Capítulo 81: Chapter 40. Tea Party (End of Volume 2)
Since it was a matter of urgency, the crew of the successor of the astrological order set out on the road that very day.
The journey from the capital to the border of the northern region was quite a long journey, taking at least ten days of uninterrupted travelling.
Ten days. It was too long to save Gardenia.
Therefore, in order to shorten this journey and reach the destination faster, Liana Daehsin decided to leave the main carriage and the procession of soldiers behind and get on a horse herself, thus it would help to increase the speed of travelling.
Although such a journey had many inconveniences behind it, but the woman didn't care about those things, because right now she had something much more important than that.
Orson, who couldn't leave his mistress behind and had travelled with her on this trip, was struggling to keep up with her the whole time. Finally, he managed to get a little closer, and through the strong wind shouted out to her:
— Mistress, you'll quickly become fatigued if you keep riding at this pace! Why don't you slow down a bit...
— What are you talking about? — The young head sharply interrupted the servant before he could speak. Her gaze was now directed entirely forwards. — Right now Gardenia is in danger and needs me. I must get there as soon as possible.
Orson hesitated before he spoke again.
— But what about...
— I'll be fine, ' Liana said, again not allowing Orson to complete his thought.
— I was going to say about the horse... — even if you do, but can the animal take the strain?
They had been travelling non-stop for two days now, and Orson was really beginning to worry about the poor animal's welfare. After all, at one point it might just not be able to take it.
Nevertheless, even the servant's remark had no effect on Liana.
— It's all right, ' she said nonchalantly, 'If my horse is exhausted, I can take yours, can't I?
— Huh... — Orson could only exhale in helplessness, 'It seems that you are really tireless.
At the same time, they were travelling along a high mountain road. There was a vast expanse of land ahead, stretching to the distant horizon and disappearing behind it. It was indeed a magnificent view, one that Orson had not often had the opportunity to see, as he was constantly with his mistress, who was always busy with business and rarely left her office. And even now all these views only fleeted fleetingly before his eyes.
After all, there was one more thing that had been keeping Orson busy ever since they had left Daehsin Manor.
After hesitating for a moment, he decided to turn to his mistress again.
— But... What about your consort? Is that definitely going to be alright?
As expected, as soon as Orson broached the subject, a frown appeared on the young Order Head's face.
— What do you mean?
— I mean that quarrel... It seems to me that Lady Katrina was really upset this time.
Orson spoke of it all at his own risk, as he was well aware of how the young head disliked discussing her own personal life with others. Still, the topic really bothered him, so he couldn't just keep quiet.
Until recently, Liana Daehsin had left the family's ancestral estate in scandal. Katrina had resisted to the last to let her wife leave for the border of the north, and she had even cried in the end. That scandal was a very unpleasant sight.
But as soon as Orson spoke of it now, the Order's successor only grinned grimly.
— So what of it? Just because she's upset, I'm supposed to indulge her now? — There was an unconcealed irony in the woman's words.
Orson hesitated.
— Still, it was a little cruel to the lady..... — he said uncertainly.
Lady Katrina was the legal spouse of the young head of the Order. That meant they were to spend the rest of their lives hand in hand. And so Orson, who was primarily thinking of his lady's well-being, couldn't help but think about it. Of course, he wanted Liana's marriage to turn out well. It would primarily benefit her. But for now... Expectations regarding this were somewhat out of sync with reality.
Instead of answering, the emerald-eyed woman only sighed heavily.
— You don't know anything about real cruelty yet, ' she said.
— Hm?
The servant with curly blonde hair seemed puzzled after his mistress' statement, which he didn't quite understand.
— I am already as lenient with her as I can be, ' Liana continued in a heavy tone, 'And if she needs anything more, it was only her expectations from the beginning and nothing more.
'.....'
He found himself with nothing to reply to that, so Orson also only sighed. Another, perhaps equally important topic of conversation soon came to his mind.
— We are heading for the border of the north. Are you sure you'll be alright with that? — Orson paused, 'I mean, we haven't even sent in any prior request for permission to enter... In that case, something like this is usually called trespassing.
The servant's excitement when he brought it up was not in vain. It was a strict rule that was observed among all feudal territories in the empire. Before setting foot in any territory under another's jurisdiction, prior permission to do so had to be obtained. Or, at least, if the matter required haste, then at least send a proper notice at least a day before arrival.
