CH 18.1

While staring at his paperwork, the emperor noticed the lady-in-waiting enter the room. He instinctively sat up, knowing that it was usually bad news when Diane sent one of her direct maids.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Your Majesty, the princess has been summoned to the empress’ palace,” the lady-in-waiting replied.

Karl’s face was furrowed in confusion. “Why would the empress summon Diane?”

“The princess submitted a budget proposal, but Her Majesty rejected it twice. When she went to the empress’ palace to discuss it, she was so frightened that she came to seek Your Majesty’s guidance instead. Please forgive her impertinence, Your Majesty.”

The emperor felt a wave of anxiety wash over him at the mention of Diane’s fear. The sensation of a giant strangling him tightened in his chest. On the other side of his heart, there was a bottomless black sea. He couldn’t comprehend why such a feeling had taken root in him, or what lay hidden within that sea. The darkness seemed to swallow him up. Memories of the past echoed in his mind.

‘ Someday, when you become emperor… Will you accept me as your mother?  ’

Karl bit his lip hard and placed his hand on his forehead.

The emperor remained silent as Lorraine tried to speak to him, clearly flustered by his disapproving gaze. A voice echoed in Karl’s mind, tearing at him and leaving him breathless with agony.

‘Karl!!’

His heart felt like it was drowning in the deep, black sea inside him, but he clenched his teeth and stood up from his chair.

＊ ＊ ＊

Diane blinked in surprise at Adele’s announcement.

“The budget for the Ivory Palace is being transferred to the Empress Palace?” she repeated.

Adele smiled at her with a puzzled expression, crossing her legs as she reclined on the sofa.

“Well, you have been taking on the empress’ role, haven’t you? That budget was allocated to you for that purpose. As I am now handling the empress’ affairs, the budget should naturally be transferred along with it. Does that upset you?”

Diane remained silent as Adele leaned in, her golden eyes shining.

“I’m not upset,” Diane finally replied. “But it is a bit frustrating.”

She watched as the empress’ fingers tapped the budget details for the Ivory Palace.

“You have put a lot of hard work into it. I won’t ask you to submit a statement of use for it now. I can handle that. Just transfer all the allocated budget to the Empress Palace. It seems that the emperor has given you that authority.”

The empress did not make a proposal or request. She did not even wait for the Emperor to grant her authority. As the empress, even without family or allies to support her, she had the power to command. With a single order, Diane had to surrender her rights that she had taken for granted for three years. She had no title in the imperial palace, and this fact made her angry. She had prepared for this moment for so long, but reality was still different from her imagination. Her whole body boiled with anger; her eyes were red, and her face turned red with fever.

“Your Majesty, the Empress,” said Diane, her voice filled with resentment.

Adele’s smile vanished coldly at the tone. Her raised golden eyes looked menacing, causing the ladies-in-waiting to take a step back and stick to the wall. Despite the tension in the air, Diane stood her ground.

The empress called out to her in a cold, stern tone, warning her, but Diane did not back down. They stared at each other, their gazes filled with tension. Diane was filled with anguish, thinking of the palace and the drawing room, and the supreme seat that belonged to her. Tears of rage poured from her eyes, and Adele heard a familiar voice in her head, telling her to come down from the position of successor.

The empress clenched her fists tightly and let out a long breath. Mrs. Giggs raised her eyebrows at the sudden loss of strength and looked at her Empress. Adele let out another long breath.

“Do you think your place is gone because of me?” she asked Diane.

Diane did not answer.

Adele remembered her past self in those tears, and despite her negative feelings towards Diane, she decided to offer her the best option.

“Listen, Diane Poitier.”

Adele cleared her throat, standing tall and addressing the room with a strong voice,

“I am the Empress of Ehmont. Don’t you dare challenge my authority. I will not forgive anyone who challenges the empress’s authority in any way. Do not think that she is taken away. Let her think well of what you originally had.”

For Adele, this was the best course of action. She had considered tearing up the ivory palace residence order and ordering Diane to leave, but ultimately decided against it. Diane should not challenge the authority of the empress. However, Adele was willing to offer Diane the best she had. This was the ultimate consideration for Diane. Even so, Diane clenched her fists tightly and glared at Adele. Diane had said that she would acknowledge everything except the empress’ authority, but to Diane, even that ’empress’ authority’ had long since become a part of her. It was hers, so Adele’s proposal was wrong from the start. Her jaw trembled from how hard she clenched her teeth.

Where is His Majesty? Why don’t you come, Your Majesty?  Diane muttered.

Adele’s expression was also frosty at the sight of Diane trembling with anger instead of accepting her forgiveness. And just then, the door to the empress’ parlor was suddenly opened violently and without warning. Adele frowned and glared at the door, wondering who dared to open the empress’ parlor door without permission! But then she saw Diane suddenly fall on her knees in front of her and cry out in a voice mixed with tears.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty!”

It was sudden and simultaneous. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Please forgive me.”

Adele was embarrassed and involuntarily opened her mouth, widening her eyes.

What is she doing now?