The several prestigious Houses and forces in the Empire suddenly all showed some peculiar movements. Some were big, the other negligible. However, due to the fame and influence of these aristocratic families, no matter the scale of their actions, as long as it was about them, the attention of the ma.s.ses and the other concerned parties would always easily be caught. The heir of House Wade had a sudden trip outside the capital. He brought with him a thousand people, both from his own House and the Holy Church.
House Lilac suddenly seemed to lie-low and hosted lesser gatherings and tea parties than normal. The young n.o.bles from this ducal house rarely went out. Even the heir who loved to go on outings and spend time with his group doing horseback riding was not seen much these days.
And there within House Bolden, the crown princess suddenly fell ill. It had almost been a week since then and there were numerous rumors about her contracting a terrible, incurable disease. They said she was bedridden and had become ugly due to the black patches on her skin. Even the Duke didn"t dare to look at her directly.
The whole capital reckoned that once this piece of information was verified, there was a high chance that she would be replaced as the crown prince"s fiancee.
The Emperor would simply not allow a dying lady to a.s.sume the post. Her sickness itself right before she was officially crowned was a sign of disapproval from the heavens. No question about it. Rumina Bolden had to be removed from the list of candidates.
As of now, there were already several aristocratic families perking their ears for news. The ladies from eligible clans once again started visiting the members of the imperial family, the clothing stores, and jewelry stores. A few were even doing stuff to improve their reputation as to enter the royal families" eyes such as donating to orphanages, winning talent contests, b.u.t.tering up the church.
Of which of these stories were true and without undercurrents, no one knows.
The capital ushered in a very busy period. The common people knew it was not only due to the approaching grand ceremony. Not few became restless from not knowing what was truly going on. Although powerlessness caused the majority to always be lacking in information and they already getting used to it, it was still not a good feeling having to grope in the dark.
...
Unknown to most people, even from those in upper society, the Holy Church also made a move, directly speaking with the current Emperor to discuss the new oracle pa.s.sed down through the Saintess.
The Emperor, of course, had no choice but informed the concerned people. The keyword was "inform". Not ask for opinions. When the Saintess and the Pope heard of this, both flashed a grin. One from satisfaction, the other from excitement and glee.
The result was already imminent, hence that time, the two people silently whispered to themselves. "Praise The G.o.ddess for her mercy."
However, contrary to them, the crown prince did not really like the news that made way into his ears. Although he had no problem marrying the Saintess, owning the woman holding the highest post in the church, he still wanted to get wed to the heiress of House Bolden.
One was backed by the current dominant religion of this continent. The other had a whole ducal House behind her.
He was reluctant to let go of either.
Also, unlike the previous life where he hated Rumina Bolden to death, he quite liked her this time. More specifically, he liked that she was not really as infallible as he thought. His jealousy and loathing of her stemmed from the fact that she seemed so capable. But now ever since he discovered she was also the same with other women who could feel fear and be vulnerable, his impression of her began to improve, until he noticed all the good things in her.
She was very beautiful and sensible, and usually act more mature than her age. She knew how to act in public and would definitely not allow him to lose face. That was how smart and prudent she was.
Yet there were also times when she was too clumsy and in need of support and help. And most of all, she respected him and took his words and actions seriously.
Who wouldn"t want a wife who knew how to respect a man"s authority and treat him as her sky?
The eighteen-year-old young man had no idea that the girl he had begun to like actually hated him to the bones.
He went to the Emperor and said he wouldn"t agree to dissolve the betrothal with Rumina.
Of course, because of the health condition of the girl in question, the response he got was not favorable.
The formerly lion-like Emperor, now reduced into a weak and aged fatty, looked at him calmly and asked, "Crown Prince, you disagreed with my decision?"
Rome swallowed some saliva due to the stare he was getting from his father. The pressure was there, especially since the older man was high up in his throne, while he was a few steps below, keeping his head low. Still, he forced the word out of his throat. "Imperial father, forgive me, but I don"t think it will be favorable to both our family and reputation to suddenly withdraw."
"Do you think a woman who can"t a.s.sume her duties as an Empress is fit to marry you?"
"...The palace has many servants and she is smart. There should be no problem just dictating her commands to her maids."
The male lead was not looking directly at the Emperor"s face so he missed the mild irritation and slight disappointment which crossed the fatty"s eyes.
"An Empress has to appear in important banquets, meet foreign envoys, negotiate and pacify the n.o.bles, and sometimes go from places to places to extend help to the subjects of the empire. If her body is weak and in constant worry of death, do you think she can do all of these?"
The young man stilled. He blinked twice to his elaborate boots made by the royal seamstress.
The answer was simple... no. Even if the crown prince was not as bright as the female lead, it was easy to realize the situation, especially when already explained so bluntly. This was why although he tried to argue, in the end, he gave up.
Rome tried to visit the Bolden mansion, yet he was not allowed entry to her room. The master of the house told him the illness was very serious. Of course, the worrywart prince forced his way inside. He was that anxious to see her and was even holding hopes in his heart that she was merely faking it, yet what he saw made him almost puke.
It seemed even with the interference of the plot, a fickle heart would remain fickle.
The next morning, the female lead, who was lying on her bed, just heard that the whole empire knew of her condition, that she was dying. The famed makeup artists painting hideous dark spots all over her skin temporarily stopped.
"Milady..."
Hearing the worried tone of the servant, the female lead just blinked thrice and smiled. "Continue applying it. We can"t be negligent. Visitors might come to see me anytime. We can"t disappoint the imperial clan and fail to uphold their reason for their recent announcement."
"Is this the crown"s work?"
"Hard to tell." The girl shook her head lightly. "But does it matter?"
"It does!"
In the makeup artist"s mind, it mattered because it meant the imperial family had wronged their young lady.
Rumina wordlessly stretched another arm which the other girl had no choice but start to work on.
Another person spoke.
"... In any case, let"s hope the imperial family will at least give the master a good explanation and compensation. Even though no amount could..." The maid only knew that the young lady was let down by the crown prince hence she staged this act. This was the reason for the indignance in her tone.
Another female servant who was carrying the bedsheets to be put on laundry hurriedly chastised, "Mimi, less speaking! The walls might have ears. If what you have said reached the ears of somebody from the palace, you don"t know what will happen to you...!"
The female lead slightly lifted a corner of her mouth and looked out the window. After a long time, she said.
"Instead of gossiping about the palace, how about you girls just tell me about the church, the common people... And the prophet?"
Seeing the lack of tremors in Rumina"s eyes, the female servants exchanged glances. Silence reigned for quite a while until the oldest and most sensible of the girls started to tell about the prophet"s trip to Wade"s fief.
"They said he received another word from the deity..."
"It"s not known if this is true. Only one thing is certain, the prophet has been helping out the poor along the way in the name of the G.o.ddess."
"Hmm... I see."
That morning, the imperial formally family abolished her as the crown princess. Another day pa.s.sed, and then the church declared a new oracle. The G.o.ddess wanted the Saintess to be the new crown princess!
It was rumored that when the Pope read the scroll containing the oracle, a bright light descended upon him. Since then, even though many feel pity for Rumina, they easily accepted her successor since Su Luxi was the one blessed by heaven.