As Fabian was lost in his longing dreams, Evelyn also remembered when she saw the leaves fall. Obviously, when Evelyn left his side, he was a cold, indifferent ex-husband. But now, his minor changes have made Evelyn even more upset.
“Why now?”
She wished not to know how Fabian was living right now. But that was impossible from the start. He was the Emperor of the Empire, and all his every move became a hot topic and flowed all the way to Evelyn’s place.
Evelyn soon realized what a great man she was married to.
“I was young, too.” Evelyn’s blue eyes, which said that much more mature than her actual age. This was because she had an experience of coming back from death once.
Evelyn had miscarried her beloved child twice and was nearer to the verge of despair than anyone else. After dying at the age of 30, she returned to the age of twenty. She declared her divorce to the Emperor so that her life had a very deep trajectory.
“It was an unavoidable choice.”
Evelyn knew everything and would leave Fabian. Only then could she have a peaceful time with Adrian now. But she felt something strange lately. This familiar feeling was new, and Evelyn was anxious as if something was about to happen.
“Princess, Lady Akshire is here.”
“Tell her to come in.”
Knowing her loneliness, Rebecca came to Evelyn’s bedroom. Evelyn stared at Rebecca, staring out the window, holding her hands quietly. She was a loyal friend who hadn’t existed in her previous life.
“What were you looking at?”
“Just the fallen leaves…..”
Rebecca’s green eyes seemed to see through Evelyn’s mind. “Autumn is a lovely season, but it is also a lonely season.”
Evelyn knew what Rebecca meant.
“Do you have any worries that you have in mind?”
“There’s nothing like that.”
“You can’t lie, you barely go out these days, and you don’t meet people.”
“That’s because I’m busy with my finance job.” And Evelyn felt it was a bad excuse.
“This is a season that makes a lot of people dream and wonders.” Rebecca nodded to Evelyn, who confessed frankly. “I do, too. I hate the scenery that reminds me of how lonely I am.”
Rebecca, who was still enthusiastic, felt that way, too. And Evelyn thought that she had been comforted in an unexpected way.
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“Yes.”
Soon the maid served the tea, and the two sat face to face with a table in between. There was a pile of letters on the table that hadn’t been cleaned up. Evelyn removed it later, but it was after Rebecca saw the Emperor’s seal.
“……I know, it’s weird, right? A letter after the divorce.”
“Honestly, your ex-husband is a strange person.”
Evelyn smiled softly when she listened to Rebecca’s right words.
“I didn’t know …… that he has this kind of sweetness, too.”
“It can’t be imagined at all.”
“No, people wouldn’t think he was sweet when they saw him. But I can see him working hard…”
“I can’t imagine that, either.”
Emperor Fabian, whom the common people, including Rebecca, knew, was a perfect man. Even though it was a small change that only Evelyn could see, still, it was far from ‘sweet.’
“That’s right….because I was also surprised.”
“Is it good…..?”
“Huh?”
“Is his change good for you, princess?” asked Rebecca.
Evelyn was in awe of the unexpected question. Good, bad. She never thought about it that way, “I’ve never thought about that.” She replied calmly. Rebecca also drank her tea, and there was silence.
“But I think it would have been easier if I didn’t know all this. Am I too selfish?”
“No, of course not.”
It was too late for Fabian to realize his mistake and change Evelyn’s mind. That’s why it wouldn’t be fair for Evelyn to repeat her pain again.
“I would have been angry if it were me. If my ex-husband suddenly appears in front of my eyes often and sends me a letter…” Rebecca’s green eyes shone clearly. Just the thought of it made her frowned. “Even if he really regret it, it doesn’t mean that he can erase my unhappy marriage. It’s the fault of a man who realized too late. He’s so selfish, and he’s already left a wound in my heart.”
Evelyn nodded unconsciously. Rebecca made sure to pick up the points that had been bothering her the whole time. It was his selfish and one-sided act that Fabian became friendly and kept appearing before her eyes. Of course, Fabian didn’t understand the reason for divorce, but he didn’t care about Evelyn’s situation.
“But that’s fine. The most important thing is how the princess feels.”
Words didn’t come up easily. Fabian’s change was just amazing. And it was a bit bitter.
“It wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t good.” Evelyn said.
“I see.”
Fabian could never be an ordinary man. He would always be an Emperor for the rest of his life. Besides, Evelyn was a princess from another country. It became a major scandal on the continent from their marriage to their divorce. And Evelyn no longer dared to face a huge scandal.
“Rebecca, the Duke of Akshire, is also part of the Imperial nobles, isn’t it?”
“What? Oh, that’s right.”
“What’s the situation between the Empire and Congress like now? I want to know more.”
“Even if you ask me….” Rarely, Rebecca answered with difficulty like this. She seemed to be in trouble.
“It’s because there’s no one else to ask for, only you, Rebecca.”
Of course, that was secret information that only Arthur and the Foreign Minister of the Felice Kingdom knew about. But Arthur was Evelyn’s father, and the Minister refused to speak because of her relationship with the Emperor. But rather than sweet lies, Evelyn wanted to know the bitter truth.
