Chapter 33
#033. Last Chance
"The Empress should speak with the Madeleine first. We must avoid a situation where the Madeleine becomes pitiable, as the Empress says."
Stepping out of the carriage, the Empress smiled, recalling the Emperor's words.
In truth, there was no need to even speak with that commoner with the green eyes. Olivia Madelaine thought of her son, the Crown Prince, so dearly.
However, it would have been better if the Emperor had directly pressured the Duke. Although she didn't doubt Olivia's feelings for the Crown Prince, her recent behavior of associating with Grand Duke Bikander was nothing short of problematic.
The Empress shook her head.
Rumors of the Madeleine residing at the Grand Duke's Residence had reached the Empress Palace. Even if she was uneducated, for the Madeleine, who was engaged to the Crown Prince, to live in another noble's residence...
And that too, the residence of Grand Duke Bikander, who had considered marrying the Princess.
If one were to make an issue of it, it could easily escalate into a serious matter.
So, either teach her eldest daughter properly, or offer her youngest daughter instead.
The Empress could already picture the Duke's face hardening at just this one threat.
She clicked her tongue, regretting not being able to witness it firsthand. But she soon smiled leisurely and entered the Empress Palace.
After all, today wasn't the only day.
She had heard from the Princess a few days ago that even though she had summoned the Madeleine, she hadn't come immediately.
Of course, she had heard the news that the Madeleine had visited the Imperial Princess Palace yesterday, but she was still displeased. Even while thinking that the Princess must have handled it well, the Empress laughed melodiously, resolving to summon the Madeleine to the Empress Palace soon.
Those who were captivated by the Empress's beautiful smile did not see her long nails moving ominously.
The Empress's smile grew even deeper. The day was flowing by pleasantly.
However, the Empress's pleasant mood was shattered by a report from a maid planted in the Crown Princess Consort's Palace, Tiaje Palace.
.
.
.
"Again. Confess again."
"Th-that is..."
The maid planted in the Crown Princess Consort's Palace trembled as she replied to the Empress's cold, emotionless voice.
"The Madeleine has requested a divorce from His Highness the Crown Prince, Your Majesty."
"Ha."
The Empress's eyes narrowed sharply.
The maid's words were shocking.
How dare that green-eyed girl of lowly birth request a divorce from her own proud Crown Prince?
Her earlier relaxed smile was nowhere to be seen, and her beautiful face was marred by anger. Her furious hand gripped the armrest of the sofa roughly.
The silk on the armrest was crumpled mercilessly. Countess Ophtem, the Empress's closest maid, noticed this and discreetly led the other maids outside.
In the now quiet reception room, the Empress recalled the pretty face that always hung its head.
The Madeleine, who seemed willing to do anything to ascend to the position of Crown Princess Consort.
The Madeleine, who always looked at the Crown Prince with love-struck eyes, her sincerity was only this shallow.
"...Ha. As expected of a half-blooded commoner."
The Empress exhaled lightly. She felt as if she had been played by the Madeleine. It felt like a fire was burning in her chest.
How dare she request a divorce from the exalted Crown Prince first.
"Audacious, insolent, and lowly thing."
A venomous anger surged over the quietly muttered words.
There would be no one-year grace period.
She would ask the Emperor to immediately welcome Esella Madelaine as the Crown Princess Consort, ousting that girl of lowly birth.
That would be the greatest punishment for the Duke, who couldn't even properly manage his daughter.
She would bring the Madeleine's younger daughter, who was said to be gentle and pure, and let her wither and die from her venom.
The Empress breathed roughly through her teeth. Her usually clear and sparkling brown eyes gleamed strangely.
* * *
The large Crown Prince's carriage had already circled the Imperial Palace several times.
The coachman looked anxiously at Count Hagis, who was riding a horse beside the carriage, several times.
But Count Hagis, the Crown Prince's aide, only nodded slightly. It meant to keep circling.
Following the order, the coachman drove the carriage slowly. And inside this slow carriage, Leopold stared blankly ahead.
He couldn't believe that the situation he was facing was real.
