110. Ariesta’s Circumstances

2024.01.18.

To make excuses, Ariesta meant that, even in such a situation, it wasn’t Clade’s hollow eyes—devoid of any expectation toward her—that had shouted, but only the voice itself.

This was because the normal Clade had been an extremely courteous young man toward ladies, thanks to the thorough education from the late Empress Eleonore.

Though he occasionally wore a blunt or annoyed expression, he was, in his own way, a kind fiancé doing his best.

At least, that was how Ariesta saw him.

But Clade’s attitude—showing no gratitude for Ariesta’s visit, all under the excuse of poor health—felt like an even greater betrayal to her.

Of course, at that time, Ariesta herself could not accept the cursed appearance of Clade either.

Yet the truth that she had fled from her fiancé simply because she couldn’t bear to see that horrifying form only darkened Ariesta’s heart.

Thus, Ariesta became even more desperately fixated on Clade’s behavior.

Again and again, she repeated to herself that, in the opposite situation, she would never have sent Clade away like that.

She kept soothing her own heart, insisting the fault for their estrangement wasn’t hers alone.

Even her nursemaid whispered every night, affirming it wasn’t her fault.

After returning from the blackened mansion, seeing her daughter lying bedridden and refusing food, Grand Duke Drietter knocked on Ariesta’s door daily, offering to dissolve the engagement with Clade and comforting her.

The young Ariesta could not even say no to her father’s suggestion, shedding only tears.

“Clade. Ari is so happy… that you’ve accepted her.”

Ariesta, who had by now led him to a secluded corner of the hall, avoiding people’s eyes, spoke with transparent tears clinging to her eyes and her lips bitten.

The moment she entered the hall and saw Clade’s clean face, she felt all her long wait had been repaid with overwhelming emotion.

For the past ten years, Ariesta hadn’t only cried.

She admitted that, after the broken engagement with Clade, she had tried to get along with Bollonico at her father’s urging—but that was the past.

Now, at the mere thought of Bollonico Euphris, Ariesta ground her teeth even in her sleep.

That brief encounter with Bollonico was the greatest blemish in Ariesta Drietter’s life.

Ariesta gazed intently, yet desperately, at the Clade before her eyes.

The horrifying figure she had seen in childhood must have been nothing but a nightmare, for here stood a man crafted by God over a lifetime.

Clade Euphris was the only person in Ariesta’s life who could evoke the same admiration she felt when looking at herself in the mirror. Now, everything else didn’t matter.

Even the imperial palace’s ultimate ladder of status for women—Consort, Crown Princess, Empress—was no more than insignificant dust compared to the clean face of Clade, whom she had dreamed of day and night.

Repeated news of Clade’s marriages now left not even a single scar on Ariesta’s heart.

Even the rare woman officially recognized as his wife had been disposed of by the dreadful Bollonico, so Ariesta resolved to completely erase any resentment or contempt she felt toward Bollonico.

That much.

Ariesta was utterly captivated by the grown former fiancé standing before her, unable to break free.

She had thought she could never hold Clade in her arms again.

She had thought there was no way to earn his forgiveness.

Yet Clade hadn’t pushed her away when she rushed into his embrace, and he was now following her lead, listening to her speak.

It was then that hailstones suddenly poured into Ariesta’s mind, once filled only with pink dreams and floral scents.

She had led him here, but as she fervently gazed at Clade’s sculpted profile—still refusing to look at her—she turned her head toward where his gaze was fixed.

“…Clade?”

What he was looking at was the back of Yuan Pelliese, disappearing behind the stage with the Empress’s dress hem clutched in her arms.

That melancholy back, walking weakly with shoulders drooped, far removed from cheerfulness.

“Clade.”

Not a gaze filled with affection. Nor sharp resentment. Nor fiery anger. Just an extremely calm, indifferent look.

“Clade!”

His deeply sunken eyes, absorbing no brightness from the surroundings, stared only at the empty space where nothing remained.

Overcome by an inexplicable anxiety, Ariesta bit her lip, and only after four more musical pieces had echoed through Glory Hall did she cautiously grab Clade’s arm.

Clade’s startled eyes finally turned to her.

“Clade, Ari—”

“What do you want to say, Your Highness?”

“!”

Clade asked in a cold, detached tone, as if she were just someone who had happened to follow him.

Unlike his usual self in public, his voice was extremely formal, stiff, and faintly mocking.

Ariesta had never, not even once in her life, been treated this way.

Even the young Clade had never treated Ariesta like this.

Shocked by his icy response, large tears quickly welled up in Ariesta’s wide eyes.

Normally, when she widened her eyes in shock or teared up, people around her would immediately bow their heads in apology.

