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The Saint of the South
The cloudy weather seemed to drag on all morning, and not long after it started raining.
I had been accompanying Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, at her palace.
“Ah, I need to close the window,” I said as I rose from my seat.
Thunk thunk!
The sound of rainwater tapping on the window frame almost made me jump.
I strode toward the window and glanced outside.
“It’s raining a lot.”
It’s no surprise. After all, it was early summer.
It was getting hotter and hotter, and the trees in the garden changed from light green to dark green.
The sweltering heat was thankfully dampened by the pouring rain.
But the rain was so heavy at times that thin branches sometimes snapped.
“I know. It rains often during this season.”
A slightly subdued voice rang out.
It was the Empress Dowager.
Huh? Is she all right?
Concerned by her tone, I closed the shutters with a confused face.
The sound of rain beating down faded the instant I did so.
“Are you worried about something?”
“….about that.”
Taking a sip of tea, Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, let out a long sigh.
“Charlize, you know I’m from the South, right?”
“Oh, yes.”
I nodded.
Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, was the only daughter of the Lebane family, a great southern aristocratic family in the past.
By marrying Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, the emperor emeritus or Damian’s grandfather, was able to gain the loyalty of the South.
Through their marriage, Lebane City fell under the royal family’s direct jurisdiction. The city would be governed by a mayor dispatched by the emperor.
When Damian’s grandfather was alive, the South was treated with great hospitality.
‘But soon after the current Emperor usurped the throne, things changed. He was cold-hearted to the core.’
The Emperor was ruthless toward those who opposed his succession.
In his eyes, there was nothing positive about the South that supported the Empress Dowager.
Moreover, since Lebane City was under the direct control of the royal family, it had no choice but to be bound to the Emperor.
The circumstances were terrible in many ways…
As I pursed my lips, Her Majesty’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“The South is a very rich land, but there’s one problem.”
“One problem?”
“Yes. Recurring typhoons.”
Her Majesty’s explanation went roughly like this.
In the southern part of the country, typhoons often occurred as summer came along.
They usually pass without causing harm, but sometimes there were cases that stirred trouble.
It’s been said that no matter how well every defense was constructed, it was useless in the face of nature and its overwhelming force.
“I didn’t have to worry before because my husband or Damian’s father always gave ample support toward the South in such situations.”
Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, blurted out those words.
Well, it was a situation to be reasonably worried about.
The North has been shunned for a long time because of its support for Damian, but that’s not to say that the South wouldn’t receive support.
“His Highness, the Crown Prince, has arrived.”
Speaking of the devil, Damian set foot inside the palace.
The Empress Dowager tried to hide her troubled expression and smiled at Damian.
“Damian, what are you doing here?”
However, Damian’s expression when facing the Empress Dowager was not so cheerful.
‘What?’
An ominous feeling crept up.
It was the first time that Damian, who normally keeps his emotions in check, had such a flustered expression.
Damian pursed his lips several times, unsure of what to say.
After a while, he opened his mouth with a determined voice.
“I came here because I thought Grandma Mama should know too.”
“What on earth made you have this darkened expression?”
“It’s… an envoy from the southern Lebane estate has arrived with urgent news.”
Upon hearing those words, Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, suddenly froze in place.
“They’re requesting assistance because of the damage wreaked by a passing typhoon.”
“What?!” exclaimed her Majesty.
In an instant, blood drained from her face.
Damian, who focused on Her Majesty’s eyes, added a soothing voice.
“Don’t fret too much, though. The aristocracy and officials are already trying to solve the problem.”
“…but His Majesty, the Emperor must be interfering. Right?”
To that, Damian didn’t say a word.
It was plain as day.
The Empress Dowager, who had been biting her lip, stood up resolutely after a while.
“I must meet and see His Majesty, the Emperor.”
“Grandma, don’t…no…”
“No. This is what the Emperor wants. For me is to cling to him in this urgent situation.”
Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, looked back at us with an adamant mien.
“I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
“The South has done nothing but support me reliably. I am where I am today because of that. So…”
Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, bit her lip and faced forward.
