What Became of Them (1)

It had been five years since the Empress of the Empire had changed. The incident where the Empress had attempted to poison the Queen was quite a big issue at the time, but even that was gradually forgotten with the passage of time.

Five years was ample time to forget someone’s death. However, even before they could enjoy stable peace, another incident occurred.

“What do you mean by that?”

Leonard narrowed his eyes at the words of the Prime Minister, Clark, who had come to see him while he was working.

“This country needs a new empress.”

The voice that reiterated was firm. As if he was displeased by it, Leonard put away the documents he was looking at and locked eyes with Clark.

“Prime Minister. Do you not understand what I’m saying? We already have an empress, so why do we need a new one?”

Leonard’s tone was calm, but anger was evident in his eyes. Perhaps he had anticipated Leonard’s reaction, but Clark’s attitude remained unyielding.

“Do you really not know?”

“I don’t. I’m busy, so please leave.”

Leonard waved his hand as if he was annoyed, but Clark did not budge.

“Five years.”

The quiet tone that came from his lips made Leonard’s body flinch.

“No, if we include the time when she was the queen, it’s been eight years.”

Leonard’s face cracked with anger. He spoke as if squeezing out the words.

“Prime Minister, I warn you. Do not bring this up any further.”

“No. This is not something that can be avoided, Your Ma—”

Swish—

At that moment, he heard the sound of something cutting through the air, followed by the sound of something being stabbed into the wall behind. Clark slowly turned his head to look behind him. The pen that Leonard had been holding just a moment ago was now lodged in the wall.

Subsequently, a stinging pain in his cheek and the sensation of something dripping were felt. Clark wiped his cheek roughly with the back of his hand and turned to Leonard. Leonard had a look that seemed to say, ‘If you have something to say, go ahead’. With a heavy sigh, Clark spoke.

“Even if you kill me here, it won’t help. Do you think it makes sense for the Empress of the Empire to not be able to have a child for many years?”

“Clark!”

As if he had touched a sore spot, Leonard called out to him fiercely.

“Yelling won’t make a difference. There is a flurry of complaints from ministers discussing the qualifications of the current Empress. As the prime minister of this country… no, as your long-time friend, I dare to ask you not to turn a blind eye to the country’s crisis any longer.”

Seeing the blood dripping down Clark’s cheeks as he lowered his head, Leonard covered his forehead with the back of his hand as if he was confused.

“What the hell am I supposed to do, then?”

“You must welcome a new Empress.”

“Then what about Lerian? What would happen to her?”

“The current Empress is a thoughtful person. She will surely understand Your Majesty’s intentions.”

At those words, Leonard twisted his face with a pained expression. He knew how delighted she was to become Empress. How can I tell her to go back to being the Queen again?

“Your Majesty. This is not something to ponder but something that must be done.”

Bring in a new Empress.

Clark left, but his words continued to echo in Leonard’s head. In fact, it was something he had been thinking about for a long time. Eight years had passed since Lerian became the empress, and she still hadn’t born a child. The implication was quite clear. But that didn’t mean people automatically thought she was infertile.

Five years ago, Lerian had clearly conceived a royal heir. So, she couldn’t have been infertile to begin with. The problem lay in the incident that followed. The rumor was that the poison the former Empress had fed her was so potent that she had become unable to bear children.

However, Leonard, who knew the truth behind the whole incident, couldn’t easily accept the rumors circulating in the public. In reality, the incident was Lerian’s own act, so he thought that she would never eat poison that would be fatal to her.

So, there were two hypotheses that Leonard could think of.

Either Lerian was infertile from the beginning, or the one who was infertile wasn’t her……

Thinking that far, Leonard laughed and shook his head.

‘What am I thinking right now?’

He believed that he was entertaining pointless thoughts, yet his face remained stiff.

After days and days of worrying, Leonard finally had no choice but to confide in Lerian about his troubles. He believed that she, being insightful, would surely give him the right answer, and he was right. Lerian even agreed more readily than he had expected.

Once the Emperor’s decision was made, the ministers began to search for a suitable candidate for the empress, and in the end, Viola Fern was selected, the eldest daughter of Marquis Fern.

“It’s an honor to serve Your Majesty.”

She was an attractive woman with a teardrop-shaped mole beneath her eye. Nevertheless, Leonard was not interested in the new Empress, just as he hadn’t before. His interest had always been focused on Lerian.

To Lerian, he was always a sinner. He couldn’t deny that no matter how much she pretended to be fine, she couldn’t truly be fine.

Because of this, there was no significant change in their relationship. Unlike the former Empress, Viola showed little interest in their relationship. Not only that, but she excelled in her job. She was more worthy to be an Empress than Lerian, who was always riddled with mistakes.

For Leonard, Viola was just that.

The change in his thinking occurred over a minor incident.

One day, while being overwhelmed by his official duties and the guilt he felt towards Lerian, Viola, who had come for a brief visit, asked him as she saw him like that.

“Is something troubling you?”

Leonard was initially taken aback by her voice that was full of concern, but he soon shook his head. He realized that his worries were almost too ridiculous to discuss with others. Nevertheless, Viola was persistent.