But Clade simply raised his arrogant nose slightly higher toward the ceiling, let his eyelids hang, and continued looking down at her.

‘Did he not hear everything I’ve said until now?’

Due to her emotional state, triggered by Clade being the one to greet her first, Ariesta hadn’t noticed at all where his eyes or attention had been directed during the entire award ceremony.

Only now did she begin to recall where Clade’s attention had been focused throughout her speech and his conversations with others.

When every memory pointed to one place, Ariesta staggered momentarily, as if the world had collapsed, blinking rapidly.

Her small head shook side to side in denial of reality.

“That’s impossible.”

Clade Euphris’s irritated gaze.

Just minutes ago, Ariesta would have been shocked even by such a look, but not now.

The woman—Yuan Pelliese—who had never once been regarded with suspicion, even after hearing she was officially recognized as his wife.

Clade’s ninth wife.

Throughout the time he spent with Ariesta, Clade had been unable to control his gaze, which kept wandering off to Yuan Pelliese whenever she wasn’t looking at him.

She had just realized this.

Only after Yuan disappeared from Glory Hall and Clade seemed to return to reality did she finally understand.

“It’s really… impossible.”

Ariesta’s pale, slender hand crumpled the hem of her dress like paper.

She had never even dreamed of such a reunion.

***

As soon as Yuan and Tasha entered the Empress’s palace with the Empress, two court physicians already notified in advance were inside the bedroom.

Unlike the ones Yuan had seen at Bollonico’s palace, these two were very aged—the female court physician had completely white hair and a hunched back, while the male court physician’s hair and beard were entirely white.

Despite their frail, elderly appearances that made one wonder if they could even walk, they firmly supported the Empress onto the bed and began the examination with surprisingly steady, synchronized movements.

Tasha briefly explained—they were a married couple who had served in the royal court for a very long time.

“You must’ve been under a lot of stress. I thought you’d been doing much better lately, but perhaps the Emperor did something strange again?”

Court physician Karen, a woman with a raspy voice, asked with a slightly mocking tone. Her husband, court physician Rudolf, chuckled and gently stopped her.

“The Empress has always taken good care of her health, so nothing serious will happen. Everyone, please relax.”

“If only the Emperor didn’t keep troubling her, she’d be perfectly fine.”

“Ahem!”

Yuan nervously watched them, worried that Karen’s words might offend the Empress or her maids, but the Empress had long fallen into an exhausted sleep, and the elderly maids didn’t scold Karen for her rudeness—in fact, they whispered among themselves and nodded in agreement.

“Lady Karen has been the Empress’s personal physician since the Empress first entered the palace. Regardless of generation or status, they’re close friends.”

“Oh.”

Tasha quickly whispered into Yuan’s ear.

Only then did Yuan notice that the eyes beneath Karen’s drooping eyelids were filled with deep concern and warmth.

Without Tasha’s explanation, she might have misunderstood completely.

“Thank you.”

“Hmm. Lady Kimfri, you should still be more careful than usual. Today, the Emperor didn’t just do something strange.”

Responding to Yuan’s heartfelt gratitude, Tasha slightly blushed, abruptly turned her head, and addressed Karen.

Karen immediately reacted.

“Hm? Lady Kimfri, are you saying the Emperor did something as shocking as during the last debutante ball?”

She was referring to the bloody debutante ball where several servants and lower nobles had their necks severed.

Tasha wrinkled her brows slightly and answered with a sigh.

“Yes. Today, someone offered a woman as a gift to His Majesty. Right in front of the Empress.”

“Oh dear, that kind of thing again. Not surprising, I suppose. Well then, let’s prepare a stronger calming medicine.”

Karen clicked her tongue and left the bedroom with her husband Rudolf.

They said the medicine would come in about an hour, and instructed them not to move and wait right there.

As Yuan pondered how to spend the next hour with Tasha, an unusual scene caught her eye.

Before leaving the bedroom, when the Empress’s elderly maids said something extra to Karen, Karen’s face turned pale, she checked on the Empress once more, and hurried out much faster.

“Why did the personal physician suddenly act like that?”

“The maids probably added something they shouldn’t have mentioned about today’s incident. It’s obvious. These maids came with the Empress from her family home—they’re among the Empress’s closest confidants, just like Karen. The Empress relies on them deeply.”

“Was there something they shouldn’t have said?”

Tasha stared at Yuan, looking slightly flustered, then seemed to ponder something on her own.

Then, with a disbelieving expression, she began questioning Yuan.

“Do you really not know anything?”

“Was there something I was supposed to know?”

“The woman that Grand Duke Drietter brought today as a ‘gift’… her appearance…”

Tasha frowned in disgust as she spoke.

“Was exactly like the late Empress Eleonore.”