“The maid said that you fell asleep as soon as you arrived yesterday. Your Majesty came to the party yesterday.”
“It’s nothing else and it’s your Majesty’s business, so it’s natural for rumors to spread.”
My father put down the teacup and looked at me worriedly.
“You must have felt uncomfortable. I should have gone with you.”
“·······It’s fine since I won’t be meeting your majesty anymore anyway. I’ve already forgotten about yesterday.”
“Ellie.” No, unlike what I told my father, the voice he called me last night seemed to be ringing in my ears. I tried to erase his voice and looked at my father.
“Yeah. If you are like that… don’t worry about me anymore.”
“Yes, don’t worry. Rather, Father, when is the Lund Kingdom ferry you talked about yesterday?”
“Recently, the security of the sea area going to the Kingdom of Lund is not good…I found out that a big upper ship was going to that side by side. I think we’d better go together when they leave.”
“Two days later?” I was taken aback by my father’s words. I thought I’d be leaving soon, but in two days. I thought it would take about a month or so. It was much faster than expected.
“It’s fast, but once the boat leaves, it seems difficult to find a safe boat. I have to leave before I’m full anyway… It would be better to go early.”
My father was right, but I couldn’t say what to say when I broke up faster than I thought, and my lips were chapped. I was worried about my life in the kingdom of Lund, but I was worried about my father who would be left alone. When my heart was heavy and I was silent, my father called me.
“Don’t worry about me. You think only of you and your child. Raising a child alone will never be easy.”
Me and the child. It would be hard for a woman to raise a child alone in another country. But I’ll do my best. I put my hand lightly on my lower abdomen, determined. My father, who saw me like that, told me.
“Ellie, get ready to leave in two days.”
I made up my mind and nodded my head. “Yes, I will.”
In front of the office of the Sun Palace. A middle-aged man with straight blond hair stood in front of the emperor’s office.
“Your Majesty, Marquis Sios is asking for an audience.”
The door to the office opened, and Marquis Sios took a tense breath and stepped inside.
“I see the Emperor, the sun of the Empire.”
“Get up, Marquis.” The Marquis slowly got up, but Raymond’s eyes were still on the papers. Raymond didn’t take his eyes off the document and asked Marquis Sios.
“That is······.” Raymond finally looked up from the paperwork, after the Marquis blurted out his words unanswerable.
When the Marquis made eye contact, he coughed out a small cough.
“Didn’t you ask me for an audience because you had something to say?”
“Tell me. I’m not that free.”
Marquis Sios, who was also bothered by Raymond’s words, said to him, kneeling on one knee with a determined expression on his face.
“… Your Majesty, please make Lizena the Empress.” At the words of the Marquis, Raymond’s eyebrows rose sharply.
“Marquis. I think the story is over, isn’t it?”
“Your Majesty, the empress cannot be left empty for long. With all due respect, I think my sister Lizena is the best fit for the position. Isn’t she the mother of His Majesty’s only successor?”
The Marquis begged him with a tight head, saying, “If Your Majesty thinks of the Prince at all, please reconsider.”
The Marquis bowed his head and pleaded with him. But Raymond looked down at the Marquis with a cold, hard face.
“It has yet to be officially announced that he will enter, but he is a prince,” the marquis flinched at Raymond’s voice, which was full of ridicule.
“How long has it been since the empress left the palace? A new empress? It is doubtful whether your haste contained any other meaning.” Raymond’s voice was soft, but there was a sharp edge like a knife in every word he spoke to the Marquis.
The marquis’ shoulder trembled slightly. It is now a peaceful situation, but the Marquis knows how much blood had seeped into Raymond’s sword.
“······· I must have been too hasty, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for my mistake.”
the marquis stepped back. I didn’t think I’d get a definite answer today anyway. It’s just that I came today to show the emperor that he didn’t give up. I hope that the court servants will spread the word about him. But I didn’t know you’d set a date like this.
