The Abandoned Empress Will Not Return

[TL/N: Dear Beloved Readers, the upcoming chapters consist of headache, betrayal, scheming etc.
Therefore, ROS advises you step away from your vases, take your meds, and keep your stress balls handy.]

 

•••••••

 

A dejected laugh leaked out of Rodelia as she stood face to face with Kane.

 

She didn’t think he would come.
Kane stood crookedly in front of her, his eyes colder than the frost of midwinter.

 

It was ridiculous but she took off her hat and roughly fixed it.
Kane was looking at her disapprovingly, then said sarcastically.

 

“Since it seems like you don’t believe it, I came myself, just as the Empress wished.”

 

“……”

 

“How about it, are you willing to cooperate with the investigation now?”

 

“I have done nothing worthy of an investigation.”

 

Rodelia’s eyes darkened.

 

“It’s funny… How funny I must have looked to you.”

 

You have such an elegant and straight face yet you’ve been deceiving me all this time.
How truly despicable.

 

Kane sneered.

 

He had been open to every possibility, but everything Revlon said was true.

 

The work proceeded quickly, to the extent that the long and painstaking search for the culprit was laughable.
All circumstances pointed to Rodelia Florence.

 

She had orchestrated everything.

 

It was so easily revealed now that he was suspicious, but doesn’t everything fit perfectly because she really was the criminal? In addition, she has recently become particularly cold and her relationship with Cerdian has become especially close…

 

Rodelia must have never had feelings for him in the first place.

 

After thinking about this and that, Kane hardened his expression.

 

“How does it feel trying to poison me and failing?”

 

Despite his continued sarcasm, Rodelia didn’t understand a single thing Kane was saying to her.

 

‘Poison.
Why would I want to poison Kane?’

 

“Your Majesty, I…….
I have no reason to do that.”

 

“That’s the thing, I don’t know.
Now, why don’t you stop with that ridiculous performance? You have deceived me well.
Acting all weak and prideful, it must have been difficult pretending.”

 

“……I have never done that.”

 

“Really? We’ll find out once we search your room.”

 

Rodelia laughed.

 

Attempting to poison….

 

She never did anything like that.
Since there was no evidence, it will surely end in a small commotion.
It’s something that she doesn’t have to worry about.

 

“I only learned not too long ago that Your Majesty was poisoned.
In the meantime, I really did not know that the black marks on your arms were traces of poisoning.”

 

“This is how I’ve been deceived for the last three years.
If you really know nothing, I should be able to take a look at your room.”

 

“Of course….”

 

Rodelia paused as she spoke.
Since nothing would come of it, she was willing to be searched, she thought, but then she was reminded of Cerdian’s coat, which must be somewhere in the room.

 

If it surfaces, she’ll be questioned again.

 

In the end, it would be revealed who the owner of the coat is and it was clear how Kane, who hated Cerdian, would react.

 

“No matter how suspicious the situation may be, I am the Empress of Thebes.”

 

“Haa….
Don’t you think that the more you do this, the more suspicious you look?” 

 

“Then, what will Your Majesty do if nothing comes of it? Will your Majesty be willing to receive the punishment for breaking into the Empress’ personal space and causing such a disturbance?”

 

“Of course.
I am willing to risk my honor.”

 

Despite this warning, the difference in opinion with Kane showed no signs of narrowing.
In the end, Rodelia gave up.
They will eventually search her room and Cerdian’s coat will come out.

 

However, this could be a good opportunity, using the excuse that he doubted her innocence.

 

“Alright then.”

 

Rodelia struggled, but readily accepted.
Without knowing what the consequences of her own choices might be.

 

 *

 

“I found it!”

 

Did they find the coat?

 

Rodelia’s gaze turned towards the sound.
Contrary to her expectations however, the guardsman who shouted was holding a transparent bottle instead of a coat.

 

It took her quite a while to figure out what it was.
And the moment she realized what it was, Rodelia couldn’t help but look surprised.

 

It was the perfume sent to her by the Marquis of Florence.

 

Was that poison?

 

It can’t be.
Something is wrong.

 

When Rodelia’s trembling gaze turned to Kane, cold eyes met hers.
She slowly shook her head as if conveying it wasn’t true but Kane didn’t believe it.

 

His face, which had been cold a moment ago, became gradually marked with feelings of betrayal.
His eyes were shaking in disbelief, and also showed miserable feelings.

 

In the meantime, a guardsman approached Kane.

 

“Identify it right from this spot.”

 

As soon as Kane’s order was given, the guardsman poured a drop of a poison-discerning liquid into the bottle.
The surface of the glass turned black.

