Chapter 2
As befitted the butler of a household struck by tragedy, he received the guest with a solemn expression.
However, that composure soon shattered.
A servant came running in with a face drained of all color and reported urgently to the Countess.
“My lady, the Chief Chamberlain of the Imperial Palace has arrived.”
Unaware that his wig had become crooked, he revealed the identity of the visitor to his mistress.
“From the Imperial Palace?”
“Escort him inside at once.”
Though it had been a day full of shock after shock, Countess Cleve did her utmost to maintain the dignity expected of the lady of the house.
Yet the moment she heard the words “Imperial Palace,” it became far from easy.
As she adjusted her dress and touched her hair, her hands trembled uncontrollably.
Philip stepped forward in her place.
“I’ll handle this, Mother.”
“I’ll explain everything about Ramsher later, so please take a moment to catch your breath.”
“Very well.”
“My heart is racing so badly I can barely stand.”
“But you must tell me everything—without hiding a single thing.”
Soon, Philip greeted the Chief Chamberlain of the Imperial Palace in the hall with a stiff expression.
“Welcome, Sir Lambert.”
“Given today’s circumstances, our hospitality may be lacking. Please forgive us.”
“Not at all.”
“It is precisely because of this unfortunate situation that I have come, so I am the one who should apologize.”
The chamberlain bowed his head deeply to Countess Cleve and her family, his face filled with regret and solemnity.
“I will now convey the reason for my visit.”
With that, he carried out the Emperor’s command entrusted to him.
“As you know, His Majesty the Emperor is currently meeting personally with those involved in the Ramsher fire incident.”
“Duke Wilhelmar, Count Lowell, and even your father, Count Cleve, have all been summoned.”
“However—”
He paused briefly and cleared his throat.
“One important witness was not present, and thus I received His Majesty’s order to escort that person here personally.”
Behind Philip, who tilted his head in confusion, the chamberlain turned his gaze to Mariel.
Seeing her still in her wedding dress, though her veil had been removed, he spoke with extra care.
“More precisely, you are also a party directly involved in this matter.”
“Lady Mariel.”
“This is an august imperial command.”
“I understand how difficult this must be, but please accompany us.”
“We will escort you with the utmost care.”
“Once you change your clothes, we will depart immediately—”
“I’ll go as I am.”
Not wanting to hear any more words today, Mariel cut him off abruptly, even though she knew it was discourteous.
The chamberlain was not so insensitive as to miss her state of mind, and merely offered a bitter smile.
“Then we shall escort you in our carriage.”
This time, Philip interjected.
“I’ll come with you, Mariel.”
“Even if Father is there, you can’t face this alone.”
“That would be for the best.”
“Sir Philip’s presence will surely be a comfort.”
The chamberlain agreed.
And so, Philip joined Mariel in the carriage bound for the Imperial Palace.
Countess Cleve could not take her eyes off the carriage until it disappeared from view.
From the death of her would-be son-in-law on the wedding day to a summons from the Imperial Palace, too many events had struck all at once.
She could only pray that her beloved eldest daughter would endure this calamity.
“My poor Mariel.”
***
The feelings of the Empire’s young Emperor, Richard Karl Gryphonberg, were just as bewildered as Mariel’s.
Before everything happened—
Until the dawn of that very day, all things had been nothing more than a continuation of his daily routine.
As usual, Richard rose at the break of dawn and committed the act his attendants despised most—washing and dressing himself without assistance—before pulling on his boots and heading to the stables.
Waiting there, as always, were his riding companion and bodyguard, Viscount Linton, and the Imperial Knight, Sir Jonathan, leading the horses out.
“Good morning.”
“Did you both sleep well?”
“To think you drank yourself senseless until past midnight and still look this lively…”
“It’s nothing short of astonishing, Your Majesty.”
As Linton grumbled with a face still heavy with fatigue, Richard laughed heartily.
“Give me the reins, Sir Jonathan.”
“You look like you’re not fully awake either.”
“I took a remedy for the hangover.”
Accepting the reins Jonathan handed over with an awkward smile, Richard mounted his horse with practiced ease.
“Keep up.”
“And if you feel like you’re going to throw up, avoid the lawn.”
“My gardener is quite particular.”
As the two men mounted their own horses with simultaneous complaints, Richard’s mood only improved.
“Excellent.”
He set off feeling thoroughly refreshed.
The great Emperor of the Empire, Richard, was a ruler without flaw.
Born of the legitimate imperial bloodline, he possessed a perfect claim and background.
