A Mad Lady’s Confession - Chapter 78

The pointed toes of her shoes moved silently over the red carpet. The gold-thread patterns embroidered along the hem of her voluminous dress rippled like waves.

When she reached the magnificent door, her dress stopped with a rustle.

“Your Highness.”

The chief chamberlain bowed respectfully, and Daphne Fram inclined her head.

“Please inform His Majesty that I’ve arrived.”

“…My apologies, but His Majesty is currently….”

“I’m well aware that he’s unwell. That’s why I came.”

Daphne Fram glanced at the maid standing behind her. A gilded teapot rested on a gold tray.

“I heard this tea is good for restoring one’s strength, so I brought some. Please inform His Majesty.”

The chief chamberlain hesitated, then bowed as though he understood and went inside. A short while later, the door opened again, and Daphne Fram stepped through without hesitation.

The luxurious bedroom was filled with every kind of dazzling object, yet it was somewhat dark, the lighting lowered as though its occupant found the brilliance burdensome.

When she reached the innermost part of the private chamber, she saw the emperor sitting up with the chief chamberlain’s help on a four-poster bed draped with curtains.

True to the rumors that he’d lost his strength after sinking into grief over the death of his youngest prince, the emperor’s complexion was poor. Despite the midwinter cold, beads of clammy sweat covered his forehead.

Dark shadows lay beneath his drooping eyes, and his once fairly robust frame had grown gaunt from losing weight.

How ridiculous that a man like that is the master of this vast land.

That was Daphne Fram’s first thought.

Come to think of it, claims that the emperor was chosen by God or protected by heaven couldn’t be trusted. Every member of von Bernstorff lacked both refinement and shame.

“Blessings upon the sun of the empire.”

Daphne Fram approached the bed and curtsied. The emperor waved a hand as a dry cough escaped him.

“…Cough. It has been a long time since I last saw your face, Second Princess.”

“I wished to seek an audience with you immediately after returning from my long journey, but when I heard you were unwell, I didn’t dare come unannounced. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

“Cough. It’s fine…. I heard you went to Gammelstad. I was told you suffered greatly after what happened to the prince….”

Daphne Fram lowered her head slightly and answered in a deliberately strained voice, “I can’t help feeling as though what happened to my young brother was my fault….”

Despite her efforts, a tremor of tears colored the end of her words. The emperor clicked his tongue quietly.

“How could it be your fault? God determined that the child’s fate would extend only that far.”

A gloomy silence settled between them for a moment. Daphne Fram spoke in a tone that seemed intended to change the mood.

“I know Your Majesty and Lady Charlotte must be grieving far more deeply than I am…. I pray that both of you recover soon.”

“Thank you….”

Daphne Fram nodded toward the maid behind her. The maid placed the teapot she’d brought on the table, poured the tea into a prepared cup, and carried it over.

“They say this tea restores strength and eases breathing, Your Majesty.”

“Cough…. You went so far as to obtain something like this for me?”

The emperor regarded Daphne Fram with approval.

“I’m told the imperial palace possesses far rarer things, but I brought it because many people have reportedly benefited from this tea. Sometimes remedies used among commoners prove more effective.”

“You’re more thoughtful than those who inherited my own blood…. Come to think of it, I heard Klaus is holding a memorial banquet for Prince Rüntgen today. Is it underway now?”

“Yes. I intend to attend after visiting Your Majesty.”

The chief chamberlain tested the tea for poison with a silver spoon. After confirming there was nothing wrong with it, he filled a fresh cup and helped the emperor drink. The tea, cooled enough to drink, traveled down the emperor’s dry throat.

“Mm…. The tea tastes quite good. It must be rather precious.”

“Forgive me, but I was told it was difficult to obtain.”

“You’ve gone to a great deal of trouble.”

As though already feeling the tea’s effects, the emperor leaned against the headboard with a more relaxed expression. He regarded Daphne with considerable benevolence.

“How old are you this year?”

“I’m twenty-eight, Your Majesty.”

“Already…. With the position of empress vacant, I’ve failed to attend to your marriage.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty. Neither the crown prince nor the First Princess has married yet.”

The nobles of Römern had no particular age considered appropriate for marriage. Since ending his engagement to Giela Düsseldorf, the crown prince had offered various excuses and refrained from becoming engaged again. Alicia also showed little interest in marriage.

After a brief pause, Daphne Fram spoke cautiously, “Your Majesty, after we tragically lost Prince Rüntgen and I went down to Gammelstad, I spent a great deal of time thinking.”

“About what?”

“Above all, I worried about how profound Your Majesty’s grief must be. I also thought about how important one’s place within a family is. Only after that tiny Prince Rüntgen departed did I realize how great a place he’d occupied as a member of this imperial family and as our younger brother.”

The corners of the emperor’s wrinkled eyes grew moist. The current emperor wasn’t overflowing with paternal affection. One only had to observe how he treated Klaus and Alicia to know that his self-love was greater than his love for his children. Yet his tenderness toward the infant son born to him late in life appeared to be different.

