Chapter 53

“Is that the promise between you and the Earlier Empress?”

“Precisely, it was the promise of the Earlier Empress of Larchen and Emperor of Khalifa, so I’ll do it. In case you hadn’t come into my eyes, I might have tried to keep away from the imperial wedding ceremony by any means, however because you got here into my eyes, I’ve no intention of avoiding it.”

“Usman Khalifa. I’ve no intention of utilizing my imperial wedding ceremony politically.”

“Don’t be silly. That is the primary time I’ve heard that the Empress’s nationwide wedding ceremony shouldn’t be used politically.”

Usman, who was regularly transferring away from her face, exaggeratedly unfold his arms.

“You imply to make use of the chance Berthas Hillenton gave you correctly.”

“There’s no approach I can refuse.”

“After a yr? What do you assume will occur after that?”

“That…”

“It’s not all about delaying. It doesn’t make sense that the Empress wouldn’t marry.”

“Why?”

“The very best-ranking individual within the empire doesn’t marry, isn’t it unusual? I’m positive it can at all times be appeared down upon by different empires although I can’t afford Larchen to be handled like that in Larchen. In addition to…”

“In addition to?”

“Proper now, even the Imperial Household is lacking. With out the Imperial Household, there could be no successor. What would you do on this state of affairs?”

Isilis closed her eyes as Usman pinpointed the issue she was fascinated by… the Princess’s disappearance. In response to Berthas’ phrases, though the imperial wedding ceremony was postponed for a yr, the Princess who would sit within the successor’s seat disappeared. Her destiny was unknown.

‘By any likelihood…’

She puzzled if Berthas knew one thing. If he knew something in regards to the different a part of the necklace and the protecting magic it had, it might be a clue to discovering the Princess.

‘…I’ll must ship a dependable messenger.’

Whereas she might have used magic, she couldn’t discover his coordinates, so letters had been the one approach she might contact him until she had been sure the place he was.

“I’ll give it some thought after discovering the Princess.”

“What if a yr passes within the meantime?”

“I’ll give it some thought then.”

Usman, who watched Isilis avoiding answering with sunken eyes, lastly spoke.

“…Good. I’ll anticipate you.”

“What?”

“Within the meantime, I’ll keep and wait within the Imperial Palace of Larchen.”

“Usman Khalifa. You’re joking…”

“You assume it’s a joke? What do you see me as, Isilis?”

The second she tried to keep away from his lips that had been approaching. The door to the viewers room opened, and a voice got here from behind Usman.

“Isilis.”

“…Earlier Empress!”

“I heard it on the way in which that one thing occurred.”

Was the looks of the Earlier Empress a profit or a loss to her? Isilis didn’t know. When she noticed Usman and the Earlier Empress speaking casually in entrance of her, she felt all of the extra so.

“How…”

“Duke Verus made a contact.”

“What is that this.”

Despite the fact that she had mentioned one thing like that to the Duke earlier than, she thought it was overdone with Berthas’ assist. Nevertheless, turned out it wasn’t, as Duke Verus had already contacted the Earlier Empress. Whereas hiding the oncoming sigh, Isilis spoke to the Earlier Empress.

“Why are you right here?”

“Due to your marriage.”

“You transferred the throne as in case you had been abandoning it to me.”

Usman glanced at them alternately because the temperature dropped instantly. Sensing an odd environment, he left the place, saying he would come again later.

‘It’s good that he observed it shortly.’

She felt like her abdomen was twisted on the Earlier Empress, who smiled as she watched Usman run away.

“Earlier Empress…”

“I heard that my granddaughter is lacking.”

“The information travels quick.”

“I don’t know if I ought to name it quick, however I’ve heard tales about Marquis Cykra associated to it.”

“I’m not going to point out tolerance.”

“As it is best to? In case you’re the Empress, it is best to. Even when blood is stained on the throne, the Empress should not lose her authority.”

“I at all times maintain that in thoughts.”

The Earlier Empress was at all times like that. Slightly than displaying motherly benevolence, she adhered to her with an angle of training the inheritor to the throne.

She nonetheless remembered.

The determine of her father and the Earlier Empress who quarreled when she was a toddler. The Earlier Empress at all times fought along with her father, however nothing modified. From a sure second on, Isilis, too, additionally known as her utilizing the title of Her Majesty, or Earlier Empress, quite than Mom… since when?

‘…It was proper after I used to be kidnapped.’

From the time she returned in her father’s arms, she known as her mom that. Though she ought to have observed the change in title, the Earlier Empress didn’t appear to thoughts. Even then, her mom took care of her father’s security quite than worrying about Isilis.

She was upset, however she couldn’t present it. If she uncovered it on the skin, all that got here was a chilly schooling.

Nonetheless, the Earlier Empress was not very motherly.

That evening, when she was tossing and turning, unable to sleep. There was a heat reminiscence of the door slowly opening and somebody holding her hand. Because of that heat, she was in a position to sleep comfortably the day she returned from being kidnapped.

The hand, which was comfortable to say her father’s, belonged to the Earlier Empress.

“It’s a pity that it might have been good to have a granddaughter.”

“Why don’t you come again slightly early?”

If there had been the Earlier Empress, the kid may not have disappeared. Though the Earlier Empress’s magic energy was lower than Isilis’, she was nonetheless a member of the Larchen Imperial Household.

