386
Back in the Western Palace, Rashta's hands trembled as she pulled at her hair.
She never expected that the Isqua couple would betray her.
The attempt to deceive the emperor was an extremely serious crime, which could not be compared to the attempt to kill Evely. For that reason, the High Court Judge sentenced them to death on the spot.
The sentence could only be overturned later if a paternity test showed that Rashta was their daughter, after all.
'It won't be overturned.'
Rashta shook her head. She knew that she was not their real daughter, so she was clear about the result if a paternity test were to be done. The sentence would definitely not be overturned.
Now, there was only one possible scenario. The Isquas would die as evil and miserable fallen nobles who conspired with the emperor's concubine to deceive him, and Rashta would…
"No! No!"
Rashta screamed and knocked over the tea set. It shattered with a loud thud, but she paid no attention.
Rashta found it hard to breathe. She could not believe it. Her charges would be compounded by Viscount and Viscountess Isqua's scandalous confessions.
'Because of lies told by that scum!'
It was a serious crime to deceive the emperor by claiming Rashta's daughter was his biological child, but now, their marriage was seen as a ruse planned by Rashta. Part of her life had quickly been exposed as a sham.
"No! No! It isn't true! That bastard Sovieshu was the one who asked me to marry him!"
Rashta screamed, pushed the table and kicked the chair.
"Duke Elgy was the one who brought the Isqua couple!"
She clenched her fist, kicked the bed in fury, bit a pillow and threw it on the floor.
"Viscount Roteschu is a bloody bastard! I won't be satisfied even if I personally torture him to death! I should have killed him! I should have killed him!"
Her anger did not subside no matter how much she screamed, writhed, pulled her hair and sobbed.
'Viscount Roteschu was always a filthy piece of trash. But I really did love the Isqua couple. I even came to wish they were my real parents.'
Their betrayal became a spear lodged in her heart.
Rashta fell to her knees and sobbed.
'Why does everyone betray me? Why is everyone so mean to me? Why doesn't anyone support me?'
Rashta remembered how the people cursed as they threw eggs and fruits at the trial of Viscount Roteschu and Alan. And then she remembered the horrible voices that cried out for Empress Rashta to be sentenced with them at once…
Eventually, her fear became stronger than her anger.
"I must run away. Baron Lant's suggestion to flee makes sense now. I can't stay here any longer. Everyone blames Rashta!"
Rashta desperately called out to Arian, her most experienced maid. Although Rashta didn't trust her, she couldn't leave the Western Palace on her own.
Only Baron Lant could help her flee, so she had to call him.
"Your Majesty?!"
Arian was startled to see the room turned upside down.
Rashta, her eyes filled with tears, made a request.
"Baron Lant… Call Baron Lant. Please hurry!"
Arian hesitated a moment, but then she left.
Rashta wasn't sure whether Arian would do this for her, but after a while Baron Lant arrived.
As soon as Rashta was alone with Baron Lant, she clutched at his clothes in tears and pleaded with him.
"I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Baron Lant. Everyone blames me for their own mistakes. Everyone tries to take me down to save themselves. At this rate, I will definitely be sentenced to death. I don't want to die. I don't want to die! Please help me flee! Get me out of here! Please!"
Baron Lant raised his hands awkwardly with a troubled expression.
His suggestion a few days ago had been impulsive, when he thought of the innocent Rashta from her days as concubine, but now he had come to his senses.
He still felt sorry for her, but there were too many factors to take into account and he could not act on compassion alone. Besides, the current situation was worse than a few days ago, when he suggested that she run away.
"Your Majesty…"
"Please, Baron Lant. Please."
As Baron Lant hesitated, Rashta looked at him with pleading eyes like a puppy's.
She looked so pitiful that it would make anyone's heart shudder. Her black eyes looked like those of a trapped animal.
"I can't help you all the way, but… I'll help you leave the capital."
In the end, Baron Lant acceded. Although he could have turned a deaf ear to Rashta's request, he felt that he would have nightmares for the rest of his life if he didn't help her.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"We must get out of here right now."
"But the knights will prevent me from leaving the Western Palace."
"I can distract the knights for a while. It's not easy, but once is enough to succeed, so hurry up and take all your money."
Rashta didn't have much money left. When she asked the Isquas to leave, she offered them most of the jewelry she had. Rashta never had direct access to funds as Empress, so she couldn't use them.
