83 - The Crown I Will Take From You
83
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Duke Claudio.
The Duke's office light remained on late into the night.
"I've already heard the story from the Minister of the Royal Household. It's unfortunate to lose him, but your judgment was correct, Duke. It's right to extinguish any embers that could burn everything."
Claudio and Raju.
They were allies aboard the same ship, Iason. Their goal was the same: to make Iason the Emperor.
Thus, the Regent Duke would become the King of Baldina, and Raju would become a meritorious subject of the Kazen Empire.
The Regent Duke looked touched.
"I knew I could count on you to say that, Count. That rotten son of mine insists he's right, and my vassals come to me first when things go wrong… You can't imagine how lonely it's been to bear this great plan alone…"
"Don't worry, Duke. Now that I'm here, everything will return to its rightful place."
Count Raju said confidently.
"Our delegation will refuse to provide aid to Baldina. What if you were to plead for it, and we were to conclude by providing a small amount of food?"
"My mother won't stand for it…"
"If the Queen Dowager keeps interfering, we can use that as an excuse to refuse aid. That will weaken your mother's power. All the blame for the suspension of aid will be directed at the Queen Dowager."
Count Raju reassured him that there was nothing to worry about.
"Also, all communication from our delegation will go through Duke Claudio, not the Royal Family."
The Regent Duke's face brightened.
The sole channel of communication with the Empire. In Baldina, the value of that scarcity was enormous.
Especially now, with winter approaching and Kazen's aid so desperately needed.
If that were the case, he could restore his shaken position.
"A very good idea. Let's do that."
The Regent Duke's eyes shone with relief and joy.
"Count Raju, I won't forget this help. During your stay, please don't hesitate to tell me if you need anything."
The Regent Duke took out his prized liquor. He didn't begrudge it at all.
"What's a little help between those on the same boat? I, too, know how precious a trustworthy friend is, like you, Duke. It's a warmth from my homeland that I can't feel in the harsh Empire."
"Of course. As a foreigner in the Empire, you must have so many concerns every minute. Yet, you serve His Highness the Grand Duke by his side. That's truly admirable."
The Regent Duke, a thorough believer in hierarchy, treated Raju with surprising consideration, as if he had completely forgotten that Raju's original status was that of a commoner.
As the night deepened, the number of glasses they each emptied increased.
"Count Raju… You came at just the right time… I'm so glad."
Even he, a man of cold temperament who rarely lost his reason, was apparently helpless against the continuous flow of alcohol.
His tongue grew increasingly slurred. Then, with a thud, the drunken Duke collapsed onto the table, fast asleep.
Count Raju, too, seemed affected by the alcohol, as he struggled to keep his balance.
"Duke… Duke Claudio? Oh dear, you mustn't fall asleep like this…"
Count Raju shook him, but the Regent Duke showed no sign of waking, thoroughly intoxicated.
How much silence passed?
"……."
Scrape. The sound of a chair being dragged.
Step, step.
Count Raju's footsteps as he quietly left the office were, unlike before, without the slightest waver.
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Duchess Claudio's bedroom.
"Madam, shall I prepare you for bed?"
"No, it's alright. I'll take care of it myself tonight. Go to bed first."
She waved her beautiful hand at the maid, dismissing her.
"Don't wake me until I call you tomorrow."
"Of course, Madam. Then, sleep well, Madam."
The Duchess was extremely sensitive, and once she fell asleep, no one was allowed to enter her bedroom without permission, no matter what.
The young maid, well aware of her temperament, nodded and left the room.
"……."
Catherine sat at her vanity.
Wearing a silk gown that revealed her figure without reservation, her hair piled up, she looked beautiful, as if she had forgotten her age.
She hadn't removed her carefully applied makeup, and even wore a subtle perfume, hardly the appearance of someone ready for bed.
It was at that moment, as she was touching her face reflected in the mirror.
