The Price of Love Was Only Despair and Hell

“You deprived the Marquis of the title of Marquis de Dermant.”

Duke Bronar, who was cutting a steak grilled with young veal meat using a knife, looked at Jenaden and spoke.

Jenaden listened to the Duke while dipping a piece of steak with a fork.

The gravy flowed out of the moderately cooked steak. Jenaden opened his mouth with a more indifferent expression than the piece of steak stuck on his fork.

“…opened a slave market within the territory, which was illegal under imperial law. He gambled on it and exploited taxes for ridiculous reasons to bring in money…”

“Yes, but you shouldn’t have deprived him of his title,” the Duke of Bronar contradicted Jenaden.

Jenaden looked at him with narrowed eyes. There was a tense atmosphere between the two. Sarubia, who was quietly eating next to Jenaden, quickly smiled and spoke to the Duke of Bronar.

“Father, we’re on vacation today…”

“How dare you interrupt me?” the Duke of Bronar coldly cut off Sarubia’s words. His coercive eyes were fixed on her.

The Duke of Bronar replied coldly, cutting off Sarubia’s words. His coercive eyes directed at Sarubia. Jenaden’s brow furrowed at the Duke’s refusal to treat Sarubia as the queen of a country.

“Duke, she is your daughter but, at the same time, the queen of a country.”

“Oh, I’ve been rude. My child has no manners, so I tried to teach her, but…”

“She’s not your child anymore.”

“…”

Are you telling me not to interfere anymore?

At Jenaden’s apparent warning, the Duke of Bronar bit his lower lip. His face flushed slightly with anger.

You’re living as the Scarecrow Emperor anyway!

He wanted to shout that immediately but held back, thinking of the future when Jenaden and Sarubia’s children would become emperors and pave the way for his ambitions. However, wanting to humiliate the impudent emperor, he raised one corner of his mouth and spoke mockingly.

“I and some nobles are going to file a petition. It’s about the return of the Marquess of Dermant to his title.”

“It’s already my decision. You know you can’t take it back.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Jenaden replied coldly, but the Duke of Bronar smiled smugly, showing a confident grin.

In the Elsanian Empire, there were significantly fewer nobles on Jenaden’s side than those aligned with the Duke of Bronar. It had been a long time since most noble families had turned to support the Duke. Even a small amount of benefits falling their way was reason enough to side with the Duke rather than the supposedly weak emperor.

Even when the emperor’s authority was strong, numerous bills were overturned due to the strong opposition of the nobles at the central aristocratic conference. At the center of that opposition was the Duke of Bronar himself.

Jenaden wanted to strike the Duke of Bronar’s neck at any moment. However, knowing his power was still weak, he held back his anger and bit his lower lip.

“Yeah, I see.”

In response to Jenaden’s words, the Duke of Bronar smiled once. Then, he held the bell by the table and rang it.

“Bring me dessert.”

“Yes!”

At the Duke’s command, the servant bowed his head and hurried out of the room. Sarubia’s face turned pale as if she were about to collapse.

***

The luncheon felt like the last supper in hell. Sarubia wanted to soothe her tired mind with a break, but without the luxury of time, she immediately went for tea time with her mother, the Duchess.

In the drawing room of the villa, only the sound of two people drinking tea could be heard, and no conversation was exchanged.

“When are you going to have a baby?”

“Not yet. We think it’s too early.”

“Mother…”

“Are you talking back to your mother in a cheeky way?”

Sarubia was speechless at the Duchess’ stinging words. The Duchess nervously set her teacup down and glared at Sarubia.

“You took a girl who didn’t even know her birth, made her a noble, and made her an empress. Is this the result?”

“It’s…”

“All you have to do is give birth to a crown prince who will take over as emperor. Remember, that’s your job.”

You never treated me like your real child.

Just a doll to fulfill their desires, that was the only reason for Sarubia’s existence.

She had long lost any further expectations.

Sarubia’s eyes hardened as she sipped her tea without responding.

***

Jenaden and Sarubia left the villa with only a few guards to tour the Bronar estate. The carriage carrying them both quickly departed from the villa.

Inside the moving carriage, Jenaden and Sarubia stared out the window without speaking.

“Your Majesty, if I were to get divorced, I would like to renounce the name of the Duke of Bronar.”

