Chapter 31 Any Winter, If You’re With Me

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Though there was no need, Arsen, who had been sneaking into the temple every night, had to admit it. The fact that he too greatly enjoyed this blasphemous act.

Knocking on closed windows, kissing before greeting, straining the small bed to its limits, and escaping as dawn approached—he never knew such acts could be so thrilling and addictive.

He especially liked the small single bed. Because the bed was small, Lydia clung tightly to Arsen to avoid falling off.

‘I should buy a small bed. The room doesn’t need to be large either.’

Arsen had planned to gift her a bedroom more magnificent than the imperial palace’s, but over the past few days, he realized that bigger wasn’t necessarily better.

“The wedding will be held in the grand duchy? I wanted to attend, what a shame.”

At the new pope’s enthronement ceremony. Richard, with his cure held hostage, had no choice but to attend even if he didn’t want to. Fortunately, having received the cure the day before the ceremony and feeling much better, Richard wasn’t in a particularly unpleasant mood.

“Your thought alone is appreciated.”

“I heard Marquis Evansi’s residence is already packed up. I suppose you’ll be heading to the grand duchy soon?”

“We plan to leave as soon as the sun rises tomorrow. That’s why I requested an audience early tomorrow morning, but…”

“Ah, so that’s why you wanted to see me. No need for that. Since we’ve met, let’s say our farewells here.”

Though he still wanted to remove Arsen from his sight as soon as possible, he didn’t hate him as much as when he had to bestow the grand ducal title.

It was thanks to Raphael, born with golden hair and golden eyes, inheriting all the emperor’s characteristics. Unlike Michael, Raphael opened his eyes after just one day and looked at Richard with golden pupils.

The protagonist of the oracle who would open a new era. Holding such a son in his arms, Richard no longer feared someone like Arsen.

His time to wield power would be short. When Raphael came of age and spread his wings, the grand duchy would lose its influence.

“Would that be acceptable?”

“Why not?”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Whatever the emperor’s scheme, it spared him a troublesome task. While Arsen and Richard conversed, Lydia exchanged greetings with Manus, the new pope.

Manus handed Lydia the priestess registration documents, and Lydia passed him the treatment for Ludger’s disease.

“Give it to him when the time comes. I’ll periodically send more to the temple through messengers.”

“We should build a large temple in the Bayern grand duchy as well. It seems the Goddess quite favors you, Lady Lydia.”

With this, the Bayern grand duchy and the temple formed an alliance over the emperor’s lifeline.

Lydia hoped Manus would grow powerful enough not to be overwhelmed by Richard. So that Richard’s gaze wouldn’t easily turn toward the grand duchy.

“We’re leaving early tomorrow morning.”

“Then, let me bid you farewell here, Lady Lydia. May the Goddess’s blessing be upon your path.”

“May the Goddess’s mercy spread widely throughout the world, Your Holiness.”

Lydia left the temple without looking back. Though unlikely, she feared something might arise to hold her back again.

Fortunately, nothing happened until the moment she stepped outside the temple and took Arsen’s waiting hand.

Nevertheless, having been badly burned once, the two hurriedly boarded the carriage and departed like thieves.

* * *

A few days after the new pope’s enthronement, the festive atmosphere in the capital quickly returned to normal. As the war’s aftermath was nearly settled, Richard could finally catch his breath. Just as he thought about retiring early for the first time in a long while, he noticed Bergman lingering instead of leaving.

“Count, if you have something to say, just say it. Don’t hover there.”

As Richard rose limping, Bergman quickly brought him a cane and after some hesitation, spoke.

“Actually, there’s something I haven’t told you, Your Majesty.”

“What is it?”

“You asked me to find out who spread the news about your illness?”

Bergman knew the empress was behind it but had kept silent. He believed Prince Michael would succeed to the throne, but with the oracle revealed, Michael had no chance.

So Bergman decided to confess before this fact eventually came to light.

“Yes. Did you find out?”

“It was the empress.”

“……Who?”

The empress, Giselle, Bergman repeated with his head bowed. Richard touched his forehead and then, out of habit, reached for the liquor bottle on his desk.

Since the war ended, he had developed the bad habit of drinking at the slightest provocation. He knew he should resist, but it wasn’t easy. Especially regarding issues like this.

