IDGM 12

Chapter 12

I stood before the grand doors of the audience chamber, where the Emperor awaited.

The ornate, thick iron doors carved with intricate patterns were so imposing, I felt I could never open them alone no matter how hard I tried.

With a short breath, I gave the guard a nod, and the heavy doors slowly creaked open.

At the far end of the long carpet stretching from the entrance to the opposite dais, the Emperor and Empress were seated on their thrones.

Standing beneath the platform was Andrea.

He seemed displeased that things weren’t going according to his plan, a sullen expression on his face.

Seeing that oddly lifted my mood.

“Well, I’m glad I planned all this. Too bad—it’s only just begun.”

On either side of the carpet, many nobles—faces and names I didn’t know—were watching me.

“Looks like Kallius isn’t here yet.”

I couldn’t spot him anywhere.

The heavy atmosphere focused entirely on me was already starting to feel suffocating, but I reminded myself that the quicker I moved, the quicker this would be over, and started walking without hesitation.

With every step, the hem of the heavy dress tangled around my legs, threatening to trip me.

I tried my best to walk straight, but it wasn’t until I stumbled once or twice that I finally reached the Emperor and Empress.

I heard the nobles murmuring about me.

“They say her mind’s not right. Looks like she’s even forgotten how to walk.”

“Pfft, look at her stumble.”

“Don’t laugh. It’s pitiful.”

Some watched in amusement, like I was a clown putting on a show, while others looked away with twisted smiles, as if they themselves were embarrassed for me.

“Thank goodness Kallius isn’t here to see this.”

Shame flushed through me, and I clenched my trembling lips.

A lifetime of lowered self-esteem didn’t recover just because I became aware of the conspiracies around me.

I could only face it moment by moment, comforting myself each step of the way.

The needle-like gazes and blade-like ridicule felt as if they were stabbing into my skin.

Even this brief moment of greeting the Emperor and Empress was painfully hard to endure.

But I recalled the warmth Kallius had shared with me right before I came here and steeled my heart.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, and…”

Even though I braced myself, my voice trembled so pathetically when it left my lips that I startled myself.

Still, I pushed through to finish the greeting.

“…Your Grace the Empress, I greet you.”

“Welcome, Chloe,” said Emperor William—my father—in a listless tone.

A tone that made all my efforts and courage feel meaningless.

To him, who showed no interest in my struggles, I was nothing more than an obligation.

“Well, I didn’t expect anything anyway.”

Since birth, I’d never once received my father’s attention.

Even though we lived in the same palace, it had been ages since I last saw him.

“Not since Mother’s funeral?”

Or maybe it was during the wedding proceedings with Count Pelsus in my past life—so this would make it the second time.

In any case, I had barely seen him in either lifetime.

If not for his inherited silver hair and the throne he sat on, I might not have recognized him at all.

My father’s gaze didn’t linger long on the daughter he hadn’t seen in so long.

He gave me a quick, disinterested glance and let out a scoffing sigh.

I probably looked ridiculous to him—like a withered branch dressed up in finery.

I knew all too well that I looked like the dress was wearing me, not the other way around.

His gaze soon drifted toward the cluster of young noblewomen.

“He has no interest in me or my marriage.”

Well, judging by the way he was eyeing other women while sitting next to his wife, it seemed he didn’t care much about his own marriage either.

It was clear that the Empress, Kabbalah, was the one handling all the details of my wedding, while my father was just fulfilling his minimum duty by showing up.

Kabbalah smiled at me gently, pretending not to notice or simply not caring about my father’s roving eyes.

“You look lovely today, Chloe.”

Such blatant lies, said without so much as a blink.

Feigning innocence, I smiled sweetly and curtsied.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“No need for such formality. Call me Mother, as always.”

“Yes, Mother.”

The nobles exchanged strange glances at our interaction.

They were probably intrigued, wondering about the rumors that the Empress might have harmed me or my mother.

