75 Chapter 75: Two Couples

It was the day of the monthly State Council. Numerous senior ministers and committee members gathered at the palace, and while Emperor Sovieshu was obligated to attend, my duties as empress were slightly different. My presence at the meeting was not mandatory, and I only made an appearance when my own duties and affairs were on the agenda.

I checked my schedule today and found that I was free. After half an hour of thinking, however, I decided to attend the meeting and sent a message informing the assembly.

I knew that Sovieshu would divorce me soon, but it had been quiet, and I was anxious. Perhaps he was going to publicize the divorce today.

'Did McKenna return to Heinley?'

How would Heinley react? Now that things had gotten complicated, would he give up on me being his queen? Or was he trying to find another way to get in touch?

I mulled over my thoughts as I walked down the corridor, and before I knew it, I arrived at the hall where the meeting was held. Sovieshu looked at me as I entered but then turned his head away without a greeting.

'He pretended to be sorry. But he revealed his true colors as soon as I turned away his gift.'

Instead of waving to him, I sat in my seat and looked straight ahead. Occasionally, I felt his sidelong glance towards me, but I did not look back at him. We completely ignored each other during the meeting, and even during recess.

When the meeting reconvened, the atmosphere became even more awkward. The first in line was Lord Palme, who mentioned my brother.

"After Lord Koshar left for the capital, the Eternal Thousand bandits rose up again. They spread their tyranny, and even the merchants do not come to Palme anymore. Please, Your Majesty, have the grace to wipe out the bandits."

Lord Palme wasn't talking about my brother's expulsion, but Sovieshu's face immediately darkened at the mention of him. Sensible nobles gave warning glances to Lord Palme, but because the security of the lord's own land and people were at stake, he only looked on eagerly at Emperor Sovieshu.

"I'll look into it."

Sovieshu replied in a hard voice. Afterward, another noble stepped up.

"Your Majesty."

Baron Lant wasn't next on the agenda, but he raised his hand and stepped forward. My heart ran cold. Baron Lant was Sovieshu's secretary. Would he be the one to start talking about my divorce?

I gripped the arm of the throne tightly. Sovieshu, who would have normally dismissed the baron for speaking out of turn, asked him, "What is it?" My anxiety pulsed stronger.

"It is about Rashta's parents."

However, Baron Lant brought up the topic of Rashta, not me.

"Parents?"

"Yes. There is a couple that claims to be her parents."

Sovieshu leaned forward interestedly.

"Who are they?"

Baron Lant glanced around, then spoke.

"They are from the Kalen family."

I knew of them. They were a well-established family two generations ago, but when the princes fought over the throne, they backed the wrong prince and ended up falling. So Rashta belonged to that family?

"Is it true?"

"I don't know. I will have to verify the accuracy."

"I hope it is true."

What an opportune time for Rashta's noble parents to appear when Sovieshu was about to divorce me. It was hard not to burst out into cynical laughter as I listened to Sovieshu and Baron Lant speak.

So Sovieshu would give Rashta noble parents. As a child, he hated it when his father, the previous emperor, did this. It was absurd to see Sovieshu doing the exact same thing now.

"…"

I noticed that Sovieshu's ears were red. Were we thinking the same thing?

'But from a different perspective…how much does he love Rashta that he's willing to dress up a play that he doesn't like?'

I thought he would keep to his convictions.

"I will bring the couple to you later."

Baron Lant stepped back, and the assembly muttered at each other at the strange turn of events. Some thought this a trick arranged by Sovieshu, while others thought it was real.

Sovieshu beckoned the next person that was supposed to be in order. The next man was Ambassador Lingall of the country of Blue Bohean. He had a confused expression on his face, and he kept looking back towards Baron Lant. His steps slowed as he approached the throne.

'What's wrong with him?'

His unusual behavior immediately caught my attention. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, I knew why.

"I…well, Your Majesty the Emperor. As a matter of fact, a couple in Blue Bohean came to see me a few days ago and told me a strange story."

