ESWPT 09

Chapter 9

Edward Keres.

Emperor of the Linek Empire.

He was originally not a member of the royal family.

He had been nothing more than a duke, crushed under the wrath of the former tyrant Emperor Gerard, stripped of all power.

Everyone secretly felt pity for him, yet no one ever thought to help.

But a month ago, everything changed.

The lion that had been hiding its claws and crawling submissively like a pet suddenly sank its teeth into its master’s neck.

Edward Keres rallied the forces dissatisfied with the tyrant and led a rebellion. The complacent Gerard didn’t even manage a single counterattack before his head was severed.

After ascending the throne, a storm of blood swept through the empire.

Edward executed anyone who could pose a threat to his power, regardless of personal ties or family connections.

His flawless, unwavering demeanor made everyone think that no matter what came, he would deal with his rivals effortlessly and without hesitation.

Yet now, Edward Keres was deeply unsettled.

For the first time in five years.

“Why should I trust your words, Cecilia?”

The cause was always the same.

Cecilia Keres—her hair color had changed, but her nature had not—the same wife he had known.

Upon her return, she spoke brazenly, unapologetic as ever.

‘What kind of woman is this?’

Edward swallowed dryly. This wasn’t a new thought.

Cecilia Keres had always been shameless.

More shameless than anyone he had ever known.

‘Are you insane? Weren’t you supposed to quietly lie low?’

‘Ah, Your Grace is so perceptive, you didn’t notice your servants were skimming off the side? I did your work, so you should be grateful.’

‘You do actually love flowers, don’t you?’

She had stirred his mind thoroughly and then fled.

So the moment he seized the imperial throne, he went searching for her.

At the very least, he needed an answer.

Why had she run?

Why had she given him the illusion that there were people in the world worth trusting, only to shatter that sweet fantasy?

Yet something was strange.

‘It was because of Gerard’s threats…’

The reason she gave was exactly what he had suspected all along, yet the years of pent-up anger still wouldn’t subside.

“And how can I believe you won’t run away again?”

Cecilia’s eyes widened in surprise, then curved into a half-moon shape as she smiled.

Her face, devoid of any trace of emotion, was icy now, yet the smile was exactly as it had been before.

That sunlit, springlike smile had captivated Gerard at first sight and upended her life.

“Why would I ever run away from you, Edward? You would never hurt me.”

Her voice was confident to the point of arrogance.

“…Why do you think that?”

Cecilia tilted her head.

“Well… what could you gain by hurting me?”

Edward acknowledged it.

Cecilia Keres was not lying.

For some reason, this brazen, impudent woman trusted him, unaware of the turmoil in his heart.

And one more thing.

After all, she would be the empire’s empress for a year, an unchangeable fact.

Her promise to be the greatest empress was effectively a vow.

Whether Edward believed it or not didn’t matter. That fact would remain.

“Very well.”

Edward paused briefly, then added the most important word.

“…Empress.”

After Edward left the room, it was Perol who guided her.

“…This way, Your Majesty, the Empress’s Palace.”

Naturally, Perol seemed dissatisfied with Edward’s decision, yet having served him for so long, he knew: once Edward made a decision, he never reversed it.

Thanks to this, Cecilia could achieve the outcome she desired with ease.

Her one-year tenure as empress would grant her a status and recognition that no one could overlook.

She could live comfortably, enjoying courtly life without serving under anyone.

The only issue was that, like Edward’s own subordinates, her subordinate—well, the lizard too—was very displeased that she had become empress for a year.

“What? Empress? Of my mortal enemy?!”

The lizard leapt onto her shoulder, shouting into her ear.

Its claws pressed against her earlobe, making her frown at the ticklish sensation.

“I really did raise a lion cub!”

She needed to speak clearly.

Bjorn had never raised her.

Perhaps the Guardian Tower or Brantora might have, but certainly not Bjorn.

Yet she needed Bjorn’s help.

She had promised Edward she would be the greatest empress, and to keep that promise, she required Bjorn’s assistance.

Even as a grand mage, there were limits a human could not reach.

Bjorn was someone who could relieve those unreachable itches.

So she had to somehow win him over.

‘What should I do…?’

After all, he was only three years old.

It shouldn’t be too hard to coax him.

While pondering this, they arrived at the Empress’s Palace.

Perol frowned as he opened the door.

‘Hmm?’

Cecilia was inwardly surprised. The palace should have been empty for a long time.

The previous emperor had little attachment to the deceased empress, and the new emperor had been without a wife for five years, so there was little reason to maintain the palace.

Yet the Empress’s Palace was spotless. Not a speck of dust.

Not only that.

The palace had once been decorated somberly and restrained according to the deceased empress’s taste, yet now it was outrageously lavish.

The ceiling was adorned with complex floral carvings that hurt the eyes, and the walls were draped with luxurious tapestries.

All the tapestries depicted romantic tales from old stories.

Cecilia shivered.

It was a familiar sight.

It closely resembled the Graham Baron’s modest residence from her past, as well as the Keres Duke’s home.

The reason was simple.

Everything… was painfully aligned with Cecilia’s own taste.

Things she had had to fold away carefully during her bleak days at the Guardian Tower.

‘Could it be…?’

Had the tyrant Gerard once planned to capture and imprison her, decorating the palace in anticipation of her arrival?

As Cecilia shivered, maids hurriedly appeared from somewhere.

“This is the Empress. Please guide her.”

Perol said in a solemn voice, devoid of any emotion.

The maids’ eyes widened in surprise, then they quickly composed themselves and bowed respectfully.

“I am Isabelle. It is an honor to meet Your Majesty, the Empress.”

“Rosemary, Your Majesty!”

The young maids did not appear of high rank but were evidently well-educated.

“Then I will take my leave,” Perol said without waiting for her permission and vanished.

‘Good riddance.’

She disliked people lingering around when they weren’t particularly welcoming.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve been away from Linek for some years, so I don’t know much yet. I look forward to working with you.”

Isabelle immediately asked,

“What would you like to know, Your Majesty?”

Ah.

Cecilia quickly assessed the personalities of the two maids.

Rosemary was perceptive and proactive, while Isabelle was cautious.

‘A good combination.’

Cecilia slowly spoke.

“How long have you worked in the Empress’s Palace?”

“We came together one month ago.”

One month ago—right after Edward had led the rebellion.

‘Then they probably don’t know much about what Gerard did.’

Cecilia decided not to ask them about the palace’s decor.

There were far more urgent things to learn.

Such as their origins.