Chapter 78: A Way to Silence Them
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 78: A Way to Silence Them
"What on earth were you thinking?"
Those were the first words out of Ivan's mouth when he visited the Palace of the Grand Empress Dowager after hearing the rumors.
Katrina's hand paused as she lifted her teacup.
"If you had just stayed quiet, I would have become Emperor, and you would have become the most powerful woman in the Empire. Why did you have to do this?"
"Your Majesty."
"Were you really that greedy for the title of Empress?"
His tone made it clear he had already judged her guilty, without even bothering to hear her side of the story.
Had it been anyone else, she would have thrown her tea in their face. She would have raged at them for daring to insult her over a mere rumor.
But the man before her was Ivan.
The son she loved more than anyone in the world. Her proud Emperor.
The one person who should have believed and supported her, even if the entire world pointed fingers.
He was the only one she could rely on, the one who was supposed to protect her.
Yet, that very son was the first to suspect her.
Katrina bit her trembling lip, then released it and asked, "...Do you actually believe those rumors?"
Because the mother I know is more than capable of such a thing. Ivan barely managed to swallow the words rising in his throat.
To him, it had long been an established fact, not a mere rumor. It had been ever since that incident ten years ago.
He had never doubted that his greedy mother had ultimately murdered Esmeralda.
His mother was a woman who had to possess whatever she coveted, and she had always lusted after the position of Empress.
Still, he had never spoken of it to anyone. Keeping his mouth shut was far more beneficial to him.
To think that very matter would come back to be a thorn in his side now.
"I didn't kill that woman. I truly didn't."
Katrina pleaded with her son, her expression one of genuine injustice, but Ivan ignored her and moved on to his next question.
"Why did you try to kill Blair?"
"Ivan! What kind of person do you take me for? She is my daughter and your sister. I never tried to kill her."
"So you admit you kidnapped her, then?"
"That was—!"
"Because of these damned rumors, the Imperial Family's prestige and my own reputation are about to hit rock bottom, Mother."
"..."
"I thought things had finally quieted down... Sigh."
Katrina could only stare blankly at Ivan, unable to say another word.
To her son, the prestige of the Imperial Family and his own reputation were far more important than his mother's well-being.
Seeing the hurt on Katrina's face, Ivan softened his voice slightly.
"Tell me everything, without hiding a single detail. Only then can I help you."
Though his words sounded comforting, they were practically a command.
Katrina laughed, a bitter, self-deprecating sound.
Ever since Ivan had arrived, she had been telling him the truth he demanded.
That she hadn't killed that woman.
That she hadn't tried to kill Blair, either.
But no matter what she said, he neither listened nor believed her. What was the point of the truth?
"...If I tell you, will you believe me?"
As she spoke, Katrina's face twisted with sorrow.
Ivan swallowed the irritation rising within him at the sight.
His mother, always so proud and dignified in front of others, always acted so pitiful and miserable before him. She did it because she knew it weakened his resolve.
Facing her like this always made him feel like an unfilial son, and it left a foul taste in his mouth.
Ivan let out a sigh and stood up.
"Don't do anything else. I will handle this myself."
He left the drawing room as if fleeing from her presence.
Whether Katrina's words were true or false did not matter. To protect the authority of the Imperial Family and his own reputation, these rumors had to remain just that—rumors.
However, the House of Delmark, which had spent a decade claiming Esmeralda was wronged, would surely see this as an opportunity.
How can I make them shut their mouths?
Ivan's steps were as hurried as his anxious thoughts when he suddenly froze in the hallway. The memory of Herdin from some time ago flashed through his mind.
'Before she is the Lady of Delmark, my wife is Your Majesty's only sister and a member of the Imperial Family who carries noble imperial blood.'
It was the memory of Herdin urging him to hand down a severe punishment to Wesley and Rachel.
Recalling that moment, a strange glint appeared in Ivan's eyes.
I don't know if Blair is actually worth that much to him, but...
Still, it was a possibility worth testing.
Ivan turned to the chief chamberlain waiting beside him and commanded, "Go to Duke Delmark and deliver a message. Tell him I wish to see him tomorrow afternoon."
* * *
The rumors spreading across the Imperial Capital had also stirred up the Delmark vassals.
