Chapter 92
Cattleya bit her lips nervously. Sonnet, who she had believed to be dead, was alive. She couldn’t even begin to fathom how it was possible. Avril had insisted that she had seen Sonnet die with her own eyes. Yet here she was, standing unharmed, appearing at the Grand Hall alongside Duke Valian.
“Damn it!”
Since being exiled, Sonnet had completely vanished without a trace. Cattleya had finally secured the position of Crown Princess and had been overjoyed at the thought of becoming Dylan’s partner—the very person she had admired from the moment she first met him. But her father, Duke Tania, had warned her that it wasn’t yet time to celebrate. He believed that the exiled Sonnet would reappear—and the reason was Dylan.
[They must have secretly arranged to meet. Sonnet will surely try to bring the Saintess back somehow.]
[She was exiled on charges related to black magic; there’s no way she could return to the Temple.]
[Do you truly believe that? Sure, it may be impossible for now. But everything changes when he ascends the throne. The power and scope of the Emperor are unmatched! She chased after the Saintess’s every step—do you really think she’ll just give up? She’s probably waiting for the right moment while keeping a low profile!]
[Ha, but…!]
[Furthermore, even though the Temple accepted the exile, they’ll likely create a new identity for the Saintess and arrange a place for her to hide. Surely, they are scheming to protect her!]
[!]
[Foolish girl. That’s why you couldn’t win the Crown Prince’s heart with the Saintess. Did you think everything ended once she was expelled? Why do you think I only denigrated her origin? She lacked nothing aside from her background! If the Saintess had been born into nobility, you wouldn’t even stand a chance!]
[…]
[Cattleya, you thought the Saintess would live in misery after being exiled from the Temple, but that’s wrong. She lost everything, yet she is still intact. She will return one day. So, we must eliminate future threats. You must become Empress!]
Duke Tania had agents placed throughout the capital. And just as he predicted, Sonnet, clad in a black robe, appeared near the Moriel Forest. Once informed, the Duke was certain she had come to meet Dylan. He instructed Avril to either kill her and dispose of the body or throw it into the river.
“She was supposed to be dead! They even brought me hair soaked in her blood as proof!”
Cattleya staggered, pressing her hand to her forehead. Just knowing that Sonnet was alive—and that she would be reinstated as the Saintess—was enough to give her a headache. And now she had to worry that Avril might be discovered as the one who attacked Sonnet. The only consolation was that Cattleya was blind.
Since she had been injured during the assassination attempt, there was a high chance she hadn’t seen Avril’s face. Her father was dead, years had passed, and Avril had presumably destroyed all evidence, so there was no way to hold the Tania family accountable.
“…Stupid Avril Tania! You should have handled this properly!”
Cattleya, who had been fretting over potential harm to her family, now vented her anger, feeling it surge to the top of her head.
Her father had been right: unless the future threat was eliminated, she would inevitably return. And so, the Saintess had indeed reclaimed her position. Cattleya clenched her teeth, recalling the High Priest who had urged Sonnet’s reinstatement.
Although he had welcomed Sonnet warmly, it was clear he had known she had been staying in Nostrie. Every subsequent statement and action following Sonnet’s return seemed meticulously coordinated, leaving no room for error or chance.
He had even publicly revealed Sonnet’s abilities, and with support from Duke Blanche, a former Paladin Commander, any opposition was completely neutralized. But Duke Blanche appeared unaware that Sonnet would arrive—or that she was a Manifestor.
This meant the High Priest had anticipated Duke Blanche’s reaction when Sonnet’s abilities were revealed. Publicizing her powers provided both justification for her return and a way to elicit Duke Blanche’s response.
“I’ve been completely played by the High Priest. He had this all planned out.”
Cattleya clenched her fists tightly.
“Could it be… the hiding in Nostrie was also orchestrated by him? When and how? Does he even know that Avril was the one who injured Sonnet’s eyes?”
No. If he had known, the Tania family would have been tried for attempting to assassinate the Saintess. Perhaps he was aware but remained passive due to lack of evidence. Yet with her return, he might investigate who harmed Sonnet’s eyes. Her comeback was undeniably poisonous for Cattleya.
