Chapter 7 (Part 3)

Receiving Cloud’s sudden urgent message, Anthus frowned instinctively. Watching Anthus grumble with dissatisfaction, Phillip saw him off with a smile.

“Have a good trip.”

Anthus, finding Phillip annoying, said petulantly,

“Father, can’t you take back the dukedom? Suddenly, I don’t want to be a duke anymore.”

“How dare you try to return the dukedom? I will refuse such unfilial behavior.”

“I will be unfilial. Please take it back.”

“No. While you’re gone, I plan to have a sweet tea time with our Frey and Lia.”

The thought that his parents would be having tea time with Yuliana while he was dragged to the palace for work dampened Anthus’s mood.

“Trying to return the dukedom to an old, powerless father to make him work—there’s no other unfilial child like you. Lia, why don’t you reconsider marrying Yan? You’re too good for such an unfilial child.”

“Father!”

Yuliana, watching the two of them argue over not wanting to be a duke, started to see Anthus off with a smile.

“It’s an urgent message from Your Majesty. Go quickly, Yan. I’ll be waiting at the Ducal residence.”

Anthus, filled with regret, looked at Yuliana once more before boarding the carriage with heavy steps. He was glad his parents returned to the Ducal residence, but he felt as if Yuliana was being taken away from him.

Upon arriving at the palace, Anthus was guided by the chamberlain to a secret reception room. The well-organized reception room had only a table and a sofa, and Cloud, sitting in the main seat, waved lightly at Anthus as he entered.

“Welcome, Yan.”

“Your Majesty, what is the urgent message about?”

“I’ve called Earl Loengrin as well, so sit and wait.”

Seeing Cloud’s expressionless face as he sipped tea, Anthus instinctively sensed that the situation was not good and quietly took a seat.

“Your Majesty, Earl Loengrin has arrived.”

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Matthias entered and greeted them.

With a serious expression, Cloud explained to Anthus and Matthias what Rybid had said to him. As Matthias listened, his smile gradually disappeared, and Anthus’s expression turned grim.

“So, he has effectively declared war on you, Your Majesty, insisting on taking my fiancée.”

“If she lacks divine power, she cannot become the Pope’s consort. But despite knowing that, Pope Rybid is being unreasonable.”

“We cannot let Lia become like Rosaline.”

Matthias clenched his fists, trembling. He shook his head at the relentless fearful thoughts. Memories buried deep within his heart began to resurface.

The first time he met Rosaline, she was so beautiful. He fell in love at first sight. But he knew he shouldn’t give his heart to the saint of the Holy Kingdom.

He warned himself to ignore the growing feelings that couldn’t be fulfilled. He prayed to God for his feelings to quickly subside.

Her lovely confession made the feelings he had been suppressing overflow, filling him to the brim.

In the end, he crossed the line with Rosaline and had Louis. As soon as this became known, Rezeph lost interest in her, and Rosaline was stripped of her saintly status by the Holy Kingdom.

And they tattooed thorny vine bracelets on both her wrists, marking her as a ‘disgraced saint’ abandoned by God.

He didn’t care. He was just happy to be with her.

As time passed, Louis was born between them, and three years later, Yuliana was born. Watching the children grow made him happy every day.

Then one day, the Holy Kingdom asked Rezeph to send Rosaline temporarily to the Holy Kingdom. Matthias opposed it, but Rezeph demanded a large amount of holy water and artifacts imbued with divine power in exchange for sending Rosaline.

<Rosaline, let’s leave everything behind and go far away. Let’s find a place deep in the mountains where no one can find us and live quietly.>

Rosaline was taken to the Holy Kingdom, and Matthias prayed desperately for her safe return.

However, just a few days after arriving in the Holy Kingdom, Rosaline returned as a cold corpse.

The Holy Kingdom said that a disgraced saint had simply received divine punishment. Knowing that Rosaline left knowing she would die, he cried out in grief.

“The Holy Kingdom insulted Rosaline by saying she died from divine punishment. It doesn’t make sense that she died from divine punishment. Something must have happened in the Holy Kingdom.”

“It was certainly suspicious. But there was no way to find out the cause of Saint Rosaline’s death, and back then, I was just a powerless Crown Prince.”

Cloud recalled the events of that day with a sad expression.

“It doesn’t make sense for someone without divine power to become the Pope’s consort. I think if Lady Loengrin goes to the Holy Kingdom, she might follow the same procedure as Saint Rosaline. They might say she received divine punishment as the daughter of a disgraced saint.”

Matthias nodded, tears in his eyes.

“I’m sorry. Thinking of Rosaline makes my heart…”

“It’s okay to shed tears, Earl Loengrin.”

Matthias took out a handkerchief and turned his head to wipe his tears.

“Rosaline seemed to know she would die. Her last words were not to instill hatred and resentment towards the Holy Kingdom in the children…”

“Was there anything else she said?”

“Yes. There was one thing that stuck with me.”

“Tell me.”

“She said that recalling the disgraced saint meant the Pope was in a serious situation. I don’t know what that means, but it didn’t feel good.”

“The Pope is in a serious situation…”

“Father, it’s time to tell Lia and Young Lord Louis the truth.”

Anthus looked at Matthias steadily and spoke.

“That their mother didn’t die of an illness.”

“But…”

“I understand your fear of revealing the secret you’ve kept hidden until now. But depending on how you wrap the fear, it can be a tragedy or a comedy for the listener. If Lia feels it’s a tragedy, she will dislike Pope Rybid and the Holy Kingdom.”

“What do you mean, Duke?”

“Pope Rybid confidently declared to His Majesty that Lia would follow him to the Holy Kingdom. That means there’s ‘something’ that would make Lia willing to follow Pope Rybid to the Holy Kingdom. So, whatever Pope Rybid says, Lia just needs not to believe him.”

For example, stories about Rosaline’s grandfather. If not that, threats that they would take away Louis because he is also of saintly blood. Thinking about it, there are various ways Rybid could sway Yuliana.

“People don’t trust the truth spoken by those they dislike, and the more they hear it, the more they perceive it as a tragedy. A terrible and horrific tragedy.”

“You’re suggesting we reveal Rosaline’s death as a tragedy so they can be angry with the Holy Kingdom and the Pope…”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That’s a valid point.”

Matthias took out a handkerchief and turned his head to wipe his tears.

“Father, I also don’t want Lia to know about Saint Rosaline’s death, but for now, I hope you’ll focus solely on protecting Lia from the Holy Kingdom. Lia is more positive and stronger than anyone. Even if she hears the truth, she won’t resent you.”

Tears welled up in Matthias’s eyes.

Anthus was right. If Louis or Yuliana learned the truth about Rosaline’s death, he feared they would blame him for not being able to protect the woman he loved.

“I alone have suffered in the self-reproach of not being able to protect the one I loved. I didn’t want to share these painful feelings with the children. It was also Rosaline’s last wish.”

“Earl Loengrin.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Saint Rosaline was Moca’s savior. As a powerless Crown Prince, I could only watch as Saint Rosaline was taken to the Holy Kingdom without being able to oppose the Emperor’s actions. I couldn’t even protest her death, but things are different now.”

Before Rosaline left for the Holy Kingdom, Cloud secretly went to thank her for saving Monica.

Rosaline said just that one sentence and turned her back. Cloud could never forget the sight of Rosaline silently shaking with sobs, trying to hold back her tears.

“I understand. I will tell the children about Rosaline’s death.”