196 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 196
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“The servant who guided you earlier will escort you on your way out.”
Chatoul spoke in a low whisper as I approached. The anxiety I hadn't seen when she was with the Emperor was now subtly present on her beautiful face. Even the way she fluttered her thickly curled eyelashes and let out a small sigh indicated it.
“Everyone knows about His Majesty’s health, but I would appreciate it if you could remain silent about his appearance today.”
Madam wisely chose to remain silent. If it had been anyone else, they would have grabbed me and said it was difficult, even if it was just lip service, but she was acting nonchalantly, pretending to be fine despite her pitifully wretched face.
It was the same when her own safety was mentioned. Chatoul hardly tried to interject in the conversation between the Emperor and me, as if she were watching a play.
She occasionally answered his questions and acted coquettishly, but she kept herself very low and acted as if she were deaf.
It was a survival skill she had learned from being by the Emperor’s side for a long time. She was experiencing firsthand what the Emperor meant when he said, “There are many eyes and ears in the palace,” so she had to be careful.
“I’ll send you an invitation later.”
She kissed my cheek as if to say goodbye, then quickly whispered. The addition of “Be careful” was closer to pure goodwill from Chatoul herself rather than concern for someone who would guarantee her future.
Even Madam, who was known as a shameless and vulgar prostitute, had basic etiquette for others. And this was the foundation that allowed her to stay in the palace for so long.
Before long, the servant who had come to pick me up approached with a small lantern and greeted Chatoul and me. Chatoul nodded in acknowledgment and stepped back.
“Goodbye, Sis.”
There was no need for a formal greeting like, “I look forward to working with you,” since we would be joining hands in the future.
Standing quietly like the darkness cast by the sunset, she only looked at me with an expression that seemed like resignation.
I thought it was because she didn’t trust me. Chatoul was now recklessly running wild, trusting the Emperor, but in reality, her situation was no different from a flame burning brightly before it went out, and it was very precarious.
That’s why it was quite surprising that she was acting out even more as if there was no tomorrow. She should have been more cautious and careful for the sake of the future.
Perhaps her rivals were hoping that the Emperor would breathe his last as soon as possible.
The whereabouts of a prostitute expelled from the Imperial Palace would no longer be a topic of gossip, so there would be no better time to deal with her.
Unless a scandal that would surprise everyone occurred, who would be interested in a discarded mistress?
Of course, there would be some men who would approach out of curiosity, but as time passed, even that would become insignificant. It was the same with Perinnil, who was no longer on everyone’s lips.
Above all, even if I protected her by upholding the Emperor’s will, I couldn’t prevent a sudden death.
The Emperor only said to take responsibility for her life and protect her, but he didn’t say anything about the disadvantages I would face if I failed to protect her.
That was what people would aim for, and I couldn’t fend off all the knives flying from all directions.
In other words, even if he showed some leniency towards his mistress, the Emperor was still the Emperor. He was only merciful to his own interests and lacked delicacy in other matters.
Chatoul probably knew this, which was why she was smiling so bitterly. All I could do was send her living expenses every month and check on her well-being.
Was the favor of a cruel ruler so fleeting?
I didn’t take my eyes off Chatoul until the servant opened the door to the Secret passage.
Leaving aside the absolution for her vulgar and malicious actions in the past, we were now people who deserved pity. Whether it was voluntary or involuntary.
That’s why the darkness now was so bitter. The heavy reality that had swallowed the shadows was weighing down on me.
Amidst the gloomy news that a war might break out, the Bishvarts Family’s eyes were on Mother’s belly. Her due date was not far away.
The people in the mansion were doing their best to pray for the safe birth of the heir. Even Lavalliere sent a letter to show his concern.
However, as her belly grew larger, Mother’s worries reached their peak. She was constantly anxious that something might happen to the child, and she would burst into tears, only to stop when the maids comforted her. There wasn’t a day when her eyes weren’t swollen.
“It has to be a son.”
Mother touched her belly all day long, muttering for a boy to be born. She was sure it would be a boy based on the shape of her belly, but after Father died, she became noticeably anxious.
She was relieved that I had a guardian, but when she heard that Roena would debut in society and might take everything from her, she became restless and uneasy.
Roena had been jealous of the child in her womb before, even to the point of falling ill, so she couldn’t help but worry. The gulf of distrust was so deep.
Mother’s maids diligently catered to her whims and whispered stories about Margo.
Mother would have filtered them out roughly in the past, but she couldn’t easily dismiss them because she heard them in a state of heightened nerves. The delusion that everyone in the world except me was trying to get rid of the child in her womb was gripping her.
It was because she thought that if she didn’t give birth to a son and get him recognized as the heir, her future would become extremely unstable.
It was highly unlikely that Roena would do such a thing—because no one was as conscious of the eyes of those around her as she was—but in Mother’s mind, she was already an extremely wicked stepdaughter.
Therefore, it was perhaps natural that some of Mother’s maids rushed into my study with urgent expressions.
My guardian, as well as the butler who attended to me, frowned and blamed their rudeness, but the maid ignored them and asked me to come to Mother’s room quickly.
With the day of the child’s birth not far away, she had to be careful even when taking a step, but she was personally calling Margo and getting angry, so she couldn’t help but be anxious.
“Call the doctor in case something happens. Tell the kitchen to prepare warm tea and bring it to Mother’s room.”
I told the butler to prepare for any possible situation and quickly followed the maid to Mother’s room.
