Episode 39
Weeks had passed since Elonia declared she didn’t want to see Artius.
Every day, Artius would quietly arrive at the Imperial Princess’s Palace, only to leave just as quietly. Elonia, aware of his daily visits, pretended to be oblivious, choosing to ignore him.
With both the Emperor and the Imperial Princess in a somber mood, the atmosphere in the Main Palace naturally turned gloomy.
“At least the atmosphere was better after Her Highness fell ill.”
“That’s right, why did His Majesty have to wrong her?”
Now that Elonia held the true power, the palace servants secretly directed their blame towards Artius.
Only the clueless nobles remained oblivious, carrying on as if nothing had changed.
“Your Majesty, it’s time to consider taking a new Empress.”
“How can the position of the Empress remain vacant?”
“A new Empress is essential for managing the affairs of the Imperial Palace.”
In fact, their audacity had grown.
Word had spread among the nobles that the Emperor had softened towards the Imperial Princess.
But it was just a rumor.
Elonia hadn’t made any public appearances, and Artius, while submissive in front of her, remained the same tyrant towards the nobles.
After the incident where a noble family was ruined for trying to push their daughter as the new Empress immediately after Philemon’s death, the others had become cautious.
But lately, the Emperor seemed weary and distracted.
It felt like he might even approve ridiculous proposals without much thought.
Artius had always been somewhat easygoing, especially in his younger days, before he met Philemon.
As long as it didn’t harm the people, he would reluctantly agree to most things, especially if it meant sparing himself trouble.
He had become more assertive after meeting Philemon, but his true nature remained unchanged.
Lady Asta, outraged by the nobles’ shameless behavior, retorted,
“What nonsense! It hasn’t even been long since His Majesty lost his beloved Empress.”
“Lady Asta, just because the late Empress was your family doesn’t mean you should be so emotional. The position of the Empress is vacant, and the Imperial Palace needs someone to manage its affairs. Doesn’t Her Highness need someone to replace the late Empress?”
“The people the late Empress left behind are already managing the Imperial Palace flawlessly. Besides, Her Highness already has a godmother appointed by the late Empress.”
“A godmother is just a godmother, not a mother.”
“Someone to replace the mother, you say.”
Artius, who had been listening silently to their bickering, suddenly spoke up.
The nobles, their chests puffed out with pride, glanced at Lady Asta and began flattering Artius.
“Yes, Your Majesty. A mother’s presence is crucial during childhood.”
“Duke Benedict!”
“Silence.”
Lady Asta’s outburst was met with a frown from Artius, who quickly silenced the nobles.
Normally, he would have slammed his fist on the table, but his reaction was unusually subdued.
The nobles, mistaking his silence for agreement, smirked smugly at Lady Asta.
But then,
“Why are you all so concerned about my family matters?”
“Y-Your Majesty, this isn’t just a family matter—”
“You just said the Imperial Princess needs a mother. You claimed a mother is essential during childhood. Are you saying I’m already hard of hearing?”
“W-well, it’s a matter of national importance as well.”
“Lady Asta already explained that there’s no problem. How many times do I have to repeat myself? If you have a different issue to raise, then speak. But if it’s another pointless matter, be prepared to lose your tongues.”
Artius’s gaze turned icy.
The nobles, sensing his genuine threat, quickly backed down.
Artius sighed.
“These pointless proposals are giving me a headache. It seems you all have too much time on your hands. In that case, why don’t you start preparing for the Imperial Princess’s birthday celebration in the fall? It’s a little early, but it’s never too early to start.”
His words were met with stunned silence.
The Imperial Princess’s birthday celebration?
Until last year, Artius had banned all celebrations on that day, claiming he needed time to mourn the Empress.
What had prompted this sudden change of heart?
Before the nobles could even voice their confusion, Artius continued, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“Instead of wasting my time with frivolous proposals, focus on finding the perfect birthday gift for my daughter.”
Whatever his true intentions were, one thing was clear.
Artius was no longer a pushover.
***
Back in his office, Artius resumed his work.
It had been four years, no, almost five years since the war ended.
The Ravanta Empire was finally entering a period of stability.
But he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.
In a few years, another Heilan royal would arrive as a hostage, replacing Dolce.
It was possible that their arrival would coincide with Elonia’s enrollment in the academy, so he needed to be prepared.
He didn’t have time to waste on meaningless meetings.
“Your Majesty, may I ask you something?”
“As long as it’s not pointless.”
Artius nodded, his pen still moving across the paper.
Aaron hesitated, gauging his mood, before cautiously speaking.
“You mentioned holding a birthday celebration for Her Highness… But will she even attend?”
Artius’s pen stilled.
He slowly set it down and sighed.
“If she doesn’t want to attend, then there’s nothing I can do.”
“But then the celebration…”
“The celebration will proceed as planned. The people need a reason to celebrate.”
“…But what about your true feelings?”
“I don’t want others to disrespect her because of my past actions… Unless she explicitly states that she doesn’t want a celebration.”
He had always intended to celebrate Elonia’s birthday from this year onwards, but he hadn’t planned on announcing it so soon.
Elonia was only four years old.
But there were still those who looked down upon her, whispering behind her back.
They called her the neglected princess, the unwanted child.
It wasn’t said directly, but their disdain was evident in their actions.
