Chapter 135

Patrizia visited the Central Palace first.

Lucio made a pained expression at the news that she was dropping by, as he pretty much knew the reason for her visit. It was unlikely that the news would not have entered her ears, unless the Empress was deaf. No, even if she was deaf!

“Her Majesty has arrived.”

“… Escort her in.”

Patrizia quietly stepped into his room. She was still, but Lucio knew how calm the sea was before the storm. He closed his eyes, and then opened them. A mistake he had made in the past had caught hold of his ankle in this way.

But was it a mistake? Lucio thought about it. No, this was just his own mistake. It was not a mistake in name only.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes, Empress.”

“There was an insistence on formally bringing in a concubine. From the Duke of Efreni, at that.”

“Yes.”

“No, more than that.” Patrizia let out a bitter laugh. “That I am infertile.”

“… It is just a claim for a test, Empress.”

“Lady Efreni is not a fool.” Patrizia finally became angry, and approached him.

“Please tell me, Your Majesty. There is something I do not know. Right? Is that so?”

“… Empress…”

“Am I infertile?”

“…”

“How… How would you know?!” Patrizia asked, her voice trembling. “How do you know? I have never had such a test… Ah!”

Patrizia recalled the screening on that day. It was part of the third task of the Queeness competition…

“The physical examination,” Patrizia muttered, her expression showing all was in vain, as if she finally knew now. Lucio closed his eyes, a miserable look on his face.

“Ha, ha ha ha!” Patrizia laughed like a crazy person. That was why, that was why these people, to her…!

“So, that was why, Your Majesty? That was why!?” Patrizia both cried and shouted. “So that was why it was me! You chose a person that could not even bear a child the Empress.”

“…” He couldn’t say anything. All of her words were true. Patrizia was extremely shocked, taking Lucio’s silence as acquiescence. She muttered without knowing, “You…”

“…”

“How could you do this to me?…” It was much too cliché a line, but nothing was better suited for that very moment. Patrizia cried with a bizarre look on her face, “How could you be so cruel to me?…”

He had ruined a person’s life, and someone who loved that person came back to the past, and all he did was repeat the same pain and unhappiness. Patrizia was unable to forgive this man in front of her. Patrizia thought it was just impossible, and then said to him, “I hate myself for having even the slightest bit of compassion for you.”

“… Empress.”

“Do not call out to me.” Patrizia said, her voice full of hate. “Do not place me in that dirty mouth.”

“…”

“I hate you, and hate myself. I want to kill Rosemond, that woman.”

For the first time, Patrizia showed all of her heart in front of Lucio. That was the amount of shock proportional to the impact that Patrizia had received. Patrizia cried out to him, her voice filled with sorrow. “What makes you different from Alyssa?”

“…”

“You are no different from Alyssa for me. You dropped my life into the abyss, why…”

“…”

“Why do you not say anything? If you have anything to say, say it. Say sorry, that you were wrong, if you have a mouth, say it!”

“… I… Do you think I have the right to do that?”

“… So you did know, then.” Patrizia shed tears and uttered her last words of resentment to him. “You are truly the worst.”

“… .”

“As much as the amount of suffering you gave to me, no, I will pray that you will receive it back twofold.”

Patrizia left these words, turned around, and left the room. The door closed with a bang, and Lucio was left alone, slumping down to the floor. Kneeling towards the woman he could no longer see, he wept quietly.

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“Greetings to Your Majesty, the Empress.”

Patrizia saw Rosemond again after a week passed. Rosemond was recognized as the Emperor’s official concubine, and received the title of Marchioness Ethyller as the daughter of the Duke of Efreni. The Lady Vashi had laid down her title as a Queen, and left for another country to get married, so the only one left who could take the position was Rosemond.

So, there was no choice in the first place. Patrizia looked at Rosemond, the Marchioness of Ethyller, greeting her, thinking that none of it mattered.

“Yes, your face looks good. His Majesty must visit you often these days?”

“…”

It was known to almost everyone that Lucio was no longer visiting Vain Palace after that day’s events. Rosemond, who had to know of this fact, grit her teeth, but soon responded, “Your Majesty also looks good these days.”

“Myself, you mean.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

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Translated by Haeli

Edited by RED