176 Let’s go home
When the imperial army arrived at the capital of Crete, the gates were wide open.
Nearly a thousand soldiers of the Kingdom of Crete stood in front of the open gates. The soldiers all knelt at the sight of the imperial army. No one was carrying a weapon.
In front of the soldiers, there were dozens of well-dressed men dressed as knights, and some of them were wounded, probably after fighting.
A unit from the Imperial Army came out and ran toward the gate.
There seemed to be some conversation going on.
The captain of the imperial army brought a man who appeared to be the captain of the Crete side to Rudi.
Behind the enemy captain, two men followed, carrying a heavy-looking box.
Speaking of boxes, good images don’t come to mind from before. Rudy looked at the men approaching on horseback with an expressionless expression.
When they came to Rudy, the enemy captain knelt down.
“I am the captain of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Crete. We, the Kingdom of Crete, surrender at the feet of the Emperor of the Empire.”
The enemy guards who followed put the box they were carrying on the floor and opened the lid.
It contained the head of an old man.
“Is that the king?”
Asked by Rudi, the captain of the Guard of Crete bowed his head.
“That’s right.”
The guard’s voice trembled slightly.
The old, wrinkled face of the king was wiped clean. The hair was also neatly trimmed and brushed back. Although the king’s hair was cut off, it seems to have been treated with respect after death.
“Is it to beg for your life?”
When Rudy asked, the captain of the Guard quietly put his head on the floor.
“It doesn’t matter what the lives of the guards and I do. You are the one who betrayed the trust of the lord. He deserves to die. However, I beg you to be kind to the lives of the little princesses who don’t know anything yet. Unlike the prince, the princess Depending on how you get married, you will be embraced in the arms of the Empire. I beg you for your kindness.”
Even the captain of the guard seems to be well aware of the fact that he cannot save the remains of the royal family. However, it seemed that he believed in the rumor that the emperor of the empire was sympathetic to the child and was trying to save the lives of the princesses.
‘Am I barely saving the lives of young princesses?’
I feel like crying. But don’t give the impression that the emperor of an empire is a man driven by emotions.
“Well, that will be decided later. You guys, wait for the disposition.”
Rudy suppressed his emotions and spoke quietly.
After giving a slight nod to Levin and his aides right next to him, he pulled the reins. The dark horse walked past the captain of the royal guard and walked forward.
Levin took several soldiers and ran into the capital. It’s okay if you leave it to him. If it were Levin, he would take good care of Rudy’s heart even without words. He protects the young princesses from danger, just in case.
About a week after that, the task of identifying the concubine and checking the list of Crete royal family held by the imperial army was carried out.
A few princes were missing. After the death of the king, it seems that the concubine in the concubine ran away with her son. They were three, five, or something like that.
The captain of the Crete Guard seemed to know that too. I would have pretended not to know. If he was that little prince, he must have wished that he would let go.
But you can’t leave it like that. In that way, the perception that the empire is soft should not be given. An extensive search was launched.
Rudy’s demon creature did not participate in the search. No one can escape from their eyes. That’s why I couldn’t give orders to the demonic creatures.
Rudy begged inwardly without telling anyone.
‘Please, don’t get caught and run away.’
From nob le mt l dot com
During the search, before-and-after processing was done one by one.
Concubines in the concubines were given to high-ranking officers in the imperial army, and dates for the execution of princes were set.
Some of the high-ranking nobles and guards who remained in the capital were sentenced to death.
The king of Crete seems to have been a goddamn man. Seeds were sown here and there, and among the royal guards there was a person with royal blood.
In the case of children born out of wedlock, they are often not recognized as children, but in Crete, illegitimate children are recognized as royalty as long as the king recognizes them. I don’t know if there was no right to succeed to the throne, but if there was a right to succeed, it couldn’t be saved.
When that was over, a report came up that all the concubines who had fled with the prince had been found.
‘Didn’t he…run away?’
They are the attendants who know Rudy’s heart better than anyone else. I thought they would secretly let go, but I guess they didn’t.
No, yes, they would have had no choice but to do so. If you can’t find the runaway concubine, it’s related to the dignity of the empire. You will hear that they are not trained soldiers, but incompetent imperial soldiers who cannot find women and children. I know enough about it though.