“Everyone thinks of me, so they don’t want to tell the truth. Rebecca knows the atmosphere well, right?”
“Yes······.”
The situation was the same as Rebecca’s when she returned from her divorce. Like a small boil that would hurt when you touched it lightly. They were all treated her very carefully.
“I’m not as weak as everyone thinks. Do you understand that, too?”
“Of course!”
“Then tell me. I believe Rebecca will tell me honestly.”
It was a complicated story, but Rebecca nodded. Evelyn was right. No matter how deep the wound was, divorce didn’t always need protection.
“Some time ago, the Emperor issued a decree that he would withdraw all troops related to the pursuit of demons. You know that?”
“Yes. I heard that there was a backlash from the nobility, to what extent?”
“Liam said the atmosphere in the parliament is very bad, but the Emperor was so stubborn and said everyone must obey his words.”
Evelyn could easily imagine that scene. Fabian knew very well how to use the Emperor’s power.
“Actually, my father was worried about it, too. But somehow, he couldn’t believe it.”
“This is also a fight between the Empire and the Vatican, after all. No one knows what His Majesty’s purpose, but….. sending in the Imperial Army has no income, so it seems like he’s throwing away the demons to the Vatican.”
“If you give up your duties, your power will decrease that much.”
“I’m sure you’re worried about that, same with the nobility. Because if His Majesty does this, Vatican’s power will be too strong.”
Evelyn nodded. But she was sure that Fabian had his own reasons. But no one understood him yet. Since it was a problem that could weaken the Emperor’s position. The Emperor’s position could have been narrowed. Fabian was now holding back the backlash with force.
“And…..” Rebecca hesitated to say something, looking at Evelyn.
“It’s all right.”
When Evelyn pressed Rebecca with blue eyes, Rebecca’s mouth opened with difficulty. “To improve relations between the Empire and the Vatican…… some agenda has been proposed.”
“There was such a way? Why earlier,……?”
Evelyn’s sentences were blurred this time. One thing, there was a method that she was familiar with.
“Yes. Now, the Empress’s seat is empty, so it’s a valid card.” Evelyn’s calm tone seemed to tell another’s story. “Who’s the candidate? Daughter of Marquis Satin’s nephew?
Rebecca said, “She’s one of the candidates, but she’s out of the competition.”
“Ah… Then I know who it is.” the teacup on her hand shook a little. “Lady Metis….”
Rebecca nodded her head slowly. “It hasn’t been officially announced yet. However, most members of the nobility seem to have agreed.”
“I suppose so. Originally the nobility opposed me to be an Empress.”
Not all groups of noble, but only a few. Most of those who refused Evelyn as an Empress was the faction of Marquis Satin and Duke Metis, including the Empress Dowager.
“She’s the daughter of the Empress Dowager- youngest brother, who was mentioned as a candidate at that time.”
“She’s still the niece of Empress Dowager.”
Evelyn remembered the Empress, Fabian’s mother, who always looked at her with unpleasant eyes. Fortunately, they rarely met in person. But there was talk behind the scenes that Evelyn had taken the Empress’s position from her niece.
“I think it was the right thing to do from the start,” said Evelyn.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.” It was a calm voice with no worries.
“The Empire has a poor relationship with the Vatican during His Majesty’s reign, but the Metis family has a strong relationship with them and can be a strong mediator. Aside from that, their daughter must have been properly educated about imperial etiquette.” Evelyn swallowed the words. “Besides, His Majesty can’t leave the Empress’s seat for too long…many people are watching him.”
Two years had passed since Evelyn left. Even she didn’t expect Fabian to be alone for so long like this. So, his remarriage was a natural thing. Now, that wasn’t a strange idea. Besides, if he married again, perhaps her guilt for failing to fulfill Empress’s duties would also disappear.
“Well, it has nothing to do with us now.”
“Yes.”
Rebecca put down the teacup, “Liam is coming back from the Empire soon. Why don’t we meet and hear the details?”
While speaking of the new Empress, Evelyn’s eyes didn’t shake at all. Rebecca already felt that Evelyn’s regrets had disappeared. It was fortunate, not for Evelyn, but for Liam.
“Don’t you bother Sir Liam too much?”
“No way. He doesn’t know how to do anything. He has much time.”
That wasn’t true. However, it could have been the case with Evelyn.
“Then, I won’t refuse.” Evelyn smiled.
Only
“More than that, princess.” There was a smile of remorse in Rebecca’s heart.
“Huh?”
“Do you know why I’m late for today’s appointment?”
Evelyn blinked at her unexpected words. She wasn’t even aware that Rebecca was late.
“I came along the corridor through the garden of the inner palace, as usual, and the black, big, ugly, terrible,…….”
“…….Ah.”
Only then did Evelyn recall the existence of a black hawk in the royal garden. All three of them were gathered because they brought Fabian’s letters in a row. But since then, she didn’t respond to his letters, so the birds never had to fly again like Evelyn’s heart.
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