The Abandoned Empress Will Not Return

Chapter 1 “I don’t love you anymore.” She never imagined that she would say this………… She felt the freedom, as if she was completely free from him. At Rodelia’s calm tone, who looked refreshed, Kane widened his eyes as if doubting his ears. “It can’t be……! You’re lying because you’re angry at me, right? You said you loved me!” “I did love you.” “…” “However, it was only small.” Kane’s eyes, which had never been shaken under any circumstances, swayed like a stormy sea, but she didn’t feel guilty for hurting him because she had just given back exactly what she received. “Don’t lie to me!” “Don’t scream at me!” She was no longer swayed by him. That fact freed Rodelia completely. Even to herself, only meaningless glances passed beyond the surprisingly cold voice, and the low, faint sound of shoes shattered the quiet stillness. At the end of Kane’s gaze, a man walked slowly through the corridor filled with impermanent darkness and stood next to Rodelia. As if to mock Kane, the man hugged her waist and smiled. “Rodelia, no way……..!” Leaving behind Kane’s look of disbelief, Rodelia slowly shifted her gaze to the man next to her with a smile on her lips, as if she was looking at her beloved one. “Kane, I don’t have any lingering feelings for you anymore.” Kane’s expression began to distort indescribably at Rodelia’s attitude, which seemed to have no emotion. “So….” “…” “I’ll never come back to you.” Rodelia smiled more brightly than anyone else and held the man’s big hand tightly. Cerdian Eisen, the man of many rumors. He was the only savior who took her out of the endless nightmares she was swimming in. *** Rodelia Florence was the perfect empress and beloved wife. She had always been, and she believed she always would be. She had earned the love of Emperor Kane and the support of the people, so there were no common concubines that had plagued the previous Empresses. All she had to do was produce a successor and all would be perfect. She was sitting by the window of the Empress’s palace, which overlooked the capital of the Thebes Empire, drinking her tea leisurely. It was her first day off in a long time, and she wanted to go out, but the maids desperately tried to stop her from catching a cold, so she had no choice but to agree to just enjoy the breeze. Humming and nibbling on a cookie, Rodelia came up with a plan for her future child. ‘I hope my first child will be a daughter.’ Letting out a small laugh, she put down her teacup. Just looking at her like this, she resembled the appearance of a noble lady of her age. She had to hide herself behind her position as Empress, and when she had time to herself, she often showed this kind of free figure, a secret appearance she had never shown even to Kane. Suddenly, she remembered that she hadn’t had many encounters with Kane lately. Looking at the beautifully blooming pink cyclamen, Rodelia felt sad. ‘No matter how busy you are with work, you don’t pay much attention to me, do you?’ Deciding to go see Kane right away, she stood up from the window and adjusted her disheveled appearance. ‘No, I shouldn’t disturb him when he’s busy. What if he can’t concentrate on his work because of me?’ However, Rodelia, thinking of Kane’s recently emaciated appearance, sat down by the window again, muttering. It was the beginning of winter, so the breeze was cool, and the fallen leaves dancing between the winding streams was truly spectacular. She was a little disappointed that she couldn’t see Kane on their third wedding anniversary, but other than that, it was a perfect day. That was, until her head maid of honor, Viscountess Cohen, came out of the blue with the news. When Rodelia put down her teacup, stretched, and went to her study to read, Viscountess Cohen came into her office with a serious look on her face. “…… Empress.” “Yes.” The Viscountess was a woman with a stubborn expression. But today, for some reason, there was a hint of anxiety on her face that was unlike her. She tried hard to hide the signs like biting her lips and avoided eye contact with Rodelia, but she couldn’t hide the anxiety that leaked out. What on earth could she be hesitating so much? Could it be that she was going to ask for a great favor? The Viscountess moved her lips as if she was about to speak, but only looked at Rodelia. She was very tense and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Rodelia looked down at Viscountess Cohen, who was shorter than her, with a worried look in her eyes. “You look so gloomy, is there something wrong?” “….” “I’m fine, so tell me. I’ll help you if I can.” “No……….. Your Majesty, it may be a false rumor………” The Viscountess stopped again in mid-speech. When Rodelia smiled gently at her as if she was okay, the Viscountess, who wiped off the cold sweat on her forehead with a chubby hand, took a deep breath and continued to talk. “I don’t know what happened, but a rumor has spread throughout the palace that Princess Eisen has been coming and going from the Emperor’s bedchamber.” After hearing the news, her neatly tidied eyebrows were distorted, and with a dumbfounded look on her face Rodelia asked as if she couldn’t believe her ears. “What……?” She believed that she must have heard it wrong. She wanted the Viscountess to quickly answer that it wasn’t so. But despite Rodelia’s earnest pleas, there was only a silence between them. Soon the low sigh of the Viscountess echoed throughout the room. