As soon as the supposedly pleasant news was declared, an invisible distance between the two began to grow. Cedric still basically acts, as usual, pretending that he's innocent when he teases and angers his little wife. Kirsi on the other hand, with her heart aching because of the behaviour of the original Kirsi who was (suspected of) having an affair, could not respond much. The one who first drew the distance was her.
On the night after the news of Kirsi's pregnancy was received by the two, Kirsi slept with her back facing Cedric to watch all night. It wasn't uncommon for Cedric to spend the night uninterrupted by the little hand that tugged at him and forced him to bolster in the middle of the night. At the time Cedric thought the action bothered him a bit. Now when Kirsi doesn't bother him at all it somehow makes him lonely.
When the next day came, Kirsi who couldn't sleep quickly closed her eyes when she felt the person beside her wake up and leave. It was still too dark to move, but Cedric had to be ready to go to the palace. When the man was busy with all his preparations and didn't have time to check, Kirsi opened her eyes. She still lay in the same position all night. It numbed half of her body. When she was almost lost in her thoughts, she heard Cedric's voice talking to Alruna in front of the room, ordering Alruna to prepare a light breakfast and making sure that Kirsi was okay before he left.
Kirsi bit her lip and squeezed her stomach tightly. This child who may not even have a life yet did nothing wrong. No child asks to be born and then becomes the target of their parent's mistakes. One slave gave birth to another slave. One criminal gives birth to another villain. A sinful mother gives birth to her child as a sinner. People keep blaming the children for being unable to do anything and forcing them to bear the guilt of their ancestors. Kirsi doesn't want to do that. Even though she had hoped that it would be better if this child wasn't around, at the same time, she instantly felt a deep sense of regret.
Marriage is not only about the union of two people under a sacred vow of life and death. In a marriage, there is a big responsibility that must be shared. The responsibility to build a home, to bestow life to other lives, and to be responsible for that little life for the rest of their life. Marriage is not just the union of two people who love each other. Marriage is the union of two people who must be ready to be responsible for the child that is born.
When a person doesn't feel ready for the responsibility, it's easy for them to put all the blame on their child's shoulders.
Kirsi is not ready. And she was terrified that she would blame all her misfortune on this little child's shoulders.
Kirsi bit her lip until it bled. She wouldn't come to her senses until the taste of rust finally filled her mouth. Tears dripped mutely, flowing rivers from the corners of the eyes and falling onto the pillow.
At least, if it wasn't for Cedric's sake, she would be fighting for the future of this unformed child.
Kirsi was scared, but this kid must be way more scared than she was.
-0-
On the day the palace fall hunt officially opens, Kirsi sets out alone as Cedric must be in the palace first than anyone else. Kirsi sat down in her place. The carriage window opened wide next to her, letting a cool breeze caress the occupants inside. Kirsi's waist-length straight black hair was tied in a high ponytail with a fiery red ribbon, contrasting the simple white shirt Kirsi was wearing. Paired with black pants and calf-coloured boots, she looks charming and discreet.
Women who attend hunting events will definitely use beautiful dresses to attract as much attention as possible. Unlike Kirsi, who intended her arrival as a form of prevention from the worst. She didn't have time to think about her reputation.
This autumn hunting event was written in the novel. The details of the event were clearly exposed, with its contents still etched in Kirsi's memory. If the current plot still slightly follows the original script of the novel, then the protagonist will be appointed as the leader of a company of imperial guards along with the second prince, tasked with moving one full circle along the hunting grounds, while Cedric will be appointed as the leader of two companies of the imperial guard and tasked with guarding security on the Emperor's side.
Viona was also there as the third prince specially invited. The first problem came when Viona was suddenly kidnapped, and the first person accused was Kirsi. In the novel, Cedric comes to defend Kirsi and humiliates the third prince, getting stuck in a petty fight for a while, until the real trouble comes. A classic opening before meeting the last boss.
There would be an assassination attempt on the Emperor on the second day of the hunt.
The attempt, of course, failed. But there are other risks left behind. One of them was that the supreme commander of the imperial guard was sentenced on charges of negligence, and his position was replaced by his deputy who was still in the same party as the Osiris clan, causing the faction in the palace to temporarily fall in favour of the Empress. Worse yet, as long as the Emperor was unconscious and lying weak on his sickbed, the Empress was the one who took over the government, bypassing Cedric the Crown Prince's authority as the more deserving person. After all, it was an unwritten rule in the Elysian empire that members of the Emperor's harem were not allowed to interfere in state affairs.
