Chapter 55

Emperor Grain’s voice made Adelina’s ears ring and her stomach churn.

‘Pfft’ A small mocking laugh was heard, mingled with the sound of a fan fluttering.

“Your Majesty… We are newlyweds… Please consider our situation…” 

Adelina spoke plaintively, bending her waist in half. 

She dreaded the thought of what might happen if she were left alone in this palace.

‘So that’s why! That’s why they readily allowed the marriage! They kept me alive to hold me as a hostage!’

Tears welled up. 

She truly felt like grabbing the Emperor’s pant leg right there, pride be damned.

“The situation of newlyweds, is it?”

Emperor Grain rubbed his chin with one hand, pausing for a long moment. 

He tapped the armrest of his chair in sync with the clock’s second hand. 

Adelina focused on that sound, clenching her teeth to stay conscious. 

“In that case, someone else must come in place of the Duchess.”

“What?”

Adelina looked up at the Emperor with a bewildered face. 

Emperor Grain stopped tapping the armrest and sank deeply into his chair. 

With his eyes lowered, he wore an arrogant smile as if he understood everything. 

“To replace the Duchess, 100 unmarried women from Ernst must come.”

“Your Majesty!”

Unable to contain his anger at the Emperor’s blatant demand, Lexion shouted loudly.

+++

‘100 women? Exchange me for 100 women? No… Why would he need so many women in the first place!’

Adelina swallowed dryly. 

The women demanded by Emperor Grain were not merely hostages.

‘No… Even if they were just hostages, if Lexion rebelled, the Emperor would kill them all at once…’

Adelina gripped Lexion’s hand tightly and looked at his face. 

His eyes, red with anger, seemed ready to shed tears of blood.

Adelina turned her head to look directly at Emperor Grain. 

She didn’t want to see Isabelle’s eyes crinkle with satisfaction.

“Your Majesty, I will stay in the palace.”

“Adelina!”

“Your Grace, I will stay in the palace.”

Adelina forced a smile without turning her head. 

If she saw Lexion’s face now, she feared she would retract her words and beg him to take her with him.

‘Lexion… You wouldn’t give 100 women as hostages in my place. I’m a fake… They’re real people of Ernst…’

To stop the tears from pouring out, she bit the inside of her cheek hard. 

The sneering lips of Emperor Grain and the smile of Isabelle, which resembled his, were irritating.

“Adelina, you can’t do that.”

“Then so be it.”

Lexion’s words and the Emperor’s words buzzed in her ears simultaneously. 

She focused her eyes sharply and bowed to the Emperor.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will prepare to enter the palace after the storm passes.”

A single tear, which she had been holding back, fell onto the carpet of the audience chamber.

+++

“For the Duchess, I will grant the Silver Palace. Having lived there for a month, it should feel less awkward.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Adelina composed herself and straightened her back at Emperor Grain’s boastful words, as if he were doing her a great favor.

“And, Princess Isabelle will go to Ernst as the military governor. Commander Austin, prepare a dragon to assist the military governor.”

“Yes, Your Majesty! I will prepare it immediately!”

As the conversation between the Emperor and Austin progressed quickly, a cold aura emanated from Lexion.

The position of military governor held actual military command. 

It meant Isabelle, not Lexion, would have control over the military of Ernst.

‘Isabelle. You planned to tie me to the palace and go to Ernst yourself?’

Adelina glared at Isabelle. 

The whites of Isabelle’s golden eyes were laced with red veins.

‘Adelina. I told you. Lexion will kneel before me.’

Isabelle folded her fan, stood up, and bowed to the Emperor.

“I, Princess Isabelle, will serve the Petrus Empire with utmost loyalty as the Military Duke of Ernst.”

After pledging her loyalty, Isabelle turned around and gave a triumphant smile to Lexion and Adelina.

‘See, Adelina. I won.’

Ernst was now hers. 

Lexion would soon kiss her feet.

+++

Unlike when they entered the audience chamber, Adelina’s party left the Emperor’s palace with considerably dark expressions. 

They boarded the carriage without a word and remained silent for a long time.

“Hailyn, return to the Tiola Empire in a fortnight.”

Adelina, looking out the window, did not change her gaze.

“I will speak to Sir Jaeyon and ask to stay by your side.”

As Adelina’s voice trembled finely, Hailyn looked at her with pity. 

She wanted to hold her hand, but Adelina had her hands tightly clasped and hidden in her dress.

“No, Hailyn, you can’t stay by my side forever. Return home in a fortnight. After that, the Emperor’s surveillance will become even more severe.”

“…Yes, Duchess.”

Seeing Adelina, who looked ready to burst into tears, Hailyn turned her head to the opposite window.

+++

Evans returned to the capital to hand over responsibilities to Lexion.

“Princess Isabelle will directly manage the Titan mines. Knights from Petrus have been left behind, so you only need to handle the easy tasks.”

Evans handed over practical and important tasks related to the mines and military to Isabelle, thoroughly excluding Lexion.

Just before the storm hit, Evans prepared to depart for Iberis with three dragons and knights.