"Wait a few minutes."
Still, Rashta began to search every corner of the room. In a place where she would have no connections, identity or relatives, only money could help her. So she decided to take anything that could be used as money.
"I'll go ahead to make the necessary preparations…"
Baron Lant had already prepared a carriage for Rashta a few days ago. He glanced at his watch.
"In 30 minutes, I will have the knights abandon their posts at the gate of the Western Palace. Go out that way, head for the corridor and continue straight ahead."
"Alright."
"Dress as you normally would until you reach the gate. Once outside, put on a cloak to cover your clothes and your face."
Baron Lant left the room. She was still busily moving about, collecting jewelry and valuables. At the same time, she kept an eye on the time.
Rashta left the room 15 minutes later. She calculated that it would be better to leave now, even if she hadn't yet collected all her valuables, rather than run out of time.
However, she was surprised as she entered the drawing room. Arian seemed to be waiting for her.
"Didn't you say… you were going to do the laundry?"
Rashta stammered and examined Arian, whose expression was stiff, not her usual obedient, calm expression.
As soon as Rashta saw her, she guessed that Arian had made an important decision.
'She's clearly going to rat me out.'
Rashta's face became pale as she stared menacingly at Arian.
Arian advised her, worried,
"Your Majesty, if you run away, it will only make your situation worse. It will be better if you face the accusations."
However, Rashta believed that Arian had ulterior motives.
'Since when does she care about me?'
Arian didn't even dissuade the maids when they stopped obeying Rashta.
If it hadn't been for the article about how often Rashta replaced her maids, she would have immediately reassigned Arian or fired her.
Rashta was surprised that she now spoke to her like this.
"Your Majesty, you must defend yourself if you did nothing wrong. Otherwise, you must pay the price. It is not a good idea to run away."
387
Arian tried to dissuade her once more, but Rashta answered in tears,
"You say that because you weren't at the High Court! You don't know how furious everyone is! Nobody will listen to me! I'm scared!"
Arian stared at Rashta in silence for a moment, then sighed and took a step back.
"Then leave quickly, Your Majesty. I'll pretend I didn't see you."
Rashta wiped away her tears as she looked at Arian in amazement.
"What do you mean?"
"I'll pretend I didn't see Your Majesty flee. … Leave, quickly."
Rashta stared stunned at Arian.
'Really? Does she really mean it?'
Rashta found it strange that Arian, who had just told her not to run away, suddenly changed her mind. She didn't take her eyes off Arian, who looked down at the floor.
"Thank you. Thank you."
Rashta murmured and headed for the door.
'No.'
However, Rashta stopped when she grabbed the doorknob and narrowed her eyes.
'Arian only acts like this to save her own skin.'
Rashta remembered all those who betrayed her. Each person whom she had trusted because she thought they would be different from the others had let her down. From Alan, whom she believed to be kind, to Sovieshu, her savior.
And now Arian wanted to help her? A maid with whom she didn't even have a close relationship?
'Of course not. As soon as I leave, she'll go straight to His Majesty and tell him that I ran away. That's the reason why she seems meek.'
After thinking about it, Rashta turned around, cautiously took out the dagger she had hidden in her sleeve and held it tightly behind her back.
"Arian… thank you so much."
Then she walked slowly over to Arian with tears in her eyes.
When Rashta arrived at the entrance of the Western Palace at the time indicated by Baron Lant, she didn't see any knights.
Judging from the bustle nearby, it seemed that Baron Lant had used some trick to force them to chase after someone else.
As soon as Rashta stepped out of the Western Palace, she put on a loose cloak and hid her face with the hood.
She crossed the gardens and reached the nearby corridor indicated by Baron Lant. The sunlight overhead was blocked and all was silent.
As she walked straight ahead, she saw a carriage ready to leave at the end of the corridor.
"This way."
Baron Lant called softly to her from inside the carriage. Rashta ran quickly, opened the carriage door and collapsed on the seat, trying to catch her breath.
Her hands were shaking. She still felt the horrifying sensation of piercing flesh in her fingertips.
"Your Majesty?"
"Yes? Yes?"
" I smell blood… are you all right?"
"I was discovered on the way here, so I had a little fight…"
When Rashta spoke with trembling lips, Baron Lant asked no more questions. Instead, he removed the cover from the seat in front of him.
