The Price of Love Was Only Despair and Hell

“Your Majesty, may I come in?”

Asta’s voice was heard in Sarubia’s ear, which was facing the wind while sitting on a table chair in front of the terrace.

“Come on in.”

With her permission, Asta walked onto the terrace with a tray. She laughed and said to Sarubia, who looked at her with a questioning look on her face.

“You look a little tired these days, so I brought you a sweet dessert.”

“Dessert?”

“Yes, it’s Krembruele. We also have warm tea for you.”

“Thank you.”

Her warm consideration moved Sarubia. In fact, it was true that Sarubia’s sighs had been increasing due to problems with Diana over the past few days. Sarubia was moved by Asta’s heart, which understood her so well.

“Well, then….”

Asta said her goodbyes and left. Sarubia held a small teaspoon in her hand as she looked at the dessert in front of her. Just as she was about to tap the hard side of the cooked sugar with her teaspoon, she heard a noisy movement outside the room.

“What’s going on?”

Sarubia, who turned her head toward the door, stood up from her seat in surprise when she saw the door open.

“Sarubia!”

The man who entered the room was the Duke of Bronaro, whose face was flushed with anger. After him, Asta came in restlessly.

Sarubia looked at Asta and silently told her to leave with a glance. Asta looked anxiously at Sarubia, then bowed and exited the room.

“What can I do for you, Father?”

Sarubia already had a feeling she knew why he was angry, but she pretended not to ask. The Duke of Bronaro cried out in an even more agitated voice.

“What is going on with the Emperor? Your mother and I already talked about the future, and you didn’t listen to me. In the end, you lost the emperor to a woman who was nothing but a duke.”

He looked like a volcano about to erupt. His eyes, looking at Sarubia, were as cold as the frost in the middle of winter.

“You’re probably more concerned about your future than about me,” Sarubia wanted to spit out, but she held it back. The Duke of Bronar, even more enraged by Sarubia’s calm demeanor, shouted.

“What are you doing so calmly? You’re just a doll that moves the way I tell you!”

Furious, he grabbed a vase that was nearby and threw it to the floor.

Clink clink!

The vase shattered into pieces with a shrill sound. The broken glass pieces rolled on the floor, and the marble floor cracked from the impact.

“Father, what are you doing?”

When pushed to the edge, one’s true nature often comes out. Sarubia shouted with great anger at the Duke of Bronaro’s actions, which she had never seen before.

“What did I do to deserve this insult from you?”

“Didn’t you just do what you wanted? How can you change people’s minds?”

“If I can’t, I’ll kill her!”

“Stop it!”

When the Duke of Bronaro uttered words he shouldn’t have, Sarubia clenched her trembling hand and shouted.

“I won’t tolerate it any longer. No matter how much my father is, I am the Empress of the Empire. And you’re making an irreverent remark!”

“Who made me like this?”

“I don’t want to talk to my father. Leave now!”

“Sarubia!”

“Is there no one outside?”

Sarubia called out to the servants who would be outside. At her voice, several knights hurried into the room. Sarubia looked at the Duke of Bronaro with cold eyes and spoke.

“My father seems a little sick, so make sure to take care of him.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

The two knights, taken aback, tried to gently grab the Duke of Bronaro’s arm. However, the Duke of Bronar turned sharply, shaking them off.

“Keep your hands off me!”

He glared at Sarubia with deathly eyes, then turned and left the room. The knights followed him out, and Sarubia slumped back into her seat. Her heart was pounding. She, who had never disobeyed the Duke of Bronar, had found the courage to confront him for the first time.

Her heart raced. However, she also felt somewhat relieved. Sarubia sighed deeply.

* * *

“Nothing’s going on!”

The Duke of Bronar’s face, as he stormed down the hall, was murderous. The servants who encountered him greeted him nervously, but when they saw his expression, they quickly moved aside and avoided him.

“How much money did I spend to make her an empress?”

If only they had children together, their plans could have gone as expected. He would have been able to wield power all over the world. But the plan collapsed in an instant.

“I’ve taken in an orphan I don’t even know, and she can’t even repay the kindness I’ve brought her…?!”

Now that Sarubia had moved away from Jenaden’s attention, the Duke of Bronar had nothing more to look forward to from her. He decided to target Duke Haydn instead, using all his connections. He needed to understand how the Duke of Haydn came to power and find his weaknesses.

“You’ll see. I’ll get rid of him!”

The Duke of Bronar gave a mean smile.

Elaine, who had been hiding behind a pillar, quietly stepped out after the Duke of Bronar had left. His eyes were filled with confusion.

