Chapter 133 – The Greatest Thing Is Love (2)
After an hour or so, Rashta fell asleep next to Sovieshu. He had a maid bring in a cushion, and he placed it against her head before quietly leaving the room. Normally he would have carried her to bed, but he didn’t want to do it today. He pitied Rashta for being separated from her baby, but he was reluctant, knowing that she lied to him.
He opened the door to the corridor, but instead of going back to his bedroom, he looked around.
“?”
Was it an illusion? A familiar fragrance seed to linger in the air. It was the scent of the rose bath which the Empress enjoyed. After a mont of thought, Sovieshu called for Viscountess Verdi and the maids.
“Did the Empress co visit?”
“We haven’t seen her, Your Majesty.”
Sovieshu shook his head, and he left thinking that the Empress hadn’t been there. As he made his way down the dark corridor, he recalled what Marquis Karl had said to him earlier in the day.
“Why don’t you tell the Empress your plan in advance? Even if you plan to eventually reinstate her to her position, she will be surprised and hurt by your actions.”
“If I could, I would.”
Sovieshu clicked his tongue. He well understood Navier’s strong pride, as well as the lack of affection for Rashta’s baby. Navier would not be able to accept Sovieshu leaving her to protect a baby she didn’t like.
***
My vision swam before , and there was a strange ringing in my ears. I concentrated on moving my feet. Left, right, left, right in order, though my legs could barely support . I had to stop several tis and lean against a wall before I finally made it to my room. I sat by a window and recalled what I had heard.
Sovieshu...Sovieshu had promised to make Rashta empress.
After he divorced , he would make Rashta empress...
His friendly voice.
Rashta’s excited voice.
Voice voice voice!
My chest ached to the point that breathing was painful. I leaned back, my hand resting on my heart.
I had never considered it an option that Sovieshu would try to divorce . It was true that we weren’t married for love, and we had fought because of Rashta in recent tis, but didn’t we have anything that could be called friendship?
What happened to those tis when we used to put our heads together and planned to make the country strong? We were a couple, so where in the world did that man go? Was my brother’s dislike of Rashta and her baby so intimidating to Sovieshu? What would happen to if we were divorced?
The words of Grand Duke Kapn ca to my mind. If I divorced Sovieshu, I would no longer be empress. I thought his words ridiculous at the ti. Now Sovieshu really did want to divorce ...
I clenched my hands and tucked my forehead onto my arm. After a while like this, I managed to stand up and head for the study. I took out a book on the brief history of the Eastern Empire, and brought it to my room to scour it.
A commoner concubine...empress...
“...”
After studying the book back to front, I put it down in dismay. There was no case where an emperor took a commoner concubine as his first marriage. However, there had been occasions when a commoner beca empress after the original died or was ousted. It was rare, but there was precedent.
‘What will beco of now?’
I closed the book, put it on the table, and took a deep breath. I didn’t know how long I remained in that state, and when I opened my eyes again, the red dawn was glowing palely through the curtains. My eyes stared at the view, but everything felt hopeless.
No matter how hard I lived, however hard I tried, love was the only great thing in the end. The romantic words of minstrels rang true, and the central driving force of the world was love. Because of Sovieshu’s and Rashta’s passion for each other, everything I had was taken away. Our important families, the ti we spent together, the long work and education, and even the vows we exchanged, was consud by another greater love.
“Oh my god, Your Majesty!”
Countess Eliza, who ca in with another maid to prepare for my bath, cried out in dismay when she saw my pallid complexion. She ordered the maid to fill up the bathtub, and then hurriedly approached .
“Did sothing happen, Your Majesty?”
I stared at her with heavy eyelids. She looked like a silhouette of white after I had gazed at the sun for a long ti.
“Oh my word.”
I knew I was in a bad state. Countess Eliza looked around, and beca further confused when she found the history book on my desk. It was strange for soone to beco depressed after reading up on history.
“By any chance...does it have to do with Lord Koshar?”
Countess Eliza looked at with concern, and I replied in a blank voice.
“Yes.”
I stood up from my seat, taking note of Countess Eliza’s bewildered expression. I realized that was not the ti for to be like this, and I couldn’t allow myself to be sorrowful if I was soon to be ousted. Even if Sovieshu was considering divorcing , it wouldn’t be today.
And if he did go through with the divorce, I had no choice in the matter anyway. There was no empress who could go against the emperor’s wishes, no matter if she ca from the greatest family, or if she was a terrifying empress, or even if she gave birth to a great successor. The best I could do was stall the trial. Most importantly, I had to co up with a way to survive afterwards.
“Today...please give a pink dress.”
I took a quick bath and asked Countess Eliza to make look as bright as possible. She masked my sunken eyes with makeup and clothed with a beautiful pink dress to throw off the gloomy atmosphere. Sovieshu didn’t know that I heard his conversation, but he was probably thinking of . He probably whispered his promises to Rashta all night. I didn’t want to show him that I was defeated.
anwhile, Countess Eliza helped select my jewelry, then she inford that she would send my letter to Evely by eleven o’clock this morning. After I listened to her, I decided instead it would be better to see Evely in person. Moreover, my heart had been sowhere else when I wrote that letter, so my true feelings weren’t expressed. I thought it would be better to comfort the child myself.
“Don’t post the letter. I’ll go see her myself.”
Afterwards, I went to the audience chamber as calmly as possible. As soon as I approached it, however, my heart started to pound again. The shocking news I heard yesterday rushed into my head once more—of Sovieshu promising his love to Rashta, of how he would throw away.
Sovieshu was set on divorcing . I wondered how he would see and treat .
“The bright colors look good on you.”
Unexpectedly, he was no different from usual. Because of that, I was able to find my usual composure. Being in the sa room as him still unsettled , but at least I could outwardly project calm in front of him.
I smiled and thanked him for the complint, then I ignored the hand he held out for and walked up to my seat.
“Didn’t you see my hand?”
“I pretended not to see it. Please ignore .”
“...Is this because of your brother?”
“I want to get so air.”
“Shall we go for a walk?”
“I’m going to Wirwol to see Evely.”
“Wirwol? When? It will be a tight schedule planning for it now.”
“Don’t worry. I plan to go alone.”
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