episode_0018

However, Victor expresses his concerns as if worried.

“Your Highness… the resistance is stronger than expected…”

“It doesn’t matter. They cannot stop the vote. And…”

If they can’t stop the vote, this bill will definitely pass.

The political structure that Agrippa and I have been envisioning for a long time.

But it seems there will be strong opposition if we do it directly, so Yoannes took on the form of submitting the bill.

And just in case Chairman Charles does not bring it to the council with his authority, we even prepared for a preemptive kidnapping.

So… this is a fight that must be fought to the end…

“Such shameless people! The warmth of the late Emperor’s body hasn’t even cooled yet! Where do they dare to plot rebellion now!”

As the commotion escalates, Victor looks at me and opens his mouth, holding a long wooden stick.

“It’s not rebellion, it’s about establishing a new political system under the new Emperor, isn’t it?!”

“Do you think I don’t know your intentions?!”

“No, what intentions?!”

Even Victor steps forward to hide the essence of the situation, but it’s futile.

Well, they are not fools, they must know that the anti-Emperor faction and the Emperor faction are trying to take advantage together.

If they don’t know, then they truly have no right to be here.

In the end…

The council chamber is in chaos.

The atmosphere inside the chamber is getting more heated.

Well… of course, the neutrals and the free cities would not be pleased with the idea of nobles like the Grand Duke ruling the country.

*Bam! Bam! Bam!*

Alexander grabs a wooden hammer and speaks.

“Silence! Be silent!”

Alexander looks at me with a puzzled face.

“Vice Chairman, come down immediately! You bastards in power!”

Seeing the neutral members walking towards the chairman’s seat with angry faces, Alexander urgently shouts.

“Silence! Be silent! From now on, I will exercise the right to maintain order as the acting chairman.”

As Alexander speaks, the security forces enter the chamber.

“W-what are you doing?! Mobilizing troops in the sacred council chamber?!”

“Shut up! I am the acting chairman now! As the acting chairman, I have the right to expel those who disrupt the proceedings! What are the security forces doing? Why aren’t they removing the troublemakers?!”

The scene of the agitating members being dragged away by the security forces is visible.

About ten of them, roughly?

Once the situation is under control, Alexander speaks.

“Then let’s start the vote now.”

The members stand up one by one and move towards the voting booths.

And the result is… as expected.

“Then, I declare that the Imperial Council has passed the bill through a fair vote.”

*Bam! Bam! Bam!*

With the sound of Alexander’s hammer, the passage is declared.

“And according to the voting results, I will officially deliver the recommendation of the Imperial Council for the marriage of Her Highness Princess Theodora and Grand Duke Devian Lyon to Her Highness Princess Theodora.”

Once again, it easily passes with overwhelming support.

*Bam! Bam! Bam!*

“Today, the Imperial Council will adjourn.”

How could the anti-Emperor faction and the Emperor faction join hands and vote in favor?

“This is invalid! Invalid!”

“Rebels, step back!”

Of course, the neutral faction, unable to face reality, resists, but the results are already out.

“It’s… more anticlimactic than I thought.”

***

“P-Princess Theodora, something… something terrible has happened.”

I turn my head at the sound coming from outside my room.

“What happened?”

As I ask, a maid rushes in with an urgent voice.

“I… Ipha has been arrested!”

Huh? Ipha… arrested? Why?

At the sudden news, I urgently inquire.

“Come in! Come in and tell me!”

A maid opens the door and enters.

A face filled with contemplation.

It looks familiar.

Oh… she was Ipha’s friend, right… her name was Helen?

“Helen, what happened that Ipha was arrested?”

“Helen speaks urgently in my ear.

“Spies… accused of being spies… dragged away by the guards to the underground prison…”

“How dare they! Who dares to arrest my maid so boldly?”

Helen trembles at my displeasure.

“It… it was… one of the Duke’s soldiers…”

The Duke…?

“Didn’t he just return yesterday?”

But to do this as soon as he returns?

No matter how thorough the Duke’s investigation may have been, the authority to investigate and arrest in this empire belongs to the Emperor, or in the absence of the Emperor, to the Crown Prince or Princess.

This is undoubtedly an undeniable abuse of power.

Quite literally, an act of treason.

-But… but…

Uncontrollable anger rises within me towards Devian.

“Your Highness!”

“Go to the Duke’s office immediately.”

With that, I rise from my seat.

Devian! I cannot forgive this! There is a limit to enduring humiliation. If you want to become Emperor so badly, then kill me…

Order me to become Emperor over my cold body.

With that determination, I walk away.

Before I know it, the guards at the Duke’s office look at me with widened eyes.

“Your Highness?”

“Ha… is the Duke inside?”

As I ask, the guard looks awkward, about to say something.

A blonde man in the Duke’s office bows slightly to me and speaks.

“The Duke left early this morning for the Imperial Council.”

“Why would a busy person like him go there?… No, more importantly, who are you?”

“I am Agrifa, but why are you here for such a matter…?”

As Agrifa’s words trail off, I speak.

“I heard that Ifa was arrested on charges of being a spy.”

Agrifa looks embarrassed at my words.

“Yes, we received a report this morning that Ifa was arrested as a spy…”

“Ifa is not a spy, why was she arrested?”

Agrifa smiles and shakes his head.