Still, the High Priest’s plan was too perfect to stop. There was no answer but acceptance. Spending time in anger was useless; she needed to strategize on how to counter Sonnet now that she had returned. But though she understood this intellectually, her body didn’t cooperate.
“Ahhh!”
Cattleya’s crimson eyes blazed with fury. Her rage stemmed not only from the fact that Sonnet, whom she despised, had returned, or that she had been outplayed by the High Priest—it was only 30% of the reason. The main reason was Dylan. The very person she had thought was finally hers.
“Madam Berno!”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Did you call?”
“Hasn’t His Majesty returned yet?!”
Cattleya shouted furiously.
“I’ll send someone to check immediately.”
The vein on her neck throbbed.
Dylan Argent. She had loved him from the first moment they met and had worked tirelessly to win his heart.
She had tried so hard to become the perfect Empress for him, the one worthy of a just ruler. But Dylan hadn’t even glanced her way. He spent his days in the library adorned with peonies, endlessly longing for Sonnet. Even if a child were born from their union, nothing would change. He fulfilled his duties as a father but never as a husband.
Still, it was fine. No matter what, she was officially Dylan’s wife. In history, beside Dylan Argent’s name would be “Cattleya Argent.” No matter how much his heart wandered, he was hers.
So she comforted herself with that thought. After all, Sonnet was dead—her longing was irrelevant. She believed firmly that when Dylan eventually looked back, she would be there.
But she had thought so…
Dylan’s fervent love had returned fully alive. He would never look back. He would embrace Sonnet, kiss her, kneel, and whisper desperate love. Or perhaps he had already confessed to Sonnet and was seeking her affection.
The love he had never given her was now lavished upon Sonnet… Blood seemed to surge to her head. Her tears, enhanced by her crimson eyes, appeared as though they were bloody tears.
Does he not care about who is watching? Will he openly declare he still loves her passionately?
After the joint conference, Cattleya deliberately didn’t seek Dylan. She knew he would look for Sonnet. Her blood boiled, and she felt the urge to destroy anything within reach.
Though she wanted to block her ears and shut out all talk of Dylan, she called Madam Berno again to find out what Dylan was doing.
“Your Majesty, I heard that His Majesty has just returned to the palace.”
Cattleya scowled. She had expected him to stay longer after meeting the woman she thought was dead. But he emerged from the Moon Chamber surprisingly quickly. Perhaps the High Priest had sent him back.
“What change of heart made him do this…? Hmph. Should I go see him?”
“There’s no need.”
“!”
Though the voice was familiar, she doubted her ears. It was Dylan. Even for minor matters, he usually went through his secretaries. Yet here he was, arriving personally, right after meeting Sonnet.
Cattleya signaled to Madam Berno, who quickly closed the door and left. Alone, Dylan surveyed the Empress’s office without glancing at her.
He had decorated the office for Sonnet with bright tones to complement white peonies, but with Cattleya now using it, red roses matching her eyes had replaced the peonies. Dylan’s face slowly cracked as he gazed at the vividly red flowers.
“Why have you come here, Your Majesty?”
“I came with a question.”
“A question?”
A foreboding feeling gripped her. He hadn’t returned immediately from the Moon Chamber, so his intentions were unclear. Cattleya hid her impatience, waiting for him to continue. Dylan finally lifted his green eyes to her, a chilling light dancing in his pupils. She instinctively knew—something had happened when he met Sonnet.
“Empress.”
“!”
“Where is your brother, Duke Tania?”
Cattleya’s heart dropped. Dylan, after meeting Sonnet, was asking about Avril. To him, Avril Tania was only the Empress’s brother, nothing more. They were not on such personal terms.
Could it be… he knows something? Does he know who attacked Sonnet?
Cattleya forced her trembling heart to calm and smiled faintly. Any sign of agitation would look suspicious.
“My brother… why do you ask…?”
“Answer me.”
Clenching her fists, she swallowed dryly.
“Where is he now?”
