Chapter 7
Translator & Editor: Mellow & Aki
Countess Audrey"s crying became louder.
“What made you come to such a decision? n.o.body forced you to go to the North.”
The count, curious as to what was going on in his daughter"s head, asked solemnly.
“That was the only way to avoid getting married to the Crown Prince because he will try whatever he can to marry into our family.”
Listening to her reply, the Count"s face stiffened.
“Didn"t you used to love the Crown Prince? What happened that made you suddenly change your mind?”
The Count was perplexed.
He was the one who didn"t want their household to become one with the royal family because he knew that a woman married to royalty was never happy. But, his daughter Rose liked the Crown Prince and went around acting like a fool in love, so the Count and Countess were somewhat preparing their hearts in case a marriage proposal had arrived.
“If I get married to him, everyone will become miserable.”
“Who gave you such advice?”
The Count glanced at Hans, thinking that he might have said something to Rose, but Hans, looking curious as well, just shrugged his shoulders.
“There may be some women who become miserable but not all are like that. You don"t need to worry about the future. Besides, the royal family cannot afford to recklessly touch this house"s daughter, child.”
The Count tried to sooth his daughter. He would rather send her to get married a hundred times to the royal family than to send her to the North. Even if she was to marry a tyrant, it was better to have his daughter in his sight. If anything happens, and if it meant that he"d have to make the royal family his enemy, he would have her sign for divorce and bring her back home.
Rose shook her head firmly rejecting her father"s persuasion.
"I"ve seen with my own eyes how our family that was supposed to last longer than the royal family, collapsed into ruins. How our family had become so miserable, how you died while enduring all kinds of humiliation, Father, you will never know."
Rose considered confessing, telling her family about everything she had faced and seen, however, she decided against it.
They would think their daughter had gone crazy.
Her mother might end up getting a heart attack from shock, which might put her life in severe danger.
It would be obvious as to what follows next, rumors that she had gone crazy would spread and damage the reputation of the whole Etoire family. Therefore, there was no need for them to know…
Rose spoke again, calmly,
“Injuring the Crown Prince is punishable by death, and if I were to be executed, it would have caused great harm to our family. Going to the North is a better option. Also, I"d be saving Lady Muriel"s life.”
The moment Rose"s mother heard that, she yelled loudly while crying.
“Since when did you become a saintess! Did someone ask you to save Muriel"s life?”
“Even if I die, I"ll go to the North and die, so that no harm comes to our family. It"s something that I can handle on my own. Plus, you never know, I might go and adjust perfectly there.”
Rose knew that there wasn"t even a slight possibility that that would happen, but she tried to rea.s.sure her parents.
“I"ll try in any way to appease the damage made to the Crown Prince. The royal family could still be willing for the marriage to happen.”
Rose replied without blinking,
“The moment you ask me to get married to him, is the moment I"ll really die, so please respect my decision.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she got up from her position and exited the room.
The Count, Countess, and Hans were all in awe at how the world"s most innocent and lovable Rose has changed like that, how she seemed like a completely different person.
The Emperor lied down comfortably on the long sofa, while Madam Trisha slowly ma.s.saged his shoulders.
“Your Majesty, didn"t you say that a few days ago, at the Etoire banquet, an absurd incident had taken place?”
Madam Trisha, the wife of the deceased Marquis, asked, gently ma.s.saging the back of the Emperor"s neck with her white, thin hands.
“Oh, you"re speaking about that young lady?”
“You don"t know how shocked I was after hearing about such news, and I still cannot believe it, My King.”
“It seems that Ca.s.siax is still angry.”
“Oh my world, it wasn"t enough that she hurt the Crown Prince, she even volunteered to go to the North. Don"t you think that young lady is crazy?”
“Hmmm….”
The Emperor remained silent as he let the woman behind him continue her work.
He was just as surprised as her after receiving such news.
“You were thinking of making that child Crown Princess, isn"t that right, Your Majesty?”
The Emperor decided to close his eyes instead of replying.
“It"s understandable. The Etoire family would have been a strong support to the Crown Prince. If she ended up marrying into other powerful families, it would have been a troublesome thing for the royal family.”
Madam Trisha knew the exact intentions of the Emperor.
Because the royal family had to always be wary when two powerful families united together. The Emperor was rea.s.sured when he knew that the daughter of the Etoire family and Ca.s.siax liked each other. However, that same girl said she didn"t want to marry Ca.s.siax and would rather be sent to the North.
