“Damned woman, wretched woman.”
The anger, too overwhelming to control internally, finally squeezed through her lips. Throughout her life, she had been taught that maintaining a noble and pure character was the highest principle of royalty.
Though she was someone who rarely uttered profane words, after losing her father, brothers, and now her nephew, she no longer had the luxury to uphold such decorum. The only thing left in her heart was malice.
The empty imperial throne would temporarily be occupied by the deceased emperor’s mother, her sister-in-law, Monica. During Monica’s regency, the empire would be busy searching for a new emperor.
Karl, another brother’s son, was the leading candidate for the next emperor. In fact, he wasn’t just the leading candidate; he was the only one. No one else even came close to having the qualifications to approach the throne.
Pulcheria bit her lip quietly.
“If anyone dares to covet the throne beyond their station…”
At that moment, she resolved to kill Franz herself. He was already living a life far beyond his means just by setting foot in the palace. It was absurd that someone as unworthy as he received the treatment of a prince thanks to his low-born mother’s pillow talk.
But that would be the extent of his fortune. It had to be.
While it was certain that Karl would ascend to the throne, recent news suggested that some of the major nobles had been acting suspiciously.
Like his mother Marina, who excelled in cunning schemes and persuading people by appealing to their greed, her son too was nothing more than a black-hearted snake.
“Madam, I’ve prepared some warm water. A light footbath might help you sleep better.”
“You went through the trouble of bringing it all the way here.”
Thanks to Laila, who brought in the footbath with some effort, Pulcheria snapped out of her thoughts. When she was engrossed in such furious contemplation, her whole body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton, making it impossible to move.
Laila was always the one who lifted her out of such darkness.
“Your feet get cold, and you can’t sleep,” Laila said.
Laila’s face, smiling as she spoke, was as clear as sunshine. She was the purest and most innocent woman known to Pulcheria among all she knew. If she had come from a slightly better background, she might have been considered as a match for Karl at least once.
Pulcheria let out a short sigh of regret. Then, pretending to be defeated, she placed her foot in Laila’s hand.
“Well, that’s nice.”
“My feet have gotten too cold.”
“If you weren’t here, how would I be doing right now? Thank you, Laila.”
“No, madam. I am always grateful to you, madam. You have picked up someone like me who had nowhere else to go…”
“Don’t say such things. If you are my husband’s niece, you are also a niece to me.”
Putting aside the dispute, she knelt on the floor, rolled up her sleeves, and unabashedly took Pulcheria’s bare foot in her hand. Carefully, she gently massaged Pulcheria’s foot into the warm water until it tickled slightly.
“Um, madam.”
Dipping her feet in the warm water and receiving a massage made her whole body feel like melting. Pulcheria handed her foot to Laila and leaned back in her chair.
“Yes?”
“I heard a story from Emperor’s Chamberlain today, and I was curious if you are aware of it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“About His Grace, the Duke…”
Not the kind of child to hesitate while speaking. Why is she dragging out her words as if she’s about to say something difficult?
“About Karl?”
“Yes, madam. Today at the Chamberlain, I saw His Grace, Albrecht…”
As Pulcheria, with her head drooped and eyes closed, was about to reply, she blinked sharply at Laila’s following words.
“I heard he is getting married. Do you also know about it, madam?”
“What? Married? Who is getting married?”
Startled, Laila almost tipped over her stool from moving too suddenly. Pulling her legs hurriedly from Laila’s hands, Pulcheria grasped the armrest of the chair and stood up.
“It’s Albrecht, your highness.”
“Karl is getting married? Did he really say that to you?”
“He didn’t tell me directly, milady. I was discussing various matters with Baroness Vannessa Tecla today when His Highness appeared.”
“Again? Honestly, why does that child act so foolishly whenever he sees you? I had asked the Tecla commander to educate his nephew well, but it seems he still did it again, didn’t he?”
“He doesn’t act foolishly.”
“Oh, please. It’s obvious even without looking; what could that child have said to you to upset you?”
“Really, milady. Today, things didn’t escalate as usual, and there was someone who kindly supported me.”
“If it’s someone who was kind, could it possibly be about Karl?”
Relief and worry simultaneously crossed her mind as Pulcheria’s heart fluttered at the thought of someone grateful for helping her escape the jealous noblewomen. If such a beautiful man and woman were entangled in such a way, it seemed inevitable that they would be destined for a happy ending.
“No, it was Viscount Louisette.”
“Louisette?”
An entirely unexpected name.
“If it’s Viscount Louisette….”
Pulcheria’s eyebrows furrowed. If it was Louisette, wasn’t she from one of the wealthiest families in the empire aside from the royal family? Lately, she had been a prominent figure in society along with Karl.
“Yes. I’ve seen her pass by from afar a few times before, but today was the first time we met up close. Perhaps she is not only beautiful but also kind-hearted. She didn’t have to stop and rescue me from the noblewomen.”
“That child said that?”
Pulcheria, thinking about a middle-aged man with purple hair, quietly recalled that the duke had passed away in an accident two years ago, and his illegitimate daughter had inherited his title.
At that time, Pulcheria was busy preparing for Maximilian’s coronation, so she didn’t have the leisure to reflect on such surrounding circumstances.
From the time Karl came of age, Pulcheria diligently examined every girl from renowned noble families.
Louisette, the duke’s illegitimate daughter, also crossed her radar naturally. She had all the qualifications to become a duchess based on objective criteria, but for some reason, her aloof demeanor didn’t quite appeal to Pulcheria.
Her dazzling beauty captivated many men, but… how should I put it, a lack of kindness seemed to emanate from her demeanor? Moreover, as rumors involving Franz circulated, Pulcheria avoided that topic altogether.
“She helped you? That’s quite surprising. So, what’s this about Karl talking about marriage? Explain properly.”
“Lady Louisette stood up for me, but… Miss Tecla insulted the duke. It almost caused a big dispute, but His Highness intervened.”
“Insulted him? How so?”
“Well, um, it’s…”
Hesitating to answer immediately, Laila restrained herself. Considering Laila’s aversion to speaking ill of others, whatever Tecla said must have been more than just disrespectful.
“She insulted her by saying she’s a debased person who bore a child out of wedlock without even being married.”
Though not her own words, Laila barely managed to relay the message with a shameful expression. Perhaps Laila couldn’t comprehend how one could casually toss such slander without understanding how hurtful it could be to others.
“A child… What nonsense is this?”
Celeste Aisha Louisette. She knew there were unsettling rumors circulating between her and Karl, but she had never heard anything about a child being involved. Holding onto her fading senses, Pulcheria asked, “Countess Louisette, isn’t it said that the count is unmarried and yet has a child with her?”
“I also thought that rumor was just that, a rumor. But judging by the count’s reaction, it seemed real. However, the more important thing is…”
It wasn’t enough that she’d been rumored to be having an affair with Franz, now she was a single mother, and it sent a chill down her spine. All her redeeming qualities had been canceled out at once.
Pulcheria staggered in her steps, ready to find Karl immediately and tell him that woman was not suitable.
“His Grace appeared and demanded an apology for the mention of a child whose identity is unknown.”
“What nonsense is this… Does that scoundrel know everything, including the fact that the count has a child?”
“Yes. He knows, doesn’t he? The child, it seems, is His Grace’s child.”
Even though they were alone here, Laila instinctively lowered her voice to a whisper out of fear that someone might overhear.
“The count’s child is His Grace’s child, and they are waiting for the right time to hold a ceremony as the child is of noble blood.”
“A ceremony…?”
“Yes, a wedding!”