This was especially important if it was a major lord, or if he was going to come with his soldiers. Therefore, warning in advance was mandatory. Otherwise, failure to observe this formality could lead to appropriate consequences, including military conflict.
But Liana Daehsin seemed unexpectedly calm about it.
— It'll be fine, ' she said slowly, 'I'm sure she will understand our situation and be able to step in.
— 'She?' — Orson interjected, 'Who are you talking about? Is it really the Lord of the North...?
Liana remained silent and answered nothing.
At that moment, unsolicited memories involuntarily flashed through her mind.
When this girl smiled and lifted the corners of her mouth, a small dimple would appear on her left cheek and then disappear. This smile, where the wrinkles around her eyes would fold up and her eyes would sparkle like stars, could only be seen on her. A smile that Liana had never seen before or anywhere else.
Unconsciously, throughout the years, the woman had continued to hold those memories within her. And now, a barely perceptible smile also flashed across the young head's face, the expression of which she had no control over.
'I'm sure you will definitely understand me.' — she thought at that moment.
***
The size of Aveline's worry grew even larger because of her mother's behaviour, which was different from usual. The Crown Princess was well aware that her mother should have been outraged by what had happened. However, until now, the mother of the empire had managed to maintain a false mask on her face.
The maids brought the finest red tea and placed it on the tea table in the empress' chambers. Aveline didn't drink it because she was nervous, but she finally had to take a sip under the empress's gaze. As expected, it left an unpleasant bitter aftertaste in her mouth afterwards.
— Isn't tea wonderful?
Those were Julia's first words after they had secluded themselves in her chambers.
— Ah... Yes... — replied the princess with a hesitation.
— I'm glad you liked it, ' the woman smiled unnaturally and looked at Aveline.
The empress was as gorgeous as ever. Sparkling and dazzling jewellery, expensive dress and graceful gestures. A beautiful expression bloomed on the woman's face once again, matching her reputation as the 'flower' of the imperial palace.
— This is really great. I received this tea not too long ago from a good acquaintance of mine from the eastern empire. I'm glad that I have the opportunity to treat you to such a special tea product.
— .....
Aveline didn't reply anything and continued to silently drink the tea she didn't like.
— I heard that you have been spending a lot of time away from your palace lately. It must be due to the troubles you've been experiencing lately because of the upcoming inauguration?
Aveline excitedly looked at her mother who was speaking to her with a casual expression and bit her lip:
— Yes. It is... I have more work than usual right now.
— Well, isn't that natural? After all, in the not too distant future, you'll be leading this empire, and then the responsibilities will become even greater. It's better for you to get used to it as soon as possible.
The empress let out a slight chuckle, which sounded very unnatural.
— ...Yes. I'm doing my best, Mother.
Julia sipped her tea again with a calm face. The affectionate expression remained unchanged on her face, but Aveline felt that the eyes looking at her had sharpened.
In the end, after they leisurely drank tea for a while, the empress smiled radiantly. After that, she turned to the maids who were standing nearby.
— Could you please leave us alone for a while? I would like to spend some time alone with my daughter.
— Yes, your majesty!
After her quiet request, the servants hurriedly retired from the empress's chambers. They also left the palace itself so that nothing could interfere with the empress and crown princess' private time together.
At this moment.
— Aveline, ' the empress spoke.
That sweet and gentle voice that the princess had heard before no longer existed. It became deeper and stronger. In the blink of an eye, the woman turned into a sharp ice statue — now she did not resemble a beautiful flower.
— So, how long are you going to play this with me?
— Mother... — Aveline swallowed nervously.
— I'm asking for the last time. What exactly did you talk to the emperor about?
Up until this moment, Julia had been calmly stirring the sugar in her tea with a small spoon. But the moment she raised her eyes and Aveline met her gaze, a chill swept over the girl as if she had been plunged headfirst into icy water.
— I... — The princess could not immediately find the words.
Nevertheless, the empress continued to stare at her expectantly, which gave Aveline no chance to get off the subject. Julia was determined to get an answer.
For a moment, Aveline underwent hesitation, but then came to the conclusion that her mother would find out sooner or later anyway. So there wasn't much point in hiding it one way or another.
After gathering her courage, the Crown Princess gave out practically in one breath:
— I asked His Majesty to postpone my inauguration.
Julia's violet eyes opened wide. It seemed that she did not even realise what she had heard the first time.
— What? ' the woman stammered.
