“Someone, someone please help. Is there anyone!”

The mercenary guild’s standard blade had already broken.

The man clutched his side where blood was gushing out.

He wouldn’t last much longer like this.

“Y-you cursed things! Get lost right now…! Damn it! Someone please help!”

Those ‘things’ with human appearances poked their heads out from underground.

‘It’ clattered its skull, colliding with others, and flailed as if trying to burst out of the shadows.

[Let me out.] [Let me out.] [Let me out.]

It felt like spirits wailing. Eerie and chilling.

“W-what on earth is this…!”

They were tomb keepers. They crawled out from underground. The tomb keepers clattered their bones with only their mouths exposed.

“Would you kick children who are hungry?”

From behind the shadows, someone walked out.

“W-what are you doing! Th-this…! Could this be black magic? You lot! Black magic is strictly forbidden by the temple and empire! You’ll find no peace in death, nor in life. What on earth are you…!”

Two figures stood beside the tomb keepers.

“S-spare me! I swear I’ll keep quiet about everything I saw today!”

The man had his throat torn out by a tomb keeper.

“Grrrrrgh!”

The tomb keepers soon hid back underground.

“…My lord, it’s your first day back in the empire, isn’t it? Is this really alright?”

“I just stopped by for a quick bite, but things went awry.”

“Please be careful. Even if you’re hungry, you shouldn’t hastily take those who aren’t on the verge of death. Now is not the time. The Pope isn’t bound by taboos for no reason, is he? Wait until you fully regain your strength.”

“I’ll be more careful next time. It’s been a while since I set foot in the empire.”

“The empress has died.”

“Yes. And all the black magic has been retrieved.”

The old man patted his hunched back and leaned on his cane. Then he bowed respectfully.

“O last black magician of this era…”

A middle-aged man walked out from the shadows.

Though he was actually well over sixty, his aging had slowed, preserving the appearance of his younger years.

Bright blonde hair peeked out from under his robe. The old man stepped aside and bowed his head.

“Your son is waiting. Let’s head to the mansion now.”

“Very well. Let’s return. Make sure to clean up well so we’re not followed.”

“Yes. This old man will take care of that. You must be tired of boat rides by now.”

The old man dumped the body by the shore and left the dock.

[This is the timeline separator]

Heavy.

Her body sank deeply, as if being dragged down from underground.

Abandoned again. What did I do wrong?

You’ve cut off all my ankles, and now you abandon me twice?

There’s nowhere to go.

She thought everything would end if even her family abandoned her.

After that, as all consciousness was about to sink…

‘Are you lonely, Charlotte?’

She seemed to hear such a voice. Get up now, it seemed to urge.

No… It’s becoming clearer, unlike an auditory hallucination.

“Please wake up, Your Majesty.”

Someone whispered.

“Is your body heavy?”

“No.”

“You seem to be having trouble opening your eyes.”

“I feel like I had a long dream, but I can’t remember it.”

It seems she fell asleep while getting dressed.

“I’ll put on your hair ornament.”

As the maids brought the hair ornament to place on her head, Charlotte raised her arm.

She carefully examined her reflection in the mirror.

Her frame was thin and her neck slender. Still, the impression that she was on the verge of death had faded.

“Your Majesty?”

The head maid called out to Charlotte.

“That’s enough. Hurry and finish the preparations.”

She took out a black dress and put it on. The head maid neatly tied the ribbon behind her back.

The ribbon ties were also in a low-saturation color, creating an elegant and graceful atmosphere rather than flashy decorations.

Her hair was also tied up with a black ribbon ornament.

In contrast to her pale white complexion, the maids stifled groans as they finished the preparations.

“It’s time to go to the Eternal Rest Palace.”

Someone shook Charlotte awake as she was nodding off. Charlotte blinked her eyes.

“It’s time.”

From servants to maids, everyone was dressed in black.

[This is the timeline separator]

The urn was buried in the Eternal Rest Palace the next day.

The late empress’s ashes were placed in an empty tomb. Her posthumous title was elevated to empress dowager.

Afterwards,

The weather was particularly cold, and the snow showed no signs of stopping.

“It’s fortunate we were able to lay her to rest before the ground froze.”

If it had been a bit colder, the ground would have frozen solid, making things difficult.

“Outside the palace, mourning songs lamenting her death echoed.”

“It’s the first time the imperial citizens have cried out so loudly.”

“Now that there’s no one to rebuke them for crying, they can finally raise their voices freely.”

Charlotte’s gaze was drawn to the scene unfolding beyond the imperial palace.

The world was gently covered in white snow. Servants swept the snow with brooms.

“The New Year’s festival will be held soon.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. This year seems particularly long.”

Charlotte tied up her hair and stepped outside. The maids followed behind.

‘What I need to do now…’

Charlotte smiled softly.

“First, I should take care of the immediate tasks at hand. While the memorial service comforts the dead, the New Year’s festival is like showing new sprouts to the living.”

Rather than dwelling on the past, it was time to take a step forward and look ahead. Although she didn’t have to take charge of the memorial service before the national wedding, from this New Year’s festival onward, everything was the empress’s responsibility.

“We should renovate the central banquet hall.”

“Shall we head to the banquet hall?”