Artius wanted to show them, to make it clear to everyone, that Elonia was precious to him, that she was the sole heir to the throne until he stepped down, and that she was the true power in the Imperial Palace.
Even if Elonia didn’t attend, the fact that the Emperor himself was hosting her birthday celebration was significant.
It also served as a message to the nobles who insisted that palace events were the Empress’s responsibility. He could handle it just fine without an Empress.
“…Choosing a gift will be difficult.”
He had never celebrated her birthday before, and he wanted to shower her with the best gifts imaginable, to atone for his past sins.
But she would probably reject anything he offered.
As Artius pondered his options, Aaron asked, his voice laced with concern,
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
“What do you mean?”
“That day is also Lady Philemon’s… I apologize for my slip of the tongue.”
Artius understood his concern.
On Elonia’s birthday, which also happened to be Philemon’s death anniversary, Artius would not only ban all celebrations in the Empire but also confine himself to Philemon’s room, refusing to see anyone.
Naturally, Elonia’s birthday had always been overshadowed by grief.
“It’s fine. I have to be strong, to atone for my past mistakes. Otherwise, how can I face Elonia?”
“…”
Artius was truly fine now.
Or rather, he had to be.
His own pain was nothing compared to what Elonia had endured, her birthday ignored year after year.
He picked up his pen and resumed his work.
***
“Your Highness, His Majesty is here.”
“Ignore him.”
Elonia replied nonchalantly, buried in her armchair, engrossed in her book.
Artius had come to visit again.
He was persistent, even after she told him she didn’t want to see him.
“He’s so stubborn.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“What did you say, Rica?”
“Nothing.”
Ricardo whistled innocently, avoiding her glare.
Elonia shot him a look of disdain before turning to Sarah.
“By the way, Your Highness, are you okay with the birthday celebration?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Elonia had received a letter from Artius regarding her birthday celebration.
Since she was avoiding him, he had sent it through Aaron.
He had said that she didn’t have to attend if she didn’t want to.
He also told her to be honest if she didn’t want a celebration at all.
Personally, Elonia didn’t want to attend such a grand event, especially now that their relationship was strained.
But there hadn’t been a single imperial celebration in Ravanta since the war ended.
“His Majesty said you could be honest with him, Your Highness. You don’t have to force yourself.”
“I’m truly fine. It’s about time the Imperial Palace hosted a celebration.”
In Ravanta, an imperial birthday celebration marked the beginning of a month-long festival.
It had been almost five years since the war ended.
This was Elonia’s way of apologizing to the people of Ravanta.
After all, she, as Chelon, was responsible for the deaths of countless Ravanta citizens.
‘It’s not nearly enough, but I have to do what I can while I’m here.’
It wasn’t a bad idea either.
Whether it was the Pope, the Grand Duke, or the Emperor, their power stemmed from the support of the people.
The Empire had been shrouded in a somber mood ever since the war ended, unbefitting of a victorious nation.
It was time to lift their spirits.
‘And it wouldn’t hurt to strengthen the imperial authority.’
Ricardo had informed her that the nobles, sensing Artius’s weakened resolve, were once again pushing their daughters as potential Empresses.
The old Elonia would have gladly accepted their advances, but not anymore.
After hearing Artius’s heartfelt confession to Philemon’s portrait, the thought of a new Empress felt cruel and disrespectful.
She couldn’t bring herself to inflict such pain upon him.
‘…But is he really okay?’
He might have gone a little crazy after Philemon’s death, but he was always emotionally fragile.
That was why, despite his constant visits to the Imperial Princess’s Palace to torment her over the past four years, he had never shown his face on Elonia’s birthday, which coincided with Philemon’s death anniversary.
And not only that, he had banned all celebrations on that day.
Elonia briefly worried about him, but then quickly dismissed the thought.
‘I have my own problems to deal with. Besides, there’s a big difference between attending the celebration and not attending.’
Artius was finally acknowledging her birthday and preparing a grand celebration. And if the celebration was successful…
The message was clear.
It was a public declaration that Elonia was no longer the neglected princess and that the vacant position of the Empress wasn’t a significant issue.
It was better to show her face, even if it was just for a brief appearance.
‘This isn’t for Artius.’
She had decided to stay in this world, whether it was as soup or bread, until she enrolled in the academy.
And a strong imperial authority was essential for creating both soup and bread.
Unaware of Elonia’s true intentions, Sarah teared up.
“Your Highness, you’re already thinking about the people… But please, promise me that if you change your mind, you’ll tell me. You’re still young, you deserve to be selfish.”
“It’s fine. I might as well get a ton of gifts while I’m at it. It’s just a brief appearance, right?”
“But…”
“I’m okay, Sarah.”
Elonia patted Sarah’s back, comforting her.
Even Ethan, the stoic knight, sniffled.
Only Ricardo remained unmoved, staring blankly at them. Ethan, exasperated, elbowed him in the ribs and stomped on his foot.
“…!”
The pain in his ribs and little toe brought tears to Ricardo’s eyes.
He gritted his teeth, glaring at Ethan.
“What was that for, Lady Ethan?”
“Do you have no heart? That’s why you Heilan bastards…”
“Excuse me, I’m a Ravanta citizen now.”
“If you were truly a Ravanta citizen, you’d be crying right now.”
…To think he would get elbowed and stomped on for such a reason.
What a touching display of camaraderie.