The Abandoned Empress Will Not Return - Chapter 75
It wasn’t just Kane who was anxious.
“How are things going? Is it going well? Why is there no news?”
Sola’s high-pitched voice rang in the bedroom of the empress’ palace. She stirred around her room, chewing on her fingernails.
As soon as things start making some progress, he will be in touch, he said. However, let alone contact her, she didn’t even know the news from there.
“I don’t want to stay in this d*mned Thebes any longer!”
Her dedicated maid, Nina, winced at Sola’s shrill voice.
“Kane, that idi*t son of the emperor is still looking only for Rodelia… Have you contacted Cerdian?”
“Seeing that we haven’t received any reply, they seem to be very busy. How about waiting a little longer…? By the way, I have more news to tell you than that.”
Nina quickly changed the subject.
“What?”
Sola lightly turned her head to look at Nina.
“An envoy has come from the Silver Kingdom. They said that Prince Gray had come this time too….”
“…What? Why are you only telling me this now?”
Sola’s expression contorted at what Nina said.
Why is the Silver Kingdom visiting Thebes at this time? Prince Gray at that. She didn’t want anything to do with him.
“I told you a few days ago but you didn’t listen….”
Nina cried bitterly. It was only a week ago when she had told her to put aside such useless words and tell her only news of Luvenia. She simply followed Sola’s orders straight away.
A wave of tears came flooding in but Sola still asked with an annoyed face as if she didn’t care about her feelings.
“No, why is he here?”
“He said that he’s coming to greet Her Majesty the new Empress but there’s something suspicious about it.
“Yes, it’s very suspicious… It’s because Gray isn’t a person with a big heart enough to care about the empress of a foreign country.”
As Sola murmured, shifting her annoyance to Gray, Nina’s expression brightened as well.
*
“What did Prince Gray, who is so busy, come to Thebes for? As the internal situation is not comfortable enough for us to comfortably welcome delegations, especially the Silver Kingdom delegation, please understand our modest welcome.”
Kane greeted Prince Gray and the envoys from the Silver Kingdom sarcastically. He leaned back in his chair and looked down at him irritably.
“You are so sarcastic again. It is said that you had a new empress, so I came to congratulate you.”
He must have felt quite bad but Gray only responded with a relaxed smile, as if he was used to this situation. He had on his characteristic mischievous smile on his lips. He seemed to be very pleased with Kane’s ill-tempered face.
“I don’t think the relationship between the Silver Kingdom and Thebes is close enough to even take care of that.”
“Of course. I’ve heard rumors that His Majesty has been looking for something diligently lately. It has even caused trouble for our Silver Kingdom as you search for those precious things that have disappeared….”
“….”
“They say the checkpoint is just a ruse, and that you might invade after a while.”
When Gray accused Kane of being imprudent, he too softened a little and said.
“I was careless about that.”
“Thank you for your quick acknowledgement. By the way, what would you do if our Silver Kingdom offered to find what Your Majesty wanted so much?”
“Pardon…?”
“Will you accept it?”
Gray spoke fluently, as if he knew everything. Kane didn’t like his attitude. He didn’t hide his displeasure and raised his voice.
“… If you’re here to jest, get out of here.”
“Jest. Aren’t you being too much to the person who came to give you very important information that will be of help to Your Majesty?”
Only then did Kane show interest, and asked a question for the first time.
“What information…?”
“It will be of great help.”
With a meaningful smile, Gray turned his gaze to Sola and recalled the situation from a while ago.
*
Right after Prince Gray arrived at the imperial palace in Thebes, he immediately sought Sola in the empress’ palace. She was tending her red roses in her garden.
“Hey, Sola Howard. You’ve become very successful, aren’t you?”
Sola frowned at his sneering tone, then looked behind her with her body upright. The expression on her face gradually cooled as she looked at Gray.
“How did you become the Empress of Thebes?”
Gray observed Sola with curiosity. As he stared at Sola’s figure, who had stood fully upright facing him, he suddenly burst into laughter.
“By the way, does Kane know what kind of person you are?”