Rashta watched with her arms wrapped around her trembling body. She felt mild curiosity as to why he had removed the seat cover.
"Your Majesty. Please step in here."
"In here?"
When Rashta asked in surprise, Baron Lant quickly replied "yes".
"Navier must have used this method to escape. It seems simple, but no one thinks to search here unless a thorough carriage inspection is conducted. Most carriages do not have hollow seat interiors because bandits could attack the carriages from underneath."
"I understand."
The space inside the seat seemed cramped and uncomfortable, but Rashta quickly got in and curled up.
Baron Lant put the seat cover back on. After a while, the carriage began to move slowly.
It was not easy to stay cooped up alone in a dark space. Every time the carriage rattled, Rashta's heart sank and she clutched her knees tighter.
To shake off her fears, she forced herself to think of hopeful things.
'If I get out of here… at least I won't be a slave again. I'll sell the valuables I brought to buy a little house. What else can I do…? I can do anything. Mind you, I won't fall in love again. I won't trust other people either… How long have I been in the carriage like this?'
"Are we out of the capital yet?"
Baron Lant answered quietly,
"Yes, we have left the capital. We are halfway to our destination. You can rest assured."
Rashta sighed with relief and tears slid down her cheeks.
"When we reach the next town, I'll find a coachman to take Your Majesty to another country and I'll return at once. If I stay away from my post for too long, it will arouse suspicion."
Rashta curled up further into the dark space and thanked Baron Lant several times.
'But… can I really trust Baron Lant? He's a secretary to His Majesty Sovieshu. He won't feel remorse and rat me out?'
Although the situation became a little safer, she began to feel in danger again.
'If Sovieshu trusts Baron Lant, could Baron Lant be someone I could trust?'
At that moment, a loud rattle was heard and the carriage abruptly came to a halt.
'What's going on?'
Rashta remained quiet with her eyes wide open. Her heartbeat was so loud that she couldn't hear the noises outside.
Slowly, the voices from outside became clearer. Rashta heard Baron Lant arguing with another man.
'Isn't that… Duke Tuania's voice?'
She had no time to be surprised by the unexpected voice as she suddenly felt as if the carriage was tilting. Startled, Rashta removed her hands from her knees and tried to hold herself steady against the inside of the seat.
The carriage, which had tipped completely to one side, fell with a loud thud. Rashta was unable to stand firm and fell sideways.
She struggled to use both hands to remove the seat cover. However, she had been left in a most uncomfortable position and she couldn't move properly as the inside of the seat was so cramped that she had no room to move.
However, she knew that staying in the carriage was unsafe amid the commotion outside.
"I said there's no one inside!"
"Is there no one? Do you mean that my knights can safely pierce the entire carriage with their spears?"
"Duke Tuania, you can't touch someone else's carriage without permission!"
"Huh? When did you become so naive, Baron Lant?"
"You can't do it! You can't do it!"
"I'll pay for the damages! Knights, pierce the carriage with your spears!"
"As you command, Sir!"
Without first inspecting the interior of the carriage, Duke Tuania ordered his knights to attack the carriage.
Rashta panicked and desperately tried to get out of the cramped space but she slipped. Her hands were shaking.
At that moment, the sharp point of a spear pierced the top of the seat, above Rashta's head.
"Aaaahh!"
Rashta screamed in terror. As Rashta screamed, many more spears pierced the carriage from different directions with immense force.
There was not the slightest mercy in the men who pierced the carriage. As soon as one of them aimed towards the bottom of the carriage, she was sure to be stabbed to death.
"Get me out! Get me out! There's someone inside! Get me out!"
As soon as Rashta screamed, the attack on the carriage stopped.
Rashta sobbed.
Shortly after, the door slammed open and several large hands pulled her from inside the seat.
When Rashta saw the situation outside, her whole body shuddered.
Knights surrounded her on all sides.
Baron Lant was pinned to the ground. He seemed to have been beaten as he tried to stop the knights.
But Rashta's attention was soon directed to Duke Tuania, who had a cruel smile on his face.
"I lost my wife because of you. I've been waiting for the day I could get revenge ever since I found out what you did, Rashta."
Rashta turned pale and stumbled back.
Let me… Please let me go!"
388
"How is Arian?"
"I did my best to treat her, but her condition remains critical because she was stabbed in the lungs."
"You must save her."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Just in case, look for the mage Evely. I heard that girl has healing magic."
