Chapter 140

The Imperial Chambers, the only place in the Imperial Palace where traces of Eastern charm lingered.

Empress Lianhua urgently summoned the palace attendants.

Only the ladies-in-waiting who had come from Chinguk to assist her.

It might seem like an inappropriate action given the circumstances.

Her daughter Anais had been subjected to the boiling punishment in the square today. Summoning the ladies-in-waiting right after her daughter went through such an event was certainly strange.

But there was no other time.

‘Am I not now the mother of a criminal?’

The unprecedented situation where the Emperor’s granddaughter committed grave offenses and underwent the boiling punishment.

What if this news reached Chinguk?

The censors would begin submitting petitions while carefully gauging the Emperor’s mood, and the inspectorate would start investigating the officials involved in the diplomatic mission.

The princess must be cared for while she still has her prestige.

Even though she could leave them alone, she couldn’t abandon the ladies-in-waiting who accompanied her from afar and served her faithfully. They were someone’s precious daughters and granddaughters.

“I’ll resolve this quickly.”

Empress Lianhua spoke dryly.

“I shall show you the way to survive.”

“Your Majesty, Empress…?”

“Let’s be concise. …I hear my daughter was put into a pot in front of tens of thousands of people. I also hear rocks were thrown at her, and profanities were hurled. And our envoys witnessed the scene.”

“How could such a thing happen?”

“It wasn’t a boiling punishment so rest assured. They stood her in the pot for half a day before taking her out. At first, I was puzzled, but now I understand its meaning. They intend to treat her as a half-dead person from now on, even if she survives.”

“…”

“If I understand it, the officials in Chinguk must also understand the same meaning.”

“…”

“The meaning is, I am now the mother of a criminal who committed grave offenses and was executed.”

The faces of the Chinguk-born ladies-in-waiting showed panic at the Empress’s words.

How could they not be startled?

The ladies-in-waiting, even though they served as maids in the empire, still retained the ranks of the Chinguk court.

With the Empress and her daughter being treated as criminals in Chinguk, how could the ladies-in-waiting escape unscathed? They would certainly endure some harm.

The Empress decided to show these ladies the way to survive.

“…Those without families will remain by my side, but the rest must return to Chinguk. Ladies whose families, however low-ranking, are connected to the court must leave without exception. When you return, secretly report on my daughter Anais’s misconduct.”

“What, report!”

“Do as I command.”

The Empress specifically instructed who they should report to.

The princess with whom she had never gotten along since childhood, the crown prince with whom relations were at their worst, and the several princes and kings worried about losing their standing after a change in the throne.

Ultimately, it was an order to expose Anais’s lack of virtue by contacting these influential people.

She commanded them to report in detail how much trouble they’ve endured because of Anais. If they hadn’t endured any, she ordered them to fabricate reports.

“How could we…”

“Anyway, I am in a position where I can barely protect the princess once His Majesty ascends. Before that happens, you must ensure your safety and your family’s safety.”

The Chinguk-born ladies fell silent upon hearing this order from the Empress.

Some wept bitterly while others repeatedly exclaimed that they felt unworthy. However, none rejected the Empress’s command. They understood it wasn’t simply an act of kindness from her.

“Understood, then go.”

The Empress dismissed the ladies while struggling to hide her complicated emotions.

Of course…

Even with these measures, the repercussions of this event wouldn’t vanish.

The Empress simply wanted to reduce the number of casualties as much as possible. She believed that by doing so, she could carry on with slightly less heaviness in her heart.

‘What should I do now?’

Should she ask Victoria and Siena to pity her daughter who is now effectively dead? Or should she appeal for some leniency to Alan Medoff, who would soon bring Anais back into the palace?

After pondering for a while, someone approached her.

“His Majesty wishes to see you.”

Her husband, the Emperor.

‘Of course, he’s likely troubled as well.’

The Empress sighed briefly and responded to the Emperor’s summons.

If the Emperor were to ask about the meaning of the ‘pot,’ she would answer detailedly, planning to calmly discuss Anais, soon to be demoted to a commoner, a few hours hence.

She no longer intended to devise any intricate plans.

Because in the current situation, all such plans were meaningless. And somewhat ironically, the Empress’s plans had led to this current calamity.

How could a criminal offer her excuses to her husband? She couldn’t justify her actions by saying it was for the safety of the imperial family.

But something felt odd.

“Welcome.”

The place where the Emperor greeted her was the dining hall.

The place where last year, after the Empress drank fake syrup, she ended her daughter’s political life.

The Emperor was waiting there for a meal. The neatly lined-up serving maidens and tableware indicated a more elaborately prepared feast than usual.

A lavish banquet on the day when their youngest daughter was to be exiled?

The Emperor gazed at the Empress’s face filled with suspicion and then spoke with a slightly bitter smile.

