no evidence yet, he had chosen this method. Edward said.
"I must attend as well. As an official of the Imperial Palace."
"What about Father?"
"I received a message asking Father to come, too. And Duke Ashford as well. And Leon is attending in his capacity as a Special Inspector."
Martha thought for a moment. It was not a gathering where Martha could fit in. There was no seat for a Princess of the Duke of Valois in the Imperial Grand Hall. Yet, she needed to know what was happening there. Only then would she know how to deal with the Empress going forward.
Martha looked at Edward.
"Tell me everything when you get back. Every single one of Her Majesty's actions, everything."
Edward nodded and said.
"Don't worry."
After Edward left, Martha remained alone in the study, gazing out the window. She would likely punish the Captain of the Guard right in front of the Empress, as if to spite her. Then, the Empress would lose her command over the military within the palace for the time being.
Martha vaguely pictured the events that lay ahead, one by one. What would happen in the palace today. And how the situation would change once it was over.
It was the Imperial Grand Hall. It was the largest and heaviest space in the Empire. The ceiling was dizzyingly high, and the pillars were constructed of gold and stone.
There was a high staircase at the front, and atop it lay the Emperor's seat of honor. Next to the seat of honor was the Empress's seat. It was a seat one level lower than the Emperor's. At the bottom of the stairs, courtiers stood in rows on both sides. There were dozens of them. The weight they exuded filled the hall.
The Emperor sat in the seat of honor, and the Empress sat beside him. They were two people who looked down from a high place, yet the atmosphere between them today was different. They sat side by side, but it didn't feel like they were. They were looking in the same direction, but it didn't seem like they were looking at the same place.
Claude and the Duke of Ashford stood at the very front among the courtiers. Edward stood a few steps behind Claude, and Leon stood close to the Emperor in his capacity as Special Inspector. The Crown Prince was absent due to a shoulder injury.
The Emperor scanned the hall once. Then he opened his mouth.
"I have convened this gathering today to discuss punishment regarding the attempted assassination of the Imperial Family. I grant the right to speak to everyone present. Please tell me what punishment you believe is appropriate."
The hall fell silent. The Emperor had stated that he would grant everyone the right to speak. It was an unusual practice. It was customary for the Emperor to make the decision himself when discussing punishment in the Imperial Hall.
But today was different. The courtiers tried to decipher his intention. Claude maintained his composure as he read the intention. Edward froze. Leon looked straight ahead.
Reading the intention, the Empress placed her hands on her knees. They were placed neatly.
The speeches began. The first minister spoke. He stated that the attempted assassination of the royal family was an unprecedented grave crime deserving of the maximum penalty. The second minister said he agreed. The third minister said that the higher the level of punishment, the greater the deterrent effect for the future. The speeches rounded over. Most were in the same direction: severe punishment, or the maximum penalty.
It was Claude's turn to speak. Claude stepped forward from his seat and bowed.
"Attempted assassination of the royal family is a crime equivalent to treason. I believe there can be no leniency."
He then stepped back to his seat. Following him, the Duke of Ashford also agreed with Claude's words and spoke briefly. The speeches continued to round over.
Then, it was the Empress's turn. The atmosphere in the main hall shifted subtly. Dozens of ministers turned toward the Empress. Their eyes were waiting to see what she would say.
The Empress rose from her seat. Her posture was upright and unwavering. It was a stance that did not crumble, even while she knew this seat was uncomfortable for her. It was the posture of someone who had sat on the throne of Empress for decades. The Empress opened her mouth.
"The Captain of the Guard is someone who has protected the Imperial Household and me for a long time. His involvement in this matter has indeed been revealed, but it is still unclear if that is the whole story. I believe that a thorough investigation must precede weighing the severity of the crime. And while punishment should be decided based on the results, wouldn't a decree of exile be more appropriate than the maximum penalty?"
Exile. Those words floated around the mouths of the ministers in the main hall. The ministers looked at one another. Eyes exchanged. Though there were no words, much was conveyed.
The Empress took her seat, and the main hall fell silent for a moment. Then the Emperor spoke.
"Your Majesty."
The Empress looked at the Emperor. The Emperor spoke, looking down at the Empress from the seat of honor, one level higher.
