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I clasped my trembling hands together and hid them under the table.
"...Is Duke Roger firm in his decision?"
"He believes this will hasten the downfall of Duke Spelman's power."
That was true. If Cerden had only trusted his friend to the end, it would have been. But Cerden failed to do so and ultimately met his demise.
Of course, my intervention has changed many things. If I do well, if I can play the role of a bridge between the two...
I chewed on my lip.
Conversely, what if Roger rejects Spelman, leading to an even more uncontrollable situation?
Wouldn't it be better to steer things in a more predictable direction, even if only slightly?
What if we can't predict what Duke Spelman will do at all?
"...We need to do a good job."
"I know this is a lot to ask of Your Highness. It will be difficult. The scars etched on Your Highness are very old."
"Still, I think it's an opportunity too good to miss."
I had one more thing I could do. With this, I might be able to completely twist fate and save Cerden.
And the countless people who would unfairly die.
"I'll do it."
In the end, my answer was already decided. Knowing how it would end, I was jumping into the fire with the hope of changing it.
I grabbed Julia's hand. It was a beautiful hand. I met her intelligent eyes and said,
"We can do this."
"...Yes."
Julia smiled faintly.
Yes, we can do it.
I can save Cerden. So, it's full speed ahead.
* * *
Around the time Evelyn and Julia were talking, news from across the water reached the Imperial Palace.
"...My aunt?"
The Emperor's hazy eyes widened.
The chamberlain bowed his head.
"Yes. She says she wants to spend the twilight years of her life in her hometown. She is afraid of making the long journey alone with her old body, so she requested that Your Highness, the Crown Prince be sent to escort her. She says the journey alone would be too much for her."
"Has my aunt already reached that age?"
"Lady Elizabeth has already entrusted the operation of the Courtes Trading Company, which she had been managing, entirely to her son and his wife. She is at an age where she would be considering retirement."
"...Time really does fly."
The Emperor, intoxicated with drugs, said with a sob.
"If my aunt wishes it, Cerden must go."
"...Then, would it be best for Your Highness, the Crown Princess to accompany him?"
"The Crown Princess?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Was Cerden married?"
The Emperor tilted his head.
"Heehee, heehee. Has Cerden already reached that age?"
"Oh, come on. Your Majesty, he married Spelman's daughter. You gave your permission yourself, didn't you?"
"Ah, ah, ah. Was that so?"
The Emperor burst into laughter. His long, curved eyes looked just like Cerden's. But his slurred pronunciation, dulled by drugs, was inaccurate, and his incompetence reached the heavens.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Then, do you permit Your Highness and Your Highness, the Crown Prince to leave the country?"
"Of course, heehee, of course! Tell them to bring my aunt back, tell them that!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The chamberlain bowed his head even lower. In front of the Emperor, there was a pile of gifts sent by Lady Elizabeth.
The Emperor and his dancers giggled and clung to them.
The chamberlain barely swallowed a sigh and stepped back.
* * *
"Aunt Elizabeth?"
Cerden's eyes widened.
Elizabeth was the youngest daughter of the previous Emperor. Having received much love from the Emperor, Elizabeth had a grand wedding with the eldest son of the Courtes Trading Company, which dominated the seas and continents.
The Courtes Trading Company was a trading company that started in Yures and grew continentally.
The first head of the trading company was a royal prince, so he was of royal blood. They still receive treatment equivalent to that.
For his daughter who was embarking on a long journey, the previous Emperor bestowed a nominal title.
The name of the Courtes Duchy was added to the noble genealogy of the Lexia Empire. It was a double title, but Yures accepted it in consideration of Lady Elizabeth's position.
Elizabeth, who had never come to the Lexia Empire even once after the death of the previous Emperor, had suddenly decided to return home.
A pleasant smile appeared on Cerden's lips.
His smooth face sparkled.
"A welcome guest is coming."
The chamberlain bowed his head even lower. Cerden ran his fingertips over his lips. He felt much better.
He wished every day could be like today.
The misfortunes that had plagued Cerden may have been groundwork for this moment.
Lady Elizabeth was the one who secretly provided support on the battlefield when supplies were scarce. She was the one who always became a lifeline for Cerden, who felt like he was alone in the world.
When he was starving, she would send food, and when he was shivering in the cold, she would send expensive cotton clothes.
The Emperor, who only knew how to spend money extravagantly, and the Empress, who was weak and unable to do anything.
It was Lady Elizabeth who took care of the child who was withering away in their neglect.
Cerden first encountered Lady Elizabeth when he was about 13 years old.
'...You. That necklace around your neck is my father's.'
He must have been on his way out of the hospital near the battlefield after receiving treatment. That day was truly a fateful day.
To think that he would encounter Elizabeth, who traveled all over the world, like that.
'You must be Cerden. You resemble my father more than your father.'
The hearty woman willingly became Cerden's shield. Secretly from the Emperor, and secretly from Duke Spelman.
Without being caught even once during that long time.
It was possible because the Courtes Trading Company was a huge trading company that dominated the continent and the sea. There were branches everywhere, and the name of Courtes was recognized everywhere.
It was no exaggeration to say that Cerden survived thanks to Elizabeth.
"Emperor 폐하 has ordered Your Highness to leave the country with 비 전하. He says to escort her from the Kingdom of Yures, the headquarters of the Courtes Trading Company."
My great-aunt is not someone who would move without a reason. There must be a reason why she needs to call him to Yures.
"And he recommended that Your Highness, the Crown Princess accompany you. He said that Lady 전하's earnest request should be granted."
Even Evelyn.
He thought of his great-aunt's face, who had never asked him for anything. Something has gone wrong, or is about to go wrong.
"...What did my great-aunt give my father?"
"Two boxes full of gold bars and five solid gold elephants inlaid with rubies were sent as gifts."
Cerden chuckled.
Lady Elizabeth bought Cerden's freedom with money.
'I know that stupid guy well. He's just like his father. Stupid, cunning, and sleazy.'
He felt much better.
"How long is the journey expected to take?"
"It is expected to take about two months."
Two months. It's a long time if it's long, and a short time if it's short. But it was time enough for Duke Spelman to do anything. Is it right to leave my seat? Who can I trust to take care of this place?
Suddenly, he remembered that the Kingdom of Yures was adjacent to the western border. And Augustine, who is currently spending his honeymoon in the western villa.
Cerden raised his lips. The gears were meshing nicely.
Besides, with Evelyn. This would be good for Evelyn too. He will be able to give her freedom from being trapped.
He thought of Evelyn, who blushed and smiled in his arms.
Her shy and sweet self.
Cerden tapped the desk with his finger.
"I'll let you know soon."
The chamberlain bowed his head and stepped back.
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