Just then, an attendant at the entrance announced Kallius’ arrival.

“The Marquess of Rodrian is here!”

As with my arrival, all eyes turned to the entrance.

The audience chamber doors, which had closed after I entered, now began to open again.

Kallius appeared between the massive doors.

My gaze was immediately drawn to his piercing golden eyes, fixed directly on me.

“Ah…!”

I couldn’t stop the breath of awe from escaping.

He looked like the radiant sun breaking through massive storm clouds.

When our eyes met, he smiled—a look that could be interpreted as confident or arrogantly smug.

As if saying, “Not bad, right? It took some skill to bring us to this point.”

Even to my untrained eyes, his gait was strong and assured, without a hint of vulnerability.

Behind him, the knights of Ronhaim followed in neat formation.

There were over a dozen of them, moving so precisely it was as if they were a single being.

“So… intense.”

Maybe it was because Ronhaim was always covered in snow, but the pale-gray leather armor of the knights radiated an overwhelming sense of power.

“They look like giants.”

I’d thought Kallius was unusually tall for someone from Ronhaim, but seeing his knights, I realized that wasn’t the case.

All of them were at least a head taller than most Arental people—some even two heads taller.

“Scary.”

You can’t judge a person just by appearance, but their sheer size made me instinctively shrink back.

“Even with warriors like that, Ronhaim lost to Arental?”

They said that after losing their saintess, Ronhaim collapsed like a building without a cornerstone.

“What on earth happened during that war?”

Kallius’ knights looked terrifying enough to make me wonder.

I straightened my shoulders, recalling Kallius’ promise not to devour me.

He was my ally, not my enemy.

While I managed to stand tall, others did not.

The Arental nobles stared at Kallius and his entourage, their faces stiff.

Their fear only grew seeing the fierce expressions of the Ronhaim knights.

“Is that just how Northerners look?”

Every time I met one of their eyes, it felt like a chill ran down my spine.

“Did they just glare at me? …No, must be my imagination.”

Soon, the nobles, momentarily frozen by the oppressive presence of the Ronhaim party, began to smirk mockingly at their appearance.

Despite their impressive strength, Kallius and his men were dressed plainly, with no hint of decoration—purely functional.

To the Arental nobles, who placed their pride in opulence, they looked like filthy savages.

“Tsk, their culture really is no better than that of cavemen.”

“Don’t they look like mountain peasants?”

“They look just like the bandits I saw near the border once.”

The audience chamber buzzed with veiled insults.

If I could hear it, there was no way Kallius didn’t.

Yet his firm gaze did not waver for a single moment.

What felt like a painfully long walk for me, he crossed in just a few strides.

“I greet the imperial family of Idellian.”

The Emperor spoke with displeasure.

“You’ve brought a large group.”

He was clearly wary of Kallius entering the palace with so many knights.

But really, with imperial guards stationed throughout the palace, a dozen knights weren’t a large number.

Still, Kallius and his men gave off such an overpowering presence, it felt like an army of a hundred.

“My men were quite eager to meet my bride.”

His gaze turned to me.

“How does someone from a winter country have such a warm, sunlit gaze?”

Wherever he looked, it felt like my skin tingled, as if sunburned.

Smiling lightly, he added,

“So I couldn’t help but bring them along.”

Even though his response wasn’t long, he took his time, and no one dared interrupt.

Everyone simply waited for him to finish.

And when he did, he turned to me and spoke softly.

“I hope you’ll excuse them, Your Highness. They’re a rowdy bunch.”

It was soft, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

“The Emperor was the one who looked displeased, but he’s asking me for forgiveness?”

I glanced at my father.

“It’s an ambiguous situation—not something you could reprimand, but not something you can ignore either.”

If it were anyone else, I might’ve thought it was innocent, but coming from Kallius, it felt very intentional.

The entire audience chamber grew cold and tense in an instant as Kallius became the center of attention.