***
Claude was stunned to hear that Aratine had arbitrarily informed Matteo of her pregnancy.
“Aratine! How could you do such a thoughtless thing!”
Aratine, who barely came to her senses, started crying again at the word thoughtless.
Claude was frustrated. No, she’s the one at fault! She just said ‘I have no idea’ at such a big mistake, but to even cry!
Isn’t this why he started seeing Rachel after he got Aratine? Even if a person was weak, there must be a degree.
‘Every time, she cries, so I can’t touch her at all…’
They betrayed his older brother and had an affair together, but Aratine always tried to become clean alone like this.
‘This is why I have no choice but to meet another woman!’
It’s an absurd self-justification.
Aratine, not knowing what Claude was thinking, began tearfully making excuses.
“But Teo, I knew that good boy would welcome his little brother. I haven’t been congratulated by anyone yet because you told me not to tell anyone…”
“What?”
He was so frustrated with the excuses mixed with resentment that he was going crazy.
‘Since when did this person become so crazy?’
He was happy that Aratine had opened her heart again, but he began to see things he didn’t see before one by one.
‘Come to think of it, it seems that she can’t think more deeply than before.’
In the past, he liked that it was easy to seduce Aratine, but now it felt like he’d been kicked in the shin.
Aratine continued to cry.
Claude had a headache, but he couldn’t get more angry and just calmed himself down.
No matter what she did, she was the woman he loved. In the end, he didn’t like to see someone with his child crying all over the place.
“Stop crying.”
“Heu, heug, but Your Majesty…”
“Originally, I was going to act cautiously until you entered a period of stability, but now that it’s like this, we can’t do much. Aratine, for the time being, you must pretend that you had my child for a long time. Can you do it?”
When Claude’s voice softened, Aratine desperately nodded.
“Yes, yes.”
“Since I have become Emperor, of course the son born between you and me must succeed me as emperor. Do you understand that as well?”
“But Teo…”
“As an uncle, I should give him a fair reward. Look at Damian. He received the title of Grand Duke and is living a life worthy of an emperor.”
It was nonsense, but Aratine didn’t have the thinking skills to figure it out.
When Aratine nodded her head, Claude clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘She’s more lovable because she’s stupid, but it’ll be a bit difficult if the kid that is born resembles the mother.’
In any case, it turned out better. Claude decided to carry out his plan to oust his nephew, who had been a thorn in his eye, as crown prince within the next year.
At that time, a secret letter from Lilian departed from the Grand Duke’s residence.
The destination was Sandria Street.
***
The spy who went to Sandria Street returned with a reply and a basket of flowers.
“For now, it doesn’t contain poison or curses….”
Head Butler Aaron stood holding a basket of flowers with an uneasy expression on his face. It was a simple flower gift, but since the sender was the one who sent it, he seemed unsure whether it’s okay to deliver it to Lily.
“Should I burn it?”
“Rita.”
Even today, Lily quietly gave a warning to her lady in waiting’s opinion, which was still radical.
“Put it there.”
“Yes.”
It was a colorful double edged flower with large and red flame petals in full bloom. It wasn’t a rose or a peony, but it was just as beautiful. Very romantically, the reply was almost buried among the flowers. Lilian thought that this flower basket was a means of camouflaging the millet.
Lilian slowly approached the basket and picked up the letter. Everyone was nervous but nothing happened.
‘But I think it’s a flower I saw somewhere…’
She knew these were the flowers Rachel was going to give Lilian at the party.
But for some reason it seemed like she’d seen this flower before.
She broke the seal on the letter, trying to identify the sense of deja vu.
Then a knock was heard.
“This is Kyrie, Your Highness.”
“Come in.”
After Lilian gave permission, the door was politely opened.
“Your Highness, I have something to report about the guard shift schedule…!”
Kyrie was about to report as usual but when she noticed a basket of flowers in front of Lily, her eyes widened.
“Your Highness, get out of there right now.”
“Dame Kyrie?”
Lilian, puzzled, put down the letter and stepped back.
As expected, there’s something wrong with this flower basket. Aaron and Rita’s expressions also became serious. Kyrie asked.
“Your Highness, have you consumed alcoholic beverages produced in the southern Citrine Valley area within the last three days?”
“No. As you know, Kyrie, I don’t drink.”
At Lilian’s calm reply, Kyrie let out a sigh as she looked relieved. Lily asked.
“Dame Kyrie, do you know anything about this flower?”