In truth, it was something he had wanted to confide in someone at least once, which was why Leonard feigned reluctance before sharing his concerns with her. Leonard thought Viola would look down on him. However, her attitude was different from his expectations.

“I see. ……You must have been very worried.”

At the sincere voice, Leonard’s eyes widened in surprise. It wasn’t just empty words. Viola offered words of comfort as if it were her own business.

“I’m sure the Queen will understand your sincerity.”

In fact, after the incident with Kilianerisa, Leonard had a slight distrust for the new Empress. However, as if to mock those thoughts, Viola was a completely different person from her.

“……Will Lerian really understand my feelings?”

“Of course. Women tend to fall for men who care and worry about them.”

For the first time, he had opened up to someone and received comfort in return. It felt unfamiliar and embarrassing, but at the same time, it was an overwhelming feeling.

He had always given so much to Lerian, but he had a hunch that it would lead to a different relationship with Viola.

Since that incident, Leonard often sought out Viola to confide his worries. Each time, she would either comfort him or provide him with good advice without showing any signs of annoyance. With the advice he received from her, he had pleased Lerian on multiple occasions, and he gradually began to trust Viola.

“Agh!”

On that day, Leonard, who was on his way to find Viola to share his concerns, was startled by a scream coming from her room. So, he quickly opened the door. Inside, he found Viola, who was lying on the floor, holding her cheek, and Lerian, who was looking at him with a bewildered face.

“Your, Your Highness?”

Both women stared at Leonard at the same time, and he looked back and forth and asked.

“What on earth is happening?”

His gaze was directed at Viola, who was lying on the floor. At first glance, he looked angry, but the look in his eyes was unmistakable worry. Viola carefully turned her gaze away, then shook her head before she spoke.

“It’s nothing. I just stumbled……”

If she had tripped, the place she’d be clutching would be her leg, not her cheek. Leonard sighed for a moment in response to the obvious lie, then eventually focused his gaze on Lerian.

“Lerian, tell me.”

“Well, that’s…”

Lerian stammered for a few moments, looking embarrassed. Viola quickly stepped forward as if to defend Lerian. Leonard’s gaze turned to Viola.

“It’s my fault! I was the one who said something stupid to the Queen. It’s really nothing, so Your Majesty doesn’t need to worry.”

“Is that really the case?”

Leonard’s gaze, which had become even more fierce, was fixed on Lerian. Lerian nodded with difficulty, as if squeezing something out.

“……Yes.”

At her answer, Leonard said he understood and left the room, but he was clearly suspicious of Lerian. However, Lerian felt wronged.

The truth was as follows. Viola had summoned her to her quarters, claiming she had something to tell her. Then, without warning, she slapped herself across the cheek and fell on the floor. It was a very absurd situation, but before she could do anything about it, Leonard burst into the room.

In a situation where she was already suspected, if she tried to argue, she would only arouse more suspicion. So, all Lerian could do was to avoid provoking him as much as possible.

Once or twice, it was something that could be passed off, but if it happened three or more times, it was a different story. Similar incidents to what had happened with Viola had already occurred several times, and Lerian thought that she shouldn’t respond to her summons anymore.

She had told the servants beforehand not to let Viola into her residence, but they did not heed her instructions. Viola always managed to be with Lerian, and in these situations, Lerian was always the perpetrator.

And Leonard was always the one to discover these incidents.

The situation had become so messed up that it was hard to figure out where it all went wrong. All Lerian could do in a situation she didn’t understand was insist on her innocence, but there was no way Leonard would believe it.

She didn’t expect him to believe her. After all, he firmly believed that the poisoning incident that happened a few years ago was also her own doing.

Lerian also protested that she did not do it, but there was no evidence to support her words. At the time, what Kilianerisa had done was so outrageous that the truth was also hard to believe. It was impossible for Leonard to believe her words.

Whether all of this was intentional or not, Leonard’s trust in Lerian gradually diminished, and it was only natural that Leonard’s visits became less frequent.

She was aware of the rumors about what Leonard was doing and where he was going when he wasn’t coming to her, but Leriann denied them. However, her denial was useless. Whether she denied it or not, what happened had already happened.

Originally, she had risen to her position solely with Leonard’s love, without any particular faction or influence. When she lost Leonard’s attention, it was only natural that she would gradually become more isolated in the imperial palace. Tired of that, Lerian finally decided to go to Viola and talk to her.

Viola readily agreed to meet her. It was quite late at night when Viola called her. Being in the same space with a woman higher in status than her was traumatic for Lerian, but there was no other way.

Lerian headed to Viola’s residence at the appointed time, and the moment she was about to open the door, she heard it. The sweet moans of two people coming from the other side of the door.

She felt like her head was going numb. At the same time, the rumors filled her head. She kept denying it, but in the end, she had no choice but to admit it.

There was a clear difference between hearing and experiencing it firsthand. Lerian felt as if everything she had believed in was falling apart. No, had she ever believed in anything in the first place? It was humiliating, ridiculous, and absurd.

At the same time, it was miserable.