I’ll Quit as The Empress

The Pope had returned to the Vatican’s capital city, Saint Iretta. The Felice Kingdom concluded their visit as a ceremonial blessing for donations, and they backed to their daily lives.

But for Fabian, who stayed in the Empire, the meaning of their visit was completely different. Although he didn’t know exactly how, his information network had managed to penetrate the Vatican’s, which was difficult to access after the Paladin’s appearance.

“Maybe God doesn’t teach the Pope how to protect his house from robbers,” Fabian said arrogantly. “After all, if there’s a god, he’s on the Empire’s side.”

“Well, given the timing, yes, he is.” Serus looked so exhausted. Fabian, who defended his throne in the Palace, didn’t know how tired this operation was.

Infiltrating the papal offices, erasing traces, while worrying about the Pope who didn’t know when would return, wasn’t an ordinary operation.

“I really managed to get it.”

“But is this the only information?” asked Fabian.

“Yes.”

Fabian carefully read a copy of the documents that were stolen from the Vatican. “Their corruption is too obvious.”

The Vatican’s money and some tyranny were listed, but it was not worth much to Fabian. There was no record of the Paladin knight he was most curious about. And the same was true of the demons.

“That old man doesn’t seem to have a good record. I’m disappointed.” Fabian read the rest of the documents, touching to his temple.

“I don’t believe that there’s so much money to give to that rotten Vatican …… The other kings are great too. Especially, the Kingdom of Felice.”

He was deeply displeased that the Vatican and the Kingdom of Felice were mentioned together in the document. The same was true when he said their names together from his mouth.

In Serus’s eyes, Fabian, who talked to himself and was displeased to himself, was a bit strange. But Fabian’s resentment towards the Vatican who intervened in his divorce was still deep.

“Is there anything else? Small information is fine.”

“What I didn’t write in that letter is this note.”

Serus gave another piece of paper that he had prepared in advance. Usually, such unclear information would be skipped. Still, seeing Fabian’s meticulous personality, Serus knew that he would definitely ask about it.

“What is it?” It was literally a memo. Fabian stared at the paper, and there was a sentence written hastily.

[ The investigation. ····* By order of Sir David. Hurry up. The Prince’s hair. ·····Birth mother died.]

Fabian frowned while looking at the letters that were written randomly.

“You stupid!. Don’t you know that this single note is more valuable than a formal report?”

Serus nodded as if he knew it. It was only him, his close friend, who knew Fabian’s nature well. He paid more attention to this note from the beginning, too.

“I’ve checked it in advance.”

“You’re the best, though.”

“There is no Knight named David. No figure by that name has been involved with the Vatican.”

“Is that so?” Fabian curled his lips. In fact, it should be easy for them to find out who a knight named David, who was in the papal records but didn’t exist externally. “But finally, I got to know the Paladin’s name.”

“By the way……” However, there was still something on his mind. “The Prince, whose birth mother died. That’s obvious too.”

“Perhaps······.”

Those who might be called Princes by now were quite old and had been called by titles or became Kings by their own land. So, it was just Adrian who could be called a Prince right now.

“Everything is so predictable. But the problem now is how to combine these obvious facts.”

It was a mystery why the Paladin investigated the little Prince.

“Hair? What can you tell from that?”

“It should be a color or something.”

“That’s me. Adrian has black hair like me, so anyone with eyes will know.” Fabian, who shot quickly, suddenly making a strange expression. “Wait. There’s no need to investigate what everyone knows. What you need to dig out should be the fact that no one knows.”

His black eyes gazed coolly into the air, “I smell something.”

“I’m not sure,” Serus answered honestly. “But I’m sure the Vatican is interested in something Your Majesty doesn’t know.”

Fabian nodded, “That’s the most important fact.”

“And there’s no way I can’t do what the Vatican did. Right now, I want you to investigate Everything in this memo.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Fabian unwittingly touched the secret box. So Serus immediately left his seat to fulfill his orders.

Fabian was lost in thought after being left alone. He had doubts about something similar before.

‘The prince was born in early winter.’

But Fabian’s hopeful doubts were shattered. The possibility of Evelyn giving birth to the child was denied.

The bitterness that Fabian felt at that time was much greater than expected. Even though it was too late, it was enough to realize that he really wanted a child with Evelyn.

“If it happened, you wouldn’t have left me.”

Fabian was still mistaken, and it couldn’t be helped. Now he hadn’t pushed Evelyn to the end, and he couldn’t fully understand why Evelyn had closed her mind.

“If it happened…..”

He thought about his lingering regret. As he remembered Evelyn, carrying Adrian, who had the same black hair as him. That was the reason why that feeling couldn’t easily fall apart.

“If what she was holding was my child… I would have had nothing more to wish for.”

