194 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 194
==========
Madam sent me a Mask, quite amusingly. Just like when going to a Masquerade.
However, the pure white Mask, devoid of any patterns, had its mouth area sealed, which was peculiar. The holes presumed for the eyes were so small that it was questionable whether one could see through them, and only the part for breathing was intact. It was a kind piece of advice to see as little as possible and remain silent when facing the Emperor.
And that wasn't all. The carriage that came to pick me up was not only devoid of any patterns but was also ominously black. At first glance, it was reminiscent of a mortician's carriage transporting a coffin.
The coachman, who was silently pressing down his hat, and the knight wearing a black Mask were also not a pleasant sight. Whether it was a metaphorical threat that I could be disposed of if I acted wrongly, there was nothing about the escort who had secretly come from the Imperial Palace at a late hour that wasn't unsettling.
Walking through a Secret passage instead of the usual route was also the same. A servant holding a small lamp cautiously pressed one side of the wall to open a Secret passage leading to the Imperial Palace Secret Chamber. He advised in a low voice not to memorize the path.
Around that time, I was wearing the Mask sent by Chatoul. The field of vision, with very small holes, was so narrow that merely walking was enough to cause dizziness, without any chance to memorize the path.
It was difficult to keep up with the servant, and my pace gradually slowed down. Only when my back was soaked with sweat could I finally arrive at the room where the Emperor was lying.
The room was very dark. A single slender candle was all that illuminated the space, and even that faint light flickered weakly as if it would soon go out.
Therefore, one wouldn't even know who was there unless they squinted. Fortunately, I had come through a dark passage, or else I would have been frowning and looking around to figure out who was there.
However, my eyes, accustomed to the darkness, quickly discerned Chatoul's presence, and I could also spot the Emperor lying diagonally on the bed next to her, looking at me.
"Hoo..."
The Emperor's voice was older and weaker than before. It seemed true that he was on his last legs, as he coughed several times, struggling even to utter a small exclamation.
Chatoul, looking anxious, held a towel to the Emperor's chin. It seemed something was coming out whenever he coughed, as she repeatedly wiped his chin with her fair and delicate hands.
"You've done quite a charming thing, Anna. A Mask, how amusing. Yes, let's have a little more light."
No sooner had the Emperor spoken than several lamps were lit. And the Emperor's appearance was revealed more clearly.
The Emperor, revealed under the light, was an old and shabby man. His disheveled hair, sagging facial flesh, and sparse, mottled age spots made it difficult to imagine the dignified man he had been last year.
His back was severely hunched, and the hand gripping Chatoul's wrist was just bones, barely covered with aged skin. Especially, it was very shocking that he was wearing a bib around his neck like a baby, and I gaped behind the Mask.
This was the first time I was so grateful for the Mask Chatoul had sent. Otherwise, I would have exposed my face full of surprise, and the Emperor would not have missed it.
Even in decay, the Emperor's eyes were still sharp. As if to deny the blurry days of being steeped in alcohol and women, they were as sharp as a beast hunting for prey.
If it weren't for his tragically collapsed appearance, one might have thought of him as the Emperor of his glorious days. But now, he was a man lying half-reclined on a luxurious bed, breathing heavily, and an old man who couldn't even move properly without Chatoul's affectionate touch.
The sun of the empire couldn't even handle the phlegm stuck in his throat, constantly pushing it out of his mouth. And it was the beautiful Madam he loved so much who wiped it away.
"Since you're wearing the Mask Anna prepared, I won't tell you to take it off. Yes, let's hear your voice at least. Come closer."
The Emperor spoke down to me as if dealing with a child and gestured with difficulty. Then, a maid, who I didn't know where she had been standing, suddenly appeared from the darkness and quickly prepared a seat for me. It was a very skillful and quiet performance.
I sat in the seat prepared by the Emperor and quietly cleared my throat.
"I hear that fellow is quite eager for the Young Lady these days? Yes, how is he?"
"What are you referring to?"
"How is my son acting, I mean."
The Emperor grinned and continued.
"Do you think he will win?"
It was a question devoid of context, but as someone who had an idea, I couldn't help but feel a chill down my spine. So I committed the disrespect of not answering immediately.
