A Recommendation of Marriage
Victor spoke up, his voice laced with worry. "Your Grace... the backlash is stronger than anticipated..."
"It does not matter. They cannot stop the vote. And..."
If they couldn't stop the vote, this bill was guaranteed to pass. This was the political structure Agrippa and I had envisioned long ago. However, knowing the backlash would be immense if we proposed it ourselves, we had Yohanes submit the bill instead. We had even gone so far as to kidnap Speaker Charles beforehand, just in case he used his authority to block it from reaching the floor.
Thus... this was a battle we couldn't possibly lose.
"You parentless bastards! The late Emperor's body isn't even cold yet! How dare you plot treason at a time like this!"
As the insults grew cruder, Victor glanced at me, then raised a long wooden pointer and spoke up. "It is not treason! A new Emperor is ascending the throne, so we are merely establishing a new political system!"
"Do you think we don't know what you're up to?!"
"What do you mean, 'what we're up to'?!"
Victor joined the fray, trying his best to obscure the true nature of the situation, but it was a losing battle. Indeed, unless they were complete fools, there was no way they wouldn't realize the Anti-Emperor Faction and the Emperor Faction had joined hands to monopolize everything. Anyone who couldn't see that didn't deserve a seat in this chamber.
Ultimately... the parliament hall descended into utter chaos. The atmosphere grew increasingly heated. Well... it was only natural that the Neutral Faction and the free cities despised the idea of a noble, a Grand Duke, pulling the strings of the empire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Alexander swung his wooden gavel and shouted, "Order! Order in the chamber!"
Representative Alexander cast a troubled glance in my direction.
"Step down from the podium, you lapdog of the powerful!"
Seeing the furious Neutral Faction MPs marching toward the speaker's platform, Alexander hastily cried out, "Order! Order! As the acting speaker, I am now exercising the right to maintain order!"
At Alexander's command, the guards rushed into the parliament hall.
"W-what is the meaning of this?! Bringing soldiers into the sacred parliament?!"
"Silence! I am currently the acting speaker! As acting speaker, I have the authority to expel anyone obstructing the proceedings! Guards, what are you doing? Drag those instigators out immediately!"
I watched as the MPs leading the commotion were dragged away by the guards. There were about ten of them.
Once the situation was brought under control, Alexander spoke. "We will now proceed with the vote."
One by one, the MPs rose from their seats and made their way to the voting booths.
And the result was... exactly as expected.
"Therefore, the Imperial Parliament hereby declares that the bill has passed through a fair vote."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Representative Alexander struck his gavel, officially declaring the bill's passage.
"Furthermore, in accordance with the results of the vote, the Imperial Parliament will officially deliver a recommendation to Her Imperial Highness, Crown Princess Theodora, regarding her marriage to Deviang Lion, the Grand Duke of Francesco."
As expected, it passed easily with an overwhelming majority.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"With this, today's session of the Imperial Parliament is adjourned."
Of course we won. How could we lose when the Anti-Emperor Faction and the Emperor Faction joined forces to vote in favor?
"This is invalid! Invalid!"
"Down with the traitors!"
The Neutral Faction, unable to accept reality, continued to protest, but the outcome was already set in stone.
"That was... easier than I thought."
"Y-Your Imperial Highness! S-Something terrible has happened!"
I turned my head at the voice coming from outside my door.
"What is it?"
At my question, a panicked voice rushed through the door.
"I-Ipa has been arrested!"
What? Ipa... arrested? Why?
Startled by the servant's sudden words, I quickly called out. "Come in! Come in and tell me!"
The door swung open, and a maid stepped inside, her face pale as a ghost. She looked familiar. Right... I believed she was Ipa's friend. Her name was Helen, wasn't it?
"Helen, what do you mean Ipa has been arrested? What happened?"
Helen spoke in a trembling, breathless voice. "S-She was accused of espionage... and the guards dragged her down to the dungeon..."
"How dare they! Who has the audacity to arrest my personal maid?"
At my furious roar, Helen shook like a leaf as she stammered, "I-It... it was the Grand Duke's soldiers..."
The Grand Duke...?
"Didn't they say the Grand Duke returned only yesterday?"
And he dared to do this the moment he arrived? Even if Ipa had been investigating him, the authority to investigate and arrest within this empire belonged solely to the Emperor—or, in the Emperor's absence, the Crown Prince or Crown Princess. This was an undeniable abuse of power. It was, quite literally, treason.
I trembled, a burning rage rising within me toward Deviang.
"Y-Your Highness!"
"I am going to the Grand Duke's office right now."
I threw myself out of my chair.
Deviang! I will never forgive you!
There was a limit to how much humiliation I could endure. If he wanted to become Emperor that badly, he would have to kill me first... and step over my cold corpse to take the throne.
With that grim resolve, I marched forward.
Before long, the guards stationed outside the Grand Duke's office spotted me, their eyes widening in shock. "Y-Your Imperial Highness?"
"Is... is the Grand Duke inside?"
As the guard stammered, trying to find his words, a blonde man stepped out of the office. He gave me a brief, polite bow.
"His Grace left for the Imperial Parliament early this morning."
"Why would such a busy man go there?... No, more importantly, who are you?"
"I am Agrippa. May I ask what brings you here...?"
As Agrippa trailed off, I demanded, "I heard that Ipa was falsely accused of espionage and arrested."
Agrippa put on a troubled expression. "Ah, yes. I did receive a report this morning that a spy named Ipa was apprehended..."
"Ipa is no spy! On what grounds did you arrest her?"
Agrippa smiled faintly and shook his head. "No spy, you say? She pried incessantly into the Grand Duke's personal affairs and used the other maids to extract information from the guards. How could such a person not be considered a spy?"
