The Tyrant's Terminally-Ill Childhood Friend (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 46

After Tillemann, Monique came to realize anew that her life could become even more wretched than it had been before.

To be precise, she had finally understood just how much Peter had been indulging her—but such nuances were utterly lost on Monique.

Within the imperial palace, Monique had now become as good as invisible.

Naturally, no one sought her out anymore, and when her budget was even slashed in half, those who had previously associated with her merely out of protocol began avoiding her for fear of drawing Peter’s ire. Among them was even Karim, who until recently had served as her reliable source of funds.

‘Marquis Karim Grotaire… you treacherous weasel!’

The thought that he had extracted all the information he needed from her and then abandoned her the moment his own situation grew difficult filled Monique with indescribable rage. What infuriated her even more was that he hadn’t even sent the check he’d promised.

Yet what made her feel most wretched was her own helplessness in this situation—her utter inability to do anything about it.

‘I’m the only adult in the imperial family—how dare they treat me like this?’

No matter how much she thought about it, she only felt stifled and wronged. She had written letters begging her natal family for help, but received no reply whatsoever. If only they’d sent a refusal, she could have used that as an excuse to confront them in person—but they hadn’t even acknowledged receiving her letters, leaving Monique utterly livid.

‘I never should have entered the palace in the first place. Why did I ever insist on becoming Empress?’

It all felt as if she’d been bewitched. Back then, she’d been so desperate to secure the Emperor’s side that she’d badgered her father relentlessly until she gained entry into the palace—but once inside, all she’d received was the Emperor’s icy indifference. Even so, at the time, that had been enough; merely standing beside the Emperor had made her feel as though she owned the world.

Had she known it would turn out like this, Monique would never have chosen to become Empress.

‘This is all because of that damn current Emperor.’

Peter von der Leyen Belf. Merely repeating his name in her mind stirred two conflicting emotions within Monique: fear and fury. On days when fear won out, she hesitated even to step outside the palace gates—but today, her anger was stronger.

‘I can’t go on like this.’

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