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of such news. Your Majesty.” Rodelia’s heart dropped. The wind, which was blowing coolly and tickling her cheeks, quickly turned into a blade and stabbed her flesh, and she heard the Viscountess’s cautious voice in a determined tone, as if she was pronouncing a death sentence. It was a perfect day, but it was only a kind of prelude to the tragedy. A device to make the tragedy even more horrific, so to speak. “Well, it’s just a rumor. Right? The imperial palace is full of all sorts of ridiculous rumors.” “Your Majesty, this is …………..” She didn’t want to believe it. Viscountess Cohen held out a crumpled piece of paper in her hand to Rodelia, who was pacing around, unable to sit still with anxiety. She took the paper with trembling hands and looked down at it. But she couldn’t make out what was written on it, because the written letters filled the paper tightly and erased everything. Why did she give her such a piece of paper? Rodelia’s questioning gaze went to the Viscountess, and she pointed with her eyes to what was written at the bottom of the paper. Rodelia’s brow furrowed, her gaze turned to the paper again. Rodelia’s limbs trembled in shock. She tightened her grip on the note, but the moist, wavering gaze went to the Viscountess. “The note is from a maid in the imperial palace.” Viscountess Cohen’s miserable voice spread through the air. Their notes were simply information sources that could find out everything about the Emperor. However, just because she was a maid in the imperial palace did not mean that she knew everything and could be trusted. Rodelia decided to check it out herself. She trusted Kane completely. She tried to sound as calm as she could, and she spoke in a rather strong voice. “Let’s go to the Emperor’s office.” *** The way to the Emperor’s office was quite a challenge. The palace servants even sighed as they glanced at Rodelia and whispered. Was it really a fact that she was the only one who didn’t know? Come to think of it, she realized that this has happened often recently. Maybe they were signaling her to notice. ‘No, Kane wouldn’t do that to me.’ Rodelia ignored their stares and looked straight ahead. From now on, rumors like this should be widespread, but as an Empress, she must not be swayed by something as mere as this. Rodelia gritted her teeth to hold back her tears. Her precarious gait, as if she was about to collapse, felt quite heavy. When she arrived in front of the Emperor’s office, she exhaled and nodded to the servant. It was a signal to let the Emperor know that she had arrived. Shortly, the huge mahogany door creaked open slowly. In the dimly lit room, the full depths of Kane’s face came into Rodelia’s swaying vision. Reflected in the faint lighting, his eyes were blank and his face was noticeably gaunt, as if he had lost weight without knowing it. There were unorganized papers lying here and there on his desk. “Kane?” As soon as she saw his pale face, she forgot the purpose of her coming here. Rodelia, unaware of the stares around her, strode closer to Kane, who seemed to have become a different person over the past few days. “What’s going on?mAre you sick or something? Why is your face look so bad?” All the time she was close, Kane’s eyes grew sharper, but she didn’t care. It was at that moment that his health was of utmost importance to her right now…It was the moment she reached out and touched Kane’s cheek. With a dull thud, her hand was pushed off coldly. “Huh?” This couldn’t have happened. Rodelia stared blankly at her drooping hand and looked up at Kane. “It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry about it. By the way, what happened to you coming without any notice?” Kane’s cautious voice was terribly dry and cold. His cold eyes frowned as if he had touched something foul. Then he took a handkerchief from his pocket and quickly wiped his hands and then threw it on the floor. It was the first birthday present Rodelia gave Kane after they were married. It was a handkerchief that she had painstakingly embroidered all night, though she was not very good at it. [Well, people can’t be too perfect. So you’re more attractive.] In the past, Kane mumbled as he accepted the handkerchief, words that had made Rodelia dizzy. He saw the messed up embroidery and teased her with his adorable eyes. Nevertheless, it was such a precious handkerchief, and now he was treating it like it meant nothing to him. Her head went blank. “…Empress!” Looking blankly at the handkerchief lying on the