Chapter 298

Tara seeks an audience with the Emperor at Tandra.

This chapter is dedicated to G! Thank you for your support!

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Episode 298: About Two Months (6)

“Bernard. Did all of these people accompany you from the Palace?” I asked, gesturing towards the servants.

Bernard shook his head.

“No. They come from the nearby villages. Of course, the Security Department cleared them before they arrived. I’ve heard that because this palace is so vast, there's enough staff here that it's practically a village in and of itself.”

“I see. Since His Majesty is unwell, it’s good that there is plenty of staff. Does he move around at all?”

Bernard replied he'd been in close proximity to the Emperor but had never seen him properly.

"He abhors revealing his paralyzed state. He even dismissed all the maids who used to attend him, and he's very sensitive about it."

When he'd travelled to Tandra Forest, his massive carriage had been concealed with fabric so no one could see him. Even after arriving at the Tandra Mansion, the Emperor had either lain in bed barely moving or, when seated, had the space partitioned off with a long curtain hung from the ceiling to conceal his figure.

“Hmm… Is there anyone besides the maids who specifically attends to him?”

"How did you know? There is only one."

I followed Bernard up the stairs. “An older man?”

Bernard knocked on the door, then spun to face me, his eyes wide.

“How on earth did you know?”

“I think I know his name, too. Baron Fred Berg. Am I correct?”

“.....!”

His eyes practically bulged at my question.

“Was that in the book?”

“No. I don’t know those details. It never mentioned such minor events. I just figured it out on my own.”

The moment the words left my lips, the door to the largest room in the mansion creaked open behind Bernard.

"Is that you General? Hey, maid behind him! Hurry and serve His Majesty...! Wait- Tara, the Second Aide?"

Fred Berg stood in the doorway, looking even more shocked than Bernard.

***

Tandra Mansion, Emperor's Bedroom / Morning.

“Since it is a request from the General of the Imperial Guard who saved my life, I shall grant it this one time. Let her enter.”

“Your Majesty’s grace is beyond measure.”

I stood behind the inner door. As I listened to Bernard speak, an ache clutched my chest, and I brought my hand to rest above my heart. 

I couldn't believe he was using the favour he'd gained for saving the Emperor's life for me. I sniffed, caught up in emotion.*

I had profited from making sure Bernard became a General after all.

Bernard stepped out and gave me a nod. “Thank you. Bernard. I’ll never forget this favor,” I whispered softly, then cautiously stepped inside the inner chamber.

The door closed quietly behind me. The only people left in the room were the Emperor, myself, and Fred, who stood beside him.

The inner chamber inside the door appeared to be roughly 700 square feet.**

The Emperor appeared to be reclining on a velvet sofa in the center of the room, leaning on his side. But all I could see of the Emperor was his silhouette, faintly visible through the long drapes hanging from the ceiling.

I stood at a respectful distance away from the sofa where the Emperor lay, about 10 paces.

The Emperor’s voice drifted out from between the billowing drapes sounding faintly husky.

“Hmm... Seeing as you’ve come dressed as a maid, you don’t seem utterly clueless. Have you come to complain that you’ve been wronged—that your property was confiscated unfairly despite the dissolution of your partnership with the Second Prince? What do you want, daughter of the Elias family– or more correctly, Aide to the Second Prince?”

I hesitated for a moment, but then decided to tell the truth.

“I am no longer his aide. I was dismissed three months ago.”

“What did you say?”

“Huh?”

The Emperor’s irritated reaction and Fred’s startled reply sounded simultaneously.

For a moment, I saw the Emperor’s silhouette jerk, as he abruptly tried to sit up, then Fred, standing right beside him, subtly shook his head.

“Ahem.”

The Emperor immediately lay back down as if nothing had happened. I felt him turn his gaze toward me as if it were no big surprise and our eyes locked. Or rather, it felt like they locked.

The Emperor still believed I was an aide in the Second Prince’s Palace. So did Fred Berg.

Kyle wouldn't have informed them about our relationship. Moreover, he didn't make a habit of handing out information about official matters, such as the dismissal of a low-ranking Palace employee whose allegations had not yet been proven. Now, all of those factors meant I had to explain it myself somehow.

I slightly widened my eyes and shrugged. Even from a distance, Fred seemed to sense the direction of my thoughts and let out a deep sigh.

“I did find it strange that he suddenly withdrew from the alliance, but ousting you from the position of aide? What on earth did the Elias family do wrong?”

"...We have done nothing wrong."

"Then are you saying the Second Prince made an incorrect judgment?"

"It was an understandable misapprehension."

“So you’re saying you gave him cause for suspicion and failed to clear up the misunderstanding?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Why should I trust the word of you and your family, when you lost the Second Prince’s trust?”

“I did not come here to restore that trust. I will restore that trust on my own in due course, but the Elias family has done nothing to Your Majesty that should shake your trust in us.”

I emphasized that while our cooperation agreement with the Second Prince had been terminated, our family hadn't broken trust with the Emperor himself.

A considerable amount of silence passed. During that time, I stood motionless, my posture unchanging.

Then the Emperor tilted his head.

“So that's why you borrowed the General’s authority in order to seek this audience with me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor seemed to ponder my curt reply, hmming to himself before nodding.

“Well. The matter of the Heart Medicine shares has been well determined, has it not? You’re a strange young lady. You aren't here to reclaim your property because you feel wronged by this situation, nor are you here to clear up a misunderstanding. So why, despite being banished from the Palace, have you come all the way here to see me, Lady Elias? As you can see, I am nothing but a paper tiger now; I have no power left.”