‘If she had…’

Isilis straightened her again as she shook her head to shake off her persevering with ideas. That was a futile thought.

“The kid wasn’t born with magical powers, proper?”

Because the attendant ready a seat, the Earlier Empress requested, and Isilis nodded her head.

“That’s proper.”

“In order that’s why it was a multitude.”

“Did Duke Verus say that?”

“Rumors unfold all through the empire.”

“To the Empire…?

“There are lots of people who find themselves nervous that the Princess with out magical powers will succeed to the throne.”

“….”

“I’ve nothing to say now that the kid is gone. Didn’t you postpone the marriage?”

“That’s proper.”

“For a yr.”

“Sure.”

“That’s sufficient then.”

Seeing the Earlier Empress rise from her seat, Isilis spoke rapidly.

“Are you going?”

“I’m solely stopping for a second.”

“Are you simply going to depart?”

The Earlier Empress’s head turned on the considerably biting phrases. Chilly phrases fell as she watched Isilis tremble.

“You might be nonetheless far-off.”

“Mom.”

Along with her earnest voice, the Earlier Empress sighed.

“I’ll keep and go. Somebody!”

“Sure, Earlier Empress.”

“Put together my room.”

“Understood.”

“You appear to have quite a lot of difficult ideas, so I’ll anticipate you.”

Isilis stared on the Earlier Empress again as she left the viewers room with that comment.

“Have you ever come out?”

“You known as me, why can’t I come?”

“You didn’t say one thing stern to Her Majesty once more, did you?”

“What can I say, Duke?”

“You at all times scold her.”

“If she deserves to get scolded, she will get scolded.”

“She is main the empire at a younger age. That strain was handed on by the Earlier Empress, too. You might be particularly strict with Her Majesty.”

“It’s none of your small business.”

“I need you to consider it.”

Even after listening to Duke Verus’ reproach, the Earlier Empress’s exhausting expression didn’t lighten.

‘How can I say that I’m jealous of that youngster?’

Isilis resembled her character, so she couldn’t hate her. Nevertheless, when she noticed a face that resembled hers, that youngster with that face and possessed highly effective magical powers, she would proceed to whip her.

‘She has sturdy magic, so I’ve to do that a lot… Even I, who don’t have sturdy magical powers, did that a lot, so she ought to do extra.’

That was what her coronary heart was like.

She tried to calm her thoughts of her weak point. It took her quite a lot of time to carry on to her coronary heart to inform Isilis one thing weak.

Seeing the Earlier Empress’ silent look, Duke Verus shook his head earlier than talking once more.

“How lengthy are you going to remain?”

“Don’t you assume I’ll go?”

“I noticed the attendants busy.”

“I see. That youngster appears to be shaking slightly, so I’ll have to stick with her till the shaking ends.”

“Earlier Empress.”

“Why are you calling?”

Because the Earlier Empress spoke whereas strolling, Duke Verus hurriedly adopted.

“Are you actually going to have an imperial wedding ceremony with the Crown Prince of the Khalifa Empire?”

“There isn’t any one higher than him to maintain the nobles in examine.”

“It’s a matter on Her Majesty’s coronary heart.”

“The Empress’s coronary heart shouldn’t be essential.”

“Didn’t the Earlier Empress get married to the individual you wished?”

“It’s tiring to work with somebody who is aware of an excessive amount of.”

Duke Verus smiled and spoke forcefully.

“Please give her energy.”

“I’ll simply watch.”

“That alone can be of nice assist to Her Majesty.”

“You’re clearly enjoying the function of a guardian too nicely.”

“Did you discover?”

“How can I not know whenever you made it so apparent like that.”

Watching the Earlier Empress snicker, Duke Verus additionally smiled brightly. She was like a daughter—the Empress to him—to him and not using a daughter, Isilis was like his personal daughter… the delivery of a brand new imperial household.

When he was first appointed as guardian, the second he noticed the Empress, she gently squeezed his finger. Hiding his chest overflowing with heat, Duke Verus swore.

I promise to guard you.

His loyalty, which started from that point, has continued to today.

After the Earlier Empress left the viewers room, Isilis, who was left alone, touched her head. After sitting in her seat for an extended whereas, she stood up. It was as a result of she needed to ship a messenger to Berthas.

Choosing up her writing instrument to put in writing a letter, when she completed studying it, she burned it with magic.

“I’m too…”

Practically half of it mentioned that she wished to see him, so she wished him to return again. Isilis’ head went clean when she wrote down her true emotions as if she was possessed with out realizing it.

‘That is my emotions, Berthas…’

Would he know that she missed him when he was far-off?

After giving delivery, she thought of him a number of instances, however she didn’t search for him on goal. It was as a result of she was afraid that this could occur. Ultimately, she shuddered on the sight of herself changing into what she had feared.

Isilis bowed her head on the picture of herself that she hated essentially the most.

Why was she doing this? Why was she so weak? Was it as a result of she misplaced the princess? She couldn’t cease fascinated by it. She didn’t know if she was writing one thing down on the white paper in entrance of her.

Instantly, she learn the paper once more and burned it once more.

After the three papers had been burned, she briefly wrote down the details about the Princess’s disappearance and known as a messenger.

“Ship this letter to Berthas Hillenton.”

“Berthas Hillenton?”

“Sure.”

“The place…”

“The place do you have to ship it?”

She didn’t know.

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