Chapter 185

Chapter 185

Lucius’ revenge wouldn’t have pleased him either. How ridiculous Lucius must have felt upon hearing this news.

Her heart raced. When people gathered, her hands were trembling. Fortunately, Frederick had explained to the approaching crowd that she had accidentally shot and injured him, but from the last glare he gave her, it was clear he meant, “This life debt ends here.”

While Frederick claimed it was an accident, they all sensed they were looking at someone who had intentionally fired.

Between the gaze that resembled that of a criminal and was mixed with curiosity and disapproval, Deatrice chewed on her lip.

The knights guided her to the tent where the emperor was, and as she entered, she immediately kneeled and took a seat.

“….”

The emperor’s silence seemed to bear down on her, making her acutely aware of her mistake. After a considerable amount of time had passed, the emperor slowly spoke.

“I’m disappointed in you, madam. What kind of mistake even a child wouldn’t commit? I can’t possibly turn a blind eye to this.”

“I apologize.”

“Regarding Lucius’ affair, compensation would have been arranged appropriately. Why did you have to cause an incident? Can a lady responsible for a territory behave in such a manner?”

“I made a mistake. I’ll accept any punishment.”

The Emperor was left speechless by her consecutive apologies.

He would likely have been considerably angered if she had come here and still maintained her prideful stance. However, by humbling herself and assuming a submissive posture, the Emperor, weak to women, couldn’t maintain his aggression.

The prince had stepped forward first, attributing all of this to Deatrice’s mistake. If that was the case, there was no reason to punish her further.

The Emperor, seemingly plagued by a headache, rubbed his forehead and then let out a sigh-like sentence as he issued his decree.

“Finish the hunting competition today, and then confine yourself to the estate in the capital for a while. You should offer a formal apology to the prince.”

She respectfully lowered her head once more and then rose to her feet. Outside the tent, she knelt and brushed off her knees with her gloves.

She had to kneel and apologize humbly, but it left a sour taste in her mouth. Admittedly, she had made a significant mistake that could affect the empire’s diplomacy, but even so, the Emperor’s nonchalant attitude about Lucius’ affair, stating that it would be “appropriately compensated,” was infuriating.

What kind of compensation would it be?

Considering the haste to conceal the fact that she had been intentionally shot, there was no way she could receive proper compensation.

She waited until she was summoned, and then a knight came to inform her that both Frederick and Lucius had received medical treatment and were now in good condition.

Additionally, the message included Frederick’s suggestion that she should also see a physician for a check-up, considering she must have been quite startled by the gunshot.

The words echoed loudly, as if meant to be heard by everyone around, and the nobles expressed admiration for the prince’s magnanimity in the face of such a situation.

“The prince has a better character than we thought. It seems he truly is worthy of becoming king.”

Amidst this, Deatrice chuckled briefly at the mention of his “better character.”

***

As the hunt concluded and the ceremony commenced, Lucius made his appearance.

Deatrice, who wouldn’t pay much attention to others’ murmurs, found herself concerned about Lucius’ reaction upon hearing this news.

She wondered how he reacted and whether he had been disappointed in her.

Nobles surrounded the altar where the hunted animals were placed for the ceremony. The High Priest occupied the central seat, followed by the Emperor. Frederick was seen standing near the Emperor.

He stood with an air of grace, looking composed and dignified for the ceremony, as if he had never shed a drop of blood. Upon noticing her positioned a few steps below, he offered a short smirk.

However, all things considered, her elevated position wasn’t quite in line with her noble status. After all, Deatrice was the wife of the knight most cherished by the Emperor. In the normal order of things, she should have stood ambiguously below, amidst the crowd.

From a cynical perspective, she found it rather comical – the nobles standing on the imposing altar and statues, the impeccably smooth and flawlessly polished black steps, arranged by rank and the Emperor’s favor.

Such thoughts had never occurred to her when she was a lady of the court. Back then, she never found this arrangement peculiar. She always naturally occupied the central seat.

Just before the ceremony began, Lucius returned. He lit the torches and paid respects to the altar and the Emperor, then walked over to her side. Like Frederick, he appeared uninjured and impeccably dressed in knightly attire.

Given the public nature, especially the significance of the ceremony, any meaningful interaction between Deatrice and Lucius would be inappropriate. However, she couldn’t help but steal a fleeting glance at Lucius’ immaculate face, much like an errant child.

She hoped he would meet her gaze, even briefly, offering some form of solace. She wished for him to convey that it wasn’t solely her fault, that it also brought him some relief, and that he understood.

However, Lucius kept his gaze fixed ahead with an impassive expression. Despite the possibility that he might sense her gaze, he never turned his head to acknowledge it.

Could he have not heard the conversation at all? The thought briefly crossed her mind, but observing his lack of surprise upon seeing her in riding attire suggested that he had likely heard about the events that had transpired.