A jealous side room
The only sound is the ticking of the clock, here and there, quietly.
The tea in the teapot has cooled down completely.
If it were a royal palace, there would be no need for such an indiscretion, but if it were the mansion of Nikolaus Bot, the chief mage of the court without a mistress, it might be unavoidable.
It's probably not a problem, though, since I'm now deprived of the energy to have a new cup of tea prepared or even to drink it.
"...Is Nikolaus not back yet?"
"Yes. I'm very sorry, Ziege-sama."
The beautiful, well-behaved maid bent over deeply and said she was sorry.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard that exact same apology.
Annoyed by the maid's -sama-, she sighs incessantly and countless times.
There was a light knock on the door, and I jerked my chin toward the maid.
The maid quickly opens the door.
"Ziege sama, I'm sorry to bother you, but could you please go home?"
The butler of the Bot family appeared.
The sharp-eyed, white-haired butler bent over with a graceful gesture, but said something that Carla did not like.
"I'm not going home! Wait for Nikolaus!"
"I'm very sorry. My Lord has just been stripped of his position as Dean of the Mage Training Academy. Although no official notice has been received, it appears that you will also be removed from your position as Chief Court Mage."
"What!"
"The Lord cannot help you, Ziege Sama. In fact, there are more than enough blunders that could cause trouble. The carriage is ready, please return to your home..."
"Oh no... what am I supposed to do..."
Neither the Prime Minister nor the Temple Chief gave Ziege the answer he wanted.
Nikolaus, the only one who had given him what he wanted, seemed to have stepped onto the path of destruction.
I was extremely anxious, but as the butler's words might come true if I stayed in the house, I had no choice but to return to the palace.
Without even a glance at the maid and butler who continued to bow in silence, he grabbed his cloak and headed for the front door.
Outside was a carriage, not as grand as the one at the royal palace, but still luxurious.
"Let's go!"
"Ha!"
In the darkness of the night, not knowing what might be lurking, the ruts jumped up and down as fast as they could go.
We heard the howl of the beast several times, but somehow we arrived safely.
Without looking away from the carriage, which was returning faster than it had come, I adjusted the front of my cloak and walked through the secret passage back to my room.
"Hello, Mother. You're back very late, aren't you?"
"...How many times must I tell you that you are not to call me mother? You can't just walk into my room without my permission!"
In the midst of the luxurious furniture made to order by the palace's top-notch engineers, I looked down at the ugly girl who had sunk her body into the sofa, which was proudly embroidered with countless bright roses by the best seamstresses of the day, in pursuit of a softness that would make you sink into it.
"How dare you speak to my own daughter! Have you been rejected by someone? I'm sure my father was disgusted with her."
"Sylvia!"
As Sylvia tilted her teacup while playing with her fingertips with the golden curly hair that reached her waist, her slanted eyes, which were said to resemble Carla's even when buried in flesh, narrowed suspiciously.
"Well, please calm down. Someone get the dinner table!"
Unable to bear the sight of Carla's jaw-dropping servant, she swung her hand down to Silvia's cheek, but did not hear the sound of her cheek being held high.
But she didn't hear her cheeks tense.
It was a tremendous force.
"Isn't this unbecoming behavior for the most favored princess of the Mysurian Empire?"
The maids came pouring in and set the table for dinner in front of Carla.
"We've been waiting for your mother to come home so we could share it with you. Come on, you can't fight on an empty stomach..."
Sylvia smiled indecently and picked up a knife and fork.
The sound of saliva being swallowed has reached its limit.
If you came home from a cold day out, you would normally be offered a hot drink or two.
A full-course dinner is not an option.
"Goodbye!"
"Mother?"
"Don't ever let this rude woman into my room again!"
She throws down a plate of main course, smelling of rich wine.
"Aah!"
Sylvia lets out a cute scream, but then licks the wine sauce off her lips.
The memory of the Temple Chief's relentless caress with her tongue made her hair stand on end.
"...Ziege sama. You should eat something. It will warm you up."
Of the maids who had followed Sylvia out of the room as instructed, the most attentive one spoke in a worried voice.
"Hot wine is fine. Red with honey."
Normally, I would have heeded the advice of the older maid I brought from my parents' house, but right now I wanted to indulge in alcohol.
"...You've been gaining weight lately. I can't afford to look any worse than I already do."
"A woman is more beautiful when she is a little plump."
The maid wrinkled her forehead, but sent for the hot wine.
At the same time, she ordered him to clean up the dishes he dropped on the floor.
In the eyes of the world, she would appear to be somewhere between normal and fat, and I could calmly judge that.
