Chapter 2 – Part 5

Not long after, Beatrice set out on a journey to the south. She personally took care of the preparations, finding joy in the process as she didn’t want to burden the busy empress.

On the morning of Beatrice’s departure, Tenere embraced her tightly, urging her to be careful on the journey. Beatrice seemed slightly surprised, but she embraced Tenere in return.

“If there’s ever any difficulty, send me a message.”

That was the last thing the empress said.

As evening fell, thunder roared, and rain poured down. Tenere, lying in bed, couldn’t sleep for a long time, listening to the sound of pouring rain. The wind outside was unsettling.

“Empress!”

A scream-like cry was drowned in the rain. The window flashed. The voices of people shouting were barely audible amidst the thunder.

Or perhaps, she didn’t want to hear them.

“What did you say?”

To Tenere’s question, the maid sobbed, lying on the floor.

“Empress… “

The rain continued to pour. The room, dimly lit by the fading golden light, made the maid’s mouth and voice appear overly clear.

She didn’t remember what happened next. Her legs lost strength, and her vision blurred.

Did she shake her head, or did she show displeasure?

Or did she embrace the maid trying to comfort her, unable to breathe properly, sobbing and crying like an abandoned beast?

All the dignity and grace she had learned as an empress, everything was thrown away, and she wailed like a motherless creature.

Goodbyes were as sudden as meetings, and deaths were even more abrupt.

Tenere regained consciousness after the mourning period was over. When she opened her eyes, the maid who had been by her side hastily called for a physician.

By the time the physician finished the treatment, Leonard had also urgently arrived at her bedroom.

“Empress.”

Leonard tried to stop her from getting up, informing others in haste. The touch of his hand sweeping over her head was extremely delicate.

“Your body is greatly hurt. Lie down.”

“And the Dowager Empress…?”

Tenere asked in a trembling voice. Leonard’s face was notably pale.

Looking at the darkened area under his lowered golden crown, tears welled up again in Tenere’s eyes.

“The mourning has passed without incident. The remains have been properly placed in the mausoleum.”

Leonard couldn’t continue his words and bit his lower lip. But it was just for a moment and as always, he slowly lifted the corners of his mouth.

“Empress, don’t think about anything and rest.”

His voice seemed to tremble slightly. Yet, Tenere couldn’t stop crying as she looked at him.

“Your Majesty, are you all right?”

Tenere extended her hand slowly. Her trembling hand covered the Emperor’s face.

“Did you sleep properly…?”

“I’m fine.”

“…”

“…I should be.”

With his response, Tenere cried silently. If only he were truly cold and indifferent, she wouldn’t be this sorrowful.

“I apologize. I should have… regained my senses.”

The fact that the empress had spent the mourning period lying in bed was too indecent and shameful.

Where could such an incompetent empress be? Rather than providing help to the emperor, she only burdened him.

“Empress, you cried for me, didn’t you?”

A warm hand wiped away her tears. It was strange to be comforted by someone who actually needed it.

But Tenere couldn’t stop crying.

It was too unfair why the farewell she hoped was just a nightmare wasn’t a dream, and it was sad that the man before her couldn’t even shed a tear for his mother’s death.

Why did this fact feel so unjust?

“Did you not cry?”

Mixed with her choked voice, Tenere asked. Leonard didn’t answer. For the first time, a twisted expression was present on his face.

Tenere unintentionally pulled his face. His large body followed without resistance.

“Just cry for today. Just for today.”

The breath in the embrace was rough. Leonard, as if seeking support, breathed heavily for a while before slowly nodding.

Tenere gently stroked his back.

“Ah…”

There was moisture in the exhaled breath. The round back trembled slightly.

The hand that had been gripping the bed tightly now tightly held Tenere’s waist, as if searching for support.

The embrace gradually became wet. Leonard began to sob slowly.

“Mother, mother” The sound of weeping continued for a long time.

***

Tenere occasionally thought of Leonard that day. She thought of the big man sobbing in his arms.

She thought of the man who, after crying for a long time, had pulled himself up, saying he was all right now.

Reddened eyes and nose, lips that habitually curved. Tears stained his clothes as he touched them, recalling what he had said.

“I revealed an embarrassing sight to the Empress.”

And again.

“Thank you, Empress.”

Leonard visited her every day until Tenere’s body recovered.

