Episode 7
“You don’t have to do anything just yet, my lady. But today, you do need to attend the succession ceremony.”
If it was “yet,” did that mean there was still hope? A glimmer of hope arose in her heart. No one had ever needed her for anything.
“Shall I help you get ready?”
When Eda nodded, the maid smiled warmly.
“You will be meeting new people today, so I will make you look even more beautiful.”
At Claudel’s call, several maids entered carrying clothes and accessories.
“There are so many clothes in the wardrobe.”
“……”
Eda gave a small nod.
For some reason, Ivar had never been stingy when it came to buying her clothes. Of course, since Ingrid would turn violent whenever she wore something fancy, she always ended up choosing the plainest ones.
A light emerald-colored dress that fit Eda’s body was draped over her. The vivid color added a touch of life to her once-pale face.
Claudel began to chatter about things Eda had no interest in knowing.
“Helping my mistress get dressed up like this, that’s the highlight of a maid’s life, don’t you think? It’s always been my dream to do something like this.”
“Silver hair, how beautiful! It goes so well with your eye color.”
“Oh dear, you’re so thin! If you tell me what you like to eat, I’ll make sure to have it prepared for you.”
How long would this chatter go on? She wasn’t really the type of person worth flattering, but maybe it was because Claudel was new here.
The other maids seemed to be thinking the same thing, as they looked at Claudel with pity in their eyes.
“All done. Isn’t she beautiful? Even though your husband passed away, you mustn’t let yourself fall apart.”
Did she think that her shabby appearance was because of Ivar’s death? Eda found it difficult to explain, so she gave up trying.
“My lady, please, have a look in the mirror!”
The moment Eda turned her gaze to the mirror at Claudel’s gesture, her eyes widened.
In the mirror was Yudelin.
Red lips, rosy cheeks. Dressed in splendid clothes, her silver hair slightly curled.
The woman who had received the love of every man was staring wide-eyed back at her.
The dreamlike image left Eda speechless for a long while.
Whatever kind of magic had been used, her sunken cheeks now looked full of life, and her dull gaze had turned sharp. She looked like a true noblewoman now, and Eda’s heart began to race.
Eda lowered her gaze. In the mirror, the image of the woman elegantly lowered her eyes as well.
“Thank you. It’s so beautiful.”
Eda gave Claudel a quiet word of thanks. Claudel smiled as she replied.
“You’re already beautiful. I only helped a little.”
Eda didn’t dislike Claudel’s flattery. For some reason, it felt like it might be a good day after all.
But by the time Eda arrived at the hall, the succession ceremony had already ended.
She stared blankly at the empty space before her.
The slightly excited and uplifted feeling she had felt earlier disappeared.
* * *
“They say the Emperor has taken yet another person with a special ability under his command.”
It was a brief meeting held just before the succession ceremony.
At Knight Berg’s report, Astaldo frowned. His close aides also let out sighs.
The fact that all those with special abilities were falling into the Emperor’s hands was certainly not a good sign.
The special ability possessed by the Emperor of the Bohgor Empire was the ability to identify those with special abilities.
Because of this, those with the ability to control fire, move objects, summon rain, or even simply make plants grow had all fallen under his control.
This place, Wesselwolf, had been a kingdom a hundred years ago.
The people of Wesselwolf were known for their strength, born from the harsh and unforgiving environment.
It was said that even a well-trained common soldier from Wesselwolf was as good as a knight from another country.
For that reason, no other country dared to set their sights on them.
Except for one, the Kingdom of Bohgor.
The people of Wesselwolf were crushed by the army of the Bohgor king, who had a force made up of people with supernatural powers.
Even though the Wesselwolf people grew up like wolves in a harsh environment, they were no match for the Bohgor army.
As a result, Wesselwolf ceased to be the name of a kingdom and became the name of a noble house instead. And through a policy of assimilation, the king of Wesselwolf was given the title of Grand Duke under the “Bohgor “Empire” and his bloodline continued to inherit the title.
The fact that they hadn’t exterminated the royal bloodline of Wesselwolf but had instead granted them the title of Grand Duke was likely a display of confidence— a belief that, even if the people of Wesselwolf rebelled, the empire would never truly lose control.
