🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 6
Just as Iena had guessed, the Highaga estate was located not far from the Imperial Palace.
Certain that something was seriously wrong with her mistress, Sophia personally went to the Highaga residence. When Edward asked what had happened, she simply replied that it would be best if he spoke with his daughter himself.
Since it was the first time Iena had ever sent for him so suddenly, Edward was deeply alarmed. He immediately left with Sophia, arriving at the Empress’s Palace in the late afternoon.
“Iena.”
His face was filled with worry.
What could have happened for her to call me like this? Did something terrible happen?
His heart tightened with anxiety.
Compared to her father’s concern, however, Iena had something entirely different on her mind.
This is… unexpected.
Edward looked nothing like she had imagined.
If she had to describe Iena Licht Highaga’s appearance in one word, it would be round.
A round face.
Round eyes.
A slightly plump, rounded figure.
Naturally, she had assumed her father would look similar.
Something like a kindly older gentleman who doted endlessly on his only daughter.
But she had been completely wrong.
There wasn’t a trace of softness about him.
His jawline looked as though it had been carved with a blade. His nose was equally sharp, and his eyes were keen and piercing.
Looking at that unexpectedly handsome face, someone immediately came to mind.
Her husband.
Kalix Klose.
The two men shared the same sharply sculpted features, the same striking good looks, and even the same dangerous, razor-edged aura.
“Iena, say something. You’re worrying me sick.”
“Uh… F-Fa… Fa… Father…”
…Calling a complete stranger “Father” turned out to be much harder than she’d expected.
“Did something happen in the palace?”
Iena hesitated.
Seeing that, Edward’s heart sank even further.
He had worried endlessly before sending his gentle, innocent daughter into the imperial palace.
Surely something terrible had happened.
Of course, he had no idea that his daughter was currently thinking:
So Iena must’ve had a father complex. That’s why she fell for a man who looks exactly like her dad.
“My child,” Edward said gently, “don’t be afraid. Tell me everything. Whatever it is, I’ll solve it.”
“…Anything?”
Iena’s eyes sparkled.
“Yes. So tell me…”
“Father…”
She carefully parted her lips.
“If I said I wanted to leave the palace… what would you say?”
“…What?”
“If I divorced… or was deposed… if I wanted to step down as Empress…”
“Who is it?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Was it that Emperor? Or one of those nobles?”
Despite the murderous words, Edward’s expression remained calm.
The problem was that only his face was calm.
The atmosphere around him was anything but.
It felt as though killing intent poured from every inch of his body.
If Iena pointed at someone and said,
“That bastard bullied me.”
he looked like the sort of man who would immediately march into the palace with his private army and wipe out the offender’s entire family.
“Just give me a name. If you don’t know the name, describe what they look like.”
Kalix unt Solitea Klose.
The words rose to the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them.
“It’s not like that.”
She shook her head.
“I’m just… exhausted, Father.”
“The position of Empress… is more than I deserve.”
“…”
“No one is mistreating me.”
“I simply want to give up a place that doesn’t suit me… and return home.”
Edward stared silently at his daughter.
“I only wanted to know what you thought…”
“Iena.”
“Yes?”
“I already know.”
“…Know what?”
“That the Emperor has been treating you coldly.”
…Wait, what?
That development caught her completely off guard.
“If you’re going to ask why I stood by and did nothing despite knowing…”
“I apologize.”
Every time he received one of her cheerful letters filled with lies, his heart had ached.
She had written about kindness from the Emperor that she’d never actually received.
Just imagining how much pain she’d endured while writing those words tore at him.
Edward had deliberately pretended not to notice.
He had allowed himself to be deceived.
Because his daughter’s desperate attempt to keep him from worrying had been too heartbreaking to expose.
“But…”
“I hoped.”
“…”
“I hoped Kalix Klose would begin treating you as the true Empress before I had to take matters into my own hands.”
Take matters into your own hands…?
A bad feeling crept over her.
Things were starting to spiral in a very dangerous direction.
“But seeing you say something like this now…”
“I suppose that hope was nothing but foolishness.”
“…What?”
“Iena.”
“I will never allow my daughter to be driven out in disgrace.”
“N-No, I wasn’t talking about being driven out! I was saying I’d leave on my own—”
“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that half the territory of the Arkrus Empire was built by the Highaga family.”
“The nobles know it.”
“So does the Imperial Family.”
“That’s why even the previous Emperors had to tread carefully around us.”
“…I… see…”
“The current Emperor is no different.”
“No—it’s worse.”
“Even if you combined every private army we’ve ever lent the Imperial Family, it still wouldn’t amount to half the soldiers we’ve supported Kalix Klose with.”
Well… that’s true.
The man’s always at war and barely comes back to the palace.
“So I refuse to accept this.”
“If someone is to be expelled from the palace…”
“It won’t be you.”
Edward’s eyes blazed.
“It will be the current Emperor.”
“Do you understand?”
“…No?”
Iena stared blankly.
“F-Father… let’s not make this into something so huge…”
“Civil war may be unavoidable.”
“But in the end…”
“Our family will win.”
“I guarantee it.”
“…Civil war?”
This was absolutely not what she wanted.
She had only wanted to leave the palace and live quietly.
Instead, innocent people would die in a rebellion.
Besides…
She didn’t actually want Kalix to suffer such a fate.
Sure, she thought he was an insufferable jerk.
But all she wanted was for him to let her go.
After that, he could reunite with Odelia and live happily ever after for all she cared.
“That’s enough.”
“Come home with me.”
Edward stood up abruptly.
Then, as if fully intending to leave with her immediately, he grabbed her wrist.
“F-Father! Wait!”