“That is…”
Kyrie hesitated for a moment. But before long, with a determined expression on her face, she began to explain.
“The flower is a variety that grows only in Dynak, my grandmother’s hometown, and is called ‘Rahel’ there.”
“If it’s in the Dynak region…”
Lilian had memorized most of the names, titles, and places of origin of these imperial nobles. Dynak was not well known, but…
“It’s Madam Rachel’s hometown.”
Rachel’s origin was the second daughter of the Viscount who ruled over the Dynak region.
“My maternal grandmother is from the Hoen family, a vassal of the Dynak family.”
In Kyrie, the lineage of the vassal family of Dynak, Rachel’s hometown, was mixed, albeit faintly. For this reason, she had no choice but to be eliminated from the Grand Duchess’ escort selection, even though she had excellent skills and wanted it.
Had it not been for the incident in which Lilian’s escort personnel were thoroughly reorganized based on skill due to the Duke Blanchett matter, she would have been loyal as an ordinary knight even now.
“My mother passed away a long time ago, and now I hardly ever visit my mother’s family. However, the one thing my grandmother told me in secret before my mother got married was also conveyed to me.”
“And that is…?”
“Don’t pass Citrine’s wine into Rachel’s hand.”
It was like an old adage that couldn’t be verified.
“Dynak already returned the title to the imperial family according to the succession law as the head of the family died without an heir a few years ago. Now, other people from Dynak know little about it, even those from that family. I’m guessing it’s probably a secret my grandmother found out when she was young…”
“What happens if you mix Citrine with this flower?”
“It’s said death kisses you.”
“Such disrespect…!”
Aaron was shocked. Rita asked again.
“Shall we burn it, Your Highness?”
“No, wait.”
Lilian looked at the flowers and was lost in thought.
Why was Rachel trying to deliver these flowers to her?
It was hard to see that it’s to kill Lilian. It was already well-known in the social world that the new Grand Duchess enjoyed tea instead of alcohol, and that even at the Grand Duke’s residence, guests were served tea instead of alcohol.
‘And this feeling of deja vu…’
“Your Highness!”
Lilian picked up a flower from the basket. She must have seen these flowers.
‘Think. Remember.’
The image of Madam Rachel appeared in Lily’s mind like a picture.
Like this flower in full bloom, a gorgeous red dress and red flowers embroidered on the fan she was holding.
“This is a flower.”
And again…Lilian’s eyes widened as she searched for her memories.
[Or at least cut off the head of the King of the Southern Kingdom, and looking at those flowers, I think my older brother would quite like Southern Kingdom-style jewelry.]
At that time Zagreb showed Damian’s memory.
A gorgeous red flower in a vase on Idoel’s desk.
The word Idoel opened a locked drawer inside Lily that contained another memory.
Old, fragmented memories sporadically surfaced.
Idoel, worship, tomb of the emperor, wishing happiness for those left behind, Ethan Schmidt, monument in honor of the emperor.
The meaning of condolences under the tombstone seemed overly splendid…
Red flower.
A red flower mourning Idoel.
At that moment, Lilian barely realized.
The flower, remembered as a feeling of incongruity, was not brought by Ethan or anyone else.
Lilian unconsciously looked at Head Butler Aaron.
“Your Highness…?”
“Head Butler, do you remember what kind of alcohol His Majesty the late Emperor used to enjoy?”
Even though it was an unexpected question, the faithful butler answered honestly without raising any objection.
“There was no alcohol that His Majesty the Emperor enjoyed. He mainly favored liquor that his surroundings presented depending on the situation.”
It’s a political means. They served alcohol with different meanings depending on the guests to be greeted.
Hometown liquor for those who cherish their hometown, and local liquor produced in the border region for old loyalists who had defended the border for a long time.
Then he must have had days when he drank wine from Citrine Valley.
“It wouldn’t be strange if Madam Rachel assassinated His Majesty the Emperor…”
“No.”
Lilian shook her head. Did Rachel really send this drink to let her know that she killed the emperor?
Rachel’s flowers and Citrine’s wine. Few people now know the secret. Rachel would never have expected that Lily would figure it out.
‘It’s not a matter of deep thinking.’
This wasn’t what Rachel wanted to remind Lily about.
Flowers embroidered on the fan she always held in her hand.
A flower placed under Idoel’s tombstone.
Rahel (라헬 iahel) mourned the death of Idoel.
…Rachel (레이첼 leichel) mourns the death of Idoel.
Leave a Reply