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[Siana’s POV]
Aris has done incredibly well so far.
But once she touched her beloved ‘mother’, she could no longer wear a mask.
But…
Contrary to Siana’s expectations, Aris’ face did not distort with anger.
Aris smiled like a flower at Empress Dowager.
“I’m so happy that my grandmother loves me so much.”
“… … ”
Siana looked at Aris in disbelief.
Aris smiled and continued.
“Today, I memorized a poem by Levrams for my grandmother. Can I read it for you?”
“Oh my gosh, Levrams. The child has the same taste as me.”
Empress Dowager looked at Aris with a face full of anticipation.
Aris put her hands together and began to recite a beautiful poem.
I love the spring sunshine, the fresh summer flowers, and a cup of hot tea on a cold winter day… …
It was a beautiful poem that sang all the love in the world.
However, to Siana, Aris’ clear voice sounded very sad.
[Aris’ POV]
Aris and Siana left the Empress Dowager Palace.
How many steps did you take.
Aris, who stopped walking, looked at Siana and said.
“Actually, I wanted to ask my grandmother why she did it to my mother earlier. I wanted to say that I hate you for leaving me like that and loving me now. ……but I held it in.”
If I say such a thing, the power I finally held in my hand will disappear and I will go back to the way it was before.
A poor princess with no power and unable to protect even a single maid.
I hated that.
PLEASE Read only at PM Translations
Aris said in a trembling voice.
“Did I do well?”
“… …”
Siana couldn’t bear to answer and looked at Aris.
Instead of answering yes, Siana hugged Aris’ small body.
And whispered into the small, round ear.
“It’s okay to cry now.”
“… … !”
At that moment, tears poured from Aris’ big eyes.
Aris cried out, hugging Siena’s waist.
“Heuaang! I’m annoyed! I hate you! I wish you’d all die!”
Siana patted Aris’ small back.
Siena thought with a troubled face.
‘This plan is a failure.’
TL/N: ARIS BBY U DID SO WELL T^T
***
[Rashid’s POV]
A dark night with a gentle breeze.
Siana turned her head at the unfamiliar presence.
There stood Rashid.
Rashid smiled and said.
“Long time no see.”
Siena bowed her head.
It was the first time in about three months that we met after meeting to get information about the Empress Dowager.
Rashid said with a beautiful face.
“I’ve heard the story. She won the heart of my grandmother.”
“Thanks to the efforts of the brilliant princess.”
At Siana’s words, Rashid burst into a small laugh.
Of course, I acknowledge Aris’ ability.
However, it was Siana who devised a meticulous plan for her to do so.
‘No one knows but Aris and I.’
Rashid thought so and came to Siana’s side.
“So why did you ask me to see you this time?”
“I want to know something.”
It was about wanting to receive information from Rashid like before.
Rashid nodded without hesitation.
“Ask me.”
Siana looked into Rashid’s eyes and asked.
“Is it true that Empress Dowager is involved in the death of Rosemary, the princess’s biological mother?”
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Rashid’s eyes widened.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Someone who disapproves of Princess Aris being loved by the Empress Dowager. So I wanted to make sure that it was true.”
After a while, Rashid lowered his eyes and replied.
“That statement is both right and wrong. Because… that day, it wasn’t just Grandmother who killed Rosemary.”
***
[Rosemary’s POV]
Rosemary, Aris’s biological mother.
She was a gorgeous beauty with wavy rosy hair and blue eyes.
Her slender belly bulged out.
It was the Emperor’s child.
Rosemary stroked her stomach, muttering with a troubled face.
“I can’t wait to see you, baby.”
Contrary to popular rumors that she was a beautiful woman who captivated the emperor as a humble dancer, her position was imperfect.
This is because the emperor’s affection was more fleeting than a mirage.
His love, which had burned like a flame, began to cool soon after.
‘It’s going to go out soon, and there won’t even be a spark left.’
So, to Rosemary, the baby in her belly was more precious.
It was the only thing that allowed her to win the emperor’s heart again, and it was the rope that allowed her to stay in the imperial palace.
Rosemary was extremely careful to protect the baby.
