They were all arriving at the conclusion that Karina had subtly guided them toward: “The Duke and Duchess of Pandeon are divorcing because the Duke mistreated her.”
Of course, there were some who sneered, muttering about illegitimacy and scolding her: “How vulgar, shaming your husband in front of everyone like that!” That was fine too. Karina didn’t only want to humiliate the Pandeon family—there were others on her list.
Yes, in the imperial family, there were members so base that one felt like shouting it from the market square.
“How does the Duke of Pandeon run his house to allow such nonsense to occur?!”
The grand hall had grown noisier than the busiest market street. Then the Emperor, with a commanding presence, brought silence to the room.
The Duke of Pandeon knelt and bowed his head, not to Karina, but to the Emperor, whose red eyes burned with fury.
“I have no excuse for causing concern. I was negligent and incompetent as head of the family, and all these mistakes occurred because of me. But I am trying to understand the situation and rectify it. Please, grant me a chance to make amends!”
Alcard’s anger surged at the Duke’s shameless plea, and he shouted:
“Your Majesty, are you going to continue listening to this nonsense?! He has ignored the Imperial family’s daughter and disrespected the throne! This is an outright insult to the Imperial House!”
“Both of you, shut up!”
When Alcard, eyes blazing, tried to speak over Karina, the Emperor’s patience finally snapped. His words, unbefitting of royalty, froze the hall into silence.
After his command, not a single breath was heard.
About a minute passed before the Emperor calmed himself enough to look down at Karina. Not that he had truly calmed—he had merely restrained his anger for the moment. Even as Emperor, he had to manage this ridiculous situation and bring it to a resolution.
“The Duke of Pandeon deserves a punishment fitting his mistake, but the Duchess—Karina—why would you bring such a scandal to an audience like this? Your intent is suspect. Duchess Pandeon… no, Karina. Is divorce so important that you had to go this far?”
Karina’s motive in causing such an explosive scene in the grand hall was clear: she wanted the Emperor’s approval for a divorce.
Put another way, if she could endure this session, there would be no need to discuss the matter again. After all, she had already suffered public humiliation, so she had to secure at least one victory.
“Every marriage faces trials and crises. And much of this isn’t the Duke’s fault, but his mother’s. Even so, publicly shaming your husband like this doesn’t reflect well on you.”
“……”
“You are royalty, Karina, and must serve as an example to all nobles. Forgiveness, patience, and giving second chances are virtues you must uphold. Are you listening? Divorce will not happen, absolutely not!”
As the Emperor lectured her like a teacher, Karina remained utterly still, staring up at him with an expressionless face. She neither reveled in the public humiliation of her husband nor bore resentment that her divorce was being denied.
Her glass-like eyes met his, unmoving, as if devoid of emotion. Or perhaps, she was someone who had transcended all worldly concerns.
‘Has she always had that expression?’
The Emperor wondered, unsure if he should feel relief that she wasn’t yelling or concern that something might be wrong. Just as he was about to call her name, the Duke, shameless as ever, interrupted.
“My wife, I was wrong. I promise to change, so please, give me one more chance.”
“See? Even the Duke asks for leniency. So show mercy,” the Emperor muttered.
Honestly, even the Emperor couldn’t find the Duke admirable. A man who had dragged a noblewoman into hardship despite having two children, rumored to have been unfaithful—worthy of punishment. If this ended well, he would make sure the Duke wouldn’t be able to lift his head for years, monitoring the family carefully to see if anything changed. Eventually, Karina might relent…
“Ha! Hahaha—hahaha!”
Then Karina laughed. Suddenly, the grand hall echoed with her loud, joyous laughter. She covered her face with both hands, shoulders shaking so that no one could tell if she was laughing or crying. Yet her peculiar display made everyone uneasy, sending shivers down their spines.
After a long moment, she lowered her hands, revealing a serene, satisfied smile.
“Then, let it be my fault.”
“What?”
“I’ll take the blame.”
Her eyes curved like crescents, lips forming a gentle line. Karina spoke plainly, without scolding, without sharpness—just normal, even conversation.
“I have been hiding a child.”
Her calm delivery made it all the more shocking. People doubted their ears, but the words had been spoken.
The Emperor could hardly believe it. A hidden child? Karina? The illegitimate daughter of her own family?
“What… what did you say?”
“I no longer wish to be a mere Duchess. I want to live as the mother of my children.”
“What did you just say? Are you sane? Bring that child here immediately—!”
The Emperor, his blood pressure spiking, tried to command the royal guards to take Karina away. This was not something to reveal in public, whether true or false.
But his efforts were thwarted by a small life that burst from the crowd. A child, hooded and running, made straight for Karina. In the motion, the hood slipped off, revealing radiant golden hair and red eyes.
“Golden hair! And red eyes!”
“Could it really be?!”
The Emperor reeled backward, grasping his neck. Nobles shouted, guards rushed, and chaos erupted in the grand hall. Yet Karina calmly cradled the child, walking out as if nothing had happened, her face blooming like a flower emitting venomous beauty.
The illegitimate daughter of the Imperial House had borne her own child. No greater humiliation could exist. No one could prevent the divorce now, not even the Emperor or the Duke, as courtiers and vassals would step in.
“Wife!”
Even amidst the chaos, the Duke still called her “wife.”
“Shall I hold him, Lady?”
“No, I need to show him off. My precious child, after all.”
But Karina didn’t stop walking. Sorry, she thought—real revenge begins now.
Later, in the carriage
“Is this what they call a blessing in disguise?”
Karina stroked Andion’s fine golden hair and pale cheeks, seated on her lap. She once thought it a mistake to make him look like this, but now she realized it had been prescient.
Who could doubt that this child was hers with such coloring and features?
She could not stop smiling. Andion, like a content kitten, nestled in her arms. Noah, observing, stuck his tongue out.
“How can such a little one change his face like that? Not even a split personality…”
“Excuse me, Sir Trantes?”
“Mother, hold me tighter.”
Andion wrapped his arms around her neck, resting his forehead against her shoulder, glaring at Noah like a little predator marking his territory. Noah laughed instead.
Though royal, he seemed like a worldly old man in the morning, yet with his mother, he looked every bit his age. The child, a mirror image of Karina from head to toe, seemed blissfully unaware of his charm.
“You’re not asking, are you? Who the father is, or where I’ve been hiding him all this time.”
Karina slowly lifted her head, eyes on Noah. He sat across from her, his expression complex.
Since her meeting with Princess Serivis yesterday, Karina had planned to reveal her child publicly. Merely exposing the Pandeon family’s corruption would not have been enough to shake the grand hall.
When she asked for Noah’s cooperation, she had anticipated careful scrutiny. She knew he did not make such offers lightly.
Yet, when she brought the golden-haired child late in the evening and explained her plan to cause a scene, Noah remained calm. Thanks to that, the plan went smoothly, though Karina still felt uneasy.