‘I thought the attendants would know my heart better than anyone else.’
I was very slightly saddened. I know I shouldn’t, but I wanted the little princes to run away.
‘I don’t know if I’m a person who doesn’t deserve to be an emperor.’
On the day he met the concubine who was captured again after hiding such feelings, Rudy felt ashamed of himself.
The concubines were saying that all of their children were dead. However, instead of mourning, the faces of the women who spoke through tears were filled with gratitude.
‘You let go.’
I don’t know if it was disguised as a dead body or not. He must have released the little princes in a disguise so that no one would notice.
However, he must have put a watch on it, and he would have taken measures to ensure that he never became a victim of the empire even after that. Alas, I really met my subordinates well.
A few days later, the princes were executed. Dozens of royalty hung their heads on the scaffold.
Unlike the time of Kania, when he was enthusiastic about the deaths of royalty and nobles, the royal capital watched them in silence.
In Chania, the empire was a ruler of mercy, but in the Kingdom of Crete, the empire is a conqueror who knows no mercy, a cold envoy who does not forgive.
Not knowing when the blades of the empire might turn against them, the people of the royal capital were anxious and afraid.
After the postwar process was over, Rudy and the main body of the Imperial Army returned home after a few years leaving the army for governance in the Kingdom of Crete.
It was the season when green sprouts sprouted from the gaps in the snow.
***
The imperial palace of the empire was full of chaos. Both here and there, there are only people who are busy moving. The palace was filled with happy laughter as they welcomed the returning emperor after a long absence.
But there is only one exception. Lilitha couldn’t make any expression, let alone laugh.
“Mama, you’re so nervous. Why are you so stiff?”
“…”
Tyra asks. But I couldn’t answer. When I tried to say something, something like a stone hit my chest and I choked my breath.
“Is it true that you like His Majesty? Are you happy?”
“…”
I don’t know. I’m sure I like it, but I’m not sure if I’m happy. I wanted to meet you, and I didn’t want to meet you.
“mama?”
“…Marie, I need Marie.”
“…”
Tyra looked at Lilitha and sighed.
“Okay, Mama. Go to the concubine and get Marie to cheer you up.”
Immediately the wagon was ready.
Today, both the dance class and the salon with the lady have been cancelled. Because tomorrow the emperor will return. All Risha had to do today was to clean and polish for tomorrow.
However, it is more important to return the expression to the face first.
Lilisha became impatient and headed for the concubine in a carriage.
why is it so scary Rudy, whom you love so much, is coming back, so why are you afraid? what? What if I can’t make any facial expressions like this? What if Rudy comes and stares at him with a scary face?
Lilitha held the hair ornament Rudi gave her on New Year’s Day. I wanted to cry. Oh my gosh.
Marie was holding Mama Nadiagra and the goat in the garden.
huh? Why is Mama Nadia holding the goat?
As soon as Lilitha entered the garden, she stiffened and stopped in place.
Marie cried out when she saw her.
“Mama! Help! Hurry up. I think Bhimama will miss it.”
Lilitha was taken aback and hurried to the two of them.
Nadiagra was holding the goat by the neck, well, you shouldn’t be holding it like that. The goat will easily miss it with a slight tilt of its head. Goats are incredibly powerful animals.
When Lilitha joined in, Marie quickly began milking the goat.
“Haa, this guy really hates milking. He doesn’t bite or kick people, but in his own way he’s gentle and has a lot of charm, but I don’t know why he’s bothering me so much.”
If you need goat’s milk, just tell the attendant. Then I’ll give you whatever you want.
Even if it’s not that, I’ll give you one more goat if you ask me. Ten, a hundred, even if you ask me to fill this mansion with goats, I’ll do it.
If I just said one word, I wouldn’t have to let out a desperate sigh with my whole body.
But it’s not like Marie. It’s about squeezing out as much as possible out of the limit. so it’s marie
“Marie still smells salty.”
At Lilitha’s words, Marie slightly rolled her eyes.
“I also use it when I have to. Today, I caught a chicken because His Majesty is returning after a long time.”
“…”
“Lilisha-sama is blessed to eat. I was going to eat with Nadia Mama.”
