There was No One Beside Her

Teresa stood guard by the bedroom entrance while Dorothea silently shut her eyes.

What was she to do now? Maintaining an ambiguous stance would inevitably lead to her abandonment by both the Empress and the Queen Dowager.

That should never be the case. Dorothea’s clenched fist betrayed a slight tremor.

____

The sun had long ascended, but Cecile did not open her eyes.

Restlessness spread among the attendants as they attempted to rouse their master from her slumber that had reached well past noon.

Their efforts to gently shake her shoulders yielded the same result. 

Cecile simply lay motionless, akin to a quiet corpse.

Her silver-white hair and immaculate skin emitted a deceptive appearance of tranquility.

However, it took one glance to reveal the frailty of her lifeless body, with the neatly arranged hands on the verge of collapse upon touch.

Dorothea quietly confirmed Cecile’s pulse and furrowed her brow.

Though not a medical professional, she did not fail to recognize the alarming weakness in Cecile’s pulse and faint breathing.

Concerned about the potential consequences of delaying any further treatment, Dorothea instructed.

“Summon the doctor.”

“Understood.”

One of the maids promptly left to carry out her command.

A subdued sigh escaped Dorothea’s lips as she continued monitoring Cecile’s pulse.

‘I should have attended to her more diligently.’

Dorothea, infamous for her resolute and strict character, found herself momentarily taken aback by her sudden worry for Cecile.

It was astonishing. Dorothea was renowned for her strictness, even with her children.

Her elevated position was a result of the Queen Dowager’s appreciation for such a character. 

But how did things come to this? 

Although puzzled by her own emotions, she found herself consumed by worry for Cecile. She couldn’t divert her gaze even once.

Just then, a pattern of footsteps echoed throughout the hallway, their weight suggesting an identity beyond that of a typical medical attendant.

Despite their uncertainty, the maids opened the bedroom door without question.

Before them stood Arbeuta, the current reigning Emperor.

The maids paled at the sudden appearance of the Emperor.

“We, we greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

They hurriedly paid their respects as Arbeuta approached the bed.

His gaze fell upon Cecile as she lay beneath the canopy, her eyes closed as if she were dead.

It was an insensitive gaze, one that had always been directed towards Cecile during their every encounter.

This left the maids puzzled as to why he had even bothered visiting the Empress’ palace.

Dorothea, with her questioning eyes, ushered towards the medical attendant who had just arrived at the scene. 

“Examine the Empress.”

“Yes.”

The Emperor issued his order in a dry tone and stepped back, showing no further interest in Cecile.

He simply seated himself in a chair by the window and began reviewing the documents handed to him by his secretary.

As a result, an unusual scene was created.

The Emperor remained seated by the window, engrossed in his work, while on the opposite side, the doctor examined the Empress.

It was a spectacle that left everyone in awe.

The maids lowered their heads, taken aback at the strange sight.

However, Arbeuta, the main character of their controversy, remained undisturbed.

He focused on the documents, not sparing a glance at Cecile’s condition.

The examination concluded, and the medical attendant delivered his report.

“It seems that Her Majesty’s strength has weakened.”

“Her strength has weakened?”

“Yes, though I believe she will recover with enough rest.”

“Her strength… weakened.”

While Dorothea sighed in exasperation, Arbeuta contemplated the doctor’s words with deep consideration. 

Then he stood up and left the bedroom.

One couldn’t help but wonder why on earth he had come in the first place.

However, no one dared to voice any complaints towards the Emperor’s actions. The bedroom succumbed to an immediate silence.

____

When Cecile opened her eyes, the sky had turned a deep shade of red.

As her eyes focused on the sunset, she noticed the Queen Dowager and her mother seated awkwardly, facing her bed.

Blink, blink.

Cecile’s eyelashes fluttered as she gazed at the two individuals before her.

Contrary to the maids’ anticipation of a potential confrontation upon Cecile’s awakening, her response was surprisingly subdued.

The Queen Dowager was not pleased with Cecile’s meek reaction. However, she saw this as an opportunity to re-educate Cecile.

‘There’s still plenty of time.’

After suppressing her discomfort, the Queen recited in a cold tone.

“What’s this? Your mother-in-law puts in the time to visit, yet all you can do is stare with your eyes wide open.”

Cecile’s mother, Duchess Serendite, hurriedly lowered her head in response.

“I apologize. My daughter is still immature.”

“Silence. Why is she still the Empress, this foolish daughter of yours? After her enthronement, to dare throw away her royal obligations!”

“I, I sincerely apologize.”

The Duchess pleaded, breaking down before the Queen Dowager.

In the past, Cecile might have stepped forward, deeply affected by her mother’s distress.

