Chapter 55
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“It’s spooky.”
The Emperor said as he got off in front of the Rosan Mansion.
After a while of neglect, the atmosphere of the mansion changed. The garden was not well maintained, and the cleaning condition was not good at a glance.
“The butler is dead. I heard he met a robber.”
The attendant reminded him. The Emperor exhaled.
“That’s understandable. Tia was in the Evron Grand Duchy, and Lawrence said he was staying in another house. I’m sure she was lying with her head wrapped up.”
The emperor gave a glare to the attendant.
“What are you doing without paying attention?”
“I, I’m sorry. Lawrence didn’t like anyone being involved in the work of Rosan’s mansion…”
“That makes sense when he’s at home.”
The Emperor said disapprovingly.
“Find a guy. He’s to be patient and good at work.”
“Yes.”
The attendant gave a deep bow.
“Isn’t Lawrence still at the reception?”
“Yes.”
“He didn’t send a single person?”
As the Emperor said so, he walked up the stairs.
A small number of employees were surprised and quickly knelt down on their knees.
There weren’t many employees left in the mansion because many of them followed Artizea.
The Emperor went up to Miraila’s bedroom.
Nora, the maid with a tray, was pacing at the door. Then she was surprised to see the emperor and the attendant.
Nora was clumsy with her manners. She worked for a long time at the Rosan mansion. But she only worked in the laundry room. It was her first time seeing the Emperor in person.
She thought she had to get her knees down, she couldn’t figure out what to do with the tray.
As Nora quivered, the attendant quickly accepted the tray instead.
And then the attendant asked.
“What are you doing?”
“I, I’m overwhelmed with awe. Oh, this is from Lady Artizea.”
“Tia, what?”
“Well, that’s… Lady Artizea said the Madam would be upset when she comes back and she told me to prepare a soup made of pumpkin and lemon, that’s…”
Nora stumbled, and she started crying this time.
It was yesterday that Artizea called her through Alice.
[Tomorrow is my wedding.]
[Yes. Congratulations.]
[I didn’t call you to congratulate me on the wedding, but I have something for you to do. Talk to the kitchen tomorrow morning and ask them to make a pumpkin and lemon soup.]
[What?]
[And when my mother comes back, bring it to her.]
[My lady, I’m a maid in the laundry room.]
[Maybe my mother will be in a very bad mood and won’t pay attention to you. She is much more likely to drink, and you don’t really need to be in front of my mother.]
Artizea said.
[While snooping near the bedroom, when His Majesty comes, tell him that I told you to prepare the soup. That’s it. If His Majesty does not come, you can take care of it yourself. To bring it or not.]
Nora held her breath.
[If I do that, will you write me a recommendation letter?]
[Nora!]
Alice shouted in an angry voice. Nora bowed down after she grabbed Nora with a strong arm.
Artizea looked down at Nora with cold eyes.
[You dare to make a deal with me?]
[Ah, young lady… ]
Nora wanted to get out of the Rosan mansion.
Nora’s eyes could see the Rosan mansion tilt. Not only was Miraila not going to be the owner, but she was even cruel. Nora had no reason to be stuck here.
The employees who had worked for generations had already moved to another mansion or business of the Marquisate of Rosan, using the connections of the Hanson family.
However, maids who didn’t have any connections, like Nora, couldn’t easily change jobs. Because Bill, who is supposed to write her letter of recommendation, is dead.
Miraila grew increasingly violent. No one even wrote a letter of recommendation because they were afraid.
So she grabbed Alice’s outstretched hand like a rope.
She’d love it if Sophie could be the maid who praised her. She would have her write a letter of recommendation so she could go somewhere else if that was difficult.
She wanted to get a definite answer on this occasion, but it was a mistake.
Artizea said.
[It’s just to check if you’re useful and if you can carry out my command properly.]
[I’m sorry, lady.]
Alice bowed her head deeply.
Artizea sighed a little. She decided to forgive Alice by looking at her face.
She said again.
[It is about meeting the Emperor in person and speaking with him. If you’re as useful as you think of yourself, you don’t even have to ask me for a reward.]
And now, Nora finds herself useless.
She just had to snoop around with the soup and tell the Emperor the truth, but she couldn’t speak.
When she thought she was in front of the Emperor, her head turned blank.
The Emperor showed frustration at Nora. The attendant replied quickly.
“That’s enough. I’ll bring the soup, so you go back.”
“I’m overwhelmed with awe.”
Nora bowed her head down. And as if running away, she left the scene.
The Emperor sighed.
“But Tia is better.”
“Aren’t daughters’ minds more delicate?”
“If there were only one child of mine like Tia, I would have long decided on a successor.”
“Do you appreciate her that much?”
The attendant asked in surprise. The emperor lamented.
