As the door shut, Eleanora burst into hysterical laughter, tears streaming from her blue eyes once again.
She propped herself up on the bed and buried her face in her crossed arms.
"Had he dismissed me from my role initially, none of this would have occurred."
"Had he refused to take me as his wife, rather than subjecting me to this agony for the past four years, perhaps I could have learned to live without him eventually."
Her presence here was solely because of him.
Because he had chosen her as his empress, the empire desired her in that role.
Had he released her sooner, she might have pursued a normal life as a knight and put him out of her mind.
"Perhaps I might have even found someone who would cherish me deeply."
Eleanora wept until her tears were spent and sleep overtook her, exhausted from the crying.
'Just what am I to you? How can you humiliate me like this?'
…
The following day, Eleanora prepared for the routine meeting with the senior members of the Empire Council at eight o'clock.
Her nanny, Maria, arranged her long silver hair into a bun while Rena assisted her with the accessories.
Beneath her jewel-blue eyes, the dark circles were evident, a testament to the stress and sleep deprivation she had endured the previous night.
Red marks were all over her neck, reminding her about the emperor's unusual behavior again and she sighed as she picked up the makeup brush to hide them.
Unfortunately, using makeup had shown little results in covering it up.
Thus, she had no choice but to change into a high-neck dress.
Eleanora's visual was a distinct echo of her noble heritage, the Dalton Duchy. Her silver hair and sapphire eyes were unmistakable markers of their venerable ducal bloodline.
Born a mere four years after the emperor, Eleanora was destined to marry him; their families' enduring alliance, forged by unwavering loyalty to the crown, all but assured it.
The priests had foretold their marriage would bring a prosperous era for the empire—a prophecy fulfilled as she indeed ushered in a time of great prosperity.
Yet, amidst this triumph, Eleanora's identity eroded under the weight of her profound love and her obsession on him.
…
In the meeting hall, Eleanora took her place in the empress's seat to the right of the emperor. The nobles were seated in two rows, separated by the central table.
Periodically, she sensed the emperor's gaze upon her, as always.
In the past, his gaze would have made her feel shy, but those days were gone.
Now, Eleanora focused intently on the papers before her, oblivious to their content.
The stares of the other high-ranking officials and nobles weighed on her, yet she remained with her gaze downward.
Everyone knew.
They were aware of her humiliation, of how scorned she felt at that moment.
The meeting covered the usual topics: border patrols and country alliances.
For once, no one dared to ask her questions, behaving as if she were invisible.
Truthfully, Eleanora wished she were absent.
She had informed Rena that they would depart at week's end.
She still had to organize her belongings and ensure the empire had enough resources to last a while.
She hoped her absence would go unnoticed for a few days.
With luck, once she left the empire, they wouldn't be able to find her even if they searched.
"What do you suggest about this proposal, Empress?"
Marquise Rosalie addressed her abruptly, causing Eleanora to look up in sharp surprise, jolted from her reverie.
She hadn't anticipated being spoken to during the meeting.
Clearing her throat with a cough, Eleanora attempted to recall the topic of discussion, realizing she had allowed her thoughts to drift excessively.
"Well... that's umm...,"
Eleanora began hesitantly, but was abruptly spared from responding when the door burst open.
To her astonishment, a man with lustrous silver hair, clad in silver armor and a blue cape, entered her line of sight.
Despite his years, the man retained a youthful and formidable appearance, his jewel-blue eyes sweeping across the room's people as he entered, his expression unyielding and devoid of emotion.
"Father?!"
It was Eleanora's father, Duke Alexander De Xavier Dalton, whose sudden appearance was the last thing she expected.
"Hadn't he been at the borders for the past year?"
The Duke of Dalton's expression was one of fury as he stepped closer to her, causing Eleanora to shrink inwardly.
"Has he come to pity me as well?"
With her eyes clenched shut, Eleanora braced for blame, but the anticipated reproach did not come.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
Duke Dalton demanded, leaving her in a state of confusion.
To the astonishment of all, his gaze shifted to the emperor, not to her.
Eleanora raised her eyes to meet the emperor's, who returned the look with a stoic expression, his face an enigma.
Or perhaps he simply did not care at all.
"What is the issue, Duke Dalton?"
"Your unannounced arrival has greatly disrupted our meeting."