The door was wide open, and the place was already a mess due to shouting and crying. Margo, who was completely out of her mind with embarrassment, Roena, who was crying while embracing her, and Mother, who was clutching her swollen belly and panting, resembled a comical play.
At Mother’s feet, with blood vessels bulging in her neck, a bottle containing tea leaves was shattered and scattered messily.
Mother showed me a strange doll in her hand and shouted again. She didn’t seem to know that I had arrived.
“How dare you use such a wicked trick on me? A charm to make me give birth to a daughter! How, how could you do this to me!!”
“Mother, no. You’re mistaken. Margo wouldn’t do that.”
Roena said to Mother, sobbing. Mother looked at her with bloodshot eyes and shouted sharply.
“Roena, you too. No, you knew about it, didn’t you? There’s no way you wouldn’t know. You sent me the tea after listening to Margo, didn’t you?”
“Why would Margo and I do that? You’re mistaken.”
“Mistaken? This came out of the cushion you sent, and you’re saying it’s a misunderstanding?”
Mother threw the doll in her hand at Roena’s face. The doll, which hit her cheek and fell, was grotesque enough to make anyone sick at first glance.
It had a large, swollen belly, as if it meant a pregnant woman, and all sorts of bizarre letters were drawn like spells around the bottom.
Roena couldn’t overcome her shame and blushed. When had she ever been treated like this?
The doll that Mother threw brushed past not Roena’s face, but her pride.
The maids were speechless at the unexpected situation, and Margo also bit her lip tightly, unable to hide her angry expression.
But no one raised their voice at Mother or said it was too much.
She was carrying the heir of the deceased Father. If something went wrong, there was a risk of taking responsibility for it. Mother’s big belly was in itself a great power.
“Mother, calm down.”
People’s eyes turned to me at my voice. Margo had a desperate expression, while Mother and Roena each showed a different meaning and were delighted.
I slowly walked to Mother and took her hand. Her fingers, as cold as if they had been soaked in ice, were clasped with difficulty. Her voice, calling me and sobbing, was also the same.
“Sis, my dear. How could this happen? How could this happen? I’m really scared to death.”
“What on earth is going on? Why is there such a commotion?”
“My heart is pounding, and I can’t say anything more. It’s a wonder I haven’t fainted.”
Roena tried to open her mouth at Mother’s words, but I stopped her with my hand and gestured to one of the maids standing next to her to explain. It was Mother’s maid who had been bought by Marie.
“Madam has been saying that her lower abdomen has been pulling lately and that she has been having bad dreams, so there was an opinion that we should change the bedding. So, we got permission and were changing it, but unfortunately, Miss Roena spilled water on the cushion she sent. It’s an object that we shouldn’t dare to touch, but we had no choice but to tear it off for washing. But we found that doll inside.”
“How could something like that come out in front of Mother? How could you be so careless?”
The maid shrugged her shoulders at my criticism and said in a small voice as if crawling.
“We tore it off when Madam wasn’t there, but we were so surprised that we didn’t know what to do, and then she came back in. I swear we didn’t find it when she was there.”
“Is that so? But why is it Margo’s doing?”
“Miss Roena prepared it, but the former head maid made it by hand. Not only me, but other maids have witnessed her making it, so it’s not a lie.”
“Someone may have harbored malice towards Margo and started this.”
Mother frowned at my words. Roena nodded, sending an expectant look.
“But the handwriting on the doll is that of the former head maid.”
“I don’t know anything about it. Please believe me. It’s a conspiracy!”
Margo screamed and bowed her head. Her back, which was rippling greatly as if she was wronged, was as pathetic as her skinny body.
The curse to change the gender of the fetus, which might be the heir, was not an easy matter to overlook, so Margo was very desperate.
But even Roena kept her mouth shut about this, so everyone here couldn’t help but recognize that the handwriting on the doll was Margo’s.
“The handwriting is yours, and you’re saying it’s a conspiracy! Who would imitate your handwriting? Who would dare!”
I put my arm around Mother’s shoulder, who was bursting with anger, and gestured to the maid from earlier.
Then, starting with her, several maids hesitated greatly and began to open their mouths one by one. According to their words, Margo had been coming in late at night after meeting a Witch these days, or she had been wandering around the hallway, acting strangely.
“There were a lot of very suspicious things. Right?”
“That’s right. Last time, she deliberately asked me if it was the tea that Madam was drinking, and she kept saying that she would bring it to her. It was my job, so I told her it was okay, but it was a little strange.”
“I saw her loitering in front of the room last time. And as soon as she saw me, she hurriedly ran away as if she was running away. That was when Madam was taking an Afternoon nap alone.”
“She told me that it was a snack that Miss Roena gave her and told me to put it on the table, but I remember that the color was too dark red, so I couldn’t bring it to Madam.”
Except for meeting the Witch, most of them were close to lies, but when several people, not just one or two, made up stories, everyone looked at Margo suspiciously.
Even Roena was shaking her eyes at the continuous stories.
“You, you dare, eugh!”
“Ah, Madam!!”
“Mother! Call the doctor quickly!!!”
As the maid’s words continued, Mother, who couldn’t contain her anger, suddenly grabbed her belly and collapsed.
It was fortunate that I was holding her shoulder, otherwise she would have hit the floor and it would have been a big problem.
It was also fortunate that I had told the butler to have the doctor on standby in advance. He rushed into the room as soon as he heard the maid’s scream and immediately began to examine Mother. And he said to me in a urgent tone, wrapping his arm around Mother’s shoulder.
“Quickly, call a midwife, an experienced midwife. Labor has started earlier than expected.”