However, the image of Silvia's overweight body flashed behind her eyelids and she couldn't get rid of it.
Sylvia and her son, Ferdinand, the son of Carla and Gotthold, the head of the temple, have been ugly and fat since they were children.
Gottfold had a normal body shape when he had children, but now he looks like a pig.
Between the three of them, Carla would have looked slender.
That's how unsightly they are.
A glass of hot wine, so delicately crafted that it almost makes Carla sigh, does not soothe her now.
She put her lips to the glass and tried to drink it down in one gulp, but the steam that tickled her nose reminded her of the heat and she sipped a little more.
"Hmm..."
It seemed that he was both physically and mentally chilled.
As the hot wine he had been drinking seeped through his eyes, his hunger grew.
"Mmm."
Opening her eyes, she saw that there was a new meal on the table that would satisfy Carla's taste buds.
There was not a single plate full of fatty meat that seemed to have been made to Sylvia's liking.
She picked up a spargel with melted butter.
The texture of the white asparagus and the strong saltiness of the butter were irresistible.
The wine goes further.
"Now for the white!"
The white hot wine was served with lemon and clove.
This was Carla's favorite combination.
She asked for something to go with the white wine, and was served arsuppe.
The eel melted down to the bone, the sweetness of the countless vegetables, and the moderate sourness of the seasoning were all to her liking.
We ate the never-ending Eisbein with plenty of sauerkraut, and enjoyed the juicy Nuremberg sausage and the aroma of herbs.
The bread was modest, a small pretzel.
For dessert after dinner, I enjoyed a light and easy to eat mohnkuchen.
"Hmm..."
As soon as you feel comfortable, sleep will come to you.
But still, I couldn't go to sleep.
I was sick of the nightmares that my anxiety was giving me.
"...I'm going to change my clothes. We're going to see Edeltraut."
Choose the most easily controllable of the blood-brothers.
Also, the Edeltrout will be well informed.
Have him prepare quickly and leave the room alone.
Boniface, the son of the Prime Minister, is a madman who tries to seduce Carla even though he knows she is his mother.
It's just a way to smoke him out. It's not serious. The Prime Minister didn't care, but Carla, who was being hugged from behind by a man who was rubbing her breasts and talking to her in a tone that she didn't expect her to refuse, could only think that she was rotten at heart.
Annemarie is very similar to Carla in appearance, but her nature is more intense and less feminine, as she always tries to be at the forefront of the battle.
The day she tells Carla what's on her mind is the day she will be consumed by the flames she controls.
Annemarie is proud to be a member of the royal family.
In truth, she had no idea how she would react if she found out that not a drop of her blood was spilled.
He would never have consulted Sylvia and Ferdinand even if he had to.
He was a monster who could do nothing but overdress, gorge himself, and binge eat.
He has the worst reputation in the world.
"...I don't want to see Alexandra, but..."
The Edeltrout that Carla is trying to meet seems to be spending a lot of time with Alexandra lately.
What's more, he seems to go to Alexandra's room after finishing his work.
And even the emperor is visiting her there.
Carla was repeatedly shown the doting love that made her wonder why she had been treated so coldly.
There were many rumors flying around, but Carla did not receive the correct information.
The only thing she could find out was that the engagement between Alexandra and Dietfried had been annulled and that Alexandra was going to marry the Emperor of Voltagne.
"I'd be happy to leave this country..."
But I'm not happy that she's going to marry the emperor of Voltogne as his rightful wife.
It's a shame.
"Like Eleonora, like Alexandra! Always! They should have been treated coldly forever!"
I was raised from a young age to marry into the Imperial family.
At a young age, when she wanted to play, she was closely watched by her parents and brothers.
Her older sisters and younger sisters were also educated, but Carla's education was the most strict because she was close in age to the Emperor.
Therefore, when she heard that the Emperor had chosen Eleonora, she hated her.
Carla must have been superior in family, looks, and everything else, even more so since she had met the emperor many times before and had been treated more favorably than the other women.
I could only assume that Eleonora had made her advances without shame.
I lay awake for three days when I heard she had fathered a child.
After many failed attempts to assassinate her, she was pregnant.
The fact that it was a girl didn't reassure me, and I did everything in my power to eliminate Eleonora.
In a daze, Eleonora was taken to heaven.
I understood that the assassination had failed because she was loved by the gods, but when she suddenly disappeared one day, I easily thought that the gods had lost their love for her.
The cause of death was not announced, but the emperor, who judged that he would have to judge his aides if he announced it, must have made a painful decision to keep it secret.
Because all the men who had relations with Carla had each sent assassins to Eleonora.
One of them must have taken Eleonora's life when she lost God's love.