Not long after the rumors broke, several elders from Delmark's most powerful vassal families arrived at the ducal mansion completely unannounced.
Unable to turn away retainers who had loyally served his family since his grandfather's time, Herdin showed them into the drawing room. Their very first words were exactly what he had expected.
"You must take this opportunity to divorce the Imperial Princess."
"She was never a suitable match for Your Grace in the first place. To bring the daughter of the enemy who killed the late Empress into our house as the new Lady Delmark..."
"Indeed. It was absurd from the very beginning. The late Empress must be turning in her grave!"
They spoke as if Katrina's guilt was a foregone conclusion. They had believed it long before this incident, but the rumors had only poured fuel on the fire.
As their voices grew louder, Ruth, who had been listening quietly from the side, carefully intervened.
"Excuse me, I apologize for interrupting, but there is something I believe you should all know."
Thinking the ever-loyal Ruth would back them up, the elders eagerly welcomed his input.
"Ah, yes, you should speak up as well."
"Indeed. As his aide, you certainly have the right to speak."
Ruth hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I agree with your sentiments, but the Lady does not share the Grand Empress Dowager's stance. She is actively trying to recover her memories of the Empress's Palace Fire Incident from ten years ago. This is a fact, not a rumor."
Though his head agreed with the elders, Ruth had felt uneasy, as their words carried a sharp hostility toward Blair.
However, when Ruth, whom they had assumed would side with them, expressed a differing opinion, the elders clicked their tongues in disapproval.
"Well, any decent human being who knows gratitude ought to do at least that much! The late Empress was a woman who cherished even the daughter of her political rival. If you're going to talk like that, stay out of this."
"At any rate, it is a relief this happened before it was too late. What would we have done if she had already conceived a Delmark heir?"
Herdin let out a dry chuckle as he listened to them.
A relief...
Is it truly a relief? he asked himself as he clipped and lit a cigar. He heard one of the elders with weak lungs coughing from the smoke, but he didn't care.
Ruth quietly stole a glance at Herdin.
Herdin was letting the elders babble on, but Ruth knew from years of experience that when Herdin remained silent like this, it usually meant he was preparing a devastating, razor-sharp retort.
"Your Grace, use this incident as an excuse to demand a divorce from His Majesty. Then, bring in a chaste and virtuous woman as our new Lady to restore the prestige of Delmark."
Letting the elders' words go in one ear and out the other, Herdin was struck by a fresh realization.
There was absolutely no one on Blair's side.
The Imperial Family's allies were clamoring that she was a traitor blinded by a man, slandering her own mother and brother. Meanwhile, the vassals of Delmark were desperate to drag down the daughter of their enemy.
Whoever had spread this rumor had targeted Blair with precise, cunning malice.
They had ensured that whether she sided with the Imperial Family or with Delmark, she would ultimately become the scapegoat for everyone's hatred.
Only now did he realize.
I expected a mere eleven-year-old child to endure something like this. I wanted her to fight while making an enemy of everyone.
Even now, at twenty-one, you are still so small and fragile.
I finally see that my hatred for you in your childhood was nothing but my own stubborn projection.
And that hatred was, in truth, directed at my own helpless, powerless self.
"Your Grace! Are you listening to us?"
His musings were cut short by an elder's sharp voice.
Herdin stubbed out his cigar and spoke, his voice laced with deep weariness.
"So, what you're saying is that I should use my wife until the late Empress's grievances are resolved, and then send her back to the Imperial Family?"
"We cannot possibly keep the enemy's daughter as our Lady, can we?"
"And as for how her family will treat her afterward, you couldn't care less—not when your own granddaughters need to become the Lady of Delmark?"
Herdin's voice was utterly dry, but his words were sharp, piercing right to the heart of their true intentions.
"Ahem, how can you condemn our loyalty in such a manner..."
"I don't know about your loyalty, but I certainly understand your love for your granddaughters."
His expression one of clear boredom, Herdin stood up.
"You may leave now. Keep in mind that if you show up unannounced like this again, I will leave you standing outside."
While the elders gaped, utterly speechless, Herdin turned and walked out of the drawing room—and came face to face with Blair in the hallway.