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Chapter 264
Only then did the Empress seem to notice the new presence in the room. She paused momentarily.
Slowly, the Empress turned her head, confirming the faces of Iona and Leroy, before promptly ending her argument with her son.
“…Watch your words and actions, Richard. This is something we must all approach with care—especially if we wish not to hurt that child.”
Though Iona hadn’t heard their entire conversation, it wasn’t difficult to grasp the situation.
It seemed the Empress had been scolding her son for a previous misstep.
And from her perspective, it would’ve felt like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
There was no way the Empress would’ve ever intended to disclose such a scandal within the Imperial Family to the outside world.
The suspicion that the supposedly dead princess’s child might still be alive was something she had every reason to bury forever.
Only in secrecy could she silence the matter without a trace.
‘But then her son went and shared the letter with the ministers… No wonder she’s furious.’
Iona’s request to Richard had been simple:
She wanted an official investigation into her origins.
Even the Empress wouldn’t be able to lay a hand on Iona easily once the matter became public and drew everyone’s attention.
‘There’s no way anyone still holds a grudge against a princess who died over twenty years ago. More likely, the ones upset about dividing the inheritance are her sudden “relatives” who just showed up.’
If Iona were to suddenly die during the investigation, suspicion would naturally fall on those supposed family members.
In this period when Richard was preparing to ascend the throne, there was no way the Empress would take such a reckless risk.
If she wanted to get rid of Iona, she’d have to stage it as a tragic accident or an unavoidable natural disaster.
But such a scheme couldn’t be prepared overnight—so for now, Iona’s safety was guaranteed.
That was likely the source of the Empress’ current irritation.
Suppressing a faint smile beneath her composed expression, Iona approached them and spoke in a sheepish tone.
“Perhaps we’ve arrived at an inconvenient time.”
“We were too caught up in conversation to notice how late it had gotten. It’s fine—please, have a seat.”
Richard, with practiced ease, diffused the tension.
As Iona and Leroy sat down in the vacant seats, the attendants, as if they’d been waiting, stepped forward to fill their glasses with wine.
Raising his own glass lightly toward them, Richard offered a polite gesture.
“Please understand—my mother is only acting out of concern for her niece. She and my aunt… were very close, after all.”
The Empress said nothing, wetting her lips with a sip of water.
Iona had wondered whether it was even possible to dine with that veil on. But thanks to the way the fabric was draped, leaving space around her face, it seemed easier than expected to bring food beneath it.
‘She really doesn’t plan to take off that veil, does she?’
The Empress had only started covering her face after the fire. When she’d been in contact with Iona’s mother, she would’ve still shown her face openly.
That thought left Iona feeling… strangely unsettled.
Maybe because she’d never seen the woman’s real face—not even once.
At times, Iona found herself wondering if there was even anything beneath that veil at all.
As if the woman were some kind of living ghost.
“The lady who guided us to the secondary palace said the same,” Iona replied calmly, pushing aside the eerie thought.
Richard didn’t show it outright, but there was no mistaking the frustration smoldering beneath his composed facade.
It was clear that he, too, was deeply displeased with how things had turned out.
The desire to keep Iona’s origins hidden wasn’t one he lacked—his sentiment likely matched his mother’s.
But to him, Iona’s life was more important.
Fortunately, he was skilled at masking his emotions.
The gentle smile he wore—like one welcoming a new member of the family—served well to conceal his true feelings.
If there was any flaw, it was the faint redness lingering beneath his eyes, likely the traces of earlier tears.
It almost looked like a love he hadn’t fully hidden.
Or perhaps… hatred aimed squarely at Leroy, seated beside Iona.
“Back then, it was common knowledge,” Richard continued, fixing his gaze on Iona. “That the person who visited my aunt’s palace the most… was my mother.”
Then, with a pause, he added, “And I was the next most frequent guest.”
“…That’s news to me,” Iona replied softly.
“For my mother and me, my aunt… was a painful memory. Isn’t that right, Mother?”
Richard slowly turned his gaze toward the Empress.
Despite the time that had passed since the appetizers were served, she hadn’t touched her plate.
The Empress gently dragged her fork through the sauce on the dish, then finally spoke in a quiet voice.
“…Yes.”
In that moment, she looked like someone who was truly recalling a painful past.
After a pause, her voice returned, lower, and tinged with grief.
“She didn’t exactly live a happy life. After spending time secluded in the Empress’ palace myself… I came to understand it a little. How lonely those palace walls are… and how much sorrow one must have relived within them.”
The Empress’ gaze drifted into the air, as if tracing the echoes of the past.
“Perhaps that’s why Teresa welcomed my son and me so warmly. Before her confinement, Teresa had quite a wide circle. She loved hearing stories from the outside world over tea. Said it was her only joy.”
“How tragic.”
Richard interjected, his tone quietly loaded.
Everyone seated at the table caught the weight behind his words, yet on the surface, the atmosphere remained wrapped in solemn mourning for Princess Teresa.
No one broke character. Everyone kept playing their part.
“…I would like to hear more about Princess Teresa. I don’t know much about her,”
Iona admitted, revealing a sliver of curiosity toward the mother she never had the chance to meet.
It was an uncomfortable group to dig into the past with, but if nothing else, this mother and son had been close to her mother in her final days. That much appeared to be true.
Even the Archduke, once deeply close to Teresa, hadn’t known much about her final moments. At that time, he had been banished to the North and barred from entering the capital.
“She was a bright and lovely child. I can’t say how she was alone, but in the company of others, she always tried to make them happy. That’s probably why she was so beloved.”
“Even by Your Majesty, the Empress?”
The affectionate description somehow turned Iona’s stomach.
Before she knew it, the question slipped from her lips, too impulsive to stop.
What Iona truly wanted to know was this—
Had Teresa died without knowing anything?
Or had she realized she’d been deceived by this woman and her son, betrayed by the very world in her final moments?
She couldn’t tell which would’ve been the more merciful truth for her mother.
Nor could she say which answer she herself wanted to hear.
Turning her eyes to the Empress, Iona pressed further.
“Did Princess Teresa also treasure Your Majesty in return?”
Iona suspected a small crack had formed between them.
The Empress stopped, fork frozen midair.
Perhaps this was one question she couldn’t easily lie about. For a long while, she said nothing.
As if about to evade the answer with tears, she reached for her napkin and quickly dabbed at her eyes.
But Iona didn’t relent.
“She said that during the fire, Your Majesty tried to save Princess Teresa. If her closest friend—Your Majesty—was with her at the end… even that alone would bring me some comfort.”
The Empress had once said that by the time she found Teresa, it had already been too late.
Which, in other words, meant the Empress had seen Teresa’s final moments.
But why had she thrown herself into the flames?
What had happened that made her stay until it was too late to save even herself?
“When you saw Princess Teresa for the last time… what did the two of you talk about?”
---The End Of The Chapter---
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