“Tia knows how she should behave. She knows how to put her pride and feelings behind. I thought she was overly timid, but I saw what she did to the Empress this time. She has determination and is also bold.”
The Emperor glanced to open the door. When he opened the door of the bedroom, several empty liquor bottles were rolling around on the floor. Even the maid, close to Miraila, was not standing by her side.
The Emperor frowned. However, he once again sighed and relaxed his expression.
Miraila was lying in bed in a drunken stupor. She felt a person coming in, but she didn’t respond. She didn’t even have the energy.
Her tears didn’t dry out and shed constantly. She was so stunned and sad that she wanted to die.
[My mother herself is not honorable. What does the title or the name of the marriage vows mean?]
Lawrence’s words didn’t leave her mind.
Miraila always carried her head up with a proud face. All the expensive and colorful objects in the world were wrapped around her body. She did not tolerate anyone who disobeyed her own words.
Miraila deliberately trampled on a person to see if the power in her hand was real.
When the ladies of the social world bent their knees and bowed to her, she was finally satisfied. She could beat an employee to death and cast them aside.
But she knew more than anyone else that Miraila herself was not honorable.
Miraila had never had a decent wedding.
Her marriage was all about sitting face to face with an old man who couldn’t even walk properly and signing the papers.
There were no bouquets and no guests. There was no pure gold orb to receive from her mother.
The priest, who came to notarize her marriage, looked at her with his eyes, as if seeing her as a dirty thing. And as soon as the signing was finished, he hurried to leave without giving a proper blessing.
The Emperor dressed her in a white dress that night.
However, the skirt of the wedding dress was all mesh, so the inside was transparent. It could not be as cherished as others.
It was evidence of her favor, but not that she was proudly married.
[What kind of wife is that woman who lives like a corpse at the Empress’s Palace? You are my wife.]
The Emperor often said so, seeing Miraila with her lovable face.
The Emperor gave her numerous things.
Miraila rode a carriage with the imperial crest. She even went to imperial ceremonies where she took the Emperor’s hand and became his wife.
The Emperor put her on his lap and at occasions held the seal in her hand.
She had even personally stamped the papers that govern the fate of the country.
Miraila was the only one who could freely enter the bedroom of the Emperor.
However, only the Empress seat was not allowed to Miraila.
She is the Emperor’s mistress, and she is not the empress.
The Emperor gave Miraila everything he could give her whenever she felt like it, but he did not give her a legitimate right to be protected in the name of God.
While the Emperor is alive, it will be Miraila who is in his bed.
However, it would be the Empress who was buried in the same tomb as the Emperor and her name engraved on the tombstone.
Lawrence is right. She was dishonorable.
But she didn’t know Lawrence would blame her.
Even though everyone in the world could blame her for being dirty, Lawrence and Artizea alone shouldn’t.
“How can they? To tell me……. I raised them.”
Miraila murmured.
The Emperor approached and sat down by the bed on which Miraila was lying.
The mattress dipped and her body tilted. Miraila did not turn her head and buried her face on the pillow.
The Emperor stroked Miraila’s hair with a gentle touch.
“Are you angry?”
“….go.”
Miraila said in a cracked voice.
“I guess I should be seriously punishing Lawrence for making you so sad.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Are you still worried about Lawrence?”
Miraila replied in a sobbing voice.
“Did you know everything from the beginning?”
“Me? What?”
“Did you know that Tia became the Empress’s lady-in waiting or why Lawrence told me not to come? So, you didn’t even tell me to go to the wedding today…”
“No. No matter how bright my eyes and ears, how would I know what happened inside the Empress’s palace?”
The Emperor said with a sigh.
“I knew Tia went to the Empress’s Palace and got a wedding present. But, it’s natural for the groom Cedric to greet her. I never imagined she could have done such a great deal.”
“…..You’re praising Tia.”
The Emperor groaned at Miraila’s murmur.
“Everyone, how can you do this to me… .”
Her weeping got louder again.
“The Empress took it all from me. My son and my daughter. The only upper hand I had against her was them.”
“Relax, don’t burden yourself. The kids are supposed to leave when they grow up anyway. I would do anything. What’s so upsetting you?”
The emperor pulled Miraila. Miraila was held in his arms without strength.
‘Then can you make me an empress? Can you make me honorable?’
Miraila didn’t say such stupid words.
When she was young, she had spoken out a few times.
But now Miraila doesn’t say that. She didn’t even believe in the Emperor.
A man is not to be trusted.
Now he loves her. She is pretty.
But as the years go by and her beauty fades, she will be thrown away. If she offends him, she will be thrown away. She will be thrown away if she fails to please him.
[All that remains is blood.]
It was sincere to say that to Artizea.
But there was no blood left.
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