The Dog and the Wolf
* * *
“Shasha, come here. Let’s have a snack.”
Karina, her long silver hair twisted into a high bun, crouched on the floor of her quarters and called to the cat. The feline, who had been dozing lazily by the window, opened its golden eyes and padded gracefully toward her.
“It’s already been two weeks. I’m sick to death of being locked up like this.”
Karina stroked the cat’s body while gazing out the window. Black fur drifted down onto her white negligee, but she paid it no mind.
Karina had developed a resistance to most poisons. From a young age, she had personally tasted various herbs and brewed them into tea. Thanks to that, she had been able to rise from her bed not long after ingesting the latest toxin.
Just then, the sound of the door opening was followed by light footsteps. Startled, Karina set Shasha down almost like she was throwing her and quickly slipped back into bed, pulling the covers over herself.
The footsteps drew closer and stopped at the foot of the bed. Karina held her breath and pretended to be deeply asleep.
“Wake up. You’ll get bedsores on your back.”
At the familiar voice, Karina’s golden eyes flew open. Ebony Bladin stood with her arms crossed, staring down at her like a ghost.
“You don’t have to keep pretending anymore. Ishtel Regentra has agreed to accept all the conditions. So I’m no longer a countess—I’m a duchess now.”
“That’s none of my concern. Does that mean the Northern Archduke won’t be coming anymore?”
“Hellion? Why are you suddenly bringing up Hellion?”
“That man kept barging into my room without warning!”
Karina kicked off the blanket in irritation and raised her voice.
“He’d come and ask the maids if I’d ever woken up, poke my face with his finger, and shake the bed! It was torture pretending to be asleep the whole time!”
“Wow, that sounds thrilling and fun. If it were me, I would’ve burst out laughing and gotten caught immediately. You did well.”
Ebony chuckled as she stroked Shasha’s head.
“Well then, since we’ve both gotten what we wanted, shall we bid each other a beautiful farewell today?”
“A beautiful farewell? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I’ve become a duchess, and you’ve become a duchess as well. I’d say we’ve each achieved the best possible outcome, wouldn’t you?”
At Ebony’s words, Karina let out a loud, incredulous laugh.
“You may have fulfilled your dream, but I haven’t yet. You pushed me alone into this hellfire, achieved your goal, and now you’re just going to wash your hands of me?”
“Hmm, I didn’t expect you to cling so pathetically. Fine, let’s hear it. What more do you want me to do?”
“To survive, I have to become empress. What else could there be?”
At Karina’s declaration, Ebony, who had been picking cat hair off her clothes, suddenly froze.
“You used to swear it was absolutely impossible. Has your mind changed so quickly?”
“Yes. Once His Majesty passes away, there will be no one left to help me. Even if I retreat to some rural estate, the Duke and Duchess of Regentra will pursue me with relentless vengeance. So I must become empress and secure my own path to survival, don’t you think?”
“Well, from your position, that does seem like the best option. As long as you don’t receive forgiveness from Ishtel Regentra.”
“What nonsense. As if that woman would ever forgive us.”
Karina sneered at Ebony’s words. While Count Silanda had been a clear perpetrator, the incident involving the Duke and Duchess of Regentra was different. They had touched an innocent family. Forgiveness was out of the question; it would be difficult to even hope to be spared.
“Anyway, wouldn’t it benefit you in many ways if I became empress, Ebony? At the very least, I would be more favorable toward the Bladin family than the Regentras would.”
“I’m not sure. I have no interest in family matters. I’m satisfied with having restored the Bladin name to ducal status with my own hands. After that, it doesn’t matter to me who ruins this household, as long as my name isn’t tarnished.”
Ebony pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose loudly. The cat allergy that had been dormant for years was creeping back, making her nose itch.
“But His Majesty didn’t seem like he would ever allow it. Just look at what happened this time. He didn’t even want to grant you the title of Duchess of Lockfelt. Honestly, I didn’t realize it would be this difficult.”
At those words, Karina bit her lip lightly. The dry skin split immediately, releasing a metallic scent of blood.
Even after her earnest pleas for the title of duchess, the emperor had remained unmoved. No amount of weeping and clinging, no dramatic threats of death, had any effect.
Instead, the emperor had scolded her harshly, demanding to know why she kept thinking only of opposing Ishtel instead of trying to get along with her from now on.
As a result, Ebony had also been summoned and severely reprimanded for putting foolish ideas into Karina’s head. Though the emperor had a gentle and sentimental nature, he was still the emperor. Overwhelmed by his authority, Ebony had left the audience chamber without uttering a single word of protest.
It was Illid who had changed the stubborn emperor’s mind. Only after Illid spent a long time persuading him had they been able to proceed with this plan.
In the meantime, Hellion had demonstrated outstanding administrative ability and proven himself to the ministers. In such a situation, Ishtel Regentra was necessary to make Illid the crown prince.