It wasn’t greed to have a successor. Fabian still remembered Evelyn’s pinkish cheeks, who said she wanted to have a child-like him as soon as they got married. And he wanted to make that beautiful wish come true. He wished to make a family even though it was a warmth that he had never felt before.

“It’s not just the past.”

Fabian took out Evelyn’s letter, which had been in his drawers for days. In the Felice Kingdom’s garden, Evelyn told him to let go of all the past, but this letter felt warm.

At first, Evelyn, who left without telling him her reason, made him resentful. But when he knew even a little bit of her sincere heart, the resentment melted away like snow.

“It relieves my headaches, and it can comfort me.”

Only words were said. There was a sad smile on Fabian’s lips while touching the letter.

“Are you worried about me even if you’re far away?”

Fabian felt grateful for her sincere heart, and he thought his relationship with Evelyn had not yet broken. That was why he had left the Empress seat empty until now.

At first, he didn’t know anything, so he thought Evelyn would definitely come back. And after that, he believed that she would come back with confidence.

“Now, even if you’re far away, you’ll come back by my side.” Only that unwavering faith supported Fabian’s heart.

“So, I’ll have to wait a little longer.”

Fabian also learned to introspect himself. Once, he had thought about taking Evelyn right away. But he immediately held back and put up with what he wanted to get back, and facing each other in her own way. And finally, he could feel the old warmth from Evelyn’s attitude.

Every time Fabian suffered from a headache, Evelyn’s sad gaze, the touch of her cold hands, and the smell of a subtle scent of candles fluttered.

He thought it was a trivial moment in his daily life, but he really missed it this time.

“You made such things yourself for me…”

The letter said that Evelin’s own scented candle remained in the Empress’ Palace. But Fabian didn’t even know Evelyn was the one who made the candle herself since it wasn’t a job for a person who had a noblest status like the Empress. Besides, she never showed it off.

“You fool… I wish you would show it off.”

After receiving her letter, his sickening headache didn’t come. He thought Evelyn’s heart was still in touch with him, and it was thanks to her comfort.

Aside from the headache, however, Fabian suddenly missed the scent of candles’ sweet scent that was always enjoyed by Evelyn.

“Servants.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Now tell the Empress’s maid…..” Fabian was talking and suddenly stopped.

“Your Majesty?”

“No. I’ll go to the Empress’s Palace by myself.”

If he was going to inhale a nostalgic scent, he thought a nostalgic place would be good. It was the place where Evelyn’s trail still remained, where they spent the night together.

A few minutes later, when Fabian arrived at the Empress’s Palace, the maid came out and gave the courtesy.

“Your Majesty, what are you looking for?”

“Are you alone managing this place?”

“Yes, I am.”

Not many touches were needed to take care of the Palace without the owner.

“Do you remember when the empress was here?”

“Yes……”

The maid replied carefully, not knowing Fabian’s intention. At that time, there were several maids in the Palace, but after Evelyn left, they were all expelled in disgrace for not properly serving the Empress.

She was in charge of managing this empty Palace because she was a maid who had served Evelyn with all her heart.

“Has the Empress ever made a scented candle?”

“Ah……. I remember that I helped her.” The maid, who had said the words, quickly noticed. “I’m sorry, please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

Actually, it was a sin, letting the precious empress do such a thing with her own hands. But, as soon as he looked at the maid, Fabian was silent.

“The Empress made it herself?…….by her own hands?”

“Yes. The maids came forward and said they would help, but the Empress didn’t let us.”

“It’s really her.”

A warm smile appeared on Fabian’s lips. The maid was frozen when she saw it.

“Where are the scented candles?”

“On the shelf in the small room inside the bedroom…should, I take a look for it?”

“No.” Fabian stepped forward. “Everyone back off.”

“Yes, Your Majesty” The servants didn’t dare to question his words. When Fabian was left alone, he slowly stepped into the Empress’s bedroom.

Now that he knew where the candles were, so he could do the rest alone. Evelyn said she made it by herself with her little hand, so Fabian wanted to do more. He decided to give up the idea that he should have done it earlier.

“It’s a small room.”

Fabian walked through the bedroom awkwardly. Evelyn was always busy moving when he came to the Empress’s Palace, so he didn’t know the detailed structure. Even though Evelyn wasn’t here, he was hesitant to search the candles in a small room.

Only

“The owner has gone, so I have no choice but to excuse me.” Fabian, who found the scented candle on the shelf, let out useless self-talk.

The bedroom had an open window, so a clear autumn wind was coming in.

It was a drowsy afternoon just in time. Fabian leaned on the bed where they slept together before and lit a candle at her bedside. The same scent as the memory made his body felt at ease.

“It’s a nostalgic scent.”

Fabian closed his eyes. And Evelyn’s face was always pictured.

“A Scent that makes me want to see you more.”

Sometimes the Emperor made a small wish. Even it was just a dream, it was good for a moment. So he wished for her coming to him now.