Ch#85
2023.11.24.
"Then please wait comfortably, Madam."
After escorting her to the drawing room, the Imperial Palace chief chamberlain left, and soon after, a maid brought tea. Once the maid departed as well, Blair was left alone in the vast drawing room.
Blair sipped her tea while waiting for Ivan. Having come unannounced to the busy Emperor without an appointment, all she could do was wait without certainty.
As Blair began to doze off from the prolonged wait, the drawing room door opened. Hearing the sound, Blair snapped awake.
Ivan approached with long strides and sat across from her, gazing at his sister with a peculiar expression.
"Something must be up. For you to come find me first."
The two were siblings who could hardly be called close.
Ivan sometimes resented Blair for outshining him, and Blair avoided her brother out of fear.
To be precise, it was Katrina—who favored her son and viewed her daughter with displeasure—that Blair feared.
As a result, Blair had spent her life as little more than ornamental family decoration, unable to fit between the two.
"I'm sorry for coming unannounced."
"Well, there's no reason I can't spare a moment for my one and only sister. I'm curious what urgent matter brought you here."
A maid who entered just then placed tea before Ivan and refilled Blair's cup before leaving the drawing room.
Blair stared at Ivan as he lifted his teacup, then cautiously broached the subject.
"Please stop deploying him for magical beast subjugation."
At Blair's words, Ivan smirked as if asking if she'd come all this way for something so trivial.
But as always, he replied in the gentle tone of an older brother educating his naive sibling.
"Subjugating magical beasts is the Duke's expertise in governing the North, so I'm merely borrowing his help."
"Guarding the North is the North's affair, but the Capital Isle is unequivocally under Your Majesty's jurisdiction, making it the Imperial Knights' duty."
"I don't see what's wrong with family helping each other. It's not for my personal gain, but to aid the powerless commoners."
Family.
The tiresome word they always invoked whenever trying to bind her or exploit Herdin.
Each time Ivan and Katrina wielded "family" to control Herdin, she felt like the collar fastened around his neck.
In her previous life, she had ignored that fact amid self-loathing.
Because she loved him, unable to let him go.
Even knowing that "family" collar strangled not just her throat, but his as well.
But she had no such intentions this time.
"...Then, if we are no longer family, will you stop foisting Your Majesty's responsibilities onto him under the pretext of 'family'?"
A hollow laugh escaped Ivan at Blair's audacious gaze. But the gentle brother's eyes soon chilled coldly.
Insolent thing.
Blair had always seemed fragile since childhood, yet occasionally acted so boldly, turning both him and Katrina inside out.
And each time, Ivan never let it slide.
He crushed her, suppressed her, ensuring she dared not defy him for a long while.
"Have you fallen so completely for that bastard that you're now slandering our mother who bore you, and even thinking of severing ties?"
"It's not slander—it's the truth."
"How would you know?"
"That day, Her Majesty the Empress wasn't trying to harm me but protect me. It wasn't suicide, but murder."
At that, Ivan's eyes wavered momentarily.
In other words, Blair had recovered her memories of the fire incident.
'I knew she was colluding with Herdin Delmark, but to think she actually regained her memories.'
And with that, it made sense.
In their previous conversation, Herdin's confident assertion of Esmeralda's innocence hadn't been mere advocacy as usual, but backed by testimony.
"I don't yet know if Mother was directly involved, but at least one thing is certain."
"......"
"That the truth of the incident was concealed, and Her Majesty the Empress was falsely accused."
"......So you'll make Mother a criminal after all?"
"I'm not making her one—the truth is simply coming to light now."
"That must ease your mind greatly. You'll surely regret it."
Ivan deliberately provoked her guilt.
The sister he knew was a child perpetually thirsting for a scrap of their mother's affection.
He didn't know what Herdin had said to persuade her into recovering her memories and revealing the truth, but surely Katrina's side would sway Blair.
But Blair's response utterly defied his expectations.
She replied in a calm tone.
"......If regret, I've already felt it for a very long time."
Far longer than you could imagine, brother.
"For not revealing it sooner."
Throughout my two lifetimes.
The public's condemnation hurt, of course. But even if more scorn came, she wouldn't regret this.
She had simply done what needed to be done.
Flustered inwardly by Blair's unexpected reaction, Ivan swiftly changed tactics.
