Chapter 36
John urged Anel with a poem.
Perhaps he knows I’ll refuse, so he’s persuading me, wanting to see me in an awkward situation somehow.
“You must be the reason. That lovely tea party seems to have captured Cartar’s heart quite well.”
As expected, it seemed that Anel wasn’t planning to accept it in the first place. He smiled as if he knew, small and subtle.
“I want to negotiate the price of livestock.”
“Good for you.”
“Good for me?”
John leaned back on the chair, smiling.
At the unexpectedly cheerful laughter, Anel flinched.
“Do you want to put me at the negotiating table, Empress?”
“It’s not like that-”
“There’s no negotiation with Cartar, I only have two options to offer them.”
In an instant, the laughter disappeared from John’s face.
“Either willingly offer livestock or miss the timing and be transformed into livestock for slaughter.”
In an instant, the smile faded from Johan’s face.
“Either offer the livestock yourself, or miss the timing and end up transformed into livestock for slaughter.”
If he had spoken with an angry tone, it wouldn’t have been as intimidating. However, Johan spoke with an indifferent voice, devoid of any emotion.
He wasn’t smiling, yet his cheekbones were deeply set. Beneath the extended gap, formal affection and long-held resentment were contained.
“Don’t feel guilty, Anel.”
Johan blinked his eyes slowly as he spoke.
“You did your best.”
It was an attitude that seemed like praise, although the content was anything but.
Anel held her breath.
Whatever she did to restore relations with Kartar, it would be in vain. This man had always been willing to sacrifice even a war against Kartar.
Anel realized that she had very few options left.
“Oh, I also sent a gift to Kartar in my own way.”
“A gift?”
“Yeah, Just like you did.”
After Johann vaguely affirmed, he turned his gaze out of the window.
It meant that he had no intention of revealing what the gift was.
Anel was infuriated by his audacity. If he had no intention of talking about it, why bring up the topic in the first place?
“Do you have any intention of telling me what it is?”
“I will tell you if you reveal the gift you gave to the Countess Sodel.”
He was indeed keeping an eye on her. Anel bit her lip, refraining from speaking out.
To openly surveil to this extent, it was beyond belief. Not only did he make her uncomfortable at the party, but now he was even watching her.
He was the worst husband. No, he was the worst human being.
As the conflict between the two showed no signs of resolution, it was Galden who became restless.
“I will give you more details, Your Majesty.”
Apparently anxious, Galden refilled Anel’s glass every time it was empty.
A strong determination to not let Anel go was evident.
It was awkward for Anel, who had planned to quickly finish her coffee and leave.
Anel wondered if Johann had finally lost his mind, as she glimpsed a strange determination in him.
Two kings were served, was it time for them to retire?
“You.”
At that moment, Johann spoke up.
“While believing the maid’s words without hesitation, you make no attempt to trust me.”
It was a bizarre statement, and there were more than a few points she wanted to point out even though it was just a single sentence.
If it was a talent, then it was a talent.
“If it’s about the Second Empress, I have nothing to say.”
“There must be a lot.”
An overwhelming emotion choked up in my throat.
What could I say to him?
Does he really believe in me, in Jiselle?
There were dozens of refutations ready.
Anel did not believe in Jiselle.
He betrayed himself, How could he trust her?
But Anel did not trust Johan either.
No, he trusted Johan even less than Jiselle.
Johan, in Anel’s experience, was the lowest of the low.
Every time Anel got involved with him, he endured endless wounds, most of them without even knowing the reasons.
In the end, Anel gave up trying to understand Johan.
That man is just insane.
From where he went wrong, Anel didn’t know, but if she had to identify the culprit who committed all the worst deeds in the world, she could willingly choose him.
After all, Johannes Degner had inflicted only the worst things on Anel.
He destroyed her family, drove her fiancé to death, and subjected her to constant humiliation.
All this without her having done anything wrong.
In this situation, there was no reason not to believe Jiselle’s testimony that Johan had given orders to humiliate her again.
“Why do you think I have a lot to say about the Second Empress?”
“Is there none?”
“There isn’t.”
Anel’s firm voice made Johan nod as if he expected it.
“Then why are you still here, Empress?”
It was a very rude and blatant question.
Thinking that this madman called me here, Anel stood up right away.
After a breakfast that perfectly matched her mood, Anel leaned her head against the window. The cold glass was effective in cooling down her forehead, which had heated up with anger.
