YED Chapter 142

Count Horhen, the Chief Chamberlain, thought that among the Emperor’s recent actions, establishing the Regency Council and appointing imperial family as members was the best decision.

The Emperor’s health was deteriorating day by day. Or rather, it was impossible to distinguish whether it was his health or, though disrespectful to say, his mental state that was worsening.

“Your Majesty, please look at me.”

Count Horhen knelt before the Emperor, feeling dejected.

“It’s me, Peta of Horhen. Gerald’s son. Haven’t I always been faithful to Your Majesty?”

Today again, the Emperor was having a fit, searching the entire Soleil Palace claiming the Empress had disappeared.

“I promise you. The Empress is sleeping in her bedchamber.”

The Emperor, wandering around Soleil Palace in his robe, turned to look at Count Horhen with unfocused eyes.

“Your Majesty, please return to your bedchamber. The Empress is there.”

“I suppose so.”

Count Horhen quickly raised his head. The Emperor looked around the grand hall and ornate corridors of Soleil Palace with an aged and tired face.

“She probably is. Evelyn must be at peace.”

“Your Majesty…?”

Could he have regained his senses? Count Horhen thought, then caught himself. Even that assumption meant he had already concluded the Emperor was mad.

“But is Evelyn really in the bedchamber?”

The Emperor tilted his head. His rolling eyes were so eerie that Count Horhen lowered his gaze.

“I put her body there. But Evelyn’s soul?”

Good heavens. This situation warranted reporting to Duke Ostein, the eldest member of the regency. The doctors who had desperately tried to cure the Empress now needed to focus on the Emperor’s health.

“Count Horhen, you think I’ve gone mad, don’t you?”

The Emperor, who had been calling titles randomly, suddenly addressed the Chief Chamberlain with precise formality while fixing him with a sharp gaze.

“Pardon?”

“It’s natural. I think I’ve gone mad too.”

“Your Majesty, how could you say such things…!”

Count Horhen squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head.

“I know where Evelyn is. I know, and yet… At the same time, I can’t shake this feeling that she doesn’t exist at all, that only an illusion lies there.”

The Emperor muttered while gesturing to his head like someone possessed.

“Come to think of it, it’s always been like this. Always. Every time I felt this way, I would go to Evelyn, and she would be there.”

Though he couldn’t understand what it all meant, Count Horhen listened carefully to record every word the Emperor said to relay to Duke Ostein.

“She was in the Empress’s quarters. Alive and awake. No, was she not there even then? She wasn’t! Her heart wasn’t there, that insolent…! Isn’t it outrageous? Despite my risking everything to place her in the highest position in this country, far above her station, not only was she not grateful, but her heart was always elsewhere!”

Somehow, the Emperor’s mumblings were starting to make sense.

“That’s why I can’t tell if Evelyn is really there or not. Her body is there. I know. I know.”

The Emperor nodded like a rattling wooden puppet.

“But sometimes even her body disappears. Then…, then I have no choice but to wander helplessly searching for the Empress. Me! The ruler of Crania! Unable to defeat even one evil dragon!”

He was furious about this.

“I, I have spent decades only having Evelyn stolen from me by that dragon, that beast. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s not true, Your Majesty. The Empress is your wife, no one else’s. That’s how history will remember her, so how could you say such things? You have never lost her.”

Even as he responded, Count Horhen had doubts. Look at this situation. Had there ever really been a time when she wasn’t lost?

The Empress proved she wasn’t barren by giving birth to the Grand Duke of Lusenford.

But the Emperor never saw a child from her. Even though producing an heir was her most important duty, didn’t the Empress fulfill this duty for someone other than the Emperor?

No, that went too far. Count Horhen quickly erased such disrespectful thoughts.

“Count, humans age but that beast doesn’t.”

And the Empress didn’t age either. Count Horhen felt a chill. The Emperor loved the Empress for her beauty and youth, with skin smooth and fair without a single wrinkle. But was there another secret to that youth?

“Is it too late? No, I raised Hyperion knowing this would happen to me. You have to raise a child to be able to use them.”

The Emperor muttered while rolling his wild eyes.

“Tell him to find his mother. Even an evil dragon can’t touch him. Call Hyperion. Yes. Call Hyperion, Count.”

“You mean the Grand Duke of Lusenford?”