“If she’s not a spy, then who is? Someone who pries into the Duke’s affairs and instructs the maids to extract information from the guards cannot be anything but a spy, right?”

Is he saying that she was arrested because of me… because of me?

No… I cannot afford to lose Ifa here.

“This is treason! In the absence of the Emperor, I have the authority to arrest the people of the Empire. Release Ifa.”

Agrifa smiles and says.

“That seems difficult. We only follow the Duke’s orders.”

-Stubborn…

These people will not listen to me.

But I cannot stand by quietly.

So… I have to do something here for Ifa, who is suffering.

Ifa, trapped in the cruel underground prison, may be undergoing torture at this very moment.

So… there is no time to waste.

They cannot harm me anyway.

With the Emperor’s faction nearby, and me, the future Emperor, if they lay a hand on me, they will not survive.

So, I speak boldly.

“I am behind her, so release her, who is innocent of any crime.”

“That seems difficult. Even if it is Your Highness’s order, we can do nothing without the Duke’s orders.”

“What? Hasn’t the Duke violated my authority? According to the Empire’s Constitution…”

But Agrifa cuts me off and firmly says.

“I can only say the same thing, I am very sorry, but we only follow the Duke’s orders. It would be best to speak to the Duke when he arrives.”

This stubborn and obstinate man does not seem to follow my orders in the end.

I’m sorry… Ifa… just hold on a little longer…

“Then, I will wait inside.”

As I say that, Agrifa sighs.

“Ha…”

And soon… opening the door to the Duke’s office, Agrifa says.

“Yes, please do.”

Passing him, I enter the Duke’s room.

***

How much time has passed?

Shivering in the cold and damp underground prison.

How long has it been?

I don’t know how long I’ve been here.

The pitch-black darkness.

[Scream!]

I block my ears from the sounds of torture coming from all around.

Will I… soon be like that too?

-Thud… Thud…

Footsteps approaching.

-Swish… Swish…

The sound of metal clashing softly echoes.

Like… the sound of a key bundle carried by a jailer.

Is it… my turn?

-Shiver…

Don’t be afraid… It’s okay… I can do this…

Facing the fear and trying to overcome it…

-Creak!

[Pl… Please! St… Stop!]

[Hurry up and come out?! You devil-worshipping scum!]

The sound of someone being beaten resonates.

-Slap!

[Ahh!, Pl… Please help!]

The merciless sounds of violence and screams make my whole body tremble.

[Stop! Noo~!]

I instinctively cover my ears at the sound of a man’s desperate cry.

This place… is hell…

I’d rather die without suffering.

I don’t want to die while being tortured like that.

It will hurt… it will hurt terribly.

I remember when I got a thorn stuck in my hand while working in the fields.

It hurt back then too…

How much more painful will torture be?

It must be horrific, right? Surely it will be dreadful.

I’d rather… die peacefully.

This intense fear gnaws at my heart.

I followed Princess Hwantaenyeo’s orders to repay the debt to the royal family.

And my loyalty to the royal family remains unwavering.

But…

At this moment, I can’t help but regret.

I want to live, I don’t want to suffer…

Struggling in despair as time passes.

How long has it been…

I don’t know how long I’ve been here.

Footsteps are heard again.

Please… please… let it not be me…

I’m trembling in a corner of the prison.

The incessant screams make me even more afraid.

-Thud, thud…

And…

-Drip.

Someone slides a mysterious soup through a hole under the iron door.

“Is this… food?”

I seem to have been starving for quite a while.

But I’m not hungry right now.

Will I… be tortured soon?

Will that wicked Grand Duke torture me and make me confess as ordered by Princess Hwantaenyeo?

-Shiver…

I can endure it.

I’m scared and trembling, but… I don’t want to be humiliated by my enemies.

I’m no longer just an orphan…

I’m Teodora, a maid-in-waiting to Princess Teodora Hwantaenyeo.

So I try to ignite the flame of courage in my heart.

If I don’t, I might freeze and be consumed by fear in this chilling prison…

Prince Anthony… please give me strength.

I clench my hands tightly and try to endure this time.

And quite some time passes.

-Thud… Thud…

Footsteps resound again, making my whole body shiver.

And then… the footsteps stop in front of my cell.

-Shiver…

Fear shakes my body.

And…

-Thud…

My teeth clatter in fear.

Prince Anthony… please… give me courage.

I pray desperately.

-Creak!

The door opens, and two men and a woman enter the prison cell.

“W… Who are you?”

Strangers.

Among them, a woman with brown hair visible under a hat speaks as if annoyed.

“Come on, let’s finish this quickly and go home.”

The big man nods as if understanding and says…

“What… what are you… ugh!”

He gags me and covers my face with a white cloth.

Like… someone being led to the gallows.

Am I… am I going to die?, or… not even be tortured?

Perhaps… this is a blessing in disguise.

Rather than blaming Princess Hwantaenyeo while writhing in agony and enduring cruel torture.

This might be better.

-Shiver…

However, contrary to such thoughts, the trembling of my body does not subside.

“Miss, if you behave, you won’t get hurt.”

And someone wraps around my body and heads somewhere.

With my hands and feet tied, there aren’t many ways for me to resist.

Surrounded by darkness.

Being dragged somewhere with my hands tied.

Tears flow in this dismal situation.

As if heading to the gallows…