Chapter 61

The Empress, now dressed in a nightgown full of ruffles, took a seat slightly away from the Emperor.

Since the departure of the former Duke and Duchess of Brent, the Emperor has been exuding a more imposing atmosphere than usual.

The Empress forced herself to take a deep breath and smile.

“To be honest, I was quite surprised earlier. Is it really alright to entrust Grand Cali to them?”

At Olivia’s words, Aksen’s lips curved slightly, almost as if smiling.

The Emperor was staring out at the darkened window as he drank from the silver goblet.

Although he often drank that wine, strangely, it never gave off any smell of alcohol.

Olivia continued to speak.

“It seems unlikely, but if they do succeed in developing the territory… wouldn’t they gain a new strength?”

It was already well known within the Imperial Palace that the Emperor intended to seize control of the North.

The center, as well as the eastern, western, and southern regions of the Rilt Empire, were already firmly under the Emperor’s control.

However, the North was a lawless land that cared neither for rebellion nor for the change of emperors, and the Emperor had so far left it alone.

But if Wiltsbrook Castle and Grand Cali were redeveloped, there would be no other city as vast and resplendent as the snowy metropolis.

Wiltsbrook Castle stood tall, with sharp mountains surrounding it like protectors, piercing the sky like icicles rising from the ground.

For the past several months, the Imperial Palace had been sending exploratory teams to Wiltsbrook Castle and the surrounding area, but strangely, none had returned.

Rumors abounded that Wiltsbrook Castle was the dwelling place of Dracula, though baseless.

The place, eternally covered in snow, exuded an oppressive grandeur and fear that humbled all who beheld it.

‘Sending the former Brent family to such a place…’

Olivia couldn’t help but be on guard.

The chances of them dying as soon as they arrived were high, but if they succeeded?

If the northerners accepted them as their lords?

If that happened, the Brent family would gain a new kind of authority, one that might escape the Emperor’s influence.

However, the Emperor merely gave a short laugh, as if he wasn’t concerned at all by Olivia’s worries.

“Do you really think that will happen? They won’t even be able to clean a single room in Wiltsbrook Castle properly.”

“…I see.”

But what was this uneasiness?

The Emperor was as calm as ever, yet Olivia felt strangely tense.

Was it because she had met the upright and dignified former Brent couple?

No.

Olivia knew very well where her anxiety stemmed from.

The Emperor, who was usually indifferent or deadly to others, had shown an interest in the Brent family.

Like a cat toying with a mouse, he had stripped them of their status and wealth, only to place them back into a different kind of treadmill.

This was clearly intrigue and interest.

Never before had he shown such interest in anyone else.

Olivia’s hand trembled slightly.

“But I wonder if the people of the territory will easily follow them. It’s a place that’s been neglected for so long; it’s almost untouched by the influence of the central government.”

“That’s why they must become even more loyal subjects of the Rilt Empire.”

“…”

“I hope Alec proves me wrong and succeeds.”

A sharp gleam briefly flashed in the Emperor’s eyes as he lifted his head to gaze out the window.

Today, Aksen felt a peculiar sense of discomfort upon witnessing Alec’s changed attitude, but he didn’t consider it impressive.

After all, he had only gone from a fool to a mere ordinary person.

‘Will he come begging for his life this time?’

He was waiting for that moment.

He wanted to push him until he broke, if possible.

Seeing those violet eyes staring at him earlier only made him anticipate it more.

“Your Majesty.”

Suddenly, a low and frail voice, as if it could break at any moment, came from close by.

Before he could turn around, slender arms wrapped around his waist.

Before her cautious touch could fully reach him, Aksen grasped the Empress’s arm and removed it.

“I’m tired.”

“…”

Even when brushing off a bug from his clothes, there would have been more warmth than in that moment.

How many months had it been since he had used fatigue as an excuse to push her away?

Since the Emperor had already refused, Olivia couldn’t approach him any further.

She knew all too well what would happen if she made him repeat himself.