If God's love had cooled, the emperor's love would have cooled too.
She was the only consort without a queen.
Ziege had a fertile family and the emperor had Alexandra.
He had intended to have a son and become a queen soon, but this has not been achieved to this day.
If her love for Eleonora remains unquenchable, it cannot be helped.
She has sworn that she will only consolidate her own firm position, and is ostensibly revered as a concubine who has conceived five children for the Emperor.
Sylvia and Ferdinand are out of the question, but Boniface, although he has many problems with his behavior, has been faithful in his political duties.
Annemarie is highly trusted by the military, and Edeltraut has a good reputation even among the people.
Carla's reputation should have been much, much better.
She is thoroughly compared to Eleonora and is a selfish concubine with too much luxury.
It's no wonder she doesn't have the emperor's trust.
The people say she's not fit to be a queen.
It's a shame to interfere in everything.
I'm glad she's not the queen.
You're too close to the temple.
She's not a good mother if she can't stop her selfish daughter and son.
Eleonora-sama was always discreet and her son's upbringing was perfect, the nobles said.
It's foolish to compare yourself to a dead man, you think, but the clamor shows no sign of abating.
"Even in death, you are an abomination!"
No matter how much she whined, Eleonora could not hear her.
As if to relieve her gloom, she had continued to torment Alexandra thoroughly whenever she had the chance to be in her presence, and even on other occasions, but now that she couldn't do so because of the Emperor's growing coldness, her resentment was only building up.
"Huh! Edeltraut!"
I call out as I'm about to knock on Alexandra's door.
"...Ziege-sama. What can I do for you?"
"We need to talk. Make room."
"With all due respect, I have an appointment with Alexandra-sama..."
"You can't put my mother first!"
A fan against her cheek.
The sound echoed through the hallway, louder than I'd imagined.
"...Now, I will go apologize to Alexandra-sama... please wait in the antechamber."
"Hurry up!"
Even though there was no reply, I clutched my fan and stepped into the antechamber as instructed.
As I entered, my whole body stiffened.
"Hey, Marii?"
In the center of the room, the person I least wanted to see was relaxing.
"Hello, Mother. How may I help you?"
"Edeltraut wants me to wait in this room."
"Then come in. Don't mind me. I'll wait."
She tilts her head at Annemarie's uncharacteristic nonchalant but not venomous attitude, but she smiles and eats the baked goods.
I wanted to say something to her, but I couldn't find anything to talk about, so I kept silent.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Marie?"
Edeltraut came into the room.
No word to Carla.
I was surprised at how friendly he was to Annemarie.
"Well. I got a nice little snack for you. Don't worry about it. It's his fault, isn't it?"
"Not at all, sir. He's interrupting my time with your sister and he's trying to undermine your resolve!"
"It's not all bad. If you crush him here, you'll feel a little less guilty about Alexandra-sama."
That guy.
I wonder if it refers to Carla.
"I understand how you feel, but you shouldn't smash him. Tsige-sama's fate has already been decided."
"Right, right."
"Still, if you have something to say, be my guest."
I tried to speak to the Edeltraut, who refused to come any closer with his back to the door.
"What?"
"Hey, Ziege-sama, are you aware that you have committed an unforgivable act of disrespect against the Imperial Family?"
"Aa! What? How dare you speak to your mother like that!"
"I don't want to talk to a disgraceful person like you. I wanted to ask you if you're aware of it, whore."
"Whore," she spat hatefully.
She despairs that Annemarie has found out who her father is.
"If Lord Bachelder had been your father, like Ede, you would still be saved."
"Chief Court Mage... ah, he's just a bot-dono now. I don't know what he misunderstood, but he was treating my sister like an experimental animal."
"They're both disrespectful, but, well, they're like each other, aren't they?"
"I'm glad Marie doesn't look like you two."
"I've been a good role model when it comes to lewdness. She'll never know why I use coarse language like a man, or why I've become obsessed with the military."
"Well, Tsige-sama is always interested only in herself."
"That's not true! I've always been thinking of you!
I can't hate you now.
I've been in love with you since I was a child.
The first time you held me, I felt as if I were in heaven.
I don't know why I couldn't conceive a child of the emperor's blood.
"What are you talking about? You are such a whore that you are willing to carry another man's seed just because you can't get his attention!"
"Shame on you for meddling in the affairs of the bedchamber, Annemarie. You've taken care of me many times."
Annemarie raises her eyebrows and stares at Edeltraut.
Edeltraut shrugged his shoulders in an amused manner.
"You don't know, do you? You don't know that I've never shared a bed with you."
"You can't fool me."
