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Chapter : 27
Lysianthus was born as the second child and eldest daughter of the House of Celedina, and until Estellin came of age she was praised as the perfect noble lady.
As the only daughter of the ducal house, she was acquainted early on with Khalid, the emperor, and since childhood the two, once playmates, had been each other’s first love.
She married young at fifteen, as many nobles did, and was happy beyond measure.
The crown prince at the time never kept other women close, loved and cherished Lysianthus, and Lysianthus also loved and respected him in return.
Nobles warned that consummating the marriage so young could be dangerous, so their first night together took place only when they reached twenty years of age.
Five years after the wedding, Lysianthus became pregnant for the first time.
But her body had always been frail since childhood, and before long she miscarried and narrowly escaped death.
“Aaaaah!!”
It was pain unlike anything she had ever known. Her belly felt as though it were being ripped open, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
More than the sorrow of losing her child, the agony she was suffering overwhelmed her.
Her beloved mother held her hand by her side, and outside waited Khalid, who loved her dearly. Yet none of it brought any comfort.
After the miscarriage, Lysianthus’s body did not recover easily.
Her dreams were plagued, she frequently fainted without warning, and she could hardly walk without others supporting her.
Because of this she spent about two months recuperating at a southern villa.
Fortunately, her health did recover, but the memory lingered in Khalid’s mind, and he avoided their marital bed thereafter.
“Your Majesty, tonight is the scheduled night to share the bed with Her Majesty the Empress.”
“My affairs of state are pressing.”
Khalid always made excuses to evade sleeping with Lysianthus.
He still cherished her, but unlike before, he avoided consummation, and unsettling rumors began to spread about the two.
“Did you hear?”
“What, what??”
“They say His Majesty’s affection for Her Majesty isn’t what it used to be.”
“Really? Well, it has been a long time since the Emperor and Empress shared a bed.”
Lysianthus knew about all the rumors, but she could do nothing to stop them.
Then, to make matters worse, when Felician Dotenara was named Imperial Consort, the rumors grew even louder.
“Your Majesty! Please… visit my chambers….”
She begged through tears, abandoning the dignity of the empress, but he still refused.
“I am sorry… I don’t have the courage to witness that again.”
Khalid granted her every request—except this one.
“Your Majesty, strange rumors are spreading about us. Since you took in the consort, they have grown even worse. If this continues and I do not produce an heir, they will have grounds to depose me. Please…”
“I will find the source of these rumors and punish them. But I cannot share your bed. I shall take my leave.”
Whenever Khalid left the Empress’s palace, Lysianthus could do nothing but break down in tears.
Eventually the rumors faded, yet Khalid still would not come to her.
Her own political faction, the Emperor’s faction, pressed her to produce an heir, while the Aristocrats’ faction pressured her through the consort and begged Khalid to sleep with her instead.
Fortunately, several months ago Khalid finally promised he would return to her, and since then he has visited her again.
“Your Majesty the Empress…”
“……”
“Sister!!”
“O–Oh… yes.”
“You’re all right… aren’t you?”
I watched Lysianthus’s forlorn expression with worry.
“Yes, what were we talking about?”
“We were discussing the partner for the banquet.”
“I see. Well, in any case, it’s been decided that on the second night the consort will stand beside His Majesty.”
Lysianthus smiled kindly at me, and I smiled back even brighter.
That day, I helped Lysianthus prepare for the festival.
“I should take my leave now.”
“See you at the festival.”
By the time I rode back home in the carriage, the sun had already set and night had fallen.
“You have returned, my lady.”
As I stepped down, despite the cold, Luciano was waiting for me.
“You arrived before me, Luciano.”
“I heard you were with Her Majesty preparing for the rites. I trust it went well.”
“Yes, of course. Though everything was already perfectly arranged, so there wasn’t much for me to help with.”
Laughing together, Luciano and I entered the estate.
Two days passed quickly. At last the first day of the Sacred Festival arrived, and at seven in the morning, great bells rang out from the three temples of the Empire.
It signaled the beginning of the Gods’ Day.
The sound woke me from sleep.
“My lady, you must get ready. The ceremony at the Temple of Gaia begins at eleven.”