He asked if she was eating well, sleeping soundly, and if there were any other discomforts. He even supported her on walks, guiding her directly, as she had spent a long time in bed.

Every time, Tenere thought. Perhaps it was impossible not to love him from the beginning.

She didn’t want to be a burden to him, so as soon as she felt well enough, she got up.

Leonard suggested that she could rest more, but she shook her head.

In the study without the Dowager Empress, Tenere worked as she did before. Days passed like that.

“Empress, there are discussions about the successor.”

The Duchess of Deferac, a friend and subordinate of the Empress, cautiously conveyed the news of the social circles.

“My daughter tries to intervene, but there are limits. If the abdication is further delayed, there might be those who raise issues.”

The Duchess suggested that Tenere might be hurt, but the Empress’s long delay in bearing a successor was a significant problem.

It was even more strange that there had been no issues so far.

“Until now, it seems the Dowager Empress has been preventing it.”

Tenere said with a bitter smile. The Duchess remained silent.

“The health of the Emperor seems fine… What could be the problem?”

“Are you taking your medicine regularly?”

“Yes. I’m worried that I need to give birth to an heir soon so that His Majesty will have peace of mind.”

Even as she spat out the words, Tenere had a strange feeling.

She knew she had to bear a child quickly to continue the imperial bloodline, she remembered Leonard’s words that she could have a consort once she had an heir, and she felt bitter.

After giving birth, there would be no need to go through the obligatory ceremonial affairs. After all, their relationship wasn’t born out of love in the first place.

Even after realizing her love for Leonard, Tenere didn’t feel so tormented. Leonard remained consistently affectionate, and that affection resembled love so much.

She tried to be satisfied with his laughter and warm touch alone.

However, what if he no longer sought her out after bearing a successor? What if she realized anew that there was no love in their encounters?

In that case, Tenere had no confidence she wouldn’t be hurt.

“If… if the is really no child, what should I do?”

Tenere asked cautiously, trying to suppress her selfish desires.

She was the Empress of Eugenia. The person she loved was someone who prioritized the empire to the extent of not properly mourning her mother’s death and dedicating himself to state affairs.

Therefore, she, too, had to prioritize the empire and the imperial family.

What Leonard wanted was not a lover demanding love, but an Empress standing by his side to support Eugenia together.

“Usually, the council gets involved in choosing the successor.”

“…”

“If the Emperor is a woman, she gives birth directly, so there’s no need for formal consort intervention. However, in other cases, an unmarried lady is brought in by the palace to bear the imperial descendant.”

Tenere already knew this information. The Empress received more favorable treatment than the country’s noble ladies because she could give birth to an heir with imperial blood.

So if she couldn’t give birth to an imperial son, she would have to have a child with the emperor’s blood through someone else.

“…I see.”

Even though she knew this fact, hearing it from someone else made her feel relieved in an inexplicable way.

He was a person who treated everyone with courtesy, and she assumed it would be the same with the concubine. He would smile kindly, exchange pleasantries, and…

To hide her complicated feelings, Tenere quickly lifted the corners of her mouth.

The Duchess of Deferac looked at her with a pitiful expression.
***

It was the day Tenere met her father for the first time since Beatrice’s death.

Lord Evan had not sought Tenere much before, as the queen was always happy to hear of his arrival.

Of course, Beatrice never treated Lord Evan with anger or disrespect.

However, her mere presence sitting next to Tenere with a cold attitude was enough to pressure Lord Evan.

Lord Evan had to address Tenere as “Empress” and speak louder, and he had to serve her tea with a polite attitude.

So when he came to find Tenere after the Empress’s death, he was eager to vent everything he had built up until now.

“Still no news?”

Lord Evan asked abruptly as Tenere dismissed the attendants. Tenere habitually raised her head stiffly to look at him.

“What news do you mean?”

“Pregnancy! Have you taken the medicine I gave you diligently? Haven’t I sent a maid to check every time?”

Tenere almost sighed at her father’s unchanging behavior, reminiscent of three years ago.

He was truly an unchanged person. Not a single word asked if she was okay after fainting and getting up.

“The medicine prescribed by the palace is the only one I take. They warned me not to take anything else, there could be unexpected side effects.”

She didn’t bring up the fact that she had given the same answer before.

Lord Evan, who had been eagerly looking forward to the sight of his daughter expecting as before, turned red just because Tenere did not meekly follow his words.