Did his words mean... she was arrested because of me?
No... I couldn't afford to lose Ipa too.
"This is treason! In the absence of the Emperor, the authority to arrest imperial citizens rests with me. Release Ipa immediately."
Agrippa maintained his polite smile. "I am afraid that is impossible. We answer only to the commands of His Grace, the Grand Duke."
I gritted my teeth. Of course these people wouldn't obey me.
But I couldn't just stand by. I had to do something for Ipa, who was undoubtedly suffering. Locked away in the notorious dungeon, she might be undergoing torture at this very moment. Every second counted.
Besides, they wouldn't dare harm me. The Emperor's Faction was nearby, and if they laid a finger on me—the future Empress—they wouldn't survive the political fallout.
Thus, I spoke with absolute confidence. "I am the one who ordered her. I am her accomplice. Therefore, release the innocent girl and arrest me instead."
"That is still impossible. No matter the command of Her Imperial Highness, we cannot act without the explicit orders of the Grand Duke."
"What? Has the Grand Duke not infringed upon my authority? According to the Imperial Charter..."
But Agrippa cut me off, his tone firm and unyielding. "I deeply apologize for repeating myself, but we only follow the orders of His Grace. The Grand Duke should return shortly, so it would be best to speak with him directly."
This stubborn, obstinate man would never yield to my commands.
I'm sorry, Ipa... Please, just hold on a little longer...
"Fine. I shall wait inside."
At my words, Agrippa let out a soft sigh. "Haa..."
He opened the door to the Grand Duke's office and gestured inside. "Very well. Please, go ahead."
I brushed past him and stepped into the room.
How much time had passed?
I shivered in the damp, freezing dungeon. I had no idea how long I had been here. There was only pitch-black darkness.
"Aaaargh!"
I covered my ears at the sound of agonizing screams echoing from nearby. Would I... would I end up like that soon?
Step... step...
Then came the sound of approaching footsteps.
Clink... clank...
The faint metallic clinking of keys echoed through the corridor. It sounded just like the ring of keys the head maid used to carry.
Was it... my turn?
I trembled violently. Don't be afraid... It's okay... I can do this...
But just as I tried to summon the courage to face my fear...
Creeeeak!
"P-please spare me! No, stop!"
"Get out here, you filthy Demon Worshiper!"
The brutal sound of flesh being struck followed immediately.
Thud! Thud!
"Argh! S-spare me!"
My entire body shook at the sounds of merciless violence and screaming.
"Don't do this! Stop! Noooo!"
Hearing the man's desperate cries, I instinctively pressed my hands over my ears.
This place... was hell.
I would rather die a painless death. I didn't want to die like that, broken and tortured. It would hurt... it would hurt so terribly.
Once, back when I was doing menial chores, I had gotten a splinter in my hand. Even that had hurt so much... so how agonizing would torture be? It would be horrific. Beyond horrific.
Just kill me quickly instead.
The suffocating terror gnawed at my soul. I had obeyed the Crown Princess to repay my debt to the imperial family, and my loyalty to them remained unchanged even now. Yet, in this moment, I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
I wanted to live. I didn't want to hurt...
Time dragged on as I drowned in despair. I had no way of knowing how long I had been trapped in this abyss.
Once again, footsteps echoed.
Please... please don't let it be for me...
I was terrified. I huddled in the corner of my cell, shivering, as the endless screams of the dungeon drove me closer to madness.
Step, step...
And then...
Slide.
Someone pushed a bowl of unidentifiable soup through the slot at the bottom of the iron door.
"Is this... food?"
Come to think of it, I hadn't eaten in a very long time. Yet, I felt no hunger. Was it because I knew torture was imminent? Would that wicked Grand Duke have me tortured to force a confession implicating the Crown Princess?
I shivered. I can endure it. I will endure it.
Though I was terrified and trembling, I refused to grovel before the enemy. I was no longer a lowly, nameless orphan. I was the personal maid of Princess Theodora—no, Her Imperial Highness, Crown Princess Theodora.
I desperately tried to kindle a spark of courage in my heart. If I didn't, my mind would freeze over in this cold, dark cell, and I would succumb entirely to fear.
Prince Antoni... please give me strength.
Clenching my fists tightly, I fought to endure the passing hours.
A long time passed.
Step... step...
The sound of footsteps echoed once more, making the hairs on my arms stand on end.
And then... the footsteps stopped right in front of my cell.
I trembled in sheer terror. My teeth chattered uncontrollably.
Prince Antoni... please... give me courage.
As I prayed desperately, the door creaked open.
Screeech!
Two men and a woman stepped into the cell.
"W-who are you?"
They were strangers. Among them, a young-looking woman with brown hair spoke in an annoyed tone. "Seriously, let's just get this over with quickly so we can go home."
A burly man nodded in agreement, and before I could react, the other man moved.
"W-what are you doing—mph!"
They shoved a gag into my mouth and pulled a white hood over my head. It felt exactly like being prepared for the guillotine.
Am I... am I going to die? Without even being tortured?
Perhaps... this was a mercy. It was better than being subjected to agonizing torture, writhing in pain, and eventually growing to resent the Crown Princess. Yes, this might be for the best.
Yet, despite my thoughts, my body wouldn't stop shaking.
"Don't worry, miss. Keep quiet and you won't get hurt."
Someone hoisted me onto their shoulder and carried me out. With my hands and feet bound, there was little resistance I could offer.
Trapped in absolute darkness, bound and carried off to some unknown destination, tears finally spilled over.
It felt exactly as if I were being marched to the execution grounds...