Empress Yekaterina Glass Reverie was the first daughter of the younger generation of the Osiris clan, the clan closest to the imperial family second only to the Grand Marshal's Elaxi clan. The Empress is a proud woman who is firm, with tenacity and a high obsession for power. This woman is not a bad person. She was just someone who wanted more than what she could swallow. Kirsi didn't have any special sentiments towards her while reading the novel. The Empress' long-term vision was also quite good to listen to. But good to listen to does not mean good to implement.
Dreams that are too perfect tend to be unrealistic and impossible to accomplish. It is not enough just to have an optimistic vision to be a leader. Those in authority must also be good at calculating the worst and taking risks. Empress Yekaterina didn't have that. She was a brilliant visionary, too perfect to sit on the throne filled with flaws.
As soon as the Empress managed to take power behind the scenes, there would be many difficult problems to deal with in the future. Much of the state treasury is wasted on unnecessary infrastructure development such as widening the palace flower gardens, renovating state temples, reshuffling the cabinet, firing competent officials just because of differences of opinion, incompetent allocation of military granaries, nepotism throughout, and excessive pressure from military factions. So the ranks of soldiers at the Northern border command and the Maxima naval base staged a rebellion. The cost of rebuilding the city was spent on supplying excess weapons, but could not afford the soldiers' salaries. The state was once again in debt to the wealthy merchants of the capital, and inflammation was ultimately inevitable. Empress Yekaterina was able to do all that mess just by sitting on the Emperor's throne for half a year.
All the chaos is explained in the romantic novel "My Dearest" in only 2 pages long. Where Kirsi didn't even know why and how the Empress could do it. Therefore, if the Empress succeeds in taking over the power of the government, even Kirsi, who has read the novel, doesn't know what to do to prevent it. The only time the most appropriate to prevent all of these events is on the day of the hunt this year.
It would be better if Cedric, who was famous for his incompetence, took over the government. Long ago when Kirsi could only see Cedric through the novel's paragraph, she thought that Cedric was unable to prevent the Empress and ended up being humiliatingly defeated, allowing the optimistic woman to take over his rights. But now that she had seen Cedric in person and had been living with him for the past week, Kirsi realized that Cedric had deliberately let the Empress step over and take over his very rights. She won't know what the purpose is. The more days she spent with the man, the more questions ran through her head about him.
If Cedric had no intention of stopping the Empress, then Kirsi would. The woman had let hundreds of thousands of people starve because of her obsession. Kirsi will not allow it.
"Madam, what do you think?" Alruna in front of her asked in surprise. Kirsi didn't answer. The calm face focused on the strands of hands in her lap, immersed in the pond of her thoughts, as if she wasn't here right now.
Kirsi had become quieter since the arrival of the healer the other day. Alruna at least understands and can guess what is the dilemma that roams in this woman's heart, but
Alruna chose to pretend to be innocent to protect the feelings of these two people. Kirsi in her eyes was still her beloved young madam. Kirsi may have broken the norm somewhere and hurt Cedric, but an act would be judged as harm only when the victim felt harm. If Cedric didn't mind the act, then Alruna had no place to argue.
The rest of the trip was spent in silence. When they arrived, the hunting ground was already filled with several groups. Kirsi dismounted gracefully from the carriage, stamping her feet on the damp ground in a smooth motion. When she came out, a peerless beauty immediately entered people's eyes. As expected, she was the only noblewoman who dared to wear pants at this hunting event.
As her eyes explored, her gaze fell on a figure smaller than her body, standing coyly among the crowd of nobles like a sore thumb.
The woman had red hair like coals of fire, with green eyes that were as beautiful as nature. If examined properly, there is nothing fully interesting in her physical appearance. But if that fiery red hair was combined with those eyes that were as green as leaves, nothing could take their eyes off her. Kirsi was also lost in that mystical charm for a while. When their gazes accidentally met, Kirsi looked away.
Although Kirsi had no intention of creating animosity with the Female Lead, she also had no intention of building a friendly relationship with her either. The Female Lead is a delicate woman who always gets into trouble wherever she is, just like most of the Female Leads in other romantic stories.
Her overly naive and optimistic nature is sometimes too irrational and insistent, to the point that it gives a reader like Kirsi a headache. If Kirsi chooses to befriend her, when the Female Lead is stuck with a problem again for the umpteenth time, then Kirsi should protect and help her, as the protagonist usually does. Just thinking about it made Kirsi numb.
Followed by Alruna and 4 other penitent ladies-in-waiting, Kirsi moved towards the gathering area. The imperial guard who was in charge of securing the entire course of the event greeted her warmly. "Princess, you have arrived."
Kirsi smiled elegantly, nodding.
This year's fall hunting event will officially open, although the activities themselves haven't really started yet. People are still busy with their own businesses. Kirsi followed the imperial guard that Cedric had asked to pick her up and took her to the centre of the area where the opening ceremony would be taking place.
