I Became the Wife of the Hero Who Killed Me - Chapter 121
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Episode 121
* * *
The attendant sent by the Emperor pounded violently on Mariana’s bedroom door.
“Your Majesty the Empress! Please open the door. This is His Majesty the Emperor’s command.”
“I don’t want to see anyone right now, so withdraw!”
Because she had opposed Rosalind’s conversion and the royal marriage, she was still bound by house arrest.
According to the stories she heard, Rosalind was also refusing conversion by going on a hunger strike.
But Mariana knew better.
That foolish Princess couldn’t possibly have any convictions or religious faith.
Nor would she have any loyalty or longing for her nephew, who had been her original fiancé.
Rosalind, who had dismissed even Marsen as a backwater place, couldn’t possibly endure being married off to Pavia.
“Your Majesty the Empress, it has been a long time since Lord Joseph has seen his mother’s face.”
“….”
“Wouldn’t it be wise to act prudently, thinking of the young Prince?”
She knew who was behind the attendant’s insolent remarks.
‘To think he would use even his six-year-old son as a tool for political strife!’
Though her insides boiled with rage, Mariana gritted her teeth and endured it.
If she reacted here, it would only make things more difficult for Joseph. She couldn’t let the Emperor wield that poor child like a tool.
Even if tears came, she had to endure until the end.
Not long after the Emperor’s attendant, who had been making a racket for a while, left, the sun set.
Even though she was under house arrest, they couldn’t starve an Empress, so meals were prepared lavishly at every mealtime.
“Your Majesty the Empress, today’s meal was specially prepared with the head chef’s particular attention. There’s also a honey dessert made from Lombard’s specialty.”
“….”
“Please try some.”
Of course, even those who served Mariana had been replaced with the Emperor’s people instead of her familiar ladies-in-waiting.
She, who hadn’t paid attention to whoever came and went, suddenly hesitated.
‘Lombard?’
The attendant carrying the meal looked at her meaningfully when their eyes met, then immediately bowed his head.
At the end of his gaze lay a honey-preserved orange dessert.
Mariana rose from the bed as if entranced.
“I don’t need service. I want to dine quietly alone, so everyone leave.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
As soon as the people left, she immediately moved the plate.
As expected, underneath lay a very small message. She hurriedly unfolded the paper.
It was Elisia’s handwriting that she had seen at the Leisurely People’s Gathering.
[I’m worried that your health might have suffered from the long house arrest.
I can’t write at length, so I’ll get straight to the point.
There’s an old saying about taking one step back to advance two steps forward.
Pretend to follow His Majesty’s orders and escape from house arrest. I’ll tell you the details when we meet.
– Elisia, who worries about her aunt.]
Mariana hurriedly burned the letter she had finished reading, lest anyone see it.
Then she fell into deep thought.
“She wants me to send Rosalind to Pavia like this?”
She was confused.
Because she knew this was only the beginning.
Rumors that the Emperor also intended to convert were already spreading quietly throughout the Imperial Court.
If Rosalind converted, Protestant priests would come and go from the Imperial Court to discuss the royal marriage procedures, and the moment they borrowed their hands, Baldin’s state religion would eventually change.
Just looking at how the three ministers of the Holy Capital and the Lombard forces from the Northern Region, where Orthodox influence was strong, were driven out of the Imperial Palace, his intentions could be sufficiently guessed.
“What on earth is our niece thinking…”
Through gatherings of leisurely people, Mariana had extensively revised her assessment of Elisia.
She was well-versed in continental history from ancient times to the present.
Her knowledge of literature was comparable to Isabella’s in her youth, she was skilled in administration, and especially excellent at reading public sentiment.
It was surprising to the point of amazement that she had lived so humbly all this time.
‘One thing is certain.’
She was caught in a trap from which she could not escape either way.
In times like these, it was wise to seek help from a trustworthy ally.
After confirming that the letter had burned without a trace, she turned around.
“Is anyone outside?!”
“Did you call for me?”
The Emperor’s attendant entered.
Mariana deliberately pretended to be dejected, rubbing her temples as she continued speaking.
“Thinking alone, I regret anew that I defied the orders of His Majesty, the dignity of the Empire, in my position as Empress.”
“Then—”
“I will follow His Majesty’s orders. I will oversee Rosalind’s royal marriage procedures without any shortcomings, so please convey this well to His Majesty. I can’t live because it’s so stifling to stay only within the Palace.”