"You know how convenient Ziege Sama is, don't you? As for the rest, well... it worked out pretty well, didn't it, that piece of shit?"
"What are you talking about? I didn't have a child, but you took care of me many times..."
She loved me.
That's why I could tolerate not being loved.
If I could hold her, I knew she would love me someday.
If I could be cajoled with my body, I thought, I must improve my skills and accepted the advances of other men.
Whoseever the child was, it would be treated as the emperor's if the emperor didn't find out, which was undoubtedly the most important thing.
"Your Majesty is not a fool. He knows all about viziers, scum and whore schemes."
"Since your wedding night, I heard you brought in a magic reflector."
"It was the trash who thought the whore was His Majesty. Looks like he's been hiding the fact that the spell was cast. Good riddance."
What, fool, are they saying, children?
"In the first place, you can't marry a woman who's pregnant with a child."
"The Prime Minister must be a fool if he thought he could fake it."
The Prime Minister said.
The emperor would not care about such a trivial matter.
If the child was a boy, he would be treated as the crown prince.
In fact, although it was never officially announced, at least in Carla's circles, Boniface was considered to be the next successor.
"But with this series of events, His Majesty's heartache from being surrounded by idiots will finally be cleaned up."
"But to have betrayed you without even realizing it... that's beyond me."
I didn't betray you.
Carla just wanted a child so that the Emperor would love her.
If she could have an heir, she thought, he would love her.
If she could only have a boy, she would have done well.
That Eleonora couldn't have done it.
That's what she would've said.
"It seems Miss Claudia had a similar thought."
"...Do people as perfect as you and Alexandra-sama attract unruly idiots?"
"Well, I don't know, sir."
"I don't even want to understand it."
Did the emperor only want children of his own blood?
If that was the case, Carla, who had never been held by the Emperor, could never conceive.
Carla wanted the emperor's child more than anyone else's.
Who's to blame?
The vizier who made Carla conceive his child and told her it would be fine.
Or the bots who kept their failure a secret?
The emperor for not embracing Carla.
All of them.
"Oh, by the way, Tsige-sama... what was the story?"
"What story?"
You raise your eyebrows when Edeltraut speaks to you.
I don't know what I was going to ask.
I wanted the nightmare to end.
Yes, yes.
I wanted to know where I was.
"Information," I wanted to know. I wanted to know what would happen to me."
Like all the information they could have known never reached Carla.
We don't know how much other information is buried in there.
"You will perish with your country."
He said it so simply.
There's no sign of the country's demise anywhere.
"...I have no regrets now that it's come to this... but to go down with the whores and the scum..."
"When you have seen your demise, why don't you serve your sister like I did? Isn't that what your sister would want? The Volturnine Empire is a military state. I'm sure Marie would be a great help."
"Then... that's too convenient for me. I really have done Alexandra-sama an inordinate amount of disrespect."
Once upon a time.
When Annemarie's tone was still unlearned.
"Why can't I be nice to everyone like that lady?
I remember her mumbling repeatedly.
Annemarie, who looked like Carla, had been rumored to be selfish and rough since she was a child.
She was deeply hurt by these persistent rumors.
Unable to control her emotions and actions, she cried many times.
"...You regret so deeply that you cannot bear to see the past when you doubted so many people based on your own beliefs. Therefore, I believe that she would be very, very happy if those who doubted her would come forward."
"Is it okay if I stay by your side and call you sama? ...Will she be pleased?"
"You will be very pleased. It seems that you've been at the forefront of the battle, and you've been quietly proud of your bravery."
"Proud? Of me? Ah, ah...I am, Ade!"
Annemarie stood up and clung to Edeltraut.
She's crying like a little child.
Edeltraut is gently patting Annemarie's back.
"Annemarie is also a victim of the disrespect of the Ziege sama. That is why your sister wants you to stay by her side."
"Then so do I!"
"You-sama! To you and your sister! To my child! You are a whore who can't even think of being sorry! You must die with your country!"
Edithraut, holding Annemarie in her arms, is leaving the room.
Her legs fell to her knees as she tried to follow.
"The country will not fall. It's impossible for me to die."
Carla is a victim.
That's for sure.
She was compared to Eleonora and the emperor didn't even give her a seed.
If she became a concubine, she would normally be called Carla-sama.
She was called Ziege sama by all but the men who had shared her skin.
Even the loyal ones I'd brought from home.
"Did you all know? Or did I just not know?"
Everything I'd believed in, everything I'd clung to, was falling apart.
Will the nightmare still continue?
Or, rather, is the real nightmare about to begin?
Alone, Carla could do nothing but hug her body and continue to tremble.