“The empress has crossed the line.”

Richard had wanted Giselle to remain his helper. Had she stayed in his shadow, he would have ensured she received proper treatment as empress and cared for Michael too.

But Giselle had been too greedy. She tried to step outside his shadow. Instead of exploding in rage, Richard dismissed Bergman and sank into thought.

A few days later, Richard declared at the nobles’ council that he would pass the throne to his most outstanding child.

“Furthermore, until the imperial succession is confirmed, there will be no crown prince appointment.”

He then announced Lydia’s final oracle—that a child with golden hair and golden eyes would become the hero of a new era.

With this, his eldest son Michael became far removed from the throne. Giselle protested vehemently, but this only provoked Richard’s anger.

Richard expelled the Melburn baronet family, who had been Giselle’s arms and legs, from the capital. With her limbs cut off, Giselle was virtually confined to the palace as empress.

“You must become emperor, Michael.”

An empress without a proper family backing or the emperor’s favor.

“Only then will you and I survive.”

Giselle whispered her burning anger into Michael’s ear every night.

If only she had never met Richard. If only she hadn’t betrayed Lydia.

“No, no.”

Giselle shook her head, trying to shake off the sticky regret. But she couldn’t rid herself of the thought that all this misfortune should have gone to Lydia. Giselle couldn’t accept that everything she had struggled to obtain was actually stinking garbage.

Unable to accept it, her heart grew more painful, and Giselle lived each day in hell. Every night, she poured words of anger into Michael’s ear, her only lifeline.

“This is all because of Rozena, that fox. You must never grow up like your father. Do you understand? He’s so obsessed with women and pleasure that he keeps losing to Grand Duke Bayern in everything.”

In young Michael’s heart, seeds of incomprehensible resentment began to sprout.

He resented his mother, who had given him hair and eye colors different from his siblings. He hated his father, who neglected his mother and cut off her arms and legs, rendering her powerless.

He felt tremendous inferiority toward his younger brother Raphael, called the child of the oracle.

Michael had inherited all the best qualities of Giselle and Richard, but his intelligence and ambition became poison to him. Rotting from within due to hatred and inferiority, Michael would bring tremendous tragedy to the imperial family. This would happen in the distant future, something even Lydia had never faced.

While Michael was still babbling and Giselle was gritting her teeth in living hell, a grand wedding was about to begin in the Bayern grand duchy.

Lydia slightly raised her tense lips while firmly holding a pink lisianthus bouquet.

“Lydia.”

Before walking down the aisle, Arsen, arm in arm with her, called her name softly. His voice sounded somehow resolute, making Lydia slightly anxious.

“If something like last time happens at the wedding, I will immediately pick you up and run away.”

“What are you saying, Sir?”

Lydia gently poked Arsen’s side with her elbow. Receiving the oracle when they went to see the wedding venue must have become quite a trauma for Arsen.

Even at this moment, just before walking in to make their vows, he was still worried and tense.

Lydia burst into a small laugh, but honestly, she hadn’t completely shaken off her concerns either.

Last night, she had prayed so earnestly—please let this wedding end safely.

“Don’t say such things because words can become reality.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Arsen was being too serious again, making Lydia laugh once more. Though tense and afraid, she was also happy enough to forget those feelings.

The bell announcing the entrance of the bride and groom rang. The venue doors opened, and bright light poured in.

Lydia firmly linked arms with Arsen and walked step by step on the white carpet. How long had she longed and waited for this moment?

All their past hardships flashed before her eyes like a kaleidoscope. Thanks to those, today felt even sweeter.

“You look beautiful, Grand Duchess.”

“Try to smile more naturally, Commander.”

“You’re beside yourself with joy!”

Fluttering flower petals, applause, familiar faces everywhere.

Lydia wanted to remember every detail.

“Miss, you must be happy.”

She met eyes with Maria, who was holding Violet and sniffling. Beside her, Nella, looking younger with her plumper cheeks, handed her a handkerchief.

Nella’s eyes were also moist. Seeing the young master she had saved at the risk of her life grow up to reclaim his family and now marry filled her with indescribable emotion.

She wanted to hug Maria and sob loudly, but what place was there for wailing on this joyous day?