Chapter 20 – Ex-husband? Or Duke?

Gloria rose from her seat saying she was tired and muttered inwardly, twisting the corners of her mouth.

“Then, it’s your turn to go down now. You, damn dog.”

He must have been feeling confident until the rumors started. No matter what, it was the perfect path created at the cost of time, and the late Emperor and not even Kaien intervened. Nevertheless, from now on, Erun would have to work hard if he wanted to protect that path.

“If you betray and kill them, you should pay the price.”

“Pardon?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

Replying to the court lady, Gloria smiled and placed her index finger on her lips. At the quieting gesture, the court lady bowed deeply and followed the Emperor as if she had not heard anything. As Gloria walked along the red carpet engraved with gold embroidery, she noticed an open window. The day was so good that it was dazzling. She muttered low, recalling Kaien’s words as he made sure to prevent Diana from assisting the tea party.

“It’s your turn now.”

The scandal with Kaien will spread faster, and Ludenberg’s supporters who have been secluded in the countryside will gather strength from now on and aim for the seat next to the Emperor. The moment when Erun’s influence waned in great embarrassment as the Emperor, who had listened to him like a gentle sheep, would now turn her back on him, was the perfect opportunity.

‘I will have to pursue and obtain every piece of evidence to prove that he is behind Father’s death and that his followers are gnawing at the Empire like a plague while pretending to do everything for the sake of the Empire.’

Once they saw the other side of Erun, who had gone to great lengths to raise his image as a good person through volunteer work, half the Empire would turn their back on him.

‘Originally, people tend to see only what they want to see. It is obvious when you hear them praise Erun, who executed Duke Ludenberg, poisoned the Emperor, and murdered the late Emperor.’ Gloria thought as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Kaien supporters will be a force for her, but that power won’t be hers in the end. As Kaien helps her push Erun away, she must get her hands on a solid supporter.

Because you and I have a short-lived relationship that leads to revenge anyway.’ Gloria pressed her lips, trying to ignore the throbbing sensation coming from the depths of her heart. She recalled Kaien kissing the back of her hand with a sweet smile, but the second after, she tried to convince herself he was just her business partner who had done it with a purpose.

‘So, I must forge my own strength so that it doesn’t matter when you leave.’

Gloria clenched her fists and remembered the list of nobles that she had memorized to check if they could become the Emperor’s strength.

* * *

As Gloria had thought, the rumors spread as fast as if they had wings.

“Newspaper owners must be very excited.”

As soon as she woke up the next morning, Gloria threw the newspaper she had been reading down on the table. It was expected that newspapers would help spread the word, but the provocative headlines were distasteful. As Gloria was uncomfortable, Baroness Berne piled the newspapers to the side and announced the news of Erun’s visit.

“The Marquis keeps asking you to meet, but…”

“Mmh.”

“Should I reject him again?”

Seeing Berne’s hesitation, Gloria just put a piece of fruit in her mouth and chewed it. In the prolonged silence, Berne let out a long sigh as if troubled.

‘Are you impatient because the rumors are getting bigger unexpectedly?’

A deep smile appeared on Gloria’s beautiful face. After the tea party. Newspapers spread scandals as if they were waiting, and Erun’s face hardened whenever he made eye contact with anyone. One of the court ladies following behind said that Erun’s expression wasn’t very calm.

‘Right, yeah. How angry you must be after seeing the collapse of that perfect plan that took you so much time to design.’

Gloria said with a satisfied smile as she twirled her red hair with her index finger.

“The Marquis must be anxious, feeling he has been stabbed by his trustworthy knife. He must be wracking his brain scheming how to win his favorite back…”

At Gloria’s smirk, Baroness Berne let out a long sigh.

‘Where the hell did the kind Emperor who embraced everyone with a soft smile go? Yet… Isn’t this more fitting for the Imperial Palace…?’

Baroness Berne looked anxiously at Gloria’s back as she began to change clothes. The Emperor applied red rouge to her lips, which she usually didn’t use saying it was too much, and opened her mouth, watching the Baroness’ nervous reflection through the mirror.

“You worry too much. Why? Are you worried about Erun being pushed away?”

“No, Your Majesty. I’m not like that…”

“Then what is making the Baroness so anxious?”

“Your Majesty.”

Seeing Gloria’s twisted smile painted on her red lips, Berne called her painfully.

Baroness Berne. She arrived upon the recommendation of Erun and has been in charge of managing the Palace ever since Gloria ascended to the throne. Gloria would have rejected her if the point of return had been when she was still a princess, or at least not long after she had ascended the throne.

‘But I came back two months before their wedding, and if I get rid of Berne, Erun will install Countess Adlen! Come to think of it, I have to catch that woman too.’

Gloria narrowed her eyes as she remembered that gorgeous fire fox-like woman.