The only sound is the ticking of the clock, here and there, quietly.
The tea in the teapot has cooled down completely.
If it were a royal palace, there would be no need for such an indiscretion, but if it were the mansion of Nikolaus Bot, the chief mage of the court without a mistress, it might be unavoidable.
It's probably not a problem, though, since I'm now deprived of the energy to have a new cup of tea prepared or even to drink it.
"...Is Nikolaus not back yet?"
"Yes. I'm very sorry, Ziege-sama."
The beautiful, well-behaved maid bent over deeply and said she was sorry.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard that exact same apology.
Annoyed by the maid's -sama-, she sighs incessantly and countless times.
There was a light knock on the door, and I jerked my chin toward the maid.
The maid quickly opens the door.
"Ziege sama, I'm sorry to bother you, but could you please go home?"
The butler of the Bot family appeared.
The sharp-eyed, white-haired butler bent over with a graceful gesture, but said something that Carla did not like.
"I'm not going home! Wait for Nikolaus!"
"I'm very sorry. My Lord has just been stripped of his position as Dean of the Mage Training Academy. Although no official notice has been received, it appears that you will also be removed from your position as Chief Court Mage."
"What!"
"The Lord cannot help you, Ziege Sama. In fact, there are more than enough blunders that could cause trouble. The carriage is ready, please return to your home..."
"Oh no... what am I supposed to do..."
Neither the Prime Minister nor the Temple Chief gave Ziege the answer he wanted.
Nikolaus, the only one who had given him what he wanted, seemed to have stepped onto the path of destruction.
I was extremely anxious, but as the butler's words might come true if I stayed in the house, I had no choice but to return to the palace.
Without even a glance at the maid and butler who continued to bow in silence, he grabbed his cloak and headed for the front door.
Outside was a carriage, not as grand as the one at the royal palace, but still luxurious.
"Let's go!"
"Ha!"
In the darkness of the night, not knowing what might be lurking, the ruts jumped up and down as fast as they could go.
We heard the howl of the beast several times, but somehow we arrived safely.
Without looking away from the carriage, which was returning faster than it had come, I adjusted the front of my cloak and walked through the secret passage back to my room.
"Hello, Mother. You're back very late, aren't you?"
"...How many times must I tell you that you are not to call me mother? You can't just walk into my room without my permission!"
In the midst of the luxurious furniture made to order by the palace's top-notch engineers, I looked down at the ugly girl who had sunk her body into the sofa, which was proudly embroidered with countless bright roses by the best seamstresses of the day, in pursuit of a softness that would make you sink into it.
"How dare you speak to my own daughter! Have you been rejected by someone? I'm sure my father was disgusted with her."
"Sylvia!"
As Sylvia tilted her teacup while playing with her fingertips with the golden curly hair that reached her waist, her slanted eyes, which were said to resemble Carla's even when buried in flesh, narrowed suspiciously.
"Well, please calm down. Someone get the dinner table!"
Unable to bear the sight of Carla's jaw-dropping servant, she swung her hand down to Silvia's cheek, but did not hear the sound of her cheek being held high.
But she didn't hear her cheeks tense.
It was a tremendous force.
"Isn't this unbecoming behavior for the most favored princess of the Mysurian Empire?"
The maids came pouring in and set the table for dinner in front of Carla.
"We've been waiting for your mother to come home so we could share it with you. Come on, you can't fight on an empty stomach..."
Sylvia smiled indecently and picked up a knife and fork.
The sound of saliva being swallowed has reached its limit.
If you came home from a cold day out, you would normally be offered a hot drink or two.
A full-course dinner is not an option.
"Goodbye!"
"Mother?"
"Don't ever let this rude woman into my room again!"
She throws down a plate of main course, smelling of rich wine.
"Aah!"
Sylvia lets out a cute scream, but then licks the wine sauce off her lips.
The memory of the Temple Chief's relentless caress with her tongue made her hair stand on end.
"...Ziege sama. You should eat something. It will warm you up."
Of the maids who had followed Sylvia out of the room as instructed, the most attentive one spoke in a worried voice.
"Hot wine is fine. Red with honey."
Normally, I would have heeded the advice of the older maid I brought from my parents' house, but right now I wanted to indulge in alcohol.
"...You've been gaining weight lately. I can't afford to look any worse than I already do."
"A woman is more beautiful when she is a little plump."
The maid wrinkled her forehead, but sent for the hot wine.
At the same time, she ordered him to clean up the dishes he dropped on the floor.
In the eyes of the world, she would appear to be somewhere between normal and fat, and I could calmly judge that.