The North, Helavant, where even an influential family such as the Etoire"s had no influence on.
“If that girl isn"t going to marry the Crown Prince, then just send her to the North, it would be more beneficial.”
A sickly-sweet formed on her mouth as Madam Trisha drew her red lips slowly near the Emperor"s ear and whispered gently.
"Sasha, my cute and clever niece, it seems that the heavens are on our side."
Madam Trisha was writing an interesting play, antic.i.p.ating that Rose Etoire would become Crown Princess, but before she could put her plan into practice, unexpected luck had just fallen into her lap.
She hummed. The play would have to be written again, but unlike her expectations, things were working out smoother than expected.
“It"s an unfortunate thing, but I"m sure that Your Majesty would be able to find another suitable partner for His Highness. “
She placed her hand on the Emperor"s hairy chest.
The Emperor and Madam Trisha lied on the bed becoming one.
TL/N: Yuck. Trisha is number 2 on the list of human trash.
The royal family had decided to send Rose to the North, and all the preparations were done in a flash.
“Natalie!”
As Rose was getting on to the carriage, she stared at Natalie in a puzzled expression.
No matter how much Rose had looked for Natalie to bid her farewell, she couldn"t find any traces of her, but alas, Natalie was there in the carriage sitting in the corner.
“Welcome, young lady.”
She was clasping her luggage tightly to her chest, looking at Rose stubbornly.
“I already told you! If I go I might not be able to come back.”
“It"s okay, it"s not like I have any family waiting for me here. My only family is you, Miss.”
“Please, Natalie. Don"t be like this.”
Rose informed the Palace that she would be going alone without any maids, however, it seemed like n.o.body was able to stand in the way of Natalie"s stubbornness.
Natalie knew what kind of place Helevant was and what kind of rumors surrounded that place, yet still she decided to follow Rose and nothing said could have changed her mind.
So, Rose gave up on saying anything and climbed into the carriage as well.
“You"re something else.”
“If we die, let"s die together, Miss.”
Natalie held Rose"s hand tightly, looking as if she was a person going to war.
Eventually, Rose choking a little, laughed.
“Why will we die!”
“Then let"s both kill that guy. You know that Northern King, and then we can come back proudly.”
Natalie clenched her fist together while talking.
Rose laughed at Natalie in amazement, thinking how human fears could be sublimated in that way.
“Rose, you have to send a letter the moment you arrive, alright?”
Count Jared clasped her hand tightly through the carriage window, it seemed as though he never wanted to let go.
Rose nodded her head and stared at her father with determination in her eyes.
“I"ll do well. Don"t worry.”
Countess Audrey could be seen leaning on Hans for support, standing near the entrance.
The greatest lady of the Empire, and the wife of a Count who never approved of disheveled hair or appearance, was standing there with her hair untamed looking resentfully at her daughter.
Seeing her mother like that hurt her heart.
Rose quickly closed the carriage window for the fear that her heart and resolve will grow weaker.
"Forgive me, but this was the only way.”
“Miss…l-let"s just go back to the capital. If you go back to the Crown Prince and tell him that you"ll marry him, will he not forgive you?”
Natalie mumbled nervousness while looking out the window.
Natalie, who was in high spirits before taking off and speaking of killing the Northern King, has suddenly wilted like a flower.
“It"s already too late. We"re almost near Helevant.”
Rose, who was watching the scenery pa.s.s outside, spoke quietly.
They did stay at an inn a couple of times mid-way, but in the last few days the carriage had been moving non-stop, causing her to feel unimaginable exhaustion. It was her first time ever travelling anywhere, but it felt like she would die in the carriage from all this exhaustion.
“Even the trees and forests are just creepy here. It"s day time, but why is it so gloomy? There"s a lot of fog and it"s just too dark….”
“Hundreds of years ago, when there was an epidemic in the continent, a third of the human population died painfully. Since that day onward, this forest was named the Forest of Death.”
“Oh my world!”
Natalie, who had her head out, watching the scenery, fell on her bottom looking terrified.
“Now that you"ve told me that, the trees all look twisted. Like white skeletons suffering.”
“It"s said that they lost count of the number of people who got lost and died in the labyrinth of these woods.”
“Even the name of the forest is weird!”