Lady to Queen (Webnovel) - Chapter 226

[Side Story: The Fifth Episode]

“A serious problem you say. What might that be?” Thinking that it could not be that much of a big deal, Rosemond added on with a joke, “Did the dethroned Empress Petronilla come back to life or something?”

“It is a bigger problem than that, Your Majesty,” Glara replied in a voice that was shaking heavily. “It is said that the Duchess of Efreni is giving her testimony at the conference being held by the nobles right now.”

“A testimony? What testimony is that?”

“That Your Majesty framed the dethroned Empress for her crimes! I am told that she is currently testifying to the fact that Your Majesty pretended to be pregnant at the time so that you could chase out and dethrone the previous Empress!.”

“…What?” Rosemond’s face turned bright blue when she heard those words. She blew up as she released a scream, “What are you talking about?!”

Rosemond leapt up from her seated position on the bed, and Glara, who had been watching for her next action, wailed, “Your Majesty, where are you planning on going?”

“Do you think that even qualifies as a question right now?! Of course, I have to go to the meeting of the nobles! I have to confirm all of this with my very own eyes! Glara, help me get ready!”

“Your Majesty, it is useless to go at this point…”

At that time, someone opened the door and walked into the room. Lorraine appeared, with other maids trailing behind her.

When Rosemond noticed her entrance, she beamed a smile of relief, “Lorraine!”

“…”

“What in the world is all this about? What is the Duchess of Efreni thinking, to do something like this?!”

“Your Imperial Majesty.” A low voice that was a great departure from Lorraine’s normal tones flowed out of her mouth.

As soon as she heard that voice, Rosemond immediately realized that Lorraine was the one behind everything.

Rosemond glared at Lorraine fiercely, but Lorraine continued to speak without being affected by anything, “It is the Imperial decree of His Majesty the Emperor to imprison the Empress at once within the Empress’ Palace, Your Majesty!”

“Are you the one who orchestrated all of this, Lorraine? Are you the one?!”

“Is it not Your Majesty who did something wrong, after all? I am not the one who did any of that.” Lorraine looked unmoved as she continued on bluntly, as if she was only informing Rosemond. “All contact with the outside world will be cut off, and the matter regarding Your Majesty’s disposition will be decided a few days later through another meeting of the nobility. Until then, it is the Imperial order of His Majesty the Emperor to remain calmly and quietly here.”

“I cannot accept this! I have to meet with the Duchess of Efreni!”

“I have just notified you of all developments. All other contact with the outside world will be blocked.”

Lorraine conveyed all of this without an ounce of sympathy, and relayed to the maids, “It has been revealed that this maid here also participated in the conspiracy that Her Majesty is being accused of, and she will be imprisoned in the same way. Drag her out!”

“Aaagh, how dare you, let go of me at once! Your Majesty! Your Empress Majesty!”

“Put a gag on her.”

“You cannot do this to me! Your Majesty, please save me!”

“Glara!” Rosemond was in a panic as she strode forward and smacked Lorraine on the cheek.

Lorraine’s head turned round to the left along with the sharp sound that filled the air. Lorraine felt enormously insulted by the fact that the mere daughter of a Baron had slapped her when she was the daughter of a Duke, but Rosemond was still the Empress for now.

For the time being.

Lorraine put an end to the surge of her rising rage by biting on her tongue.

She emphasized each syllable of every word she enunciated with all the strength she could muster, “You are still the Supreme Empress, so I will take this and let it go.”

“You…!” Rosemond hissed out a piercing sound through her teeth, but Lorraine ignored her as she proceeded to leave the room.

After a short while, several loud screams were heard echoing throughout the Empress’ Palace.

—–

Thanks to the Duchess of Efreni’s testimony, another full-scale investigation began into the crimes the dethroned Empress Petronilla had been accused of. The Emperor seemed to be quite shocked by the current situation, which proved that he had never participated in the evil schemes that had been plotted out by Empress Rosemond. In fact, he had first learned about Rosemond’s evil deeds through the Duchess of Efreni.

“How did it turn out, Father?”

A few days had passed when it was confirmed that the Empress had indeed conspired to frame the deceased dethroned Empress for all the fabricated crimes, and soon a meeting was held regarding the disposition of the Empress.

The Duke of Witherford answered Lorraine, “The dethronement has been decided.”

“Aah…as expected”

“It was crucial to say that the process of how she became the Empress was not justified, and the conspiracy she hatched to harm others goes against the qualifications to be an Empress. It is not like she has given birth to an Imperial Heir, so this is the natural course of events.”

“It is quite fortunate,” Lorraine agreed, after releasing a long sigh. “We have finally finished one part of our plan. The end is not far away.”

“His Majesty’s birthday is not far away as well. I am thinking of giving him a present that day.”

“Aah.” Lorraine responded with a voice full of laughter, “So that is how it has been decided?”

“Indeed. I do not think there would be a more appropriate time than that.”

“If that is the case, when will the executions be taking place…?”

“That will also come to fruition in the near future.” Duke Witherford stroked Lorraine’s head as he drew a loving smile, “Wait a little longer, my daughter. Because the day you will become the Empress is not far off.”

—–

“That makes no sense!” Rosemond screamed from the depths of her misery when she heard the news of the decision made at the noble assembly from Glara, who had secretly snuck into the Empress’ Palace.

-Dethrone me as the Empress! It was complete nonsense. How many countless acts to get to this place! How much blood did I spill with my own two hands!- She stuttered as she asked, “His, His Majesty? Is this a decision that His Majesty also agreed with?”

“…His Majesty most likely did not have a choice in the matter. The nobles were very stubborn as they insisted on your dethronement, Your Majesty.”

“Still! His Majesty is the Emperor of the Marvinus Empire! If he is really the Emperor, he should be able to do anything and everything. Anything!”

“Your Majesty, do not try to force this. Even if the person is the Emperor, he does not have the option to do everything as he would please.”

“Damn it all!”

In the Marvinus Empire, becoming a dethroned Empress meant death. Was that not the reason that Petronilla had died? The only fortunate aspect of this development was that Rosemond did not even any family to be killed along with her. Rosemond ground her teeth, an anxious look upon her face. “I do not want to die! How hard I worked to finally earn this crown… I have to come up with a way out. A way out…”

“Your Majesty…” Glara wanted to say that a way out did not exist, but if she proceeded to do that, then she would have to deal with Rosemond’s violent nature in full force. Glara decided to just keep her mouth shut.

“What should I do?! Ah, can there not be some kind of efficient way out of this?” Rosemond had been struggling with this thought for a long time, when she clapped her hands loudly, as if a good way to solve the problem had come to mind.

Glara was startled by the sound, and asked, her wide eyes opening even further, “Your Majesty, is there something on your mind?”

“A possible solution has come to my mind.” Rosemond opened her eyes, so big that the whites of her eyeballs could be seen as she moved her gaze all over the place, and then said, “I have to go to the Central Palace right now, Glara. Make the necessary preparations for me so that I can head out.”

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Translated by Haeli

Edited by RED