Aveline continued what she had started earlier:
— I have discussed this with His Majesty and told him that I do not feel ready to become Empress. I fear failing His Majesty and the country. Therefore... I asked for more time. Before I take over the empire, I would like to travel around our empire for a year and see how people live. I think then I can better understand the people of the empire and understand what they need.
The silence that fell after these words lasted for a few more seconds. But for Aveline, they became so unbearable that they seemed like an eternity.
Finally, Julia looked at her coldly. The shadow that descended on her face was so dark that the princess involuntarily caught her breath. The empress's mood at this moment was truly at its worst.
— Is this what you are up to? — Julia said in an icy voice.
— I... — the girl stammered half a word.
— You think I can't figure out what you're up to? — she grinned, ''You just want to use this opportunity to escape, don't you?
Aveline Nevita Ashelot turned sharply pale.
— No... It's not like that at all...! — She immediately started to make excuses, but it was all useless.
Julia grinned grimly. It seemed to her that she could read her daughter's thoughts through her head at that moment.
— And why shouldn't she? It's not like no one knows you outside of the imperial city. Isn't that the best way to blend into the crowd and escape?
In the eyes of the empress, her daughter had always been a complete nonentity to ever take the throne. However, she only had to turn a blind eye to this as she had no other choice. For Julia, her only daughter was the biggest disappointment of her life.
Before this, Julia had had to do a tremendous amount of work to establish herself in the imperial palace and have at least one child. She dreamed of becoming the most powerful woman with all the power of the empire in her hands. However, who would have thought that her plans would end up being ruined by her own insignificant daughter?
Not only did she postpone the inauguration ceremony on her own whim without even consulting Julia. Now the woman had other suspicions about her daughter. Julia's suspicions could not be called completely unfounded. After all, a coward like her could have easily taken such an easy route like running away.
— ...
— Ungrateful bitch. After all the things I've done for you over the years, this is what you're going to repay me with?
The contents of the cup of tea that the empress was holding flew at Aveline.
Aveline didn't have enough motor skills for her to dodge it in time. But fortunately, the hot tea didn't hit her face, but on her dress. And before the girl could recover from this shocking action, she was almost immediately confronted with the next one.
— The cheeky bitch!
Slap!
The princess' eyes flew open in horror. Her right cheek turned red from the blow that came with all her might. Aveline was stunned. Because before, even if the empress had raised her hand to her daughter, she had never touched her face because she was careful of her reputation and feared that it might be found out.
But now...
— There's a limit to your insolence! How dare you speak against me? You're nothing but a worthless insect lying under my feet!
Julia grabbed her daughter's red hair and yanked it with such force that the princess collapsed from her chair to the floor.
— M-mother! — The princess froze with her face blue with fear.
— All this time I had to put up with you, just because I hoped that one day you would sit on the throne! So how dare you try to ruin it now!
The empress became furious that her daughter, who had always been pitiful and obedient, had disobeyed her will. Therefore, the enraged woman didn't feel even the slightest bit of remorse and only stared at her with an insane gaze as she continued to strike.
— Dirty bitch. It seems I've been too lenient with you and you've tried to climb higher, forgetting your place!
Aveline clutched her eyes as she was on the floor and endured the slaps.
— Mum, I was wrong...
Julia kicked her daughter in the stomach before she could finish.
— ...You useless, pathetic insect! — Yulia kept screaming.
Aveline silently accepted everything that came her way. At last, at one point, she raised her head slightly to meet her mother's gaze. The agitated woman's breathing was ragged and heavy. Aveline had hoped that her mother was already exhausted and this would all be over soon.
However...
— Aahhh!
Julia grabbed her daughter's hair again. The sudden sharp pain made the girl shriek. Contrary to her expectations, the empress had no intention of ending the beating. It seemed as if she was either possessed at this moment or had gone mad. Right now, Aveline was actually panicking.
Bang!
The princess was taken by the back of her head and knocked against one of the pillars of a nearby table. This continued for several more times.
The Crown Princess's gaze was clouded.
Drip, drip...
Aveline's head and forehead were covered in blood. Red drops of blood flowed down her cheeks and accumulated on her chin. The girl's consciousness was completely confused at this moment.
She struggled to open her mouth:
— Ma... Mother...
Aveline was unable to finish.
The screams of the empress shouting with rage eventually stopped.
When the woman loosened her grip and stopped beating her, the princess' body collapsed to the ground.
'.....'
Julia continued to breathe heavily.
With limbs outstretched and eyes wide open, Aveline's body could no longer function as a living thing.
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