Chapter 8
Anel von Morata, No, soon to be Anel von Dnegar.
I knew the day would come when I would have this castle.
But I didn’t know it would be the castle of another man, not Samuel’s.
Now Samuel has the new castle called Gears, and Annele is left alone as a person of Dnegar.
However, she couldn’t become Johannes’s person.
Annele thought so. She could be Dnegar’s person, but she couldn’t be Johannes’s person.
That dreadful man’s person.
“We have arrived, Your Majesty.”
“There is no reason to be called that yet.”
It was a dreadful title.
Just hearing it made it feel like bugs were gnawing at her body.
The dismal situation was not becoming familiar anytime soon.
Now she would be calling another man that, and countless others would be calling her that.
Annele slowly looked at the opening door of the carriage.
As soon as the door opened, the palace courtyard came into view.
A world of dazzling whiteness. But in reality, it was darker than a raven, a place where all desires gathered.
In such a place, there was someone who came to greet her.
“Was your journey comfortable?”
It was a familiar face.
Garden, the longtime steward of the Yellow Palace.
Even though he had killed all the people of the Hwang family, he couldn’t kill this person.
Anel gave a bitter smile.
“It was fine.”
“If there were any discomfort-”
“It’s okay.”
Anel cut off Garden’s words and got off the carriage.
It was rare for a noblewoman in such a position to get off alone without any escorts.
Garden naturally erased his stern face and followed her.
“Debita Palace is this way, Lady Morata.”
At the mention of Debita Palace, Anel’s body stiffened.
It was a name too familiar to her. It was supposed to be her home someday.
Now it had become a completely different kind of home.
Anel smiled thinly and followed the guide obediently towards Devita Palace.
“I will do my best to ensure your comfort during your stay.”
“…Thank you.”
Garden had known her since she was very young. However, Anel never felt at ease around him. He was pledging loyalty to someone unworthy, someone inferior, rather than being loyal to Samu.
“You’re still here, Garden.”
“…Many people are still here.”
Garden replied indifferently. A bitter taste surged within Anel. It was a hatred for her own kind, a repulsion felt towards a person who resembled her weak self.
Anel recoiled from her own self-disgust as she took hesitant steps.
“Welcome to Devita Palace, Your Majesty.”
Upon reaching Devita Palace, officials, dozens of maids, and hundreds of servants were visible. They all greeted Anel with a respectful bow as she stood before them, feeling awkward.
“Your Majesty, I extend my greetings for the first time. I am Astrid Sandman, honored to serve as the Chamberlain and attend to Your Majesty.”
Astrid Sandman. It was a name Arnaldo knew.
Born a countess Sandman, she was originally a close friend of the Duchess Magnon. That meant she was-
“I promise to faithfully attend to Your Majesty with loyalty towards the royal family.”
It meant she was one of Johannes Magnon’s people.
Sandman knelt as if touching the ground, pressing her lips to Arnaldo’s hand.
It was a gesture reserved for the Empress.
Arnaldo wanted to say it was premature, still not the right time.
But Arnaldo swallowed his voice. This, too, seemed to be the man’s intention.
“Please take care of things from now on.”
“Feel free to command anything at your convenience.”
On the surface, Sandman seemed very loyal, yet Arnaldo didn’t trust her.
Still, it was fortunate that, at least outwardly, she appeared cooperative.
“Please guide me through the palace.”
“It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”
Sandman explained in great detail about the Devita Palace, although Anel already knew most of it. As the fiancée of the Crown Prince and the future Empress, she had been receiving lessons on being an empress for a long time. There were hardly anyone who knew more about the Devita Palace than her.
However, she had requested the guidance to gauge Sandman’s qualifications. The qualities of a subordinate often reflected the qualities of their superior.
“This is Her Majesty’s room. Currently, it has been arranged according to the preferences of the Empress Dowager, but if you could let us know Her Majesty’s preferences, we will immediately make adjustments,” Sandman said.
Sandman was a perfect chamberlain, and it only deepened Anel’s admiration for him.
“I don’t have any specific preferences,” Anel replied.
Anel looked around the spacious and ornate room. The room adorned in lilac colors was undeniably beautiful and elegant, but it seemed extravagant.
“However, it seems necessary for the room to become simpler.”
“I will accept the command.”
Even with the ambiguous order, Sandman did not show any hesitation.
“When Your Majesty arrives in the room, there was an imperial decree from His Majesty the Emperor. Would you like to hear it now?”
The man’s testimony. Anel took a deep breath.
He had been waiting for this.
“Please tell me.”
It is a law that the position of the Empress, a crucial role in the empire, cannot be left vacant for long. Although the wedding can proceed slowly, the coronation ceremony of the Empress has been decided to be advanced. One week later, the coronation ceremony will take place, so Lady Morata is to prepare sincerely. The authority for the coronation ceremony and the management rights of Devita Palace will be entrusted to the lady.
After finishing the statement without a single disturbance, Sandman raised his head.
“Give the order, Your Majesty.”
He was a ruthless man.
To immediately prepare for the coronation ceremony without a break.
It was not a reasonable decision for someone who had just sent his father into exile.
However, as if expecting it, Anel opened his mouth.
“Please provide a report on the current progress and what I need to prepare for.”
Having taken over the authority of the Devita Palace, her tone now reflected that of a superior. Sandman lowered his head deeper and reported on the progress. However, in reality, there was little preparation, so the report was brief. On the other hand, Anel had too much to prepare.
“Do that in a week…”
Anel shuddered again at Johannes’ audacity. It was simply impossible to accomplish in just a week. He couldn’t pretend not to know that. Yet, the demand was made – probably to tarnish his reputation.
Anel chuckled wryly to himself.
“I apologize, Your Majesty. Due to the urgent nature of the situation, Emperor Your Majesty has made a decisive decision.”
Sensing the meaning behind the laughter, Sandman hastily added. However, a faint unease passed through her eyes. It was because the schedule seemed unreasonable even to her.
“What would Your Majesty like to prepare first?”
Sandman expected Anel to instruct him to prepare the attire for the coronation ceremony. Typically, aristocrats are most concerned with how they appear.
So, naturally, choosing the crown and dress would be the priority.
“I will write the invitations.”
However, Anel had a different idea.
Honestly, she didn’t care at all about how she would look.
“Pardon?”
“Guests will be attending. We need to inform them as quickly as possible to give them time to prepare.”
The coronation ceremony was important to the queen, but it was also significant for the nobility. The reason being –
“I also need to choose new maids to assist me and select candidates who could become the future empress.”
This was the reason. Empress. Anel believed that Johannes was rushing the coronation ceremony because of the potential empress candidates.
Traditionally, empress candidates were chosen during the empress’s coronation ceremony.
The empress selected those who would assist her and eventually choose an empress to help govern the empire.
“Perhaps… You must value authenticity and tradition, Your new Majesty.”
I wish to erase the epithet ‘illegitimate’ from it.
According to tradition, there will be two empresses.
If that’s the case, there should be at least five empress candidates.
However, the selection of empress candidates was not something Anel could decide alone.
Even if Anel had the right to nominate the empress, in reality, it was completely different.
It was a facade.
“The position of the empress is originally determined according to the Emperor’s will.”
Since the empress was such a prestigious position, it couldn’t be decided as the emperor pleased.
But the empress had much more freedom.
Throughout history, emperors often appointed the woman they favored as empress.
Of course, that didn’t mean anyone could be chosen.
“Whom do you desire?”
Johannes’s grasp felt like it was tearing apart her heart, almost as if it were swallowing it whole.
