(6) Like an Ominous Spell (6)
“Shall we meet them?” Hensa asked.
Stephanie hesitated for a moment before replying,
“No, we need to observe first. There’s no advantage in revealing our hand too soon. Don’t act rashly—just keep watch. And look into Eleanor Snow in detail.”
***
Persephone wasn’t in the mood, but she forced a smile and refilled Franklin’s glass. He downed the strong liquor in one gulp, slamming his glass onto the table with a loud clink.
“You’re drinking too fast, my lord.”
She said gently to the visibly tipsy Franklin. But he only motioned toward his glass with a jerk of his chin, signaling for more.
Persephone stared at his strikingly handsome face for a moment before reluctantly lifting the bottle.
‘The one who falls in love first always loses.’
She didn’t want to upset him.
As soon as his glass was refilled, Franklin drained it again.
“****it…”
Ever since Duke Owen and Count Osborn had failed to claim Snow and returned to their territories, Franklin had been like this.
“If I had known it would end this way, I would have opposed it from the start…”
Not that it would have made any difference.
He was still just a young duke. His words carried little weight.
“I knew it. I knew it would fail.”
Knew it, my foot.
Persephone scoffed inwardly.
No one had believed in the war’s success more than Franklin.
There was only one thing he wanted from it, Eleanor Snow.
Or rather, should she say Eleanor’s submission?
Though Franklin and Eleanor were engaged, he was always anxious.
Unlike a typical noble lady, Eleanor was independent and strong-willed. She had the adventurous spirit of someone who carved their own path and the unshakable determination to stand by her choices.
That terrified Franklin.
He wanted all of her.
He wanted Eleanor to become a woman who couldn’t live without him.
In that sense, this war had been the perfect opportunity to make her yield.
If her land was taken, if her family was crushed, if the entire Snow household was trampled underfoot, then surely—Eleanor would kneel.
At least, that’s what Franklin had thought.
But really?
Would Eleanor truly surrender just because she lost her family?
Persephone couldn’t imagine her ever bowing to someone else.
Franklin had intended to use this war to secure a docile wife.
‘Even though you lost everything, I still love you.’
‘Even though your family and estate are gone, I remain by your side.’
He must have thought Eleanor would wag her tail like a dog and devote herself to him.
But she never will.
I, on the other hand, could live that way for you.
Yet Franklin’s gaze had never once turned to Persephone.
From their childhood until now, he had only ever looked at Eleanor—despite Eleanor’s eyes being fixed elsewhere.
“Why the hell did the Emperor interfere?” Franklin muttered.
“That mad b****d should’ve been looking for his next empress after killing his third one. What did he have to gain from meddling in the North?”
Who knows?
Perhaps he already found his next empress.
A woman who wouldn’t flinch at stepping into a throne where three had perished.
A woman who would walk into hell without fear if it meant protecting her family.
Eleanor Snow.
Persephone was certain Eleanor was the one who had changed the course of the war.
There was no other reason for the Emperor, who had never intervened in territorial battles before, to suddenly involve himself in a conflict in the far North.
“…Eleanor.”
Franklin had drunk too much.
He eventually mumbled Eleanor’s name before passing out at the table.
Persephone, who had loved him for so long yet had never once been loved in return, gently stroked his golden hair.
His brilliant locks slipped through her fingers like silk.
The only time she could have him was when he was asleep.
Bending down, she pressed a soft kiss to his hair.
Then, calling for a maid to bring a blanket, she covered his shoulders before leaving the dining room.
If Eleanor went to the imperial palace to seek the Emperor’s aid… If, in return, she agreed to become his consort…
The Empress Dowager would never want a Snow daughter to sit on the throne.
Persephone had a vague suspicion that the Empress Dowager was involved in the Northern conflict.
Royal envoys had visited Count Osborn’s territory several times before the war, and she had once overheard a conversation between the count and an imperial official.
‘If Snow cannot be swayed, Her Majesty wishes for its complete eradication.’
