CHAPTER 55……
Where Did You Leave Your Lover?
Yesterday, the High Priest who had recited the prayer for the imperial family’s funeral was now placing the imperial crown on Illeon’s head.
What’s more, on the day of the coronation, Illeon appeared with his long hair cut short.
Once his hair was gone, so was the image of a gentle saint — leaving only a strikingly handsome man with sharp, defined features.
Celiya watched the scene before her with a complicated expression.
“O eternal glory and shining sun of Abelon, I bestow upon you the crown of the emperor and the fortress of Basilisk.”
The kindly faced High Priest placed a jewel-studded golden crown upon Illeon’s head, offering his blessing.
“May the blessings and grace of God be with Your Majesty always. May there be no trials or hardships along your path — and if there are, may your bright and wise judgment overcome them all. May the way ahead for the new sun be filled only with splendor.”
Having given the blessing, the High Priest bent down on both knees.
“I, servant of God, bow before His Imperial Majesty Illeon Gredrick Basilisk.”
The moment the High Priest knelt, everyone attending the coronation followed suit, lowering themselves before the new emperor.
Everyone — except one.
Celiya neither knelt nor bowed.
People gave her puzzled looks, but she sat upright in her seat.
One man among the kneeling looked ready to rebuke her for her insolence, but before he could speak, Illeon’s slow voice rang out.
“Lady Celiya, are you displeased that I’ve become emperor?”
Illeon, now emperor, no longer spoke to her with honorifics.
All eyes turned toward Celiya.
She clenched her fists. Using her ability here, in front of so many, would not only fail to reach him but would probably have her coughing blood instantly.
Never had she resented her frail, short-lived body more than now.
“I asked you — are you displeased?”
The tone was unhurried, but it carried weight.
Celiya found it almost laughable.
He was a perfectly prepared emperor.
From the fact that he had ascended the throne the day after the funeral of the royal family, as though he had been waiting for this moment all along — that was the first reason.
And the way he looked down at her for not kneeling, as if she were an insect — that was the second.
“Is this the ‘interesting thing’ you spoke of to me yesterday?”
Gasps rippled through the hall at her retort.
Only Illeon kept his composure, a faint smile on his lips as he met her gaze.
“And if it is?”
Propping his chin with one hand, he studied her reaction.
“Then I’ll be leaving. It’s far less amusing than I expected.”
With that, Celiya turned to escape the suffocating coronation.
One of Illeon’s men moved to stop her, but Illeon raised his hand.
“Let her go. One person leaving won’t change anything.”
Celiya felt something had gone very wrong.
Probably from the moment Illeon set foot in the palace.
A man who could ruin someone’s face without a shred of guilt now sat on the throne.
It seemed everything went just as he planned.
At the coronation, someone beside her had even wept with joy.
“Long live the new emperor!”
The collective fervor almost made her dizzy.
The real reason she had attended the coronation was different.
Before it, Illeon had imprisoned Dietrich, accusing him of failing to protect the royal family.
He’d left a note on her desk, saying that if she came to where he was now, he’d release Dietrich from prison.
She hadn’t had time to wonder how he’d even infiltrated the mansion, or to question the note’s authenticity, before there was a knock at her door.
Knock knock.
“It is His command that you attend.”
When she didn’t answer, knights in Illeon’s service forced the door open.
“If you don’t come, there will be consequences.”
They looked ready to drag her out if she refused.
From the moment Illeon’s knights had entered Dietrich’s mansion without hesitation, she began to think the note might be true.
Worried for Dietrich, she followed them — not knowing it was Illeon’s coronation.
Celiya neither understood Illeon nor intended to.
If he didn’t keep his promise, she planned to use her power to steal the prison keys and free Dietrich — even if it damaged her body.
Debating whether to head for the prison or return to the mansion, she noticed something strange.
Dietrich isn’t the type to quietly let himself be jailed… does he have some ulterior motive?
The thought that Dietrich had been easily imprisoned didn’t add up.
She began to wonder what she had missed.
“What are you loafing around for?”
A massive shadow fell across her.
Because of the rumor that men connected to her met untimely ends, few dared speak to her.
She looked up at the owner of the shadow.
Bronze-skinned and muscular enough to look ready to burst — it was Balt.
“Not going to the coronation?”
“Why would I? I’m sick of even looking at Illeon.”
It struck her as odd that Balt and Illeon didn’t seem close.
“Weren’t you two friends?”
“…Friends? Hardly. We just both hold dukedoms, that’s all.”
Balt clicked his tongue and looked her over.
“Come to think of it… you.”
His steel-gray eyes glinted.
“Where’d you leave your lover?”
“…What?”
“You and Dietrich are dating, aren’t you? Why’re you wandering around alone?”
Celiya blinked. She hadn’t expected their fake relationship to reach his ears.
“Have you seen Dietrich anywhere? Duke Gredrick said he was in prison…”
She tried to sound troubled, watching Balt’s reaction.
“Dietrich? In prison? He’s not there.”
Balt raised his eyebrows as if she were talking nonsense.
“Then where is he? Duke Gredrick clearly said—”
“As if he’s the kind to get locked up. He’s about my level with a sword.”
“…”
“You got played, huh? That snake must’ve lied to you while Dietrich was out. Go check the mansion — he’s probably tearing the place apart looking for you.”
“…”
“Oh, speak of the devil — there he is.”
Balt pointed past her. She turned to see Dietrich striding toward her in haste.
“If you’d gone to the prison believing Illeon, that would’ve been bad. You can repay this debt later.”
With that, Balt vanished like the wind.
Dietrich shot a glance in the direction Balt had gone, then looked at her.
“Why did you leave the mansion without permission?”
“…”
“Do you know how worried I was?”
Worried?
Celiya found his words strange.
If he had truly worried, he shouldn’t have given her reason to worry in the first place.
He could have told her beforehand if he was leaving.
Then she wouldn’t have attended Illeon’s coronation or wasted thought on breaking him out of prison.
“You’re the one who didn’t say where you were going.”
She met his eyes calmly.
“Don’t act like you’re concerned now when you didn’t tell me anything.”
“Do you know why I left?”
“How would I? You never told me.”
She felt a twinge of irritation. She’d trusted him, thinking only the other two dukes were her enemies.
She had assumed her former fiancé would never deceive her.
But perhaps that assumption itself was the trap.
Maybe Dietrich was lying to her.
Without a proper token of engagement, she had no way to confirm if he really had been her betrothed.
In fact, since the emperor she had killed was her true enemy, maybe Dietrich was avenging him by slowly grinding her down.
Even such absurd thoughts came to mind.
“Come to the mansion. We need to talk.”
She gave him a displeased look.
Back at the mansion, a heavy silence settled between them.
When he still didn’t speak, she broke the silence.
“What is it you have to say?”
Dietrich closed his eyes slowly, then opened them, as if gathering his thoughts.
“You know Illeon became emperor, right?”
When she nodded, he continued.
“This morning, he gave me two choices: abandon you, or go to the battlefield, win merit, and return.”
“…”
She thought for sure he’d choose the first. To him, she was just an ally — nothing more, nothing less.
“I chose neither. I won’t abandon you, and I have no desire to fight for Abelon’s sake.”
She couldn’t guess why he’d made that choice.
“And do you know what he said then?”
She shook her head.
“He said he’d make you empress.”
“…”
She was at a loss for words.
“When I refused, he offered another option.”
“…What option?”
“That you offer your body to his younger sister whenever she pleases.”