Marie smiled hahahaha and removed her hand from the goat’s milk. White milk smeared on hands. After pouring it into the bucket, Mary stood up, and Mama Nadiagra said in a low voice.
“Marie, my hand doesn’t move.”
“Mama, you must have worked too hard. Tomorrow is a sore muscle.”
As I listened to the exchange between the two, I suddenly burst into tears. It seems like we got along better than Rilisha.
It was my dog, but I thought it was taken away. I hadn’t thought of this before, so why is it suddenly like that?
Nadiagra Mama looked at Ririsha and tilted her head.
“Empress, why are you crying? Come here.”
A strange thing happened. Nadia Mama hugged Lilitha and patted her on the back.
Has Bhimama finally gone mad? No, it was a bit odd at first. I can’t catch the galpi.
Lilitha stood still, hardened like a log.
Nadiagra Mama thoughtfully looked into Lilitha’s face and said.
“Yes, it is because tomorrow is the day the emperor comes.”
Nodding to herself, Mama Nadia looked at Marie.
“Marie, could you make some tea for me?”
“Yes, Mama.”
Marie smiled.
The three entered the mansion side by side.
In the past, there was a clear difference in status between Mari and Bhimama. But now they are like friends.
The two sat side by side drinking tea and talking about the tea leaves grown behind the mansion.
Nadia and Mama seem to be gardening together these days. Come to think of it, Bhimama’s hands seem a bit rough.
The other day, when I came to deliver the hair ornaments, Mama Nadia was taking a nap. Maybe even then, the two of them worked in the garden together and fell asleep because they were tired. I felt strange.
Nadia, who had been talking with Marie for a while, looked at Lilitha as if she remembered Mama.
“Yes, I was going to talk about the empress. Empress, it’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“Why do you think Bhimama is afraid of the empress?”
When Marie asked, Mama Nadia widened her eyes.
“I thought tomorrow was the first night, didn’t I?”
“…”
“…”
When Marie and Lilitha were speechless, Mama Nadia tilted her head.
“I too was very afraid when I first came to this country. The first time I spent the night with His Majesty the Emperor, I was so scared and nervous that I didn’t feel alive.”
Nadia Mama shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
“Well, it’s all in the past now. It’s okay, empress. The first night is scary and difficult for all women. The empress is not the only one. The emperor is gentle, so it’s definitely not scary.”
Is it like that?
‘I wonder if that was scary.’
No, it seems a little different. I feel that something is subtly out of place. But I don’t know what it is. Rilisha quietly put the teacup to her mouth. My brain is messed up.
This time Marie opened her mouth.
“Well, what Bimama said is correct, but that’s what I think. If it’s true that the Empress is scared, it’s probably because she finally learned what love is.”
“Oh, is that so?
“Yes, yes, that’s right. Up until now, Lilitha-sama followed Her Majesty like a chick chasing its mother hen. But after being apart for several years, why is there such a thing? Can I really be loved by that person, can I be loved? What if he hates me, what if His Majesty gets disappointed when he sees me after a long time, isn’t that what he’s worried about? Now that he’s no longer a child, he’s matured a bit, so he looks back on himself.”
“There’s tomorrow until the first night, maybe.”
“Yes. To be honest, as a woman, how to say, Lilitha-sama is a bit lacking. Rather than a woman, she’s more like a child. Of course, wouldn’t you be anxious about whether you are loved yourself?”
“Well, the empress doesn’t have a bit of s*x appeal.”
The two of them started talking about it in front of Rilisha. Others are full of praise, but the evaluation of the two is harsh.
Risha got up from her seat. let’s go back If I stay here, I will lose my confidence completely and feel like I will crawl on the floor.
I lowered my head and trudged out of the mansion, but Marie smiled brightly and waved.
“Mama, it’s okay. Even without s*xual attraction, Mama is loved enough by His Majesty.”
It is not comforting.
Upon returning to the empress’ palace, Tyra breathed in relief as she spoke.
“I’m glad. Your expression is back, Mama. I was worried about what if His Majesty’s face continued to look like that even after he returned.”
oh yeah Did you get your face back?
Come to think of it, the stuffiness in my heart seems to have disappeared a little. Instead, I lost a lot of confidence.
‘Finally tomorrow.’
Rudy returns.
My heart started to beat violently as if it were about to jump out.