“Should we not do something rather than sit idly and leave the South in the hands of others?”
After those words, Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, left for the palace immediately.
Damian and I briefly exchanged looks with each other, then followed her Majesty without question.
***
The pouring rain cast a gloomy atmosphere over the imperial palace.
Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, entered the emperor’s palace without delay.
But she couldn’t see the emperor.
It was because an attendant blocked our way.
“The Emperor is resting.”
“Resting?”
“Yes. Until he wakes up from his slumber, he has given the order to not let anyone in…”
The attendant had an apologetic face, not knowing how we would react.
A nap at a time like this?
I looked at the attendant with a shocked expression.
Of course, it was an excuse.
This was all to frustrate the Empress Dowager.
Her Majesty then raised her voice, having shared the same shocked sentiment.
“His Majesty knows what Lebane City is going through now!”
“Please, Your Majesty,” implored the attendant.
“What are you doing! Do you not see that His Majesty’s mother has come to see him!”
Her raspy voice reverberated.
The attendant fell to the floor with a terrified face.
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, please have mercy!”
The Empress Dowager was wide-eyed.
The attendant began begging in a trembling voice.
“How could I, a commoner, disobey His Majesty’s stern command?”
“So please…” beseeched the attendant.
“Then do my orders mean nothing to you?!”
“No, that’s not it!”
The attendant looked like he was going to faint.
Her Majesty the Empress Dowager glared at the attendant for a long time, then closed her eyes.
Unable to overcome the frustration, her wrinkled eyes trembled.
*Sigh*
A long sigh came out.
The Empress Dowager knew it well.
No matter how angry she is, scolding the attendant…
‘It changes nothing.’
When the superior gives them an order, their subordinates obey.
Above all, this attendant’s superior was the Emperor.
A person in a position that no one else in the empire can challenge.
A person who uses the power they have for themselves, not for the people of the empire.
A person who sees a commoner as less than a worm.
Isn’t that the kind of person the Emperor is?
The Empress Dowager stood there with an emotionless expression on her face.
“…I see.”
She clenched the hem of her dress to stifle her emotions, causing ugly wrinkles in her dress.
“Then, I will wait,” she declared vehemently.
“B-But, I don’t know when His Majesty will wake up…”
“I said I would wait.”
In response to that unwavering voice, the attendant finally bowed his head and led us into the waiting room.
Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, Damian, and I then waited for the Emperor.
The sun had set and the rain had stopped pouring. It wasn’t till it was dark that the attendant came to us again.
A message that the Emperor had awoken.
“His Majesty is here.”
The attendant told us with a face full of relief.
Behind him was the Emperor, entering the room wearing comfortable clothing similar to pajamas.
Damian’s expression and mine hardened, while Her Majesty showed subtle hints of anger.
The Emperor’s intent to deliberately be indifferent to the Empress Dowager was crystal clear.
He didn’t even bother to change his clothes after making his mother wait for hours while he rested.
Empress Dowager, on the other hand, suppressed her rage.
She smiled softly.
“It’s been a while, Emperor,” greeted the Empress Dowager.
“I see you, Your Majesty.”
“I see you, Your Majesty.”
Damian and I bowed to the emperor.
The Emperor blinked his weary eyes before letting out a long yawn.
“Oh, pardon me. State affairs have left me overworked and sleep-deprived.”
It was a blatant lie, but this wasn’t a situation where one could argue, ‘Why don’t you stop lying?’
On top of that, we came here in the first place to ask for help.
“So what brings you here, Mother?”
In response to the Emperor’s query, Her Majesty spoke with a sense of urgency.
“The news is that a recent typhoon has severely damaged the southern Lebane estate.”
“Ah, yes…it has. But-”
In contrast to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor had a sullen attitude.
“So, supporting the South…”
“Well, it’s quite unfortunate. But that’s beyond my capabilities.”
“…I beg your pardon?”
The Empress Dowager froze in place.
No, what kind of nonsense is that?
I had to use a lot of effort to hide my astonished expression.
The Emperor turned around, revealing a crooked sneer.
“Let me present you with an explanation first.”