Olivia requesting a divorce from him. It was an absurd event.
"…I came to see you one last time before breaking off the engagement."
Olivia's voice echoed in his ears.
"You didn't show me respect by bringing Lady Etel into my palace without my permission, Your Highness, did you?"
"Rather than eavesdropping, Your Highness forgot our promise and had a secret rendezvous in the garden of this Crown Princess Consort's Palace, where I was waiting."
"Greetings to the little sun of the Empire. Olivia Madelaine, I will greet you again soon as Grand Duchess Bikander. Please… stay safe until then."
He hadn't realized she was such an eloquent woman. No. He also didn't know that Olivia would look him straight in the eye and speak of divorce so calmly.
The Olivia from earlier was unfamiliar, as if she were a stranger. As the green eyes that looked at him without wavering came to mind, Leopold's head throbbed.
Once he recalled it, the events of earlier came to mind one after another.
Olivia, who dared to turn her back and leave even when he told her to stop. And the Grand Duke's face, who stood beside her as if protecting her, glancing at him. When the face that seemed to be mocking him became clear.
"How dare..."
The voice that escaped through his teeth was chillingly heavy. A fierce energy surged around Leopold.
He felt sick to his stomach. His chest felt unpleasantly nauseous, as if he had indigestion.
How dare. His father's dog, who only roamed the borders, coveted his fiancée. His fiancée, who should have been the most virtuous, was deceived by the Grand Duke's Magic.
Unforgivably.
Eventually, Leopold slammed the carriage. The expensive carriage stopped with a force that made it shake. But Leopold didn't care and slammed the carriage once more.
This lump-like nausea was definitely anger.
Leopold's eyes, which had defined the nature of his emotions, sank deeply like the sea.
A menacing aura rippled as if he wouldn't leave anyone who came before his eyes unscathed.
It was quite some time later that the carriage, which had been stopped for so long, started again. Leopold, who arrived at the Imperial Palace, had a very sharp face.
Seeing this, the Chamberlain greeted Leopold and reported cautiously.
"You have arrived, Your Highness. Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."
"…Her Majesty the Empress?"
He was annoyed by everything. Leopold intended to send his mother, the Empress, back, using a headache as an excuse. But as if she had heard that Leopold had arrived, the Empress rushed into Leopold's room.
"Crown Prince!"
"What brings you here, Your Majesty?"
He was in a bad mood, so he didn't want to have a long conversation with his mother, the Empress.
"Crown Prince. I heard the story. How dare that lowly thing!"
But the moment Leopold heard the Empress's words, his eyes narrowed sharply.
"Who did you hear it from?"
"That's not important, is it, Crown Prince?"
"That is important to me, Your Majesty."
A coldness dripped from Leopold's voice.
The Empress realized her mistake.
He had been the exalted Crown Prince since birth. He wouldn't be able to tolerate the fact that the news of his divorce request had leaked out, given his lofty pride.
"I had a maid planted in the Crown Princess Consort's Palace, Crown Prince. Don't worry about the words leaking out."
Even at the Empress's firm words, Leopold didn't ease his furrowed brow. But that wasn't important to the Empress.
"How dare that half-blooded Madeleine act insolently towards the Crown Prince!"
Leopold swallowed his uncomfortable feelings with effort. Leopold couldn't even grasp which part of the Empress's words was bothering him. In the meantime, the Empress continued with angry words.
"I just asked His Majesty for a one-year grace period, but I can't allow it. Let's kick out Olivia Madelaine and immediately bring Esella Madelaine, who is more suitable for the position of Crown Princess Consort, as the Crown Princess Consort, Crown Prince."
"…A one-year grace period?"
The words 'one-year grace period' caught Leopold's ear more than the story of bringing Esella Madelaine as the Crown Princess Consort.
The Empress continued, as if she was dumbfounded.
"Yes, Crown Prince. A woman who has been in a marital relationship with the Imperial Family cannot marry another noble for one year, even to clarify the line of succession, can she?"
"…."
"Even though her birth is lowly, her abilities are not bad, so I was going to give her a chance!"
