The Role of Grand Duchess - Chapter 16

“Y-Your Majesty!”

“Step aside, my friend. The lives of those I cherish are precious. Heh heh.”

Emperor Bailian chuckled amiably and gestured to Caelus with a serene expression. It was the face of an uncle who worried about his young nephew, not an emperor, when he visited Caelus on the battlefield under the pretense of inspecting the northern territories every few years.

Walking to the center of the grand hall and standing before the ornate throne, Caelus faced Emperor Bailian, whose expression was as calm as ever, and spoke.

“So, what is it you wish to say, my nephew?”

“Where is Empress Pamela?”

“Gone like smoke. My son, my daughter, all of them have vanished. Leaving only me behind.”

With a hollow voice and resigned eyes, Bailian announced the absence of his family. Caelus’s eyes wavered at the sight of him, looking as though he had aged several years in just a few days.

That long ago, when his mother had passed away and he had lost his father as well, his expression must have been similar. He now clearly remembered the sorrow and despair of that time, and he felt it emanating from Bailian.

No, looking at Bailian’s face now, Caelus thought that his own farewell through death was perhaps better. At least he had not been betrayed by his family.

“Did you truly not know?”

“Well… it would be a lie to say I didn’t know. But I certainly can’t say I knew everything either. I thought I was doing a decent job as emperor. But I was, inevitably, a cowardly fool.”

Bailian paused and glanced at the Master of the Magic Tower and the Duke standing behind Caelus.

“Look. Even those who possess great power but never interfere in politics are standing proudly behind you. Behind you, the true monarch.”

“Your Majesty…”

“I am sorry. It is all my fault. I felt something was amiss, but I turned a blind eye, blinded by greed. Sometimes, I even wished you were dead. I was insecure, you see. What is this crown worth, anyway? Heh heh.”

“Is that so.”

“Blinded by greed, I spent my life envying you, pretending not to see, pretending not to know. So, I must now look ahead properly.”

With those words, Emperor Bailian rose to his feet. He looked at the faces of those standing below him, one by one. Then, in a solemn voice, he declared.

“I, Bailian Derstrian, the twelfth emperor of the Decart Empire, hereby abdicate the throne to my nephew, Caelus Derstrian, the rightful heir to the empire, making him the thirteenth emperor.”

“……!”

At the unexpected declaration, shock spread across the faces of everyone in the grand hall. But Bailian, who had dropped the bombshell, was utterly serene.

“Do not refuse. It was originally your place, after all. Ha Ha Ha.”

Bailian laughed heartily, as if relieved.

Count Roang’s face fell, as things had unfolded far too easily. The Master of the Magic Tower and the Duke were the same. But Caelus’s eyes remained sharp.

Because it was not over yet.

Noticing that air, Bailian asked with a bitter smile.

“Will you kill them all?”

He knew that this included his own wife and children. But they were his blood, his family with whom he had shared affection. Unable to simply ignore it, he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“No, I will only execute those involved with black magic.”

Black magic.

He couldn’t be sure about his children, but he had certainly felt a chilling aura from his wife from time to time. He had vaguely suspected that what he had desperately ignored was the aura of black magic.

“My wife, hmph… I suppose it is too much to ask that you spare her life?”

“I am sorry.”

“No. A life for a life is only right. Hmph… This is all my fault for being foolish, so there is no one to blame, and you have nothing to be sorry for.”

With a look of resignation, Bailian removed the crown from his head and placed it in Caelus’s hands, offering a weak smile.

“Hold a grand coronation. I, as a sinner, will likely not be able to attend, so congratulations in advance.”

“Thank you.”

Having completed his task, Bailian strode out of the grand hall. Only the commander of the knights followed his lord with a grim face.

No one stopped them.

Watching their small, receding figures, the Count Roang asked.

“Are you really just going to let them go?”

“Yes.”

“……Understood. However, please do not stop me from monitoring him until his death.”

“Let us make it protection, not surveillance.”

“……Yes.”

Thus, Caelus became the thirteenth emperor of the Decart Empire, leaving only Pamela as his greatest enemy.

***

Eileen’s eyes fluttered open at the jolting sensation. But all she saw was darkness. Moreover, she couldn’t move her body.

“Mmph, mmph.”

She couldn’t even speak, as if she was gagged. A thick dread washed over her in an instant. She writhed and struggled to escape, but it was no use.

“You should have just stayed asleep. You woke up.”

“……!”

“Dying in your sleep is such a good thing. What a pity.”

Yanes looked at Eileen, who was bound and rolling on the floor of the carriage, with genuine regret. She was helping Princess Rowena with her plans for money, but kidnapping and harming an innocent woman didn’t sit well with her.

The carriage sped towards the outskirts of the imperial capital. Instead of fleeing far away, they aimed to hide in the maze-like back alleys of the slums, where it would be harder to find them.

But for some reason, it was noisier outside than usual. Yanes spread a large blanket over Eileen, who was squirming, and opened the carriage window.

“What is it? Locke, what’s going on?”

“They say the emperor abdicated to his nephew?”

“What?”

What nonsense was this? What would happen to Princess Rowena? And to them?

“That, that crazy bitch is trying to kill someone…”

If the emperor’s nephew was the man she had kidnapped to kill, then this woman was not just the Grand Duchess, but would become the empress of the empire.

Unintentionally, she had kidnapped a member of the imperial family.

As things stood, she had to get rid of the evidence as quickly as possible.

“Hurry! We need to take care of this and hide! Drive faster!”

Yanes screamed, and Locke cracked the whip hard. The horses, suddenly struck on their hindquarters, frantically increased their speed.

And the unexpected news that Caelus had become emperor reached Eileen’s ears, who was thrown under the carriage like baggage. Eileen, who had been trying to move her body, felt all her strength drain away.

