Episode 78: Severance
The imperial palace was as peaceful as ever.
Attendants moved gracefully, performing their duties, and knights maintained order with strict discipline.
In the meticulously groomed gardens, a variety of flowers bloomed regardless of the season, their delicate scents carried gently by the soft breeze.
As they passed through the corridors adorned with high ceilings and dazzling chandeliers, not a single glance was spared for the radiant decorations.
Those who worked in the palace were long accustomed to its splendor and well aware of the schemes and secrets that lurked within its walls.
Yet today, beneath the usual calm, an invisible tension lingered the air.
“Did you hear? I got word from a friend working in the Inspection Bureau…”
“The timing is suspicious, isn’t it? Especially with His Highness the Crown Prince being unwell.”
“What happened?”
“Ah, it’s hard to say outright… but just look at the atmosphere.”
“Why? Is someone staging a rebellion?”
“Watch your tongue!”
“…Is it true?”
A disturbing rumor had been spreading among those working in the palace.
[The Crown Prince has plotted treason.]
The rumor had circulated widely among knights and attendants alike. However, with nothing confirmed yet, people discussed it cautiously.
“Come on… that’s ridiculous. It has to be nonsense.”
“Exactly. There’s no reason for him to do such a thing.”
At first, no one believed it. Crown Prince Fedelian Rozino, plotting treason? What an absurd claim.
And rightly so—Fedelian was regarded as nothing short of perfection.
As an elite knight, his martial prowess was unmatched. As the commander of the Bureau’s Second Division, his leadership was well-proven.
Not a single reconnaissance mission into the demonic lairs that he led had ever failed.
And that was not all. His governance of state affairs was efficient, and his diplomatic efforts were smooth.
It was only natural for him to ascend to the throne. Public sentiment favored him overwhelmingly, supported by both nobles and commoners alike.
Such a Crown Prince, a traitor? A plotter of treason? It was easy to dismiss it as idle gossip.
But.
“His Highness the Crown Prince hasn’t shown himself for days now.”
“They said he’s unwell, but the timing of this rumor is suspicious…”
“It’s true. I heard it directly from my friend at the Inspection Bureau.”
The Crown Prince’s absence only added fuel to the suspicion.
—Naturally.
The emperor was well aware of the rumors spreading through the palace.
“Who dared to leak confidential information?”
The air in the imperial council chamber was icy. The emperor’s voice resounded heavily, like a chain tightening around the ministers’ necks, choking them with its pressure.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The ministers and officials remained silent. None dared to speak, as the emperor’s fury was palpable.
“And now, even the Young Grand Duke Lenokhonen, who was imprisoned in the Tower of Confinement, has escaped.”
The emperor frowned, and a minister stepped forward.
“Yes, Your Majesty. The timing of the Young grand duke’s escape coincides with the Crown Prince’s disappearance.”
A shadow fell over the emperor’s face. Anyone with half a mind could see what Fedelian was plotting.
“…He’s truly planning rebellion.”
The emperor shut his eyes. His head throbbed, and a deep sigh rose from his chest. His stomach began to churn from the stress.
“There’s no choice now. Though we haven’t confirmed all the details, there’s enough evidence.”
The Minister, seated at the center of the chamber, rose and declared:
“I hereby acknowledge Fedelian Rozino’s treason.”
***
Bismarck Residence in the Imperial Capital
Although the Bismarck Marquisate had its own estate, the Marquis always resided in the capital residence.
This wasn’t simply a personal preference. It was to display the prominence of the Bismarck family to the other nobles and to demonstrate the overwhelming influence of families supporting the Crown Prince.
This ensured that lesser families wouldn’t dare challenge their authority. It was, in essence, a way of asserting dominance.
Everything was progressing smoothly. The Crown Prince was steadily preparing to ascend the throne, and Rudella was about to hold her wedding.
However—
“I wish to annul my engagement.”
That stability ended today. Rudella, who would normally never utter such words, made an unexpected declaration.
“…What are you saying, Rudella? This joke of yours has gone too far.”
The Marquis’s voice was low, and his expression turned stern.
“I said I wish to annul my engagement with His Highness the Crown Prince. And this is no joke.”
Yet Rudella stood firm, her voice becoming even more resolute.
The Marquis was taken aback. Until now, Rudella had never defied his orders, not even once.
“I’ve heard odd rumors recently, but it seems you truly have gone mad, Rudella.”
“Yes, Father. I have gone mad.”
“What…?”
“I’ve fallen in love. I’ve completely lost myself to him.”
“What are you saying…!”
Clatter!
The chair the Marquis was sitting on scraped sharply against the floor as he rose abruptly. His fingertips trembled, his face turning from red to pale in a matter of seconds.
“Rudella! Do you understand what you’re saying?! You’re engaged to the Crown Prince, and now you claim to have fallen in love with someone else?!”
His voice thundered in the room.
“The man who has shown me, for the first time, what it means to desire something. The man who taught me to yearn when I didn’t even know how to want.”
Rudella’s words continued, her eyes wide open. Her voice didn’t waver. She wasn’t cowed by the Marquis’s fury or his imposing demeanor.
“I’ve truly fallen in love with him. Thus, I can no longer continue my engagement to His Highness. I hereby request the annulment.”
“This… this…!”
The Marquis was so flustered that he simply opened and closed his mouth, repeating himself like a broken record.
He felt like losing his mind. If things continued as they were, Rudella would become the Crown Princess and eventually the Empress, the mother of the Empire.
And yet, she wanted to give up that power to be with the man she loved?
Unthinkable.
“Rudella, love is nothing more than a fleeting impulse. Many have ruined their lives over it.”
The Marquis tried his best to remain calm, speaking in a measured tone.
“Don’t throw away your life over a momentary lapse in judgment, Rudella. I’ll forgive you if you change your decision now.”
Rudella’s delicate eyebrows arched slightly.
“Is this truly about my life, Father? Or is it about the Bismarck family?”
A vein throbbed in the Marquis’s neck.
“What nonsense are you spouting?! If you become the Empress—”
Before he could finish, Rudella interrupted.
“I will live my life as I choose.”
“I never once desired it. I never wanted to become the Empress. I never wished to be engaged to His Highness. I never aspired to wield the immense power of the Empire’s highest position.”
In truth, every step she had taken in preparation for becoming the Empress had been excruciating for Rudella.
Studying subjects she had no interest in, sacrificing sleep to keep up with the curriculum, and being forced into an engagement with a man she detested—
Every moment of it was a living hell.
“I only did so because it was the will of the family. How can such power, gained under coercion, ever truly be mine?”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
The Marquis stared at Rudella quietly. His face betrayed no emotion, but his gaze simmered with fury.
“…Rudella, if you annul this engagement, do not think of setting foot in the Bismarck household again.”
His voice was ice cold.
“With responsibility comes privilege. If you cast aside your responsibility, you will also lose all the privileges and comforts you’ve enjoyed.”
It was a threat.
The Bismarck family shouldered heavy burdens, but financial concerns were never one of them. They had wealth in excess and commanded respect wherever they went.
Most importantly, they never had to fear hunger, cold, or poverty.
A noble willing to forgo such a life—
“Very well.”
“What…?”
But Rudella nodded, as though she had been waiting for those words all along.
“I will sever ties with the family.”
“This isn’t a joke—”
“It’s not a joke.”
Rudella bowed respectfully.
“From today onward, I renounce the name of Bismarck. I am no longer the family’s puppet but ‘Rudella,’ living by my own will.”
Her voice was resolute as she finished speaking, and her unwavering gaze was filled with freedom and determined resolve.
“Wait a moment…!”
The Marquis urgently stretched out his hand toward the departing Rudella. She turned back to him, smiling faintly.
“Come to think of it, I forgot to tell you something important. His Highness the Crown Prince is currently wanted by the royal court on charges of treason.”
“A warrant? Treason? His Highness the Crown Prince? What kind of nonsense is this all of a sudden—”
At that moment—
“My lord! It’s an emergency!”
The butler-in-chief urgently knocked on the door.
“Ah, it seems the news has arrived just in time.”
As Rudella opened the door, the butler, still catching his breath, stammered out the words.
“A-a warrant has been issued for His Highness the Crown Prince on charges of treason!”
“What on earth are you talking about!”
The Marquis roared, his voice reverberating throughout the mansion.
“Rudella, don’t tell me this is your doing!”
“That depends on how you interpret it. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Rudella!!”
With the brightest smile she’d ever worn, she left the mansion. Her expression was one of pure relief.
***
Outside the mansion, Yohan was waiting for her and naturally draped a coat over her shoulders. She touched the collar of the coat, her cheeks rosy as she smiled faintly.
“Thank you.”
“This is nothing.”
Yohan asked cautiously.
“Did the conversation go well?”
“It did. I’ve severed ties with the family.”
“Not sure if that counts as ‘well’…”
“If I’m happy, then isn’t that enough?”
Rudella, her lips curling into a smile, gently entwined her fingers with Yohan’s.
“From now on, I’ll live not as Rudella Bismarck but as your Rudella, your lover, living happily by your side.”
Rudella believed in her decision. Living as a poor but free woman was far happier than being a puppet bound by someone else’s orders.
“Then I’ll have to do my best to make sure that happiness never ends.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
She laughed, lifting Yohan’s hand to her lips with a soft kiss.
“As long as I’m with you, I’m already happy.”
“…”
Direct as ever. Yohan’s heart momentarily skipped a beat, and he flinched, hastily changing the subject.
“Have you found a place to live?”
“I’ve secured a small house in the capital. For now, I’ll live there with Vera.”
Although land prices in the capital were high, finding a house was no problem for Rudella. She had been saving a secret fund for such an occasion.
“But I can’t afford to grow lazy, so I plan to open a small café with Vera. Later, I’ll invite you and Lady Fervache for a visit.”
She even had a job planned. Yohan couldn’t help but be impressed. Rudella was prepared for everything.
“Wouldn’t it be better to come to my territory, the Lahart County, instead…?”
“If I do that, I won’t be able to see you, will I? That’s out of the question.”
Even Rudella knew it would be more practical to move to Yohan’s territory, but the distance between Lahart and the capital was considerable.
If she moved there, it would be hard to see him. They’d be limited to exchanging letters. Rudella simply couldn’t accept that.
“By the way… are you free now?”
“I am. What is it?”
Rudella fidgeted, her face gradually reddening as she carefully spoke.
“…Would you like to come to my house?”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“Just the two of us.”
It's time to give Rudella some (physical) love... 😏
ReplyDelete