-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: 0005_59
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Emperor issued an Imperial Decree and left the court with Cyrus.
On the way to the Imperial Palace in a carriage with Cyrus, the Emperor quietly gazed at Cyrus, who sat before him.
Cyrus, who used to smile brightly and hold his mother's hand, had lost his smile. Anyone could tell that the occasional smiles he displayed were meticulously crafted.
Knowing that he had played a part in Cyrus's transformation, a sense of guilt welled up in his chest.
Due to his suspicion and greed, he had turned a blind eye to the previous Northern Duke and his wife, who had supported him wholeheartedly like parents and siblings. He had even tried to oust Cyrus, whom they cherished most, to seize the Northern Territory.
As time passed and he reached an age similar to that of the previous Emperor, he desperately realized what he had abandoned and lost due to his greed.
Because of his guilt, he couldn't help but be lenient towards Cyrus.
From the moment Cyrus, who used to embrace him with a radiant smile in his youth, returned as cold as ice, and from the moment he knelt, pledging loyalty despite everything, the Emperor had been unable to meet Cyrus's gaze.
Cyrus was gazing out the window with his beautiful eyes.
"Are you feeling a little better, Cyrus?"
"Thanks to Your Majesty's attention, we were able to rectify things without delay."
"Do you have feelings for that child?"
"I merely had a slight connection to her, and couldn't pretend otherwise."
He answered the questions, but the Emperor could clearly sense the barrier in his voice. The Emperor swallowed a sigh and said,
"You must be disappointed with the Western Duke over this matter... but later, when you have children of your own, you'll understand him. The Western Duke is only human; he must have crossed the line because his heart weakened when it came to his own child."
"Yes, I suppose so."
Cyrus barely suppressed a laugh that threatened to burst forth.
Even with things having come to this, the Emperor was still shielding the Western Duke.
Of course. That man would only say what the Emperor wanted to hear, flattering him endlessly.
Even while in the Northern Territory, Cyrus had been paying as much attention to the Eastern Territory as he did to the affairs of the Western Territory and the Empire. When his subordinate informed him that Ariana's Custody Trial would take place, he saw it as an opportunity.
Ariana was intelligent, so she would prepare perfectly. Cyrus was certain that the more perfectly Ariana prepared, the more the Western Duke would cross the line to break her.
He thought he could exploit the line the Western Duke had crossed.
He intended to widen any small gap Ariana might have failed to defend, to turn the tide.
Although he had arrived in the Empire before the trial, he had remained quietly out of sight, only seeking out the Emperor after the trial's outcome was decided, all to involve the Emperor in this matter.
He wanted to show the Emperor directly how the Western Duke had crossed the line.
It had been successful, but not sufficient.
'Yes, this won't completely shatter the Emperor's trust in the Western Duke. But a crack has formed.'
The day the Emperor's trust in the Western Duke completely collapses will be the day the Western Duke pays for his past sins.
'Ariana did very well.'
For her, it was an ordeal, but for Cyrus, it was an opportunity.
Indeed, observing Ariana in the Western Territory and then helping her had been the right decision. Ariana's future actions would be a crucial card to tighten the noose around the Western Duke's neck.
'Speaking of which.'
Cyrus recalled Ariana from the courtroom. She had opened her eyes wide, seemingly surprised by his appearance, and she had looked incredibly cute.
'She looked like she was in pain.'
She was pale.
In truth, the beads of sweat on her forehead, her bluish lips, and her small body barely suppressing tremors bothered him, making it difficult to concentrate on the testimony.
'Was she tortured by the Western Duke? No, the Western Duke wouldn't have done anything so reckless before leaving the Empire. Why did she look so distressed?'
He was concerned.
Even knowing that the Eastern Duke would handle it, he worried if it was alright to just leave her like that.
Cyrus tapped his knee with his index finger, then spoke to the Emperor.
"Your Majesty. I have somewhere I must go for a moment, so I will proceed to the Imperial Palace separately to arrive by dinner time."
+++
Even after Cyrus left the court with the Emperor, people remained rooted to their spots, expressing awe at the courtroom battle that had involved even the Emperor and the Northern Duke.
Harold was no different.
"Wow. She's no ordinary lady. To move even His Imperial Majesty and the Northern Duke."
"It's astonishing. I never dreamed I'd see the Northern Duke here..."
"Tell me about it. Did you see how everyone was more surprised than when His Imperial Majesty arrived? Wow, I'm really glad I came to see this. It was truly entertaining."
Contrary to his cheerful words, Harold's eyes were carefully observing Ariana.
The Western Duke and Rachel, who had lost the trial, sat like statues before being escorted away by Imperial Knights, while Ariana was leaving the court with the Eastern Duke.
'Ariana Bron... No, now she's Ariana White.'
He found her intriguing.
He grew interested in Ariana, who seemed more delicate than any woman he had ever met, yet exuded a more noble aura than any other.
'To have the Western Duke, the Eastern Duke, and even the Northern Duke, all dancing in the palm of her hand. She'd be perfect to put in my vase.'
+++
Ariana still felt as if she were dreaming.