“I simply wanted to share one last meal.”

The suggestion was to have a grand banquet before Anais lost her status as royal and could no longer dine with the imperial family. The Empress paused without saying a word for a while and then nodded. Struggling to smile, she sat next to the Emperor.

To enjoy the final grand feast with her youngest daughter.

All that remained was the official demotion.

After the boiling punishment had been carried out, I arrived at the palace with Anais.

“I have to see this through my own eyes.”

Things had reached this extent, and Anais wouldn’t suddenly reverse her position and insist on keeping her title as an imperial princess. Neither would the Emperor suddenly intervene and take her side actively.

However, people are not beings who make decisions purely based on cost-benefit analysis. I might live that way, but most people don’t.

I still wanted to confirm the moment the imperial decree would fall, as a precaution.

The place where the Emperor greeted us was not the reception room but the dining hall.

Both Anais and I were surprised.

After such a public execution, being presented with a meal seemed odd, which made sense. The Emperor looked at the dumbfounded Anais and offered her a seat, like any ordinary father worried that his daughter might have gone without food.

“Alan Medoff… you may take a seat as well.”

Even I was invited to sit by the Emperor.

“Alright, let’s go along with it for now.”

As soon as we sat down, the food started being served.

The conversation over the dining table wasn’t at all unusual.

The ordinary kind of conversation you would expect between a family of eighteen-year-old darling daughter and her middle-aged parents. Anais hesitatingly responded to the Emperor.

“I heard you’re quite skilled at knitting.”

“Well, I don’t really know why, but yeah… I guess I am. As long as I have a pattern, I can pretty much make anything. The material doesn’t matter. Cotton threads, silk threads, hemp threads. Oh, and even gold and silver threads.”

“That’s quite a valuable talent. A talented craftsman earns much more than an average bureaucrat. I heard your convent contributes significantly to the religious community’s finances.”

“You’ve been keeping an eye on me. …Thank you.”

“You are my daughter, aren’t you?”

The Emperor then talked about Anais’s convent life.

“Anais? Your sisters will soon be engaged.”

“Yes, you mean Sir Alan… and sister Victoria, right?”

“You don’t know the whole story. It’s not only Victoria.”

“What?”

“Siena will also be engaged. You should be aware by now.”

“What?”

The Empress mentioned engagements.

Anais widened her eyes as if hearing nonsense, while the Emperor and Empress just smiled awkwardly. It must have been difficult to explain this awkward situation of two princesses getting engaged while their youngest sister was about to be stricken off the registry.

An awkward atmosphere lingered over the dining table for a moment.

Finally, I understood why the Emperor was acting strangely. And why he had seated me, who was obviously hard to face, here.

What should I say to reassure the Emperor so he could confidently announce the dismissal? It took me a while since it was unusual for the Emperor to truly care for his children.

After the meal ended in silence.

I placed down my utensils and spoke calmly.

“Your Majesty, if I may have a word.”

“Go ahead.”

“…The atmosphere in the square was extremely hostile. There were people throwing stones, and others openly threatening. Might it be better to continue to protect Empress Anais even after she loses her royal status?”

“Do you really think so? Especially coming from you?”

“Yes, I respectfully ask both Your Majesties to protect Empress Anais. If I ask, I believe you will not refuse me.”

Proposing to temporarily entrust Anais’s protection to either Victoria or Siena. It was essentially like a temporary shelter for a stray dog. It was the best I could do.

The Emperor stared at me silently for a while.

It wasn’t the time to pressure the ruler of the empire, but I felt no authority in his current demeanor. He was a middle-aged head of the family worn out by worry over his daughter. If I had pushed him too far, it might have been disastrous for his stress level.

The Emperor composed himself with a few coughs to steady his emotions.

Then the imperial edict was issued.

“Summon the Chief Steward and the Registrar of the national seal.”

The senior minister overseeing the palace administration and the official in charge of the national seal, imperial regalia, and family registry appeared.

It was easy to predict the sequence of events that would follow. As I couldn’t stay seated during the imperial announcement, I stood beside the minister.

“Speak, Your Majesty.”

“I hereby dismiss Princess Anais Carlisle from the imperial family. All privileges of Anais Carlisle are to be revoked, and no new surname is to be granted. This order is to be published in the official bulletin and widely disseminated to all citizens of the empire for their awareness.”

This order is to be implemented immediately.

The officials, visibly tense, received the decree.

The main party involved, Anais, stood there blankly for about a minute before slowly rising. And with a voice slightly trembling, she performed a respectful bow.

“Thank you for your merciful handling.”

The grateful statement from a daughter stripped of her royal title.

The Emperor’s face was slightly distorted, and the Empress looked half-estranged. As for Anais’s thoughts… it was certain of one thing: they didn’t matter at all.

Because she was now just an ordinary citizen.

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