TLRP 21

Chapter 21

“Courtesan”:

Colin has been acting strangely lately. He wasn’t exactly normal before, but recently he’s become even weirder. Sometimes, it even made you wonder if he was sick. His eyes sparkled unusually, and his movements became sharper and faster.

No matter how diligently the maids worked, they couldn’t match Nabi’s industriousness. Yet, in the past few days, Colin had been waking up before Nabi to bring flowers to the sitting room. At night, even as Adeline stayed up late and entered her bedroom, Colin dozed off slightly but didn’t return to his quarters.

The most extreme incident happened on the day Adeline told the injured head maid to call a doctor and rest until fully recovered.

Adeline, dozing quietly in a sunlit armchair, woke up to the sound of someone sobbing. It was Colin.

“Colin… I thought it was a ghost.”

Colin was turned away in the corner, crying as if he had committed some sin. When Adeline complained in a hoarse voice, still half-asleep, Colin flinched and lowered his head.

“I’m sorry, Princess.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Ah… it’s nothing.”

A sigh escaped her.

“Is that what’s in fashion these days? Saying it’s nothing? Why are you crying? Did someone hit you somewhere again?”

Ringo, bringing in a newly prepared dish, shouted loudly.

“Go scold him!”

That guy…

“Princess, we must go!”

“You want to die?”

Only when Adeline scolded him did Ringo slump his shoulders and shut his mouth. Colin continued to cry. When asked why, he sobbed even harder. When she approached and urged him to stop, he began wailing loudly.

“What’s wrong with him? Nabi!”

Adeline called for the head maid, Nabi. Upon entering the sitting room and seeing Colin crying, Nabi sighed deeply.

“Your Highness, you want to know why Colin is crying, right?”

“Yes. Why is he acting like this without saying anything?”

“He received apologies from the palace maids.”

“What?”

“They apologized for ignoring him before. They said they were happy to work in the Western Palace… and that they were jealous.”

Even while crying, Colin nodded repeatedly.

The story of Adeline locking the Empress’s head maid and her niece in prison had become a major topic among the palace maids.

The Empress’s maid had been detained for attempting to harm the royal family, and visits were forbidden. Her niece received punishment in kind, reportedly beaten until she collapsed.

“Princess…”

Colin looked at Adeline with tear-filled eyes.

“They said they were so sorry and grateful to you that they didn’t know what to say… and thanked me for letting them come to the Western Palace together… and that you are now my true sister, sob!”

That little fox… Adeline laughed dryly. That little fox really cooked everyone evenly, didn’t she?

It seemed the head maid and the remaining five maids had promised to treat Colin as a younger sister from now on, cherishing and loving her.

Nabi handed Colin a handkerchief with a sigh.

“I understand your gratitude, but you should stop crying. Go back to your quarters and rest a bit. Do you intend to keep showing your tears to His Highness?”

“I’m sorry, Sister Nabi…”

“I’m the head maid, remember.”

Clutching the handkerchief tightly, Colin left the sitting room, tears still clinging to her eyes, saying she would wash her face and return soon. Adeline didn’t know how to respond and muttered for her to do as she pleased.

Ringo, watching the scene fondly, made a fuss.

“Oh, she’s cold, so cold! The young maid is crying so pathetically because she likes the princess so much… and she says do as you please. This cold woman!”

“Ringo.”

“Colin is twenty, you know. It’s the age of rich emotions. Even rolling leaves would make her giggle… isn’t it?”

“Ringo, shut up.”

“Anyway, the princess is lucky. The maids like her wholeheartedly. Finally, the Western Palace is running properly. Of course, it should be for my princess.”

“Shut up and bring the report.”

Still, Adeline remained unchanged.

Adeline was introduced to a woman by Ringo.

“You know the Emperor had many lovers, right? She was the one who stayed by his side the longest. A noble by birth, discreet, gentle in personality—there were many rumors she would become a concubine. Now she’s one of the most successful painters in Marma… it’s actually fortunate.”

