Book Chapter 9: Side Story
The Emperor was about to die. No — he was now the deposed Emperor, Lucas D’Arrian Roxitant.
Once the date of his execution was set, a grand festival was held in the capital.
We meticulously orchestrated all of it, of course.
I looked up at the clear, cloudless sky.
It was a perfect day to kill someone.
After days of relentless rain, the monsoon had finally ended — as if blessing this day.
Some might say, ‘No matter how wicked he is, how can there be a festival for an execution?’
But this was less about malice and more of a spectacle.
The deposed Emperor had to be displayed before the people — his neck pitifully severed at the guillotine.
There was no more effective way to show that we had eradicated the old corruption, that imperial authority had shifted, and that a new Emperor would soon ascend the throne.
It was something that simply had to be done.
But even so, watching a person’s body and head separate right before my eyes was deeply unsettling.
‘I’m not a psychopath, after all.’
It was more of a visceral repulsion.
And that made me irritated — irritated that I felt this way toward someone who deserved to die.
I even worried that our kind and gentle Diamond Siblings might feel the same discomfort.
Concern welled up inside me, and I raised my head.
When Claudia met my gaze, she gently wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer, speaking softly.
"You can close your eyes."
I was about to say that.
“You don’t have to force yourself to watch. He’s no longer even worth being angry at — he means nothing to us now. Rin, do whatever feels right to you.”
But that was exactly what I was going to say?!
There was a time when I had thought, ‘No matter what happens, I’ll protect you!’ But the fierce resolve I once held now felt strangely distant.
I’d always known how beautiful the siblings were, but when did they start becoming so steadfast and strong?
Suddenly, I recalled the saying — that among all gems, the hardest was a diamond.
Maybe I’d known all along, from the very moment I began calling them the Diamond Siblings.
‘...I want to be protected.’
‘Gasp — what am I thinking?’
"Rin."
Startled by my own thoughts, I flinched and turned my gaze to Felix.
The moment I looked at him, he gently kissed the corner of my eye.
My eyelids closed on their own, and my lashes trembled faintly.
"Shall we continue?"
Felix whispered in a low voice.
His warm breath grazed my forehead, then quickly cooled as it faded.
In that instant, I made up my mind as if I had never hesitated about whether to witness Lucas’s final moments.
“…It’s disgusting. I don’t want to see it.”
He smiled with a quiet certainty, as though he’d known I’d say that all along.
Then, as if rewarding me, he gave a light peck on my lips and pulled away.
Maybe the words I said were really the ones I needed to hear myself.
Just knowing I didn’t have to sit through a live broadcast of gore made me feel unexpectedly relieved.
Soon after, the blade fell.
A sound that was dull yet sharp — paradoxical and jarring — rang through the hall.
It was the sound of the last male lead’s life finally being cut short.
My thoughts turned to Lucas, who must have faded away like dew on the execution grounds.
Ah. What a relief.
・・・・・
Execution and Festival.
If the one who had once been an emperor was reduced to a spectacle, the authority of the imperial family would certainly decline — but that was exactly what I had wanted.
After all, from the moment Claudia, born into a duke’s family, was crowned emperor, the authority was bound to steadily crumble.
So I decided to seize that opportunity and come forward with an entirely new strategy.
‘The land of opportunity, Chamberlain.’
By using exactly that.
Claudia finally ascended the throne as the first emperor of Chamberlain.
At the same time, a large-scale purge began in the imperial palace.
Most of the nobles who had held key positions for generations were either executed or stripped of their titles.
Others were caught up in various corruption scandals, punished with house arrest, or had their properties confiscated.
Clear water flowed only when the upstream was clear.
The imperial servants, who had long been thoroughly corrupt, were also purged on a large scale.
As a result, an unexpected labour shortage arose.
Naturally, this created more opportunities for nobles from the borderlands to advance to the capital.