floor and recognizing Kane’s voice calling her, Rodelia finally broke through her reverie. “Yes…?” “What the hell are you doing? The next time you come to me, I want you to give me some sort of warning beforehand. I’m not a free person.” The Emperor who had been so kind and warm to her was no more. It was only when she saw Kane’s cold voice and dry expression that she realized it. Until now, she had dared to deny and not believe everything that informed her of his change of heart, but his heart had already left her…An embarrassing silence followed. Even the servants hesitated, sensed the chilly atmosphere and left. ‘Word will spread widely…’ Sighing at the sight of them, Rodelia turned her gaze to Kane. ”I just stopped by to check on something….” With a trembling voice, she struggled to spit out words, and decided to retreat. “But…since Your Majesty doesn’t seem to be in a good mood today, I’ll come back.” Rodelia hurriedly changed her words. The words came up to her choked throat, “Did you have a mistress?”, but she couldn’t get it out. Because she wanted him to tell her himself, but she didn’t have the courage to ask or listen. In fact, how should she deal with it if he told her he had a woman and won’t treat her like he used to? “Right, see you later.” Kane met Rodelia’s wavering gaze and spat the cold words with a cold expression. He acted as if he couldn’t talk about anything because it was his private life. ‘So you, don’t bother me anymore’……….. his voice seemed to echo in her ears. “What do you mean next time? The noble Empress has come all the way here, so I think it would be better to check.” As Rodelia turned to walk out, unable to reply, a seductive female voice echoed silently through the air. She was able to discern immediately who the owner of the voice was. Does it have to be this cruel? She didn’t want to face his lover like this. Her whole body went rigid.Rodelia, who grabbed her trembling hands and shifted her gaze towards the source of the voice, discovered the existence she had been struggling to deny and laughed in vain. “Princess Eisen….” Chapter 2 *** Three years ago, Rodelia was a little more shy, repressed, and insecure than she was now. She was the highly prized only daughter of the Marquis of Florence. The position of Duke of Thebes had been vacant for quite some time, and the Grand Duke of Eisen, who claimed to be above the Emperor, was not interested in power, so it was safe to say that the Marquis were the most powerful. There was the Marquis of Collide, but their position was decidedly different. Her father, the Marquis of Florence, was a power-hungry man . Although he didn’t show it outwardly because of his external image of being benevolent, he had the ambition to make Rodelia the Empress. The Marquis did not allow her to have any contact with any men, and did not allow her to go out, because of his crazy theory that the position of Empress should be flawless, but thanks to him, Rodelia was raised to be a golden branch with all the love in the world. The actual situation was a little different. The Marquis was angry as fire every time Rodelia made a mistake, and she would be whipped. It was a***e that was allowed in the name of love. In the end, he had successfully rounded up the previous emperor and achieved the feat of a political marriage with the crown prince, and Rodelia, who had received all the education she needed to become an Empress from an early age, had no choice. “Father…..don’t want to get married like I’m sold to a stranger.” “What do you mean ‘sold’? Your partner is the crown prince, who will be the next emperor. You’ve been doing well so far, right? You’re not going to disappoint this father, are you?” What would it be, if not a sale? Rodelia knew very well that this marriage would mean exchanging herself for her father’s power in the future. But she couldn’t even reply to her father’s stern voice. Whenever the Marquis spoke to her in a shout, she always shrank back, for no matter what she did, she always ended up obeying him. “You are the one to be the Empress. I like it.” Fortunately, the Crown Prince had a likable impression. His demeanor was a bit overbearing, but to her, who had grown up under the Marquis, it was no big deal. At that time, the Crown Prince was like a savior to her. Crown Prince Kane also liked Rodelia. Of course, it was because of her dazzling good looks. Her fresh green eyes that made people dizzy when they looked at them and her blond hair that swayed as if it contained the morning sun made her pale skin look a little more mysterious, and the graceful attitude she wore also seemed appropriate to stand by her side. He had the impression that she looked a little cold, even somewhat shrinking in demeanor. Isn’t she just the right person to tame as he likes? He hated fierce women, and she was the perfect companion. The Marquis of Florence’s greed bothered him a little, but he was not a wimp. He was smart, young, and had the power to subdue nobles with ease. Since