Episode 120
On the other hand, she was saddened because she couldn’t bring herself to hope that the Grand Duke would look at her differently even if the baby died.
Gideon trampled over Cyril’s sorrow with his words.
“There is nothing you can do now to beat Louise. But will you just sit back and watch them be happy? After they’ve left you in this wretched state?”
Cyril sobbed and argued.
“Knowing that, you still sent me to Babenberg? I can’t do anything now! Carl will remember me like this, like a pathetic beggar! If he values his child that much, he’ll guard it impregnably! Have you forgotten so soon that he is the greatest Sword Master on the continent?”
Gideon snorted with laughter.
“I even leaked rumors to the capital nobles about an heir being born in Babenberg, but no one believed it. The Imperial Palace must be enforcing a strict information blackout.”
Cyril sniffled and asked.
“So?”
“Louise will have to show her face at the Imperial Palace at least once before going to Babenberg. It’s her duty as a Princess. To calmly receive congratulations from the nobles, she won’t be able to bring the child. Especially if the child has inherited the Imperial family’s eyes.”
Cyril finally stopped crying and caught her breath.
“Babenberg was busy with wedding preparations. It absolutely didn’t feel like a place where a baby was staying. Edessa… Perhaps the baby is still there.”
Gideon looked down at his niece with satisfaction.
He thought she was the biggest fool in the world, but it seemed anger was finally making her wheels turn.
Cyril’s golden eyes shone ominously.
“Will they stop by Edessa to pick up the baby after their visit to the Imperial Palace? What if I, pretending to be pitiful, visit Edessa in the meantime? I am its aunt, after all…”
Puhaha. Gideon burst out laughing, cutting Cyril off.
He downgraded his assessment of Cyril, whom he had briefly thought somewhat capable, back to her original state.
“You, its aunt? Have you already forgotten the charge for which I lost my title?”
Cyril bit her lip.
Louise and the staff of the separate palace had always been kind to her, and she didn’t want to accept the cold reality that even they would reject her now.
Gideon had to do the thinking for his stupid, immature niece.
“Now that I think of it, there is another aunt left for that child…”
He meant Zenais, whom the new Emperor had married off immediately after his accession.
Thanks to her swift switch to the Emperor’s side, she had quietly disappeared from the tumultuous Imperial Palace to become the beloved daughter-in-law of the Marquis Pereira household.
In the darkness, the Damiani golden eyes met and shone.
“The Marquis Pereira household…”
Gideon calculated how much money Cyrilah had left.
It was a very tight budget for a major operation, but if they missed this chance, there wouldn’t be another.
‘With a bit of luck, maybe we can borrow some loan shark money.’
There was no need to even think about repaying it.
He fumbled for the last pill hidden in his bosom.
It was the leftover suicide poison from the plot to kidnap the Third Princess.
“What reason is there to live this rag-like life?”
He would repay what he was owed and leave cleanly.
Whether his remaining sister’s daughter lived or died, the man tired of life had not even a sliver of interest in such matters.
Callisteon pondered until the next morning.
While he thought he should inform the Imperial Palace that the imprisoned Second Princess had left the monastery to seek him out, he hesitated, fearing it might upset the Emperor.
Especially now, when the Emperor already viewed him unfavorably, appearing to have any connection with Chirilla could be fatal.
Yet, he didn’t want to tell Louise about this matter either.
‘How could I tell her that the half-sister who persecuted her so much shamelessly came to the Grand Duke’s castle begging for mercy?’
Moreover, Callisteon didn’t want to appear connected to another woman in the slightest before Louise.
He had never given the Second Princess any reason to seek him out at the Grand Duke’s castle in the first place.
He’d rather be seen cutting her down for ignoring Imperial law than be associated with her.
Furthermore, Louise was busy preparing to return to the Imperial Palace.
She was already very sensitive about having to leave her newborn daughter behind to go to the capital, and she was also quite troubled since Ren, the Tower Lord, had abruptly cut off contact after the marriage announcement.
Of course, Callisteon had fully expected the news of the marriage to reach the Magic Tower.
He had been prepared to explain about the Second Princess and ‘Illusia’ if the angry Tower Lord came demanding answers, but no matter how long he waited, that didn’t happen.
When Callisteon finally contacted the Magic Tower, the Tower Lord never once accepted his call.
Given that Louise couldn’t reach him either, it seemed like she hadn’t even bothered to verify the facts with anyone.
The Tower Lord had simply vanished, as if he had submerged beneath the water.
Len Daphtan was always like that.
He could appear anywhere, anytime, but when he himself didn’t wish to be found, no one could find him.
The Magic Tower wasn’t a place outsiders could visit, and Len Daphtan was a damned wizard who could always sink underground whenever he wanted to hide.
A formidable wizard who could do it dozens, hundreds of times.
‘For the past year, he merely took care of her faithfully because of Louise’s pregnancy.’
Even that wasn’t very fitting for Ren; it was only possible due to his stubborn delusion of being the child’s father.
Anyway, Louise was deeply blaming herself for having missed the chance to politely refuse the Tower Lord’s feelings and express her gratitude for everything.
Callisteon didn’t want to give her another thing to worry about.
The penniless Second Princess couldn’t do anything anyway.
The confidence and optimism that might have been her strengths during her time as a Princess had likely turned into a vicious poison, consuming her now that she was alone.
‘She’ll probably run around cluelessly from place to place, only to be mistreated.’
In truth, the Second Princess’s actions were quite shocking to Callisteon as well.
To dare come to him, expecting pity, and even mention entering the inner chambers…
In Callisteon’s eyes, she was now nothing more or less than a lunatic.
‘But there’s no need to inform Louise about the Second Princess’s madness either.’
If the soft-hearted Louise tried to offer her clumsy help, that would be a real headache.
Having reached that conclusion, Callisteon let the matter of the Second Princess’s clumsy intrusion be buried and forgotten.
On the day of returning to the Imperial Capital
I bid a tearful farewell, hugging Prilis.
“We’ll see each other soon, baby. You’re going home first to wait, okay? Understood?”
Phoebe also choked up and said,
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’ll protect Lady Prilis as if my life depends on it.”
My scheduled stay at the Imperial Palace was only a week.
Rurik wasn’t happy about that, but I couldn’t even imagine being separated from my baby for longer than that.
The veteran nanny would probably take care of Frilis even better than I could, but I still hated the idea.
So I decided to stay at the Imperial Palace for just one week before going to Babenberg with Callisteon.
Of course, there was no reason for Frilis to remain in Edessa any longer, so Yustice, the General Captain of the Babenberg Knight Order, planned to open a gate himself and bring her over immediately.
So today was also the last day Prilis would spend in Edessa.
“I leave her in your care.”
I looked over Phoebe, the nanny, and the knights who had just arrived from Babenberg, giving each of them instructions about the baby.
It was the moment when the guard contingent accompanying me to the Imperial Palace finally activated the temporary gate.
“Lou.”
A welcome voice sounded from behind me, and Ernst soon came before me, kneeling on one knee.
The morning sun shattered over the dazzling blond hair I hadn’t seen in so long.
“It is only proper etiquette for the one who escorted you here to see you off, Your Highness.”
I looked down at him kissing the back of my hand, choked up and speechless.
His dazzlingly white cheeks looked haggard.
If it was because of me, what words could possibly suffice as an apology?
But Ernst pulled his rosy lips into the confident smile I knew so well.
“I thought you were leaving. If not, you could always just stay here with me?”
