This was a rare opportunity to purge the maternal relatives.
In a way, it was an opportunity created by Reyan sacrificing his life, so Rockfort couldn’t waste it either.
“I plan to destroy House Belest.”
Elia nodded very slowly and looked at Rockfort.
“Then you must also destroy House Theon, which joined hands with House Belest.”
“Of course, I plan to execute Daniel and strip his children of their status and banish them. After that, I’ll clear the former Duke and Duchess of Theon’s names……”
“No.”
Her blue eyes looked steadily at Rockfort without wavering.
“We agreed to share everything together.”
Elia’s white hand covered the back of Rockfort’s hand.
“You are, now……”
“Rockfort, you just said it yourself. That you would cut out festering wounds.”
“If the former Duke and Duchess Theon have no serious charges against them, it’s right to restore them.”
“You know, don’t you? Even if what my parents did wasn’t deliberate, they aren’t innocent.”
Sometimes foolishness was also a crime, and deceiving the emperor was also a crime.
“Not for my sake, but for us…… and for the empire, please make a fair judgment.”
How could Elia shamelessly ask for her parents’ restoration after witnessing Reyan’s grave decision? The saying that when clearing past wrongs, not even a single seed should remain fit this situation perfectly.
With the disappearance of House Belest, a long-standing meritorious and maternal family, there would be no one to fill that vacancy in noble society for a while. Unless, of course, former Duke Theon Beriat’s reputation was restored and returned.
“I’ve already thought fairly. Your mother committed the foolish crime of being deceived by Daniel, but your father was merely ignorant. I can’t say there’s no injustice.”
As Rockfort said, Beriat knew nothing about the incident involving Cecilia. That could be considered his only crime.
“Then please let them spend the rest of their lives peacefully in the Theon duchy as before.”
Elia’s expression didn’t waver in the slightest.
“My father would be grateful for such a generous disposition.”
Beriat was a man of integrity who found fulfillment in caring for his people. In a way, this happened because he had too little ambition for what he possessed, so the capital was not a suitable place for him.
“And when they finish their lives…… then, please reclaim the Theon duchy.”
“Elia!”
“Without that, striking down House Belest would be meaningless.”
Rockfort’s face darkened as Elia calmly requested the natural extinction of her family. Why should she lose her family just because he was striking down his maternal relatives?
“My parents only have me left as their child, but if we look into the collateral lines, someone else could inherit the title of Duke Theon. But what if that person harbors the same intentions as Daniel?”
House Belest hadn’t always wielded such powerful authority from the beginning.
“Maybe not now, but someday…… after time passes, won’t there be someone who desires power because of maternal relations? Especially when House Belest, which could keep that power in check, disappears.”
There was no immediate heir to House Theon, but nobles usually manage to find someone to put forward when searching through collateral bloodlines.
“We must not create a second House Belest.”
If House Theon took the place of Belest, which had flaunted its close blood ties with the imperial family and wielded influence, the sacrifice Rockfort was making now would lose its meaning.
“Let’s cut off the flawed past and live…… our time.”
Looking back, things like maternal relatives and marriage connections with the imperial family had caused so much pain to many people.
As long as Rockfort bore the fate of being emperor, it was unavoidable suffering, but Elia had thought of a way to temporarily halt it.
“You don’t need to sacrifice yourself.”
“It’s not a sacrifice. I’m your wife, so I simply share your intentions.”
Rockfort momentarily couldn’t continue speaking due to the emotion welling up inside him, gritting his teeth before releasing them.
“Elia, how can you be so……”
Seeing Rockfort unable to finish his words, Elia smiled.
Now she could clearly see his loneliness that he had endured for being emperor, and his anguish as a human being. Perhaps because he was both emperor and her husband.
“It’s natural for a husband and wife to share the same intentions.”
Countless people had already been sacrificed. Rockfort couldn’t help but bear heavy responsibility as emperor for that fact.
Elia also had the same heart and determination as empress.
“Let’s make sure no one else gets hurt by twisted desires.”
The unjust incident Cecilia experienced, the regrettable events like what happened to Leticia, the countless futile lives lost at Cassandra’s hands…… none of these were needed during Rockfort’s reign.
“Rockfort, please create such a world.”
It was better to look forward than to resent or blame what had passed.
“I’ll protect your heart and this imperial palace.”
Someday their children would grow up and play here. Whenever Elia pictured that future, she wanted to make this world a better place.
At the very least, there should be no child in this imperial palace who would experience an unhappy childhood like Rockfort’s.
“I can only say thank you and I’m sorry to you……”
“That’s not true.”
Elia deliberately smiled at Rockfort’s serious face.
“There’s one more thing.”
