Chapter 15 :

Chapter 15

Ayla furrowed her brow, displeased that their time alone had been interrupted.

When she turned her head, she saw a man in the uniform of the Imperial Guard hurrying across the rear garden.

He was a knight named Rowen, who had been assigned to guard her father in place of Varkas, who was in overall command of this journey.

The knight bowed his head before them, offered Ayla a light salute, then urgently addressed his superior.

“His Majesty ordered me to bring the Commander to him at once.”

Ayla instinctively realized that the one who had summoned Varkas was Senevier.

Just from the knight’s dark expression, she could guess that something bad was about to happen.

She bit her lip.

This pilgrimage was being carried out with the permission of the council.

Varkas and her marriage, too, had long been promoted by the conservative nobles who supported the Crown Prince.

No matter what scheme that woman plotted at this point, she would not be able to overturn it.

Even so, Ayla could not shake off the ominous feeling.

Had that woman not used every possible trick for a long time to drive a wedge between Gareth and Varkas?

She had even overcome Grand Duke Siarkan’s fierce opposition and kept Varkas, who had just undergone his investiture ceremony, bound to Thalia’s side for seven whole years.

This time too, she must be trying to coax the Emperor into carrying out some obstruction.

Even though Ayla knew it was against etiquette, she stepped between the two men.

“I will go with you.”

“But His Majesty...”

“I am a princess of this Empire. I have the right to seek an audience with His Majesty the Emperor whenever I wish. And right now, I have decided to see my father together with my fiancé.”

The knight, who looked flustered by her firm attitude, glanced at Varkas.

Ayla felt slightly displeased by his attitude, as though Varkas’s decision mattered more than her own will, but she did not show it outwardly because she knew very well that the knights practically worshipped Varkas.

At length, Varkas nodded.

“Do as Your Highness wishes.”

Once his permission was given, the knight took position on her left as though guarding her.

Ayla left the garden with her back held straight and headed toward the main palace.

When she passed through the entrance of the Great Hall, the interior of the building, swept with intense summer sunlight, came into view.

She crossed the marble hall shining pure white and climbed the stairs laid with a reddish-brown carpet.

The enormous doors leading to the Emperor’s audience chamber were engraved with the figures of Darian, the first emperor who founded the Roem Empire, and the knights who followed him.

After passing through the grand entrance while indifferently glancing over the familiar sculptures of heroes, a wide hall laid with a carpet of ornate patterns and a golden throne at its end came into view.

Ayla straightened her back as she looked up at the man who held all the power in the world and the woman standing by his side.

Her father had a solemn face as always, and Senevier...

Suddenly, her train of thought snapped.

The moment she saw the Empress surrounded by a golden halo, a sense of helplessness close to despair swept over her.

For some reason, Senevier was becoming more beautiful with the passing years.

It was horrifying.

A golden demon...

Whenever she faced her, Ayla thought of a fable she had read as a child.

In a certain village, there lived two brothers who cherished each other more than anyone.

But a demon who hated all that was good in the world decided to drive the two apart and dropped a large lump of gold on the path they were taking.

Blinded by its brilliant radiance, the brothers fought over the gold and eventually came to harm each other.

When Ayla first saw Senevier, she thought the gold prepared by a demon to destroy them had appeared in human form.

Her radiance had blinded the eyes and heart of a once-honorable monarch, stained one woman’s life with grief, and made Ayla and her brother live in terrible sorrow and humiliation.

As though that were not enough, that demon had finally given birth to the Emperor’s son and was even threatening Gareth’s position.

Ayla’s gaze naturally lowered toward the small boy standing beside the Empress.

The Second Prince, Asros Roem Ghirta, was looking down at Varkas and her with curious green eyes.

Whenever she saw that young boy with intelligent eyes, Ayla was seized by an intense sense of crisis.

She could not understand why Gareth sharpened his hostility so fiercely toward Thalia, who was nothing more than a mere scandal, rather than toward the younger brother who held the right of succession next after him.

When she thought of the years of humiliation her mother had been forced to endure because of Thalia, anger surged up in Ayla as well.

But Thalia was an insignificant existence who could have no influence on them.

All that child had done after entering the imperial palace was torment innocent servants and cause all kinds of scandals, making everyone click their tongues.

How could such a foolish little troublemaker pose any threat?

To Ayla, Thalia was merely an unpleasant and somewhat pitiable existence.

A bitter remnant of the past that she had to silently endure.

That was all.

That was why she could generously overlook the wicked pranks that insignificant child poured upon her.

But Asros was different.

She knew very well that many people in the imperial palace held affection for that boy with innocent eyes.

And she also knew that those who felt uneasy about Gareth’s rough temper had begun to place subtle expectations on the young prince...

“What are you doing without paying your respects?”

At the heavy voice that rang out, Ayla came out of her thoughts.

The Emperor was looking at her with a questioning gaze.

Ayla stepped beside her fiancé and lightly bowed.

“I followed Sir Siarkan because I wished to see Father’s face. Please forgive me for coming without notice.”

“Raise your head. You may come to see me whenever you wish.”

The gentle voice of Birus Roem Ghirta, Emperor of the Empire, rang above her head.

Perhaps because he felt guilt whenever he looked at her and was reminded of the wife he had betrayed, he was especially lenient toward her.

Ayla swallowed a sneer and bowed her head politely.

“Thank you for your generous words.”

“This works out better. The First Princess would have found out anyway. We can use this occasion to explain it to everyone.”

Senevier, who had been stroking her son’s reddish-brown curls, leaned toward the Emperor and spoke as though whispering.

Asros was watching them with a curious expression, as though the conversation between the adults was endlessly interesting.

Ayla, who had been looking at her half-brother with wary eyes, cast a sharp gaze toward the Empress.

“What is it that you intend to explain?”

“His Majesty will tell you the details.”

Senevier replied in a soft, whispering tone and gently stroked the back of the Emperor’s hand.

Ayla tried hard to pretend she had not seen it.

How long had the awkward silence lasted?

Her father, who had kept silent for a long while as though choosing his words, opened his mouth.

“I called you here today to inform you that there has been one change to this pilgrimage.”

“Please speak. I will listen.”

Even at the sudden matter, Varkas showed no agitation at all.

Perhaps finding that attitude from his subject unpleasant, the Emperor briefly looked uncomfortable, then continued bluntly.

“Thalia will also be joining this pilgrimage. Add guards for her and prepare the necessary travel equipment.”

At the unexpected order, Ayla froze.