Hundreds of carrier pigeons soared above the imperial palace, each with a paper attached to its leg and bearing the same message.
One of them arrived at the largest mansion in the capital, a towering gray building resembling a castle.
<His Majesty has passed away.>
The middle-aged man checking the note couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.
Standing beside him, the butler Bvel couldn’t conceal his astonishment.
His master, Duke Cassian, was known for rarely showing any change in expression. Seeing the unusually pleased look on the Duke’s face, Bvel relaxed a bit and inquired,
“What would you like me to do, my lord?”
The Duke, once again reading the words on the note, took a deep breath. The news was shocking enough to surprise anyone in the Empire. However, the Duke’s silver eyes remained calm, as if he had foreseen it all.
After a moment, the Duke responded,
“Prepare. I’ll go to the palace.”
In response to the languid words, Bvel respectfully bowed and left the office. Left alone, the Duke leaned his back against the chair and closed his eyes.
Just as Bvel found it surprising, the Duke felt extremely pleased.
Whether it was the right term for the emotion, he wasn’t sure, but if there were such feelings as happiness and satisfaction, his current sentiment would be it.
“That child made me nervous, but…”
Shahadna’s daughter.
Somehow, she managed to win the heart of the crown prince and enter the palace.
He supported her studies, hoping she would be useful to the family, but she was causing trouble by treating useless individuals.
Hearing rumors about the Emperor being treated, the Duke managed to block them through Liliana. However, even though he issued orders, the Duke remained uneasy about the unpredictable child.
‘It would have been impossible anyway.’
It was a disease that even Shahadna herself could not cure.
There was no way the child, who had learned little from her mother, could have deciphered a more advanced version of the Mordheim poison.
Even if he hadn’t given the command not to interfere, the Emperor’s fate would likely remain unchanged.
“Sigh….”
The Duke let out a long breath.
It had been a long time. Now, the day he had longed for was about to arrive.
The Duke closed his eyes and let out a small laugh.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
Carriages lined up at the gates of the Imperial Palace.
Nobles who had been staying in the capital rushed to the palace upon hearing the news of the Emperor’s death.
The expressions of the nobles entering the palace one by one varied; some were filled with depth, while others showed relief.
As the nobles could no longer drive their carriages in, they began to disembark one by one.
“Isn’t this Marquis Iel?”
“Count Barham, long time no see.”
“Hehehe. I haven’t been up to the capital much because I’ve been busy managing my estates.”
“I don’t think I saw you even during the spring banquet.”
“Yes, during that time, my wife was terribly ill….”
The nobles, who knew each other, walked inside, chatting with each other.
Meanwhile, the carriages continued to line up at the entrance to the palace.
Starting with those nearby and extending across the entire empire, the messenger birds scattered throughout the empire were constantly gathering nobles to the capital.
“By the way, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen all the nobles together.”
“When will such an event happen again?”
“Well, yes. It only happens during the mourning period for the Emperor or Empress.”
In the Sertizan Empire, they immediately declared a mourning period, summoning all the nobles to the palace upon the death of the Emperor or Empress.
Nobles are required to stay in the palace until the mourning period ends. Nobles who fail to attend may face potential consequences from the imperial family later on.
In other words, it meant that anyone who wanted to maintain their noble status would have to come to the palace.
“The palace is already in an uproar.”
Rohiriel glanced up at the sky while hurrying to Tishrit Palace.
Birds were chirping and moving around incessantly. From the direction of the palace entrance, the sound of horses neighing was continuously heard.
“Your Majesty did not inform me immediately about this.”
In response to Rohiriel’s mixed question and statement, the servant from Tishrit Palace replied,
“I apologize. Her Majesty expressed a desire for a brief moment of peace….”
It wasn’t hard to understand.
The moment the Emperor’s death was confirmed, regardless of the Empress’s will, envoys would have flown across the entire empire.
Rohiriel mused that perhaps before the nobles arrived, the Empress wanted even a brief moment alone with the Emperor.
‘Father must be in the capital now.’
Rohiriel’s blue eyes settled calmly as she looked towards the entrance.
The Duke of Cassian rarely left his domain. Was he in the capital because he anticipated this outcome, or was it just a coincidence?
Either way, Rohiriel could no longer hide the fact that she had turned her back against Cassian.
In truth, Rohiriel had been troubled by the Duke’s orders, which had come through Liliana. He forbade her to treat the Emperor. Obeying that command was impossible.
However, openly treating the emperor could alert Duke Cassian to take some other action upon sensing something amiss. Therefore, Rohiriel couldn’t act hastily.
“But now it doesn’t matter.”
She had captured Roxis’s spy and successfully secured all other evidence.
All that remained was to save the Emperor and thwart the mourning period.
‘Moreover, the Emperor undoubtedly knows something critical about my father.’
Mordheim’s poison is meant to seep into the body over a long period of time, slowly lulling the victim into sleep.
But the Emperor suddenly collapsed. There was only one conceivable answer: someone had intervened.
And there was no need to think further about the reason.
The Emperor must have discovered something he shouldn’t have.
What that something was, Rohiriel was already looking forward to finding out.
“This way, Your Highness.”
Having arrived at Tishrit Palace, Rohiriel followed the guide to the location where the Emperor lay.
It was not a bedroom but a large hall designed for state occasions.
“Her Majesty the Empress, the Crown Princess, has arrived.”
My entrance was announced by a servant, catching the attention of the Empress, who had been sitting in a daze in front of the Emperor’s coffin.
“I greet Your Majesty, the Empress.”
The Empress maintained a composed appearance, devoid of tears or wailing, displaying a calm demeanor.
However, when she addressed Rohiriel, it seemed almost mechanically uttered, lacking any meaningful intonation.
“…Princess Consort.”
The Empress’s eyes lacked focus, wandering through some unseen void while seemingly looking at Rohiriel.
It was like the days when she had the eye disease.
Rohiriel bit her lip and approached the Emperor. Contrary to the last time, the Emperor wasn’t lying with disheveled hair, clad in plain clothes.
His hair was neatly groomed, and he was dressed appropriately, presenting a clean appearance.
“Your Majesty the Empress, do you remember what I told you?”
“…What. …are you talking about?”
The Empress paused, then spoke, then paused again, like someone whose mind had been switched off for a moment.
Rohiriel smiled softly at the Empress’s blank stare.
“I told you I would save his majesty no matter what.”
“…Yes, but there are things that cannot be changed no matter how hard you try, and I don’t blame you. So, now, release yourself from this burden.”
Faced with the Empress’s resigned words, Rohiriel hesitated, unsure of how to explain.
It would not be easy to believe.
However, it was undeniably possible.
Rohiriel took a brief, deep breath and straightforwardly addressed the Empress.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor is not dead yet.”
The Empress, failing to comprehend Rohiriel’s words, blinked. After a few slow moments, she furrowed her eyebrows and spoke.
“This is no time for jokes, Princess Consort. No matter how much I indulge you, be more mindful.”
“Your Majesty, I am more sincere than ever.”
To prove her point, Rohiriel lightly revealed the medical bag he had brought.
Moving her eyes at an almost frustrating pace, the Empress glanced between the medical bag and Rohiriel’s face, appearing more surprised than before.
“Princess Consort, what on earth are you saying? Are you daring to insult me?”
At that moment, the servant’s voice announced the arrival of other nobles.
Marquis Iel, Count Barham, and…
“His Grace, Duke Cassian!”