“Because you don’t like them?”

“…Well, that could be part of it.”

Sarubia sighed.

Before long, the carriage entered the main street of the estate. They could see the market scenery and bustling people.

Sarubia’s eyes caught sight of a smiling woman and a child holding hands tightly.

‘If I hadn’t been adopted…’

‘Or if I had been adopted by an ordinary family, would I have been loved by my parents?’

She turned her gaze to Jenaden, observing his beautiful profile as he stared out the window, his brow slightly furrowed in thought.

Jenaden didn’t love her either.

‘I would have loved a normal person under normal circumstances.’ 

Like other lovers, she would have found happiness in small things, married, and built a joyful family.

A sudden throbbing pain gripped Sarubia’s chest. She raised her hand and lightly clutched her collar.

“Are you sick?” Jenaden asked with concern.

Sarubia shook her head.

“…Nothing.”

She sighed and looked out the window again. Then she spotted a familiar blonde figure.

“Huh…?”

It couldn’t be.

As the blonde turned, Sarubia’s eyes widened.

“Please stop the carriage for a moment!”

At Sarubia’s urgent cry, the coachman immediately halted the carriage. She quickly exited past the bewildered Jenaden.

“Sarubia…!”

Jenaden’s voice called after her, but Sarubia was focused solely on the familiar blonde woman.

‘There’s no way she’s here.’

But the figure was unmistakable.

“Elaine!”

Sarubia shouted.

The blonde woman disappeared into an alley, and Sarubia pursued her without hesitation. However, as she entered the alley, she collided with someone and fell to the ground.

“Oh, my!”

“Ouch…”

The person she bumped into was also sprawled on the ground. Sarubia rose and approached the young girl she had collided with.

“Are you all right?” Sarubia asked in embarrassment, extending her hand.

The girl grasped Sarubia’s hand and cried desperately, “P-Please help me…!”

Sarubia was baffled by the girl’s plea.

Then a rough voice echoed from deeper in the alley.

“Little girl, there you are.”

Sarubia turned toward the sound.

Four strong-built men were approaching slowly. Their appearance immediately set Sarubia on edge.

As they approached, the girl trembled, clinging to Sarubia’s dress. Sarubia, who glanced at such a girl, glared sharply at them. 

“What are you doing?”

“Step aside, girl. You look like some noble family lady.”

Sarubia raised an eyebrow and adopted a haughty demeanor, subtly pulling the girl behind her. The men chuckled at her defiance.

“Don’t waste time. Hand over Anna.”

“It’s rude. Do you know who I am?”

The men laughed at Sarubia’s arrogance, clearly unaware of her status as empress.

Sarubia clenched her jaw. If she handed the girl over, it was obvious what fate awaited her.

Is this related to a slave market?

Jenaden’s words from the luncheon suddenly came back to her.

Sarubia whispered urgently to the girl, “We’re going to run on the count of three.”

The girl nodded.

One, two, three…

On the count of three, Sarubia turned around, grabbed the girl’s hand, and ran fast. 

“Those brats…!”

The men, who saw Sarubia and the girl suddenly running away, belatedly uttered insults. Sarubia grabbed the girl’s hand and ran into another alley, ignoring the sound of her dress tearing against stones.

As she ran, she glanced back, and the girl was breathing heavily and running after Sarubia. 

“It’s alright we’re almost safe…!” Sarubia encouraged.

Suddenly, the door of an old store opened, and a mysterious hand pulled Sarubia inside.

“Ah!” she yelped.

A man with curly brown hair and freckles whispered urgently, “Shh!”

“Let go of me!” Sarubia shouted, shaking off his grip and pulling the girl into her arms.

With Sarubia’s suspicious eyes, the man opened his mouth, showing a sign of embarrassment. 

“I’m trying to help you. If you go further, it’ll be dangerous. Come inside.”

“How can I trust you?”

The girl trembled in Sarubia’s embrace. Sarubia hugged the girl more tightly. The trembling eyes of the girl were full of fear. 

The man sighed and spoke cautiously.

“Trust me. They’re coming soon…”

Sarubia could hear the men’s voices approaching.

“They’ll be here soon.”

“…All right.”

With a sigh of resignation, Sarubia signaled to the girl to enter the store. Then she followed the man into the store.