The Abandoned Empress

“…Oh my God! Are you still drinking tea when you were poisoned by drinks?”

“They are to blame, not the tea. Who would have thought they put poison in the drinks?”

“Hmm, be careful. You never know.”

“Sure, I will. Just in case, I’m using a silver teacup, like my father recommended. Would you like tea?”

“No, thanks. I’m sick and tired of tea. Don’t even mention it!”

Carsein came to me quickly and examined the teacup, sitting on the opposite side.

It was a silver mug with its corner mounted with gold and the crest of a golden roaring lion engraved on the handle and body. It was the cup the emperor gave to me last summer.

“This is an imperial teacup.”

“Yes, it’s the emperor’s gift. Well, I’m using it only now.”

“Well, you should be careful all the time.”

“Sure.”

I poured lavender into the cup again, which was strongly brewed. Watching me take a bite of a cookie, he suddenly smiled at me.

“Why are you smiling like that? Do I have dirt on my face?”

“No, I just feel good looking at you. It’s so like you now!”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I smell the scent of tea around you all the time. I mean that soft and fragrant scent. So I feel calm when I’m with you.”

While resting his chin on his right hand, he reached out and pulled out the teapot. He poured tea into his cup. Looking at him, I tilted my head. He clearly said he wouldn’t have tea a little while ago.

“Hey, are you thinking that I’m fickle now?”

“Ugh? No, never mind.”

“When I recall this tea might have killed you, I hate it so much. But the thing is I literally can’t think of you without tea… Well, I think I have to give up.”

“Hey, that’s good, Sein!”

When I giggled at him, he also chucked and said, picking a cookie, “Your maid said that you wanted to see me? Do you have something to say to me?”

“Oh that’s right.”

I handed him the gift I prepared for him when he looked at me curiously.

Keeping silent for a moment while looking at a piece of white cloth, he said, “What is this?”

“Oh, it’s my gift for your coming-of-age. Sorry to give it to you so late.”

His face hardened, who seemed strange the moment I gave him the scarf. He looked at me silently for a long time and said in a cold voice, “Hey, did I tell you to make something like this? ”

“… Huh?”

“Why did you waste your time and energy on this? Did I ever ask you for this?”

“Sein…”

“You don’t listen to me, Tia…”

“Why, did I do anything wrong?”

“Don’t you know that…!”

Carsein suddenly stopped, while trying to say something with an angry expression.

Then he swept his hair up roughly, with his lips tightly closed, and said with a sigh,

“… Whew… Sorry, I suddenly got angry. I got angry because I don’t like it, not because you did anything wrong. I just…”

“… ”

“I was angry because you made it when your condition is not still good. I wish you had taken more rest instead. Just look at you, Tia. You are so skinny… you look like a sack of bones,” he said, making an expression as if he was upset, carefully holding my hands.

I gradually calmed down when he whispered and stroked the back of my hands gently.

“Thank you for the gift, but for me your quick recovery is the greatest gift. So, just focus on recovering. Got it?”

His voice was serious and his eyes were subdued, which was something unusual for him.

I suddenly became sorry. If I had not been poisoned, precious people around me wouldn’t have gotten hurt. If I had paid a little more attention, they would not have gone through this.

When I let out a little sigh, he suddenly stopped caressing my fingers and said, “Hey, I wish I could hit you on the head, but can’t…”

“Ugh?”

“What I mean is you don’t have to blame yourself for your illness. Just try to recover quickly.”

“…. ”

“You are not responding to my request? You’ve got to recover quickly and build your strength to beat the noble faction, right? Don’t you think so?”

“… Yes, Sein. I know.”

When I smiled lightly, he reached out and stood up after dishevelling my hair.

“Then let me leave now. Take a rest. By the way…”

“Huh?”

“Thank you for the gift.”

He grabbed the scarf from me and turned around after winking at me. I pouted, watching him blankly, who was already disappearing at a distance.

‘Why are you throwing a tantrum like that? You said you didn’t like the scarf, then took it from me?’

I broke into a smile. I felt as if I could feel his warmth on my hands.

One day, when half the winter was over, strange enough, it rained early in the morning. Due to the heavy rain, it was dim everywhere, and my house was shrouded in an eerie atmosphere with a mix of roaring winds and rain.

When I was having breakfast in a calm mood, somebody opened the door suddenly with a loud noise. My eyebrows frowned, but my unpleasant mood disappeared as soon as I saw the person stepping inside without wiping his wet body. Little by little, my heart beat uneasily.

The imperial messenger entered the dining room and said in a hurry, “Since the emperor is very ill, the crown prince has ordered all the nobles in the capital to come to the palace immediately.”

Clink!

The glass I was holding in my hand fell to the floor and shattered. And my heart that’s pounding hard darkened slowly. I felt goosebumps. If the message was so urgent as to summon all the nobles of the capital, it may be that the emperor’s death might be imminent.

While blankly looking at the messenger, I came to my senses at the loud noise.

My father, who got up from his seat, walked away with strides. Without even changing my clothes, I headed for the palace after taking only the brooch the butler gave to me.

When I entered the inner palace, I saw the armed knights standing on duty. In the hallway of the Central Palace, the royal knights were lined up at regular distances, holding their swords. It seemed that the crown prince issued an order that was in the same category of a war order.

When I stepped into the waiting room quickly, the bedroom door, which was tightly closed, opened a little later. The chief chamberlain bowed deeply and said, “Duke Lars and his family, the No. 1 rank in the empire, please come in.”

Raising his body with a gloomy mood, Duke Lars walked inside, followed by the duchess, Sir Lars, Frincia and Carsein.

A little later, when the Lars family came out and the Duke Verita family was done seeing the emperor, the protocol officer called my father and me. When I came into the room, escorted by the chamberlain, I saw three men standing on the bedside. They were the crown prince, the High Priest and Earl Penril, the Captain of the Royal Knights.

My father and I bowed to them slightly and approached the bed. The elderly man, who was leaning against several pillows, smiled faintly and said, “It’s been a while, Marquis and Lady Monique. I’m glad to see you because I have something to tell you. Thanks to the High Priest, I can say my last greetings to you.” Only

“Oh no, please don’t say that, Your Majesty.”

“Marquis, you already know my condition. So, let’s not waste time. I don’t have so much time now. ”

As if it was too hard, he remained silent for a while, then continued, “Marquis, I truly believed and relied on you. Even without your oath of blood, I would have given you my full trust and confidence. I am sorry for the two dukes, but I’ve liked you most.”

“I am very grateful, Your Majesty. How can I repay your favor?”

“This is my request, Marquis. Please help the crown prince build the empire that you and I dreamed about together in the past…Lend him your power.”

“Yes, I will, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you. Now I can feel a little relaxed.”

I felt heartbroken when I saw his lifeless blue eyes. Tears pricked my eyes when I saw him trying to cling on to life to the last minute. Unlike the old him, who kept a certain distance to preserve dignity as a ruler, he treated my father as his close friend, which made my heart ache all the more.