Chapter 27
Ronillo III.
Emperor of the Davoud Empire, he once ruled the continent in his youth. Sword, liquor, and women. These three things, which the young Emperor kept close, became his greatest troubles as time passed.
Excessive hunting and drinking dulled the body that was once like iron, and the countless women he took in became the source of endless rumors and problems.
Above all, the issue of women threw the imperial palace into turmoil nearly every day, but this was resolved when the Emperor brought in Cressida Balthazar.
Cressida, born to a humble baron’s family, was exceptionally ambitious and greedy. She also possessed the ability to make her desires reality.
First, with her natural beauty and youthful body, she seduced the Emperor and bore him a son.
Until then, Emperor Ronillo had produced countless illegitimate children, but only the son borne by Cressida was officially acknowledged.
It was because she was the Empress’s close friend.
The kind and compassionate Empress could not ignore her friend’s tears. Thus, Cressida proudly put forth her son and entered the palace.
With the Empress’s backing, Cressida became Imperial Consort and also had the Noble Council in her grasp. Then, soon after, the seat at the Emperor’s side was left vacant.
Whether by chance or by fate.
The Empress suddenly collapsed, coughing up blood.
Felled by a mysterious illness, the Empress passed away three days after taking to her bed. And Cressida, who had been Imperial Consort, naturally took the place of Empress.
Suspicions that Cressida had poisoned the previous Empress arose briefly, but soon disappeared.
This was because, when the Empress fell ill, Cressida had devoted herself night and day to caring for her, even going to great lengths to find renowned doctors and remedies to cure her illness.
Moreover, at the time, the atmosphere was such that it was impossible to doubt Cressida, who mourned the loss of her one and only friend.
Even after becoming Empress, Cressida did not depose the late Empress’s son from the position of First Prince at such a young age, nor did she mistreat him. On the contrary, she treated him with the utmost propriety.
Because of this, all suspicion dissipated like smoke.
On the surface, the new Empress seemed gentle and kind…
But Sylaria alone knew that she was, in truth, selfish and temperamental.
She also knew that, though the Empress outwardly treated the First Prince with respect, behind his back she sent assassins after him, and did everything in her power within the Noble Council to put her own son, the Second Prince, above the Imperial Crown Prince.
Sylaria knew all of this.
Which is why, as she watched Cressida now, twisting her face into a look of docile sorrow, Sylaria found her performance merely laughable.
“Did Aren trouble you? Or was my hospitality lacking, Syllie?”
Cressida grasped Sylaria’s hand with fingers adorned with large, jeweled rings as she asked.
At that moment, Sylaria was receiving an audience with the Emperor alongside Euclid.
But while it was called an audience, in reality the atmosphere was more akin to an interrogation.
Arendtert and Cressida were staring at Sylaria as if they might devour her. Like predators watching their prey, mother and son kept their eyes sharp, as though she might run away at any moment.
“I’m sorry, Syllie. It’s all my fault.”
Arendtert, piling on after his mother’s words, spoke in a dejected tone. At that, the Empress, seated beside the Emperor’s bed, wiped away nonexistent tears.
Their actions resembled a well-rehearsed play.
A play with the Emperor as its only audience.
“A broken engagement. I can hardly believe it. Do you know how happy Aren was after meeting you? Won’t you please reconsider, just once more? I’m begging you.”
The Emperor narrowed his eyes, watching Sylaria. Sitting here felt like sitting on a bed of nails. She wanted to wrap things up and leave quickly.
But that didn’t mean she could give the Empress the answer she wanted.
“I apologize, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Sylaria withdrew her hand from Cressida’s grasp and stepped back. The moment she freed herself from those claw-like fingers, Cressida’s gray eyes glinted.
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