“What is it?”
“Do you need to pack?”
“Ah, right. Sophia.”
“We’ll take Sophia too.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Please listen.”
Iena hurriedly continued,
“I just…”
“I only wanted someone to complain to.”
“Nothing you’re worried about has happened.”
“…”
“Life in the palace has been a little boring.”
“A little lonely.”
“So I just said it without thinking.”
“Really.”
“…You only said it casually?”
“Yes.”
“And His Majesty has actually been…”
“…very…”
“…kind…”
“…to me lately.”
Only now did Iena truly understand why the original Iena had always lied in her letters.
“I’m doing well.”
“His Majesty treats me wonderfully.”
She finally understood.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t even entirely a lie.
Kalix had come to see her first after returning from war.
His attitude had been awful, but his actions weren’t completely different from what she was describing.
Who would’ve thought she’d end up defending him?
“I think…”
“I just wanted to act spoiled after such a long time.”
“It’s hard to see you while I’m trapped in the palace…”
“…You’re not lying?”
If she admitted she was lying now, she honestly felt she’d rather die.
“Of course not.”
“…Very well.”
“So then…”
“But if…”
“…I ever hear those words from you again…”
“…”
Edward’s face twisted frighteningly.
“T-That won’t happen.”
“It won’t.”
“His Majesty will make sure of that.”
“I promise.”
Iena forced a smile.
For the past several days, the head butler, Paul, had felt as though he were living through hell.
The elegant, gentle Empress had suddenly…
No.
She had completely lost her mind.
At least, that’s what it looked like.
The imperial physicians insisted nothing was wrong.
The Empress was perfectly healthy.
Perfectly sane.
Paul simply couldn’t believe it.
How could anyone in their right mind bring up divorce and deposition to the Emperor himself?
“It wasn’t a marriage for love anyway! So why are you so reluctant to let me go?!”
The memory alone made him shudder.
That day, he had stood trembling outside the Empress’s Palace, afraid something terrible might happen.
The tension inside had become unbearable.
He had shaken like a leaf.
Then…
Cutting through that terrifying silence…
“Because the Emperor ignores me, everyone in the palace ignores me too! You’re obsessed with war and never even come back to the palace!”
Hearing Iena’s voice echo through the halls, Paul had nearly fainted.
He barely remembered what happened afterward.
He wasn’t even sure how he had managed to return to his room.
Because the Emperor’s pride was far too great, Paul hadn’t dared ask what happened afterward.
Instead, he learned from the maids that Kalix had spent the night in the Empress’s Palace.
He couldn’t make sense of any of it.
…Was it a marital quarrel?
“Ha…”
Paul rubbed his face tiredly as he walked.
Yes.
It had to be a lovers’ quarrel.
Thinking of it that way made him feel much better.
People always said a husband and wife’s fight was quickly forgotten.
From the Empress’s perspective, her anger had been understandable.
The only shocking part was seeing someone as gentle as her explode like that.
Then again…
The most unbelievable thing wasn’t the argument.
It was the fact that the Emperor had stayed in the Empress’s Palace afterward.
Maybe they really had reconciled.
After all, the Empress had always been hopelessly in love with Kalix.
Perhaps all she’d needed was a little comforting.
Maybe… this is actually the perfect opportunity to strengthen their relationship.
Just then—
“Paul.”
“Y-Your Majesty.”
“What are you doing standing there?”
“Why haven’t you come in?”
“My apologies.”
“I got lost in thought.”
“Unlike you.”
Kalix lowered his gaze back to the documents spread before him.
They concerned the recent war.
Ordinarily he could have delegated such paperwork, but Kalix was so meticulous that he insisted on reviewing even minor matters personally.
Standing beside him, Paul began neatly organizing the completed reports.
“Your Majesty…”
“When do you intend to return today?”
“I don’t know.”
The answer was indifferent.
Kalix never looked up from the papers.
Paul grew increasingly anxious.
It was already late.
Surely he wasn’t planning to finish every document before leaving?
“I can handle the rest.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to return for today?”
“No.”
“…But won’t Her Majesty be waiting for you?”
Kalix’s moving eyes suddenly stopped.
“I heard from the maids.”
“They said you stayed in the Empress’s Palace last night…”
Paul spoke cautiously.
“I think you made the right decision.”
“If I may be so bold…”
“I believe Her Majesty has suffered greatly all this time.”
“…Suffered?”
“You were away at war.”
“She had no close friends.”
“The maids and I did our best to care for her…”
“But she must have been terribly lonely.”
“…”
“And despite everything…”
“Every day she prayed for your safe return.”
Kalix narrowed his eyes.
“So perhaps this is a good chance to clear away the feelings that have built up between you—”
“It didn’t seem that way.”
“…Pardon?”
“…Never mind.”
Paul carefully studied his master’s expression.
Strike while the iron is hot, he thought.
Since their wedding night, Kalix had never once visited the Empress’s Palace on his own.
Now he had gone there voluntarily.
This was the perfect opportunity to improve their relationship.
“Why don’t you take a trip together?”
“…A trip?”
“The war has ended safely.”
“For the time being, you only need to focus on defending the borders.”
“…”
“And a few days ago was Her Majesty’s birthday.”
Seeing his chance, Paul enthusiastically continued.
“I’ve heard there’s a hot spring in the northern mountains.”
“They say simply soaking in it cures all ailments.”
“Or perhaps the southern territory I know well.”
“It’s near the sea, and the scenery is absolutely beautiful…”
Kalix pressed a hand against his temple.
It was a habit of his whenever he was seriously considering something.
Watching him, Paul silently cheered.
He was certain…
His suggestion was about to be accepted.
