The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 136

Chapter 136. Her Death

“Th, that looks like the doll Her Highness used to hold.”

After a moment, the guard shouted in an agitated voice.

“Is that so? I thought….”

The warden, who had thought the thing floating on the sea was Emilia’s body, closed his eyes and released the breath he had been holding. But his eyes soon snapped open.

“Then does that mean Her Highness threw herself into the sea holding the doll?”

“Th, that can’t be….”

Their gazes turned again toward the small window. It was impossible for a person to go out through there.

“She might have slipped out since her body was weak. If she sticks her upper body out, the lower body would follow on its own.”

After a moment, the warden said with a pale face. It was unclear whether it was an accident or she jumped herself, but since Her Highness was frail, it couldn’t be said it was impossible for her to get out through there. If it was an accident, it was a serious problem, and even if she jumped on her own, both he as the warden and the guard in charge would have to take responsibility.

‘They’ll hold us accountable for not installing bars. What should we do….’

The warden pressed his forehead with a frown.

The guard in charge of Emilia changed every month, and the guard assigned this time had only come to Peric Island a few days ago. Compared to a guard who had barely worked for a few days, the responsibility would likely fall more on him as the warden.

“Let’s go down there first.”

“Yes!”

The two hurried down the stairs. What floated on the seawater was indeed the doll the former Crown Princess always held. It drifted on the water beneath the wall, not carried away.

“So she did jump.”

At the undeniable evidence, the warden’s face turned ashen.

“When did she jump?”

“Last night, or the night before….”

The guard’s voice grew smaller and smaller.

“What? You didn’t check every day?”

The warden’s voice rose.

“She was always quiet and of such high status, so it was difficult… and three days ago, I saw her face and had a short conversation.”

The guard made excuses, watching his expression.

“That’s all? Did she perhaps lose a lot of weight?”

“I think so.”

You think so? The warden’s brow furrowed deeply. It wouldn’t be good if it was reported above that she was weak enough to slip through that small window.

“Sh, should we report it?” asked the guard, trembling.

“Search around the island first.”

“Yes!”

Since it was the death of someone of such high status, it couldn’t be hidden for long, but they couldn’t report it right away without at least finding the body.

***

“Emilia, bring me a cup of tea.”

Louid, who had been looking at documents in his office, froze in shock at the words that slipped out of his mouth. The words had flowed so naturally, as if he were speaking to his beloved wife.

What did I just say….

It seemed Emilia often brought him tea. If so, it meant their relationship had been closer than he thought.

That night, Louid sat in a chair by the fireplace in Emilia’s bedroom, drunk on strong alcohol. It was a place she often sat. He wasn’t in the Emperor’s bedroom in the main palace but was still using the bedroom in the Crown Prince’s palace.

‘His Majesty drinking himself into a stupor… that never used to happen.’

Adam watched him with a worried expression. He had served in the imperial palace since Louid was young and had witnessed everything, from his upbringing to being sent to the north and becoming Emperor.

But this was the first time he had seen him drink so much that he couldn’t even keep his balance. And it had been like that every day since the day of the trial.

“Leave.”

Louid’s voice echoed in the quiet bedroom. It was directed at Adam.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

‘Remember.’

After Adam left, Louid clutched his hair and writhed in pain. He even slammed his head against the wall. He hadn’t told even his close friend Asher, but he was trying various methods to recall how he had ended up entering the secret passage with Emilia.

The next day, Asher drafted a proposal to submit to Louid. It suggested that it would be better to move Her Highness to a prison near the capital.

He planned to hear about Emilia’s condition from Damian when he returned, then submit the proposal to Louid and try to persuade him.

‘Why is he so late?’

Damian, who had gone to Peric Island, had not returned even though the expected date had passed.

Still, since he had told him to observe Her Highness thoroughly, check if she needed anything, and find out where she wished to go, it might simply be taking longer.

