The Abandoned Empress Will Not Return - Chapter 94

Her sleep didn’t last too long.

Rodelia, awakened by the hustle and bustle, put on the neatest clothes she could get out of the closet.

As she stood in front of her mirror and looked around to see if there was anything missing, she put a faint smile on her lips.

‘Since Cerdian said that he’ll make an announcement soon, I’d better show off a neat appearance befitting the hostess of the grand duke’s family from now on.’

After finishing dressing up, she took out a parchment from her drawer and headed to Cerdian.

She was about to inform him of the existence of the secret study.

She should have never gone.

Excited, she never dreamed that she would hear such a conversation until she reached the door.

At first, they seemed to be just having an important conversation, so she tried to wait outside.

She never intended to eavesdrop nor was she interested in the conversation.

However after Kane’s name was mentioned, she couldn’t help but focus on their conversation.

[I heard that the emperor also noticed that the one who poisoned him was you, Your Highness.]

And when she found out that Cerdian had poisoned Kane, she almost collapsed.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like her presence was noticed and she was able to come to her senses. She then assumed that there must have been circumstances that were beyond his control.

It was because her feelings for Kane had completely disappeared.

However, after the conversation about the Kirkel clan came and went, she felt a strong urge to leave.

[Watch out for the man with the red eyes.]

It was because the old woman’s warning reminded her that she was going to hear something she shouldn’t hear.

But she couldn’t overcome her curiosity. And when she heard Cerdian’s cold voice, she couldn’t hide her presence any longer.

[You are talking nonsense.]

[I hope you didn’t worry for nothing; she’ll be thrown away as soon as her usefulness runs out.]

As she left the office, her whole body trembled like an aspen tree.

Thump, thump, thump.

Her heart was beating like crazy.

Her stomach twisted and her vision went hazy, she did not know in what state of mind she was in that she walked aimlessly.

She felt like she needed some fresh air to come to her senses.

Rodelia walked out of the mansion that way. Even so, her body, which had not calmed down, eventually regurgitated everything inside her.

“Uurk.”

Only the gastric juices from inside her soaked the earth. Her throat burned as if it had been torched.

She felt like she had finally faced the reality she wanted to avoid. It was as if someone had plunged her face into the mud to help her wake up.

Surprisingly, no tears came out. Is it because she remembered being abandoned once? Or was it because it hadn’t been long since it happened?

Rodelia, having been on the ground for a while, felt her shaking body calm down.

She perhaps knew implicitly that this was the end to come.

She spilled out self-criticism as she looked at her messed up fingertips.

She had made a promise but once again she was put in this situation.

It was only a moment for her, but it was enough to finish organizing her thoughts.

Rodelia rose from the ground. She then found Cerdian who couldn’t easily approach her.

‘Are you here to apologize to me? That everything I heard was a misunderstanding, will you be explaining?’

All sorts of assumptions passed by. Next was awareness.

Rodelia loathed herself for keeping such feeble hope even at such a moment.

She chewed hard on her parched lips.

“…. How much did you hear?”

In the end, Cerdian, who couldn’t cross those few steps, asked with difficulty. His gaze moved to Rodelia’s bruised fingertips.

“Everything… Everything you said.”

“Will you listen if I explain?”

Cerdian took a step closer and lightly squeezed Rodelia’s wrist. Her expression, as she looked down at the wrist he was gripping, was still cold.

“You’re not saying no.”

‘Why is my life always like this? Doesn’t it feel like someone is blocking my happiness?’

“Is an explanation important now? I was just being used by you.”

Cerdian did not make any excuses. He wanted to tell her something, but his eyes were fixed on Rodelia.

She clenched her fists so hard that her hands turned white.

“Somehow I thought it couldn’t be. Can I really be this happy? I wondered about it every night.”

“Rodelia.”

“Don’t call me whatever you like.”

Her expression was colder than ever.

“I won’t ask what my use was or what you were trying to do with me.”

“……”

“I’ll leave the Grand Duke’s residence as soon as I’m ready, so you handle the paperwork.”

Cerdian couldn’t say anything. Everything she said was right, what excuse could he make?

Rodelia shook off her gripped wrist.

