Chapter 12 – Part 5

Baron Slonian and his wife, Baroness Sarah, had spent a sleepless night. Rachel had told them she was going to the palace with Cedric, but she hadn’t returned all night. Unsure of whether to contact anyone or whether it was appropriate to let their unmarried daughter stay out, they had been unable to sleep.

“There’s no need to worry; let’s just wait,” Baron Slonian had reassured his anxious wife, but he was just as concerned.

“Rachel!” Sarah greeted her daughter when Rachel finally returned the following day.

“Do you know how worried we were when you didn’t come back?”

“I told you I was going to the palace to be by His Highness’s side.”

Rachel could see the exhaustion on her parents’ faces, clearly having stayed up all night.

“Did you stay up all night? Without sleeping?“

“How could we sleep peacefully when you hadn’t returned? Especially since you didn’t go to the palace for a pleasant reason,“ Baron Slonian added in a calm but concerned tone. He and his wife had witnessed Cedric collapse and be carried away at the founding festival.

“How is His Highness? Is his condition serious?”

Baron Slonian voiced his worry. The couple didn’t know much about Cedric’s illness. As a family of lesser renown among the nobility, the Slonian household often received information late. Most of what they knew was based on rumors.

“He’s recovering. It wasn’t anything serious; he was just feeling a little dizzy,“ Rachel said, not revealing the whole truth about Cedric’s condition. Anyone could see that it was far more than just dizziness. It was the first time Rachel had seen him so ill up close. Fear had gripped her, her heart pounding wildly.

‘If I tell them everything, they’ll just say things I don’t want to hear.’

Her parents’ worry wasn’t helpful to Rachel.

‘When I excitedly told them about the broken engagement, their reaction wasn’t as enthusiastic as expected.’

Telling them about Cedric’s illness wouldn’t change anything—they wouldn’t be able to solve it and would only become more burdensome.

“The palace doctors took good care of him, and now he’s fine.”

Sara exhaled deeply, relieved. Rachel felt a pang of guilt but decided to keep her eyes shut to it.

‘Once I’m married, moments like this won’t matter.‘

“I’m glad His Highness is well. And how did the introduction to His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress go?“ Sara asked.

“I paid my respects,“ Rachel replied shortly. She had indeed greeted the Empress, though her greeting was met with cold indifference.

“Did they welcome you?”

Sara asked anxiously, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Baron Slonian also waited for his daughter’s response. He had never been optimistic about Rachel and Cedric’s relationship. Knowing his daughter’s personality, he was sure that if things had gone well, she would have been overjoyed and talked about it for days. But now, she barely answered when asked. Anyone could see that things were not going smoothly.

“I just had a brief conversation with Her Majesty.“

“What did you talk about?”

Rachel suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

Even if Rachel wanted to make something up, there was nothing she could fabricate. The only thing the Empress had shown her was a look of disdain. Even when Cedric held her hand tightly, the Empress’s cold gaze didn’t waver.

Thanks to her beauty, Rachel has always been the center of attention. It was no different at home, where, as an only child, she was showered with affection. Such blatant contempt was something she had never experienced before.

The Empress’s gaze was nothing short of brutal. Every time those eyes were fixed on her, Rachel’s heart sank.

‘What did I do wrong? This is really unfair.’

Rachel thought she had to try even harder to make a good impression, but she didn’t even have the chance to do anything. The only “grace“ the Empress extended was reluctantly allowing her to enter the West Palace because her sick son asked for it. That was all.

“I think I already know the answer, even without you telling me.“

“What do you think you know?“ Rachel tried to hide her discomfort.

“Rachel, we’re just curious about what’s really going on. There’s no need to overthink it; just be honest. We’re here to listen, whatever it is.”

It wasn’t said harshly or accusingly.

“Yesterday, Her Majesty the Empress allowed me into the West Palace. So I could stay by His Highness’s side all night. It was my first step as his woman. If you wait a little longer, you’ll hear more good news soon.“

“Really? If that happens… that would indeed be fortunate.“

“It ‘will‘ happen. Why do you sound like it won’t?“ Rachel snapped in a sharp tone.

Baron Slonian secretly wished that Rachel’s relationship with Cedric would end here.

‘My dear, even if you try to hide it, I can see things are not going smoothly.’

Rachel, too, seemed to sense that the situation wasn’t favorable. However, she couldn’t show it to her parents due to her pride. Yet, she was likely the one hurting the most in all this.

“Rachel, as your father, I have to consider the possibility that things with the palace may not work out.“

“You don’t need to do that.“

Sarah’s eyes filled with unease at the tension between father and daughter. Unable to understand her husband’s and daughter’s feelings, she felt like she was on pins and needles.

“I’ll handle my own affairs. Everything is going well. I need to rest now; I’m exhausted.“

“Alright, let’s go to your room.”

Sarah replied.

Even though the event had long since ended, Rachel was still dressed in her outfit from the founding festival. Sarah wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders and led her to her room.

“…”

Baron Slonian watched them leave with a worried expression. He wondered if staying silent was the right thing to do.

‘She could have chosen a much easier path.’

With her striking beauty, Rachel had received marriage proposals from numerous families. Had she married into a suitable, respectable family, she could have continued to live happily, just as she always had.

But now, rumors about her scandal with the crown prince were spreading, and she wasn’t even receiving proper treatment from the royal palace.

“Sigh.”

The baron’s concerns deepened.

* * *

Once he had recovered, Emperor Davon summoned Cedric. As soon as Cedric met with the Emperor, he brought up Rachel, saying she had been a great help in his recovery.

“I ask that you allow her to be formally introduced at the palace, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Davon simply stared at Cedric without responding.

“Why do you not say anything, Your Majesty?“

“I don’t think there’s any need to rush this matter, Cedric.“

“Your Majesty.“

“Is there any concrete proof that the daughter of the Slonian family is actually beneficial to you?“

“What?”

The Emperor’s point was valid. In truth, having her by his side hadn’t lessened his pain. It was simply an effort to make her look better.

“I could feel it, Your Majesty.“

“If that were the case, you should have recovered even more quickly. But from what I hear, your recovery took longer this time.”

The Emperor responded as if he could see right through Cedric.

“That was because of the bruises I sustained when I fell.”

Cedric tried to justify it in response to the sharp question.

“If it weren’t for the bruises, her presence would have helped me recover faster.“

“Are you certain that the Slonian family’s daughter is better than the daughter of the Leiberte family, who was verified by the oracle at the grand temple?“

“…Yes.“

“Really? At least the count’s daughter, whom you drove away for being disrespectful, had the verification of a prophecy. But Rachel doesn’t even have that. Being too quick to assume could lead to a second mistake. I can’t allow someone who will sit on the throne to make such an error.”

The Emperor’s stance was as unyielding as a solid wall.

“For now, focus on your health. There must be no more incidents like those before the nobles.”

“…”

“If they see something like that again, they’ll start to doubt your fitness.”

The Emperor’s words pierced Cedric’s heart. Though the Emperor mentioned the nobles, Cedric couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that perhaps the Emperor was more concerned about his health than he had been before, and this thought made him feel bitter.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He had no choice but to reply and quickly left the Emperor’s room.

‘This won’t do, that won’t do—there’s no end to it,‘ Cedric thought, silently complaining. But since he was seeking permission, there wasn’t much else he could do.

He went to his office and began handling the work piled up during his illness. Though busy, it was better than lying in bed sick. The only thing that felt off was Noah’s absence. Though there were other attendants around, none of them could replace the comfort Noah provided, someone he could confide in completely.

I’ve heard rumors about a healer hidden in the southern part of the empire. I’ll gather more information and return, Your Highness.