If you were to sum up the current state of the imperial palace in one word, it would be ‘chaos,’ ‘confusion,’ or perhaps even ‘revolution.’
People of all bloodlines and talents from every field flocked to the capital.
A new wind had begun to blow through the Empire.
Well, it wasn’t as if the change came without its fair share of conflicts, both large and small.
Sometimes, things like that just happen.
“Excuse me, can I ask you something?”
"What is it?"
“Lady Irene Amber — who exactly is she?”
Things like: overhearing two maids talking about me as I happened to pass by the laundry area.
In fact, recently, it hadn’t been just once or twice.
It made sense, though, since I was quite a special and unusual presence in the imperial palace.
Even though I was the daughter of a viscount, I behaved freely around the emperor.
And the guardian, who was the symbolic figure of the empire, often lingered nearby.
Even if I had been a maid who had just come to the capital from the countryside, knowing nothing about the ways of the world, I would probably have been curious too.
After all, I used to pride myself on being a gossip hunter, like a hyena sniffing out rumours.
Even without that, everyone was curious about how they were perceived by society.
"Lady Amber, you say...?"
I pressed close against the wall, my heart pounding as I waited for the answer to come.
"The Guardian’s lover."
Hmm, that’s a fact.
“And I’ve heard she’s a legend in the potion world. Even the Guardian, who wields the magic of dragons, was so overwhelmed by her astonishing skills that he knelt before her.”
I had long since surpassed Felix’s potion-making skills.
And just as the maid said, he knelt before me and kissed the top of my foot. Then his lips crawled up my ankle and along my leg, slithering like a snake...
Hmm, well, something like that happened too.
"She’s also a playwright."
That’s right.
Now, forget about the plagiarist writer, Shayne Speare.
While playing the role of Shayne Speare, I unexpectedly discovered my true calling and released an original script I had created under my own name.
Of course, there was a reason I suddenly started writing scripts.
Chamberlain was about to be called the land of new opportunities.
Even beyond the empire, the number of people crossing mountains and seas with swelling dreams was increasing exponentially.
Wasn’t it stated in the social contract theory? That every human had the right to life, liberty, and property.
In an absolute monarchy where even those basic rights were not guaranteed, Chamberlain would become an empire close to revolution.
I discussed this with Claudia, and together with Martina and Erica, we envisioned such a future.
How so?
Through theatre.
In this world, theatre was like television, the internet, social media, and all forms of media combined.
While there were many cases where the media was manipulated and abused, if used properly, it could become excellent publicity.
I made my debut as a playwright with the mission of spreading the greatness of Chamberlain to the world.
My first play recently concluded, receiving abundant praise and acclaim.
You could say it was the result of the skills I had honed over the years from reading various novels, comics, and watching dramas while living in Korea.
Of course, I didn’t write a script that blatantly praised the empire and the emperor.
I subtly wove that message in.
Generally, people disliked things that were too obvious since it would feel like they were being ordered or lectured.
The best way was to discreetly implant the idea that ‘Chamberlain is a great empire’ into the script.
"My goodness. It turns out she’s such an impressive person.”
The clueless new maid kept exclaiming in admiration.
Her words sounded like she was puffing out her chest with pride, but... ‘um, excuse me, what exactly does “Turns out” mean? Sob sob.’
“That person was always by Her Majesty’s side and adored, so I assumed they were like a pet... no, a human companion she cared for.”
“...”
For a moment, I recalled how I had been living in the imperial palace.
Just like when I lived at the Chamberlain estate, I thought of this place as my home and moved about comfortably.
I took a moment to wonder where my dignity had gone.
Then, another maid, seemingly pleased with the comment, softly clapped her hands and whispered even more discreetly.
“You saw it right. The story about being the Guardian’s lover is just a cover to deceive everyone, and the prevailing theory is that they’re actually Her Majesty’s…”
What did you say?
‘What’s that supposed to mean…?’