Her exact position was in the middle of the forest at the foot of Mount Ataraxia. Luxurious tents can be found everywhere, with food stands standing close to each other. Many nobles were sitting comfortably enjoying their tea outside the tent, sticking their fingers, raising their pinkies high with each sip of tea, gathering and chatting as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time.
In a place that was a little more secluded from the rest, stood several luxurious tents of impressive quality. With one look, one could tell that these were the tents belonging to the people of the imperial family. Kirsi felt her heart pounding.
She and the imperial guards who guided her stopped in front of a giant tent with dozens of guards around it. The ladies-in-waiting and bodyguards that Kirsi had brought had been asked to stand at some distance away. Kirsi prepares herself. The imperial guard reported Kirsi's arrival with a loud voice, before the curtain of the tent was opened from the inside by a well-built man. Kirsi swallowed her nervousness and found her handsome husband smiling casually while grabbing her shoulder, taking her in. There are no words between them. Only silence filled each step and the other. From the shoulders to Kirsi's back everything was soaked in a cold sweat. This restlessness exceeded her imagination.
The people inside were raising their wine glasses. One voice after another answered each other. Luxurious dishes are served along a giant table that is twice the size of a typical party table. Courtiers officials and family heads of respectable clans were already inside. There was also Arthur and the second prince on the Emperor's left side. When they entered, everyone's eyes turned to them, making Kirsi's stomach churn. Cedric's hands on her shoulders tightened as if giving her strength. Kirsi smiled elegantly, trying to look as calm as possible, then bowed respectfully towards everyone. She did her greeting like a gentleman. The Empress sitting next to the Emperor was impressed by her courage.
"Kirsi Daciana Reverie humbly greets everyone."
"Kirsi Daciana, my daughter-in-law. Come, let this old man take a close look at you." The Emperor, in his single luxurious seat, waved his hand slowly, making a calling gesture.
Kirsi swallowed her saliva, almost gagging. The Emperor was an old man like most other old men. But the aura emitted from him was clearly different. No matter how incompetent an Emperor was in the eyes of society, an Emperor was still an Emperor. They are the most powerful people in the land. The word that came out of him was absolute. Like the national law which reads "if the Emperor says that apples are blue, then apples are blue". Against this man with absolute power, Kirsi really felt very small.
Kirsi passed through the ranks of the dignitaries and patriarchs of noble families to arrive at the Emperor's side. Together with Cedric, the two knelt down and gave a polite greeting. The emperor chuckled and asked them to get up immediately.
Even though the Emperor had no fondness for Kirsi, the old man would not show it so clearly in public. The most professional person in the entire country was probably none other than the Emperor. Because no matter how much the Emperor hated someone, he couldn't show his heart as easily as others. His life belongs to the State. His freedom was taken away as payment for his power.
Kirsi's appearance is very simple, even her body is not decorated by any valuable accessories except for a red satin ribbon that ties her hair high. The emperor looked at the beauty with admiration. He said with all his majesty, "Enjoy this event with all your heart. My great-son is always the first to collect the most game animals. No need to worry about his abilities. He will fill you up."
Kirsi smiled gracefully, her red lips parting into a beautiful elegant curve as she said, "I wouldn't dare, Your Majesty. My husband is your proud son. Even after we got married, my husband still belongs to His Majesty. He will still be dedicated to His Majesty."
The emperor laughed, praising her sugar-coated words, before then freeing the two and asking them to fill the vacant seat next to the patriarch of another family. It seemed that Kirsi could choose where she could sit, but precisely not at all. According to an unwritten rule, she had to sit next to the Evander patriarch. This is Kirsi's father. A man who still looks dashing and arrogant in his old age. The remnants of his youthful looks can still be seen on his old face. His entire hair was almost white, but he still looked at everyone with a brave look. Kirsi sits next to him.
The Evander family patriarch, Darius Leonard Evander, watched his daughter's arrival with longing. As soon as Kirsi sat down next to him, he soon said quietly, "What are you doing, not visiting your father for a long time."
Kirsi laughed softly, hiding her nervousness. She whispered, "Father, it's only been a week since my wedding. You're so impatient."
"You brat. I'll lecture you later."
The meal didn't last long. Kirsi only managed to nibble on a piece of grilled venison for herself during this opening banquet. The emperor had to come out to give a short speech to mark the opening of this year's fall hunting event. Empress Yekaterina who had previously been in a special place next to the Emperor's seat, also came out gracefully, continuing to occupy the position next to the Emperor proudly. Cedric was also among them, standing majestically in hunting clothes that looked more like military parade wear.