The Abandoned Empress

Chapter 274: Chapter 274

I was confused for a moment about what he meant by “the possibility,” but I thanked him because I immediately realized it. He seemed to try to reassure me that I might not be infertile.

By the way, why did he mention ‘deal” with the emperor?

“Your Eminence, what kind of deal did you make with the emperor…?”

“Oh, you didn’t know it as I expected. That’s why you had such turbulent feelings deep down. Well, it’s fun to keep looking at you, but I feel I can’t just leave as I am constantly reminded of my old memories…”

“Pardon? What do you mean…”

“In fact, before you offered a deal to me, I met a person who offered the same deal. He was none other than the emperor.”

Then, did he also have it in mind? When I reported to the emperor about the intervention by the temple, I felt very sorry for him because he rejected my idea out of hand, saying he could not interfere with the authority of the temple recklessly.

“Even though I am confronting the top priests, I am also a priest who serves Vita. I felt scared when I thought about the possibility of our temple’s authority crumbling, so I tried every way to seek his help…”

“…”

“Well, the emperor first offered a deal to me. He asked me to do him a favor in return for giving me the full authority over the priests involved in this incident.”

What was that? What did he try to gain at the risk of losing the golden opportunity to cut off his relations with the temple that tried to interfere with the central politics, which the late emperor was so wary about? As he was not aware that he was being poisoned, he probably didn’t have anything to strike a deal with the High Priest.

No matter how hard I tried to figure it out, I could not recall anything.

Watching me pressing my temple firmly, he said with a faint smile, “It looks like you don’t remember it. Well, it was the same with me.”

“I don’t know.”

“What the emperor wanted me in return for covering up all the dirty things of the temple was my blessings.”

“Pardon? Blessings?”

“Yes. It’s not my one-time blessings, but my periodic blessings.”

Periodic blessings?

I tilted my head. Why did he ask for that? Did he think my blessings were important enough to cover up the temple’s wrongdoing? Given that the emperor received periodic blessings for himself, the blessings were apparently not for himself.

Blessings. Periodic blessings…Wait a minute. Periodic blessings?

“No way…” My eyes opened wide.

There was one who received the High Priest’s blessings periodically, and that twice a month when ordinary people could hardly receive even one from for the rest of their lives.

I was the one who received such blessings.

“Yes. He wanted my blessings for you. Blessings are originally intended to prevent one’s bad energy. He said he would like to pin his hope on it, even if the possibility was low.”

“But why didn’t he tell me…?”

“He asked me to keep it secret, saying he didn’t want to hurt you with false hope. Of course, I owe a debt of gratitude to your late mother, but I didn’t give you blessings just because of that.”

That’s why I brought Sextus here. I needed some plausible cause to continue to stay in the empire.”

“Oh my…” I sighed out.

Well, I felt something strange when the emperor talked about my mother too much. Then, was it because of his secret deal with the emperor that the High Priest gave me blessings whenever I entered the sacred place or he came as far as my house to give me blessings?

When I was publicly insulted as an infertile woman in front of others at the political meeting, I raged with anger because of my offended pride. Despite his reassurances that he would protect me, I burned all my dresses, vowing to give up my life as a woman. He begged me not to make a quick conclusion, promising to solve the problem when I asked him to break off my engagement with him. He even said that, telling me he would willingly take the risk of his supporting base shaken by the noble faction.

Biting my lips with mixed feelings, I hurriedly pulled back my body because the High Priest already came close to me. Watching me calm down my troubled heart, he said in a comforting voice, “Sorry, Lady Monique. I think I said something that I should not have because of old memories.”

“…”

“Don’t be so heartbroken. As I made a beautiful lady feel depressed, I must raise a prayer for repentance for my sin right now. ”

“… Your Eminence.”

“Please go ahead.”

“Thank you. Whatever the reason, it is you who gave me blessings repeatedly.”

“You’re welcome. It would be better if you gave me your heart, but let me receive your thanks anyway. ” He smiled, slanting his eyes upward, and turned.

When I was carried away with the fluttering of his white robe for a moment, I felt something falling on my head, and soon a soft floral scent surrounded me. I saw a white light staying on his hands between the pink petals falling down one by one.

“Thank you, Your Eminence.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, it’s too late. Let’s go, Lady Monique. I will escort you to your father’s place.” With a faint smile, he reached out to me. Escorted by him. I slowly walked with him.

Was it because of what the High Priest told me? Or was it because I saw the paper on the breakoff of my engagement with him? I felt depressed all along until I arrived home. Watching me get out of the wagon with a frown, my father said, “Follow me for a moment.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Returning the greetings of the house employees, I stepped into the house and went upstairs with my father. Wondering what’s the matter, I entered the room with a puzzled expression, when he suddenly pulled me into his arms.

“Daddy?”

“Just cry, Tia,” he said, stopping me from raising my head.

“Pardon? What do you mean…”

“Just cry it out instead of smiling feebly like that.”

“But I don’t have anything to cry…”

“It was an engagement that you made with him as soon as you were born. Even though you have refused it all along, it must have been very meaningful to you. You might have taken it for granted just like your breathing.”

I felt like I cried at his gentle push, but I strongly balked.

“No. I never thought so, Daddy. ”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Do you know why I learned fencing? I told you several times that I would be the successor of my family. Everything came true as I wished. As long as I can succeed in punishing those at the next political meeting, who tried to harm me, I don’t have anything more to ask for. So I …”

When I said repeatedly I was okay, tears suddenly dropped from my eyes. I saw the hem of his shirt getting wet little by little. I hurriedly tried to disengage from him in embarrassment, but he stopped me by holding me tightly, and patted my back. In the end, I was choked up with tears and began to cry when he comforted me warmly.

All kinds of emotions poured out from my closed mind. My heart ached. I knew he was so kind and considerate of me, and that I was loved by him so much. I hated myself for not having the courage to come closer to him. I knew he was different from the old him, and I believed that I would not have a miserable future ase I did in the past. But I was still scared and I was so frustrated about it.

I cried out, grabbing the hem of his stiff shirt.

What a fool I am as I can’t reach out to him, nor let go of him for good! In the past, I was very decisive in deciding something, but I am always indecisive now. Even though I feel so heartbroken, I can’t be confident enough to approach and accept his heart. Tears kept flowing endlessly while I was blaming myself for my indecisiveness.

How much time passed? My tears gradually stopped and my rough breathing came back to normal slowly. As I tried to support my drooping body, my father held my shoulders gently and helped me sit down. I blinked my eyes slowly, when I suddenly heard him whispering into my ears, “I’m surprised you resemble your mother even here.”

“Mom?”

“Yes, and I know why the emperor is so desperate to win over your heart. Like father, like son, as they say.”

Only

“Pardon?”

Although I wondered what he meant by that, he seemed to have no intention of answering my question. While stroking my hair silently, he said, “Tia?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“After we are done with all this, let’s take a break for a month or two.”

“Pardon? Really?”

“Yes. I think we had better tour some famed resorts. How about the Dean estate, famous for its large lake, or the Seymour estate famous for its lush forest? Hummm, I think the Herr estate is also good…”

I felt sleepy at the warmth of my father who embraced my shoulders and regularly swept my hair. Blinking my heavy eyelids due to drowsiness, I leaned my head on his shoulders.

I heard him whispering something, but I already fell asleep in his arms.