Chapter 74 …
The next morning.
“I’m a corpse… I’m dead…”
After being tormented by him all night, she didn’t have a shred of strength left in her body.
Her thighs throbbed, her chest burned painfully.
Her stomach was covered in red marks like blooming roses.
“I need to get up.”
When she opened her eyes, a bowl of warm soup had been placed on the table.
She didn’t know who had left it there, but she was grateful nonetheless.
Elena blew on the hot soup and ate it little by little.
Outside the window, the sun was shining brilliantly—perfect weather for going out.
“Should I go out…?”
Lying in bed all day made her feel restless.
She ought to take a walk and loosen up her body.
“Hup.”
She barely managed to lift her aching body.
She still felt chilly and sore, but she could at least walk.
“What’s the point of just lying around? I need to move.”
She stretched her neck and waist, and the stiffness seemed to ease a little.
With a wide yawn, Elena walked to her wardrobe.
“What should I wear…?”
Since it was hot, a light sky-blue dress would be nice.
The fabric was cool, and the color would match the blue sky.
After struggling into her clothes, she headed outside.
“The weather really is nice.”
The sunlight was so strong it felt like it might burn her skin.
Good thing she’d brought a wide-brimmed hat.
With a satisfied expression, Elena pressed the hat down over her head.
The pale purple ribbon fluttered prettily in the breeze.
“Mm, mm—”
Humming to herself, she strolled leisurely along the path.
The yellow sunflowers lining the road seemed to be welcoming her.
“But why are there so many bees?”
Honeybees busily worked atop the flowers.
The buzzing as they flew around the flowerbeds was a little frightening.
Elena kept her distance and admired the sunflowers from afar.
“You’re better off than me, buzzing around like that.”
Compared to the hardworking bees, she felt like a good-for-nothing.
Ever since her time acting as the Grand Duke’s proxy ended, she’d been like this.
Doing nothing made her feel a bit of self-loathing.
“Should I try that advisory committee position…?”
Yesterday, during dinner with Decarus, the topic of becoming an advisor had come up.
At first, she had whined that she absolutely didn’t want to—but now that she thought about it, it was somewhat tempting.
Didn’t it mean the administrators acknowledged Lady Elena’s abilities?
“Mwahaha.”
Her mood quickly brightened, and she skipped along cheerfully.
It almost felt as though musical notes were bouncing around her.
Following the path, she soon reached the main gate.
Outside the estate, everything appeared calm and unremarkable.
“I should head back—”
Just then, from far away, came the loud neigh of horses, and a splendid golden carriage rolled forward with force.
Elena shaded her eyes and squinted.
Judging by its appearance, it was a carriage from the Imperial Palace.
Could it be Aiden?
“What is it?”
She poked her head between the bars of the gate and looked outside.
She hadn’t even sent a messenger pigeon—why had someone come?
Had he come to reconcile with Decarus?
Curious, she shaped her hands like binoculars and peered closely at the carriage.
“Huh?”
But the silhouette reflected in the window wasn’t that of a sturdy man—it was a woman with her hair piled high.
“Oh… it’s not him…”
Elena pouted in disappointment.
But then she felt a gaze from beyond the window.
“Hm…?”
A vicious glint flashed like that of a predator.
It was the face of a beast that had spotted its prey.
In that instant, the carriage passing the Grand Duke’s estate came to a swift halt.
The several carriages following behind also stopped in a line.
“W-what?”
She felt uneasy.
It was definitely a woman she had never seen before, yet she felt strangely familiar.
Elena cautiously leaned out and looked.
The nobles passing by all gasped, quickly dropping to their knees and bowing their heads.
“Who on earth…?”
“Her Majesty the Empress approaches!!!”
With the booming shout of a man in peculiar attire, the carriage door opened.
“The Empress…?”
A voluminous red dress layered with lace and adorned with tiny jewels.
Pink hair swept high into an elaborate style.
Fierce blue eyes like those of a wild beast.
And contrasting sharply with them, ruby earrings set in gold that glowed red, overwhelming anyone who looked at her.
The first thought that came to mind upon seeing her was: Run.
Was this what the instinct of a helpless animal felt like?
Before she could think, her legs moved on their own.
“You there.”
A voice that dominated the entire surroundings pierced her ears.
The sharp tone froze her heart.
An unspoken signal screamed at her to run.
“Bring her.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Thud—
All strength drained from Elena’s legs, and she collapsed to the ground.
It felt as though all the blood had left her body.
Her arms, legs, even her lips trembled as if thrown into the dead of winter.
Creak—
As the massive iron gates opened, knights clad in golden armor approached slowly.
Thinking that if she were dragged away like this, it would be the end, she tried to crawl backward on her hands.
But it was futile bravado.
Caught in an instant, Elena screamed and struggled.
“What are you doing?! Let me go!!!”
No matter how she writhed, she couldn’t free her tightly gripped arm.
She was dragged away like livestock headed for slaughter.
She screamed at the top of her lungs, but no one came to help.
