37. The One Who Heals Me Is You

Larael smiled kindly and offered tea to Ariella. Ariella was swept up in a sense of victory, thinking she had managed to deceive Larael well. Things had turned out differently than she expected, and it seemed she had unexpectedly drawn the Empress Dowager’s ire, but that didn’t matter to her.

While Larael and Ariella were having their tea time, the Empress Dowager stormed out of the parlor and was waiting for her carriage to return to her palace.

She began to feel displeased that the Empress Consort hadn’t rushed out after her. She glanced toward the entrance of Abella Palace, wondering if the Empress Consort might follow after her even belatedly, but there was no sign of that at all. The Empress Dowager’s carriage glided smoothly into the garden of Abella Palace.

The Empress Dowager’s escort knights, who had followed her out, opened the carriage door for her. She nonchalantly took the knight’s arm to board the carriage and glanced sideways at Berser, pausing for a moment.

‘Where have I seen him before?’

It was a face she felt she had seen somewhere. The Empress Dowager looked back at Berser once more. But she simply couldn’t remember where she had seen him. She boarded the carriage, pondering where she might have met Berser before, but the answer wouldn’t come. The Empress Dowager soon gave up thinking about it. She had no time to worry about such things right now.

The Empress Dowager thought of Ariella Nox.

For Ariella to dare wear that dress to the palace, imitating someone she herself had never even considered copying, was quite audacious.

‘But wait. Why did she wear that dress specifically to meet the Empress Consort?’

Setting aside the coincidence of the matching dresses, she tried to guess Ariella’s intention in wearing that dress. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.

‘My, my. That cunning thing really isn’t ordinary, is she?’

***

Herwen had come to see the Empress Dowager, only to freeze up entirely upon hearing her cackle as she talked about Ariella.

It made sense that the Empress Dowager would speak that way, since she didn’t know about Herwen and Ariella’s secret relationship. But this was the first Herwen had heard of Ariella meeting Larael.

“Was it the old fox’s doing? Or the young fox’s?”

The white fox was the symbol of the Nox family. If the Empress Dowager hadn’t been there, Ariella would have perfectly toyed with the Empress Consort. The Empress Dowager smiled meaningfully, curling one corner of her mouth, but tilted her head curiously when she saw Herwen’s face frozen still.

“Is something troubling you?”

“No, not at all.”

Herwen forced a smile at his mother.

‘That little fox—how dare she go see Larael without telling me? What has she done?’

There was a time when he saw nothing but her, but lately, Ariella’s attitude toward him had been bothering him. Herwen’s eyes hardened. Suddenly, he remembered the letter that was said to have come from Ariella. He hadn’t even opened it.

“It seems the Duke of Nox is getting impatient, since the Emperor doesn’t seem likely to take an Empress.”

Herwen slowly closed his eyes. A sudden wave of fatigue washed over him.

“Mother, I think I’ll head back now.”

Seeing how tired Herwen looked, the Empress Dowager told him to go home and rest, and saw him off with a worried expression. Herwen left the Empress Dowager’s palace and climbed into his carriage.

“To Abella Palace.”

“Pardon?”

“Are you deaf? To Abella Palace!”

The coachman hesitated for a moment, but when Herwen barked at him, he drove the horses toward Abella Palace.

Herwen straightened his clothes. He hadn’t seen Larael in a while and couldn’t show up looking unkempt. Just thinking of seeing Larael brought some life back to his mood, which had been dampened by Ariella. He was going to comfort Larael, who must have been upset because of Ariella. A smile appeared on Herwen’s lips.

As the carriage gradually came to a stop and the door opened, Herwen got out. Seeing the carriage stop in front of the Empress Consort’s palace, a servant quickly came to check who had arrived and hurried inside to announce it.

Several attendants came out and bowed to Herwen.

The gardeners tending the grounds and the maids carrying laundry stopped what they were doing and whispered as they watched Herwen enter Abella Palace.

Larael, after receiving the attendant’s report, had him shown to the parlor and instructed the head maid to report to the main palace. She knew that what happened in Abella Palace would be reported, and she didn’t want any misunderstandings with Edward. She also sent Berser and Handelson downstairs, instructing them to stop Herwen and guide him to the parlor if he tried to barge into her chambers.

Contrary to Larael’s expectations, Herwen quietly waited for her in the parlor without causing any commotion.

When she entered the parlor, Herwen raised his hand in greeting and smiled brightly at her, giving her a look as affectionate as if he were greeting a lover he hadn’t seen in ages.

“The parlor at Abella Palace is perfect for tea time at this hour. The sunlight pours in through the big windows and warms the heart. It feels as if I’ve stepped into a masterpiece. That’s why Mother and I often drank tea here at this time.”

Larael didn’t need to hear any of this. She didn’t even want to sit in the same place as Herwen. She stood, looking down at him, and spoke.

“I believe I made myself clear last time.”

“About what?”

Herwen, who had been lounging comfortably with his legs crossed, snapped his legs down and retorted sharply.

“I don’t wish to see Your Grace anymore.”

“I told you, didn’t I? If you refuse to see me, who knows what I might do?”

Larael bit her lip, recalling Edward’s momentary unease after his private meeting with Herwen. She still didn’t know what had been said that day.

“What did you say to His Majesty at the birthday banquet?”

“That day? Are you curious? Nothing much. Maybe I told him not to trust you?”

Herwen saw Larael’s face tremble and smiled. His eyes glittered strangely in the light.

“Larael. I… ha… I really didn’t want to say this, but…”

Larael, trying to hide her trembling, had her head lowered, but at those words, she looked up at Herwen.

“I got suspicious and did some investigating. Because of what you said. I wondered if it was someone’s scheme. And I found records of someone buying sleeping pills and aphrodisiacs. Who? You, Larael Hedway.”

“That’s impossible!!!”

Larael screamed, stepping back. Her heart started pounding fiercely. She clutched her chest, breathing heavily, and collapsed to the floor.

Herwen had no intention of letting her go.

He had no intention of giving up the woman at the Emperor’s side. He would use her by any means necessary. Not just her—he was the kind of vile person who could even take her parents hostage.

“It’s a setup.”

“Calm down, Larael. I know the truth, but as long as you do what I say, no one else will ever know. I’m not even asking you to do anything right now. Just keep playing the role of the Empress Consort by the Emperor’s side.”

“It’s not true.”

“Is that so? Somehow you seemed far too calm and composed for someone who’d been violated by the Emperor. You approached me deliberately, didn’t you? Was it all to get close to the Emperor? Did you use my innocence?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Larael blurted out harshly before she realized it.

“Just calm down for now. I was shocked and lost when I learned the truth, too. But because I love you, I decided to cover it up. Look at how gaunt I’ve become. But if you keep rejecting me, I can’t say where I’ll go spreading this story next.”

He smiled as he stroked his smooth skin. There was nothing gaunt about his face at all.

Larael glared at Herwen as if she could kill him. Her world felt like it was collapsing.

Herwen, satisfied with her reaction, waved his hand and left the parlor.