Chapter 6
“The sky seems indifferent too.”
The servants of the Morata Ducal Estate exchanged discussions about the princess and the crown prince as they gathered one by one.
They were nothing special.
At present, in Stane, there was no one who did not talk about the princess and the crown prince.
“He brought the two together as blood relatives.”
“What’s indifferent about it? Even if the late Empress Dowager hadn’t carried out a massacre under the pretext of hunting illegitimate children, there would have been conflicts.”
One of the young maids spoke loudly.
He was leaning towards supporting Johannes, with emotions bordering on admiration, if not outright.
“That’s true. Moreover, the maternal family of Princess Samu is the Kartar Royal Family, and the maternal family of Prince Johannes is the Magnem Duke’s family. What’s the difference between a foreigner almost killing our crown prince and what happened? If you think about it, Johannes has more legitimacy, doesn’t he?”
“That’s true, but…”
The question of who should become the emperor between Samu and Johannes was a contentious issue even among the servants.
“Yeah, the Empress Dowager made a mistake. Oh, Lord, forgive her. But does the Crown Prince have any reason to suffer for it?”
“Right. Where else can you find someone as good as the Crown Prince?”
The housekeeper nodded. Everyone agreed with that opinion.
Samu was a good person.
Despite being of the highest rank in the empire, he had never once shown anger.
Instead, he rescued the servants from the wrath of the hot-tempered Duke.
Anel was kind and affectionate, but she was a powerless superior.
While she was well-regarded among the servants, there was no one who believed in or relied on Anel.
It might be different if it were the other way around.
“Hey, Jizel.”
“Yes, yes?”
Han Yajang called Giselle, who was staring blankly into the air.
“How have you been, Your Ladyship? You’re the only one allowed to enter the room these days.”
Giselle had been raised as Anel’s chambermaid since she was young. In reality, it was impossible for a maid, especially the youngest daughter of a horseman, to hold such an honor. However, Morata Duc de Guan, who heard that Giselle was born on the same day at the same time as Anel, said it was fate and placed Giselle by Anel’s side. The name Giselle, suitable for a noblewoman, was also given by the Duke.
“No matter how close you are to a lady, you can’t have a lowly name by her side.”
Since then, Giselle became Anel’s closest maid, the one who should never be absent.
“At least, that’s what it seems on the surface.”
“You don’t seem to be in a good mood.”
“I suppose so. Poor thing. Betraying the fiancé you’ve known since childhood.”
Han Yajang shook her head pitifully. It had been over 30 years since she entered the Duke’s family, and he was indeed a harsh man.
“How could someone like the Duke marry a lady under his command? It’s a wonder. Our poor lady…”
“…Well, there’s no need to pity her that much.”
Recently, Giselle remembered a man who intruded into the lady’s room. She had never seen that man before. Many noble men visited the Duke’s residence, from those who claimed authority to even the Crown Prince. Giselle thought there was no man greater than the Crown Prince in terms of position, appearance, and even personality. So, she had been jealous all her life, not of loving Samuel or coveting the position of the Empress, but simply envying the lady’s luck.
However, that man was different.
“Johannes de Négo, Viscount,” she muttered his name.
The man was almost a shocking presence. He seemed to have a bad personality, judging by the complete ruin of the lady’s inside. However, the thought of that man kept coming back to Giselle. There was something about him.
“What did you say?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Hanojang, hearing Jizel’s murmuring, asked hesitantly if she had misheard.
But Jizel only shook the bread crumbs off her apron and stood up from her seat.
“Since the lady is coming to pay respects, I’ll go first.”
Hurriedly leaving her seat, Jizel’s departure prompted other servants to discreetly watch her, as if sensing something unusual. However, they eventually returned to their conversations about the upcoming festivities.
“Anyway, the Emperor seems unable to make a proper decision, entangled in the skirt width of Lady Talips. Lady Talips…”
A chambermaid, no more than a pretty face, couldn’t be the subject of serious discussions, so the talk moved on
The bouquets arriving at the Grand Palace were losing their luster.
Initially, it used to be every three days.
The day when such headlines emerged was memorable.
Johannes, Prince, raises questions about the succession hierarchy.
It was dreadful. Each word was dreadful.
Most dreadful was the arrival of a mourning flower bouquet and a card, as if it was a matter of course.
In reality, it was far from being ordinary.
My dear Anel.
Others say that you and the Grand Duke have cast me aside, but I don’t believe those words. I know I’ve been loyal to the Huang family for generations.
I haven’t forgotten the divine oath between you and the Grand Duke. So please, focus on recovering your health and getting away from all this turmoil.
With all my heart, Samuel.
Anel handed a bouquet of daisies to Giselle, holding the card close to her chest. The scent of the daisies lingered delicately in the air. Anel caressed the daisies as if bidding farewell.
