Chapter 7
Azellina left her child in the care of the palace maids for a while and asked Maria, the chief maid of the Emperor’s palace, to help find the child’s parents.
By the time the sun had just set, they had finally managed to locate the child’s parents.
“It seems that a maid working at Aprily Palace lost the child she brought. You might want to send a maid over to confirm.”
‘…I really don’t want to go to Aprily Palace.’
Azellina had been sentenced to death for allegedly poisoning Princess Shulia II. So how could she possibly be eager to go to Aprily Palace, where that very Princess Shulia II lived?
“Then… will Your Majesty be going to Aprily Palace?”
Eve, who had grown the closest to the child, followed Azellina.
Azellina nodded, took Eve and the child with her, and left the palace.
Aprily Palace had an alluring, almost hypnotic aura.
In the garden where red roses bloomed in abundance, a man could be seen, as if waiting desperately for someone.
Feeling that he might be waiting for her, Azellina quietly approached.
His hair was long enough to barely touch his shoulders and looked like deep honey. His lashes, long and thick, partially hid his blue eyes, giving him a refined appearance.
Azellina knew exactly who he was: the second son of the Lavant family, a prodigy in swordsmanship, and clearly the bodyguard of Princess Shulia II.
“Your Highness, the Empress. I am Rebeine Lavant.”
The man, dazzlingly handsome to the point of intimidation, greeted her politely. Azellina found herself giving an awkward smile without realizing it.
“You may give me the child.”
At her words, Azellina handed the child over to Rebeine.
Rebeine held the child’s tiny hand firmly and entered the palace.
Eve, seemingly reluctant to part with the child, couldn’t take her eyes off Aprily Palace as they left through the main gate.
Returning to Selina Palace with the sulking Eve, Azellina unexpectedly encountered someone.
“…Mother.”
Sitting calmly on the sofa and leisurely drinking tea was the Duchess of Lartis, Azellina’s mother.
Azellina had never been one to visit the Lartis family frequently, nor did she socialize much with her family.
Because of this, the Duchess herself often came to Selina Palace to scold Azellina, usually telling her to curb her temper if she wanted the Emperor’s love.
Though the Duchess had two daughters, she was particularly fixated on Azellina.
She wanted Azellina, sitting not as Empress but as the Empress Consort, to gain the Emperor’s love and eventually become Empress.
If Azellina were already Empress, she would have faced less insult and humiliation.
Thinking this way, the Duchess couldn’t help but resent Rashid as well.
With the Empress position vacant, she could not understand why Azellina was still only the Empress Consort.
Her daughter, though slightly temperamental, lacked nothing in family or appearance.
If Rashid were still consolidating his position as Emperor, she might have understood. But he had been Emperor for almost two years now.
“Azellina, does this make sense? You could be living comfortably in a prominent family, yet here you are being humiliated! Not only have you failed to establish a proper place in high society, but how can you sit as Empress Consort and not get even an ounce of the Emperor’s attention?”
“Perhaps he’s just not interested in me.”
Azellina’s calm reply left the Duchess even more flustered.
“Now’s the time to speak so casually?”
The Duchess exclaimed as if shocked, but Azellina simply responded with the same calmness.
“When did you tell me to stay quiet, anyway?”
“Azellina!”
Startled by her mother’s unusually loud voice—she rarely raised her voice in the palace—Azellina hesitated.
The Duchess’s piercing gaze seemed to see straight through her.
“If I had known my beautiful daughter wouldn’t establish herself in society even as an adult, I shouldn’t have allowed you to go to the palace in the first place…”
The Duchess murmured under her breath.
Azellina could understand her mother’s feelings to some extent.
It would have been better if she had married someone other than the Emperor.
Her younger sister Emily had married a duke from a friendly nation and was now living happily with her husband, which made the Duchess even more uneasy.
“I no longer wish for you to become Empress. I just hope you live as one of the other consorts do, loved by the Emperor, and have a sweet child.”
“…Understood.”
Azellina was accustomed to such situations. She knew it was better to placate her mother rather than argue.
The Duchess continued to scold Azellina for a long time, and Azellina remained silent, simply nodding.
Emperor’s Palace
“From the start, the fact that someone penetrated the heavily guarded palace suggests they are quite skilled. Yet, aside from the maid’s body, they left no evidence. I suspect they didn’t act alone.”
“…….”
“Your Majesty, are you listening?”
Ellen, clearly frustrated, addressed Rashid, who seemed lost in thought.
Nothing particularly vexing had happened today, so Ellen couldn’t understand why Rashid appeared so distracted.
‘Is he really going to do this?’
Rashid’s mind was entirely on Azellina.
Moreover, now was the time when she should be causing chaos at the Emperor’s palace, yet she hadn’t appeared. He wondered if she had finally driven him mad.
No—it wasn’t Azellina who was mad, but himself.
When she had been bothersome before, he could ignore her and forget about her after turning away.
But now that she withdrew on her own, he found himself strangely concerned. He didn’t know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
“Then… go and see for yourself.”
The image of Azellina bowing and leaving without hesitation flashed vividly in his mind again.
Honestly, Rashid wanted to go to Selina Palace immediately, to see for himself if Azellina had truly changed.
“…I see. I was mistaken. She wasn’t pretending to be calm—she was acting as if she had become a completely different person, just to get under my skin.”
“…Excuse me?”
Ellen stared wide-eyed at Rashid, muttering like a madman.
Rashid seemed not to hear her, staring into space before suddenly standing up.
“I suppose I should visit Selina Palace once more.”
He decided to go just once; after that, he would ignore whatever rumors circulated.
The full moon rose clearly in the sky.
Since the day Azellina had suddenly collapsed, Iana had vowed to stay by her side all night, no matter what.
That night, as Iana tried to cling to Azellina as usual, Azellina managed to stop her for a moment, lay down briefly, and then slowly approached the window, lost in thought.
Looking out at the countless stars glittering in the dark sky, it felt as if time had stopped.
Alone in the suspended time, Azellina smiled faintly, basking in the bright moonlight.
The cool night air seemed to refresh the tightness in her chest.
“…!”
Suddenly, with a faint plop, the ruby necklace around her neck fell weakly to the ground below the window.
The ruby necklace had been a precious gift from her father, the Duke of Lartis, for her seventeenth birthday.
Azellina hurriedly reached out, but the necklace had already fallen into the bushes and disappeared.
While Azellina fretted alone, a voice called out:
“Your Highness… His Majesty has arrived.”
It was Iana’s voice, announcing a knock at the door.
‘Why would His Majesty come at this hour?’
Though it was inconvenient, Azellina could not refuse. She sighed heavily.
“…Tell him to come in.”
As soon as Azellina spoke, the door opened.
Rashid’s unexpected second visit left her thoroughly flustered.
But she hid her feelings and knelt, greeting him properly.
This time was different. She hadn’t fainted or encountered him outdoors like before.
“I greet His Majesty, the Emperor.”
Why would the Emperor, who clearly disliked her so much, come all the way to Selina Palace again?
“….”
Rashid looked somewhat embarrassed as their eyes met.
Though he had expected her resolve to last, seeing her now was more than he could accept.
The Azellina he knew should have been grateful simply for the Emperor visiting Selina Palace, without making a fuss.