Then she would endure harsh remarks from the Queen Dowager and hold back her tears all night long.

‘What’s all this fuss?’

However, the current Cecile remained half-asleep, her mind afloat.

Moreover, the unwelcome disturbance from the two individuals put her in a bad mood.

‘Noisy.’

Cecile frowned, indifferent to whether the maids noticed her complexion or not.

She glanced at the setting sun through half-closed eyes, then rolled over, snuggling into the blanket and returning to her sleeping position.

“Hmm.”

As her lazy yawn resonated throughout the room, Queen Dowager’s face flushed in anger.

She advanced towards Cecile’s bed and extended her hand to grasp her hair.

“You, you wretch!”

However, Teresa intercepted Queen Dowager’s hand and blocked her. 

Teresa delivered a cold gaze, causing the Queen’s complexion to pale. A loud voice echoed throughout the bedroom.

“How dare you… What do you think you are doing?”

Despite such a reaction, Teresa’s demeanor contained no ounce of anxiety. On the contrary, thanks to her towering stature, it appeared as though she were looking down upon the Queen Dowager.

The Queen Dowager’s face, ears included, turned a deep shade of red. She trembled with shame.

Only then did Teresa politely release her grip and fall to her knee against the floor.

“For daring to stand in the way of Her Majesty, the Queen, I deserve severe punishment. Please punish me accordingly.”

Teresa’s stern words cut through the air like a well-forged blade, instilling an atmosphere like that of a masterfully crafted weapon.

However, despite the Queen Dowager’s anger, she couldn’t overlook Teresa’s allegiance to the Emperor.

The Queen, too, was well aware of the Emperor’s dissatisfaction towards herself.

Therefore, his knight was not someone to be reckoned with.

‘Alright. It’s just trivial anyway. All this chivalry, and the Empress too.’

With that thought, she felt a sense of relief.

Once the Queen Dowager managed to subdue her anger, her words took on a somewhat benevolent tone.

“Alright. Considering your responsibility as her escort, I will let it go.”

“Thank you for your mercy.”

Teresa expressed her gratitude in a generated tone and promptly rose to her feet.

And then, like a shadow, she retreated a few steps and resumed her duty, guarding the bedroom.

The Queen Dowager couldn’t help but snort at Teresa’s stoic demeanor.

‘Now you’re being so attentive.’

In her eyes, someone with that level of righteousness was easily breakable, susceptible to even the slightest breeze.

Too bad a storm was expected to come soon. One she intended to unleash.

To hide her emotions, the Queen pulled her fan before her mouth.

Her subtle smile, which she found difficult to fully conceal, revealed itself in the corners of her eyes. Then the Queen commented in an elevated tone.

“This is why you can’t hide your birth. They say the future can be perceived in history. It seems to be the same with the Empress.”

Her words carried an ominous undertone, hinting at the fate of the Saints who had preceded Cecile.

The Queen was insinuating Cecile’s similar demise.

After uttering such cursed words, the Queen directed a fierce gaze towards Cecile, who still lay underneath her blanket.

There weren’t many days left until that lowly thing’s face would slowly contort in despair.

She had acted foolishly before, so there was no reason to accelerate matters more.

‘Heaven will take care of her soon.’

The Queen stood from her seat in a disapproving manner.

“Staying in a place like this won’t bring me any good. Let’s go.”

As the Queen Dowager took her steps, her attending maids followed behind.

As soon as the Empress left, Duchess Serendite hurriedly approached and vigorously shook Cecile.

“Wake up! Wake up! What on earth is this?”

However, Cecile remained motionless.

In a fit of rage, the frustrated mother delivered a harsh slap to Cecile’s cheek. This caught even Teresa off guard.

Cecile’s once-pale cheeks now bore a flush of red. Only then did she open her eyes.

Her indifferent eyes scanned the surroundings, piecing together the situation that unfolded while she slept.

A thin sigh escaped her lips as she recognized what was going on. She appeared extremely annoyed.

Cecile parted her lips as she observed her shaking mother.

“You have no right to hit me.”

“Right? No right!? How could you say that to me!”

Duchess Serendite sobbed and screamed.

“What has gone wrong in your head? How could you behave so recklessly just because you are now crowned Empress!”

Cecile simply gazed at her mother, who struggled to control her raging emotions.

She was a woman who had given birth to Cecile. There was a time when Cecile sought such a figure as her ideal.

‘But now, shaking so pathetically in fear.’

Cecile frowned and muttered.

“How bland.”

“What… Did you say just now?”

The Duchess’s eyes fluttered in surprise at Cecile’s unexpected words. Cecile replied softly to her devastated mother.

“I said how bland.”

_______

Note- Yeah, what she said.