But the Emperor, as if unconcerned, held the tea Chatoul poured for him with both hands and sipped it. As if even drinking at once was difficult.
"Your Majesty, what do you mean..."
When I carefully asked back, he grinned. It was a very sinister smile, like the darkness that hung over his face.
"Idi, that fellow, is inherently cunning and fierce. His body is that of a lion, but his mind is as treacherous and cruel as a snake or a fox. So he is very suspicious. I doubt he even knows the word 'trust.' Cough. Anna, stop wiping. That's enough."
The tea that had been going down his throat reversed, and tea water poured out onto the bedspread through a dry cough. Instantly, a sour and disgusting smell began to rise.
But Chatoul, as if nothing was wrong, meticulously wiped the Emperor's mouth, and the Emperor, as if annoyed, turned his head and handed her the teacup. The teacup rattled noisily due to his trembling hands, making an unpleasant sound.
"My son is the type who isn't satisfied unless everything is perfect, so he tries to move with everything in his grasp. Even if it's a small, useless thing, he has to use it somehow once he puts it in his line of sight. He's a nasty fellow, isn't he?"
The Emperor's eyes flashed with cunning as he looked at me. Clearly, he was an old man dying on the outside, but the spirit emanating from his body was so immense that even the Crown Prince wouldn't dare to approach. He was overwhelming everyone present here.
"And my young half-brother is greedy. The Empress doesn't know her place. She is really weak to temptation. My cute Anna, what would you do if you were you, huh?"
The Emperor was acting as if he knew everything. He chuckled like a villain hidden behind a curtain and coughed again. The deeply flowing sound was rough, as if it had scratched its way out of his throat.
"Why do you keep asking me what I think? Entrust difficult matters to others and only enjoy pleasant things with me. I hate headaches, you know? Your Majesty is too mischievous, hmph."
Chatoul, turning her head away like a young girl and making a sulky expression, was certainly lovely. She had a handkerchief in her hand that had wiped what the Emperor had spat out, but she didn't seem to care about the disgusting smell and was solely focused on him, acting cheerfully, which was quite impressive. Her attitude was devoid of love for the Emperor but full of affection and trust.
The Emperor, as if satisfied with Chatoul's attitude, laughed heartily and whispered in a gentle voice.
"Aren't you the one who knows her better than I do? You've been teasing her well, too."
"How could a lowly woman like me dare to comment on the exalted moon? I really don't know anything."
"Look."
The Emperor said, looking at me with a face that hadn't lost its smile.
"This is the answer. But there are many who don't know their place. That's why everything around me is a mess these days. It's a complete disaster, tsk. So, how are you? I'm asking how it feels to be on that fellow's board. Do you want to have the world?"
"I..."
I moistened my parched lips with saliva and tried to feign the most indifferent voice possible. It was really fortunate that the lip part wasn't pierced, as I was anxiously licking my lips with my tongue.
It was only natural that the black carriage I had ridden in today came to mind. If I misspoke here, that carriage would surely become the hearse carrying my coffin.
This was why the Emperor was speaking so frankly.
"I am content with my lot."
If the Bishvarts Family only gives me the Bishvarts Family, I won't ask for anything else. At this answer, the Emperor laughs heartily. It was the most energetic voice since entering the room.
Is that the right answer...?
"Good, good. Isn't she a very bold and clever woman! It's no wonder my son is chasing after her. Anna, my darling, you're meeting a very good person."
Chatoul carefully kissed the back of the Emperor's hand and said in a whisper.
"You mustn't take an interest, though. Even though she is a lovely woman. You promised you would never abandon me again."
"Yes, how could I break that promise? Didn't I say that you would be my last woman?"
The Emperor coughed and spat out phlegm incessantly as he spoke. He was coughing so severely that it seemed he might stop breathing at any moment. But he continued to speak as if nothing was wrong.
"The problem is that the Bishvarts Family has a treasure beyond their station. Ugh, we need to change the basic education textbooks for knights. If they only pledge allegiance to their master, they will be loyal only to their master, no matter if it's the Emperor or whatever. What nonsense is this? Besides, if it's a talent like Sir Halberd, who can easily lead dozens of knights, wouldn't you want to have him even more? He can replace justification."