However, the image of Silvia's overweight body flashed behind her eyelids and she couldn't get rid of it.
Sylvia and her son, Ferdinand, the son of Carla and Gotthold, the head of the temple, have been ugly and fat since they were children.
Gottfold had a normal body shape when he had children, but now he looks like a pig.
Between the three of them, Carla would have looked slender.
That's how unsightly they are.
A glass of hot wine, so delicately crafted that it almost makes Carla sigh, does not soothe her now.
She put her lips to the glass and tried to drink it down in one gulp, but the steam that tickled her nose reminded her of the heat and she sipped a little more.
"Hmm..."
It seemed that he was both physically and mentally chilled.
As the hot wine he had been drinking seeped through his eyes, his hunger grew.
"Mmm."
Opening her eyes, she saw that there was a new meal on the table that would satisfy Carla's taste buds.
There was not a single plate full of fatty meat that seemed to have been made to Sylvia's liking.
She picked up a spargel with melted butter.
The texture of the white asparagus and the strong saltiness of the butter were irresistible.
The wine goes further.
"Now for the white!"
The white hot wine was served with lemon and clove.
This was Carla's favorite combination.
She asked for something to go with the white wine, and was served arsuppe.
The eel melted down to the bone, the sweetness of the countless vegetables, and the moderate sourness of the seasoning were all to her liking.
We ate the never-ending Eisbein with plenty of sauerkraut, and enjoyed the juicy Nuremberg sausage and the aroma of herbs.
The bread was modest, a small pretzel.
For dessert after dinner, I enjoyed a light and easy to eat mohnkuchen.
"Hmm..."
As soon as you feel comfortable, sleep will come to you.
But still, I couldn't go to sleep.
I was sick of the nightmares that my anxiety was giving me.
"...I'm going to change my clothes. We're going to see Edeltraut."
Choose the most easily controllable of the blood-brothers.
Also, the Edeltrout will be well informed.
Have him prepare quickly and leave the room alone.
Boniface, the son of the Prime Minister, is a madman who tries to seduce Carla even though he knows she is his mother.
It's just a way to smoke him out. It's not serious. The Prime Minister didn't care, but Carla, who was being hugged from behind by a man who was rubbing her breasts and talking to her in a tone that she didn't expect her to refuse, could only think that she was rotten at heart.
Annemarie is very similar to Carla in appearance, but her nature is more intense and less feminine, as she always tries to be at the forefront of the battle.
The day she tells Carla what's on her mind is the day she will be consumed by the flames she controls.
Annemarie is proud to be a member of the royal family.
In truth, she had no idea how she would react if she found out that not a drop of her blood was spilled.
He would never have consulted Sylvia and Ferdinand even if he had to.
He was a monster who could do nothing but overdress, gorge himself, and binge eat.
He has the worst reputation in the world.
"...I don't want to see Alexandra, but..."
The Edeltrout that Carla is trying to meet seems to be spending a lot of time with Alexandra lately.
What's more, he seems to go to Alexandra's room after finishing his work.
And even the emperor is visiting her there.
Carla was repeatedly shown the doting love that made her wonder why she had been treated so coldly.
There were many rumors flying around, but Carla did not receive the correct information.
The only thing she could find out was that the engagement between Alexandra and Dietfried had been annulled and that Alexandra was going to marry the Emperor of Voltagne.
"I'd be happy to leave this country..."
But I'm not happy that she's going to marry the emperor of Voltogne as his rightful wife.
It's a shame.
"Like Eleonora, like Alexandra! Always! They should have been treated coldly forever!"
I was raised from a young age to marry into the Imperial family.
At a young age, when she wanted to play, she was closely watched by her parents and brothers.
Her older sisters and younger sisters were also educated, but Carla's education was the most strict because she was close in age to the Emperor.
Therefore, when she heard that the Emperor had chosen Eleonora, she hated her.
Carla must have been superior in family, looks, and everything else, even more so since she had met the emperor many times before and had been treated more favorably than the other women.
I could only assume that Eleonora had made her advances without shame.
I lay awake for three days when I heard she had fathered a child.
After many failed attempts to assassinate her, she was pregnant.
The fact that it was a girl didn't reassure me, and I did everything in my power to eliminate Eleonora.
In a daze, Eleonora was taken to heaven.
I understood that the assassination had failed because she was loved by the gods, but when she suddenly disappeared one day, I easily thought that the gods had lost their love for her.
The cause of death was not announced, but the emperor, who judged that he would have to judge his aides if he announced it, must have made a painful decision to keep it secret.
Because all the men who had relations with Carla had each sent assassins to Eleonora.
One of them must have taken Eleonora's life when she lost God's love.