"All right."
Shortly after the palace doctor left, Sovieshu walked out of his office, followed by Marquis Karl and some knights.
Sovieshu went to a tower attached to the Imperial Palace.
Their steps echoed as they climbed the narrow spiral staircase.
"Good thing Your Majesty decided to keep an eye on Baron Lant."
Marquis Karl spoke, relieved, but Sovieshu didn't answer. Then Marquis Karl sighed and added,
"I didn't expect that the maid Arian would try to help Rashta in the end."
The third trade team reported via carrier pigeon that they had arrived in Rwibt and began trade negotiations.
With their arrival, all three teams that departed from different locations of the Western Empire and headed to different parts of Rwibt had completed the initial journey successfully and began trading.
The first and second trade teams had performed well, so unless there were any last minute surprises, the third trade team was expected to achieve similar success..
Kapmen closed his eyes, folded the letter and put it in his pocket. His aim to establish trade between the Wol Continent and the Hwa Continent advanced fast, like a sailboat with favorable winds.
'But why does my heart feel so empty? Why isn't my joy greater when others congratulate me? If I am honest with myself, it makes no sense for me to still wonder. I know the reason, but I can't find a solution. Sometimes I think it would be better if I left, but the last time I walked away from Empress Navier, nothing changed. It only caused me more pain.'
After the incident at the wedding, Kapmen had learned what could happen if his pain grew too much. Recently, he even started to think that it would be better for Navier's sake if he died.
Kapmen sighed, rose from his seat and walked to the large garden located in the outermost part of the Imperial Palace. He decided to distract himself with a walk outdoors.
[Damn. Who the hell saved the Empress with ice magic?]
Kapmen's footsteps stopped. He looked back with a stiff expression.
Unlike the main palace of Rwibt, which was strictly controlled, access to the main palace of the various countries of the Wol Continent was relatively free.
From what Kapmen had seen, although there were certain differences from country to country, generally the spaces where important state affairs were dealt with and the residences of the ruling family were strictly guarded, while the large outdoor gardens were more accessible. The garden of the Western Empire's Imperial Palace was like a large park that all kinds of people could access.
[Will the Empress' child be a boy or a girl?]
[Is there any chance that Nian will leave Viscount Langdel for me…?]
[I hope that the Eastern Empire will be destroyed by internal conflicts…]
[Old Duke Zemensia has sunk, but he still acts with arrogance.]
Kapmen heard the inner voice of many people from all directions. It was hard to identify the person who wondered about the person who saved Empress Navier with ice magic.
Kapmen hurried out of the garden and went to speak with the detective who handled the case of the servant whose legs were frozen when he tried to approach the Empress Navier.
"I would like to meet with the detective on the case Empress Navier was involved in."
Although he managed to meet with the detective, the man was reluctant to talk about the progress of the investigation.
"Grand Duke, I hope you are not offended. I am not at liberty to reveal the details of the case. You need approval from someone with authority to disclose this information."
He was a distinguished guest, but no detective would want to show the progress of an investigation related to the Empress of the Western Empire, much less to a foreigner. But there was another reason, the detective didn't want him to know that no progress had been made. It could be a dishonor to the Western Empire.
"I understand."
Kapmen nodded calmly and left.
The detective was relieved. Although he flatly refused, he was secretly nervous because of Kapmen's distinguished status.
However, the detective would not have been relieved if he had been able to read Kapmen's mind.
'Nothing has been found out.'
This was because Kapmen had already confirmed how far the investigation had progressed through his thoughts.
The servant still claimed that he accepted the money, but not with the intent to harm the Empress. He was merely interested in the money, but insisted he would never have accepted it if that person had shown bad intentions. The person who offered him the money had his face covered by the hood of his cloak, so he didn't know who it was.
'I think it would be better to meet personally with the servant…'
[Is it possible that he doesn't know what happened?]
At that moment, it seemed to him that he heard the same voice he heard in the garden earlier, the voice that prompted him to consult with the detective.
The voice stopped at the same time Kapmen halted.
"I'm not sure. But it sounds like the same voice."
Kapmen slowly turned around.
Sovieshu stopped at the top of the tower stairs before a massive iron door, and knocked.
Soon after, the door opened from the inside and a woman peeked out and greeted him politely.
"Your Majesty."
It was Delise.