If that was the case, then the Empress Dowager would see Eleanor’s very existence as an obstacle.
She’ll investigate Eleanor.
And eventually, my name will surface.
The moment she returned to her chambers, Persephone called for her loyal maid, Diane.
“Soon, the imperial palace will summon me. Prepare for my departure to the capital.”
***
A new year had dawned.
The capital was bustling with preparations for the New Year’s Festival, and the imperial palace was lively with arrangements for another peaceful year.
But in Tulip Palace, where Eleanor resided, the excitement of the season did not reach.
Standing by the window, Eleanor gazed down at the neglected garden.
‘This is where I stand in this palace.’
The woman of the Tulip Palace, whom no one cared about
‘But it doesn’t matter. Things will change soon.’
The time for mourning was over. Though it hadn’t been enough to grieve the loss of her kin, she couldn’t allow herself to be consumed by sorrow forever. She had to think of those who had survived.
“I must survive as well.”
Since Calliope had come to Tulip Palace, Eleanor had been waiting for another visitor, but no one had come yet.
‘Surely, it’s not just because of me that everyone is being so cautious.’
In this imperial palace, the presence of Heraith Delgado was overwhelmingly formidable. Most people were probably watching his every move.
‘Soon, the Emperor will leave the palace. The Rascals are still active, and the monsters—who knows what they’ll do?’
Since there was no empress yet, he wouldn’t be gone for long. But for Eleanor’s enemies, even that brief absence would be enough.
‘They might strike during the New Year’s festival. In the chaos, making someone disappear without a trace would be all too easy.’
Eleanor slowly raised her hand. A crackling sound echoed as blue lightning elegantly coiled around her fingers before vanishing.
‘If only I could wipe out everything that stands in my way.’
Even Heraith, the so-called ‘Mad Emperor,’ hadn’t recklessly killed his enemies within the palace.
‘The forces backing them are simply too powerful.’
For the sake of the Snow family, Eleanor had to become empress, aligning herself with Heraith’ situation.
‘I never expected the Empress Dowager to be among those plotting his death. How can a mother plan to kill her own son? Does becoming a Rascal erase even maternal love?’
Only after entering the imperial palace did Eleanor begin to see the truth, the truth she had once overlooked. As she pieced everything together, she realized the Empress Dowager was behind it all.
The elders pressuring the Emperor, and the one capable of controlling them—was her.
‘The Empress Dowager must have started investigating me.’
She would likely dig into every detail, even counting the number of dresses Eleanor owned in the Snow family mansion.
‘But that’s not all. Even Persephone and Franklin don’t know everything about me.’
Once again, electricity crackled along Eleanor’s fingers, spiraling up her arm before disappearing.
‘Persephone, I hope you don’t come to the capital.’
The Empress Dowager would likely summon Persephone, perhaps even make her a lady-in-waiting. If she brought in Eleanor’s dear, longtime friend, someone who knew her well, she could use her to strike at Eleanor.
‘If you eagerly come running just because she calls, then I’ll have no choice but to believe you’ve betrayed me.’
It was foolish that a part of her still wanted to trust Persephone. But she no longer smiled through tears like before. The time for weak sobbing had long passed.
Eleanor donned her coat and stepped out of the room. It was time to meet the Emperor.
***
The imperial palace of the Tevent Empire was vast. There were more than ten buildings, each with its own sizable garden, making even leaving one building a time-consuming task.
The Emperor’s palace was attached to the main palace, its entrance heavily guarded.
“Halt. This is His Majesty’s palace.”
Eleanor examined the armor of the knight standing guard.
Blue armor.
‘So, he’s from the Blue Order.’
The Emperor commanded four knightly orders—Black, White, Red, and Blue.
Among them, the Black Order was composed of the absolute elite, with the others ranking slightly lower in skill.
The Blue Order was considered the weakest of the four.
‘But he looks strong. If even the lowest-ranked knights are this capable…’
Then just how powerful were the elite Black Order knights?
‘Of course, they’re not beyond my ability to handle.’