“...have.”

I deliberately kept my voice low.

“I can’t hear you well.”

"It seems you cannot hear me clearly because of the distance. If you would permit me to approach, Your Majesty?"

I bowed as respectfully as possible. 

I glanced up briefly, keeping my head bowed. The Emperor motioned for Fred to come closer and asked in a low voice.

Fred slowly nodded in response.

“Come closer.”

When I stopped about three steps away, the Emperor asked again, unable to contain his curiosity.

“Setting aside all manner of reasons, not a single noble has ever come to see me here before. I suppose I’ve finally lived long enough to see this. An unexpected young lady from a noble family has come to find me. Well then, what is it you wish to say?”

“You speak very eloquently. Your voice is also quite powerful. Therefore, when meeting with others, it would be best if you spoke as little as possible and kept your voice low. As I'm sure the Baron will later explain this to you in detail.”

“What on earth is that supposed to mean...!”

The Emperor slowly rose from his seat. Fred frowned in resignation and quietly explained to the Emperor.

“It seemed as though she already knew from the moment she entered. I believed there was a chance you had been fooled, but it appears you’ve caught on this time as well.”

“This time as well?”

Fred quickly recounted the story of how we had met on the business trip.

“Oh ho… You inferred that the illness was a fabrication just from that?”

The Emperor abruptly pulled back the opaque white cloth with an expression of surprise and admiration.

I quietly lowered my gaze.

My prediction had been correct.

As expected... This had been orchestrated by the Second Prince.

He had used a tactic that had already proved effective because he knew the chances of the charade being discovered would be significantly reduced. Moreover, having someone on hand who knew how to pull it off there to assist in the deception was icing on the cake.

An involuntary sigh of relief escaped my lips.

“There may be others besides me who doubt your circumstances. Therefore, you must strive to make the facade even more perfect.”

“Look at me, Lady Elias.”

I immediately straightened my back, lifted my head, and looked the Emperor straight in the eye. As expected, his complexion was rosy, and he had a perfectly healthy physique. Now, the Emperor sat comfortably on the sofa, smiling as if amused.

"I thought I was going to go crazy from the frustration of this wretched piece of cloth, but knowing that I no longer have to disguise myself in front of you is quite a relief, Lady Elias. Hahaha."

The Emperor laughed heartily, then fixed his gaze on me once more.

Given that the Second Prince was 'dead', the abdication ceremony was imminent, and it was widely believed the Third Prince would claim the imperial throne, it was somewhat shocking to see him so hale and hearty.

Seeing him like that, I felt a renewed sense of certainty, and at the same time, relief.

“When I heard you were serving as an aide to the Second Prince, I couldn’t believe it—I never imagined the Eliases had such a perceptive young lady among its heirs. Come to think of it, even though you did not stand out at the Hunting Grounds, you did seem remarkably tactful for an administrator who’d just entered the Palace. But why on earth were you fired?”

"I was mistaken for a spy."

I got straight to the point and quickly explained the situation in which I had been framed as a spy.

"The Second Prince isn't one to be mistaken."

“All the circumstances and evidence supported his judgment that I was a spy.”

“But you aren’t?”

“No. I am not. That can be easily confirmed once the true mastermind is caught, but they are still at large, there is a lack of proof available to exonerate me. It’s fine if Your Majesty doesn’t believe me. That matter will be thoroughly settled in Court later. If the mistake stands and I am sentenced for it, that is a matter I will take full responsibility for.”

“Judging by your own admission, it seems you’re not entirely innocent in this.”

"I cannot deny your Majesty's words because I am ultimately the one who created this situation."

“Hoho... So that is how it is. Well. That is not a matter I wish to debate at present. Now tell me, Lady Elias. What is the reason you have come to find me?”

“House Elias wishes to support the upcoming operation in the Capital. My father wishes to postpone the discussion of us parting ways with the Second Prince until after the operation succeeds.”

"Why would you think I would accept help from a family that we have already severed our alliance with? You are asking me to take you, who has been exiled from the Palace, at your honest word? Tsk tsk. Your assurances lack righteousness when you have already proven yourself unworthy of our trust."***

At the Emperor's words, a recollection of another conversation flashed into my mind, words I'd heard the Second Prince use while in the Palace. I put them to use immediately.

“We can concern ourselves with justice and righteous punishments later. All that matters now is gathering as much strength as possible to ensure the success of the operation. What good does it do to cling to righteousness and legitimacy under these circumstances? I ask that you consider the possibility that righteousness alone will not be enough to deal with those who currently reside in the Imperial Palace.”

_______

Editor’s Notes -

*This was a particularly interesting part of the translation. Here, the author uses 크읍 (k'eueub), which is basically an onomatopoeia for a sobbing sound, but also conveys a sense of being very emotional. It's one of those things doesn’t really have an English equivalent. Rather than corresponding to a specific sound, it conveys a general sense of being so touched you want to cry/tear up.

**The original stated size here was 20 Korean pyeong (which you might recall from previous chapters is a unique Korean unit of measurement used to measure room size). This is equal to roughly 700sqft/66m². A studio apartment in Korea is 8-12 pyeong and an average house is about 25 pyeong.

*** The world that triggers Tara’s recollection here is 정당성만. It often translates as justification/legitimacy. But seems to also more generally mean justice/correctness. I can’t recall if this is a call back to a specific conversation Tara and Kyle had, or if she is borrowing one of Kyle’s statements from another context. Bonus points if any of you remember which chapter this is from, because I’ve looked and can’t figure it out!

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