The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 312

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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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Part 2, Chapter 159

“Your Majesty, no. This isn’t true.”

Clutching the parchment, she bolted upright and approached the Emperor.

Her steps toward the imperial throne were unsteady.

‘Bridget betrayed me. How did the First Prince’s Wife move her? Why did Bridget— No. Right now, more than that, I need to clear His Majesty’s suspicions. I can’t let His Majesty believe I betrayed him.’

Her thoughts spiraled endlessly until they finally went completely blank.

For the first time in her life, the Queen Mother felt her mind growing faint.

“Your Majesty, it’s a trap. This is the scheme of wicked people trying to frame me!”

“Queen Mother, what could possibly make you lose your composure like this? Calm yourself.”

Not missing the opportunity, the Dowager Empress personally descended from the dais and grasped the Queen Mother’s hand.

Though it appeared she was helping a fellow empress, it was actually a move to block the Queen Mother from approaching the imperial throne where the Emperor sat.

At the same time, the Dowager Empress quickly snatched the parchment from the Queen Mother’s hand.

“Dowager Empress—!”

After scanning the contents of the secret letter, the Dowager Empress was genuinely shocked and widened her eyes.

‘The Queen Mother seemed caught in quite a trap, so I was going to counterattack.’

To think it would truly contain such contents.

Though shock flashed through her momentarily, the Dowager Empress swallowed her emotions with the seasoned skill honed through years of palace life.

Instead, she deliberately let out an exaggerated gasp.

“Good, good heavens, my goodness…! No, surely not, Queen Mother?!”

Then the Dowager Empress’s incredulous voice echoed throughout the banquet hall.

Her wide eyes looked as innocent as a girl who had discovered an enormous secret.

“This content can’t possibly be true. Alphie, who on earth is this person? You could never betray His Majesty, this is absurd. Queen Mother, to think you have a lover,”

The banquet hall stirred again at the Dowager Empress’s effort to reveal all the contents with her exaggerated voice.

People blinked their eyes.

So, the secret document they had thought Valdina stole until just moments ago was actually the Queen Mother’s secret love letter?

“Dowager Empress, shut…! Close, your mouth!”

The Queen Mother’s voice turned sharp.

Murderous intent filled her eyes at the sight of the Dowager Empress trying to stab her with a dagger without missing the opportunity.

The Queen Mother wanted to twist and break the Dowager Empress’s neck if she could.

Without realizing that if she hadn’t brought up Princess Angelique earlier, the Dowager Empress wouldn’t have attacked her so frantically.

But now was not the time to be held back by such a worthless fool.

“Your Majesty, you know, don’t you? There is only Your Majesty for me. From the moment I first set foot in the palace, always only Your Majesty—”

The Queen Mother who had bolted upright pushed past the Dowager Empress and urgently walked toward the Emperor.

Perdickas II’s eyes were still filled with confusion.

He seemed to be hesitating, not yet completely certain whether the secret letter was true or an elaborate fake.

‘Then there’s still a chance. I can escape.’

The Queen Mother who had barely found an escape route swallowed a sigh of relief, but only briefly.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty Queen Mother. There will be absolutely no problem.”

A leisurely voice interjected.

It was Chezare.

His face was so calm it made the tension-filled air seem meaningless.

As if watching a beautiful sunset, he wore a sly smile and continued slowly.

“How could the Late Emperor not know of Your Majesty Queen Mother’s innocence? Even I know well that throughout her entire life since setting foot in the palace, our Queen Mother has had only our Late Emperor, so what is there to worry about?”

His voice was unbelievably gentle and even affectionate.

But the First Prince’s protection, which sounded like he was helping and reassuring the Queen Mother, instead cleverly touched the Emperor’s heart.

‘That bastard Chezare is protecting the Queen Mother? For someone who’s practically an enemy to take the Queen Mother’s side means…’

Wouldn’t this support that this secret letter was true?

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

‘I knew from the beginning that the Queen Mother had no feelings for me.’

Perdickas II and the Queen Mother were bound by political alliance, not love.

At the time, the women he truly loved were others. He had simply accepted the Queen Mother to unite the emerging forces including her father.

The Queen Mother had also chosen to be by his side seeking the power of being the Emperor’s consort rather than just a noble lady.

They had maintained an efficient relationship without emotion and gotten along well for the past twenty years, but,

‘That didn’t mean she could stab me in the back!’

Even knowing that, the Queen Mother betraying him was a different matter.

Moreover, wasn’t she the mother of the 3rd Prince to whom he intended to pass the Empire!

Perdickas II glared at the Queen Mother.

“Insolent. Queen Mother, step back.”

An ice-cold voice, a ruthless gaze.

It meant deep suspicion had already settled in his heart.

The Queen Mother bit her lip.

She knew her husband well. More than anything else, he was someone whose paranoia became particularly severe when it came to matters that threatened his position.

‘No. I can’t let this happen.’

Dealing with the First Prince couple who deserved to be torn apart, and catching and killing the maid who betrayed her, could come later.

‘Right now, clearing His Majesty’s suspicions is most urgent. I can handle the aftermath somehow later.’

Finally, a resolute light appeared in the Queen Mother’s eyes.

“What are you doing? Escort the Queen Mother to the palace.”

When the Emperor’s stern command fell, the Queen Mother suddenly picked up a sword from the floor.

Then she pressed the blade to her own throat.

“I cannot move a single step until Your Majesty believes in my innocence.”

“Queen Mother!”

“Mother!”

People were startled.

The 3rd Prince tried to approach, but the Queen Mother distanced herself from her son and held the sword even more resolutely.

“I was, am, and will be Your Majesty’s woman until I die. If I can prove my innocence with my death, then I shall do so.”

Her voice sounded as if she was prepared even for death.

“Please, wise Your Majesty, see the truth through this filthy and vile trap. Our Juan, the fruit of you and me, is watching.”

Unwavering, firm, and unbreakable resolute eyes looked directly at the Emperor.

At that moment, the sharp blade made a scratch on the Queen Mother’s white neckline.

A trickle of red blood slowly flowed down.

People held their breath. The atmosphere was no longer one where they could speak of the scandal’s details.

‘Queen Mother, you must have calculated even this far.’

Only Medeia remained calm there.

Would the Queen Mother, who cherished her son Juan like her own flesh and blood, throw away her precious life over such a mere trap?

Medeia’s eyes were actually watching the people in the banquet hall, not the Queen Mother.

If the person she had prepared to put on today’s stage had not yet revealed themselves.

‘I’ll have to make them appear.’

Her indifferent gaze briefly swept over her guard who was still being held like a criminal.

Menil, who caught the signal, suddenly stood up.

“No, Your Majesty Queen Mother!”

He shook off the knights and threw himself toward the Queen Mother.

“If you do this, the reason my master risked her life to protect Your Majesty will become meaningless!”

“Let, let go!”

Menil trying to snatch the sword from the Queen Mother’s hand and the Queen Mother trying to shake him off became entangled.

‘Why are you trying to interfere again!’

However, the sturdy knight’s strength was too much for the Queen Mother to handle, and she swung the sword without looking ahead or behind.

It happened in an instant.

“Kyaaah—!”

“Catherine!”

Blood splattered onto the Queen Mother’s dress hem. However, what the sword had cut was Menil’s arm.

Just then, a man blocked the space between the Queen Mother and Menil, embracing her protectively.

A familiar scent, a longed-for fragrance reached her nose.

The Queen Mother’s body stiffened for a moment.

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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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