The Abandoned Empress Will Not Return

Did Cerdian arrive safely?

 

No matter how often he crossed the Bator Mountains, it was true that she was worried.

 

The climate in the mountains changes rapidly several times a day and because of this, it was an infamous place that even skilled mountaineers were reluctant to go.

 

But worrying won’t change anything.
She just wishes for his safe arrival.

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Thinking of Cerdian for a long time, Viscountess Cohen, who came to work earlier than other days, called Rodelia carefully.

 

“Oh, when did you get here? Is it already time?”

 

Surprised, Rodelia turned to the wall next to the window and looked at the clock.
It was an hour earlier than usual when she went to work.
Rodelia turned to the madam with a puzzled look.

 

“I came a little early because I had something to give to Your Majesty.”

 

Viscountess Cohen took out an envelope from her arms which had been sealed with red wax and handed it to Rodelia.

 

“This is…”

 

“It’s a letter the Grand Duke entrusted me before he left.”

 

‘After leaving without hesitation, are you trying to convey what you couldn’t say in a letter?’

 

He might be more shy than he looks.
Rodelia, with a flushed face, quickly opened the envelope and took out the letter.

 

<My coat is expensive.>

 

It was embarrassing to even call it a letter.
After wrapping it up so grandly.

 

Rodelia looked around for a while to check if there was anything else and soon burst into laughter.
Viscountess Cohen seemed embarrassed to see her like this for the first time, but it didn’t matter.

 

She couldn’t even muster the proper conduct befitting an empress.

 

It has been a long time since she laughed like this in someone’s presence.
She also needed to save face in front of her maids.
Rodelia then smoothed her lips.

 

He asked her to keep it safe, so she had no choice but to take good care of it.

 

Rodelia placed the letter back in the envelope and asked the madam.

 

“Madam, by any chance, the coat I wore before…”

 

“A coat…”

 

“Yes, a men’s coat.”

 

“Oh, I’ve kept it well.”

 

The response came right back.
As expected, the madam had no particular question about who the owner of the coat was.
Maybe it’s because she thinks it’s Kane’s.

 

Rodelia’s eyes bent.

 

“Thank you.
Please keep it safe for a while.”

 

***

 

It was such a warm spring afternoon, with the east wind blowing and permeating her collar.

 

Rodelia headed to the Imperial Palace and stopped in front of the office because she had to hand over documents regarding trading with the Kingdom of Guerney.

 

“Why didn’t you send word in advance?”

 

Rodelia frowned.
Ferna was blocking her way.

 

“His Majesty is not here?”

 

“His Majesty has gone to the Stella Palace.”

 

He muttered in a high-pitched voice.
With that, Rodelia’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Of course, to meet Princess Aizen.
I’ll give him the documents instead.”

 

He continued, raising his chin.
He puffed his chest out and stretched his body to the fullest, but his skinny body only made him look smaller.

 

Ferna reached for the envelope in Rodelia’s hand.

 

It was a little funny to see him shaking with bread crumbs around his mouth, but she couldn’t laugh in front of him.
Barely holding back her laughter, she faked a calm voice.

 

“Then let’s go to Stella Palace.
It’s sunny, too.”

 

As Rodelia held the envelope back in her arms, Ferna had no choice but to stumble in thin air.
Frustrated, he wrinkled his nose.

 

Ferna’s rudeness grew more and more with each passing day.
Ever since he fell out of Kane’s favor, his behavior changed, becoming increasingly angrier.
She could no longer just keep watching.

 

“Ferna, I want you to stop being rude.”

 

“What do you mean rude…?”

 

Ferna asked back d*mbly, embarrassed.
Rodelia added calmly, looking into his eyes.

 

“Your family was also involved in this slave trade, right?”

 

“No, slave trade…what do you.….?”

 

Ferna’s eyes fluttered around like a man caught cheating.
He was checking if there was someone around.

 

“I know His Majesty is very angry, but he will remove you from your position soon.”

 

“His Majesty is not someone who will abandon me!”

 

Ferna overreacted.
She had somewhat expected it.

 

Perhaps Revlon will be the next aide.
Today, instead of him, Revlon accompanied Kane to Stella Palace.

