Several days passed by quickly. Elena’s morning sickness was getting worse, but there was no significant change in her appearance yet.
However, her inner thoughts were not as calm as she looked outwardly. She wanted to see Carlisle as soon as possible, tell him the news of her pregnancy, and feel the embrace of his strong arms. Mary was able to sense Elena’s anxiety without her having to speak it out loud.
“His Majesty the Emperor is now on his way back to the Imperial Palace. He’ll arrive by tomorrow, but if you want to see him sooner, why don’t meet him ahead?”
“Meet him ahead?”
“Yes. If we arrive in advance where the His Majesty will pass by, you will see him by tonight, not tomorrow.”
It was a good suggestion. A day’s difference might not seem much, but Elena was eager to shorten the waiting time. Before Carlisle left, he jokingly asked her to endure the wait, but his words had a note of truth to them. This seemed to be the utmost that Elena could tolerate.
‘How did I live without Caril before…?’
Looking back on it now, it seemed a long time ago before she met Carlisle. Elena nodded firmly at Mary, a smile spreading across her face without her even realizing it.
“Yes, let’s go meet His Majesty.”
“Do you miss him a lot? I notice that you look at the wildflowers in that vase everyday.”
Mary seemed to be lightly teasing her, but Elena couldn’t quite refute her. Elena was waiting for Carlisle to return before the flowers withered. She blushed and answered in a low voice.
“Yes, you’re right, Mary. Let’s go and see His Majesty.”
“Hehe, yes! Then I will send a messenger to tell him in advance that you’ll meet him.”
Elena would have liked to surprise him, but it was safer to give him notice. She nodded.
“Do that. Why, you’re a veteran after living in the palace for a long time now.”
“Of course. If I want to keep serving you, I must do my best.”
“You are.”
Elena smiled at Mary’s passion and attention to detail.
And so, Elena, Mary, and a dozen knights set out of the palace to meet with Carlisle.
***
To return to the Imperial Palace from the Max family’s northern residence, one had to make their way through a road with high cliffs on either side. It was the fastest shortcut. Carlisle was scheduled to pass this way today, and Elena was travelling near the cliffs to meet him. It was a spontaneous outing that hadn’t been planned in advance.
Elena’s carriage rattled as it wove through the path, under the protection of the knights, and all passersby on the road bowed. Elena’s sharp ears manage to catch several pieces of conversation.
“Didn’t Her Majesty come by earlier?”
“Well, it must be a long procession.”
The voices faded, but Elena peeked out of the window. Perhaps some of the guards had gone ahead to secure the path.
Upon arriving at the fairly isolated meeting point, the knights set up tents so Elena could rest comfortably. Elena smiled as she stepped into her cozy lodging.
“You have all done well. I can wait here.”
“You’re welcome. Please rest, Your Majesty.”
The guards bowed and left, and only Elena and Mary remained in the tent. At first, Elena intended to stay inside until Carlisle arrived, when a wave of nausea roiled through her stomach.
“Uub!”
Elena clapped her hand over her mouth even though she hadn’t eaten recently, and Mary gave her a nervous pat on the back.
“Your Majesty, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, you don’t have to worry—Ugh!”
“Have some water, Your Majesty. I think you need to lie down—”
Elena shook her head, although her face was as white as a sheet.
“No, I think I’ll feel better if I get some fresh air.”
Ever since she became pregnant, she became sensitive to the air, and the tent felt quite stuffy. Mary nodded hastily at Elena’s request.
“Alright then. Shall we go for a short walk around here?”
“Yes.”
When Carlisle would arrive, he would be anxious if he saw Elena in this state. Elena and Mary took two of the knights with them.
As they walked down the quiet road, it began to grow dark. Elena studied her surroundings, as it was her habit, and assessed the terrain of this area was quite dangerous.
‘It’s a narrow road between the cliffs, so if someone attacks from above, they’ll be vulnerable.’
An attack wasn’t likely, of course. They were not too far from the palace, and if anyone gathered here without authorization, they would be noticed. Elena was simply taking in the terrain and thinking of how she could use it.
Sugunsugun.
She picked up the faint noise of conversation from somewhere. It was coming in a completely different direction from the tent, so it was probably not her knights.
An ominous feeling fell over Elena. Mary, who was walking by her side, also noticed the sound, and she turned towards Elena questioningly.
“What? There—”
“Shhh.”
Elena raised a finger to her lips. Mary nodded quickly and covered her mouth with both palms. The two knights with them were also on alert, and exchanged hand signals with each other. Elena suddenly remembered the people on the road that had said, “Didn’t Her Majesty come by earlier?” She couldn’t ignore the suspicious fact.
‘…Just in case.’
Elena, Mary, and the knights approached the direction of the voices with silent footsteps, and the conversation grew clearer in their ears.
“The Emperor will pass through this place soon, so everyone move to their positions.”
“It was easier than I thought, as our leader had infiltrated the Empress’ family servants. No one found out we were moving this way.”
“Family servants directly serve the Empress, so it’s easy to gain trust.”
Elena’s head began to spin.
‘What does that mean?’
She couldn’t figure out who they were referring to. And what exactly were they planning to do here?
One thing was for sure—they were after Carlisle.
‘We have to inform the others quickly.’
Elena’s and the knights’ eyes met in midair. They exchanged quiet nods, in signal it was time to return to their tents. They slowly backed away, when—
Snap.
Mary stepped on a branch on the ground. Alerted, the mysterious men whirled in their direction with terrifying expressions.
“Who’s there!”