Adeline, eyes closed in the carriage, suddenly opened them and asked,

“Was she driven away out of disgust, or did she leave voluntarily?”

“Neither. The Empress drove her out.”

At that time, the Empress wielded considerable power within the palace and would not tolerate another wife for the Emperor.

Ringo kept emphasizing to Adeline,

“Really, really, really! Only for you, Princess. No one in Ordo cooperates this much. Madame Mirabeau is important, so she doesn’t let just anyone meet her.”

“You’re only telling me because you want something, showing off.”

“Princess… a simple ‘thank you’ would suffice. How cute is that?”

“I don’t know who expects honesty from whom.”

Adeline’s sharp remark made Ringo pout.

“You’re so mean. Because you keep scolding me, the fake maid grits her teeth whenever she sees me.”

“That wouldn’t happen if you didn’t provoke Nabi.”

A cold woman. Ringo muttered under his breath.

Adeline turned her head, ignoring him, and gazed out the carriage window. Spring’s banquet was approaching. It was important for the Emperor, Crown Prince Cesare, and the nobles. They would try to remove Adeline and the Lion King to gain power.

It was too late to counterattack. Adeline knew Cesare and his supporters, especially the Duke of Nord Hill, would target her first—and it wouldn’t be unrelated to the Lion King. Closing her eyes in thought, Adeline quietly spoke.

“Ringo.”

“Hmm?”

“Deliver a letter on the way back from visiting the painter.”

“Sure thing.”

After that, silence fell between them. The carriage wheels’ rumble was the only sound. Adeline seemed lost in thought, while Ringo observed her with a serious expression.

They were heading to the riverside villa of Madame Mirabeau, the Emperor’s courtesan, where she worked alone. Just outside the capital, the villa area was lined with beautiful estates used as summer homes by the wealthy.

Crossing the bridge into the wealthy district, the carriage became quiet. Adeline smiled in amazement.

“The road’s so clean… I guess because it’s where the rich live.”

“Exactly! We’re here.”

Ringo pointed to a villa. Even Adeline, usually unimpressed, found it beautiful.

The yellow brick walls curved like a teapot. The white, flat roof resembled an upside-down saucer. It seemed the diligent maids had done spring cleaning, hanging curtains and bedding to dry. The wind made them flutter, and she could almost smell the fresh linen.

“Princess, Mirabeau is fine, but it’s better to keep your identity hidden from the workers. Better safe than sorry.”

“I know.”

Adeline wore a wig to hide her hair—a luxurious blonde reminiscent of Beatrice’s style. She wore a wide-brimmed feathered hat and carried a beaded bag popular among wealthy ladies. Taking Ringo’s hand, she got out of the carriage.

“Who are you?”

The butler asked. Adeline looked haughtily at him; Ringo stepped forward.

“We have an appointment. My courtesan insists on having Madame Mirabeau’s paintings.”

“Very well. Your name?”

Ringo gave a simple name, and the butler, apparently informed beforehand, started guiding them politely.

“Madame Mirabeau owns four villas. She paints in different locations each season. Clients who like her spring paintings come here, others go to different villas. Appointments are mandatory, so the artist isn’t disturbed.”

“I see. Heard that, right?”

Ringo slyly held Adeline’s hand and gave a gentle tug, showing off his acting skills again. Adeline didn’t participate.

‘Crazy guy.’

Concealed under her hat, Adeline muttered a curse, and Ringo cleared his throat, returning his attention to the butler.

“Which room?”

“This one.”

“She’ll be inside?”

“Yes, tea is prepared. You may enjoy the paintings, then come to me to select your choice.”

The door opened to a grand living room filled with paintings. Detailed, vibrant, dynamic artwork, mostly patterns, but sometimes mixed with landscapes or figures, filled the walls in dozens of frames.

The Emperor’s courtesan, Madame Mirabeau, stood alone inside. Adeline walked straight toward her.

“You’ve changed so much, Princess. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Madame Mirabeau was petite, curvaceous, feminine, with flawless pale skin and a calm, soothing voice despite being nearly fifty.

As the butler left, Adeline removed her hat.