But to do that, they needed a dramatic event to corner the Duke and Duchess of Regentra. That was also why Karina had been granted the title of duchess.
To impose a heavy punishment on the ducal couple, the status of Karina—the protagonist of this staged drama—had to be elevated accordingly. Though the emperor had been extremely reluctant, he had ultimately bestowed upon Karina the same rank of duchess as the Regentras.
Watching that scene, Ebony had given up on the idea of raising Karina all the way to the position of empress.
‘But it seems she has no intention of stopping there.’
Of course, Ebony knew that Karina becoming empress wouldn’t be bad for her either. However, she had already achieved everything she wanted. She had no desire to waste energy getting entangled in yet another difficult matter.
“What if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll have to make sure you can’t refuse, won’t I? Even if it means using the same ruthless methods you once used to put me on the execution platform.”
“Oh? Now I’m curious just how ruthless those methods would be.”
“You know—your siblings. If I dig into them, I’m sure I’ll find at least one interesting story, won’t I?”
At Karina’s chilling tone, goosebumps rose all over Ebony’s body. She tried to smile as usual, but the anxiety in her heart refused to settle.
‘Was she always like this?’
Ebony stared silently at Karina’s face for a moment. It was completely different from the face she had worn on the day they first met, when she had come to propose a deal.
‘Back then she was truly beautiful, her eyes full of life.’
Now her face was filled with nothing but desire and despair. To Ebony’s eyes, Karina no longer looked beautiful.
‘It seems I raised a wolf cub with my own hands.’
It had been Ebony who had given the surname Regentra to a maid with no family name, bestowed various titles upon her, and eventually seated her in the position of Duchess of Lockfelt. Looking back now, she wondered if she had made things too big.
‘I suppose it’s time to start thinking about whose hand I should hold from now on.’
She couldn’t keep raising a dog that had become a wolf. Out of lingering affection, she had planned to release the leash and let her go free, but if that beast turned its fangs on her throat, she had no intention of walking that path together to the end.
As she left Karina’s quarters, Ebony sank deep into thought.
* * *
The news of Ishtel Regentra’s marriage to Illid Tebronia was announced only two weeks before the wedding. At the same time, the public trial of the Duchess of Regentra was canceled.
The sudden announcement threw the nobles into confusion. Many murmured that this effectively meant the crown prince had been decided.
The Southern Archduchy immediately sent a congratulatory envoy, as if they had been waiting for it. In the Northern Archduchy, the furious Archduchess Alensia sent a strongly worded letter to the emperor, demanding that the scheduled ceremony be halted.
No one had anticipated that the wedding would take place before the crown prince was officially announced. Even among the central nobles who had supported Hellion, internal divisions arose. Some immediately switched sides to Illid without a shred of loyalty, while others chose to observe the situation a little longer.
“Ishtel, what on earth is this…? Marchioness Lilche told you to join hands with Archduke Hellion, didn’t she?”
Silvia’s face looked terribly worn out after moving to the detached palace. Even during their short visitation time, she worried more about Ishtel than herself.
“His Majesty canceling the trial must be related to this, right? You made a deal with His Majesty, didn’t you?”
Silvia finally burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Silvia, don’t cry.”
“How can I not cry when you’re being forced into a marriage you don’t want because of me! I should have been more careful.”
“It wasn’t something that could have been prevented no matter how careful we were. So please don’t blame yourself, Silvia. His Majesty said that once the ceremony is over, he will return you to the ducal estate. You need to recover quickly so you can see Martina.”
At the mention of the daughter she had barely been able to see, Silvia cried even harder.
Zar, who had been found innocent of any charges, had been released from the detached palace, but because of his wife’s accusations, he was barred from entering the ducal residence. He was currently staying at Count Silanda’s estate with their newborn daughter and two sons.
“Neither I nor Zar can even attend your wedding! No matter what… no matter how things have turned out, it’s still your wedding!”
Silvia wiped her tears with her sleeve and shouted in frustration. But Ishtel thought it was rather fortunate. After all, the ceremony would not proceed as planned, and she herself would hardly be in any condition to show a good face.
“Have you spoken with Archduke Hellion?”
When Ishtel shook her head weakly, Silvia looked horrified.
“You made this decision all by yourself without even telling him? Why would you do that? So does that mean Archduke Hellion only found out when the announcement was made?”
“Yes…”
“You’ve lost your mind. What were you thinking?!”
Silvia shook her head, looking at her with disbelief.
“Ishtel, just use the amnesty. My brother and I will handle the consequences. We’ll figure something out. So even now, go to His Majesty and—”
“No. I have another use for the amnesty.”
At her words, Silvia’s eyes widened in confusion. She lowered her voice to a whisper.
“What are you going to use it for?”
But at that exact moment, a soldier’s voice announced the end of the visitation. Ishtel stood up, and Silvia returned inside the detached palace. Through the slowly closing door, Ishtel caught a glimpse of Silvia’s worried gaze.