They said lies were most convincing when mixed with the truth.
The new maid seemed to believe the nonsense when it was spoken so seriously.
But why were such rumours even circulating?
So, did that mean Claudia and I were seen as being in 'that kind' of relationship?
'But we’re obviously just friends, though?'
I didn’t understand why people tried to attach romantic feelings to it.
Why couldn’t they see that sometimes, there was a friendship so deep it went beyond even the greatness of romantic love?
I wish they had spent that time making genuine friends instead of spreading weird rumours.
Those who didn’t understand the beauty of friendship were truly pitiful.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I walked away.
・・・・・
Claudia was busy every single day without a moment to spare.
The empire hadn’t yet stabilised, and it was a time when all efforts had to be focused on internal affairs.
Seeing her so exhausted and worn out, I tried to spend time by her side whenever I got the chance.
"Pick one."
Claudia suddenly spread out a map of the continent and said something unexpected.
I sat on her lap and tilted my head in puzzlement.
"What? The region?"
“Just point anywhere.”
I absentmindedly pointed to a random kingdom with my finger.
"Very well. From now on, this place will be known as the Kingdom of Irene."
"What?"
A memory flashed through my mind like a shooting star — Claudia had once said she would open a clothing store under my name.
She hadn’t changed at all.
The only difference was that, having ascended to the throne as emperor, her spending had expanded to a continental scale.
"That's enough. I’ve already received plenty."
As soon as she ascended the throne as emperor, she granted me the largest and most prestigious theatre in the empire.
The theatre troupe affiliated with it came as a bonus.
She even established a special institution, like the Ministry of Magic, dedicated exclusively to researching potions for me.
I had already received so much that I could barely take any more.
This place was probably the pinnacle of luxury I could enjoy — not only in this life but in the next as well.
But surprisingly, I was indulging in an even greater level of luxury beyond that limit.
Honestly, by this point, no matter how much I boasted about money and supreme power, it inevitably felt a bit overwhelming.
Ah, the Kingdom of Irene... what on earth did the people of that kingdom do wrong to ever deserve this?
“Hmm, I guess I need to think about it some more.”
I politely declined her proposal.
“Besides, even without something like the Kingdom of Irene, all I need is Claudia.”
Claudia briefly wiped away a look of disappointment, then rested her face on my shoulder and wrapped her arms tightly around my waist.
“...Ha, I feel healed.”
"Oh, right."
Suddenly, something I had completely forgotten came to mind.
At the sound of my embarrassed voice, Claudia looked up at me.
"What is it?"
“I have something planned for today...”
"With whom?"
“With Fel. Um... Sorry, but I think I have to go...”
“Because promises are important,” I added.
Hearing that, Claudia puffed out her cheeks in a pout, like she was sulking.
It was rare for her to have free time, and since we had just met, she seemed a little disappointed that I already had another engagement so soon.
"Just for today, it’s okay, isn’t it? You see my brother every night anyway."
"Cough!"
"Let me have you all to myself during the day. Okay?"
“Play with me.”
Claudia had cast aside all traces of her emperor’s charisma in an instant and looked up at me with a pleading gaze.
I was suddenly reminded of the puppy from my past life, wagging its tail and acting cute just to get a treat.
And with a face that resembled Felix’s...
When I saw the dewdrop clinging precariously to the tip of her eyelash, my heart suddenly dropped.
Ah, a beautiful woman was heartbroken because of me...
"Alright, then."
My mouth babbled on its own!
Damn it. A disaster flashed through my mind, but Claudia looked happy.
Seeing her smile so sweetly, as if she had gained the whole world, made me think — maybe it didn’t matter after all.
‘Ah, how cute.’
For now, I pushed aside my worries about Felix, whom I was going to see later that night in my bedroom.
Translator's Corner:
I've translated Claudia's new title as 'Emperor' because the term 'Empress' often carries a connotation of being subordinate to an Emperor.
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