“What should I do with the flowers?” Giselle asked, hiding her annoyance.
“I guess you can’t plant them since their roots have been cut,” Anel replied.
“Then, can’t you take them and use them?”
“Daisies?” Anel nodded with a bewildered look. “It wouldn’t feel right to throw them away. They were a gift from Her Excellency.”
“I won’t even treat this as trash,” Giselle said, her irritation evident.
Upon hearing that, Anel turned her head with sadder eyes. Giselle glanced at Anel briefly and soon discarded the flowers. It was pointless to be so difficult when she was going to throw them away anyway.
The bouquet gradually became less vibrant. The next time was once a week. As expected, the headlines read:
“Emperor Delays Heir Appointment.”
It was dreadful.
With a bouquet of hyacinths and my Anel.
I’ve heard a thousand times today that my illness is getting worse. The Grand Duke won’t even meet me anymore.
Are you okay in there? There’s so much I want to ask, but I’ll keep this letter short. I hope your health improves.
I need you. There has never been a time when I needed you more than now.
With love, Samuel.
A heart-wrenching letter has arrived.
And the next time will be in a few months.
Prince Samuel, stripped of the title of Crown Prince.
With a bouquet of anemone flowers,
Anel.
I heard two pieces of news this morning. One was an order from Her Majesty, and the other was a letter from the Grand Duke.
Now it seems we are no longer engaged.
Because of your illness, it seems we cannot continue the engagement. I pleaded to see you one last time, but the Grand Duke ultimately did not permit it.
This is probably the last letter I can send to you.
Wishing you happiness.
Samuel.
“Anel received a despair-filled letter.’’
She couldn’t blame Samuel for that.
Not being able to be by Samuel’s side was her regret.
So, a few more months passed.
Eventually, Anel had to face a headline she never wanted to see,
Emperor’s Death
Parliament designates Prince Johannes Denege as the new emperor.
“Hurry up and move!”
The housekeeper began lecturing the mischievous servants.
It was understandable. Duke Morata was exiled, the sole heir, the lady, had to marry the man who sent her father into exile, and that man happened to be the emperor.
It was a situation where one couldn’t afford to lose their composure.
“Poor lady. Even thinking about her, we shouldn’t be this slow. We should send her off quickly. How dreadful it must be for her to stay in this house.”
“Isn’t going to the palace equally dreadful for her?”
One young servant finally grumbled.
The housekeeper gave the servant a harsh slap on the head.
“You have to go where you have to go. In that case, you should hurry and take your place. How dreadful would it be for her to stay here?”
“No, but what about us? With no master and lady in this house, it’s just an empty mansion.”
“The lady instructed us to guard the place. All the salaries and such will continue as usual. She asked us to take care of this mansion well. She thought of us. We have nowhere else to go; it’s obvious.”
The housekeeper often wiped away tears with a handkerchief when thinking only of Anel.
It wasn’t just the housekeeper. Even the butler would swallow tears when finding the belongings of the master.
The entire mansion was shrouded in sorrow.
Because the great pillar named Duke Morata had been ruthlessly broken.
Moreover, at the hands of the person who would become their son-in-law.
“By the way, why did the new Emperor swiftly remove our Duke?”
“Do not utter such dreadful words! Scum, how can you make such dreadful remarks! Oh Lord, forgive that foolish fellow.”
Hayanjang expressed disgust, but the butler remained indifferent.
He began to explain to the young servant.
“His Highness the Grand Duke thought he was being threatened.”
“Threatened?”
“Yes. As if it wasn’t enough that he pushed aside Prince Samuel and became the Emperor, there are sensitive matters to deal with. There are still those in the empire who support Prince Samuel. Originally, the Grand Duke himself was the biggest noble supporting Prince Samuel.”
“But he turned against Empress Johannes in the end, didn’t he?”
“That’s why it’s hard to trust him anymore.”
The chef, who had been silently listening, added his opinion. He chewed on a toothpick and said,
“A man who betrays once can’t betray twice, you know.”
“Don’t call him ‘the Grand Duke,’ Kun.”
“Yes, yes. Anyway, politically disgracing the Grand Duke is shocking enough, but there’s something even more surprising.”
Kun, the chef, pointed upwards with his finger.
“He didn’t break off the engagement with the Lady! Can you believe any man sending his father-in-law into exile and still keeping the engagement going?”
“That’s because our young lady is an exceptional beauty and a lady of grace. It’s only natural.”
“Ah, well, Master Nari, even though the Lady is indeed beautiful and elegant, other young ladies are not scarce in this world.”
“No matter what lady, none can compare to our young lady!”
Despite the butler’s firm words, the chef remained nonchalant.
Well, humans are humans.
It’s just that she is a Lady with a title; would she have been so noticeable if she were a passing, like that passing servant girl Jezel?