She looked thin and emaciated, although she wasn't ill. She spoke with her mouth unnaturally narrowed.
"You won't suffer anymore."
Sovieshu spoke to Delise sympathetically. He then signaled to one of the knights.
At the signal, the knight extended a bag in his hands to Delise. She was startled as she took the bag and checked the contents. It was filled with shiny gold coins.
When she looked at Sovieshu with wide eyes, he nodded.
"She can't hurt you anymore. Go home now."
Delise's eyes twitched with excitement.
"Yes… Yes…"
Then Delise squeezed the bag between her hands and bowed in thanks with a complicated expression.
"Thank you. For saving me. For hiding me."
Delise descended the tower with wobbly steps.
Once outside, Sovieshu tried to have a knight escort her, but she repeatedly refused and left by herself.
During her time in the tower, even when she took a walk around the area at dusk, an imperial knight was always by her side to protect her.
Although she was grateful, she also felt overwhelmed. She seemed to want to be alone to enjoy her freedom.
Sovieshu watched Delise's back as she walked away and issued an order in a low voice.
"There is likely to be a commotion outside the Imperial Palace. It may be dangerous, so make sure she returns home safely, but follow her from a distance so as not to disturb her."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The knight, who was often tasked with escorting Delise, nodded and followed her discreetly.
Once the two had disappeared from his sight, Sovieshu returned to his office.
Marquis Karl, who remained silent all the way back to the office, asked him a question,
"Your Majesty, why did you leave Rashta's escape to Duke Tuania? It is possible that Duke Tuania may try to harm her before the trial."
"With Baron Lant present, Duke Tuania will not harm her, no matter how angry he is."
"Still… wouldn't it have been better to send Count Pirnu?"
"Duke Tuania is an idiot."
"What?"
'As idiotic as I am,' Sovieshu answered only inwardly.
The temple would never invalidate his marriage to Rashta. Even if it did, it would be impossible to undo the divorce with Navier.
She became the Empress of the Western Empire and was pregnant with the successor of that country. There was no way for Navier to return to his side.
No matter how much he missed her, no matter how much he cared for her, no matter how much he cried and pleaded, not even if Navier changed her mind, she would never again be his wife.
The fact that Empress Navier remarried as soon as she got divorced astonished everyone, but if she were to leave her second husband to return to her first one, it would irreparably damage her reputation.
Even more so now that she was pregnant by the Emperor of the Western Empire.
He did not want Navier to suffer public ridicule for coming back to his side. Although sometimes he wished that Navier would come back no matter the consequences, he knew it was a delusion.
Duke Tuania was a lot like him. He lost his beloved wife due to his idiocy. Sovieshu became angry every time he saw Duke Tuania because he saw himself reflected in the Duke.
He left it up to Duke Tuania to catch Rashta because he wanted at least one of them to be able to feel better. There was no other reason.
389
Meanwhile, Delise walked with a spring in her step after she finally left the Imperial Palace.
She was overjoyed to be free again.
Although the tower had windows from which she could see the sky up close, the sky looked much more beautiful when seen from outside.
Moreover, on the way out of the Imperial Palace, she ran into Marquis Farang, who handed a document to her. This document gave her indescribable pleasure.
As she walked, she heard angry voices on the main street. It sounded like a there was a violent commotion.
'Is it a gang fight?'
Delise hesitated and cocked her head as she thought about taking another route.
"Imprison the Empress!"
"What Empress? She tried to flee after her lies were discovered. How can she call herself the Empress?!"
"Look at her filthy face!"
"The so-called hope of the commoners turned out to be a con artist!"
When Delise listened carefully, she could make out some of the shouts. As soon as she heard the word 'Empress', two faces came to her mind. Empress Navier's face and Empress Rashta's.
The commotion moved closer and closer in her direction. Two knights had a person forcibly held by the arms, while the commoners surrounded them. It seemed that their curses and merciless accusations were directed against that person.
When the curious procession came close, Delise saw one of the Empresses she had in mind.
She was the second Empress.
A very beautiful Empress with an angelic face, pure silver hair, and bright black eyes full of sadness.
The Empress that Delise had once loved and admired…
Incredibly, amid the crowd, Rashta's eyes fell immediately on Delise.
Rashta wasn't handcuffed, but she couldn't move freely because the knights held her arms tightly. Even if she managed to get rid of the knights, she was surrounded by commoners who seemed eager to attack her. She had no escape.