"I nearly fell victim to an arrow on the hunting grounds. Had I been struck squarely, I might have met a violent end. However, the Crown Prince took the arrow in my place. It would have been dangerous if it had missed even slightly. Yet, Empress, do you claim that an order of exile is appropriate for the mastermind who issued such instructions?"
"A sufficient investigation..."
The Emperor interrupted the Empress.
"It seems you are more concerned about the safety of your bodyguard than my own life right now. The very foundation of this nation, the father of all its people, your husband, and your son have survived a life-threatening crisis, and yet you order exile? Am I truly your husband?"
The Grand Hall fell completely silent. Those words echoed from the high ceiling back down. They were not mere words. It was a remark the Emperor made directly to the Empress during the official Imperial Hall. In front of dozens of courtiers. Everyone present knew what lay within those words.
The Empress's gaze changed. Her expression remained unchanged. That firm, cold face was exactly as it was. Only her eyes wavered briefly before returning to their original state. The Empress lowered her hand below her knee. It was out of sight. Her hand was slowly clenched. Her fingers dug into her palm. Her fingernails dug into the flesh of her palm. Her face remained the same, unwavering in the slightest.
However, from his seat, Leon spotted a reddish color seeping from the hand hidden beneath her dress. Breaking the tense atmosphere, the Empress opened her mouth.
"I am flustered because it seems Your Majesty is misunderstanding my words. I merely..."
"Shut your mouth. No matter what you say, it is not a pleasant sight to see you defending the current situation."
The eyes of the Emperor and the Empress met. The Emperor looked down, and the Empress looked up. Separated by a long staircase. With dozens of courtiers watching from both sides. The Emperor and the Empress looked at each other. Decades lay within that gaze. Decades spent together. Yet, with what heart were those decades being shown to each other in this very place today?
The Emperor withdrew his gaze and said.
"Bring the Captain of the Guard."
The doors of the main hall opened, and the Captain of the Guard entered. He was bound, held by two soldiers on either side. The Captain's face was pale, and his body emaciated. His face bore the marks of days spent in the interrogation room. Yet, his eyes were different. They were unbroken eyes. They were the eyes of someone who had long guarded the Imperial Household.
As the Captain was dragged into the main hall, he looked up the stairs. He brushed past the Emperor and looked at the Empress. In that brief moment, the Captain's eyes changed. They were eyes that had read the plight the Empress was in. The Emperor looked down at the Captain.
"Do you have anything to say one last time?"
The Captain looked up at the Emperor. A brief silence followed. It was then. The Empress opened her mouth in a low voice.
"The Captain's..."
It was that moment. The Captain of the Guard spoke in a voice that echoed throughout the entire hall.
"The Emperor deserves to die!"
The hall froze. Those words struck the high ceiling and came down. Dozens of subjects froze. Edward froze. Claude froze. Only Leon did not freeze. He gripped the hilt of the sword he was wearing on his left side tightly. His eyes looked at the Captain of the Guard, then at the Empress.
The Empress froze. She was about to open her mouth, but those words blocked her. It felt as if her fingernails were digging deeper into her hand beneath her dress. The Captain of the Guard spoke again.
"It is not the Emperor who protects the Imperial Household, but the dignity of an Emperor! An Emperor who is not Emperor-like is not an Emperor!"
That voice resonated throughout the hall. The Emperor looked down at the Captain of the Guard. His eyes were different. There was rage. But within that rage, there was something else. It was a look that knew for whom this man was acting to the very end. And it was a look that knew how terrifying that was.
The Emperor said.
"Execute him immediately for treason."
The soldiers moved. As the Captain of the Guard was dragged away, he looked up at the stairs. It was the last time. It was the last look in his eyes toward the Empress. There was nothing in them. No regret. No fear. It was simply the last look. The last look in his eyes toward the person he had served his entire life.
The Empress received that gaze. Her face did not change. However, the hand that had been tightly clenched beneath her dress was squeezed even tighter. The doors of the main hall closed. A moment later, a short sound came from outside the hall. And then it fell silent. The main hall remained silent for a while. Dozens of courtiers held their breath. The Emperor looked straight ahead while seated on his throne. It was a gaze looking toward nothingness, yet it held so much within it.