Having witnessed the silent war of the imperial couple, Verdi couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She simply placed a cold towel on Anel’s nape.
Anel closed her eyelids, savoring the refreshing sensation.
It seemed she had fallen asleep.
When she opened her eyes, Verdi was gone, and a blanket covered her knees.
“Crazy, I am.”
Anel sighed, Perhaps the tension had eased with the thought of overcoming one hurdle.
“Still, there’s so much to do. Get a grip, Anel.”
Was it uncomfortable sleep that made her shoulders stiff?
Anel raised her head. The sky was pitch black, and the moon shone faintly. It had become a clear night.
Tock.
At that moment, there was something tapping on the window.
It was a small pebble. Who would play such a prank, daring to do so at Hwanghugung? Anel squinted her eyes and opened the window.
“!”
Turning her head away and looking outside, she saw Samuel.
Anel was shocked beyond words, scanning her surroundings.
A little distance away, she could see a knight standing guard.
How did he manage to divert the knight’s attention?
With a worried heart, Anel looked at Samuel. If Johann found out, Samuel’s life could not be guaranteed.
“Don’t worry, Anel. He’s a knight I know.”
Ah, Anel finally understood. Samuel had been living in this palace for over twenty years.
Having gained the love of everyone, there was hardly any knight he couldn’t persuade.
Anel smiled with relief.
“Why are you here, though?”
“I’m leaving for Kinton tomorrow, Anel.”
Samuel smiled with a touch of resignation, Anel’s heart sank.
“I wanted to see your face one last time before I leave. I know it’s a selfish request, but…”
Samuel pulled something out of his pocket and threw it to Anel.
Anel caught it in surprise.
Upon closer inspection, it was a ring with a large droplet-shaped diamond and peridots surrounding it. Inside the ring, something was engraved in small letters.
“For the person I will admire and serve all my life.”
It was only then that Anel realized what the ring was. Before the situation unfolded like this, it was the engagement ring Samuel had prepared.
As soon as she realized the fact, tears that she had unknowingly held back continued to well up.
“Anything is fine, as long as I have something to remember you by. Anything… even on the battlefield, it would bring joy.”
As Samuel spoke, he appeared strong yet vulnerable.
Anel quickly took off the necklace she was wearing and threw it to Samuel.
“If this is okay…”
It was a necklace she had brought from her homeland, a necklace she had owned since she was a child. Samuel had seen it a few times—a necklace passed down from Samuel’s mother.
Samuel seemed to recognize the necklace, his eyes filled with emotion. He stared at the necklace for a while, then touched his forehead with it.
“Thank you, Anel.”
Samuel tightly clenched the jewel in his hand, then swiftly hung it around his neck.
“Now, I’ll go. Please… take care.”
Samuel didn’t make the obvious promise to return.
He simply displayed a smile that Anel had cherished with affection throughout his lifetime.
At that moment, a distant whistle echoed.
It was the signal from the knight who had closed his eyes for Samuel.
Now was the time to leave. Samuel turned his head and blew a kiss with his hand.
Then, he turned around and quickly distanced himself.
“Samuel!”
Anel urgently called out to him as he departed.
In the slender but distinctly resonant voice, Samuel turned around in response.
“Stay alive.”
Anel finally spoke the words she couldn’t say in front of Johann.
Stay alive. Don’t go, I’m sorry.
“I will… somehow…”
These were the words Anel couldn’t bring herself to say in front of Johann.
Anel couldn’t muster the words.
However, Samuel, as if knowing everything, once again showed that courteous smile.
While looking at that smile, Anel keenly felt her own weakness.
Why do I keep being unable to say anything, every time, every time…
She watched as Samuel moved away, closing the window when he completely concealed his figure.
But just before closing the window, she saw it.
In the opposite direction of where Samuel was.
Through a garden filled with flowers untouched by moonlight, a man turning away towards the Imperial Palace.
A silhouette barely revealed by the moonlight.
A strangely sparkling, white yet sturdy neckline captivated her eyes, It was strange. It looked familiar.
Unlike usual, a man with disheveled golden hair, brushing it aside with one hand, looking like the master of the empire at first glance.
“…Johannes?”
Wearing just a shirt and black pants—
As if out for a night stroll, the man looked modest.
However, Anel shook her head, It couldn’t be Johannes. He wouldn’t appear here with a bouquet of flowers in hand.
رائع 😍😍استمروا فايتنغ 💕💕