 

Ferna clenched his fists to suppress the rising emotion.

 

“He has abandoned his old friend, Viscount Cohen.
But what about you who can’t offer anything other than merely being the Head Chamberlain?”

 

“That’s…”

 

“You may have been forced to cover up the slave traders, but your dismissal will be inevitable.
So behave properly.”

 

“…….”

 

Ferna fell deep in thought.

 

“If you want to keep your current position, investigate the man called Revlon.”

 

Revlon was the only one from the hunting contest who remained by Kane’s side.
Since coming close to him, Viscount Cohen had also been abandoned, so it was clear that he was up to something else.

 

No more… there should be no more innocent victims like the Count of Hart’s family who had fallen.
It was the empress’ sense of responsibility.

 

So she needed accurate information.

 

But there was no information about him.
He was obviously hiding something, but there was no way to know.
After forgetting about it, she finally found the right person to dig for the information.

 

Now that she doesn’t want to get help from the Marquis of Florence, she has no choice but to use the one who hated Revlon the most.

 

“Why should I……?”

 

“I won’t force you.
By the way, just give him this document for me.”

 

Rodelia passed the document over to Ferna, who had a confused face, smiled faintly and moved.

 

“Think carefully.
Then, have a peaceful day today.”

 

***

 

“By the way, the man outside the door that Your Majesty brought.” [S]

 

Sola opened her mouth in a disinterested tone while fixing her nails.

 

“He seems like a commoner without even a minor title, is it okay to keep him next to you?” [S]

 

“You mean Revlon? Of course.
I picked him.” [K]

 

Kane seemed to completely trust Revlon.
As if he was asking what the hell she was talking about, his eyes darted towards Sola, who continued to show a crooked attitude.

 

She asked another question with her still indifferent gaze on her red nails.

 

“Wasn’t he one of the participants in the hunting contest? It seems like he lied about his identity and hid in the palace.” [S]

 

“……I’ve taken care of it, so I hope you don’t comment further.” [K]

 

How the hell did she find out? Sola poured out sharp questions and Kane didn’t like her meddling unnecessarily.
It was unpleasant that she kept acting as if she had become the empress.

 

“Yes, well, but there’s no harm in being suspicious.” [S]

 

Kane had spoken in a stern manner with a stiff face.
It was nothing short of a warning not to question him any further as if saying that his decision was wrong.
But Sola didn’t stop asking questions.
She just dug into the other side.

 

“Couldn’t it have been him who used the poison? We were definitely almost at the end of the detoxification.
Wasn’t it around that time that the poison began to spread rapidly again?”

 

Reflecting about what she said, Sola’s words made sense.
Isn’t the timing horrifically concurrent?

 

But why would Revlon do it?

 

He had no reason to poison him.
He also did not seem to know that the Emperor was involved in the annihilation of the Hart family in the past.

 

No, did he really not?

 

Kane had a small question.

 

‘What if he’s pretending?’

 

Then Revlon poisoning him was a convincing story.
Kane stared at Sola’s smiling face.

 

“The Marquis of Florence may be the one who bought it, but what the hell do you believe? Of course, I’m of the opinion that the Empress must have known all the facts.”

 

Kane’s gaze, looking elsewhere, followed Sola.
Isn’t that too much of a coincidence? What the hell is she talking about?

 

“Certainly… He has a grudge against me, so I should be cautious of him.
But not the Marquis of Florence.
Why in the world would he? There’s no reason.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Sola acted meaningfully, as if she knew something.
Although it was a bit uncomfortable, Rodelia had no reason to do so.

 

‘I will take revenge because he brought in a concubine.’ If it was this grand reason, it did not fit the time when the poison began to spread in his body.

 

He brought in Sola to detoxify the poison.

 

“Of course, there is no child between me and Rodelia.
That doesn’t mean that there is a child born between me and other women.
There’s no successor….”

 

Kane frowned as he spoke.
It was because something came to mind.

 

Sola, who was looking closely at his figure, turned his doubts into certainty as if she had been waiting.

 

“A year ago, rumors spread in the capital that His Majesty the late Emperor had a hidden child.
It said that he left his child in a family he can trust….”