A Second Divorce is Difficult - Side Story 3 - The Emperor and the Empress (8)

Side Story 3 – The Emperor and the Empress (8)

“I’m done with this side.”

“Really? Then go over there and help finish up since they’re not done yet.”

“Okay.”

“We need to finish quickly. The guests will be out soon.”

“Yes.”

The workers from the Lauf Convent followed the steward’s instructions and headed to the other side. Arlen followed close behind them, her long hair covering her face.

The stewards walked alongside the workers, chatting as they went.

“What do you think? Will you finish in time? We have an important guest today, so we need to make sure everything is perfect.”

“Important guests?”

“Earl and Countess Rox. They’re very generous patrons and frequent visitors, so we must treat them well.”

“The Eal of Rox? Oh, the one who used to be the Marquis of Grit?”

“Yes.”

The words stopped Arlen in her tracks, who had been walking slowly behind him.

“I see they’re here with someone.”

The stewards continued their conversation, unaware of the change in Arlen’s gaze.

“They just say they’re guests, but I’m guessing they’re high nobles.”

“I suppose.”

That was the end of the information about Eli Grit.

They turned the conversation to the state of the flowers they would soon be planting and to talking about Bloomfield.

Arlen kept her head down as she walked, thinking only of one thing.

Eli Grit is here. Eli Grit, the one who got her into this mess, is here.

Arlen’s eyes widened as she slowly began to take in her surroundings, having only followed orders from those around her until now.

A noble, even one of Eli’s stature, would be at the highest point of a building, overlooking the landscape.

A building. She had to get into the building.

Arlen looked back at the building. Through the haze that covered her face, she could see a well-organized building.

Arlen stared at it, glanced around, and then collapsed.

“What happened!”

Two of the stewards panicked and approached Arlen.

Her collapsed body was too weak to resist their shaking hands.

“For now, let’s move her to somewhere not visible. It’s better not to attract the attention of high-noble individuals.”

“Right. You take care of things here, I’ll carry her.”

With that, the two stewards divided up their duties and went about their tasks.

One of them carried Arlen to a spot near the building where she wouldn’t be visible, essentially a place hidden from the view of nobles.

Then, he poured the water from his water bottle onto Arlen’s face.

She moaned weakly as the water poured mercilessly into her nose and mouth.

“She’s alive.”

It didn’t bother him, as workers often collapsed while planting flowers in the sweltering heat.

He was just glad he didn’t have to deal with the bodies.

“Come to the garden as soon as you get up.”

The steward nudged Arlen with his foot, deciding that the woman who had fallen this time was too small to be a threat if she attacked or ran away.

Moreover, when using offenders as labor like today, they were closely monitored, making it impossible for them to escape.

Understanding that her weak groans served as a response, the steward returned to the garden.

* * *

“How did you like it?”

Ruby asked, biting into the finished snack from the Kingdom of Dovar.

The flowers inserted in the snacks were the ones chosen by Ruby and Katrina.

Dried flower petals made into bookmarks were also placed on the table.

“It was fun. These snacks are new and nice too.”

Katrina’s bookmark was made of dried petals of different colors – yellow, red, blue, pink, and purple – arranged in a circle to resemble a flower.

“Was there a snack like this in the Kingdom of Dovar? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Shannua took a bite of one of the beautiful treats.

“It’s probably because it’s a fusion of the commoners’ favorite foods. They don’t actually decorate them with flowers, so even I didn’t know about them at first.”

Eli explained.

Eli had traveled to many kingdoms and had seen and eaten many things, but Shannua, who only receives the best gifts, might not have known.

Shannua nodded at Eli’s explanation and finished his snack.

A little while later, the steward returned.

“The preparations are all done. When you’re ready, please call us. I’ll guide them outside.”

After finishing speaking, the steward quietly closed the door and left.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Katrina said sincerely.

* * *

While the steward informed the nobles that the flower-planting work was finished, some of the stewards were in turmoil.

“Did you find her?”

“No. What about you?”

“She’s not here either. Did you check near the entrance?”

“The guards haven’t seen her.”

The stewards looked at each other, perplexed.

One of the workers they had thought had collapsed after working so long in the sun had simply disappeared.

“Well, she’s in here anyway. Let’s look for her again. We should endure a bit of hardship and find her rather than get scolded by the steward for something going wrong.

At his suggestion, the other two nodded and split up again.

They each searched the outside, focusing on the flower gardens, the entrance, and the back of the building.

Usually, those who came here through the rehabilitation program often tried to escape when they had the chance to go outside. Thus, they didn’t even consider searching inside the building.

However, contrary to their speculations, Arlen wasn’t trying to escape for her freedom.

She had taken advantage of the lax surveillance inside the building to hide herself. Although it was her first time visiting this place, Arlen, who had lived as a noble all her life, knew well where they would be, which part of the building the nobles would avoid, and where the employees would be active to avoid the gaze of the nobles.

She used those memories to hide in the space between the passageways that led from the nobles’ quarters inside the building to the flower gardens outside.

Crumpled up in an inconspicuous spot, clutching a stone she’d picked up outside, Arlen’s eyes were sharp as she watched the passage.

* * *

“If you’re ready, I’ll show you in.”

“Of course.”

Eli made sure to tug Ruby’s hat a little tighter before heading out. The sun was still out and it could be hot.

Katrina took Eli’s advice and put on her hat, too.

Eli took Ruby’s hand to lead the way.

To those who didn’t already know that Shannua was the Emperor, they would appear to be lesser nobles.