The Empress's voice, which was raging like thunder, faded away. Leopold's head spun quickly.
Strangely, something was bothering him. As Leopold, who was reviewing the conversation from earlier, narrowed his eyes deeply, Olivia's calm voice once again swept through his mind.
"You didn't show me respect by bringing Lady Etel into my palace without my permission, Your Highness, did you?"
"Rather than eavesdropping, Your Highness forgot our promise and had a secret rendezvous in the garden of this Crown Princess Consort's Palace, where I was waiting."
Ah. That's it.
The calmness to face the facts.
A strangely resigned smile, not one that was forced and then smiled.
Apart from being eloquent, today's Olivia was really different from usual. As he became aware of that fact, he felt strangely disgusted.
"…Ha"
The handsome corner of his lips twisted crookedly. In the meantime, the Empress said in an angry voice.
"I'm going to tell His Majesty right away. Crown Prince. To promote the marriage with Esella Madelaine."
"There's no need for that, Your Majesty."
"What do you mean!"
"Give Olivia Madelaine a one-year opportunity, as you said."
If she was Olivia, who was quite intelligent and knew a lot, she would also know about the one-year grace period that appears in ancient books. It was fortunate that he met his mother now. Leopold didn't know properly about the 'one-year grace period'.
The Empress doubted her ears at Leopold's words as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Are you saying we should give that insolent girl a chance, Crown Prince?"
"…Wouldn't it be okay just once?"
"She dared to request a divorce first. Even if she's uneducated, there's a limit!"
"I know, Your Majesty. But I intend to generously overlook one instance of straying."
Yes. Straying. Olivia might be straying without knowing where to go right now. If it's a year, she'll realize where her place is again.
"Even so."
The Empress didn't seem very satisfied. Leopold led his mother to the sofa as if escorting her. He realized only now that they had both been standing and talking because they were too angry.
"Instead, Your Majesty. I intend to take Maria Etel as my fiancée during that one-year grace period. I can't easily leave my fiancée's position vacant, can I?"
It was also an appropriate choice to balance the aristocratic faction and the imperial faction appropriately. If it was Maria, she would be able to fulfill the role of fiancée for one year sufficiently.
But unlike Leopold, who was confident, the Empress had an unpleasant face.
"Wouldn't Esella Madelaine be better than Lady Etel? To solidify the imperial power, the union with Madeleine is important, no matter what happens in the future."
What was important to the Empress, who was the daughter of Duke Elkin of the aristocratic faction, was the Crown Prince's solid imperial power. She disliked Duke Madeleine, the head of the imperial faction, but the family of the lovely Maria Etel was slightly lacking for the Crown Prince.
But Leopold smiled brightly.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. You know how well I know Olivia, don't you?"
Only then did the Empress's eyes soften a little. Leopold nodded as if to say, 'See?' It was obvious that the Empress was thinking the same thing.
Always easy Olivia Madelaine.
She was acting strangely now, but Olivia was not someone who could leave his side. She had to look only at him forever.
"The Madeleine can never leave me. In about a year, the Madeleine will beg me to come back to my side."
It was impossible for her to request a divorce now, after chasing after him like that.
The thought of Olivia going to someone else's side made his stomach twist. No matter how much he disliked Olivia, it was clear that Olivia was his possession.
And Leopold had never had his possession taken away.
Besides, Olivia was the one who started staying by his side first.
So, Olivia had to continue to hover around him and look only at him in the future.
No matter what, he would make her do that again.
"So. Your Majesty. Please tell His Majesty the Emperor well so that everything can return to its place in a year. I will also visit and tell him."
"…It's the last chance. Anyway, the Madeleine is lucky."
At the Crown Prince's confident voice, the Empress eventually nodded as if she couldn't help it.
But neither the Empress nor Leopold realized.
That they were both implicitly thinking of Olivia as a Crown Princess Consort they couldn't let go of.
Meanwhile, at that time, Olivia, who didn't even want a chance, was blinking at the pouring dresses. She couldn't even think about what had happened in the Imperial Palace until just now.
