It’s Been 500 Years as an Extra, and the Original Story Still Hasn’t Begun - Chapter 122
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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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500 Years as Just an Extra,
The Original Story Still Won’t Begin
Episode 122
The First Imperial Consort had been skilled at toying with others through clever rhetoric and drawing the atmosphere to her favor. However, when she found herself cornered, her mind went completely blank and she couldn’t move an inch.
‘This can’t go on…!’
She tried to open her mouth to somehow salvage the situation, but the Emperor’s actions were faster.
“…Grand Duchess Dowager, please calm down for now.”
He personally set up the chair that had fallen to the floor and carefully wiped away the dust with his own sleeve. Then he looked at the First Imperial Consort with deeply sunken eyes.
“Withdraw, First Imperial Consort.”
“…Your Majesty?”
“The Grand Duchess Dowager said she has urgent matters to discuss with me, so pay your respects later.”
“Your Majesty, that’s not what-”
“First Imperial Consort!”
The Emperor’s thunderous roar froze the First Imperial Consort’s body as she stood with her mouth half open.
“Must I add that this is an imperial command for you to listen!”
“…This concubine’s thoughts were shallow. I shall withdraw now.”
Not offering even a single greeting to Iolene until the very end was the last remaining pride of the First Imperial Consort. She bowed her head slightly and turned away with drooping shoulders.
‘What does that insignificant woman amount to that I should suffer such humiliation…!’
With her gaze lowered, she emitted a vicious glare. Her tightly bitten lips were crushed by her teeth, causing drops of blood to form.
Not only was this the first time the Emperor had shown anger toward her in such a way, but she couldn’t bear the humiliation of having shown that side to her most troublesome opponent.
Click.
The Emperor, who had been glaring until the greenhouse’s glass door was completely closed, finally released his irritation with a deep sigh.
“I’ve shown you an unseemly sight, Grand Duchess Dowager. It’s all due to my lack of virtue. Please sit down and calm yourself a bit.”
“…How can Your Majesty apologize?”
“My consort’s faults are my faults, are they not? I’ll speak to the First Imperial Consort separately, so please don’t be concerned.”
When Iolene sat down with a reluctant expression, the Emperor forced a gentle expression while fidgeting with his teacup.
“Now, where were we? Ah yes, up to the Grand Duke’s daughter’s disappearance incident.”
“Yes. Fortunately, the Grand Duke’s daughter returned safely to the town house, but…”
Though the flow had been interrupted briefly, she continued where she left off. As they entered into the story about dark magic in earnest, cracks began to appear in the Emperor’s expression as he barely maintained his composure.
And when the Emperor heard that she suspected the First Imperial Consort and House Kaif as being behind all these incidents, he finally couldn’t hold back and let out a deep groan.
“…Grand Duchess Dowager.”
“Please speak, Your Majesty.”
“I know that the First Imperial Consort committed a great discourtesy just now. But must you go this far?”
Iolene clicked her tongue inwardly at the Emperor’s attitude, which changed completely like a different person.
The First Imperial Consort herself probably thought she had suffered humiliation, but Iolene already saw right through the Emperor’s intentions.
‘He didn’t want to see the First Imperial Consort being criticized by others.’
So before Iolene’s anger could intensify further, he had instead shown anger himself and made the First Imperial Consort withdraw.
The Empress had been dead for a long time, and the Second Imperial Consort who bore the Third Prince was a woman who had no desire for power from the beginning.
After losing the Empress, the heartbroken Emperor impulsively spent one night with a viscount’s daughter he encountered at a banquet hall.
The reason wasn’t even significant. It was simply that the young lady’s appearance and atmosphere were too similar to the dead Empress.
No matter how much she had conceived a child, since he had appointed her as Imperial Consort despite the opposition of countless ministers, her sense of responsibility should at least be commendable, but….
“Even if the First Imperial Consort had not appeared in this place, what I have to say would not have changed particularly.”
Iolene had come with firm determination to corner the Emperor.
Separate from her feelings of caring for him, it was because she had already witnessed his cowardice for many long years.
“As an Emperor, he is a child lacking in qualifications. Having seen so much blood from a young age, he cannot help but lack boldness. How could I, his mother, not know that fact.”
“Please do not say such things and recover your health, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
“Even without me, please take good care of His Majesty, Iolene. Only your scolding will have any effect.”
The Emperor was a person with a dual nature. Unlike his outward appearance, he was thoroughly calculating and quick-witted, and even possessed the cunning to always step back one pace to avoid responsibility in truly important matters.