“You remember me?”

Mirabeau bowed respectfully, grasping her skirt, and then said unexpectedly,

“Welcome, Your Highness, my benefactor.”

The Empress seemed to remember nothing at all. Naturally. The person who inflicted the wound remembers nothing. Memory belongs to the one who was hurt.

No matter how much I tell you how much pain and suffering I endured because of you, you won’t understand. You can’t remember. So it must be returned in kind.

“Her Majesty the Empress, and even the head maid of the East Palace… it seems you recall nothing of the past. Every time I speak, you look completely unfamiliar, as if hearing strange words.”

No one approached from that side. The banquet hall was vast, and the Lion King stood rigidly beside Adeline with his arms crossed. Furthermore, as Adeline began speaking to the Empress, even the nearby nobles instinctively stepped back. They didn’t want to get involved.

“You said it was better for a child to stay in her mother’s palace, so you sent me to the East Palace. You should remember. But that day… you said something horrible. What was so terrible? Was it so terrible to see a nine-year-old child pulled into a strange imperial palace, frightened and crying? Because of what you said, I was dragged like a dog to Cesare’s palace.”

“How far back are you talking about, Princess…?”

“Princess? You didn’t call me that back then, did you? Vita girl. Slave girl. You remember. The head maids only started using the title ‘Lady Vita’ because of you.”

The Empress was flustered. At that time, Adeline had been very young. Even before being sold to Nova, she had been a child. She had thrown tantrums and cried, but never with a smile laced with sarcasm, or calmly spewing curses like now.

“You’ve changed a lot, just as Cesare said.”

“Your Majesty hasn’t changed at all.”

“What do you intend to do by taking the head maid? She’s lived her entire life serving me. If I had given her a warning, she should have been sent back already. Even if she looks composed, she’s over sixty. If she falls ill in prison…”

“You could’ve worried a bit like that when I was beaten too.”

“Princess!”

The Empress was very angry. Anyone could see it. But that was all she could do. She couldn’t touch Adeline—she could only swallow her anger and watch.

“See to it.”

This is fun, Adeline thought, turning her back with a smile.

The head maid of the East Palace was confined in a small but tidy room. Being close to the Empress, she wasn’t sent to a terrible prison. Still, it wasn’t easy to leave this place. It wasn’t only because she tried to strike a member of the royal family—it was also because Adeline had clearly stated she would never forgive her.

Adeline barged in without knocking.

“Your nephew is still alive.”

The head maid, who had been lying under the covers, bolted upright. Adeline casually perched on the chair that Naby had pulled out. Behind her, Naby and the chief maid stood side by side.

“That’s a pity. I thought he’d be dead by now.”

“Princess!”

“Just call me whatever you used before. It’s only us here.”

The head maid quickly rolled her eyes. The soldiers guarding the door had left across the hallway under Adeline’s orders.

“Why have you come here?”

Surprisingly, the head maid remained calm. Adeline, slightly disappointed, propped her arm on the chair and crossed her legs.

“Be honest. How many people have you killed while serving Her Majesty the Empress?”

“…I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Decades, right? I remember at least three, but there must have been more.”

“None of that happened. Stop these baseless accusations.”

“If my maid hadn’t been a noble, you would have killed her too, right? Just to show me who’s in charge?”

Adeline spoke casually, but the chief maid who came along was tense. She had insisted on following despite not being fully recovered. Seeing the head maid, she seemed ready to leap and strangle her.

Adeline glanced back.

“If you have something to say, say it now.”

“Really? I may?”

“As long as it doesn’t reach the Emperor, anything’s fine. I’ll take responsibility.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the chief maid exhaled softly and spoke in a low, steady voice.

“The palace administrator asked me what had happened to the East Palace head maid. He said, ‘It could have been overlooked once or twice, but now it can’t be ignored.’ I was only whipped, but other victims weren’t so lucky… probably because they heard rumors floating in the palace.”

The Empress’s head maid clutched the blanket with hands like tree roots.

“The administrator asked again what the rumor was.”

“Don’t lie! There’s no such rumor!”

