The coronation ceremony was held. It had been 100 days since the election of the princely elector and over two months since the execution of the notorious villainess Marina.
The ceremony was organized to restore the chaotic state and to give the Empress enough time to find stability.
As the occasion was to welcome a new emperor, the coronation had to be more grand than any state event.
However, the new emperor, Karl Johann Albrecht, instructed that the ceremony be conducted with minimal budget. The country was still in turmoil, and the national treasury had been severely depleted by several villains.
By reducing ostentation, the saved resources were to be quickly directed towards stabilizing the chaotic government and improving the devastated lives of the common people. The public praised his first move.
It was a joy to see a true ruler of the empire emerge, one who prioritized the country and its people over personal authority.
The news that the Empress was pregnant also delighted the public.
The mistakes of the previous emperor, who was criticized for leading the country into ruin due to his infatuation with women, were finally being corrected.
Having diminished the authority of the royal family due to the schemes of villains, he would not be recorded as a complete villain, thanks to the new emperor being his grandson.
As the coronation approached, the investigation into the royal underground prison explosion, which once shook the world, was also somewhat concluded.
The process of clearing the collapsed stone walls had continued for over two months, and in the meantime, people’s attention gradually shifted from the villains who had troubled the nation to other matters.
Franz, the once Duke of Toskur, was also gradually being forgotten, despite receiving severe criticism from both commoners and nobles after his misdeeds were revealed.
The fading of public memory does not mean forgiveness.
However, the public’s anger toward him was slowly losing its form. As people’s interest waned, the fleeing criminals might start to find breathing room.
If those who kept an eye on their surroundings disappeared, the fugitives could seek new escape routes. This was a particular concern for Karl and the royal investigation team.
It took a full two months to clear away the collapsed stone walls. Even after finally finding the entrance and entering the underground prison, the problems continued.
The bodies buried in the cracks of the fallen stones were hard to recognize in their entirety.
It was difficult to distinguish who had escaped during the explosion and who had remained behind to meet their death.
However, the royal investigation team didn’t give up and began to examine each of the damaged corpses.
Only serious offenders, those who committed murder or equivalent crimes, were imprisoned in the royal underground prison. Before their imprisonment, their blood was drawn, and all this information was stored by the investigation team.
The investigators extracted blood from the corpses or from the remnants left in the crushed stones and compared it with the stored records.
They confirmed identity by collecting blood and mixing it with blood droplets stored in a magical potion.
It was a time-consuming and cumbersome task, but they focused quietly on their work.
After many delays, the royal investigation team reached an official conclusion: “Franz escaped alive.” It took them four months just to firmly establish this single conclusion.
After confirming Franz’s escape, the royal investigation knights began to trace back the routes taken by the escaped criminals.
They had no idea how long it would take or whether they would find Franz and his companions in the end, but as always, they put forth their best effort.
Meanwhile, time continued to pass relentlessly.
A new emperor ascended the throne, and all the villains with shallow or deep ties to Franz were gradually purged.
The organization Franz had secretly managed also met the same fate. All its members were imprisoned, and the organization’s goods were confiscated.
The illegal processing of magical stones, the true purpose behind the organization, was completely seized for the national treasury. It was indeed an enormous amount.
“Your Majesty!”
Not much good came from becoming the emperor. It felt like an even heavier burden had been added to an already hectic life.
As Karl, buried under piles of paperwork, dealt with his duties, he frowned at Clovis, who burst through the door as if a war had broken out.
“Where’s your manners? Have you sold the magical stones?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Breathless and panting, Clovis hurriedly dashed into Karl’s office and knelt down in front of the desk.
No matter how close he was to the Emperor, barging in without permission was unacceptable.
Any other emperor would have issued a harsh reprimand, but Karl, who knew Clovis better than anyone, realized there must be a valid reason for his urgency.
“Did you find the escaped criminal? Why are you in such a hurry?”
“It’s… Your Majesty…!”
Struggling to catch his breath, Clovis lowered his head and his shoulders heaved anxiously.
“The Empress…”
Before he could catch his breath, his words alone conveyed the grim news. Something had happened to Celeste. Realizing the implication, Karl abruptly stood up.
“Lead the way, Clovis.”
“Yes, yes, Your Majesty.”
Clovis, flustered as he got to his feet, tugged at his cloak’s strap to loosen it.
It had been over six months since the coronation. This meant that Celeste was nearing her delivery time. If something serious happened to a pregnant woman, what could it possibly be?
“Is the baby coming?”
“Not yet. But the physician indicated that it seems likely she will give birth soon. I wanted to bring you here as quickly as possible…”
“Move, Clovis. Quickly!”
The Empress’s waters had broken. With Celeste in labor, the royal physician was stationed in the Empress’s palace and immediately informed the Emperor as soon as signs of labor appeared.
Thanks to this, Karl could set off immediately to Celeste.
Without waiting for Clovis, Karl dashed ahead. As he looked back at Karl’s retreating figure, Clovis glanced at the desk where Karl had been sitting moments before.
Piles of documents were stacked high, the height of a small child, but those concerns paled in comparison to the urgent matter of the Empress’s delivery.
“If I postpone it now, I’ll have to deal with it all at once later, but what does it matter? For now, I must focus on the more urgent and important matters first.” Clovis hurriedly followed Karl.
***
Someone once said that the pain of giving birth feels like ‘in a moment when heaven sings, it feels like I’m dying,’ you know?
I can’t remember who said it, even though I try to recall. In truth, the speaker’s identity wasn’t important. What mattered was that the words were true.
It was one of those mornings when I got up early, had a quick meal, and calmly enjoyed some tea time.
My belly, swollen as if hiding a watermelon under my skirt, made it impossible to lie flat or sit for more than ten minutes. Just sitting or lying there, breathing, was exhausting.
As the baby grew inside me, my organs were pressed, making digestion difficult, even after eating.
But skipping meals felt like it would sap my strength to the point of collapse, and I found myself visiting the bathroom more frequently, I was told it was because the baby was pressing on my bladder.
That day, I felt as if my belly had dropped slightly lower.
With each step I took, Leev followed anxiously, muttering, ‘Our princess will come out soon, at any moment.’ I thought surely not, and I smiled in response.
But then,
“Oh, oh my. Your Majesty, down below…!”
I felt something burst, and soon I was wet down below. Leev’s shock, or perhaps wailing, brought me to a halt, and shortly after, the royal physician rushed in.
“The amniotic fluid has broken. We will begin preparations for delivery immediately.”
The words came to fruition. Tremendous labor pains soon struck me. I wanted to scold Leev for her loose talk, but I couldn’t think straight. In truth, it wasn’t Leev’s words that had suddenly brought on the labor.
The royal house had made adequate preparations as my due date approached, so the birthing process went smoothly and quickly.
Hannah informed the knights protecting the empress about the situation, and they immediately relayed the news to Clovis.
Clovis rushed to Karl without pause. That’s why he gasped for breath before the emperor.
In any case, I was transported in a daze and laid down on the bed.
There were long cloths hanging from the ceiling like in a historical drama, which almost made me laugh, but then I was struck by severe pain, unable to speak or even catch my breath.
Soon after, Karl arrived. He had obviously run quickly, as beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.
