Chapter 108

108. The man’s agony

“Your Grace, it’s Julian.”

“Come in.”

Callion scrutinized Julian as he entered the study. Julian’s face, usually impassive and revealing little, was now filled with despair.

Callion remembered seeing Julian Uclaire wear the same expression once before. It was the day when Julian and Adelaide Conwall’s marriage was decided.

Late at night, Julian had come to him, asking if he would truly follow the Emperor’s orders. His face had been filled with despair then, just as it was now.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting your rest.”

“It’s fine. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

Callion realized that Julian hadn’t been in the small chapel for yesterday’s marriage ceremony, but he didn’t bother to ask.

He knew there was no such thing as a marriage that everyone celebrated.

Though it did make him sad that it was his most trusted friend.

“You look unwell. You weren’t at the banquet yesterday either. Where were you?”

“I had to investigate an urgent matter that arose suddenly.”

“Urgent matter?”

“The troops guarding the palace have been dispatched in large numbers to Belfort.”

“To Belfort? Has something dangerous happened there?”

Belfort was a quiet city located east of the capital. It had no significant resources and wasn’t strategically important, so there was no reason to send troops there.

“The news is about the construction of the new palace in Belfort.”

“Ah.”

Callion only now remembered that a new palace was being built in Belfort.

As soon as Elkius ascended the throne, he started construction on a new palace. The current one was small and uncomfortable, and that was why the construction had begun. However, he had overlooked how much money it would cost to build the palace.

Despite pouring a massive amount of funds into it, it was still far from enough to cover the astronomical construction costs. Eventually, unpaid workers abandoned the site, and now the construction had come to a halt.

“I thought construction on the new palace had been suspended?”

“It was resumed recently. His Majesty plans to move into the new palace after the wedding.”

“So, the troops were dispatched to meet the completion date.”

The dispatch of troops to the new palace served two purposes. First, to assess the palace’s structure and efficiently allocate guards; and second, to monitor the construction workers.

Given the previous strike by the workers, it was likely that they would be more closely monitored to prevent a similar situation from happening again.

“As there’s a lot of pressure to meet the wedding date, we won’t have much time to focus on other matters.”

Callion shared the same thought.

Elkius intended to use this wedding to bolster his legitimacy. So, he would likely try to increase the scale of the event to showcase his authority as Emperor. If that were the case, there wouldn’t be any immediate threats to Callion.

“We’ll have some time to prepare as well.”

If the palace guards were moved to Belfort, they could consider seizing the opportunity to weaken the palace defenses. Callion had been contemplating gathering the troops left in Tiflis and the southern regions to pressure Elkius.

As he was lost in thought, Julian’s faint cough caught his attention.

Julian Uclaire, who seemed hesitant as if he had something to say, finally spoke up.

“I have a favor to ask, Your Grace.”

“What is it?”

“I would like to request some time off.”

“Time off?”

Callion’s gaze sharpened.

Julian Uclaire had never requested time off since becoming the commander of the duke’s knights. Moreover, he had only recently returned to his position, and asking for leave now was completely out of character for him.

“Is this about Shayla?”

“No, Your Grace.”

“Then, are you planning to leave me?”

Julian knelt down and placed his right hand over his heart.

“No, Your Grace.”

“…”

“I swore to dedicate my life to you, Your Grace, and that oath will never be broken as long as I am alive. However…”

“…”

“I believe that I may become a burden to you now, Your Grace.”

Callion looked down at Julian with a complex expression.

He probably needs some time.

Shayla was the only one who didn’t know about Julian’s feeling.

“I won’t wait forever, so tidy things up quickly and come back.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The capital was bustling with the news of the Emperor’s wedding. Streets were crowded with merchants from all over the empire, and people gathered everywhere, discussing the upcoming event.

Those with keen insight speculated on how the empire’s fate might change with this marriage.

But for those who had been feeling down for a while, the wedding was a welcome distraction.

“You must be busy too.”

“Don’t even mention it. I hardly have time to sleep these days.”

“Sorry for bothering a busy person; you should hurry.”

“Oh my, what are you saying? It’s all thanks to someone that I’m so busy.”

Madame Daisy pouted.

Adelaide, trying on dresses in the fitting room, chuckled softly.

Once the assistant tailor had quietly left, Madame Daisy looked into the mirror and asked, “How does it look?”