“Even though some children died?”

Inside the East Palace, the head maid’s power was immense. She had been by the Empress’s side since her marriage to the Emperor. The East Palace was closed off, so many knew nothing of what happened inside.

The chief maid continued, and Adeline let her speak.

“The administrator asked what kind of punishment I wanted for the head maid. He said she could be whipped in return. But you know? The dead children didn’t even get that chance.”

“And what did you say?”

Adeline asked, turning her gaze to the chief maid instead of the Empress’s head maid.

“I asked for an investigation.”

“All of them?”

“Every single one, including the dead children.”

Adeline almost wanted to clap her hands in delight. If this weren’t a prison, she would have. Seeing Naby’s unchanged expression by the chief maid, it seemed they had discussed their plan.

Sitting back down, Adeline addressed the Empress’s head maid.

“Will you confess?”

“I don’t understand. I never did such things.”

“What if your nephew confesses first? You might reveal everything under questioning.”

The head maid’s eyes darted nervously. Her fingers fidgeted with the blanket. Adeline watched silently before suddenly asking:

“Why did you kill my nurse?”

Naby and the chief maid tensed. The head maid did too, apparently stunned by the unexpected question.

“She was your nurse. Why did you kill her? Because she loved me? Because I loved her? So I could live and smile, holding her hand, without slowly withering away in this palace?”

“Princess, that’s…”

“I want to forget too. Everyone has memories they wish to forget. But you know? The ones you want to forget become clearer, more horrible each time you recall them. What you left me isn’t a wound. It’s a memory.”

Adeline said it plainly.

“I haven’t forgotten a single thing. I remember everything. So don’t even say I’m crazy or lying. There were times I remembered too clearly that I wanted to go insane.”

“I don’t know anything!”

“You can deny it to the end.”

Having many bad memories is tragically convenient—they push out the good ones. So from now on, live with only bad memories. Until you die.

Adeline smiled.

“I’ll give you a choice.”

“Princess, let me see Her Majesty the Empress! Why hasn’t she found me yet?”

“First, confess everything you’ve done and take your punishment.”

That was one choice. Of course, the head maid ignored it and kept shouting to see the Empress, beating her chest in frustration.

Now, it was time for the second choice. Adeline glanced at Naby and the chief maid, then casually asked:

“Whose son is Cesare?”

Naby covered her mouth with both hands. The chief maid staggered, clinging to Naby’s arm. The head maid froze.

“What… what are you saying…?”

“You know.”

“Princess… this is absurd…”

The head maid screamed, flinging the blanket at Adeline and acting as if she would die from anger.

Adeline still smiled.

“This is your second choice. Confess whose son Cesare is. Then you and your nephew will go back safely.”

The head maid clamped her mouth shut, insisting Adeline was mad. Still, her reaction was satisfying enough—Adeline now had certainty.

“What do you think?”

“Suspicious.”

Adeline asking for someone’s opinion meant she trusted them greatly. Naby, already her person, spoke calmly. The chief maid, however, remained pale and silent, processing everything she had heard.

Adeline asked the chief maid:

“How long have you been in the palace?”

“Thirteen years, Your Majesty.”

“You must have heard rumors, at least jokes.”

The chief maid hesitated, glancing at Adeline and Naby before whispering:

“Yes… there were rumors about why the Emperor had only one son. Most said it was because of a bad relationship with the Empress, but sometimes… other explanations arose.”

“What were they?”

“Besides the Empress, the Emperor had many women, but why couldn’t they bear children?”

In the Emperor’s youth, it was widely known he frequently changed courtesans and had multiple companions.

“Some said it was because children were precious in our dynasty. Some maids said the Empress killed them. Yet no one doubted the Crown Prince’s legitimacy. Why?”

“Because he resembled him.”

Indeed, Cesare resembled the Emperor. Portraits of the young Emperor showed hair and eye color similar to Cesare. No one dared doubt it.

Adeline asked again:

“Before you joined the palace, did you hear about a hidden lover of the Empress?”

“Yes, I did.”

