The Great Wish - Chapter 9.5

Vol.2 Chapter 9 Part 5 

"Your Imperial Majesty." 

The elderly Countess Pope's eyes were red. 

She had returned to her dream. Sienna wasn't startled. She wondered what she'd see and hear this time. Half of her was dreading this, but half of her was also curious. She was full of complicated feelings. 

"Why haven't you left yet?" 

"How could I leave after seeing you collapse like that?" 

"You must have been very surprised. This was the first time we'd seen each other in a long time, and I'm ashamed to have shown you something like this." 

"Please don't say that. Are you okay? You are the pillar of this Empire, Your Imperial Majesty." 

"This isn't a disease. Please don't worry." 

The Emperor's voice sounded a lot more comfortable as she spoke to Countess Pope than it did when she spoke to Patricia. 

— She called Mother an enemy, but the countess is... 

Sienna checked one more time. Her future showed her that she'd trust others more than her own flesh and blood. It left a bitter taste in her mouth. 

"Did you happen to see Mother?" 

"She's as vigorous as always." 

"Did she insult you?" 

"It's fine, Your Imperial Majesty." 

The emperor clicked her tongue. 

"What did Mother do to you?" 

"She only said a few words." 

"She must have verbally abused you." 

"..." 

"It seems that her wickedness only gets worse with time..." 

"Does she do these things for no reason?" 

"No reason? She'll always make up a reason. Lately, she's been fretting about my marriage." 

The countess began to chuckle. 

"I apologize, Your Imperial Majesty. I just thought of something. I recently heard some news regarding your ex-fiancé." 

The emperor didn't say anything, so the countess continued cautiously. 

"If you don't remember..." 

"I remember. But it all seems so long ago. There isn't anyone around me who will bring that up to me." 

"It seems that I've said something pointless. One gets talkative with age, you see." 

"Tell me. You're the only one who will tell me things like this. What about Earl Luke?" 

— If she's talking about the future Earl Luke, she's probably talking about Joseph Luke, right? 

Duke Luke's grandson, Joseph Luke. 

He didn't have the qualifications to become the next duke. If he didn't end up marrying her, he would have received his father's title. 

"They say Earl Luke's son is a uncontrollable rake. Not that long ago, there was talk that a woman claiming to be pregnant with the earl's grandchild showed up at their door. It caused quite a scene in that household. But I heard that this wasn't the first time something like this has happened." 

"Is it that son from last time?" 

"Yes." 

"Like father, like son." 

"That's why they say nothing can fool blood." 

"But it seems that the earl still took that boy in and raised him." 

"Even if he was an illegitimate child, the whole world came to know of his existence, so he couldn't just throw him away. And right now, he is the sole child of Earl Luke." 

"The earl didn't have children after him? I thought I heard he got married." 

"I heard no children were produced in that marriage." 

Sienna carefully listened to the conversation between the emperor and the countess. She deduced the reason why the engagement was dissolved. 

— So it was an illegitimate child. 

It seemed that the news of Joseph's illegitimate child broke after their engagement. If the existence of an illegitimate child had been revealed publicly, there would be no reason for Sienna to marry such a man. 

It was a matter of face, and if the emperor's spouse had an illegitimate child, it would only cause more problems. 

— What a shameless man. 

She recalled Joseph's sleek face and became enraged. 

To think that her fiancé had an illegitimate child. Thankfully, it was revealed before the wedding, but it was still humiliating. 

The emperor and the countess continued to chat. Suddenly, they both closed their mouths. The emperor turned to look at an approaching lady-in-waiting. 

"Your Imperial Majesty." 

The lady-in-waiting hesitated. 

"What is it?" 

"...The Gong King requests and audience..." 

"Rejected!" 

Before the lady-in-waiting could finish her sentence, the emperor shouted out. 

"Rejected, rejected! How many times must I say this? Why does that useless man keep coming back?!" 

The surprised lady-in-waiting crouched down onto the floor. Her face was pale as she trembled. 

"Please compose yourself, Your Imperial Majesty." 

"Your Imperial Majesty, please calm down. I'm afraid you'll faint again." 

The countess spoke soothingly as she grabbed the emperor's arm. The emperor glared down at the lady-in-waiting and commanded her in a cold voice. 

"Tell him to get out of here." 

As the emperor turned her head, Sienna caught a glimpse of the lady-in-waiting hurriedly exiting the room from the corner of her eye. 

"It seems that I keep losing face in front of you today." 

The emperor let out a heavy sigh. 

"I... heard the rumors, Your Imperial Majesty." 

The countess's voice was extremely cautious. 

"I can only imagine what kind of idle talk is going around. Is that why the Gong King is acting like that? I can't figure out why he's bothering me like this." 

The emperor was silent for a while before she murmured dejectedly. 

"No. I'm sure that person hates me." 

"Your Imperial Majesty, that person probably doesn't feel that way." 

"Three times. He's requested an audience three times today. And it's not just today." 

"You should meet him and talk to him." 

"..." 

"Your Imperial Majesty." 

"Enough." 

"It's possible that it can all return to the way it was before, Your Imperial Majesty." 

"I said that's enough." 

"You can't pretend like you don't know. That person used to be your husband."