“I will do my best.”
As expected, not long after the attendant withdrew, the Emperor lifted the house arrest.
Also, her humbling herself was worthwhile, as her faithful ladies-in-waiting were able to return to the Empress Palace once again.
“Mariana, are you alright?!”
“You’ve become so thin…”
Not unaware of the hardships their mistress had endured, the ladies-in-waiting shed tears as they looked at Mariana.
Nevertheless, Mariana calmly consoled them.
“While preparing for Rosalind’s royal marriage, I should also look into the citizens’ circumstances. I need to inspect the poorhouse, so please help me.”
There were several poorhouses in the Imperial Capital operated with state funds.
The Empress had a responsibility to care for them as the mother of the nation.
Moreover, since it was customary in social circles for noble ladies to assist the Empress’s poorhouse inspections, it was a perfectly suitable opportunity to meet with Elisia.
* * *
“That damned old fox!!”
Meanwhile, the news that Mariana had been released from house arrest soon reached Rosalind’s ears as well.
She screamed while roughly sweeping the objects off the display cabinet.
What kind of person was she?
She was the only direct Princess of the Great Empire Valdin and the sole sister of the one who would become the next Emperor.
The value of this body was immeasurable even if given a thousand gold, yet she gave up so easily like this?
She surrendered without even putting up a proper fight?!
“This isn’t right. This can’t happen. I need to go see His Majesty!”
“But His Majesty said he wouldn’t see Lady Rosalind until you change your mind.”
“Then what about Elder Brother?!”
“I heard His Highness Nigel is working day and night on official duties to resolve the friction with the Holy See. Even if you go now, he would be away from his office.”
“What, what is all this!!”
Despite the ladies-in-waiting’s earnest dissuasion, Rosalind paced around her bedroom like a madwoman.
She reflected on what exactly she had done wrong to receive such terrible punishment.
But no matter how much she thought and thought again, she had done nothing wrong. There was no reason for her to suffer such humiliation!
“What, what did I do wrong? What exactly did I do wrong! Why is everyone treating only me like this?!”
Pavia was a region where fundamentalist Protestantism held sway.
She had heard it was incomparably strict and bleak compared to the free atmosphere of the Valdin or Marsen courts.
She never wanted to go to such a place, even if it meant death.
Rosalind screamed so loudly that the entire corridor echoed.
“Just because a few people died, and it’s not like I killed them on purpose, it’s just that the gutter rats happened to be swarming in the place where the horse jumped, just because of that!!”
Rosalind still regarded her conversion as the Emperor’s punishment.
It was the result of Nigel intentionally blocking information from reaching her.
Rosalind’s ladies-in-waiting were following Nigel’s orders more faithfully than their master’s in order to gain favor with him, who would become the next Emperor.
From the beginning, Rosalind had been as difficult a master to serve as Elisia before her marriage.
They couldn’t bring themselves to feel sympathy for her even if they wanted to.
“Damned old fox, I’ll never let this slide…”
At this rate, she would really have no choice but to marry into Pavia.
All of Rosalind’s hatred and resentment, with anger rising to the top of her head, turned toward one place.
Toward Mariana, who had surrendered far too easily to Imperial Father’s command.
* * *
News came that Mariana had been released from house arrest and had begun her social activities.
It was the result of Edwin’s efforts through the connections he had planted in the Imperial Court.
I called him with a grateful heart.
“Ed, there’s something…”
“There isn’t.”
“…?”
“I’m joking. Since you asked if I had any, I thought I’d try saying I didn’t.”
Was Edwin always this kind of personality?
Random jokes had increased since we confessed to each other and started dating, but anyway, he’s still handsome so it’s fine.
“You do, right? You’ll protect me no matter what trouble I cause?”
“I’ll cut off the hands of those who point fingers at Elisia.”
“If something really happens to me, will you actually blow up the bridge and hole up inside Lombard?”
“I stockpiled three years’ worth of strategic supplies before leaving the Northern Region. Plus we have Bellamare Port, so there’s no need to worry even if we’re isolated.”
“Oh, really…”
I had been thinking of the cute sweet talk that lovers usually do, like promising to pluck the stars from Heaven.
But Edwin’s expression as he answered was so serious that I couldn’t tell at all whether he was joking or being sincere.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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