The Abandoned Empress

I silently watched her speaking to him softly with cuteness and him accepting her gift without any hesitation. When I was breathing out as I felt jammed up inside, I breathed loudly. He looked at me quickly and pulled the string to call a servant. Then, he told the servant who came immediately, “Keep it well because Lady Jena gave it to me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

She bit her lips, watching the servant taking the gift. I broke into a smile as she seemed embarrassed and upset, but I felt gratified somehow.

When I giggled, she looked angrily at me. Disgusted at her attitude, who completely forgot that she was being so coy, I gave her an eye signal, pointing at him. Only then did she seem to have realized her mistake. Changing her facial expression, she said, “I heard that you became a full-fledged knight, Lady Monique. Congratulations!”

“Thank you.”

“So, are you now going to be the official successor of your family? You’re really great. I watched my brother handling matters as the successor of my family, but I wouldn’t do it. That’s why I have come to respect you more. I think it would be better for me to help my future husband quietly.”

I giggled once again. Didn’t she find out his true colors when she was so obsessed with him?

Clicking my tongue furtively, I turned my eyes to him. Not surprisingly, his navy blue eyes were coldly subdued. He hated the way of speaking used by the noble women attending social events, which I discovered only a few years ago. So much so that he called those young ladies chattering and slandering each other, a flock of snakes.

After looking at her coldly, he said, “Thank you for the gift, Lady Jena. Do you have anything more to say?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Good. Let me wrap up your meeting here. I’d like to talk to you for a little more, but I’ve got a lot of work to do now. ”

“… Oh I see. Then I’m going to leave now, Your Majesty.”

Biting her lip, she rose and bowed to him. Her black eyes looking at me sparkled sharply. I heard the sound of her skirt rustling before the door closed.

After looking at the door, he pressed his temple and picked up the documents he had pushed to the side, so she could not see them.

“Okay, let’s start again. Will you please give me an overview again?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Well, let me briefly explain as you seem tired. In fact, the reason I bring up the trivial issue of the redeployment of the knights for your attention is because I need your approval of which option you want to take.”

“Two ways. Please continue. ”

“That is…”

How much time passed?

While I was explaining it to him, turning over the thick documents, I suddenly found he was too quiet. As usual, he might ask questions or nod his head, but he wasn’t responding, with one hand on his forehead. I couldn’t even see what kind of expression he was making because of the shade of his hand on his forehead.

“… Your Majesty?”

I called him hesitantly, but he had no answer.

Was he asleep because he was so tired?

“Your Majesty?”

Even though I called him a little louder than before, he still had no answer. He should have felt my intense gaze at him, but he didn’t show any reaction. Given his sensitive personality, he was unusually quiet.

Now I became more and more anxious, so I reluctantly approached him and called him loudly after clearing my throat.

“Your Majesty!”

“…”

“Your Majesty!”

The moment I touched him carefully, I felt his body was hot. Stunned, I shook his shoulder. His hand placed on his forehead dropped. Only then did I see his face fully.

My heart sank.

His face, which I thought was just a little pale, turned white.

“Your Majesty…?”

My heart started to beat at a very high rate. I felt dizzy at that pounding sound.

“How come he was…”

I lifted my trembling hand and took it to the tip of his nose. I felt his rough breathing at the tip of my finger. The buzzing sound rang in my ears endlessly.

‘Come to your senses, Aristia!’

Biting my lips, I stood up, straining my faltering legs. Though I was extremely confused and absent-minded, I walked to the door staggeringly, gnashing my teeth. Then I pulled the doorknob that didn’t work as hard as I could and opened the door.

“Lord Chamberlain!”

“I’m here, Lady Monique.”

My lips often trembled, but I tried to keep a calm look and gave him an order quickly.

“Since the emperor wants to talk to the High Priest secretly, send someone to the temple right away to bring him over here.”

“Yes, but why didn’t he call me directly?”

“It’s because he is reviewing important documents at the moment. That’s why he called me to assist him, as you know.”

“Got it. I will send someone to the temple right now. ”

“Good. And…”

Suddenly I remembered my dialogue with the High Priest a few days ago. He said he was leaving the empire sooner or later to stop the Fourth Root of Vita from making his wish.

What if he already left the empire?

Suddenly, I was choked up with emotions. I felt like I would cry at any time, so I calmed my pounding heart, biting my lips, and said as calmly as possible, “If he is not at the temple, ask them when he left. Send somebody to the gate of the capital castle, too. Oh, I think you had better send the men to the temple and the gate at the same time. Anyway, please bring the High Priest here as soon as possible. Got it?”

“Yes, Lady Monique.”

I turned, pretending to be calm and relaxed.

The moment I carefully closed the door, my legs were like jelly. I helplessly sat down at the door and closed my mouth with trembling hands. My breathing roughly came out through my closed lips. My hand was in the clouds, but I took out my hands and bit my lips. When I tasted the scent of blood on my lips, I seemed to come to my senses.

Tasting the salty taste in my mouth, I raised my body. I was terrified to see his terrifyingly pale face, but I put his drooping arms on my shoulder, clenching my teeth. After raising his body with all my might, I walked a few steps and placed him on a spacious sofa.

I laid him on the sofa. I unbuttoned his jacket and shirt as well as his scarf. While looking around quickly, I dipped a handkerchief in the water of a vase and put it on his forehead.

What else should I do now?

I tried to think hard in my mind, but I couldn’t think of anything else. What happened to him?

His condition was too serious to say that he fell because of fatigue or overwork.

Did something bad happen to him?

At the moment, my heart jolted because something came to mind.

How much time passed? I suddenly came to my senses when I heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. I wiped my face wet with sweat and adjusted my dress. Then, I asked the Lord Chamberlain who stiffened when he stepped in, “Have you brought the High Priest here?”

“Lady Monique… What happened to His Excellency?”

“Come to your senses! I’m asking you now. Have you brought the High Priest here?”

“Oh, ah, yes, he is here.”

“Whew! ”

I felt like a limp noodle, feeling relieved to hear that. Barely pulling myself together, I said with a lighter feeling than before, “Okay, please bring him here. Don’t tell it to anybody until I call you later.”

“Oh, yes, Lady Monique.”

He hurriedly replied and opened the door after taking a deep breath.

After stepping in with a puzzled look, the High Priest paused for a moment. Then he came hurriedly to the emperor and checked his condition.

Only

“…May the light of life embrace him!”

After examining him for a long time, he recited a prayer with a sigh. The moment I felt relieved to see a ray of light coming from his stretched hands, he was back in colors, then he coughed violently.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!”

“Your Majesty!” I rushed to him.

When I embraced him with trembling hands, light came out again from the High Priest’s hands.

“In the name of Vita, the Lord of Life, go away filthiness!”

When the white light enveloped the young man, his violent coughing gradually decreased.

His harsh breathing also faded, and his fever began to break little by little.