Rising from his seat, he looked out the window with an anxious expression.

“I’ve returned, Your Grace.”

Fortunately, that evening, Damian arrived at the ducal residence.

“Lucian, you’ve returned safely? I’ve been waiting.”

Asher’s expression brightened as he greeted him.

“I’m sorry for being late, Your Grace.”

“No, it’s fine. How is Her Highness?”

“Her health has deteriorated significantly. She has no flesh left, only bones. The prison was extremely cold and harsh. It’s not a place a person can endure. I believe it would be best to take action quickly before her condition worsens further.”

Damian emphasized how emaciated Emilia had become.

“I understand.”

I should submit the report first thing tomorrow morning.

After Damian returned to his quarters, Asher added to the report that Emilia’s condition had worsened greatly. He felt pressed for time.

***

“Louid!”

Even today, Emilia’s voice echoed. Louid was suffering from severe headaches every day. In his dreams, he saw illusions of Emilia and heard her voice. Sometimes, he saw pillars of fire flying before his eyes, and he also saw Emilia dying.

He took the medicine given by the physician and barely managed to fall asleep at dawn, but his symptoms were growing worse. Unable to sleep, his complexion became increasingly haggard.

‘Why is Emilia the one in danger, not Lina?’

Emilia, the supposed culprit, was in danger, while Lina was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to hear the full story, but in his dreams, she only called his name and said nothing else.

“Emilia!”

He, who had only lightly fallen asleep, woke up calling her name. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat as he sat upright.

If I like Lady Carrion, then Lina should appear in my dreams.

Even calling the name Lina felt unfamiliar. If it were a name he had often called, it wouldn’t feel so strange, yet for some reason, he didn’t want to say it.

Lina was still in a coma. If he wanted to see her, he could visit the Marquess of Carrion’s residence under the pretext of a visit, but he didn’t want to see her or even think about her. The only person occupying his mind was Emilia.

‘Strange.’

The next dawn.

Having stayed awake all night, he opened the window and looked west. Peric Island lay to the west of the empire.

Adam, the chamberlain, entered with tea.

“They say the black moon rose last night.”

“Yes, that’s correct. It’s the coldest day of the year.”

“….”

Louid stared into the distance with a dark expression. He missed someone. He didn’t know who, but he missed someone terribly.

Who could it be?

His sigh deepened.

***

A week later.

Today as well, Emilia lay sleeping like an angel, her long blonde hair cascading down to her waist. Louid looked at the woman sleeping beside him with a gentle gaze.

He quietly brushed back the hair scattered across Emilia’s forehead. Then he pressed a soft kiss to her exposed forehead.

He wanted to see her open her eyes. He wanted her to look at him with those pale blue eyes that seemed to hold sapphire light, clear like the sky.

Outside, it was still early dawn before sunrise. He should let her sleep a little longer, but he couldn’t resist the urge and reached out to shake her. When she still didn’t wake, he grew more and more anxious.

“Emilia?”

No matter how many times he tried to wake her, she didn’t get up.

“Emilia?”

Louid called out to her in an increasingly louder voice.

“Emilia?”

Louid opened his eyes and looked around. It was his bedroom. He reached out to find Emilia, who had been lying beside him just moments ago. But she wasn’t there. The wide bed was empty, and the pristine white sheets were smooth, as if no one had ever lain on them.

‘It seems I had another dream.’

Letting out a quiet sigh, he turned his body and lay stretched out on the bed. Then he buried his nose in the sheets. He inhaled deeply, but the familiar scent of wildflowers wasn’t there.

Emilia’s scent was gone. His red eyes, which had been hazy like a dream, gradually deepened like a blazing sun.

“Criminal Kyle Berthe and Emilia Berthe are to be exiled to Peric Island.”

His own voice, cold and merciless like ice, rang in his mind like thunder.

“Ugh.”