“How can you trust the words of a young maidservant? Stop with the nonsense…”

Lord Evan, who had refrained from treating Tenere rudely until now, seemed to have developed a habit, and he didn’t raise his hand arbitrarily.

And Tenere didn’t want to raise her head to the man who raised his voice.

“The palace physician is the best in the empire, Father.”

There was no light in Tenere’s face.

“Doubting the qualifications of the palace physician is akin to ignoring the vision of the imperial family.”

Although it was the usual soft voice, the unfamiliar expression on Tenere’s face confused Lord Evan.

“What, what did you say?”

“Why did you come here today?”

Tenere looked at her father with cold eyes. Just by raising her head stiffly, she could see him looking flustered.

He was just such a person.

Just looking straight into her eyes and having a clear conversation with her was enough to show his confusion. A person who always raised his voice as if trying to hide his small stature.

“You, you ungrateful b*tch, how dare you speak in front of your father……!”

Just by asking about the purpose of his visit, Lord Evan seemed ready to strike Tenere’s cheek at any moment. Eric hurriedly hugged him.

“Father, this is the imperial palace. Uh, please apologize quickly.”

“…I just asked why you came.”

Although Eric tried to stop him, Tenere’s expression remained unchanged. The Marquis looked at her in disbelief, then snorted.

“Now that you’re the empress, you treat your father worse than a dog, and it’s all because I…….”

“It’s because His Majesty took me in as Empress when I wasn’t good enough.”

The Marquise’s face flushed red once more as she replied. His eyes were bloodshot.

“Your becoming Empress is all thanks to me, who has nurtured and raised you all this time!”

“Father, please calm down and…….”

Eric desperately tried to stop his father, while the Marquis still shouted at Tenere.

But Tenere was not afraid, for she was the Empress and this was the Imperial Palace, and if he laid a hand on her, he would be punished for injuring a member of the royal family.

She was merely puzzled that her father had lost his senses enough to raise his hand to her in the palace.

“How long do you think the Emperor will favor you? A useless Empress who cannot even give birth to an imperial son!”

“Father!”

Surprised, Eric shouted, but Lord Evan ignored him.

“Do you know what people are saying in society these days? That the Empress, who cannot even bear an imperial son, should be replaced, and the concubine should be brought in. Even if Your Majesty gives birth through the concubine do you think you can be so complacent?”

“…”

Tenere was speechless. She’d been in the palace for three years, taking every pill the court physician had given her, and still no sign of a child.

Beatrice and Leonard didn’t urge her to have a successor, but with her body now being that of an empress, she couldn’t help but be concerned.

As Tenere’s complexion darkened, Lord Evan laughed triumphantly, as if he had achieved something.

“What do you think you’ll do when you can’t bear children and you’re forced to be dethroned? When that happens, there will be nowhere for you to go except to me!”

If the Empress couldn’t give birth, it was customary to either adopt a child or have one through the concubine. Even if she were to be dethroned due to infertility, it wouldn’t be a pleasant situation for Marquis Evan.

However, Marquis Evan seemed to have no concern for such facts. He appeared to be someone who just wanted to inflict wounds on Tenere.

Neither the deceased Beatrice nor Leonard had ever spoken in such a manner…

“Are you even going to take me ……?”

Tenere controlled her expression and calmly asked again.

Marquis Evan’s eyebrows twitched, and Erih fiercely interjected towards Tenere as if telling her to stop.

But once the words burst out, they didn’t stop.

“Even if I were to be dethroned and return to the Evan Marquisate… you wouldn’t accept me, right, Father? Since I can’t give birth to a child, I can’t even be sold anywhere. I can’t be passed on to Viscount Heleon because of my age.”

When Tenere touched on the threat of the marriage proposal from Viscount Heleon, Marquis Evan coughed awkwardly. Tenere slowly rose from her seat.

“It seems your business here is done, so I’ll take my leave. Also… be mindful of raising your voice within the palace, as there are ears everywhere.”

“This wench!”

Marquis Evan shouted with a shrill voice. Tenere looked down at her father, who was sitting on the sofa with a straightened back.

“I am the Empress, Father. When we meet next time, please observe the proper etiquette.”

“You, you…!”

Marquis Evan once again scolded Tenere. Without saying anything more, Tenere left the reception room.

The two people’s gazes lingered on the closed door for a while.