“Yes, I should hurry.”
With the maids’ help, I washed and dressed.
As it was the holiest day of the year, heavy makeup was forbidden. Perfume was also not allowed.
The temples claimed strong scents were not sacred.
I wore a dress Luciano had designed himself, and instead of lavish jewels I only wore the necklace he had gifted me and decorated my hair with white daisies.
“My lady, how do you like it?”
“It’s lovely.”
When I finished, the clock already neared half past ten.
Even though the temples were within the capital, thousands would gather—leaving early was essential.
“We should depart. I wonder if Luciano is ready…”
“His Grace finished preparing twenty minutes ago and is waiting.”
Hearing he had waited twenty minutes for me made me feel guilty, and I hurried out.
Descending the stairs and stepping outside, I saw Luciano waiting beside a carriage bearing the family crest.
“Luciano!”
“Good morning, my lady.”
He was breathtakingly handsome—so much so I was momentarily speechless.
Perhaps it was the dark clothing, or perhaps he was always like this, but his beautiful blond hair shone even brighter than usual.
“You look truly stunning, my lady.”
“And you look wonderful as well…”
I stared at him, dazed, as I said it.
“We should get in. If we’re late, all eyes will be on us.”
At his teasing remark, I laughed and climbed aboard beside him.
The closer we came to the Temple of Gaia, the more the streets overflowed with daisy blossoms.
And there were as many people walking toward the temple as flowers lining the street.
“There really are so many people.”
No wonder the temples held such power even in the novel.
To the people of the Frizen Empire—who believed wholeheartedly in the Three Gods—the temples and priests were sacred beyond question.
“My lady, we have arrived.”
With Luciano escorting me, I stepped out to find crowds of nobles and commoners already gathered in anticipation.
“His Grace the Duke of Winfoste and Her Grace the Duchess!”
As blood of the imperial line flowed in us, our seats were just below the imperial family.
“Welcome, Duke and Duchess.”
“We greet His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and Her Highness the Imperial Consort.”
Time passed, and the lower priests entered.
“It looks like it’s beginning, my lady.”
My heart raced—seeing in person what had only ever been described in the novel was surreal.
Once the lower priests had come in, the high priests followed and stood before the altar.
They bore the sacred flame lit at the Temple of Gaia.
“When will the High Priest arrive?”
“Soon.”
He had played a small role in the original novel, but his power was not, so I decided it would be wise to observe him carefully now that I had transmigrated into this world.
“He’s entering now.”
The High Priest, Mikael, emerged from within the temple.
He had white silver hair and gray eyes.
Though he wore priestly robes, his vestments were more ornate than either the lower or high priests.
After greeting the assembly, he received the sacred flame and lit the altar.
Then he poured consecrated oil upon it.
The fire surged higher, burning bright enough to be seen even from afar.
The priests recited their prayers, offering the deepest devotion to the gods.
The ceremony closed with the High Priest’s blessing.
With heartfelt wishes for peace and happiness in the coming year, he bestowed blessings upon everyone gathered.
“May the grace of Gaia, who created all things, of Helios, who watches over us as the sun, and of Luna, who guards the night and nurtures life, be upon all gathered here.”
A white light spilled from his hands as his deep voice resonated.
Anyone could see it was holy light. It enveloped everyone present, and warmth spread through my entire body.
The commoners clearly felt it too, for they praised High Priest Mikael joyously.
When he retreated back into the temple, the ceremony ended. The solemn and sacred air transformed instantly into festivity.
In the capital square, strangers laughed and celebrated together.
Meanwhile, the royals and nobles returned to the palace for the banquet.
“The Duke and Duchess of Winfoste enter!”
After some time, the arrival of the imperial family was announced.
“Her Highness Felician Dotenara, Imperial Consort, enters!”
Wearing a light green gown, she entered to the sound of trumpets. After more waiting came a louder call.
“His Imperial Majesty, the Sun of the Empire, and Her Imperial Majesty, the Moon of the Empire, enter!”
Clad in matching gold garments and walking arm in arm, they looked every bit the affectionate pair.
Let me know if you want this summarized, put into first person, rewritten in a lighter tone, or edited for a novel draft!
