Chapter 38 – A Man Of Secrets (1)
As usual, it was futile trying to avoid getting entangled with Rashta. Each ti, it was either her or Sovieshu that netted in, but this ti it was Sovieshu.
So of the foreign guests would return to their countries, while a few would stay longer at the southern palace. I returned to the western palace, leaving behind those who wanted to stay up for the drinking and revelry. I wanted to take a warm bath to relieve my fatigue of the day. The ladies-in-waiting also seed exhausted, so instead of having them follow , I sent them away to take their rest.
However, before I could even finish drawing the bathwater, Sovieshu’s captain of the guard ca to see . I had a sinking feeling the mont I saw him. For nearly a month, all the tis Sovieshu summoned out of the blue had been unpleasant encounters.
What on earth did he want this ti? My mood felt heavy as I walked through the long corridors, but I managed to control my expression. I hoped I could maintain it in front of my husband...
Finally, I entered Sovieshu’s bedroom in the eastern palace. Sovieshu was seated on a chair by the bed, and I also noted Rashta on the bed with a towel on her forehead. I turned back to Sovieshu again, who had his eyes fixed on .
“...I’ll take my leave.”
The captain closed the door, and the atmosphere beca even more oppressive. Sovieshu slowly opened his mouth to speak.
“Do you have anything to say to ?”
His voice was curt.
“Why did you call here?”
I spoke to him just as bluntly.
“Is that the only thing you want to say?”
“That’s what I’m most curious about now.”
“You do not even blink at this situation.”
The first thought that ca to mind was, ‘I must be doing a good job of controlling my facial expression,’ and the corners of my mouth tipped upwards. Sovieshu seed even more offended by my smile.
“Are you happy that everyone thinks Rashta’s a runaway slave?”
“Are you going to take your anger out on ?”
“Empress.”
“I heard about Miss Rashta at the grand hall. I know you’re upset, but don’t take it out on .”
“Did you think I called you to vent?”
“You did not?”
“No.”
“Then why did you call ?”
He did not call to be angry at , but weren’t his remarks derisive only a while ago? He probably thought I was happy that Rashta was discovered to be a runaway slave.
Sovieshu silently watched Rashta’s sleeping form. The ticking of the clock echoed in the room. Only after so ti passed did Sovieshu speak.
“Did you really want to prove that Rashta is a fugitive slave?”
“That story again?”
“The Empress was born a great aristocrat. She had a good family, enormous wealth, great power, a beautiful mansion, and a natural wit and beauty. But in spite of that, she still wants to be on top of everyone.”
It wasn’t a complint in this situation. I looked at Sovieshu with narrowed eyes, and he sighed.
“Rashta had nothing. She beca a slave and had no mory or her parents or family. No property, no power, no ho. She is like the Empress who is smart and beautiful, but she doesn’t have opportunities opened to her.”
“...”
“And then she t , and she had been trying to get these for her own. The chance to be loved, to eat a warm al, to relax on a comfortable bed, to learn sothing.”
She also took my husband, but I didn’t say this because my pride was injured. I wanted to ask if he wanted to sympathize with Rasta, but I couldn’t say it either. I just stared at him without a word. I couldn’t understand why he was talking so much—was he asking to take care of Rashta because she was in trouble?
“I don’t need you to understand Rashta. But you have the smallest compassion...can you give it?”
“Compassion?”
“The compassion the Empress shows here and there—for example, towards the orphanages, elderly hos, dical centers, temples, scholarship centers. Why can you not spare that compassion to Rashta!”
Sovieshu exploded at , but then he stopped himself and collapsed back into his chair. Rashta reached out with a groan, and he quickly took her hand. I noticed that she was wearing a shirt with wide sleeves. I wanted to clench my fist.
“Rashta is your concubine, so you should take care of her. I’m not looking after her because she’s not under my jurisdiction.”
“Who said you had to look after her? Ha. I don’t want you to take care of her, so please leave her alone!”
“Have I ever provoked her?”
“Yesterday in front of Prince Heinley, when he insulted Rashta. Of the two of them, Prince Heinley and Rashta, you should have sided with Rashta. If you don’t know who’s telling the truth, then you should stand by your subjects!”
“As I said, I knew the truth, and sided with Prince Heinley accordingly.”
“Rashta lied?”
“It is you who believe in her innocence, not .”
“Well, that was yesterday. How about today? Why were you trying to undermine her today?”
“You know I never spoke to Miss Rashta today.”
“Did you. You never talked to Rashta herself, but you called Viscount Roteschu from behind her back.”
The air seed to crack when he made the accusation. I knew it couldn’t really be, but it sounded like it. I glared at Sovieshu.
“What are you talking about?”
“You wanted to prove that Rashta is a runaway slave, and so you brought Viscount Roteschu.”
“...I invited the viscount because of Miss Rashta?”
What kind of ridiculous invention was this? I was dumbfounded. Sovieshu let out an exhale.
“Ever since I said that Rashta wasn’t an escaped slave, didn’t you want to prove otherwise? Were you so offended by everyone loving her?”
“You’re speaking nonsense.”
I forced my voice to sound calm, but I felt ready to burst. Sovieshu stood straight up from his chair, his eyes flashing threateningly.
“Who knows the guest invitations better than the Empress? You must have been working hard. You invited Viscount Roteschu.”
“Yes, I know the invitations very well. It was my job. However, I invited him weeks before Rashta even ca to the palace.”
“He’s not an important guest, so why did you invite him to the celebrations?”
“As I said before...I’m not interested in every single thing concerning Miss Rashta. And you were confident that she was not a runaway slave. Under these circumstances, why would I not send an invitation to Viscount Roteschu?”
I didn’t even know she was his slave. The only connection I knew was that Sovieshu had found her on the hunting grounds near Roteschu’s estate. Since then, I had never heard ntion of it, and if Rashta was commoner, then Roteschu’s attendance was irrelevant. Yet sohow, Sovieshu thought I calculated Rashta was Roteschu’s slave? ? I was dumbfounded.
“If you have any consideration—”
“You should take care of her yourself. You can’t expect to look after her, even if I didn’t know she was Roteschu’s slave.”
“...You’re heartless. A woman who has been living in poverty her whole life now wants to stand straight, and you don’t want to see it? You don’t want to be tarnished? The Empress is a horrible woman.”
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