However, the Emperor, while avoiding intimacy with her, had not brought any other woman into his bed, making it all the more peculiar.

After months of pondering the reason, Olivia suddenly felt a certainty in this moment.

Could it be that he was tormenting the Brent couple and pushing her away because he intended to take the woman who would become Mistress of Wiltsbrook?

Olivia’s eyes flared briefly as her hand tightened on her dress.

* * *

“What? Wiltsbrook Castle? That’s absurd!”

It was the reaction I had expected.

With Eloise’s shocked outburst, I let out a soft sigh.

I too thought it was absurd, but I had to provide an explanation that would make sense to these two troublemakers.

My mother-in-law elegantly raised her teacup with a graceful gesture.

“I’ll go once the castle is all cleaned up.”

“…”

Everyone really had their own unique way of reacting.

Eloise, looking as if he might cry any moment, spoke again with a horrified expression.

“Can’t we just stay here? How could we possibly live there? It must be full of cobwebs and dust that’s been piling up for a hundred years!”

“Wouldn’t hiring about a thousand servants make it clean?”

*Sigh.*

Weren’t they saying this place was a shack earlier?

My sister-in-law was on the verge of tears, and my mother-in-law continued to speak elegantly in a way I could never imagine.

Still, I tried to console Eloise by pointing out the advantages of Wiltsbrook Castle.

“Aren’t you at least happy to be living in a castle? It must have at least three hundred more rooms than the duke’s manor we used to live in.”

“And if we get lost and starve to death, who’s going to save us? What if monsters come out while we’re sleeping? What if there are beggars living in the basement?”

“…”

At this rate, I’m going to end up being convinced by them.

I opened my mouth, slightly more firmly.

“Both of you should stop talking so childishly.”

“What?”

“Unbelievable…”

My mother-in-law frowned unpleasantly, and my sister-in-law’s jaw dropped.

Ignoring them, I started to say what I had to.

“Right now, we all need to come together. You realize this isn’t a joke, right? Honestly, being kicked out of the duke’s manor was easier compared to our current situation.”

“…Then what are we supposed to do?”

Eloise frowned, on the verge of tears.

I tried to keep my head cool and think.

Technically, the place we were staying was just before reaching the northern region of Grand Cali.

While we weren’t exactly *in* Grand Cali yet, going further to where Wiltsbrook Castle was would mean facing harsh weather that would be difficult to endure.

On top of that, we’d face resistance from the people who had been living in the North for a long time.

They wouldn’t just follow orders because strangers claiming to be lords suddenly showed up.

Using force to subdue them was an absurd idea.

I heard Eloise’s discouraged voice again.

“Maybe we should go back to the Imperial Palace and beg, sister.”

“What?”

“How could we possibly govern the North? Do you really think that makes any sense?”

At Eloise’s question, I shrugged lightly.

“It’s going to be so hard it’ll feel like dying.”

“That’s why we should go back to His Majesty and beg for forgiveness. Just admit we were wrong.”

“…Then we’d end up at the execution grounds, offering our necks instead of going to the North.”

“…”

Eloise was at a loss for words, her lips trembling.

More than anything, I had no intention of going back to the Emperor to beg for him to cancel our trip to the North.

I’d rather die than do that.

We had to find something we *could* do.

“…First, we need allies who can help us.”

“Allies?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded lightly in response to Eloi’s question.

My mother-in-law remained seated on the sofa, silently watching me.

“Now that we’ve regained our noble status, we should call back the servants who used to work for the Brent Duke’s household.”

Many of the servants from the Brent Duchy had worked for our family for a long time.

They were highly skilled, fully grasping the duties of managing the estate, and they had the sense to take care of everything seamlessly without being told.

I couldn’t help but trust the duchy’s servants.

But would they be willing to come back?

They’d have to move all the way to Grand Cali, so they might refuse.

Still, I wanted to bring back servants I could rely on.

They helped us live in the way that best suited the Brent Duchy.

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