Caelus had become emperor.

It was an unexpected event, but certainly good news. However, for Eileen, the news brought more sorrow than joy.

Now I don’t have to play the role of the Grand Duchess anymore. My usefulness has… come to an end.

Yes, it’s all over now.

At that moment, the carriage entered the edge of the slums.

At the same time, a dark mass gathered around Yanes’s carriage, which was carrying Eileen.

“W-What is it! Keuh-!”

A scream followed Locke’s startled cry. It was an ambush. Yanes, who had looked outside, grabbed her sword.

“What the hell? These aren’t the Grand Duke’s knights?”

But there was no time to think. The carriage door was torn off in an instant, and the attackers stormed in.

“Eek-! Come on! I’ll kill you all!”

Yanes screamed desperately and swung her sword wildly. But the fight was anticlimactic. Unbeknownst to her, the attackers were black mages who had followed the mark of black magic that Cantus had left on Eileen. Enemies who used black magic were not opponents that Yanes and Locke could handle in the first place.

Yanes, who had died covered in blood without putting up a proper resistance in front of the broken carriage, collapsed, and Eileen was kidnapped again, still blindfolded and bound.

And after a while, they arrived at an unknown location.

“Hmm, seeing you again like this, I feel a little glad?”

Eileen raised her head at the sound of a familiar voice. It was definitely Empress Pamela’s voice.

“Untie her.”

At Pamela’s command, the covering over Eileen’s eyes was removed. Soon, the gag in her mouth was also removed. Pamela stared intently at Eileen’s disheveled face and muttered in disbelief.

“So this plain, country bumpkin ruined all my plans? She broke Caelus’s curse and even caused my loyal Cantus to die.”

The name of the black mage who had tried to kill her came from Pamela’s mouth. Eileen looked with a grim face at Pamela, who was sitting in front of her wearing a black robe.

The empress of the empire was involved with black mages. It was unbelievable. But the dark figures behind her, and Pamela herself, were now exuding a chilling magical energy as if they had no intention of hiding it any longer. Just facing them made her feel like a frog in front of a snake. But Eileen bit her lip tightly. She didn’t want to show weakness to the bad guys.

“Black magic… How can the empress of the empire use such a terrible thing…”

“Terrible? With this power, I will put my husband on the throne and give the entire continent to my son. How wonderful is that power? Huh?”

“That’s absurd!”

“Girl, from my perspective, your existence is even more absurd. You, of all people, ruined my plans that I’ve been working on for over 20 years. Does that make sense?”

“Isn’t it natural to be punished for doing bad things?”

“Your courage is commendable. Well, that’s what makes it so satisfying to crush you.”

Pamela smiled wickedly and flicked her fingers. Then, one of the black mages behind her grabbed Eileen’s hair and cut off the ends.

“Put it in the letter and send it well. Don’t forget to tell him to come alone if he wants to save this bitch.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Eileen’s eyes widened. She could tell without being told who they were referring to. They were now trying to use her as a hostage to lure Caelus into a death trap.

No! Absolutely not!

Eileen cried out urgently.

“He won’t come! It won’t go your way. I’m just a fake anyway!”

“A fake? You?”

“Yes. I was just a fake, playing the role of the Grand Duchess. Grand Duke Caelus and I are nothing to each other.”

Eileen desperately shook her head. The thought of Caelus being in danger again because of her was terrifying.

Pamela couldn’t possibly not know what emotions filled Eileen’s eyes.

“Considering that, you two were getting a little too cozy in the imperial palace, weren’t you? Oh, and before that, on the way from the north to the capital, you were making the carriage shake so much it was falling apart, right?”

“……That was, that was just my role. So, he will never come…….”

Eileen lowered her head, struggling to finish her words. It felt like the things she was saying were sharp daggers stabbing her heart. But it was a relief. Because she was nothing, so Caelus wouldn’t come.

“Shall we see about that?”

Pamela cackled. What a foolish girl.

From the beginning, there were only two ways to break the black magic curse that made people lose their emotions.

Either the caster died, or the cursed person who had lost their emotions felt the emotion of love.

Since she was alive and well, the curse could only have been broken by the second method. And the woman who taught him that love didn’t know it. What an irony.

“Anyway, thank you. Because of you, the curse was broken, but also because of you, I can catch Caelus again. Look forward to it, I’ll kill you in the most miserable way possible right in front of his eyes. Ahahaha.”

Pamela’s loud laughter echoed in the dark space.

***

Caelus mounted his horse as soon as he received the throne from Bailian. What he needed to do now was to find and capture Pamela, but bringing Eileen to the imperial palace was more urgent for Caelus.

Because Eileen was the easiest target for Pamela, who was cornered.

Caelus lightly ignored the Earl of Roang’s offer to send people and instead entrusted him with the cleanup of the imperial palace, spurring his horse on. The black horse, which had been galloping without rest, arrived in front of the mansion, and he shouted as soon as he arrived.

“Eileen! Where is Eileen?”

“Her Highness the Grand Duchess is in her room. But…….”

Before the knight could finish speaking, Caelus leaped from his saddle and strode into the mansion. The knight hurried after him, explaining about the earlier visitors as Caelus rapidly ascended the stairs.

Caelus’s expression turned grave upon hearing that Eileen had received a letter about her mother’s critical condition and was alone in her grief. He threw open the door to her room, only to be met by a strange scent that permeated the air.

However, Caelus, consumed with worry for Eileen, ignored the odd atmosphere and went straight to the bed where she lay.

“Eileen…”

Despite his soft, sorrowful call, there was no response from beneath the covers.

Suddenly, Caelus felt strange. Why, in this situation, was his lower abdomen heating up?