 

“Unbelievable….”

 

As the guard let out a gasp, Rodelia’s face turned white.

 

“The Empress….”

 

A choked voice leaked from Kane’s lips.
Kane hesitated for a moment, closed his eyes, then spat out determined words.

 

“Take her away.”

 

As soon as his order was given, the Imperial Knights Guards began to surround Rodelia.
Rodelia didn’t know what to do and just clutched at the hem of her dress.

 

She should have been a little more suspecting and vigilant.

 

‘Who the hell did this? Was it Sola?’

 

She couldn’t think of anything now.
She was so beyond herself that she couldn’t think of anything.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

The Captain of the Knights Guard stood next to Rodelia.

 

Fortunately, he didn’t tie her hands or show an overbearing attitude.
In any case, since she was still in the position of empress, she seemed to be treated properly.

 

Rodelia decided to follow him quietly.
No matter how many times she proclaims her innocence, nothing will change.

 

Poison that had been supposedly used on Kane was found in her own room.
It was an undeniable fact.

 

Taking her gaze away from Kane, she moved her steps slowly.
The straw hat she was clutching in her hand fell helplessly to the floor.

 

“Search the Empress’ room further.”

 

After Rodelia left, Kane continued to search her room for other evidence.
Internally, he was crushed with unbearable anger and a sense of betrayal but a greater anger than that calmed him down.
Thanks to that, his spirit sank even colder.

 

How dare you poison the Emperor of Thebes when you’re just a puppet of the Marquis of Florence.

 

It was someone so close that he didn’t even think it was worth devouring.
The fact that he had finally found her also infuriated him.

 

Why hadn’t he suspected Rodelia before?

 

All the evidence pointed to Rodelia Florence.
After he was poisoned, he showed no signs of getting better, even though he became more vigilant of the people around him.
He only got worse even though he should have gotten better.

 

The only one he wasn’t wary of was Rodelia. 

 

Come to think of it, whenever the poison faded, it seemed that she would ask him about his condition.
Is it possible that whenever he gets better she uses poison while being in close proximity with him?

 

She had to pay the price properly.

 

“We found nothing out of the ordinary except the poison in the bottle of perfume.
It seems that she had already taken care of the other things.”

 

While Kane was sitting on the couch and brooding over his thoughts, a Knights Guard approached him, gave a short report and held out the coat draped over his arm.

 

“What is this?”

 

Kane asked with a puzzled expression while exuding a ferocious air.

 

“It looks like Your Majesty’s clothes….”

 

“It’s not mine….”

 

Kane received the coat and laughed.
It was because he seemed to know who it belonged to without having to find out.

 

Rodelia Florence.

 

“Did the Grand Duke even come into this room? What a versatile woman.”

 

Kane glared at the hat that had fallen to the floor, tensely stepping on and crushing it.

 

 *

 

Shiny iron bars, damp cement walls, the smell of mold and a cot covered with white dust.

 

The murmuring voices of the prisoners, the clanking of chains as they moved and the sound of water dripping through the old ceiling, echoing through the space.

 

She wasn’t repulsed by all of this.

 

Rodelia pulled the dusty covers off the bed and then curled up.
Uncharacteristically for someone who had been caught so suddenly, she seemed very calm.

 

Is it because it still has yet to sink in, or is it because she believes that the fact that she didn’t do it will soon be revealed?

 

It seemed to be the latter.
She didn’t know why the perfume sent by the Marquis of Florence turned into poison, but…..

 

What he sent to her was not poison.
He was still a person who had a lot to gain from Kane through her.

 

So it was even more questionable.
How in the world did it happen?

 

‘Did someone switch the perfume? Where was the perfume found?’

 

Rodelia furrowed her brows.

 

The place where the guard found the perfume bottle was in the drawer of her bedside table.
However, she clearly threw the perfume in the trash can next to her desk.
If that’s the case, then someone really played a trick to lure her into a trap.

 

“It must be Sola.”

 

But it was alright, her ladies-in-waiting will testify properly, and her alibi is also sufficient.

 

Everyone should be under investigation by now.
So she will be released soon.

 

Rodelia curled her trembling body even more in the cool air.

 

Before long, the sound of several clattering footsteps echoed through the dungeon.
The sound came closer and stopped in front of her prison cell.

 

It was clear that they must have come to get her out.
Or Kane.

 

Rodelia slowly lifted her face from between her knees.

 

“Rodelia Florence, Empress of Thebes.
You will immediately be transferred to the investigation room for the poisoning of Emperor Kane Bayard.