Chapter 20
After entering the palace, a few days passed uneventfully.
The Emperor had not visited the rose garden at all, nor had he called for Princess Sylvia or Chloe separately. Gideon, who occasionally stopped by in the early morning to inquire about her well-being, seemed preoccupied with something. As the uneventful days went by, Chloe began to wonder if the Emperor had simply forgotten about her. According to the somewhat shy Princess, he usually showed interest in everyone but quickly forgot about them.
“Well, lucky for me, I guess. But then why bring me to the palace in the first place?”
Princess Sylvia, confined to a cramped one-story villa that was embarrassing to call a palace, wondered what crime she had committed. Despite her repeated inquiries about whether she could just stay in the palace where she lived before, she was only met with nods of approval.
How scary must Luke be for a child to act like this?
“Not my place to say, but she really grew up poorly.”
Now, with the haze cleared from her mind, Chloe chuckled softly. In any case, she was stuck. She had no right to say anything even if Luke Olfenstar turned into a tyrant. If she had responsibilities, she had them.
She tried not to dwell on it any further as she got up. The classification and investigation of the herbs requested by the physician were now complete, and she needed to send a letter. Chloe glanced briefly into Princess Sylvia’s bedroom, where she was napping, then quickly left the villa.
“Hmm?”
Chloe hesitated as she was about to turn towards the cabin where the servants stayed.
There was a man standing at the entrance of the greenhouse, where the rose garden began.
“No visitors were scheduled for today.”
Despite the heat in the greenhouse, the man didn’t remove his coat and gloves. He approached her politely.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Travis Retentor.”
“I’m Marie Edant, Duke Retentor.”
Upon hearing her name, the man’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but he showed no other reaction as he stated his purpose.
“I’ve come to see Princess Sylvia. Could you guide me, Lady Edant?”
“I believe there was no prior appointment scheduled.”
“We’ve been sending people since yesterday, but there’s been no response. I had no choice but to come myself. Could you please inform her that I’m here? I’ll wait here.”
Even with the title of Retentor, Chloe couldn’t help but doubt whether this man was really ‘that’ Retentor scion. Just because he’s basking in his father’s glory?
And…
Her gaze passed over the man’s gloved left hand.
…She heard that Gideon had cut off one of his fingers. Just a few days ago.
His attitude towards the man whose wife he had mutilated was surprisingly lukewarm. He seemed almost unaware if she didn’t know about it.
“It might be difficult to get a satisfactory answer since she’s been so tired lately.”
“That’s already appreciated.”
Chloe turned back to the villa, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling of his gaze on her back. He looked like someone from a strict upbringing. Did he really drink the Emperor and Gideon’s Kool-Aid?
For someone who seemed ready to throw down the gauntlet and challenge someone to a duel at any moment.
Of course, she had no eye for people, but…
“Are you awake, Your Highness?”
Princess Sylvia, sitting on the bed with a drowsy face, reached out to Chloe. Chloe, who had grown accustomed to Sylvia’s antics over the past few days, naturally pulled Sylvia into a hug and helped her up.
“Did I go out?”
“How did you know?”
“I smell something nice, the scent of roses…”
But Chloe, who had already adapted to Sylvia’s antics, gently patted her back as if she were dealing with a younger child.
“Shall I ask him to leave? Or would you like to sleep a little longer?”
“A guest?”
Chloe was surprised at the chilly muttering from Sylvia, who had been acting like a child for the past few days.
The child who had been playing with her for a few days was gone, and the true princess was there. A princess who calculated every breath she took.
“Should I ask the guest to leave now?”
“No.”
Sylvia’s eyes, completely devoid of drowsiness, briefly stared directly at Chloe. Then, as if hesitating about something, she leaned her forehead against Chloe’s shoulder.
“Could you… change my clothes?”
“Shall I redo your hair as well?”
“Yes.”
Chloe, who had adapted to Sylvia’s antics, finished changing the princess’s clothes and tidying her hair. Once it was done, she calmly asked, “What else can I do for you now?” If Sylvia didn’t want to meet with the Retentor scion now, she was prepared to go out and handle the situation herself. What else could she do for Marie Edant besides fulfilling her role as a lady for a few months?
“Shall I ask the guest to leave now?”
Sylvia tilted her head at the affectionate whisper, feeling like she could die from it. This woman was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside, and it was a shame, especially for the Emperor.
Even for Gideon Edant, it was a pity, but still, he was better than that man. Besides, they were already married, and they seemed to like each other.