“…Gray, it is none of your business whether I became the empress of Thebes or the dog of Thebes.”
Sola responded coldly to Gray’s sarcastic tone. She stared at Gray’s face with vexation, then turned her head away as if ignoring it.
There was a fine crease between Gray’s eyebrows.
“You’re still rude, aren’t you?”
“So are you.”
Sola answered without even looking at him. It meant for him to leave, as she no longer wished to share conversation with him and did not want to see the face but Gray wouldn’t budge.
Still staying in Sola’s room whistling, he turned his gaze to the rose next to her and raised his mouth smoothly.
“It’s st*pid like you to grow such things here as you want.”
“……What?”
With sharp eyes Sola stared at Gray.
“If rumors spread that the new empress is growing poisonous roses in the garden of the empress’ palace, do you think you’ll be safe ?”
“I think that’s up to me.”
“You don’t want to be the empress at all, do you?”
“No way.”
“You’re acting like you’d be happy to be kicked out at any time.”
“…….”
“Somehow, I thought it was strange that Kane put you in the position of Empress, you’re not even his taste… Did Cerdian suddenly become greedy for the throne?”
Gray paused in front of the rose bush and frowned.
“No, if he were greedy for the throne, he wouldn’t have to approach it, he’d just take it away… Something is strange.”
“What’s strange? Stop talking nonsense and leave this place.”
Sensing danger, Sola grabbed the hem of her dress. However, no matter what Sola said, Gray continued to think, and soon asked quizzically.
“By the way…. where is Rodelia Florence?”
“How would I know… ?”
“You know, Sola…. Rumors spread that she disappeared overnight. But you’re pretending like you don’t know. I mean, it doesn’t make sense.”
Sola’s face was tinged with embarrassment.
It was Gray’s specialty and talent to talk as if he knew nothing. Sola knew the fact very well, tried to hide her expression and looked elsewhere.
“Cerdian took her, right?”
But Gray dug in more tenaciously. He peered through Sola’s cracks by asking questions which she could not hide her emotions.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Sola, what the hell happened? Cerdian couldn’t have done that just to get the lady….”
Gray stiffened his expression and stretched his words. He frowned as if something had occurred to him, but he pulled his mouth back to the line.
“Don’t tell me.
“What?”
“Right? It’s like that, right?”
“What the hell is right…? Speak properly!”
Sola became anxious at his attitude, constantly taking a pause then asking, which made her shout loudly. However, even at Sola’s urging, Gray continued to speak incomprehensibly to himself.
“Yeah, somehow… I thought the time had come.”
Sola swallowed dry saliva in her nervousness. She smoothed her hair, hoping that Gray didn’t notice. However, Gray became more confident at her appearance and his mouth went up without end.
“It’s the birth of a companion of the Aizen clan, which is said to be born every thousand years. That’s who she is.”
Gray took her hands and moved closer to Sola. Then he asked teasingly.
“Am I wrong?”
Sola couldn’t say anything at that moment. It was a fact that had yet to be revealed.
Gray was a man of great ambition. Even though he was a member of the Howard family who assisted Grand Duke Aizen, he had a desire to surpass him.
The enemy who was originally an ally would be the toughest opponent. They are aware of both the other’s strengths and weaknesses. The same was true of course.
“Seeing that there is no news…”
“….”
“I guess the ceremony of the companion hasn’t been done yet?”
Knowing well that the Aizen clan was at its weakest before the ritual of companionship, he was likely to aim for now when Cerdian was weak.
“You haven’t found a way to be a bride, have you?”
Reading an affirmative answer from Sola’s hardened expression, Prince Gray smiled with pleasure. He raised the corners of his mouth, recalling the overly sensitive behavior Cerdian had shown him in the past.
“No wonder…. it was unusual for him, his reaction was particularly sharp.”
“You are mistaken.”
A trembling voice leaked out. Sola couldn’t hide her restlessness and convinced Gray again.
“Oh, what should we do…. poor Sola, you’ve now been abandoned.”
“What… ?”
“Have you been in contact with Cerdian?”