"A strange story?"

"Your Majesty, Miss Rashta, your concubine, seems to be the couple's lost daughter."

"…"

For a moment, Sovieshu's expression turned utterly bewildered like a raccoon's. I clenched my jaw and bit my lips. A low rumble of laughter escaped from the ministers' mouth. Baron Lant stared at the ambassador with widened eyes, who seemed to realize that he was in a troubled situation.

"That…well. The couple are also nobles."

I glanced towards Sovieshu.

"She must have six parents."

I spoke quietly enough that only he could hear, and his ears flushed.

I turned my head towards the front again, while the rest of the ministers fought to contain their laughter. I wondered how this had happened. Sovieshu nervously tapped the arm of his chair.

"One of the couples must be a fraud. Maybe both. Either way, the criminals will not escape. Lock them all up!"

***

"What? Did that really happen?"

Rashta, who had been in a state of depression since the blue bird, went to visit Duke Elgy. She burst out in gleeful laughter when he recounted what happened at the meeting.

"You shouldn't laugh."

She immediately turned sheepish.

"Rashta understands. Are they both yours?"

"No. I bribed the couple from Blue Bohean."

"Ah, the one you told Rashta about—!"

"Yes."

Rashta yelled out "Thank you!", but then she soon frowned.

"Are the ones brought by Baron Lant frauds?"

Duke Elgy smiled.

"They are fakes bought by your lover."

"My lover? Ah…!"

She covered her mouth with both hands.

"His Majesty!"

The Emperor had told her that he would make her empress, but since then she had seen no movement. He must have been preparing this behind her! Rashta was deeply moved that Duke Elgy and Sovieshu had done the same thing for her. She smiled as a pink blush rose to her cheeks.

"You are both cute. To do this for the sake of Rashta…"

Duke Elgy smiled as he leaned his arm against his chair. He looked pleased somehow. Rashta tilted her head at him.

"What happens now?"

"You can't have four parents, so one couple will be branded as a fake."

"Which one?"

"Which one do you want to be real?"

"The…the one that people will believe."

The corner of Duke Elgy's mouth lifted as if he liked her answer.

"That's the right answer."

"Which one will people believe?"

"The nobles likely think that the couple Baron Lant presented were fake. Fake parents or fake marriages are often used to cover up identities. The Emperor would have done this."

"Ah…"

"But another couple appeared, and their confidence in them would be higher. His Majesty cannot prepare two pairs."

"So Rashta will say that the couple Duke Elgy arranged are Rashta's parents?"

"Well, aren't you smart?"

Duke Elgy gave her a smile, and she giggled in reply. Now that she had fake parents, she was now considered a noble lady. Duke Elgy had told her that she needed to have the support of the common people and the trust of the council to challenge empress. However, Sovieshu was now raising her to that position. Everything was perfect now. Everything…

"Ah, Miss. There's something to keep in mind."

"Rashta must appease the ministers?"

"That's a long way to go. The other one."

"What is it?"

"I mean the fake parents."

"?"

"You must treat them like your real parents."

"What? They only lend their names for money, didn't they?"

"Then people would only see an imitation."

"!"

"Your goal is not to just be a concubine, but an empress. A concubine with fake parents may be overlooked, but an empress' background will be scrutinized."

"Ah…"

"They will treat you like their long-lost daughter. Treat them as if you missed them in a dramatic fashion. That's the way it must be."

At the same time Rashta was having a pleasant meeting with Duke Elgy, Sovieshu was deep in serious thought. Sovieshu also knew that everyone would consider the noble couple brought by Baron Lant to be fake. Ironically, however, the Blue Bohean couple appeared more credible. The story of a poor aristocratic girl that was reunited with her parents was more interesting than a concubine having her identity changed. If the optics were done right, everyone would go crazy over the story.

The problem was…Sovieshu was made into a laughingstock because of this incident. He closed his eyes against the dizziness swirling in his head. Following his father's footsteps led to disaster. Even Empress Navier laughed at him.