The emperor's voice carried a note of annoyance, and Duke Dalton's frown grew more pronounced.
"Do not feign ignorance with me!"
Duke Dalton exclaimed loudly and Eleanora's eyes widened in surprise.
He raised his voice against the emperor?!
"Do you think you can disgrace my family in such a manner and expect my continued loyalty?"
"She is my daughter! The matriarch of our empire, your empress! And yet, you chose a mistress to bear your child and declared them the heir?"
Eleanora's breath hitched.
'Is my father... defending me? Opposing the Emperor?'
Duke Dalton's allegiance had always been to the imperial family above all, bound by the blood oath taken at his knighting.
Sadly, the bond between father and daughter had grown distant after her mother's death.
His devotion to the crown intensified, and he busied himself with defending the borders, often absent from home for many months.
This was why Eleanora never expected him to defend her against the emperor, pointing out something that no one dared to do.
The emperor's expression hardened, his jaw clenching in anger as he narrowed his red eyes menacingly.
"You need to calm down, Duke,"
The emperor said slowly, his piercing gaze shifting to the empress, causing her to shiver.
The threat in his tone was clear to all, but Duke Dalton seemed oblivious or indifferent.
"Calm down? Calm down?!"
Duke Dalton bellowed, while Marquise Rosalie and Duke Hertz sensed the upcoming danger.
"No, Your Majesty, I have tolerated your disrespect towards her for far too long!"
"She is a Dalton by birth and merits your respect, if for nothing else, then for her noble lineage."
"To think you would throw her aside as if she was trash and impregnate another woman is unacceptable."
The emperor's anger escalated with each word the Duke of Dalton spoke.
"Duke Dalton—"
The emperor tried to interject, but the duke's tirade overpowered him.
"Your father would be appalled if he were alive, Your Majesty! My daughter does not deserve this—I am taking her away!"
That was the last straw. The emperor could no longer contain himself; he slammed his fist on the table and rose to confront Duke Dalton.
The papers on the table began to flutter about as a result of his magical powers, eventually settling back down to the floor.
Meanwhile, Eleanora was caught in a dilemma, with her father on her left and the emperor on her right.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'TAKING HER AWAY'?!"
The emperor's roar thundered through the hall, and Marquise Rosalie and Duke Hertz rose from their seats to restrain Duke Dalton from lashing out in response.
"If she cannot accept that then that is on her! Lady Jena will be having my child, and they will be named as heir. That is final!"
"Now I suggest you see yourself out from this meeting immediately and go calm down, Duke!"
A murmur of agreement resonated throughout the room from all those present.
Duke Dalton, previously restraining his icy aura, unleashed it in a burst of anger at the complacent attitudes of those around him.
The room fell into immediate silence, with everyone bowing their heads, shivering under the influence of his chilling magical presence.
"Calm down, Xander!"
"You are going to make it complicated!"
Duke Hertz's whispers are soft, yet Duke Dalton's anger only escalates.
His eyes, the color of precious sapphires, grow stormy—a harbinger of his waning control as tension fills the room.
The air thrums with his unleashed power, palpable to all, signaling he's on the brink of losing his composure.
A single scoff from the emperor is the spark that ignites chaos.
Within moments, Duke Dalton reaches a breaking point, a development that fills Eleanora with dread as he seizes her wrist, and immediately, the emperor stretches out to hold her other wrist.
"Don't forget that she is my wife, Duke Dalton... You just can't come and take her away!"
The emperor issued a warning, and Eleanora hissed in pain as he tightened his grip on her.
A flash of killing intent shone in her father's jewel-blue eyes as he watched how the emperor dared to treat her right before his eyes.
Who knows how he treats her in private!
"She is my daughter before being your wife, Your Majesty! "
"I can take her away whenever I want..."
Alexander paused slightly at his words as he glared at the emperor and Eleanora's heart started to beat faster in fear.
"And I would face whoever dares to stop me!"
"FATHER!! NOOO!"
As the duke uttered his final word, his sword was pointed at the emperor's neck, drawing gasps from the onlookers while Eleanora let out a scream of horror.
The imperial soldiers, protectors of the emperor, instantly aimed their swords at the duke's throat in return.
Shattering Eleanora's last shred of hope to remain in this place for one more second.
.
.
.
How dare they point their swords at her father?!