Charlotte looked around the imperial palace. The windows had been cleaned thoroughly, without a single cobweb in sight. Red carpets were laid out in the marble corridors, and lamps hung on the walls.

“Let’s go to the banquet hall.”

Charlotte turned smoothly.

The banquet hall had been closed for a while. They had been busy with various matters.

When the central hall doors opened, a cloud of dust rose. The maids waved their hands to disperse it.

“Would you like to look elsewhere until the dust settles?”

“No. I’ll just look around for a moment, so carry on with your tasks.”

Charlotte surveyed the New Year’s Palace banquet hall. This place was reserved for major events like the New Year’s festival or the empire’s founding day.

According to palace custom, the banquet hall was only opened for the New Year’s festival or founding day celebrations, so its mere existence held significance.

Its scale was larger than other banquet halls. It was a hall made of glass. However, due to lack of maintenance, the colors had faded in various places.

It’s understandable, since there was no need to use this place for the past five years. Charlotte brushed the stair railing.

“Ideally, it should have been maintained consistently, but the palace has been in disarray these past few years, so it couldn’t be helped.”

“We can still repair what needs to be fixed now.”

“Send word to call workers and thoroughly inspect areas that need renovation.”

This place must have been elegant in the past, but now even its old charm was buried under dust.

“It will take some time to restore it to its original state.”

[This is the timeline separator]

The night grew late.

“His Majesty the Emperor said he would spend the night in his office today, and told me to inform you to retire first.”

The head maid whispered behind Charlotte as she was brushing out her long hair. Charlotte paused.

“Why?”

He usually slept in the bedroom, even if late.

“There were postponed matters after laying Her Majesty the Empress Dowager to rest, weren’t there? Shall I prepare your bed if you’re tired?”

Charlotte shook her head, saying it was fine, and dismissed the head maid. The candle by the bedside flickered faintly.

“He said he wouldn’t leave me alone, but today seems to be an exception.”

Charlotte tapped her arms. Though she had dozed off briefly during the day, she couldn’t sleep now.

Have I already grown accustomed to having someone sleep beside me?

The warmth seeped in without warning.

Charlotte wrapped a shawl around herself and left the bedroom. The corridor outside was empty.

“Your Majesty, where are you going?”

Catarina emerged from the shadows.

They call the information officers ‘shadows,’ so they hide in the shadows and erase their presence completely.

“Where is His Majesty the Emperor?”

“He’s in his office.”

Charlotte, who was about to head there, paused for a moment.

“Would it be against palace etiquette if I went to see him like this?”

“Your Majesty is the very embodiment of imperial law, so why ask that?”

Catarina gave a crisp answer. It was as smooth as reciting an answer from a textbook.

“If you’re going to His Majesty, I’ll escort you to the office.”

Charlotte waved her arm, saying it was fine.

“It’s just a walk, I can manage.”

“The path is dark.”

“Don’t act like a child abandoned by the water. It’s excessive.”

“I apologize.”

Charlotte wrapped her shawl tightly. As she passed through the corridor, the path she had come from was shrouded in dim shadows.

Do they live hiding in such shadows?

Putting aside her vague curiosity, she turned around when she felt breath on her cheek.

“Didn’t I tell you to sleep first?”

Soon a voice came from behind her.

“I heard you were in your office, why did you come out?”

Benjamin was looking down at Charlotte from beside her.

His attire was looser than when she saw him during the day. He had loosened the tie that had been tightly choking his neck and unbuttoned a couple of buttons.

As Benjamin exhaled, a faint scent of cigars wafted. She thought she had smelled it once before in the office.

“Did you smoke?”

“I was planning to be alone today, but you came looking for me.”

“I thought I might see you like this.”

Just as you saw yourself in me, I saw myself in you. We’re alike, so we know how the other might be.

“Are you still busy with work?”

“Probably.”

“So busy you don’t have time to sleep?”

Benjamin narrowed his eyes.

“I think I’m a bit sensitive today.”

Charlotte closed the distance between them. Benjamin let out a small groan as he observed the shortened gap.

“When I keep my distance, it’s best to maintain that distance.”

Benjamin looked down at the documents in his hand, then swept his arm behind his back. Rosquella approached and took the documents.

“The people here are so quiet.”

“There are quite a few gloomy ones.”

Rosquella replied to his lord, “Your Majesty is the gloomiest one here.”

“Work is almost finished. Since Her Majesty the Empress came in person, please rest comfortably tonight.”

Rosquella gestured with his chin towards the staff who were held back unable to go home. Shouldn’t they be allowed to leave too?

[This is the timeline separator]

“When the employer is tired, the subordinates are even more exhausted.”

Charlotte returned to the bedroom and set down her shawl.

“It’s fine even if you sleep late, but come to the bedroom to sleep.”

Benjamin ruffled his damp hair as he closed the bedroom door. His dark eyes were cloudy.

He must have smoked strong cigars, but now only faint traces remained.

Benjamin mussed his hair. Droplets fell from his wet hair.

“Come up here quickly.”

Charlotte tilted her head.

“You called me to put you to sleep, didn’t you, Charlotte?”

Benjamin wrapped his arms around Charlotte’s shoulders. Though he wasn’t exerting force, he firmly embraced her shoulders.