"Your Majesty…"

Baron Lant looked on nervously. He felt guilty, as he was the one who hired the fake couple.

It wasn't his fault, to say the least. The ministers were required to submit the agenda items at the State Council, but Ambassador Lingall made no mention of Rashta's parents. Baron Lant did not either, but it was for dramatic effect. He regretted his actions. If he had just written it down on the agenda…Ambassador Lingall might have questioned him first. The Emperor would not have been publicly embarrassed.

"It's fine."

Sovieshu was far from fine, but he lied for his faithful servant. However, a note of exhaustion tinged his voice.

Sovieshu, whose eyes had been closed this whole time, slowly opened. There was no confusion in them anymore, only a resolution in having made a decision. Baron Lant and Marquis Karl exchanged glances with each other, but they had no idea what the Emperor was thinking.

"Baron Lant."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"The couple you brought. Where are they being held?"

"They are not exactly criminals, so they are locked up on the first floor of the western tower. Both couples."

Despite its name, the west tower was not located on the western side of the compound. It was originally in the west, but with the addition of the central palace, its use was also changed. The western tower was most commonly used to temporarily hold nobles who were under suspicion but open to questioning.

"Let's go."

Sovieshu raised himself from his seat, and Baron Land and Marquis Karl quickly followed. After arriving at the western tower, however, Sovieshu entered the first floor alone, leaving the other two behind.

The fake couple bought by Baron Lant knelt in forgiveness when Sovieshu opened the window attached to the door.

"Have mercy, Your Majesty! We were deceived too!"

"Baron Lant said it was your wish that we would be Rashta's parents!"

"We never meant to deceive!"

Sovieshu glanced downwards at the wailing nobles. They didn't have much the appearance of one—their cheeks were thin, and their complexions were pale. It was why Sovieshu had chosen to do his business with them. He opened his mouth, judging that the couple would follow his words.

"The name of the person who deceived you…"

"It's Baron Lant! Baron Lant! "

"Is Koshar Lilder Troby."

"What?"

The couple was blindsided by the Emperor's words. Though they were not intimately involved with high society, they knew basic information. Koshar Lilder Troby was the Empress' elder brother and heir to the Troby family.

"No, I don't understand…"

"Think carefully."

"No, it was definitely Baron Lant."

Sovieshu coolly tapped the bars on the window.

"Think again."

When the couple realized the Emperor's will, they looked surprised. The Emperor was trying to place the blame on the Empress' brother.

The couple exchanged frightened glances. They were ordinary and decent people, and lying meant that the Empress' brother and family would suffer. The couple was even fond of the Empress, but if their lives were at stake, they would put themselves first. No matter how good the Empress was, it meant nothing to them if they weren't alive.

"Yes. That's right."

"Come to think of it, that was the name."

"What about his face?"

"He was…"

"Beautiful. Just like the Empress."

"Yes, he was."

"What about his eyes?"

"Blue…"

"It's green. What about hair color?"

"Blond!"

"Yes, he has dark blond hair."

The couple grabbed each other's trembling hands. How on earth did they get involved in this? They were only doing the occasional actions of fallen nobles. They thought they could simply lend their name, collect their money, and live in peace. It was painful and miserable telling a lie. But they had more reason to be afraid.

"Testify this in public."

"Y-you will spare us?"

"What did Koshar offer you in exchange for lying?"

"He offered to give us money."

"I'll give you five times that amount."

"!"

"'Koshar blackmailed you to lie. If you succeeded in being Rashta's parents, he would give you orders later. When he was banished, however, you did not hear what the orders were. Correct?"

"Yes! That's right! Yes!"

Sovieshu left the "fake parents" behind, and as soon as he returned to his room, he called for Marquis Karl.

"Bring me the divorce papers."

Marquis Karl was stunned. Although Sovieshu had mentioned his intentions to divorce before, the marquis did not expect it to go ahead so suddenly.