their first meeting, Kane had been kind to Rodelia. It was also Kane who had first approached Rodelia, who had been formally educated as an Empress and was facing prosecution. “That’s how it is with everyone at first. You have excellent basic etiquette and will learn quickly.” Rodelia was instantly smitten with Kane. It was only natural, since she wasn’t able to receive proper love from the start. She believed that with Kane, the title of Empress would not be so bad. It was a political marriage, but they came to love each other. Thanks to Kane, she gradually emerged from the shadow of the Marquis of Florence, regained her vitality, and brightened. **** She finally knew stability in her life, but it all came apart again in an instant. Her limbs began to shake. Rodelia tried to calm down but it was hard to do so. “Ah…d*mn it.” With a sigh that included a tantrum from Kane, the woman with wispy red hair hanging down to her waist, Sola Eisen, appeared from the bedroom. She only had a plain white cloth wrapped around her body as she gently approached Kane’s side. There was no need for explanation, Rodelia could tell what kind of relationship she had with Kane. [Don’t trust the Emperor too much.] Grand Duke Eisen’s warning about his twin sister Sola Eisen floated through Rodelia’s head. However, she didn’t believe him when he told her that. What did she say to him then? [Thank you for your concern, but I trust His Majesty.] It was strange. She believed that there must be some misunderstanding. If she had believed the Grand Duke, would she hurt this much? An empty smile spread across Rodelia’s lips. “Kane, it’s not like that…” “….” She spoke it a little hoarsely, hiding her horror, but Kane said nothing and just looked at Rodelia with a complicated expression. She hoped not, but his silence was the same as an affirmative answer. She felt as if her heart, which had been so painstakingly suppressed, would plunge into the mire. “His Majesty is so weak-hearted that he can’t tell you himself. So I have no choice but to tell you myself.” (Sola) “….” Rodelia’s gaze crossed with Sola’s dark eyes as she let out a long breath. Staring her up and down, Sola slowly opened her mouth again. “His Majesty is tired of the Empress. You’re not interesting because you are so obedient and submissive.” (Sola) With a sneer, Sola gently sat on Kane’s lap, who said nothing. She wrapped her thin arms around Kane’s neck in a showy gesture and looked up at Rodelia. The previous emperor’s concubines knew better. They wouldn’t go this far in front of the Empress for fear of being hated, but it was because they were from the commonwealth. Sola was confident and arrogant as if she was flying in the sky, perhaps because she was a Princess in the first place. Raising herself from Kane’s lap, Sola approached the hanger with a sexy gait and dropped the wrapped cloth on the floor. Then she lifted Kane’s uniform jacket and put it on, and looked at Rodelia again. Sola’s curvy figure was in full view. “I suppose that means that as an Empress, she’s a honourable person, but as a woman, she’s not so good.” (Sola) Sola’s long eyes narrowed as she laid down the facts and spoke plainly. Kane made no reply to her words. He was a figure that disappeared like dust until the last remaining trust. Unspeakable questions lingered in Rodelia’s head. Her vision began to blur. After wobbling for a while, Rodelia patted the desk with her frail hand. ‘Did Grand Duke Eisen really know that his sister had become the Emperor’s mistress and warned me?’ ‘If so, why on earth?’ Sola and her brother, Cerdian, had just made their appearance in the social world. It was common for the children of the closed-off Grand Duchy of Eisen to go outside the castle when they reached adulthood, and they did the same. ‘She (Sola) approached Kane as soon as she left the Grand Duchy, didn’t she?’ Rodelia’s beautiful brows twisted darkly in suspicion. Kane’s impression of her also wrinkled slightly at the sight, but soon returned to a dry expression as he sighed once and said in a cold voice, “I don’t need to explain anymore. You seem to have an understanding, so I would like you to leave now.” Rodelia couldn’t understand Kane, who had changed in an instant. It was true that a few days ago he had confessed to her that he loved her. As doubtful as it may seem, it must have happened after Princess Eisen stepped into the royal family. Or there might have been some unspoken circumstances. She wanted to believe that. She was biting her lip with an indifferent expression and slowly opened her mouth. “I have a question.” “What is it?” “Do you love the Princess?” She hoped that Kane would tell her he did not. And that it was just a misunderstanding. She was willing to believe him if he told her that. Rodelia’s wistful gaze turned to Kane. However, there was no unexpected change. After a long, complicated stare, a dry voice came from Kane’s mouth, one she had never heard before. “Yes. I love her.” “….” It was beyond