The Marquis was a little perplexed at the emperor’s sharper reaction than expected, but he quickly lowered himself because his purpose was accomplished.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“This will be the last indulgence to forgive your mistakes. But don’t do any more stupid things.”
“……Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Raymond let out an annoyed sigh as the Marquis left the office and looked at the paperwork again. The Empress’s Book. he knows That the Empress’s seat cannot be left vacant for long. And that the most suitable person for that position right now is Lizena. All of them. But he didn’t want to think about the fact that someone else was coming into the empress’ palace.
It felt like something was scratching his chest. It wasn’t just because of the sense of incongruity she felt in Lizena, but he wants no one to be crowned Empress.
Maybe it’s because he’s used to Ellie being the Empress. Raymond drew complex emotional conclusions. If that’s not the case… “It’s already over.” She’s already cleaned him up and has another man.
Raymond recalled the platinum-blonde man he had seen yesterday. A beautiful appearance and dark eyes that looked towards Ellie. It was never a light look at Ellie.
Ellie danced and smiled with such a man. As I recalled that scene, a fever surged in my chest. My head was so hot that I couldn’t contain my anger.
Why am I so angry? It was anger that he couldn’t understand. He, who distorted his face in frustration, let out a hot breath, unbuttoned his top with a rough touch.
“I’ve never seen anything like that. Looking back, I’ve never seen another man with Ellie.”
This is it. He was the only man to her, so he said, “Yeah, it’s because Ellie suddenly changed.”
Ellie, who had always looked at him, without even realizing it, he felt it was a little natural. So, thinking that the sudden distance from her was uncomfortable because she was not used to it, Raymond suppressed his boiling emotions.
Yesterday and now, I couldn’t control my emotions simply because of my familiarity with her, but I pretended not to know. “It’s hot, open all the windows.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Raymond tried to ignore his unquenchable emotions and looked down at the papers again.
“Aren’t you tired, lady?”
“Well, I’m fine.” I took off my robe and replied to Helan.
In the morning, I went around to buy travel items, checked the cabin of the ship I was going to take, and returned to the duke’s residence.
She said she would move fast, but it was after sunset when he returned to the duke.
Helan, who took the robe, said anxiously. “You’ve been around all day, wouldn’t it be better to call a doctor?”
“No, it’s really fine. If it had been bad somewhere, I would have felt it right away.” I sat down on the sofa, stroking my stomach gently.
“Do you have anything else to pack, miss?”
“I’ll just take what I packed today. Hey.” Helan asked with a little surprise,
“You said you wouldn’t come back after you left, but isn’t that a little too much?”
“No, I’ll go get a new one. You won’t have to take clothes or anything. The climate is very different from here.”
Unlike an empire with four distinct seasons, the Lund Kingdom has been a cold country with low temperatures all year. You can take winter clothes, but then you had better leave your luggage because it would only make your things bigger.
And it would be better not to be found out that she was in the Empire in the Kingdom of Lund as much as possible.
Just in case, it’s a possibility, but someone might be looking for me. “Then I’ll go prepare dinner.”
“Yes, Ah Helan.” I called Helan about to leave the room.
“Did you happen to hear from the imperial family that Edmund was a prince?”
After meeting with Raymond at Edmund’s party, she deliberately avoided reading the daily newspaper to avoid news related to the imperial family.
However, Edmund’s birthday party was over, and Raymond was there personally, so it was right to announce the crown prince right now, at the right time. ······· Also about Lizena’s proclamation of the Empress. But Helan shook her head at my question.
“No, there was no royal news in today’s daily newspaper.”
“…Really? All right. You can go out.” If he had come so directly that day, wouldn’t he have already made up his mind?
I thought it was strange, but on the other hand, I felt relieved that I wouldn’t have to hear that Lizena and Edmund had entered the imperial house before I left.
“My baby, I’m glad you can leave quietly.” If I get hurt, the baby will get hurt too. I smiled and stroked my stomach a few times and opened a book of the Kingdom of Lund.