He set down his teacup and opened his mouth with a concerned brother's expression.
"Blair, I'm saying this out of worry for you."
"......"
"Once you've sacrificed yourself for justice, then what? Do you think Delmark will leave the daughter of their enemy be?"
"......Since blood ties can't be severed, the marriage bond must be. To atone for Mother's sins as filial duty."
"Did the Duke of Delmark agree to that?"
Blair hesitated briefly before answering.
"No one desires it more fervently than he does."
Ivan's brow furrowed faintly.
In their prior conversation with Herdin, he had shown visible agitation at the suggestion of divorcing Blair.
'Either Blair is misunderstanding something, or......'
Pondering briefly while touching his lips, Ivan probed her casually.
"Then, what about you?"
Blair's hand, lifting her teacup, paused at the returned question.
"Are you fine severing the marriage bond with him like this?"
"......"
"As your brother, I'll sincerely seek the best possible remarriage for you, but finding a position better than Duchess of Delmark will be hard. As you know, many shun women who have been touched by another man."
It was a fact Blair knew well.
If remarrying, it would at best be as a high noble's second wife.
But with no plans even for divorce before vanishing from the Capital Isle, it mattered little to her.
"It doesn't matter."
At Blair's response, Ivan's lips curved slyly as he touched them.
Blair was unaware of Herdin's feelings. Or unwilling to accept them.
Either way, things had grown interesting.
The less attachment Blair had for him, the more Herdin would yield the collar to prevent the divorce.
"Then, brother. As the supreme ruler of this empire before being Mother's son, I trust you'll deliver a fair judgment."
As if finished, Blair set down her teacup, ending the conversation.
Ivan smiled leisurely in reply.
"Well, I don't think that'll happen."
Blair felt uneasy at Ivan's meaningful smile but didn't dwell on it.
With Herdin tirelessly seeking solid evidence for the fire incident, the truth would soon emerge.
No matter how much power Ivan wielded, he couldn't defy it then.
"I'm sorry for intruding on your busy schedule. If there's nothing more, I'll take my leave."
After waiting a bit longer for his reaction, Blair rose quietly with proper courtesy.
Shall I tighten the collar a bit more?
Ivan watched Blair head to the drawing room door with intrigued eyes before calling her.
"Blair."
Blair, reaching for the doorknob, turned back.
"One piece of brotherly advice."
Ivan continued with his usual gentle brother's smile.
"Be careful of that man."
"......"
"He's no ordinary madman."
Blair gazed at him before turning wordlessly and leaving the drawing room.
Ivan laughed, watching the closing door.
"This should get interesting."
Tap, tap. The cheerful sound of his long fingers drumming the chair arm echoed.
* * *
The quiet corridor basked in warm afternoon sunlight.
Amid the serene scene, only Blair's footsteps echoed rhythmically until another set mingled from the far end.
Feeling a sense of familiarity from the sound, Blair looked up to see a familiar face approaching.
"......Herdin?"
He strode up, seized her wrist, and began dragging her away.
Startled by his sudden appearance, Blair stumbled after him. Her roughly gripped wrist throbbed painfully.
"Herdin, it hurts. Let go of my hand......"
At that moment, ignoring her stride, he released her wrist and pinned her against the wall, trapping her between his body and it.
Beneath the warm sunlight, his chilling eyes felt starkly cold.
"Do you even know where this is, wandering in alone without fear?"
Blair looked up at him in confusion, unable to grasp why he had appeared so abruptly and was angry.
"This is the Imperial Palace, and His Majesty is my brother. There's no reason I can't come, and no one here dares harm me."
Brother.
Herdin sneered coldly at the title from her lips.
Calling that bastard brother.
I wish you weren't that bastard's sister.
Her words reminding him of the reality he wanted to deny, that title—it grated anew.
"Have you forgotten? What your mother tried to do to you."
At his words, Blair's eyes twisted painfully.
Though undeniable reality, his unhesitant words always probed her wounds as before.
"It's dangerous outside. So......"
His hand cupping her cheek felt cold. Like his eyes. His warning gaze felt more dangerous.
"Stay by my side, quietly."
His voice, suppressing emotion, as well.
For some reason, Ivan's words from moments ago resurfaced.