"Justification, you say?"
The Emperor was in a good mood, so he was quite generous. He didn't care even though I had asked him back. Instead, he explained kindly.
"How could you not trust a master served by such a great knight? Knights are stubborn fools, so they will jump into fire if it's the word of someone they admire and yearn for. And what about the commoners? Even if a knight famous for his integrity makes a wrong choice, they will wait with a 'maybe' in their hearts. The nobles? These dirty pigs will flock to the more powerful force."
"Your Majesty, could it be that..."
"Do you know that the throne is originally a seat made of blood? I also killed countless brothers and relatives to sit in this seat. Idi, that fellow, is the same. He ruthlessly massacred his competitors by mobilizing all sorts of charming tricks, and my young half-brother is trying to go down that path now."
"With all due respect, Your Majesty seems to be standing by as a bystander."
Despite my presumptuous remark, the Emperor laughed heartily as if he was in a good mood. And he stroked Chatoul's cheek with difficulty and said.
"A bystander... Young Lady, you're saying things you don't know. Isn't it natural for the more superior one to lead the empire? This is the destiny that only those who have the blood of the imperial family can have."
Now it becomes clear. The Emperor knew about the rebellion but was watching it like an amusement without any intention of stopping it.
If the Crown Prince wins, he will inherit the throne without any friction, and if the Grand Duke wins, he is ready to accept the sword plunged into his chest.
No, someone like him would have made all the preparations to hand over the empire without any noise even if the Grand Duke succeeded in the rebellion. Even the great Crown Prince was ultimately just a pawn being played on the Emperor's chessboard.
I desperately hid my trembling hands and struggled to catch my breath. My heart felt like it was about to burst with fear.
"Well, if that fellow hadn't joined hands with foreign powers, I could have watched leisurely. But why did he make such a foolish choice? Tsk. In the end, I had no choice but to give more power to Idi, which is no fun. So, Young Lady."
"Yes?"
"I will make sure that no one denies that your surname is Bishvarts, so become the true master of the Blue Knight. Surely you won't utter such foolish words that you can't even control your own family? If it's difficult, tell me right now. There are countless people to replace you."
The Emperor was making this proposal to me without mentioning Roena, who was close to the direct line. And by deliberately mentioning that there were 'countless' people to replace her, he subtly revealed that he had excluded her from the candidates altogether. Was it because Roena associated with the Empress, who was disliked by the Emperor?
"Ah, and if you meet my brother, please tell him to stop wearing a Mask every time he sneaks into the Imperial Palace. After all, it's not like me or the Empress don't know, cough. Well, it seems the pig-like nobles are still being deceived..."
"His Highness the Grand Duke, whom everyone knows, is..."
The Emperor interrupted me and laughed as if he was enjoying it. His gaze was directed at Chatoul.
"Speaking of which, Anna, how was that pig fellow you saw this time?"
Madam gave a coquettish smile and said to the Emperor.
"He was so happy when I treated him politely, calling him Grand Duke. It's been more than ten years since he received such treatment, but seeing that he still can't hide his expression, it's pathetic. Besides, he was shamelessly looking at me and drooling, ah, Your Majesty, you must pluck out his eyes later and give them to me. You promised? Otherwise, I won't be able to bear the insult of the gazes I've received."
"Yes, yes. My cute Anna."
I swallowed hard and carefully opened my mouth, having gathered all the courage I had.
"Then is the beauty who claimed to be a Witch fake?"
Chatoul answered in a sulky voice.
"I don't know. The fake Grand Duke would know. He's the one who gathered people and encouraged me to reveal that woman."
"Why do such a troublesome thing..."
This time, the Emperor was the one who answered. He opened his mouth as if it was nothing.
"Because Idi has a very simple and nervous personality. There is no one like him who can't stand things that are out of his control and repeats suspicion upon suspicion. Even if it's a trivial matter, he invests his time all day long and tries to grasp it until he is sure. He's a stupid fellow."
His lips were thinly twisted as if he found it amusing.
"The problem is that I'm not the only one who knows that."