So Eli and Ruby, followed by Shannua and Katrina, followed by the guiding hand. At the end of the hallway, a staircase came into view. When the steward was about to take the first step onto the stairs…

A woman jumped in front of Eli and Ruby.

“Wait.”

Eli and Ruby had some distance between them as they followed, so Shannua spotted the woman first and put Katrina safely behind him.

“Die!”

Eli, who realized what was happening at almost the same time, put Ruby to the side and grabbed the attacker’s wrist, snapping it and slamming her into the wall. It was a merciless gesture that made a thud.

At the same time, he pushed the stone out of the woman’s hand with his foot, rolling it down the stairs and away from her.

“Let go of me, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, look what you’ve done to me!”

The woman’s screams echoed down the hall. Even with her face pressed against the wall, the woman struggled, glaring at Eli through her long hair that shielded her face.

“Steward, are you going to stand by and watch?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, My Lord. I’ll call someone right away.”

The steward, barely able to comprehend the situation, ran down the stairs to call for someone.

“Let me go! Let me go!”

“What’s going on?”

“It looks like she was going to attack. Stay back.”

Eli said, still not releasing his grip.

Then, for some reason, the woman’s movements stopped.

The woman’s eyes shifted from Eli, who was subduing her, to Shannua and Katrina, who were looking at her.

To the back of Shannua, who stood protectively over Katrina.

Her eyes widened in surprise, her long, unruly hair nearly covering her face.

“Mine, it’s mine! My place!”

The woman shrieked again, writhing incoherently.

“You took it from me, you!”

Her gaze and shouts bordered on madness. Katrina stepped back, unintentionally tightening her grip on Shannua.

“……It’s okay.”

Shannua’s voice sounded a little dazed, obviously trying to reassure her.

Katrina, who had been trying to see what expression she was making, froze at the woman’s voice.

“Sha…… nnua.”

“…….”

“The seat next to you is mine…….”

At that moment, the air in the hallway seemed to freeze.

Even Eli, who had been subduing Ruby and Arlen, looked at Shannua in surprise.

“……Arlen?”

He looked at her, surprised and offended, and said it quietly.

It wasn’t hard to recognize the person in front of him, given that she knew his own face and name. Especially if it was someone she could call familiarly.

Of course, even as he said Arlen’s name, Shannua blocked Katrina’s path as she tried to move forward.

“You said you’d make me…… happy. You said I was the only one.”

In front of him, Arlen began to cry out loud, spitting out the words Shannua had whispered to her in the past.

It was impossible to recognize her face now, with her long hair hiding it.

No one in the hallway said anything, except for Arlen’s sobs.

Soon, Shannua stepped toward her.

“Your Majesty…….”

Shannua showed a reassuring expression to Katrina, who was holding onto her.

Katrina’s grip on him loosened as he approached Arlen, and eventually, she let go.

Arlen struggled weakly as Shannua approached and bent down.

“You can let go.”

Shannua commanded, and Eli slowly released her hand, ready to grab it again at any moment.

Thankfully, Arlen didn’t lunge or lash out.

“Why did you attack us?”

Shannua asked cautiously.

Arlen glared at him, her eyes flashing.

“You can’t even beat Eli; you know that so why would you…….?”

Shannua’s voice seemed to express concern and pity. But suddenly, Arlen’s action of grabbing Shannua’s arm interrupted his voice.

“Your Majesty!”

Katrina moved reflexively, realizing that Shannua was in danger.

For a brief moment, Arlen’s gaze shifted from Shannua to Katrina.

Shaking off Arlen’s grip on him, Shannua wrapped his arms around Katrina, who lunged for them both, shielding her. At the same time, Eli tackled Arlen, stopping her sudden movement.

“That b*tch took my seat! That b*tch……!”

Arlen’s voice echoed down the hall.

“My Empress is so brave. You rush in to save me, even if it’s dangerous.”

Despite the shouting from behind him, Shannua held Katrina close, one hand wrapped protectively around her head.

“But you’re in danger, Your Majesty.”

“I would not be able to ascend to the throne if a single woman could threaten me.”

“I will seek revenge, I will kill her! No matter what it takes, I will kill her! That’s my place!”

In the middle of their conversation, Arlen’s shout broke through.

“Your Majesty, what shall we do about this?”

In Eli’s hand was the bracelet Arlen had taken from Shannua, the one he always wore.

He looked at his own bracelet for a moment, then spoke.

“She seems to want it, so let her keep it. Make sure no one touches it, and don’t forget to tell her not to lose it.”

While giving orders to Eli, Shannua’s gaze was on Arlen. As if telling her to listen carefully.

“…Understood.”

There was a moment of doubt on Eli’s face, as he didn’t understand the command. But then he did as he was told and gave Arlen the bracelet back.

Soon, the steward returned with the guards.

“I’m so sorry for all the inconvenience this has caused you.”

“We need to clarify what happened in detail. Let the culprit have the stolen bracelet and don’t touch it.”

Eli said it coldly as he handed Arlen over to the guards.

“Yes. We will thoroughly investigate this matter and take measures to prevent such incidents from happening again. We are truly sorry.”

The steward’s apology followed, but Eli, who hadn’t even looked back, wiped her hand that had grabbed Arlen and took Ruby away.

“Are you okay?”

Ruby nodded.

“Are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“As you can see. Since it seems like we’re not in the mood for a walk in the flower garden, how about we head back?”

Shannua’s question was directed at Katrina and she nodded in response.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories