I Decline the Ex-Boyfriend of the Regretful Male Lead - Chapter 53

“If Hertian is really there, I don’t think it should be kept secret any longer.”

Fear seeped into Eleanor’s voice as she heard the place I mentioned.

“We can’t just sit still. Please wait here for a moment.”

I returned to the palace to retrieve the treasure of Turan, and handed it to Eleanor. She looked down at the treasure with a questioning face and asked.

“What is this?”

“Listen carefully, Eleanor. I have to go to the hunting ground early tomorrow at the empress’s invitation. Can you meet with His Majesty the Emperor instead of me?”

“Of course.”

If Hertian was sent there, it would be difficult for him to escape on his own. Even if he barely escaped, it would be hard to come out unscathed.

‘I have to help Hertian by any means necessary.’

I gave Eleanor the treasure of Turan and explained how to get the emperor’s help. Holding onto a glimmer of hope that even a father who abandons his child wouldn’t abandon him when cornered.

[This is the timeline separator]

Early morning.

After finishing my preparations alone, there was a carriage adorned with lavish gold embroidery waiting.

Inside that carriage was a face as uncomfortable as Serdis.

“Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress.”

“It’s been a while, Duchess.”

The empress greeted me warmly. Her attitude was as natural as if she had forgotten that she had driven me and Hertian out of this palace.

“I was so curious since there had been no news. Is the North livable?”

She even asked after my well-being, almost making me forget that the empress had sent poisoned water.

“Yes. It’s livable.”

I answered calmly, suppressing my emotions as much as possible. If I were to get angry or complain here, that would be what the empress wants. I didn’t want to act like a naive noble lady.

“You can be honest with me. How could the North be a good place to live? With blizzards raging every day and not even pretty flowers growing there. The capital is much better for living.”

“I used to think so. But now that I’m back at the imperial palace, I miss the North. I just want to go back as soon as possible.”

Instead, I spoke with thorns like any other socialite lady.

Giving away an abandoned palace and trying to use a maid against me.

I wondered if she would pretend it never happened, as if it were a failed scheme.

‘Or hopefully not.’

On the other hand, I wanted to believe it wasn’t the empress’s doing. If it was meant to stir up Hertian living quietly in the North, there would be no peace for the two of us in the future. That’s why I hoped the empress wasn’t involved.

But my wish didn’t come true.

“It seems you’re upset that I played a prank.”

The empress, who had been looking at me coldly, admitted that it was all a prank. I was so dumbfounded that I almost let out a hollow laugh.

“Isn’t a prank something you do between close people?”

“Oh my. Were we distant?”

“You’re not saying we’re family, are you?”

I coldly retorted. After all, it was the empress who drove Hertian to his death this time. I no longer had any courtesy to show her.

“We could become real family. If the duchess wishes.”

But suddenly the empress spouted nonsensical words.

Did she not understand what I said?

“You say we become real family if I wish. Was that something that could happen so easily just by wanting it?”

“We have plenty of time, so let’s talk slowly.”

The empress just opened her fan and laughed softly, without giving an answer. I wanted to ask what she was plotting by kidnapping Hertian, but I kept my mouth shut. It would only make me feel worse.

‘The more I look at her, the more she resembles Serdis.’

“You look like you have a lot to say. Your eyes are so impertinent.”

I immediately turned my gaze away. She’s quite perceptive.

“I like that too.”

“…Is this a joke too?”

Did I hear wrong?

She likes my impertinent eyes?

“Do you think I dislike the duchess just because I played a little prank? I’ve liked you since I first saw you.”

I looked at her with a questioning face. There was absolutely no reason for the empress, not the emperor, to like me. If anything, she should be bothered by me helping Hertian.

The empress added an explanation as if reading my mind.

“You must be curious why I like you. You knew there were tea leaves other than peppermint in my teacup back then, didn’t you?”

Back then would be the day Hertian and I first visited the imperial palace.

The incident when Serdis handed me mint tea, and while my body that doesn’t react to herbs or poison showed no abnormal reaction, the empress who drank the tea afterwards suffered severe abdominal pain.

“That’s why I deliberately sent poisoned water to the maid. I was curious if the duchess really knew or not.”

It wasn’t to tie me down, but to test me.

‘I underestimated the empress.’

It was my mistake to think she was a simple person. I had momentarily forgotten that she was someone who killed the emperor’s woman and lived shamelessly.

“Yes. I knew.”

I answered calmly. Nothing would change just because she tested me. That poison was put in by Serdis, and I was innocent.

“I didn’t know what kind of tea leaves they were. I just didn’t think His Highness Serdis would kill me on the spot. So I thought it wouldn’t be a problem for the empress to drink it.”

“No need for excuses. I wasn’t planning to make a big deal out of what my son did anyway.”

She waved her folded fan.

“If the duchess lived in the imperial palace, it would feel like gaining the best ally. That’s why I was tempted.”

“If you don’t touch the duke, I will always be an ally to the empress.”

This time I was sincere. If she doesn’t threaten Hertian, situations like this won’t happen. I won’t lose Hertian.

But that didn’t align with the empress’s intentions. Her expression wasn’t very good.

“Let’s talk about it later.”

[This is the timeline separator]

The hunting ground a little away from the imperial palace.

They say a big hunting festival is being held to welcome the social season as spring arrives.

It was a place for noble ladies to come out and find husbands, and for spirited young men to show off their strength.

“We greet Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Your Majesty the Empress, what brings you to the hunting ground!”

So it was very unusual for the empress to come to such a place. And the same went for me, the duchess.

‘What does she want to talk about in front of the ladies?’

The empress sat down with a graceful smile, guided by the ladies.

“Today I came to watch together in celebration of the duchess coming down to the capital. We’re not interrupting, are we?”

“Interrupting? We are honored to see Your Majesty the Empress and Her Grace the Duchess! Please, sit over here.”

The ladies made room on their own and sat spread out around us. After that, maids busily approached to pour tea into our cups.

“Coming to the hunting ground for the first time in decades brings back memories of the old days. I used to spend time here every day trying to see His Majesty the Emperor hunting.”

As the empress opened the conversation, the ladies’ eyes sparkled as they listened intently to her words.

“So Your Majesty the Empress had such times too. It’s the same for us. We’re staring at that place with our eyes about to fall out, wondering when young lord Evot will come down.”

One lady’s gaze fell on the entrance to the hunting ground.

The place where young lords who went hunting come and go.

The empress saw that and smiled faintly.

“The lady’s pure love is beautiful. I have someone I’m waiting for too.”

“You do too, Your Majesty?”

“To be precise, I came to wait together for the person our duchess is waiting for.”

The empress gently placed her hand on my shoulder. At the same time, our eyes met.

‘What exactly does she want to say to me?’

“Oh my. The duchess looks clueless.”

I kept my mouth shut and looked at her, and she voluntarily confessed what she had done.

“I heard the duke went dragon hunting early yesterday morning.”

The empress’s voice was elated with joy.

‘My guess was right.’

There was a place that came to mind after hearing Eleanor’s report yesterday.

The Flavo Cave at the edge of the cliff, said to be inhabited by dragons.

It’s a place untouched by human hands due to the presence of ferocious dragons nearby. Thanks to that, many animals and magical beasts have gathered there, and the empire has designated the area up to a certain distance from the cliff as a hunting ground.

Of course, the hunting ground is closed during times when dragons are active. It’s open on spring days like this because it’s the dragons’ resting period.

“But isn’t that cave a restricted area?”

“It’s designated as a restricted area because dragons are dangerous. If anyone can hunt, entry is possible anytime.”

“But I heard it’s dangerous to disturb dragons during their resting period…”

One lady spoke in a worried voice while glancing at me.

“As long as no one deliberately wakes up the dragon, it won’t wake up easily.”

I looked towards the empress. If someone were to wake it, it would be you.

“If the duke doesn’t run away in fear, I would have woken it up myself.”

The smile I had been forcing faded at her cunning answer.

“The duchess seems very worried.”

I silently glared at the empress.

“It’s alright. Even if the duke doesn’t return, I’ll specially make the widowed duchess Serdis’s match.”

My head whipped around.

“It’s a joke. There’s always that one-in-a-million chance in the world. You never know what might happen when and where.”

Even as a joke, you shouldn’t spout such curses.

“Even if something were to happen to the duke, I would never become His Highness Serdis’s match.”

“Is that so? That would be the best treatment for the duchess.”

“The best treatment?”

“If the duke doesn’t return and the duchess is left alone, it means the duchess will have to live in the imperial palace for the rest of her life.”

The empress continued to spout incomprehensible words. It felt like she had something she wanted to say in front of others but was beating around the bush. The ladies watching our conversation were holding their breath in the ominous atmosphere, waiting for my response.

‘That seems to be the reason she deliberately brought me to sit here.’

It seems this was the conversation she had put off earlier in the carriage, saying we’d talk later.

Glancing slightly, the empress’s eyes seemed to be saying why aren’t you asking quickly, what are you doing.

If so, it would be common sense not to ask.

“Thank you for letting me know. By the way, there are so many desserts.”

I brushed off her words as if I wasn’t curious, and picked up a delicious-looking macaron from the table and ate it.

As expected, the capital’s macarons were sweet and delicious. It felt like all the stress flew away in an instant.

“The duchess always likes desserts. Seeing you eat makes me want to have one too.”

Despite my blatant disregard, the empress didn’t lose her composure.

“Your Majesty should try one too. The taste is exquisite.”

I handed the plate of macarons towards the empress. The empress smiled in response and then dropped the entire plate to the floor.

“Oh dear. My hand slipped.”

She didn’t seem surprised at all. As if she had dropped it on purpose. And she didn’t even try to hide it.

She had dropped the plate for all to see.

“What’s important about a plate? What’s important is that Your Majesty isn’t hurt.”

I pretended to be concerned about her.

“On days when something falls like this, bad news tends to come.”

Her tone suggested she hoped something bad had happened to Hertian.

“That’s true. The sky looks dark today.”

“It might rain soon.”

The sunshine had disappeared and clouds heavily covered the sky. I was starting to worry. Young lords were coming down one by one at the entrance to the hunting ground, but there was no sign of Hertian.

Just then, the empress’s hand overlapped mine. I almost brushed off her hand at the cold sensation.

“Don’t worry. If he dies, I’ll make sure to recover the body well.”

“Your Majesty. That’s enough.”

“Why are you pretending to be sincere? You two are in a contract marriage.”

So this was the reason she wanted me to live in the imperial palace. To kill Hertian and make me Serdis’s match. Is this Serdis’s will, or the will of the empress who said she liked me?

“Stop your strange imagination.”

“It’s because all the imagination I do seems to become reality.”

She opened her fan and laughed softly. She really looked like someone who had killed Hertian.

‘No. There’s no way Hertian would die.’

In the original story, Hertian wasn’t someone who would die so easily. Even if I intervened in the original and caused this incident, absolutely not.

“I wonder how long the duchess’s composure will last.”

But the empress’s composure disappeared before mine did.

“It seems Your Majesty came out to greet me.”

Because Hertian, covered in sticky blood, appeared at the hunting ground.

“Your Grace!”

He threw something at the empress’s feet with his hand dripping blood.