“The length is fine; just add some fabric to the chest.”

“Low-cut dresses are in fashion for this winter. If you feel it’s too plain, I can add some jewels.”

“Just add the fabric.”

Adelaide instructed the assistant tailor to remove the dress. Madame Daisy opened her mouth with a disappointed expression.

“Adding fabric is easy, but why do you want to cover such a beautiful figure?”

“Because the Duke is very jealous person.”

“Margaret.”

Margaret, who had been listening in, chimed in.

“Indeed, Your Grace, the Duchess, is so beautiful that His Grace must be terribly jealous.”

Madame Daisy laughed heartily.

Adelaide, ignoring the comment, glanced at the dresses she had put on the mannequins.

They were unfinished wedding dresses.

“Are there more weddings aside from the imperial wedding?”

“No. They are all for the empress.”

“Is the empress going to wear five wedding dresses?”

“She’ll wear two, but she asked for five samples. We’re rushed off our feet trying to keep up.”

Madame Daisy rolled her eyes.

“I heard that wedding dresses require a lot of work, but it must be exhausting.”

“Don’t even mention it. Apart from those, she ordered two dresses for the opening ceremony, two for the farewell banquet, and even parade dresses. It’s driving me crazy.”

“It’s a lot, indeed.”

“She insisted that everything must be of the highest quality, to the point where it was unbearable. I appreciate the money, but at this rate, I’m going to wither away.”

Madame Daisy’s jowls wobbled as she shook her head vigorously. Adelaide smiled and replied.

“The Empress’s wedding preparations were entrusted to Countess Owens, right?”

“Yes. I can’t fathom what trick she used to win Her Majesty’s favor and secure such a responsibility… Oh, please pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“It’s alright. Since Countess Owens has an eye for quality, His Majesty must have entrusted her with confidence.”

“That may be true, but she’s so overbearing that she’s widely despised.”

Madame Daisy lowered her voice to gossip about Countess Owens.

“I heard from a jeweler that Countess Owens took all the jewels, claiming she needed them for the wedding gifts.”

“Without paying for them?”

“She said she would show them to the fututre empress, let her choose her favorites, and then return the rest.”

“And?”

“What can you do when it’s a command from His Majesty? They just closed the store.”

“Closed the store over this?”

Margaret, who had been listening, chimed in again.

It wasn’t just the bride-to-be who needed jewelry and dresses for the royal wedding. The ladies attending the ceremony were also busy acquiring new jewels and dresses.

“What can they do if there’s no stock? They can’t sell anything because it would be a disaster if the future empress decided to buy the same items.”

“That makes sense.”

From Madame Daisy’s words, it was clear that Countess Owens was causing quite a stir.

She was interfering in everything, from the furniture and fixtures needed for the new palace to the dishes and flowers for the reception.

“She insists that all invoices be sent to Countess Owens’ residence. Who knows how much she plans to skim off the top.”

Countess Owens was no ordinary woman.

With her immense greed, she wouldn’t miss the opportunity to pocket some easy money.

She was probably working hard to extract money from both the royal family and the shops.

“With someone so meticulous entrusting you with making the dress, your reputation will only improve.”

“Well, creating the Empress’s wedding dress is a dream for any tailor.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Adelaide took a check out of her purse as she dressed again.

“An advance payment.”

“You could pay me later.”

“Take it. You’ll need funds to get started right away.”

“There’s no one like you, Your Grace.”

Madame Daisy bowed deeply as she accepted the check.

“I’ll get the dress to you as quickly as possible.”

“Take your time. I’m not in a rush.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll have it ready by next week for sure—”

“Madame Daisy!”

Madame Daisy’s face turned pale at the sharp voice coming from outside the fitting room.

Adelaide listened to the commotion outside. An employee was dealing with a rude customer.

“Welcome, madam.”

“Where is Madame Daisy?”

“She is with an important client inside.”

“An important client?”

“Her Grace, the Duchess of Tiflis, is here.”

“…Tell her I am here to see the dress for the future Empress.”

The sharp tone softened.

When Adelaide left the VIP room with a wry smile, Countess Owens, who had been harassing the employees, bowed.

Adelaide gave a slight nod in acknowledgment of her perfunctory greeting.

“I’ll come again next time.”