In the deep night, where not an inch ahead was visible, she walked alone on a solitary path when moonlight descended. The moonlight, as intense as the sun, illuminated the dark path, allowing Ariana to reach her destination safely.
'The Northern Duke...'
Cyrus's appearance made her forget even her pain.
She couldn't understand why he, who should have been in the Northern Territory, had appeared at today's trial. She also couldn't understand why he had testified, even revealing his visit to the Western Territory.
'I owe him a great debt.'
While Cyrus might not have helped Ariana without reason, for Ariana, his help was a ray of light.
'Truly.'
She didn't think it would have been better if he had appeared before she stabbed herself. She was simply grateful for his help.
Now, she felt she could willingly allow herself to be used, no matter how he intended to use her.
Ariana hadn't even realized she was walking hand-in-hand with the previous Eastern Duchess Caradine. Only after hearing her tear-filled voice did she realize they had left the courtroom.
"Ariana, there's nothing to worry about now. From now on, we will protect you, so no one will dare lay a hand on you."
Ariana turned her head and gazed at the previous Eastern Duke and Duchess, and then at the Eastern Duke himself. Eastern Duke Russell, with reddened eyes, looked at Ariana and said,
"You've suffered so much, Ariana. I'm so sorry, I've been useless, living without even knowing you were enduring such hardship at the hands of those people."
Useless.
She never imagined the Eastern Duke, sitting in such a noble position, would think such a thing. The previous Eastern Duke Tiador said,
"You are now the rightful Princess of the Eastern Territory, Ariana. So do what you want, enjoy what you wish to enjoy. You can live as freely as you please. Understood?"
"We, Ariana..."
Caradine stroked Ariana's cheek.
"We ask nothing of you. Your presence by our side is more than enough. Just be our family."
She couldn't understand why words that had always felt like pretense now seemed sincere.
Was it because her mind was dulled by the renewed pain in her abdomen, or because the old duchess's trembling voice was so pitiful, or because the old duke's eyes were moist, or because it was strange to see the Eastern Duke, who was like the heavens, sniffling? Or was it all of the above?
Their words, which had always seemed detestable, now sounded sweet.
"Yes, thank you. But..."
Just as Ariana was barely able to express her physical state, a cheerful voice came from behind her.
"Congratulations on winning the trial!"
Ariana froze.
A voice she could never forget, even in her dreams. The voice that had sweetly and gently driven Ariana into a death trap.
The voice she wasn't ready to hear yet bound her wrists and ankles like chains.
Ariana lowered her head and gasped for breath.
"It was truly an intriguing trial. To have His Imperial Majesty and even the Northern Duke appear. It felt like watching a very entertaining play."
The voice drew closer.
"Ah, this is our first meeting, isn't it? I am Third Prince Harold Blenwith."
Harold stopped beside Ariana. His shoes came into view of Ariana, whose head was bowed. Cleanly polished shoes, as always. Ariana had seen those pointed shoes many times.
They might not be the same shoes, but the feeling was identical.
It felt as if she had returned to that time, kneeling before him with her head bowed, listening to his 'request.' She felt like that foolish Ariana who had hidden her fear and reluctance to go, and replied, 'I'll do it.'
Then, with a smile across his face, he would lift Ariana's chin with his index finger and whisper,
-"There's truly no one but you. I wouldn't have survived without you. My reaching this point is all thanks to you."
She had believed those words. She liked feeling useful to him, feeling acknowledged by him.
She had been so foolish.
"But the lady isn't showing me her face. I wished to greet the lady who has captured the hearts of His Imperial Majesty and the Northern Duke."
Russell, noticing Ariana's unusual state, subtly took her arm and positioned her behind him.
"She is a Princess, Third Prince. The Princess of the Eastern Territory."
"Ah."
Harold offered a slight smile.
"My apologies, Eastern Duke. I quite forgot. My heart was pounding at the thought of having such a talked-about figure right before me."
Unless it was a Crown Prince or Princess born between the Emperor and Empress, the Third Prince, born of a concubine, held a lower status than an Eastern Duke.
"The Princess seems fatigued from the trial and needs to leave. It would be best to postpone greetings until another time."
"Ah, of course, that would be for the best."
Only then could Ariana collect herself.
'Yes, I am now the Princess of the Eastern Territory.'
A princess of a nation, whom even the Third Prince could not treat lightly.
Perhaps if the Third Prince were to gain the Emperor's favor and attain power similar to that of the Crown Prince later on, but not now. Currently, the Third Prince was merely one of many princes, common as dirt.
"Let's get into the carriage, Ariana."
Caradine held Ariana's hand tightly and led her to the carriage. She could feel the Third Prince's piercing gaze on her back, but she no longer trembled.
Ariana walked without wavering. As if there was no pain, as if she wasn't afraid, she walked nobly to the carriage.
However, reaching the front of the carriage was her limit.
She had been able to conceal it until now because she was wearing a wine-colored dress, but the dress was damp with blood that had slowly seeped from where the knife was embedded.
'At least after getting into the carriage. After getting out of Third Prince Harold's sight.'
But no matter how much she pushed herself, she couldn't stop her vision from turning black.
Her knees buckled.
"Ariana!"
With the old duchess's cry as the last thing she heard, Ariana lost consciousness.