A rough man's arm reached out, grabbing her slender chin and waist, pulling her close.
"Lobby, you startled me!"
Catherine, who had gasped, cried out in a shrill voice, then quickly lowered her voice.
"My love, as beautiful as ever."
Count Raju embraced her and showered her with passionate kisses.
"What about him?"
"What's there to say? I put a sleeping pill in his drink, so he'll be out until noon tomorrow."
A mocking glint flashed in Count Raju's eyes as he recalled the Regent Duke slumped ungracefully over the table.
"He's still my husband. Don't be too mean to him."
"Your husband, you say? Then who is your man? Tell me."
Catherine suppressed a silent laugh as Raju couldn't hide his jealousy.
Robert, this man is always as passionate as the first time, even after all these years.
The two had been lovers for a long time.
Long before Catherine was Duchess Claudio, and Robert was a Count of the Empire.
"Cat, let's run away together. Let's go to the Empire, just the two of us."
"Lobby… I can't go against the will of my family."
The love between a princess and a commoner youth working for the Duke Claudio did not end well.
Catherine's father found out about their relationship and had Robert beaten and driven away.
He had to lie in his sickbed, listening to the church bells ringing for his beloved's wedding.
"I'll never come back to this godforsaken place again."
Robert, blinded by ambition, worked tirelessly in the Kazen Empire.
Then one day, after saving the late Emperor, his life was turned upside down.
With a new surname, Raju, he became the nobleman who had once oppressed him so much. The fruits of success were sweet yet hollow.
"Count Raju, this is Duchess Claudio. From Baldina-"
But one day, after accidentally encountering his first love, the embers of passion that had been buried were rekindled.
"Of course, Lobby, it's only you."
Catherine, awakened from her reverie, answered sweetly.
"That's right. Me too. That's why I brought the Grand Duke and even a general. To make your husband king."
Count Raju said, but he couldn't help but hold her in his arms as if he couldn't bear it.
"How long has it been? Damn it, it's only been a year, but it feels like I haven't seen you in decades."
Catherine rolled her eyes, pushing against his chest.
"Hmph, I've already heard that you have a woman in Kazen. A woman that the Grand Duke introduced to you himself, right?"
"She's just a political match. You know that only you are in my heart, Cat."
The two entangled bodies fell onto the bed. The air in the bedroom grew hot.
Click. The small sound of the bedroom door closing did not reach their ears, which were focused on devouring each other.
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"Haa, haa."
Wrinkled sheets. Disordered air. Catherine caught her panting breath and pulled away.
Unlike her cold husband, her lover was always passionate.
"Cat, where is my lovely daughter? I haven't seen her since earlier."
Raju stroked her disheveled hair as if she were adorable.
"I brought a whole carriage full of gifts for Birna. I can't wait to see how happy she'll be."
"Birna is… still at the monastery because of that girl, Medeia."
Catherine gnashed her teeth.
"It breaks my heart, thinking about how much our Birna is suffering in that cold, strict place…"
"Then have her brought back. Etienne is dead, and there's no need to be mindful of anyone anymore."
Catherine looked worried as Raju answered as if there were no problem.
"But, people's eyes…"
"Who cares? If anyone dares to speak ill of my daughter, I'll poke their eyes out."
His confidently upturned mustache trembled slightly.
"Cat, your man is someone that even the nobles of the Empire couldn't handle. Moreover, who in this small country like Baldina could I not defy?"
He said arrogantly.
"Our daughter will receive the best treatment. When the Grand Duke ascends the throne, she'll become the mistress of the Empire, not even comparable to a Princess of Baldina."
A chill could even be felt in Raju's sinister eyes.
"Don't worry, my love. The blood and flesh of that Princess girl will be the fertilizer for our Birna to spread her wings."
Catherine, moved, threw herself back into his arms.
\ \ \
Royal Palace.
"Count Raju and my aunt?"
The note from Duke Claudio surprised Medeia.