“And about his hair or eye color? Did anyone know?”

The chief maid looked faint but answered honestly.

“No one knew, but the rumors circulated.”

“What was it?”

“That he died.”

“What?”

“The Empress’s lover died.”

Adeline muttered, wondering who had killed him. This time, even Naby and the chief maid remained silent.

“My lady? What brings you here without notice?”

At night, seeing Adeline arrive unannounced, Mirabeau’s butler frowned. But the lady, in pajamas, came out and bowed deeply. The butler stepped aside quickly.

“I have a request.”

“Anything, Your Majesty.”

“I’m sorry for bringing up memories you’d rather forget. I’ll do anything to repay you…”

“You’ve saved our children’s lives, Your Majesty. Anything you ask…”

“Bring me the Emperor’s courtesans. The ones who stayed by him when he was in the palace.”

Mirabeau kept her promise. She gathered all the Emperor’s former courtesans from that period. Ringo, who felt left out, complained, but Adeline ignored him.

“They’re dangerous!”

“More dangerous than me. They might relive nightmares because of me. Should I take a guard with me for my own safety?”

“Wait outside.”

That night, Adeline, in a purple dress exposing her shoulders, was seen being carried by the Lion King to the top floor of a hotel. Publicly, it looked like a scandalous romance.

“What do you want me to do here alone?”

The Lion King scowled at the bed, decorated with a round floral design and shimmering bead curtains. The innkeeper had specially prepared it, even offering candy beads.

Adeline puckered her red lips apologetically.

“Sorry.”

“No need… I thought I’d nap while waiting, but not with this view.”

“Should I leave Ringo?”

“Leave him outside.”

The Lion King, disgusted by the bed, napped alone. Adeline sneaked out with Ringo into a back alley of the Lovers’ Plaza.

Mirabeau led Adeline to one of Ordo’s secret hideouts. Ringo chattered excitedly, but Adeline’s mind focused on one thing.

“Welcome, Princess.”

The door opened. It was a tailoring room for elderly gentlemen’s formal wear. Mirabeau sat inside.

“The room is reservation-only. No one will disturb you.”

“Thank you, Mirabeau.”

Five former courtesans stood before Adeline. All beautiful. Some older, slightly plump, or prematurely gray, but equally charming.

“The greatest artists of Marma gathered in one place.”

Adeline smiled; they bowed. Painters, musicians, playwrights, actors—women admired by the Emperor, full of poise and elegance.

“I used contraception for the first few months. Later, I thought, if I had a son, our house might rise. We were poor, barely noble. So I avoided it, hoping for a son. But it didn’t matter.”

“I didn’t use contraception. I aimed to conceive. I quit art school after hearing rumors that Mother Blanc brought women to the Emperor. I had no child. Even a daughter would’ve been fine! I regret seeking Mother Blanc then the most.”

“Because no children came, I thought maybe I couldn’t marry and have kids. But soon after leaving the palace, I had a child with a man I met a few times. I married him and live on.”

Each had different reasons, but one conclusion: the Emperor had no children. Mother Blanc initially chased them to see if they hid illegitimate children, but eventually gave up.

“That old woman must’ve noticed. She couldn’t not know.”

“The Empress’s hidden lover… almost everyone knew, though they kept quiet. But the stories I heard were different. There were so many rumors, it was hard to know the truth. The most interesting part…”

The former lovers spoke. Adeline listened intently.

“They bought men, not lovers. Not just one or two. Every night, different men who looked similar came.”

“They bought young men resembling the Emperor.”

Returning to the hotel, the Lion King was asleep, snoring softly. Adeline, exhausted, sat beside him, popped candy in her mouth.

“Sweet?”

“Yes.”

From Hugo I onward, Marma’s dynasty would be recorded with tragedy and shame. That bloody lineage ends. The Emperor was sterile; the dynasty ended. The curse of the countless weak who died was undeniable.

The Emperor loved only himself. He had no children.

The Empress wanted a son. The Emperor was sterile.

Cesare wanted to be king. That would never happen.

“Sweet.”