‘I never expected to be able to persuade him with logic anyway.’
Iolene took something out from her subspace and showed it. It was a large crystal that was completely hollow inside.
“This is a Temp Crystal found in the body of a magic beast from the Gardbale Mountains. You must know well what purpose Temp Crystals serve and where they are produced, without me having to explain.”
“…There might be a possibility that the Magic Tower was involved. What reason could the Kaif Duchy possibly have to oppose the Retis Grand Duchy.”
“Your Majesty.”
“As the Grand Duchess Dowager must know, the First Imperial Consort has been diligently responsible for the Imperial Palace in place of the Empress until now. How could she recklessly scheme such things?”
At first hearing, it seemed like a statement protecting his companion, but what lay beneath was pride. He was being stubborn because he could not tolerate a situation that would tarnish his reign.
“Do you truly think so?”
“The situation of the Retis Grand Duchy is truly regrettable. I will also find ways to help as much as possible, so please let go of your anger toward the First Imperial Consort, Grand Duchess Dowager.”
The moment she heard those words, Iolene’s reason, which she had barely been maintaining, snapped completely.
“Then, are you saying that I would sell even my one and only granddaughter’s life to slander the First Imperial Consort?”
“It is a misunderstanding. I simply mean that we cannot conclude everything based only on uncertain stories.”
“Remark!”
Rumble!
As if thunder had struck in the middle of the greenhouse, the ceiling and walls screamed out.
It was impossible for the Emperor, who was at most an Aura Expert level, to directly withstand the momentum of an enraged Upper Mage.
The reason the Emperor did not faint on the spot was because Iolene had suppressed her magical power to the utmost with a trace of self-restraint.
“G-Grand Duchess Dowager.”
“I dare not speak the honeyed words that I regard you like my own flesh and blood! Since we clearly do not share a single drop of blood! However!”
This was the first time since Emperor Remark’s ascension that Iolene had called his name or spoken informally to him.
Iolene had never forgotten the honorific ‘Your Majesty’ and respectful language even in private settings.
“Whenever there was occasion to pray for someone’s happiness and well-being, I always counted your turn on my fingers! Even without the last words of the late Empress Dowager, I always wished with all my heart that the little one I protected with my own hands would become a wise ruler!”
“A-Aunt….”
A title long forgotten flowed from the Emperor’s lips.
In childhood, when they had to escape from the Imperial Palace to avoid the schemes of opposing forces. Iolene had stayed awake for five whole days to safely protect the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
As the price for her grace and loyalty toward the Empress Dowager, she had to lose her entire family house and family members. It was the reason why the late Empress Dowager had no choice but to live her entire life with guilt and gratitude toward Iolene.
“The First Imperial Consort diligently took responsibility for the Imperial Palace? So she let the Second Prince, that young child, be neglected to die alone from illness! As if that weren’t enough, now she’s even trying to kill my children!”
Iolene, who had been looking at the Emperor with his mouth shut in a miserable expression, forcibly calmed her momentum. However, she could not control the thousand fires rising in her boiling chest, so her fingertips were trembling.
“…There was a time when I risked even my life for the Empress Dowager and you. But I cannot promise to do so in the future as well. It has been barely a year since I committed the sin of sending my child to a tragic death first, and I cannot commit sins against my remaining children as well.”
“Aunt….”
“Losing family due to loyalty is enough to happen once. Even so, I couldn’t coldly turn away saying I’d only look after my own family, so I rushed here, but the Emperor who should be looking down upon and caring for all his people is only busy protecting his companion. Not even knowing that it’s an act of swallowing poison himself.”
“….”
Iolene, whose eyes had turned completely red at some point, rose from her seat, grasped the hem of her dress, and bowed her head.
“Please do not waver and protect your royal body, Your Majesty. There will never again be such discourtesy.”
“Aunt!”
Regardless of the Emperor’s urgent call, Iolene continued speaking calmly with her head bowed.
“The Grand Duchess’s birthday is coming soon. Since the Grand Duchess and the Second Prince are close, I intend to invite the Second Prince to the Grand Duke’s Castle on the way back. The Grand Duke will personally handle the escort, so you need not worry.”
“….”
“I will take that as permission and withdraw. Please take care of yourself.”
The Emperor, unable to bring himself to stop Iolene as she slowly left the greenhouse, gripped the table until it seemed it would crumble.
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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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