However, Rashta's pride seemed hurt when she saw Delise walking freely. She stared at Delise with pursed lips.
Delise approached Rashta step by step, but it was difficult in the large crowd of people surrounding the Empress.
When Delise felt close enough, she grinned broadly and stuck out her tongue.
Her tongue had been cut in half. It was barely attached and looked as if it would detach at any moment.
"Rashta fainted?"
Sovieshu, who was in the office, raised an eyebrow at Count Pirnu's report.
"Was she hurt by the people?"
Before Count Pirnu could reply, Sovieshu's thoughts turned in another direction.
"No. She must have been surprised that the commoners, who always greeted her with cheers and adoration, insulted and cursed her."
"It seems there was another reason."
Count Pirnu recalled what Rashta murmured several times while unconscious, 'Stick it on. I'm sorry. You have to stick it on. No, don't rip it off.' It was clear that she had seen something horrible.
Sovieshu coincidentally thought of Delise. 'Maybe they crossed paths?'
When Sovieshu learned that Rashta had ordered Delise's tongue cut out, he quickly sent someone to stop it. But half of Delise's tongue had already been cut out.
He even asked Evely to try to heal her once he discovered that she had healing magic, but Evely couldn't undo the action.
"Your Majesty."
Count Pirnu asked the thoughtful Sovieshu,
"Every time Rashta seems to regain consciousness, she calls out to Your Majesty. What are you going to do?"
Sovieshu spoke firmly, "Forget about it." He didn't want to see Rashta's face.
Sovieshu pitied Rashta even when she smiled. Due to her pitiful life since birth, whenever she pleaded with him in tears, Sovieshu felt an inexplicable pressure in his chest.
Only when he didn't see her face or was with a group of people could he assess her crimes coldly.
"Just report back to me when she recovers."
But in less than a minute, Sovieshu changed his mind.
"No. I'll see her personally."
'I'll have to talk to her at some point anyway.'
There was still a little time left before the trial started, so it would be better to talk now.
Rashta's room was decorated with a harmonious combination of soft cream, warm purple and splendid gold.
It looked somewhere out of a fairy-tale. Any child would believe that a prince or princess lived there, happily ever after.
There was a time when this place was full of happiness and laughter, but now it was darker than ever. There was no happily ever after.
The room wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either. Inside, Rashta was surrounded by the palace doctor, some knights and maids, all devoid of sympathy for the Empress.
"Your Majesty."
When Sovieshu entered, everyone present greeted him politely.
Sovieshu immediately asked the palace doctor.
"How is she?"
"She has minor bruises, but otherwise she's fine. It looks like she had a bad shock."
Sovieshu waved his hand for everyone to leave the room. Once the knights, the maids and the palace doctor had left, Sovieshu said coldly as he looked at Rashta,
"Stop pretending to be asleep."
"…"
"I know you're awake."
Rashta's eyelids fluttered open, revealing her black eyes.
She sat up in bed and looked at Sovieshu with resentment. Tears slowly gathered in her eyes.
"Running away was not a good decision."
"It was you who cornered me so that I had no choice but to run away."
"Me? It was your decision, Rashta."
"I was locked in here, so I didn't know what was going on outside. Even the maids didn't tell me. I wouldn't have escaped if Your Majesty hadn't made me watch the trial of Viscount Roteschu and the trial of the Isquas…"
Rashta paused as she spoke, startled, and asked Sovieshu in a shaky voice.
"Did you do it on purpose? Did you want to scare me into running away?"
"No."
"You lie! That explains it all!"
"You always blame others. You should at least take responsibility for your actions, Rashta."
"What about Your Majesty? Don't you blame me, too?"
"Me?"
"I have seen Your Majesty cry and repeatedly call out to Navier. Your Majesty now wants to make Rashta pay for your decision to divorce that woman, right?"
390
Sovieshu stood up with a sigh.
"I have never said that becoming Empress was your fault. I know it's my fault. I'm the only one to blame that my marriage with Navier is over. I'm the only one to blame for believing in you."
"…"
"You'll be punished for all the crimes you've committed, Rashta. When will you acknowledge it?"
"What have I done?!"
"You really don't know?"
"I don't."
"Well, it doesn't matter if you don't know. Where you're going, you don't need to have an answer."
Sovieshu spoke coldly and walked towards the door.