“Please die quickly, Your Majesty. That way the Marquis can become the Emperor and I can become his royal concubine.”

The Countess’ voice as she whispered in her ears while she was dying of poison, still rang in Gloria’s mind.

‘Anyway, you’ll be thrown away by him in the end, why would you want to be by his side?’

Gloria looked through the mirror at Berne, fiddling with her fingers and pressing her lips together. After sending the Empress away first, the late Emperor had invited Baroness Berne to the Palace. So Gloria often met her.

‘At that time, I didn’t even see Berne’s face because of the rumors about being my father’s mistress and everything.’

Bothered by her entanglement with the Imperial Family, Gloria finally asked.

“Baroness. Do you want me to marry the Marquis?”

At Gloria’s calm question, Bern bowed deeply and answered.

“Yes. Since the late Emperor cared and loved Her Majesty deeply, he must have chosen a good partner for her.”

“Ha!”

At Baroness Berne’s words, Gloria put on an exasperated expression. The ladies of the court noticed the Emperor’s change of mood and hastened to finish dressing her. Baroness Berne fell silent at Gloria’s clear sneer.

‘That smile again.’ Berne’s expression darkened. Since that day, the Emperor had been behaving negatively toward Erun. She tried not to be swayed by rumors by paying attention only to the management of the Palace, but as time passed, the situation became more brutal. In the end, she had no choice but to ask Diana about the situation inside the Main Palace.

“Unlike before, Her Majesty now keeps my brother…no, keeps Duke Ludenberg by her side. Of course, she’s not ignoring the Marquis, but the situation doesn’t look so good.”

Diana also had a troubled expression on her face as if she was uncomfortable with this situation. Recalling what she had said, Berne took a few steps back when Gloria, who was finished dressing, stood up.

The Emperor spoke with a smile to the nervous Baroness.

“The Erun His Majesty my late father chose will certainly strive for the Empire’s development.”

“I think so, too.”

“But it won’t last long.”

“Pardon?”

At Gloria’s cold conclusion, Berne’s eyes widened. The Emperor waved her hand and ordered the court ladies to leave. After everyone left, Gloria sat down on the sofa, motioned Berne to sit too, and leisurely poured tea for her before asking,

“I’ll ask you straight up, Baroness. Who will you support?”

“The Duke and the Marquis… If you’re talking about it, I’ll say the Marquis… ”

“No. I’m not talking about those two men but between me and the Marquis. Who will you choose?”

Clang! At Gloria’s sudden unexpected question, Berne missed the saucer. The Emperor continued speaking to the Baroness who looked as if she had seen a ghost.

“I know you’re not that naive, so why are you so startled?”

“I didn’t expect you would ask such a question… I apologize, Your Majesty.”

Berne barely answered, straining her neck. Gloria looked at the Baroness with her cold blue eyes and opened her mouth once again.

“I was not originally raised to become an Emperor. If His Majesty had thought of me as his successor, he wouldn’t have raised me that way. Was it just a way to connect and inherit the Imperial bloodline, or was it a way to help me be Empress with my husband’s help?”

“You must not think that way, Your Majesty. The late Emperor never thought of Your Majesty with such a mind…”

“But look at the results. Don’t you and I know all too well how Erun treats me?”

“Your Majesty!”

Baroness Berne jumped up from her seat and shouted frantically. She rarely acted in such a way but Gloria looked in her brown eyes indifferently.

“Unlike the empresses of other countries, I’m struggling to participate in state affairs. Can you really be sure it’s loyalty?”

“The Marquis is clearly looking after you with all his heart, and he will continue to do so in the future.”

Tsk. The sound of her tongue-kicking flowed loudly, and Berne squeezed her clasped hands more tightly. Rubbing her forehead with her hand as if she had a headache, the Emperor continued,

“Isn’t it too naive to think that the person who came forward willingly to act as the Emperor’s agent would be satisfied with just that?”

“That means… no way. Aren’t you saying that the Marquis is going to overthrow Her Majesty’s authority?”

“Overthrow it? He’ll even foment revolt to try to change the last name of the Imperial Family.”

“You-Your Majesty!”

Berne collapsed as if the strength in her legs had disappeared at the sound of Gloria speaking calmly.

‘Your Majesty has decided that the Marquis will betray her.’

She covered her mouth with both hands and leaned her upper body to her knees. What rang in her mind at that moment was Erun’s trustworthy smile, asking her to take charge of the Palace.

“You have come from afar for one reason, Baroness. Please take care of the Palace. There must be others, but since Madam served the late Emperor you will be more trustworthy to take care of Her Majesty.”

Despite being a Marquis, Erun bowed in front of her and made such a request to her, a mere Baroness.

‘Are you really saying that the person who only thought of your well-being will betray you, Your Majesty?”