Chapter 16:


    From early in the morning, the pce was busy.


    And all because I left the pce today.


    I got Raymond''s permission and went yesterday to the ce for my final visit.


    So now I had no reason to stay here.


    I knew that it would be strange to leave in such a hurry and mydies-in-waiting were embarrassed, but I wanted to leave the pce as quickly as possible.


    I didnt want to find the one who woulde to this pce instead of me.


    The pce has already begun to buzz about who will be the next empress.


    The main character, Lisa.


    Now that Ive divorced him, the empresss ce was vacated.However, Edmund has no reason to ept the title of prince before his mother receives the crown.


    About a month after my departure, the nobles will ask the emperor to choose a new empress to stabilize the empire''s noble society.


    The moment I realized that Lisa was the future empress, my fingers trembled as I packed my luggage.


    <em>Now it has nothing to do with me.''</em>


    <em>It doesn''t matter who stays with Raymond after me.''</em>


    I calmed down and continued to pack my little luggage.


    And when I had just packed all my things, Helen came into the room.


    "Your Majesty, the duke''s carriage has arrived at the pce."


    "Yes, Im done already, so I think its time for us to leave."


    "That is all?"


    Helen''s gaze rested on a small suitcase.


    For the empress leaving the pce, it was very small, she was almost without luggage.Everything that was in her bag was taken from her parents'' house, even when she first entered the imperial pce.


    "It''s all."


    "Okay, let me take it."


    I handed the bag to Helen and put on a big yellow hat.It was a hat that I often wore before I got married.


    I looked at myself in the mirror.


    I was dressed in the usual dress of an aristocrat, and not in a dress with silver embroidery, symbolizing the empress.


    At that moment I felt a little strange, but soon relief came over me in a pleasant wave.


    Im going to do a lot of things that Ive never done before, because I was dedicated to Raymond.


    I looked around the room in which I had spent many years and without hesitation walked out the door.


    When I left the room, I saw that all the servants of the imperial pce were next to my former chambers.Servants lined up on both sides of the staircase to the lobby and bowed me to thest.


    Thanking them, I felt relieved that I wasnt a bad empress for them.


    I slowly descended the stairs, peering into every face.


    In the lobby, I turned around and politely said goodbye to them.


    "You''ve all worked so hard.I will convey the request to His Majesty that my people remain to live in the imperial pce."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    I left the pce with a smile on my face.


    We went out into the courtyard and went to the carriage.Helen rushed to open the door for me.


    "Helen, you don''t need to."


    "What?"


    Helen looked back at me in surprise.


    "The weather is fine, so I would like to take a walk until I get outside the main pce."


    Looking at the cloudless blue sky, I smiled because I was happy with the bright sunlight.


    The path from the imperial pce was not too long, so it would be nice to take a walk in bright sunlight.


    Helen mmed the half-open carriage door and walked over to me.I stepped forward, ordering the rider to follow me.


    The empress''s pce was located slightly behind the emperor''s pce.Thisyout of the territory was associated with the defense, aimed at protecting the empress in the first ce, because the emperor''s pce would take the first blow in the event of an attack.


    I could have met Raymond if he was now walking on the grounds of his pce, but I knew exactly his schedule and ording to him, Raymond was at a meeting with the Chancellor.


    Raymond had always considered scheduled meetings with the empire''s chancellors to be the most important part of the day.He doesn''t care about anything else until the meeting is over.


    I looked at my feet.


    How long did I walk, watching the sun set on the road like this?


    Before I had time to look around, the empress''s pce was getting smaller and smaller.


    I paused for a while, looking at the emperor''s pce ahead.


    "Raymond"


    In a low voice, I called his name, making sure no one hears me.


    I didn''t know it would end like this.


    I''ve already spent more than half of my life with him.


    So how is it that most of our time we''ve been so alone?


    Of course, there were also happy moments when we were together.


    I felt sadness in my heart.


    I felt sorry for my past, where everything was dedicated to Raymond.


    Because I could not remember anything that was not connected with him.


    Helen came up to me and politely asked:


    "Your Majesty, will you go in a carriage?"


    Helen''s gaze slid over the sunny pce, and then over me, and seemed to read the bitterness on my face.


    "Are you feeling bad?"


    "No, its okay."


    Only when I leave the ce where so many memories are associated with him, I can get back on my feet and start living my life.


    I stepped back, looking at the pce where Raymond lives.


    * * *


    "The crop has grown more thanst year, thanks to the fertilization of thend in the southern region of Purcan.Have youpared the reports, Your Majesty?"


    In the office of the Imperial Pce, Marquis Bellux, elected as Honorary Chancellor, stopped talking to Raymond because he could not concentrate on the meeting.


    It has been many years since I worked with the emperor, but I have never seen him with such a dark look before.


    <em>Is it because of the Empress?''</em>


    The Marquis thought when he saw the Emperor, who didnt even hear when he was called directly.


    The news of the emperor''s divorce had already spread throughout the empire, and not a single aristocrat was left in the dark.


    So, of course, the Marquis was aware.


    I didnt know His Majesty was so concerned about the Empress.


    In fact, I was a little surprised to see that the normally assembled emperor was unable to concentrate.


    Although outwardly rtions between the emperor and empress appeared to be good, those close to the imperial family knew that


    the emperor doesnt love the empress.


    The fact that a few years ago the emperor was in love with Lisa was public.


    When it became known about the divorce, almost all aristocrats agreed that the emperor preferred to legitimize the rtionship with his old love.


    <em>So, of course, I thought this divorce was desirable for the emperor.</em>


    But now the emperor


    Raymond''s ck eyes met those of Marquis Bellux, who was still staring thoughtfully at the emperor''s profile.


    He looked at the emperor with slight trepidation and surprise.


    "Where did stop?"


    "Oh, I wanted to say, the ruler of the Purcan region pays the tax to the imperial family with a good harvest."


    "When did you tell me that Purcan has a good harvest?"


    Raymond''s gaze, fixed on the marquis, became sharp.


    The marquis flinched at the glint of his eyes, slowly moving his lips.


    "I just said that, Your Majesty."


    "Really?


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Raymond looked at the marquis, who tilted his head slightly, and sighed wearily.


    I wanted to think that I had lost concentration due to several days of irregr sleep, but deep down I knew that it was not so.


    Ellie.


    Had she already left the pce?


    She said she would leave today.


    There was no reason to worry about it because I personally let her go, but all my nerves were directed at her.


    Raymond turned to the Marquis, who was worried on his face.


    "Let''s finish."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    For the first time since I sat on the throne, I interrupted the meeting.


    The Marquis, throwing a surprised look at him, politely left Raymond''s office.


    Raymond took a deep breath, burying his face in the sofa.


    "I heard that she is going to leave the pce in the morning."


    Raymond, who was sitting on the couch, quickly got up and walked over to the window.


    And he saw Ellie''s small but clear back outside the window.


    She was not wearing the dress of an empress, but the usual dress of an aristocrat, but he knew immediately that it was Ellie.


    She was so familiar.


    "You''re really leaving."


    Is it loneliness or despair?


    The Marquis was still in the study.


    "Your Majesty, are you all right?"The chancellor asked him cautiously.


    Raymond could not take his eyes off Ellie''s back, which now seemed to be a small dot, and answered the Chancellor:


    "Im okay."


    It was an answer to the chancellor, but he said it to himself too, because he felt too strange.


    Yes, I''ll be okay.


    Because I don''t love you?


    But Raymond was unable to divert attention from the window long after Ellie''s figure disappeared.