Rashta, who was complaining indignantly, got out of bed frightened by Sovieshu's words.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty. Wait a moment."
She hurriedly ran over, knelt down and grabbed Sovieshu around the waist.
"I will not oppose my deposition. I will accept the divorce at once. But please let Glorym and I live quietly, somewhere secluded in the countryside. Please, I don't want to go to trial. I'm afraid of the people."
Sovieshu looked down. Her white hands trembled pitifully. However, he shook her off.
"It's absurd to ask for a deal after all you've done, Rashta."
She collapsed helplessly to the floor, screaming, her face completely red.
"I'm innocent! It's unjust for me to be punished! It's Your Majesty who should be punished for your crimes!"
"The High Court will list every one of your crimes."
"I'll reveal yours!"
"What?"
"Your Majesty deceived everyone because you always knew I was a runaway slave! I'll tell all! Why not talk if I'm going to die anyway? I'll tell it all!"
Rashta screamed at the top of her lungs, but Sovieshu didn't even flinch.
"Tell it."
"!"
"It doesn't matter if you say so because there's no proof. If people believe you, I will be seen as a foolish Emperor who was blinded by love. But that's all. In time, it will be forgotten."
"…"
"Instead, shouldn't you think of your children?"
"What…?"
"Actually, your son will become a slave, regardless of what you reveal about me."
Rashta was bewildered and asked, frightened,
"What do you mean? Why will Ahn become a slave? What did Ahn do?"
"The child will have to pay for his parents' crimes."
Rashta had no affection for Ahn. At least, that was what she used to think.
But now, despair filled her heart and she felt unbearable pain.
Although Rashta didn't love Ahn as much as she loved Glorym, she didn't want Ahn to suffer.
"I don't know who you are! I don't recognize you! You're worse than Duke Elgy! You're a damned bastard! How can you do this?!"
Sovieshu easily dodged Rashta, who rushed at him, her face distorted with pain and rage. He opened the door and walked out.
From behind the closed door, helpless screams, like those of a trapped animal, could be heard.
The day of Empress Rashta's trial had finally arrived. The sky was a dull gray and people flocked to the High Court to witness the historic trial in an uneasy mood, their minds were in turmoil.
A woman of incomparable beauty who managed to captivate the Emperor and oust a worthy Empress. The Empress who tried to deceive the Emperor so that her daughter, born of her lover, would become a princess. The Empress who tried to kill an innocent woman for fear that the Emperor would fix his eyes on her. The Empress who gave up a port because of a handsome foreign Duke with whom she fell in love. The Empress who was caught trying to escape.
Although they were glad that Empress Rashta would finally be punished, this was the same Empress Rashta who was once praised and loved as the 'hope of the commoners.' For a brief time, she had been the light they longed for.
She turned out to be a false hope.
Count Pirnu, who hated Rashta, was also not very cheerful. However, it wasn't because of Rashta's downfall. It was because two Empresses had to leave the throne in a short time.
Given the current scenario, the next Empress would definitely not be a commoner.
The highest position that someone without Imperial blood could aspire to was that of Empress of the Eastern Empire. Just thinking about the number of noble families that would compete fiercely to elevate their daughters to that honorable position was already a headache.
Count Pirnu had a pen and paper to record the results of today's trial. Of course, there are people in charge of that, but he intended to record today's events in his own way.
"Count Pirnu."
The Count's busy hand stopped when Sovieshu spoke.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Where is Navier? Has she arrived?"
Count Pirnu didn't have an answer. Fortunately, Marquis Karl, who had just entered, answered instead.
"Your Majesty. Empress Navier arrived at the Troby Mansion last night."
"At the Troby Mansion?"
"The Duchess Troby, Empress Navier and Emperor Heinley arrived directly at the mansion."
Sovieshu's expression became anxious.
"Will she attend the trial?"
"Your Majesty, as I reported to you earlier, Empress Navier intends to observe discreetly, so it is best not to seek her out."
"Does that mean I'll see her among the general audience? Or will she sit among the nobility?"
"About that…"
Marquis Karl tried not to speak inappropriately. However, how long could he politely evade what Emperor Sovieshu actually wanted to know? Eventually, he couldn't hold back any longer.
"Your Majesty. Empress Navier didn't come here as representative of the Western Empire, but as Your Majesty's ex-wife. Please refrain from asking about the details."
Sovieshu's expression stiffened.