If God's love had cooled, the emperor's love would have cooled too.
She was the only consort without a queen.
Ziege had a fertile family and the emperor had Alexandra.
He had intended to have a son and become a queen soon, but this has not been achieved to this day.
If her love for Eleonora remains unquenchable, it cannot be helped.
She has sworn that she will only consolidate her own firm position, and is ostensibly revered as a concubine who has conceived five children for the Emperor.
Sylvia and Ferdinand are out of the question, but Boniface, although he has many problems with his behavior, has been faithful in his political duties.
Annemarie is highly trusted by the military, and Edeltraut has a good reputation even among the people.
Carla's reputation should have been much, much better.
She is thoroughly compared to Eleonora and is a selfish concubine with too much luxury.
It's no wonder she doesn't have the emperor's trust.
The people say she's not fit to be a queen.
It's a shame to interfere in everything.
I'm glad she's not the queen.
You're too close to the temple.
She's not a good mother if she can't stop her selfish daughter and son.
Eleonora-sama was always discreet and her son's upbringing was perfect, the nobles said.
It's foolish to compare yourself to a dead man, you think, but the clamor shows no sign of abating.
"Even in death, you are an abomination!"
No matter how much she whined, Eleonora could not hear her.
As if to relieve her gloom, she had continued to torment Alexandra thoroughly whenever she had the chance to be in her presence, and even on other occasions, but now that she couldn't do so because of the Emperor's growing coldness, her resentment was only building up.
"Huh! Edeltraut!"
I call out as I'm about to knock on Alexandra's door.
"...Ziege-sama. What can I do for you?"
"We need to talk. Make room."
"With all due respect, I have an appointment with Alexandra-sama..."
"You can't put my mother first!"
A fan against her cheek.
The sound echoed through the hallway, louder than I'd imagined.
"...Now, I will go apologize to Alexandra-sama... please wait in the antechamber."
"Hurry up!"
Even though there was no reply, I clutched my fan and stepped into the antechamber as instructed.
As I entered, my whole body stiffened.
"Hey, Marii?"
In the center of the room, the person I least wanted to see was relaxing.
"Hello, Mother. How may I help you?"
"Edeltraut wants me to wait in this room."
"Then come in. Don't mind me. I'll wait."
She tilts her head at Annemarie's uncharacteristic nonchalant but not venomous attitude, but she smiles and eats the baked goods.
I wanted to say something to her, but I couldn't find anything to talk about, so I kept silent.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Marie?"
Edeltraut came into the room.
No word to Carla.
I was surprised at how friendly he was to Annemarie.
"Well. I got a nice little snack for you. Don't worry about it. It's his fault, isn't it?"
"Not at all, sir. He's interrupting my time with your sister and he's trying to undermine your resolve!"
"It's not all bad. If you crush him here, you'll feel a little less guilty about Alexandra-sama."
That guy.
I wonder if it refers to Carla.
"I understand how you feel, but you shouldn't smash him. Tsige-sama's fate has already been decided."
"Right, right."
"Still, if you have something to say, be my guest."
I tried to speak to the Edeltraut, who refused to come any closer with his back to the door.
"What?"
"Hey, Ziege-sama, are you aware that you have committed an unforgivable act of disrespect against the Imperial Family?"
"Aa! What? How dare you speak to your mother like that!"
"I don't want to talk to a disgraceful person like you. I wanted to ask you if you're aware of it, whore."
"Whore," she spat hatefully.
She despairs that Annemarie has found out who her father is.
"If Lord Bachelder had been your father, like Ede, you would still be saved."
"Chief Court Mage... ah, he's just a bot-dono now. I don't know what he misunderstood, but he was treating my sister like an experimental animal."
"They're both disrespectful, but, well, they're like each other, aren't they?"
"I'm glad Marie doesn't look like you two."
"I've been a good role model when it comes to lewdness. She'll never know why I use coarse language like a man, or why I've become obsessed with the military."
"Well, Tsige-sama is always interested only in herself."
"That's not true! I've always been thinking of you!
I can't hate you now.
I've been in love with you since I was a child.
The first time you held me, I felt as if I were in heaven.
I don't know why I couldn't conceive a child of the emperor's blood.
"What are you talking about? You are such a whore that you are willing to carry another man's seed just because you can't get his attention!"
"Shame on you for meddling in the affairs of the bedchamber, Annemarie. You've taken care of me many times."
Annemarie raises her eyebrows and stares at Edeltraut.
Edeltraut shrugged his shoulders in an amused manner.
"You don't know, do you? You don't know that I've never shared a bed with you."
"You can't fool me."