His political acumen was exceptional, and beyond that, his appearance, horsemanship, swordsmanship, and marksmanship were all outstanding.
− *Is it truly necessary for a ruler to excel at things like riding and swordplay?*
− *What are you saying? He is the Emperor of the Empire.*
− *Everything about him must be flawless.*
Opinions among the ministers were divided.
Richard personally attended policy meetings, gathered opinions, and took great interest in history and law, enjoying debate as well.
− *He is the very model of an ideal ruler.*
Many praised him for these qualities.
Yet his brilliance in strategy and tactics also became a cause for concern.
From a conservative viewpoint, there was fear that he might one day become a dangerous emperor who delighted in war.
For that reason, Richard was constantly under the watchful eyes of elderly ministers.
There were, of course, political motives as well—an attempt to control a young emperor who had ascended the throne at an early age.
Naturally, Richard was well aware of their intentions, and sometimes deflected the pressure, sometimes used it to his advantage.
If I can make use of it, that’s all that matters.
Thanks to his clever balancing of the situation, no matter what the ministers said, he always achieved what he wanted.
Just as he had done today by brushing aside his attendants’ objections and riding out at dawn.
After riding for a while, they reached the forest path that extended from the rear gardens of the Imperial Palace.
Only after emerging from the forest and arriving at a lake nestled between hills did Richard finally rein in his horse.
Jonathan, who had been riding alongside him, calmed his horse and stopped as well.
Linton, who was supposed to ride closest to Richard with Jonathan, arrived slightly later than the two of them.
Keeping pace with an emperor whose stamina rivaled that of a soldier and an Imperial Knight by trade was difficult after a night of heavy drinking.
“Impressive that you didn’t fall behind entirely, Sir Linton.”
“Since you’re here, wash your face in the lake.”
“I can’t bear the sight of you.”
“……I will obey.”
Following the Emperor’s command, Linton washed his sweat-soaked face and hair in the cold lake water.
Only then did his hangover seem to subside, and he let out a relieved breath.
After drying himself with a handkerchief, Linton began complaining about the daily dawn rides.
“With your marriage coming next year, shouldn’t you reconsider this habit of riding at the crack of dawn?”
“We’ve served you every single day for over ten years—without missing a single dawn, mind you.”
Richard let out a soft chuckle.
Come to think of it, these two had always been by his side, friends and retainers since their youth.
“Once I have an Empress, I’ll need to take even better care of my health.”
“It’s a good habit for your sake as well.”
This time, Jonathan, usually more taciturn than Linton, shook his head.
“Though I am still unmarried, I believe married women want to wake up with their husbands beside them in the morning.”
Richard frowned slightly.
“What matters isn’t the act of waking up together,”
“but the fact that you are there for them.”
“Hmm. Being there for them…”
As a concerned friend to the young emperor who was set to marry next year, Linton offered advice quickly.
“That is usually what people call love.”
“Since we’re on the subject, how is Lady Friede of the House of Wilhelmar?”
“Friede?”
“We get along well.”
“We go to the theater together, and we always attend banquets side by side.”
The Emperor answered with a relaxed smile.
“She’s been gradually overseeing imperial events as practice for her role as Empress.”
“She seems quite clever.”
“And her appearance goes without saying.”
“She is famous for her beauty.”
“A woman who is both beautiful and intelligent may wish for reassurance that she is loved by her lifelong partner.”
“Such women usually know very clearly what they want.”
A smile spread across Richard’s lips.
He recalled how Friede had teared up with joy when he gifted her a diamond necklace on her birthday last month.
As far as he knew, the lovely Friede was at least a woman who knew how to please her lover.
Her velvet-soft dark chestnut hair and ivory skin suited any jewel perfectly.
A beauty lacking in nothing wherever she went.
Moreover, as the daughter of the most influential House of Wilhelmar in the Empire, she was also a necessary presence for political stability.
“In that regard, Friede is perfect as an Empress.”
“Since she will be marrying into the imperial family, she says she wishes to fulfill her duties as Empress as soon as possible.”
“That is… a very shrewd statement.”
Linton had been speaking of love between two people about to marry, yet the emotions Richard felt toward his fiancée seemed somewhat distant from love.
Whether he noticed this or not, the Emperor simply smiled gently.
“It may be difficult to call this what you refer to as love.”
“But to anyone, it is clearly the best possible choice.”
“Having made the best choice, affection will grow little by little over time.”
“With the wedding next year, what is there to worry about?”
Richard’s bright laughter was filled with confidence in the future that lay ahead.
Yes.
It should have been exactly like that.