Thinking about it now, the Emperor seemed even more trashy.
—
The tedious confrontation between the Emperor, who controlled the factories and mines downstream of the Srona River, and the Duke of Retentor, finally came to an end.
Despite the negotiations ending with more losses than expected, the Duke smiled warmly.
“Thank you for forgiving my son’s mistake, Your Majesty.”
Unlike the handsome scion of the Retentor family, the Duke was of average height with a stout build. His unremarkable features seemed to make him look like an ordinary middle-aged man.
Of course, no one would be fooled by his appearance now.
“It’s a shame that the finger was already cut off, but it couldn’t be helped. Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
“I’m perfectly fine. And how about you, Duke? It’s about time to start thinking about tombstones.”
“Where to begin with, Your Majesty?”
“True. Seeing how things are going, your son will go before you.”
Despite the harsh undertones of their conversation, the atmosphere between them remained calm. Surprisingly, it was the attendants of the Duke and the Emperor’s aides who were sweating nervously at their conversation.
The Emperor inquired about the figure who always accompanied the Duke.
“Come to think of it, where is your son, Duke?”
“He went to see the Princess. It’s about time to prepare for marriage…”
“With an eleven-year-old?”
The Duke accepted the Emperor’s sarcasm with a warm smile.
“Your Majesty escaped the capital at the age of twelve. That’s old enough to do my part.”
“The Princess probably doesn’t think so.”
In a lazy murmur about a topic he had never even considered, the Emperor made a dismissive remark about the Princess. The Duke shrugged.
“Does that matter, Your Majesty?”
It was a dismissive comment about the Princess. Even if it were true, ignoring the next highest-ranking noble after the Emperor himself, the Emperor chuckled at the Duke’s words.
“…Sometimes, Duke, it seems you think you’re the Emperor.”
“I could never. I remember the words of Langsher, Your Majesty.”
The Duke’s narrowed eyes seemed to be smiling, but it was difficult to discern what he was thinking. But the Emperor’s face, devoid of expression, was similar enough to make it difficult to understand his thoughts.
“That’s what I’m saying, Your Majesty. Have you already forgotten who the mother of Princess Sylvia was?”
“The child is innocent, Duke.”
“Well, it would have been nice if they had thought so when you were a child, Your Majesty.”
“If they had, you would have been stuck in some rural valley and aged to death.”
Every arrogant word was like a dagger. Even though the content was enough to be harsh, the atmosphere between them was indifferent. The Duke’s aide and the Emperor’s entourage wiped sweat from their brows.
The Emperor asked, “So that’s what you mean, Duke? Have you forgotten who the mother of Princess Sylvia was already?”
“Your Majesty knows she was a Retentor.”
“I’m sure even when she was a child, Your Majesty.”
The words that crushed the Princess. Even though they were harsh, they were only met with a silent smile from the Emperor. The Duke sighed exaggeratedly.
“…You persecute this old man, Your Majesty. Your father didn’t do that.”
At that, the Emperor laughed quietly. The old man’s complaint about being treated like a king contrasted with his silent smile. The Duke struggled to straighten his hunched shoulders.
But the disturbing gaze, as if seeing an annoying bug, was unsettling, like a nightmare.
“It’s only natural, Duke.”
Or rather, those eyes that didn’t see people as people.
“Your father never dared to sit in my seat, let alone compare himself to me.”
Had the Duke ever treated anyone as his equal? If so, what was the problem? Bloodline? Education?
His nephew, Hessel Olfenstar, was truly perfect, so why did such a thing come out?
As the Emperor disappeared, the Duke pondered for a long time. The more he chewed on the Emperor’s clean face and twisted inner thoughts, the more regretful he became.
If only Hessel were alive…
“He was a good boy. Perfect.”
If his good nephew had resembled him, there would have been no way for such a thing to come out. If there were problems, it must have been his mother’s bloodline. That crazy woman.
Why did he suddenly remember the words he muttered while holding his newborn son in his arms?
-He won’t be able to live normally. He’s my child with that woman.
Indeed, he wasn’t in his right mind. Looking back now, it was a correct statement, but in the past, he wondered what he was saying in front of his exuberant wife and child. Of course, that crazy woman didn’t get angry or cry when she heard those words.
Instead, she seemed to say strange things. With a face as pale as a corpse, that woman…
-Will Troy forgive us?
Yeah. She should have known she was crazy back then.