"You know how convenient Ziege Sama is, don't you? As for the rest, well... it worked out pretty well, didn't it, that piece of shit?"
"What are you talking about? I didn't have a child, but you took care of me many times..."
She loved me.
That's why I could tolerate not being loved.
If I could hold her, I knew she would love me someday.
If I could be cajoled with my body, I thought, I must improve my skills and accepted the advances of other men.
Whoseever the child was, it would be treated as the emperor's if the emperor didn't find out, which was undoubtedly the most important thing.
"Your Majesty is not a fool. He knows all about viziers, scum and whore schemes."
"Since your wedding night, I heard you brought in a magic reflector."
"It was the trash who thought the whore was His Majesty. Looks like he's been hiding the fact that the spell was cast. Good riddance."
What, fool, are they saying, children?
"In the first place, you can't marry a woman who's pregnant with a child."
"The Prime Minister must be a fool if he thought he could fake it."
The Prime Minister said.
The emperor would not care about such a trivial matter.
If the child was a boy, he would be treated as the crown prince.
In fact, although it was never officially announced, at least in Carla's circles, Boniface was considered to be the next successor.
"But with this series of events, His Majesty's heartache from being surrounded by idiots will finally be cleaned up."
"But to have betrayed you without even realizing it... that's beyond me."
I didn't betray you.
Carla just wanted a child so that the Emperor would love her.
If she could have an heir, she thought, he would love her.
If she could only have a boy, she would have done well.
That Eleonora couldn't have done it.
That's what she would've said.
"It seems Miss Claudia had a similar thought."
"...Do people as perfect as you and Alexandra-sama attract unruly idiots?"
"Well, I don't know, sir."
"I don't even want to understand it."
Did the emperor only want children of his own blood?
If that was the case, Carla, who had never been held by the Emperor, could never conceive.
Carla wanted the emperor's child more than anyone else's.
Who's to blame?
The vizier who made Carla conceive his child and told her it would be fine.
Or the bots who kept their failure a secret?
The emperor for not embracing Carla.
All of them.
"Oh, by the way, Tsige-sama... what was the story?"
"What story?"
You raise your eyebrows when Edeltraut speaks to you.
I don't know what I was going to ask.
I wanted the nightmare to end.
Yes, yes.
I wanted to know where I was.
"Information," I wanted to know. I wanted to know what would happen to me."
Like all the information they could have known never reached Carla.
We don't know how much other information is buried in there.
"You will perish with your country."
He said it so simply.
There's no sign of the country's demise anywhere.
"...I have no regrets now that it's come to this... but to go down with the whores and the scum..."
"When you have seen your demise, why don't you serve your sister like I did? Isn't that what your sister would want? The Volturnine Empire is a military state. I'm sure Marie would be a great help."
"Then... that's too convenient for me. I really have done Alexandra-sama an inordinate amount of disrespect."
Once upon a time.
When Annemarie's tone was still unlearned.
"Why can't I be nice to everyone like that lady?
I remember her mumbling repeatedly.
Annemarie, who looked like Carla, had been rumored to be selfish and rough since she was a child.
She was deeply hurt by these persistent rumors.
Unable to control her emotions and actions, she cried many times.
"...You regret so deeply that you cannot bear to see the past when you doubted so many people based on your own beliefs. Therefore, I believe that she would be very, very happy if those who doubted her would come forward."
"Is it okay if I stay by your side and call you sama? ...Will she be pleased?"
"You will be very pleased. It seems that you've been at the forefront of the battle, and you've been quietly proud of your bravery."
"Proud? Of me? Ah, ah...I am, Ade!"
Annemarie stood up and clung to Edeltraut.
She's crying like a little child.
Edeltraut is gently patting Annemarie's back.
"Annemarie is also a victim of the disrespect of the Ziege sama. That is why your sister wants you to stay by her side."
"Then so do I!"
"You-sama! To you and your sister! To my child! You are a whore who can't even think of being sorry! You must die with your country!"
Edithraut, holding Annemarie in her arms, is leaving the room.
Her legs fell to her knees as she tried to follow.
"The country will not fall. It's impossible for me to die."
Carla is a victim.
That's for sure.
She was compared to Eleonora and the emperor didn't even give her a seed.
If she became a concubine, she would normally be called Carla-sama.
She was called Ziege sama by all but the men who had shared her skin.
Even the loyal ones I'd brought from home.
"Did you all know? Or did I just not know?"
Everything I'd believed in, everything I'd clung to, was falling apart.
Will the nightmare still continue?
Or, rather, is the real nightmare about to begin?
Alone, Carla could do nothing but hug her body and continue to tremble.