Chapter 445. Cruel Emperor (2)
Translator: Aura / Editor: Tiny Zebra
I was in my office, scrutinizing the notes summarizing the discussion at the Privy Council in relation to Grand Duke Lilteang’s case. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
‘Surely it’s Heinley.’
If it had been someone else, one of my attendants would have announced them first. Since they didn’t, there was no doubt that it was Heinley.
However, rather than allow him to enter immediately, I rested my arms on the desk and stared at the door.
After a few moments, he knocked again.
I got up quietly, walked over to the door and waited. As soon as I heard two knocks in a row, I opened the door forcefully.
Heinley stood with his hand raised in the air in surprise and his eyes went wide. Then his face brightened.
“My Queen, you appeared as if by magic.”
I didn’t answer and turned around. However, Heinley stepped in front of me and held out a box he was carrying.
“My Queen. Here you go.”
When I took it, I noticed that the box was rather hot.
“What is it?”
“It’s the pea soup you wanted to eat.”
I opened the lid and caught a whiff of the delicious aroma. It seemed like the soup was freshly made. It made my mouth water.
“I made it myself.”
Heinley boasted with a lovely smile.
He was too cute. However, it was obvious that he was trying to assuage my displeasure with food. Two opposite emotions arose in me. Part of me wanted to overlook what happened, but another part of me wanted to state the hard truth, even if he didn’t want to hear it.
After a moment of reflection, I sighed, and opted for the latter. I put the box Heinley had given me on the desk and took his hands.
“Heinley.”
“Eat it before it gets cold.”
Although it would have been nice to pretend that nothing had happened… this wasn’t the first time I became aware of certain actions and behavior that were different from what Heinley displayed in front of me, and in front of the public.
I felt the need to talk it over with him seriously, at least once.
“Heinley. I know you don’t do it impulsively… but I wish you wouldn’t punish people so cruelly.”
Heinley’s smile faded and he looked down at his hands in mine.
“The Grand Duke’s imprisonment was punishment enough. There was no need to be more cruel.”
Heinley pursed his lips at the perceived injustice.
“But My Queen, he—”
“I don’t like Grand Duke Lilteang either. At first, he tried to get close to me through bribes, but since that didn’t work, he sided with Rashta to discredit me.”
I didn’t want to seem too harsh because I was afraid of hurting Heinley’s feelings, so I looked into his eyes and stroked his face.
“Heinley. Even if revenge is justified, if your methods are cruel, people will focus more on the cruelty than on the cause you avenged.”
If he wants to have two faces, he really shouldn’t allow anyone to find that out. Despite Heinley’s efforts to pretend to be innocent, I’ve seen his other side on more than one occasion.
Heinley had also done cruel acts openly. Like the ruthlessness he showed in his quest to eliminate the Zemensia Family.
“Heinley. There’s a clear difference between severe punishment and cruel punishment.”
Heinley truly loves the Western Empire. I didn’t want his legacy as Emperor to be tarnished just because of his ruthlessness.
He stared at me in silence for a moment, then turned away from me.
“My Queen, I understand what you mean. I’ll try not to be so ruthless, but I hope My Queen understands that I didn’t ascend to the throne under the same conditions as Emperor Sovieshu. It is enough for him to sit quietly and perform his duties, and his authority is increased by doing everything according to the law.”
I could only see Heinley’s back, but I could tell that he sighed regretfully.
“My Queen, I must make sure that the nobles don’t underestimate me anymore. But even rats bite cats when cornered, so I can’t push the nobles into a corner either. I must be a fair Emperor and, at the same time, a fearsome Emperor. I must not be an Emperor who provokes the nobles, but an Emperor before whom they must bow.”
That said, Heinley kissed me once on each cheek and left.
I returned to my desk and tried to read the Privy Council notes. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Heinley said.
I had lost my appetite, so I didn’t even want to eat the delicious soup, but I also didn’t want to throw away the food Heinley had prepared for me. After a while, I opened the box and took out the bowl of soup.
When I raised a spoonful to my mouth, I realized that it had already gone cold. Still, I kept eating.
By the time I had eaten almost half of it, one of my attendants walked in.
“What is it?”
My attendant looked very uncomfortable. He was carrying a silver box.
“Did you hear me?”
“Pardon me, Your Majesty. Emperor Sovieshu sends this to Your Majesty…”
As soon as my attendant spoke, I understood why he was so uncomfortable .
Sovieshu? Again? He won’t leave me alone.
“Tell him I’m not here.”
When I flatly refused, my attendant nervously left the room with the box.
I set the spoon aside. I didn’t want to force myself to eat any more soup because I felt like my stomach would hurt. Heinley was important to me, but so was our baby bird. I didn’t want our child to become nauseous because I ate too much.
I cleared the bowl away from the desk, and poured myself a cup of tea. As I drank slowly, my attendant returned.
‘What now?’
I stared at him with a frown and he held out a letter. From his expression, it was clear that he also didn’t want to deal with this.
“The Emperor of the Eastern Empire…”
“Send it back.”
My attendant left with the letter.
I put the notes away and covered my eyes with my hands. Due to my anger I could no longer concentrate on what was written.
However, my attendant soon returned and held out a letter to me.
I was about to send it back when I noticed that the letter had been sealed with the official stamp of the Emperor of the Eastern Empire.
He sent it as an official letter so that I could not refuse it again.
I reluctantly accepted the letter, asked my attendant to leave, and ripped it open.
What could he have to say that is so important to require an official letter!
— Will you send this one back, too?
The ‘official’ letter was brief … but my irritation was immense.
I stood up immediately and stormed out.
As soon as I opened the door, a bouquet of flowers appeared before my eyes, blocking my view.
I took the bouquet and Sovieshu’s face appeared behind it.
“It’s a gift.”
“Your Majesty. My husband gives me bouquets of flowers daily. There is absolutely no need for anyone else to get me flowers.”
I had to hold back the urge to hit Sovieshu with the bouquet.
When will these fifteen days come to an end? Am I imagining things, or did time always move so slowly?
Before Sovieshu could answer, a rain-soaked messenger rushed in as if he was in a great hurry.
The messenger bowed the moment he noticed Sovieshu and me.
I recognized him. He was a regular messenger for Viscount Langdel.
“What’s the matter?”
The messenger saved me from another absurd conversation with Sovieshu.
“Viscount Langdel… the Commander… ordered me to communicate this to you immediately… without delay…”
I didn’t understand what he meant, but it seemed that it was uncomfortable for him to speak in front of Sovieshu.
Without hesitation, I returned the bouquet to Sovieshu and entered my office with the messenger.
Once I closed the door and asked him to speak with confidence, the messenger spoke respectfully.
“Your Majesty, Commander Langdel ordered me to warn you that tomorrow someone will come to visit you. Commander Langdel wants you to refuse whatever that person asks of you.”
