Chapter 0 - [Prologue]

Chapter 0 – [Prologue]

Today marks the first year anniversary of the marriage between the Emperor, Karloi Croisen, and the Duchess of Delois, Yvonne Delois.

To mark their first anniversary, a party was held inside the Capital’s Imperial Palace, which in turn, made the Capital filled with a festive mood.

People wandered around the festival and party that was surprisingly well-organized.

But, no one in the Capital was aware of the fact that the Emperor despised the Empress.

Of course, the Emperor expected the people to ignore their wedding anniversary and let it pass by quietly, but after seeing the grand festival, it made people wonder.

However, at the party held at the Imperial Palace on the day of their wedding anniversary, people began to notice something odd between the two’s relationship. For the reason that the Emperor and the Empress did not even exchange one word, it was embarrassing for anyone to say that the party was held for the commemoration of the national marriage.

The Emperor only danced with other women, yet the Empress was only seen waiting with the palace’s maids at a corner of the banquet hall with an expressionless face as if she was familiar with such things happening.

The Duke of Delois resented His Majesty’s unfair treatment to his beloved daughter, but he had no other choice but to endure it.

Especially since her job was to be his wife in name only.

The nobles, who had noticed the Duke of Delois countenance, approached and talked to the Empress, but the Empress gave no response as if she didn’t see nor hear anything.

The nobles found it difficult to know whether or not she was resolute or cold.

“There’s something I want to let you know today.”

The Emperor raised his voice on the joyful day alone. His smiling face lives up to his reputation of being the most beautiful man since the country was found, but his expression soon hardened.

The Emperor’s sudden brazen apprising on such a happy day alone wasn’t fine.

Moreover, the expression on his face at that moment was the one the nobles disliked the most.

“As you may know, it has been a year since the Empress and I got married, yet we still have no heir. It’s an important matter. Of course, it is.”

The Emperor began to speak in a calm manner as he lifted the glass and moistened his throat. After that, the nobles glanced at the Duke of Delois, who no longer hid his hostility towards the Emperor.

The fact that the Emperor did not sleep with the Empress was something even the little rats in the palace knew. It was shameless of him to talk about his successors as if he isn’t in the wrong.

On the other hand, the Empress remained expressionless as if she was listening to other people’s affairs. It was as though her soul was somewhere else.

“Since our relationship is so estranged, I think we need to make some changes in celebrating the mark of the anniversaries of our national marriage. Perhaps if the surrounding environment changes, things may start to change for the better as well.”

“Would you please specify the change you’re referring to…..?”

Someone among the crowd asked in an uneasy tone. The Emperor touched a servant, who was standing behind him, without giving a response.

The servant hesitated and reluctantly passed on the order to the servant who was standing next to him. The order was passed down until it reached the servant at the entrance of the banquet hall.

The servant cried out.

“The young lady Roden, the daughter of Marquis Roden, enters!”

The door of the banquet hall opened and a woman with black hair gracefully entered in a colorful dress.

A cold silence followed afterwards.

The woman’s dress, which was filled with decorations, could be perceived by anyone as equal to the Empress’.

“No, what are you doing…..?”

Upon seeing the woman entering like an Empress, the aristocrats, who were aides of the Duke, turned pale and looked alternatively at the Duke of Delois and Yvonne Delois.

Now, the Duke of Delois turned red to the point that it seemed like his head would burst. Likewise, the Empress finally changed her emotionless face.

It changed to an expression that showed boredom.

“Your Majesty, I told you it will be embarrassing of me to do such a thing!”

Kaena Roden, ignoring all eyes on her, lightly approached the Emperor’s voice and spoke in a charming voice.

The Emperor, who was affectionately holding Kaena Roden’s waist, said.

“I’m going to make Kaena my Empress.”

At the Emperor’s proclamation, cries of “Your Majesty” resounded in the banquet hall.

The Emperor smiled affectionately at Kaena as he fed her fruits, as if he could not hear them.

Then, as an explanation, he used the system that disappeared 200 years ago as a reference as he smiled and drank wine with his useless good-looking face.

“I apologize, but I cannot agree. I’ve already taken a precious possession of hers, so it will be rude of me, especially since I’m the Emperor, not to take responsibility.”

Does that mean they slept together? That was how the nobles interpreted the Emperor’s words of taking a precious possession of hers.

The Emperor was starting to lose consciousness, yet he was still showing off his affection for Kaena.

Eventually, the Duke of Delois couldn’t suppress his anger anymore and shouted.

“Your Majesty!”

His sudden and loud voice shook the banquet hall of the old Imperial Palace. Then, the Emperor looked at the Empress thoughtlessly.

“Empress, you’re not jealous, are you? I’m doing this so that I will have a successor who will lead the Empire in the future.”

It was no different from saying that the Empress didn’t have the ability to get pregnant and have a child. Even if so, Empress Yvonne’s expression stayed the same, showing no emotion.

“I understand.”

Yvonne answered briefly in a low, dry voice.

Although the people didn’t care much, the Empress’ indifferent voice seemed to have incited his anger. It seemed as if the Emperor hated the Empress by simply breathing.

“I see, I’ll do as I please then. I’ll be taking care of the procedures in turning Kaena into the Empress. I’ll be taking my leave. I have work to do.”

“Your Majesty!”

The Emperor placed his drink on the table and left with Kaena in his arms. From the looks of it, anyone could guess what ‘work’ he will be doing.

On a wonderful day at a party held on the anniversary of the nation’s marriage between Korea and China, the Emperor left with a new woman, leaving the Empress alone.

Even the splendor and grandeur of the party considered it as a bad joke even if it was done for the entertainment of everyone.

When all eyes were on the Empress, Yvonne opened her mouth with a bored face and said in an annoying tone.

“What are you staring at? Do as you are told.”

So, in the first year of their marriage, Emperor Karloi brought a new woman whom he slept with and proclaimed her as the Empress.