The Grand Duke had been summoned frequently lately. Though most times the Emperor just complained to him and rambled alone, Count Horhen felt uneasy and asked for clarification.

“Yes! Who else can fight the evil dragon? No matter how large an army the others bring, it won’t work.”

“You want him to fight the evil dragon?”

“We must retrieve the Empress.”

Count Horhen squeezed his eyes shut, then rose to carry out the order. He would need to summon the Grand Duke of Lusenford and secretly contact Duke Ostein as well.

“Go to Avenro and meet with the Light Dragon too. We must use every means available to catch a dragon.”

The Emperor gritted his teeth. He would never back down. He couldn’t forgive the beast that dared to try to take the Empress.

He was aging and would eventually die. Who would stop the Empress from going to the evil dragon Gusalante after his death?

Gregory was incompetent and Hyperion was his last card. But the Emperor knew that Hyperion obeyed him only because he held onto the Empress; if the Empress slipped from his grasp, who knew what would happen to Hyperion.

‘I can’t trust someone with that filthy blood when it comes to the Empress.’

He couldn’t bear it. He couldn’t bear even thinking about the Empress falling into the evil dragon’s hands again. The Emperor wanted to choke the evil dragon and stamp on that powerful creature with his foot. That’s how completely he wanted to possess the Empress.

He wanted to have power that didn’t age, stronger power that could wield all magical tools, and steal the Empress too.

Just like the evil dragon Gusalante.

****

Those consumed by revenge or inferiority moved busily. Peon, summoned again to the palace, spotted silvery hair fluttering in the distance while heading to Soleil Palace.

Savage malice stinks. It’s easy to spot from afar. While tiny sparks of warmth are hard to find mixed with the summer sunlight even searching with lit eyes, such malice is quite conspicuous.

Well, such people were certainly diligent. They had to move more actively now that time was running out. It was regrettable though that the more such people flourished, the more innocent and good people shrunk their shoulders and hid in corners.

Peon thought of his wife who had seemed very troubled by yesterday’s events. He had made sure she ate well today too since meals were most important, but she barely touched her food which worried him.

Beatrice Ravalley, who was now busily searching for her lifeline, had once again upset his wife.

Kaela probably saw that woman as his equal. She must be inevitably angry at him too.

That’s why she ate so little. It was the best choice for upsetting Peon, who was always desperate about maintaining her meal portions, but the worst choice for Kaela’s health.

“…It would be better if she got angry.”

Well, even that would be good. Peon muttered as he headed to Soleil Palace.

While the mad Emperor gave him mad orders, Beatrice Ravalley, believing she wasn’t noticed by others, secretly headed to the Marchioness of Schroz’s quarters.

“This way.”

The maid guiding her did not look particularly warm or respectful.

‘Why is she looking at me like that?’

Beatrice grumbled internally as she quickly entered. The whites of people’s eyes showed more and more when looking at her.

Once again, they looked at her the same way as when she was a teenager, fleeing to the cold Lusenford to escape creditors.

‘Just wait. Once this is over, I’ll tell the Marchioness of Schroz to properly train her maids.’

The maid carefully led Beatrice to a secluded inner room, taking care not to be noticed by others.

Even in this hot summer, multiple thin curtains were draped, and the Marchioness of Schroz, who absolutely obeyed the Crown Prince’s words, was waiting inside.

“Yes, I received the medicine, but.”

Without any greeting, the Marchioness went straight to the point, showing strong signs of wariness towards Beatrice. The Crown Prince, currently cornered and searching for a breakthrough, had connected with Beatrice.

Though she didn’t know what remained with the constantly falling Duke Monde’s daughter, she met with her because her son said to, but it all seemed very suspicious.

“What more do you need that you’d risk meeting like this? Don’t you know we can’t be seen?”

Before the Marchioness could offer a seat, Beatrice pulled out a chair and sat across from her.

“Marchioness, wake up.”

Looking straight at the Marchioness with her pink eyes, she spoke impudently.

“What?”

Though the Marchioness bristled immediately, Beatrice continued unconcerned.

“The Grand Duke of Lusenford has entered Soleil Palace again. ‘Again.’ With rumors circulating about His Majesty’s poor health, why do you think he keeps summoning the Grand Duke of Lusenford while excluding the Crown Prince?”