He couldn’t hold onto Rodelia, until she was no longer in his sight.

He had further torn apart the wounds that Rodelia Florence had been trying to hide.

Swallowing his regret, Cerdian gently closed his eyes. Darkness came again.

*

Upon hearing the news, the Green Sisters rushed over.

They gasped for breath, not knowing what to do. They seemed quite taken aback by the sudden situation.

Quickly finishing their salutations, they cautiously brought up the topic.

“I heard the news from Bruce.”

“In the end, Rodelia found out….”

“Of course, the beginning was wrong but it is not now. Don’t worry, we’ll try to explain….”

“No, don’t say anything.”

Cerdian sternly cut off their gibberish.

He looked dryly at the Green Sisters, who had puzzled looks on their faces.

“She will need time to think.”

“But…..”

“Right now, Kane is the priority. We have to figure out what he’s doing with Prince Grey.”

The Green Sisters’ face wrinkled.

“Right now? Even if it’s you, Lord Cerdian, it’s impossible. I heard Grey Howard intervened. You never know what that b*st*rd is up to.”

“……”

Cerdian’s expression was so indifferent that it was hard to guess what he was thinking.

He seemed like a man with no emotions.

But this was not a situation where his feelings should be considered. Angela resolutely continued.

“We will do everything in our power to find the Kirkel clan, so Your Highness must reclaim Lady Rodelia’s heart. Isn’t the frequency of the pain gradually increasing? If so….”

“Let it be for now.”

“Pardon?”

“Rodelia will be leaving soon. Get her to a safe house without being noticed and send some skilled people.”

The Green Sisters’ bodies stiffened.

It was not that Cerdian was unshaken. He just kept his emotions well contained as he was in a state that was angrier than ever.

“Until I go to Kane, don’t let the b*st*rd reach her.”

“We will keep that in mind.”

They had to obey his orders.

*

It was as if a violent storm had passed.

It was so shocking that she hadn’t really grasped the situation yet.

Back in her room, Rodelia grabbed the doorknob with a trembling hand. There was a lot of force in her hands.

Looking back, it had been an unstable relationship with Cerdian from the start.

He was Sola’s blood relative. She shouldn’t have had anything to do with him nor should she have depended on him. But wasn’t her brief weakness what dragged her here?

Everything was a result of her own making.

Gritting her teeth, she turned the doorknob.

The servants of the mansion were busy cleaning the room.

Did they all know? How much had they laughed at her? They must have been gossiping about her as if she was nothing.

Rodelia swallowed a wry smile as the thoughts came to her mind, she said.

“It’s been cleaned so can you leave?”

Having been busy organizing, they felt a serious aura and quickly vacated their positions.

Rodelia, left alone at last, slumped down on the floor.

She burst out laughing. She laughed out loud like a madwoman, feeling all the blood drain from her body.

She wanted to deny it but when she faced the truth, she finally saw reality. There was no way.

‘In the end, I ended up being used here and there and then thrown away.’

[T/N: So sad]

He didn’t even know—how happy she was and how much she truly cared for him.

She didn’t have the strength to deny it. Rage filled her heart soon after.

Blood trickled from her bitten lips.

Her shabby appearance was wholly reflected in the mirror opposite her.

Her stiff lips trembled at the rush of emotions.

The well-groomed, elegant woman she saw in the mirror this morning was no more.

On top of her neat clothes was dirt smeared in all places, making her look terribly pitiful. And what about her tear-stained face?

Rodelia tore her clothes off, roughly wiping her face with her soiled hands.

As she watched the mess in her well-organized room, she tied her flowing hair into a ponytail.

Rodelia washed her face with cold water to clear her mind and changed into comfortable clothes.

And after she found a suitable bag, she started to pack her clothes.

In her heart, she wanted to burn everything Cerdian had given her but she couldn’t leave the mansion naked.

Also, he was the one who did the wrong thing, so what should she be afraid of?

The closer she was to finishing her preparations to leave the mansion, the more she calmed down and began to recall things she had forgotten.

“The secret study….”

But what’s the use of announcing that fact now?

With her bag wrapped around her, she looked around the empty room and left the mansion.