Thud—
The guards tossed her to the ground like baggage.
Her knee struck a stone, sending pain shooting through it.
But she didn’t even have time to feel the pain.
She was so terrified that her whole body shook like a trembling aspen.
“Raise your head.”
“……”
The flat, emotionless voice dominated the crowd.
Her body felt paralyzed.
She had forgotten how to use her muscles.
“Who are you?”
“Ah…”
She felt like a worm standing before a great lion.
Her throat was blocked; she couldn’t say a word.
It was as if her tongue had been cut out.
“How dare you! Answer Her Majesty at once!”
The man beside the Empress barked, but she stopped him.
The Empress looked at Elena as if examining an amusing toy.
“You are…?”
“Your Majesty!”
At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from afar.
The instant she heard him, the stiffness in her body melted like snow.
“Decarus de Sculius greets Her Majesty, the Moon of the Empire. What brings you to such a humble place…?”
His breathing was rough, as if he had run at full speed.
Kneeling, Decarus tightly grasped Elena’s hand where it lay on the ground.
“Oh? Is that not Duke Sculius?”
“Your Majesty, what brings you here…?”
“I spotted something interesting.”
The Empress bent at the waist and lifted Elena’s chin with her fan.
Then she slowly looked her up and down with evident interest.
“What is this?”
“……”
“I asked what this is, Grand Duke Sculius.”
“My fiancée.”
“Fiancée…”
The Empress let out an audible, crooked smile.
The strange smile blooming on her lips was like a flower luring bees.
“Your taste is consistent.”
Her voice, like nails scraping a throat, sent chills down his spine.
She snapped open the fan and covered her mouth.
“Did you not once trail after my daughter as well? How adorable that was.”
Her eerie laughter pierced the air.
After scanning the surroundings, the Empress fixed her gaze on Elena.
“You resemble my daughter quite a bit. Yes, what is your name?”
“El—”
“Kayla. Kayla Delpion.”
“I did not ask you.”
Just as Elena was about to speak, Decarus gave a name she had never heard before.
He squeezed her hand tightly—a signal.
“Kayla Delpion, Your Majesty.”
Elena spoke her name clearly without trembling.
The pressure in his hand eased slightly.
It seemed she had given the correct answer.
It felt like she had finally passed one hurdle.
“Kayla… what a lovely name. Like our Elena.”
At the familiar name, her head lifted involuntarily.
Elena?
“What… do you mean…?”
“Ah, Kayla. Perhaps you don’t know. My deceased daughter’s name was Elena.”
The Empress smiled warmly and tapped her fan against her palm.
The neatly folded fan lifted Elena’s chin again.
After studying her face from various angles, she continued,
“The same hair color and eyes as mine. I almost wish to take you as my adopted daughter, Miss Kayla. Seeing you makes me dearly miss my late child.”
“Thank you—”
“Her parents are in a distant foreign land. Adoption would be excessive, Your Majesty.”
Each time Elena tried to say something unnecessary, Decarus smoothly cut in.
She didn’t know why he was lying to the Empress, but she assumed there must be a reason and remained quiet.
“You are particularly prickly today, Duke. As though you’ve been caught in something.”
The Empress raised her sharply curved lips in a peculiar smile.
Elena stole a glance at her.
The hair and eyes truly were identical.
Even their features looked similar at a glance.
“Ah…”
Perhaps she had stared too obviously.
Their eyes met, and flustered, Elena darted her gaze around.
It felt like being caught looking at something indecent.
The Empress chuckled and bent slightly.
“This Empress finds you quite pleasing.”
“……”
“Will you not come with me, Miss Kayla?”
“I—I am most grateful, but…”
She didn’t want to go with the Empress, not even if she died.
For some reason, she had a bad feeling.
She didn’t want to become her pretty doll.
And even more than that, she didn’t want to be separated from Decarus.
“Then it cannot be helped.”
The Empress snapped her fan open and turned away.
Her face showed clear regret.
Elena sighed in relief.
She had thought royalty always did as they pleased—but perhaps not.
“Take her to the palace immediately.”
“Your Majesty!!!”
She had been mistaken.
Royalty truly did as they pleased.
Decarus shouted until his throat seemed about to burst.
She had never seen him so emotional.
Ah. This is really bad.
“Your Majesty, please reconsider! This is unreasonable—!”
“There is nothing unreasonable beneath my sky, Duke Sculius.”
The moment the Empress boarded her carriage, guards approached.
As they reached for Elena, Decarus stepped in front of her.
“You absolutely cannot take her.”
Isaac and the silver-armored guards quickly lined up behind him.
The standoff resembled the brink of war.
The Empress scoffed.
“Are you challenging this Empress?”
“Release her.”
The atmosphere was dangerous.
It felt as though something terrible might truly happen.
To challenge royalty—no, the Empress herself.
And all because of her.
At this rate, Decarus would be the one dragged to the palace.
She didn’t want to harm him again like at the last birthday banquet.
Then there was only one way to defuse this situation.
“I will enter the palace, Your Majesty.”