However, an incident occurred when the emperor was away from the imperial palace.
The sudden labor pains came.
The baby started coming in two months earlier than expected.
“Argh!”
Rosemary gasped for breath with a troubled face.
The bleeding was too much. My whole body went cold, and my limbs trembled.
The maid serving her shouted.
“Rosemary’s condition is serious. Get a doctor now!”
But no matter how much I waited, the doctor didn’t come.
At that time, all the doctors at the Imperial Palace, including the attending physician who treated Rosemary, had their own affairs.
No, actually, it was just an excuse.
It was a situation where they were fighting each other. Anyone could come.
But they didn’t go.
Because the emperor’s women wanted that.
Beautifully decorated women waved their fans and said.
“If you seduced the emperor with your vulgar body and received favors for one night, you should have been content with that. How dare you try to give birth to a baby tainted with your blood as a member of the royal family?”
“It should never happen. We have to stop it.”
The place where their gaze was directed was the doctors standing restlessly holding hands.
“So never go to that girl. This is not to kill His Majesty’s lineage, but to prevent His Majesty’s stigma from being born.”
Now without the emperor, they were the ones holding the greatest power in the imperial family.
Besides, the doctors each had a close relationship with them.
No doctor could refuse to say so.
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Realizing this, Rosemary burst into tears.
‘Cruel people.’
Still, since it was His Majesty’s baby, I thought they wouldn’t touch it.
What a naive delusion it was.
But you shouldn’t just cry like this.
I had to find a way to survive somehow.
Then, a person came to Rosemary’s mind.
“The Empress Dowager!”
It had been a long time since the Empress Dowager severed all ties with the imperial family and shut herself up in the palace.
So Rosemary couldn’t even see her face.
The Empress may not know the existence of Rosemary, one of the emperor’s numerous women.
‘Still, she’s His Majesty’s mother.’
No matter how heartless a mother may be, she cannot remain indifferent to her own child, even to her grandchild.
She will help even if it means saving this child.
Rosemary sent a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager in pain all over her body.
It was an earnest request to send a doctor from the Empress Dowager.
… … However, the maid who returned was alone.
The maid said in a tearful voice.
“The Empress Dowager said she did not want to get involved in the affairs of the imperial palace ……even more so if it is closely related to His Majesty the Emperor.”
Rosemary was in despair.
In the end, no doctor came until half a day passed.
Nevertheless, Rosemary was able to give birth to a baby only because of her persistence in not giving up on the baby until the end.
“Ro, Miss Rosemary! The baby finally came out. Here comes the pretty princess!”
The maid shouted in a hoarse voice.
But Rosemary could neither see nor touch the newborn baby’s face.
Because she was already on the verge of death.
She murmured a single word with a face as pale as that of a corpse.
“Baby……I’m sorry…….”
Tears did not come out due to the long agony.
That was the end of the concubine Rosemary.
***
[Siana’s POV]
“… … .”
Siana’s face darkened.
Rashid looked at Siana and carefully opened his mouth.
“Are you surprised that I told you such a cruel story?”
Siana lowered her eyebrows and smiled.
No way.
Siana was born in the palace and raised in the palace. The palace where she grew up was no different from this place.
The palace, full of people adorned with jewels, was never a beautiful place.
It was a battlefield where each other killed one another.
So this story is not surprising.
Siana’s face darkened for other reasons.
“I made the princess do something too harsh.”
If she had known that something like this had happened in the past, she would not have chosen Empress Dowager as the person who would support Aris.
Even if it happened because of everyone in the imperial family, it is true that Empress Dowager was responsible for Rosemary’s death.
She was told to get the love of such a person.
I was so sorry for that.
Rashid said to Siena.
“So what are you going to do now?”
She could break the link she had barely made and become distant from the Empress Dowager.
Of course, it was the stupidest choice.
Empress Dowager will feel anger at her young granddaughter who suddenly approaches and then disappears.
The people of the Imperial Palace, who began to see Aris differently, would also trample on her as a princess abandoned by the Empress Dowager.
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Siana knew that too.
So, Siana answered with clear eyes.
