The Abandoned Empress

Damn it.

Perhaps such rumors spread because Carsein stayed with Tia at the estate for several months. The rumor, which initially seemed to be mere gossip, was spreading more and more because the noble factions actively began to spread it.

“I need your help, mother.”

I visited my mother for the first time. The rumors circulating in social circles had to be stopped there. When the rumor was spread by the pro-emperor factions, it was my father who stopped them, but if the noble factions spread it, I needed my mother’s help without inviting their suspicion.

I turned my eyes away from her with chocolate-colored eyes. She was thrilled by my unexpected visit.

‘Don’t mistake me for forgiving you just because I asked for your help once, Mom. I just came to you because I needed your help.’

Damn it, I felt really bad.

I clenched my teeth, thinking of my young lady who Carsein cared for kindly. I felt terribly bad because I had to define myself as a friend of Carsein, but anyway, I made those young men and women of noble families that my mother invited with extreme care recognize that the rumor about Tia and Carsein was a groundless rumor.

I thought I handled the matter in a way that my young lady didn’t know about it. I almost thought so, without that stupid woman.

“The rumor that Lady Monique and Carsein are lovers… ”

I sharply stared at the woman who thoughtlessly babbled about such a groundless rumor.

I wanted to kill her. I was so annoyed.

Her skin turned white when she noticed my murderous look, but I didn’t care. Anyway, my lady couldn’t see my contorted face. Everyone except Carsein and Tia stiffened, surprised at my rough behavior.

‘These guys are comfortable around me as I am so kind and generous to them.’

Looking at each of their faces turning white, I considered their families. Should I blow them out of the water? Anyway, I really felt bad because I showed my lady’s kindness and warmth to them.

“I’m fine, sir. As I can’t stay here any longer like this, let me leave a little early,” said the woman who gossiped about the rumor.

Good. That’s your smartest judgment today, although you made a bungle of things.

I don’t know what I would have done to you if you had annoyed me a little more.

Carsein is Lady Monique’s lover? How dare you say that so recklessly? Tia is mine. She is my woman. She is my one and only woman. I won’t give her to anyone. I found her first, I fell in love with her first, so she is mine. How can you associate my lady with that guy?

I said, “Lady Nuen, it’s a gem mine. It’s a very dangerous place. You don’t know when an accident will happen. There are many people coveting it.”

“Oh, really?”

“I heard rumors that there are many who are coveting the mines of your father’s estate. You had better be careful, Lady Nuen. ”

“Thank you.”

I smiled, staring at the stupid woman who replied with a trembling voice. You had better watch your language; otherwise, I will ruin your whole family. What an eyesore you are! Just beat it, if you understand me. I was in a bad mood because of this stupid woman.

However, my raging anger disappeared like melted snow when I saw the girl smiling brightly at me.

‘Ah, Tia, my lady, my angel, all of me. You are my one and only love.’

Even if everyone shuns me and is scared of me, you will always smile at me. I’m fine even if it’s because you haven’t seen the darkness within me because you thrill me and make me feel elated.

‘I love you, Tia. Keep smiling at me like now, my beautiful lady.’

“Nice to meet you, Alexis.”

“Nice to see you, Lady Monique.”

My young lady whom I met to say Happy New Year was still beautiful. I looked closely at Tia saying hello to my brother Alexis. Even though she shook off much of the darkness within her, she was still wary of strangers. So, I was curious about how she would respond to Alexis. I was happy to find that even though she exchanged greetings with him politely, she looked at him as a stranger.

‘I like your attitude, Tia.’

I stopped my stupid brother from showing further interest in her. ‘Don’t look at her. She’s not the type of woman you can expect to date.’

I looked at the crown prince’s face while meeting him. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to know that although I belonged to the pro-emperor factions, I was supporting the noble faction. Of course, I could not be sure. Even if he was generous to his men, the current emperor once annihilated half the noble families in the empire. For example, he murdered all his brothers and sisters except for Duchess Lars because they tried to challenge him when he was the crown prince.

I had to be as careful as possible, in particular for the sake of Tia, who I would bring to my side later.

“Loyalty to the lion, Glory to the empire!”

“Glory to the empire, honor to you!”

Shortly after New Year’s Day, Carsein became an official knight.

I felt dirty, but I had to admit it. That’s why I chose to wait until Tia became Monique’s successor. I felt like shit, but I had to recognize it. It was for this reason that I didn’t choose the option of becoming a knight to marry Tia, although it was much easier than waiting for her to be the successor of her family. Although I didn’t admit it, his talent was one cut above me in fencing, and he spent much more time and effort on it than me. If I decided to pursue the career of a knight, it was obvious that I would have to be content with being a No. 2 man under him all the time. In that case, it would be difficult for me to obtain the noble title by making a contribution. I really hated the idea of working for him even more than dying.

‘Well, it’s all over if I overturn the existing order.”

It would be good if Tia became her family’s successor and chose me, but if not, I would have to give up the title because all I wanted was Tia. If something happened, I would take her to a place nobody knew about and live there.

“Hey, Allendis, I didn’t know you would come? What’s up?”

“Well.”

The noble factions, who started to trust me when I gave them some useful tips on the pro-emperor factions several times, asked me to attend a party to celebrate his knighthood.

In fact, the invitees were ironically the members of the pro-emperor factions, so it was almost certain that they would exchange high-quality intelligence tips among themselves that outsiders could hardly get access to. Because of this, I visited the mansion of Duke Lars, even though I had no intention of celebrating Carsein.

Looking at Carsein who made a dumbfounded expression at me, I smiled sarcastically.

‘You’re free to interpret why I’ve come here.’

Only

As my lady would not be here anyway, I didn’t even need to control the expression on my face. After parting with Carsein, I was walking around here and there to gather information when my heart sank at the sight of the crown prince and his fiancee at the entrance.

“The Little Sun of the empire, Crown Prince Rubis Kamaludin Shana Castina and Lady Aristia la Monique have arrived!”

‘Who has come here? My lady is with whom now?’

When I raised my head after bowing to them to show due manners, I saw the girl in a blue-purple dress with a white ribbon, as if her dress was designed to match the crown prince in a white dress. My heart sank.

‘Why did the crown prince appear here?’

As far as I knew, the crown prince wasn’t interested in Tia at all. Besides, he attended an informal party like this wearing a tailored suit. Did he also notice my lady’s charm? Did he discover the dazzling beauty of my young lady, which had been invisible when she was consumed with the darkness within herself?

Just like me who found myself carried away with her charm, or Carsein who had been sticking around her for a while, did the crown prince also fall in love with her?

When the crown prince called Carsein and me and announced that we were only Tia’s friends, my heart jolted. When he asked her to dance in the presence of all the participants, I burned with jealousy.