Chapter 124
“Isidor, let’s go.”
Elenia tugged at Isidor’s sleeve. He glared at Grizelle with a hardened expression. He too was well aware of what she had done to Elenia.
“Grizelle, were you not sentenced to confinement? You dare defy an imperial command. You really do whatever you please.”
“It’s been a while, Isidor. Are you still working as a reporter these days?”
Grizelle acted friendly, as if she hadn’t heard Isidor’s criticism at all. Back when they were in Gideon, she had also become acquainted with him.
But even then, he had never particularly liked her. Something about her always felt unsettling. For example.
“I even went to the Lekan Forest recently with His Highness the Second Prince. Since His Majesty said nothing about it, it seems he forgave me. Thank you for your concern.”
Like now, how she interpreted everything in whatever way suited her.
“That was only overlooked as an exceptional case for the Crown Prince Selection. Go back at once.”
Isidor spoke coldly and resumed walking with Elenia. Grizelle called out firmly toward Elenia’s back as she avoided her.
“Ellie! I really am sorry! You will forgive me, right? You will forgive me, won’t you?”
At Grizelle’s persistent shouting, Elenia rubbed her arms. A cold chill ran down her, making her body tremble briefly. She couldn’t shake off the unpleasant feeling as she returned to her lodging.
* * *
From that day on, Grizelle began coming to Elenia one-sidedly. Even when Elenia locked her door and refused to meet, Grizelle camped out in front of it. Ever-thoughtful, Elenia couldn’t even bring herself to tell Sylaria, afraid she would worry, and so she suffered alone.
If Isidor hadn’t informed her, Sylaria would never have known why Elenia had been wilting recently.
Arendtert had moved his residence to the temple as ordered by the imperial command. So Sylaria thought they could relax for a while. But Grizelle had begun to move.
Sylaria tried to report Grizelle’s behavior to the Emperor. But he had collapsed after the Crown Prince enthronement ceremony and couldn’t be seen.
So Sylaria told Euclid about it, and he immediately stationed guards at Grizelle’s residence. He used a physical and immediate method to strictly restrict her movements.
Euclid’s measure was effective. Grizelle remained shut inside the Second Prince’s palace and didn’t come out. Sylaria had almost managed to forget about her when unexpected news arrived.
“Lady Grizelle Willoughby, the Second Prince’s fiancée, is pregnant.”
Sylaria tilted her head as she looked at Aria. Since a maid of the Empress had come, she assumed Cressida had sent her, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
“Is that really what you came to tell me? Why you, my lady?”
“It is a joyous occasion for the imperial family. I came to deliver the news to the future Crown Princess.”
“Then why is it you, a maid of Her Majesty the Empress, who is delivering it. Did Her Majesty instruct you to do so?”
“Well…”
Pressed by Sylaria’s questioning, Aria’s mouth opened slightly. She began to explain, then answered with a displeased expression.
“A new life has been conceived in the imperial family. Is that detail really important to you?”
Sylaria shrugged casually. In her past life as well, Grizelle had conceived Arendtert’s child.
So it was nothing surprising. It was simply, ‘Ah, so it happened again’.
More than Grizelle’s pregnancy, it bothered Sylaria that someone from the Empress’s side was involved in Grizelle’s movements lately. But the Empress was the highest elder who oversaw all affairs of the palace, so in a sense, it was natural.
‘Perhaps I was too sensitive.’
Sylaria sighed. Perhaps it was because the matter involved Grizelle. She felt suspicious for no reason.
If the news had been delivered through a servant of the Second Prince’s palace instead of Aria, she wouldn’t have believed it. In that sense, the Empress sending her own maid was an appropriate choice.
“Well, tell her congratulations.”
Sylaria spoke indifferently. Her tone lacked sincerity despite the words. Aria frowned at the lukewarm response, but left without further comment.
And a few days later.
“My lady, my lady!”
Aria came running again to Sylaria. She must have run all the way across the palace, for she was breathing heavily. Her face was pale as she shouted with trembling hands.
“Lady Grizelle is bleeding! She looks like she’s going to have a miscarriage!”
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.