“I will reverse the power of the Empress Dowager and Princess Aris.”
“…….”
Until now, the relationship between the two has been unilaterally dominated by the Empress Dowager.
Aris was in a situation where he bowed his head and was courting her.
Siana is saying that she will reverse the relationship between the two.
Rashid’s eyes twinkled at her bold words.
“How?”
Siana slightly bent her round eyes.
“It’s no different from the way I approached the Empress Dowager. ……of course, it’s much more vicious and subtle than it used to be.”
[Rashid’s POV]
Rashid stared blankly at Siana.
‘…It’s like a different person at times like this.’
She seemed like an innocent girl when she was cleaning hard with a broom in the sunlight, but when she talked about cunning tricks in the moonlight, she was like a coquettish woman who held the world in her hands and rolled it.
‘For some reason, my face is getting hot.’
TL/N: Our male lead is WHIPPED for her
At that time, Siana’s eyes turned to Rashid.
“Thank you for telling me the story, Your Highness. How would you like me to pay for the story?”
“…….”
For the price of a story.
It was a dreary story, so even though the people in the imperial palace kept quiet about it, it wasn’t a big secret.
Even if it wasn’t Rashid, you could have heard it if you had seduced an elderly servant or maid.
‘Still…’
Rashid wanted to get paid for the story.
Because it was an opportunity to get something from her.
Rashid said in a slightly lowered voice.
“Would you come and visit my palace?”
Siana blinked at the unexpected remark.
Since it’s the prince’s palace, it would be full and overflowing with maids, but to say such a thing… …
“There must be a lot of work at the Crown Prince’s Palace.”
“…….”
“Okay. On the day I have time, I will go to Her Highness’s palace and dedicate my whole body to work!”
Then, with a bright face, she added something.
“Your Highness seems to be very vicious, no, frugal, to use even one maid’s manpower without neglecting it.”
It’s not like that.
Rashid felt a little wronged.
***
[Empress Dowager Golderia’s POV]
“Empress Dowager, Princess Aris, says she can’t come again today because she’s busy.”
At those words, the Empress Dowager’s eyebrows furrowed.
When Aris did not come at the Empress Dowager’s order, I thought so at first.
But as it continued two or three times, I started to get angry.
‘How I loved yourself… … .’
Empress Dowager also knew the situation that had been going on lately.
Thanks to Empress Dowager, Aris’ position in the imperial palace rose tremendously.
Then it looked like this.
A huge sense of betrayal came over me.
Empress Dowager, who became disillusioned with everything in the imperial palace that was used and discarded, believed in it.
At least for Aris, it was purely that she had come to find herself.*
TL/N: Refers to Empress Dowager
But it wasn’t.
‘As expected, did you come to see me for sweet water as well?*’
TL/N: Korean slang(?) for rewards/ profit. Meaning to profit off Empress Dowager’s power/influence.
When the thought reached that point, an unbearable rage rose up.
Empress Dowager jumped up from her seat.
“Let’s go to the Ruby Palace.”
The Empress Dowager’s maids rushed to support her and headed for Ruby Palace.
I didn’t send a message that I was going to visit on purpose.
It was to see the true nature of Aris, who had not come to the Empress Dowager Palace for all sorts of reasons.
‘I’m sure you’re playing with other people or rolling around happily.’
Then, seeing the sudden appearance of the Empress Dowager, her face would turn pale and she would cry profusely because she had made a mistake.
Of course, I was never going to forgive her.
But…
“…….”
Upon entering the Ruby Palace, Empress Dowager was unable to speak.
It was because Aris was lying on the bed with a pale face that had lost the blood.
It was like a dead person.
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Empress Dowager asked in a trembling voice.
“Wh, what the hell is going on. What’s wrong with her face?”
Siana, who was by Aris’s side, replied.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. Since the princess has barely fallen asleep, I will give you an answer instead.”
“…….”
“Actually, the princess has been sick since a week ago. That’s why she couldn’t come to Your Highness.”
“Where does it hurt!”
Siana hesitated for a moment and then replied.
“She has been poisoned.”
“……!”
The Empress Dowager’s heart dropped with a thud.