The Empress rose from her seat. Slowly. Upright. Her posture remained unwavering. The hem of her dress cascaded down the stairs. No one could see the condition of her hand beneath the dress. Only the white silk of the skirt she was clutching was turning red. Her Majesty the Empress was keeping it hidden from view.
The Empress stood silently, gazing at the Emperor. On the stairs. In the presence of dozens of courtiers. The two faced each other.
"Your Majesty."
The Empress's voice was low and calm. It was a voice that echoed throughout the entire Grand Hall, yet it was not high-pitched. That lowness, in fact, made it sound even clearer.
"You have crossed the point of no return."
Then, bowing once, the Empress descended the stairs. Her footsteps echoed across the floor of the Grand Hall. Slowly. Straight and steady. The subjects bowed from both sides to greet her as she walked.
The Empress exited the Grand Hall. The door closed, and the hall fell into complete silence. The Emperor looked at the door the Empress had exited. There was something in her eyes. They were difficult to read. Was it anger, sorrow, or old weariness? The weight of the words spoken by someone he had spent decades with as she walked out that door lay within those eyes.
The subjects held their breath. The Emperor rose and spoke.
"I shall conclude the meeting."
It was in front of the main gate of the Imperial Palace. A notice written in black on white paper hung on the main gate. Attempted assassination of the Imperial Family, treason. Summary execution. Below it was the name of the Captain of the Guard. And next to the notice, the Captain of the Guard's head hung.
People entering and leaving the palace saw it. Some stopped in their tracks. Some turned their heads. Whispers rang out. It took less than two hours for the rumor to spread from the palace to the entire capital.
Martha was waiting for her father and brother in the study. Lucy was beside her. Maxim refilled the tea four times. It was as the afternoon was drawing to a close when Claude and Edward returned. As they opened the study door and entered, they saw Martha. Edward's face was heavy. It was not fatigue. What he had seen at the palace today was lingering on his face.
"You've worked hard, brother."
Edward took his seat. He then recounted the events of the day from beginning to end. The atmosphere of the Imperial Hall. The Emperor turning back the floor. The Empress insisting on an order of exile. The words the Emperor threw at the Empress. Her Majesty the Empress's hand. The Captain of the Guard entering. And the Captain of the Guard's final words.
Martha listened to it in silence. Edward spoke.
"Her Majesty the Empress said something as she left."
Martha looked at Edward.
"You have crossed the point of no return. She left after doing just that."
As she listened, Martha looked out the window. Evening was approaching. The garden was tinged red. The point of no return. Martha knew what those words meant. It meant the Empress was ceasing to be cautious. It was a declaration that she would move differently from now on, whereas she had moved secretly until now. She also heard about the notice hanging on the main gate of the Imperial Palace: summary execution for treason. The Captain of the Guard's name was written below it.
Martha thought to herself. His Imperial Majesty has crossed the line, too. He sent a public signal to the Empress. Both of them have crossed the line. Edward looked at Martha.
"The Empress is a scary person."
Martha said.
"I know."
Edward looked at Martha.
"Will we be okay?"
It was the first time Edward had said such a thing to Martha. It was a question an older brother asked his younger sister. It was a question of concern. Edward, who had always followed behind Martha, looked shaky in front of her for the first time.
Martha looked at Edward for a moment and said.
"We will be fine."
"If the Empress has crossed the river of no return, we just need to build a bridge to cross back."
Edward nodded in response. A chuckle escaped his lips.
"It sounds easy when you say it like that."
Martha looked at Edward.
"It isn't easy. But it's not impossible."
Edward looked at Martha and nodded again. Martha looked out the window and thought.
The real work begins now. Oh dear.
[Lucy's Secret Shock Journal - Episode 69]
A major incident occurred today at the Imperial Grand Hall. The Captain of the Empress's Guard was executed today for treason.
Our Princess is currently on His Majesty the Emperor's side while pretending to be on Her Majesty the Empress's side; however, this could also be seen as treason in a way, so I am extremely worried.
I know she will navigate this wisely... but the future looks bleak.
Should I look for another job?
The Princess looked out the window and let out a very soft sigh. That sigh felt the heaviest to me today.
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