The Emperor had barely shown himself at the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony events except when absolutely necessary. He didn’t even attend the reception, causing rumors to spread. There were theories that the Emperor was in poor health.

Already relations with Keruzhan had soured due to the Crown Prince mentioning the Bayetta naval base, and now with the Emperor showing such a passive attitude, Keruzhan was extremely displeased.

Because of this, the Crown Prince was watching both the Emperor and his in-laws carefully. The Marchioness of Schroz was at a loss for what to do in this situation.

She wanted to support her son. Her close associates said that if something was truly wrong with the Emperor’s health, the regents would step in. So she had no choice but to act in this matter too.

“The situation is turning unfavorable for His Highness the Crown Prince. What if something happens to His Majesty the Emperor?”

Beatrice struck the table with a sharp tap. The Marchioness flinched.

“Then it’s over.”

“But, but then my son would ascend to the…”

“Keep your mouth shut.”

Beatrice immediately bared her teeth and her eyes flashed.

“You must be careful with such words anywhere. What we should worry about now is the case where His Majesty can’t attend to state affairs but remains alive.”

The Marchioness couldn’t understand the difference between what she had said and what Beatrice was saying. Weren’t they both talking about what would happen if something happened to the Emperor?

‘Why is it okay when she says it but not when I do?’

But she was too intimidated by Beatrice’s fierce demeanor to voice her thoughts.

The noblewomen the Marchioness usually dealt with were all polite and gentle, whispering behind their fans, but Beatrice acted as if she might kill someone.

“So we need to completely shake up and overturn this unfavorable situation. Create a new phase.”

Beatrice very kindly explained what this new phase would be.

“Make everyone completely ignore His Highness’s ‘small mistake’ and naturally look to His Majesty’s legitimate heir, as you mentioned earlier.”

How is that possible? The Marchioness tilted her head.

“How can they ignore it and look to my son?”

“Think carefully. Who is blocking His Highness’s path right now? Or should I say, who is blocking your path?”

The Marchioness automatically thought of one man.

“That man…”

“He has one weakness. You know how it is with men, their weakness is…”

“Ah!”

“That’s right.”

Is that dim head finally lighting up? Beatrice sneered internally.

Though Kaela had called her stupid, she felt a bit proud confirming she was smarter than the Marchioness of Schroz. She pulled out a red rose from the vase on the table.

“A man’s weakness is women.”

The Marchioness was also very proud of saying the right answer. She eagerly added:

“He can only talk about being a regent and such because he’s married after all.”

She seemed to understand. If that marriage becomes invalid, that’s all it takes. Beatrice listlessly plucked off rose petals one by one.

“Yes. So we need to target not one woman, but two.”

“Two?”

The Marchioness tilted her head. Where was another woman?

“That man has two women.”

“As far as I know, one of those women is sitting in front of me?”

“Not me. I don’t want to die.”

“Then?”

Do I really have to spell it out? Beatrice felt a bit pathetic.

“The woman sitting in the position you should be in.”

And saying this made her feel self-loathing.

“Ah!”

The Marchioness’s expression brightened for once. Then changed back to anxiety.

“But how…?”

“Test how it works with the Grand Duchess this time.”

The rose petal was completely ripped off with a snap.

“And if you’re satisfied, when it’s time to remove the person sitting in the position you should be in.”

Beatrice brought out the weapon she had collected for a very long time. Harmful things she had used whenever she needed human blood for spells. Among them, she had bottled the most potent and silent deaths.

“Then you can use it once more. Then the new phase will…”

The Marchioness’s eyes gazed blankly at the torn and crushed rose petals and the medicine bottle.

“All attention will turn to you, no.”

A very seductive suggestion was heard.

“To the new Empress, right? With your son as Crown Prince, you should rightfully become Empress, shouldn’t you?”

The Marchioness swallowed hard.

“How is this different from the previous medicine?”

“You need to use them together. The medicine I gave you first is for removing without a trace.”

Of course, Beatrice had described the same medicine differently to the Emperor.

She told him it was medicine that could recall the Empress’s consciousness. For His Majesty’s sake, she said it was medicine to restore vitality. But the medicine needed to be verified.

“This medicine…”

Beatrice picked up the brown medicine bottle she had placed down and tapped it once more.

“Is for making absolutely sure.”