belief. Rodelia didn’t want to believe it. However, Kane didn’t care about Rodelia, who froze in shock. He just looked down at his documents again. Rodelia’s body began to tremble. As she grasped for a ray of hope, the heart that she had been trying so hard to hold in place collapsed helplessly. Had he really fallen in love at first sight? What could have stolen his heart in such a short time? Why on earth? She was convinced until the very end that he wasn’t, but the moment she heard him say he loved the Princess, she couldn’t stop her eyes from turning red. The hurt piled up in the pitiful look in Rodelia’s eyes. Because she loved him and she believed his love was eternal, and her heart ached as much as she believed him. “You told me that you loved me. Was that all a lie?” “It wasn’t a lie. It’s just that my heart is small.” The look in Kane’s eyes that turned indifferent pierced her heart. As the first time she received his cold stare, the loss was too great for words. She had no choice but to admit that his heart went missing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have humiliated her, the Empress, in front of others, let alone the mistress. Hot tears streamed down her pale cheeks. “Hic…” “Pfft.” Rodelia, who came to her senses at the sound of Sola’s laughter, quickly wiped away her tears. “Is it that easy to cry? The position of Empress is nothing.” It was an attitude that she was above her. Sola said with a sharp gaze. It was the first time in her life that she was insulted in such a low-grade manner. Clenching her fists tightly, Rodelia hardened her eyes coldly and stood upright. She’d already lost face, but as Empress, she didn’t want to seem ridiculous any longer. ‘I have to alm down. I am the Empress of the Thebes Empire.’ She had learned how to act in a situation like this. And even though, she had practiced countless times, the reality was not as easy as the practice. Het limbs trembled, her heart pounded, and she felt driven to the edge of a cliff. But it was something she had to endure. Rodelia opened her mouth, trying to keep a calm figure. “Yes, the Princess is right. The position of Empress would not have been much without the favor of His Majesty.” It was a bitter truth. Kane, he could only stare at Sola, whether she said anything insulting to Rodelia or not. Fortunately, her cold voice leaked out as intended, and she breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. But she felt as if she had become an uninvited guest among them. She no longer had the courage to be here. She lifted her gaze and looked at Kane. She was about to say, “I’m leaving,” when his increasingly gaunt face entered her field of vision. She hated him, how could his feelings disappear in an instant? But like an i***t, she began to worry that he might be sick. As her eyes scanned his body, Rodelia spotted his darkly burned arms under his sleeves. She looked at Kane with startled eyes. “Your Majesty, what’s wrong with your arm…………” Startled by Rodelia’s gaze, Kane pulled down his sleeve and covered his arm in a panic. He looked perplexed and opened his mouth coldly like a blade. “Empress, isn’t it time for you to understand? I hope you don’t bother me anymore and leave me now.” Chapter 3 *** Rodelia stepped out of the office as if to escape. When she opened the door, her eyes met with the startled expression of the chamberlain. She finally managed to change her expression and gave him an appropriate smile. And to avoid collapsing, she walked with more care than usual. This was because she was worried that rumors would spread that there was a dispute with the emperor because of the mistress. If that happened, the only one who would be in trouble would be herself, the Empress. Rodelia grabbed her chest and headed for the Empress’s palace. In her mind, she could clearly remember Kane holding Sola’s waist and kissing her. While kissing, he turned his gaze to her. Her heart fell apart as she looked into his light blue eyes that never wavered. As she thought of the image once more, a familiar sadness enveloped her body. Her regular breathing became more and more intense, and she burst into tears. Rodelia hurried to a secluded part of the garden, lest the palace servants should discover such a wretched sight, and wept behind a pile of bushes. The whole gorgeous view of the garden, which had looked so beautiful not long ago, was now superimposed on the image of Sola mocking her. In contrast, she wondered if it was just an illusion that made her own shabby appearance stand out even more. It was funny how the exact same scenery could change a person’s perspective on it in an instant. Rodelia let out a self-mocking laugh at her emotional state. ‘It’s okay. It’s no big deal.’ She struggled to encourage herself to do so. She had heard of this happening often. She was the Empress anyway, and no Emperor in history had ever been without a concubine. Yes, it was likely just a short play. But… Knowing this, why does her heart ache so much?