However, the newly enthroned Emperor Gurgit was somewhat strange.
He was frantically gathering people with special abilities and often provoked the Astaldo side.
He pressured the Grand Duke of Wesselwolf, who was unable to quickly win the war against Nyt, and sometimes dispatched inspectors, claiming the taxes collected from the territory were too low.
It was clear that Emperor Gurgit was deliberately keeping the Grand Duchy of Wesselwolf in check.
Considering how they were now gathering those with special abilities, it was inevitable that war would break out.
“We must begin preparations as well.”
“The Emperor’s sword is now pointed at us.”
“If that foolish Ivar hadn’t acted so recklessly, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
“Do not insult my brother.”
He cut in sharply at the sudden insult aimed at Ivar.
To say such things even after Ivar’s death? A few people rolled their eyes and spoke in frustration.
“Isn’t that too much? He’s the one who drove His Grace into danger!”
This was precisely why Astaldo was able to survive. He never did anything, never said anything.
He had always just quietly followed his brother. He acted as if he held no hatred toward him. No one could ever read what he was thinking. That was Astaldo Wesselwolf.
“You should’ve kept your mouth shut… Wouldn’t it have been better to marry Princess Sienna instead of Ivar’s woman?”
At Bulder’s concerned remark, Astaldo asked,
“You’re telling me to marry another woman?”
“Yes. In this day and age, levirate marriage—how does that make sense? You could’ve just inherited the wealth and title, so why on earth…”
“That’s right. Even if she were to be your wife, why did you have to choose that dull-looking girl—”
Bang!
“Shut up.”
Astaldo, who had remained calm even when his brother was insulted, now wore a vicious expression as the table split cleanly in two.
Everyone looked at him in shock.
“She is my wife. Speak carelessly of her again, and I will take your head.”
“I apologize, Your Grace.”
In the end, Bulder, who had belittled Eda, fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness.
Astaldo’s eyes, as he looked down at him, were still burning. He looked as though he were seriously considering whether to draw his sword and execute him on the spot.
Berg, who was watching him intently, cautiously spoke up.
“Did you know each other before?”
At Berg’s question, he didn’t reply. Instead, he fiddled with his index finger. Then, he looked beyond the window, at the brightening sky.
It was time. He stood up.
“My wife will not be attending the succession ceremony. I hope no one is foolish enough to raise the matter again.”
“Wait a moment, the Grand Duchess won’t be at the succession ceremony? That’s—”
“She’s hardly a Grand Duchess—we haven’t even had the wedding yet.”
The sharp ones among them quickly caught the contradiction in Astaldo’s words.
He excluded her from the duties of a wife by saying they were not yet married. And yet, he had rushed to consummate the marriage with Eda.
He seemed to be keeping his distance, but then grew furious when she was insulted. There was clearly something off about Astaldo’s behavior.
Not allowing her to attend the succession ceremony was probably his way of keeping her from being targeted by the public’s scrutiny.
“Come to think of it, wasn’t Lady Eda, a descendant of the Mahina family? Or rather, the Mahina Duchy’s bloodline? If so, her heir may have extraordinary abilities—”
One of the knights said with a laugh.
“There’s no way. Do you really think the Emperor would hand over Mahina’s pure bloodline to Wesselwolf so easily?”
“……”
“Before that, would the ‘Descendants of the Wolf’ even be capable of wielding any abilities?”
At that comment from a knight who had spent a long time inside the castle, a heavy silence fell over the group.
It was true that Eda being beside Astaldo was problematic, but that wasn’t what concerned them. The real issue was the Emperor, who could draw his sword at them at any moment.
“How nice it would be if there was someone who could stop the emperor’s special ability.”
Someone clicked their tongue and said. However, no one answered. It was a wish too impossible to answer.
“The abilities of the ‘Wesselwolf Men’ are of no help at all.”
One of the knights sighed and said.
SoundlessWind21’s Notes:
If there are any errors, whether it be grammatical, spelling, translation, or website-related issues, feel free to let me know. (´◡`) Anyway, thank you for reading!