Rockfort’s eyes widened briefly, then understanding Elia’s meaning, he formed a faint smile and pulled the lovely woman tightly into his arms.
“I love you.”
That was everything for now.
“From now on…… for a lifetime.”
Elia nodded her head, buried in Rockfort’s warm embrace.
“I too will love you and love you again. ……For a lifetime.”
Nothing more was needed in this moment.
The chains of the past had been broken, and finally the day had come to erase all regrets and resentments.
In the end, neither meticulously woven plans nor poison as bitter as human grudges could be their method. Just as poison cannot overcome poison, from the beginning, the answer to all problems lay in people’s hearts.
And the two of them would live with deep gratitude for that fact.
* * *
The funeral of the former imperial couple was conducted solemnly and quietly.
At the final moment, Reyan had embraced Cassandra with such strength that their bodies could not be separated until the end. Following Rockfort’s orders, the two were buried in a single coffin.
“Somehow…… I think this end suits them both.”
When Leticia, wearing a black veil, spoke softly, Elia nodded. Even at the moment his life ended, Reyan had used all his strength to hold onto Cassandra. Just as he had done throughout his life.
“But only we know that.”
Elia answered quietly.
The deaths of the former emperor and empress dowager were soon proclaimed throughout the empire, and national mourning began immediately.
Few were surprised by the death of the former emperor who had suffered from a long illness, but many were moved to tears by the touching story that the empress dowager, who had been nursing him, took her own life out of grief to follow the former emperor.
People who actually knew Cassandra might have scoffed, but for the common people, it became a beautiful tale.
“His Majesty’s flower offering has ended.”
Leticia murmured as she watched Rockfort placing the final flower before the coffin.
After the emperor offered flowers and the archbishop prayed for their eternal rest, the solemn funeral procedures finally concluded.
It was a truly empty and quiet ending for the funeral of Reyan, who once commanded the entire continent, and Cassandra, who had obtained everything she wanted in the world.
“I pray once more that His Majesty the Former Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager may rest eternally by God’s side.”
Everyone bowed silently at the archbishop’s devout words.
At this funeral, attended only by direct imperial family members, it was the sound of the bell rung by the archbishop, rather than the sound of weeping, that sent off the deceased.
* * *
Three days passed after the funeral.
Rockfort declared his return to the council, saying he could not leave state affairs any longer, and Elia also governed the imperial palace far more strictly than usual as empress.
“House Belest was plotting rebellion. It’s pathetic how I worried about what justification to attach to their extinction.”
When Duke Belest was confined and his circumstances thoroughly investigated, evidence of rebellion was continuously discovered without needing to fabricate anything. Thanks to this, his execution was practically decided.
“Daniel Theon was an insignificant fellow anyway, so there’s no need to take special action.”
“I…… actually have a request regarding him.”
Elia put down her teacup and looked steadily at Rockfort.
“Anything you say.”
After hesitating briefly, Elia carefully opened her lips.
“I know my sister Cecilia is a sinner to Your Majesty.”
When the almost taboo name emerged, a shadow fell over Rockfort’s face.
He had never harbored feelings for Cecilia from the beginning, nor had they ever truly been husband and wife, so he had no reason to resent her…… but thinking of Elia’s feelings made his heart complicated.
“The only reason I resent her is that she nearly harmed the life of my precious you, and left wounds that still pain you.”
Elia never showed it, but whenever it rained or she walked too much, she would limp slightly on her left ankle, which always caught Rockfort’s eye and pained him.
“Then, may I…… dare to forgive Cecilia?”
The only person Cecilia had tried to harm was Elia.
Even that was when her judgment was extremely clouded after unwillingly carrying a child due to Cassandra’s schemes.
“Now everything has been revealed. Cecilia was drugged with an aphrodisiac, had her body taken while intoxicated…… and as a result, she was a victim who found herself on the edge of a cliff.”
The inferiority complex she secretly harbored toward Elia, or her desperate clinging to the position of empress might have been distasteful, but they weren’t crimes deserving such a fate.
Rather, the greatest victim in this whole incident was Cecilia herself.
“Please formally commemorate her. And…… don’t reveal Daniel’s crimes to the world.”
Daniel’s sins deserved the world’s condemnation, but if revealed, the humiliation Cecilia suffered would also be exposed.
Elia wanted to preserve her sister’s final dignity, who had maintained her pride until the end.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
ReadingRainbow9266
Is there only 4 chapters left until the completion? If so, that means most probably he won’t remember his past life, which IMO s*cks, because she’ll always remember the pain he caused her when she was innocent and it will forever be a terrible memory. Woyld be better if at the very least they could share that terrible memory together… I hope so.