“Congratulations in advance on your marriage, Your Majesty.”

“I gladly accept the congratulations. There will be much for you to do in Ernst once the storm passes.”

Before Evans mounted the dragon, he extended his hand to Lexion, who had come to bid him farewell.

“Yes, Your Majesty. There will be much to do.”

Feigning excitement, Lexion shook his hand. 

The departure date of Evans matched the date Chellus had predicted.

+++

The next morning, Hailyn shared a brief hug with Adelina.

“I’m sorry, Hailyn. I wanted to see you off to Inis Port… but the surveillance is already this strict…” 

Since that day, Emperor Grain had kept Adelina under strict surveillance, not allowing her to step outside the ducal residence. 

They had no choice but to say their farewells in Adelina’s bedroom.

“It’s alright. The Duke and the Marquis said they would see me off to Inis Port. I’m grateful just for that.”

Filled with regret and worry, Hailyn picked up a small brown suitcase. 

Other luggage had already been loaded onto the carriage. 

Turning her reluctant steps to the door, she found Stephan and Lexion waiting in the drawing room attached to the bedroom.

“Go ahead and get in the carriage. I’ll follow shortly.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Hailyn’s gaze followed Lexion’s back as he walked toward Adelina. 

As Lexion embraced Adelina tightly, seemingly to comfort her, Stephan closed the bedroom door.

“Let’s go down, Hailyn.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

Hailyn followed Stephan down the stairs. 

After boarding the carriage with Stephan and waiting a few minutes, Lexion climbed onto the carriage.

“Let’s depart.”

The carriage carrying the three sped across the bridge over the lake at the ducal  residence.

As soon as the carriage departed, the captain of the duke’s guards summoned the knights.

“Watch the Duchess closely!”

“Yes, Captain!”

The number of guards in front of Adelina’s bedroom door doubled. 

Knights guarded vigilantly below the terrace window as well.

+++

The ducal carriage stopped in the forest on the outskirts of a small village near Inis Port. 

One of the carriage wheels seemed to have malfunctioned, as it was lying detached beside it.

“Here is a robe. Use this to cover yourselves.”

Peterson handed black robes to the three who had alighted from the carriage.

‘It’s strange. There are three people… Why did they ask for four robes?’

Peterson watched them with a puzzled look until they boarded a shabby carriage and climbed onto the driver’s seat.

A large man from the bookstore reattached the wheel to the duke’s carriage and closed the carriage door.

Through the carriage window, the duke’s coachman and knights could be seen sprawled out as if dead.

“This is to be delivered to the Duke.”

As the carriage set off, Hailyn handed a small brown bag to Lexion. 

“Hahaha. As expected of my wife.”

Opening the bag, Lexion laughed heartily and pressed his left chest with his palm.

+++

Leophris, having been hospitalized for a month, went to Inis Port for some fresh air. 

The wind blew fiercely as if a storm was approaching, rocking the docked ships from side to side.

“Sir Leophris!”

Recognizing him, the Imperial Guard knights ran over and bowed in greeting.

With the number of people returning to Ernst rapidly increasing recently, Emperor Grain ordered stricter control over port access. 

As a result, part of the Imperial Guard was dispatched to support the port.

“This ship is the last one. It’s the last ship leaving for Ernst!”

The small ship bound for Ernst seemed already full of people, but the sailor shouted loudly, urging more people to board.

“There are quite a few people.”

“It seems so. Since His Grace is personally governing, everyone is returning to their hometown.”

Leophris glared menacingly at the ship.

‘Lexion. That damn thing is finally going to Ernst!’

Grinding his teeth, he soon recalled that Isabelle was going as the military governor and took a deep breath.

‘Adelina. How should I deal with this insolent one?’

Thinking of venting all his anger on Adelina, who would be left alone, seemed to ease the pain of his still-healing wounds a little.

“Keep up the good work. I’ll arrange a gathering for you hard-working folks later.”

“Thank you, Sir Leophris!”

Leophris gave a small wave to the Imperial Knights and was about to turn away when he stopped abruptly. 

In the line to board the ship bound for the Tiola Empire stood a familiar woman.

‘Adelina’s maid!’

It was her. Though her entire body was covered with a black robe, he could recognize her by the glimpse of her face and her actions.

Leophris approached Hailyn, who was standing alone in line to board the ship.

“Who do we have here? Isn’t this the maid of Duchess Adelina?”

“…Sir Leophris.”

Seeing Leophris walking over without any problem, Hailyn sighed with annoyance. 

“So, are you running away alone, leaving your master behind?”

“What do you mean? My master is Sir Jaeyon of the Tiola Empire. I am returning to him.”

Ignoring Leophris’s sarcasm, Hailyn kept her eyes forward and took a step forward with the crowd’s movement.

‘Creepy guy. Just go away!’

The consolation was that the ship to the Tiola Empire had less strict inspections, allowing people to board quickly. 

“Is that so? Then Duchess Adelina is truly unfortunate. She had no one of her own, you see. Neither her maid. Nor her husband. Nor her father.”