What did he just say?

“…Orphan?”

So, Sarubia, the Empress, is not his own daughter?

Elaine had never heard such rumors when investigating the Duke of Bronar. And no one had ever said such a thing.

“The Empress was an adopted child?”

Now all the questions seemed to be answered. The strange alienation he had felt while dealing with her, a feeling of reluctance left in his mind. No wonder he had thought she was so different from the Duke.

They may need to revise the plan they’d been thinking about. Elaine turned around. It wasn’t urgent to meet Jenaden now. Sarubia Bronar. It was more urgent to investigate how she had been adopted by the duke.

* * *

“Oh, Elaine…”

The Duchess of Haydn, a longtime hostess in Haydn Street, tilted her head as she watched her son return home earlier than expected.

“Mother.”

“Didn’t you say you had to go to the palace today? I thought you’d be gone longer.”

Elaine smiled warmly at his mother, who spoke kindly. Thinking of his mother, who had accepted him, Elaine was always grateful. If she hadn’t adopted him, he might have died from hunger.

“I have to do something for a while. Where’s Diana?”

“She’s always where I go. I can’t stop her. It makes me wonder if we were meant for each other.”

Linnell shook her head as if she could not stop her. Elaine smiled awkwardly at her.

“She’s very curious.”

“There’s nothing much to prepare. We’re simplifying things as much as we can.”

“Then that’s a relief. But Elaine…”

Linnell clasped Elaine’s hands with hers. Elaine patted her hand reassuringly.

“Mother, don’t worry.”

“How can I not worry? You three are my precious children. You don’t know how much you mean to me, especially since I lost both my husband and my other children.”

“I’m sorry, Mother. I wanted you to live comfortably…”

She clasped Elaine’s hand, signaling not to say more.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry. I just want you all to be free from the past and live as you wish.”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead and finish your work.”

Elaine nodded.

* * *

Upon returning to his room, Elaine immediately began writing a letter to an information guild he knew. It was to ask for further investigation into the Duke of Bronar.

“What letter are you writing like that?”

Just as Elaine was about to seal the letter in an envelope, Diana appeared at the door, holding the knob.

Elaine looked perplexed and shook his head as if nothing had happened.

‘Diana must not be informed immediately that the Empress is an adoptee.’ He thought it wouldn’t be too late to say it later if he were more certain.

“Where have you been?”

Diana didn’t answer Elaine’s question but raised the hem of her dress with her hands.

“What do you think of this?”

“Mother bought me this dress to wear for the entrance. Isn’t it really fancy?”

The white dress with gold thread had layers of frills. Diana spun around on the spot. The dress unfolded like a fan.

“Pretty.”

“Is that all you have to say?” Diana pouted, displeased.

“No, it’s really pretty. Oh, by the way! Is the medicine ready enough?”

Elaine changed the subject.

“Yes, I’ve prepared plenty. And Elaine, you’re going to come often, right?”

“I’ll have a lot to discuss with Jenaden, so I’ll be going often.”

“You know, Elaine, do you think I can do a good job?”

Anxiety was evident on Diana’s face. It was natural for her to worry. She was about to enter the enemy’s field alone.

Of course, it was her choice, but Elaine was also worried. No one could predict what the evil Duke of Bronar would do.

“I’m going to work hard, too.”

“I sometimes dream these days. I dream of holding onto my parents who died because of him and crying.”

“Rain…”

“That name is banned for now. What if you make a mistake in the palace?”

Diana gave a playful smile.

“I will completely capture Jenaden’s heart. And you destroy the Duke of Bronar somehow.”

Elaine looked at Diana with a stern expression. What would they look like when everything collapsed later? She had always thought about it.

Betrayal of a man who believed in love. And a lie.

The memory of that time lingered in Elaine’s head. Little Elaine, who couldn’t go outside because he was too weak, had watched young Jenaden and Diana playing in the garden, smiling.

He knew they’d be so happy.

“I’m sorry.”

Looking out the window, Diana had been crying. She grabbed Jenaden by the hem of her dress, but he eventually shook her hand off and escaped. Left behind, Diana sat down and cried.

Why was that?

Elaine, who knew nothing, wondered if the two had fought.

“Young master!” his servant, Schuville, suddenly shouted, opening the door in a hurry.

Elaine realized something was wrong.

“Whoa…”

Elaine sighed deeply. Memories that she didn’t want to think about rushed in.

“What’s going on?”

Elaine looked at Diana, startled.

“No, nothing.”

Elaine shook her head.