Daphne studied the emperor’s expression, paused briefly, and continued, “I came to believe that there are far too many empty places in the imperial family as it stands…. At such a difficult time, shouldn’t the person who ought to fill one of those places finally return…?”

Daphne raised her eyes and gave the emperor an earnest look.

“Your Majesty, would you please allow my mother to return to her rightful place now?”

It had already been three years since the empress was confined to a detached palace. Only enough supplies to maintain her daily life were allowed in and out, and it had been a long time since Daphne last saw her mother, Harriet.

Of course, they secretly exchanged letters, but Daphne found it difficult to endure her position as a princess whose mother had been stripped of her status and confined.

“Mother must have reflected deeply on her actions by now.”

The Fram family hadn’t been particularly wealthy or comfortable to begin with, and its circumstances had been somewhat difficult even when Harriet managed the household.

After becoming empress, Harriet noticed the emperor’s affections beginning to change. She secretly appropriated one of the emperor’s mines and one of his ships, diverting their profits into her private funds.

She’d acted exactly as she once instructed her young daughter, always keep one weapon firmly in hand that would allow you to escape. She probably intended to have gold in her possession even if the emperor cast her aside one day.

The plan didn’t last more than a few years before the emperor eventually discovered it. It went without saying that the emperor flew into a rage when he learned she’d touched his wealth.

Her mother was confined immediately, and Daphne Fram, left utterly alone, had to struggle desperately to survive.

Like an elegant swan above the water paddling with all its strength beneath the surface, she made every possible effort to preserve her position within the imperial family.

“While both Your Majesty and Lady Charlotte are grieving, couldn’t Mother’s crime be put behind her if she returned and performed the duties of that position in your stead?”

This was why she’d brought tea and visited the emperor. The crown prince already behaved as though he were emperor, which was admittedly what she’d intended, while Alicia outranked Daphne because she was the imperial family’s legitimate daughter.

In this situation, Daphne needed someone who could grant her more power. Someone entirely on her side who would give her wings more than anyone else.

“Your Majesty, please consider it.”

She then wore her most sorrowful and pitiful expression. She judged that now, while the emperor was weak in both body and mind, was the perfect time.

The emperor let out a deep sigh. After a brief silence, he opened his dry lips.

“I understand what you want, but….”

“….”

“I can’t permit it.”

The emperor shook his head.

“They say an emperor is chosen by God, but seeing myself grow old and feeble like this has made me realize that I too am merely human. It’s true that I’ve even developed the inclination to overlook other people’s mistakes with generosity. But there are things one may do and things one must not.”

He can distinguish between those things? The emperor? The question occurred to Daphne.

“Harriet, your mother, is far too greedy. She’s a person who can never be satisfied with what she possesses. This isn’t simply a matter of one of my mines and a single ship.”

“….”

“It’s true that after suffering such a sorrowful loss, the end of the year feels strangely empty. Even so, I have no intention of restoring Harriet to her former position.”

Daphne parted her lips and asked haltingly, “…Your Majesty, forgive me… but may I ask how long you intend to keep my mother in the detached palace?”

The emperor said nothing. Daphne found the answer in his tightly sealed lips and resolute expression.

Forever.

Her mother would probably remain imprisoned in that detached palace forever and die there. Daphne would likewise have to live forever as less than half a princess without wings, constantly enduring the crown prince’s scrutiny and Alicia’s contempt.

She was expected to endure that forever….

“…I understand your feelings. But what can’t be allowed can’t be allowed.”

At the end of his words, the emperor broke into violent coughing. Watching the chief chamberlain quickly hand him more tea, Daphne slowly rose from her seat.

“I understand Your Majesty’s wishes. I shouldn’t have raised such a needless matter.”

As though completely unaffected, she bowed her head, even appearing apologetic for bringing up an uncomfortable subject. The emperor waved his hand to indicate that it was fine as he continued coughing.

“Then I’ll take my leave. Please rest comfortably, Your Majesty.”

As Daphne withdrew to the sound of his continuing coughs, the emperor addressed her.

“Cough…. Where did you say you obtained this tea?”

Daphne raised her eyes toward the teapot held by the chief chamberlain beside the emperor. She answered with a gentle smile, “In truth, I’m told it was obtained by the lady of Gammelstad.”

“…Gammelstad. Do you mean the Duchess of Nielsen?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Duchess of Nielsen sent me that tea some time ago out of concern for my health.”

Apparently rather pleased with the tea, the emperor nodded. After seeing his reaction, Daphne offered another respectful farewell and slowly turned away.

Matthias remained on the terrace for a long time. His expectation that he might extract anything from Klaus had shattered long ago, yet for some reason, he couldn’t easily leave the imperial palace.

When he finally stepped off the terrace as though giving up, the corridor was in disarray.

The banquet hall doors opened amid loud commotion, and a familiar face was being helped in his direction. Matthias watched for a moment before striding toward her.

“Your Highness?”

“Matthias….”

Alicia was trembling, her eyes red and wet. She looked as though she’d witnessed something utterly horrifying.