Nausea surged, and a splitting headache struck him. He shot upright, running a hand roughly through his hair with a pained expression. His slightly long black hair fell in disarray over his sculpted face like scattered grains.

Louid looked down at the bracelet on his right wrist. As he remembered, it had been a ring Emilia always wore, but while dealing with the late Emperor’s funeral and the trial, he hadn’t even realized the ring had been placed on his little finger. After exiling Emilia, he had discovered it by chance. Throwing it away felt unsettling, so he had hung it on a bracelet and wore it on his wrist.

‘I should ask about the ring as well….’

Unconsciously, he was adding another reason to see Emilia.

“Your Majesty, are you awake?”

Adam entered carrying a tray with a teacup. Recently, he had begun naturally addressing Louid as His Majesty the Emperor. Louid didn’t bother correcting him.

“Adam, you’re still not sleeping.”

His low, pleasant voice echoed softly in the dark bedroom. The chief chamberlain was doing tasks a servant could do, and from early dawn at that. Moreover, he was someone who seemed to know instinctively whether the Emperor was asleep or awake.

“It’s because I’m old. Tea and medicine for your headache.”

Answering lightly to the young Emperor’s question, the chamberlain set the tray down on the bedside table.

“Mm.”

He had no appetite, but his throat was dry. Lifting the teacup, Louid took a sip of the tea, which had cooled to just the right temperature. One of his eyebrows lifted slightly.

‘It’s the tea Emilia likes.’

That sly man had brought Emilia’s favorite biscuits last night, and today he had brought the sweet tea she liked.

“Shall I call the physician, Your Majesty?” asked the chamberlain, watching his furrowed expression. He knew the Emperor’s headaches were worsening by the day.

“No.”

Louid cut him off after swallowing the tea he had been holding in his mouth.

“I’ll go to Peric Island.”

“You mean the place where Her Highness the former Crown Princess is? When do you plan to go?”

The chamberlain’s drooping eyes widened as he lifted his head. He didn’t hide that he had been hoping the Emperor would seek out the former Crown Princess. If not for the unfortunate incident that happened two months ago, she would have become the Empress of the Richert Empire.

“Today. Right now.”

Louid said firmly. Investigating what happened that day was important, but more than anything, he wanted to see Emilia right away.

She was the granddaughter of the enemy who had tormented him for years, and as far as he remembered, they had never been close. Even so, his thirst for her grew stronger with each passing day.

She was even the woman who had assassinated his brother, the late emperor, and tried to kill him. But something felt off about letting her die like this. The only way to resolve that unease was to meet her in person.

‘What is wrong with me?’

He held his breath for a moment. Just the thought of seeing Emilia made his heart pound violently, as if he were about to meet a lover he had longed for.

“Yes, understood. I’ll make the preparations.”

“While I’m gone, entrust state affairs to Duke Asher Dalton.”

“Yes, I’ll relay that.”

After the chamberlain left, Louid trudged over to the window and looked outside. The sky, just beginning to brighten, was filled with dark clouds as if rain would soon fall.

He tried to recall his missing memories. Especially what happened that day. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing came to mind. Shaking his head as if in resignation, he went to the dressing room to change his clothes.

Wearing his usual black uniform, he stopped and stared at something. On one side of the wardrobe hung a formal outfit Emilia had made for him.

“You only wear black clothes, so I tried making this.”

Her pale face, smiling shyly as she said she designed and made it herself, came to mind.

No. Stop thinking about it.

He squeezed his eyes shut. Then he suddenly opened them and stared fixedly at the clothes Emilia had made.

‘Even if someone is seriously injured, it’s not common to lose their memories.’

‘Could it be… black magic?’

Black magic….

Why didn’t I think of that?

Bang. Bang.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the bedroom door shook violently.

“Your Majesty!”

Before he could grant permission, the bedroom door burst open and Alex rushed in. It was something that would only happen in the event of war or a truly urgent situation.

“Alex.”

Since the time he was the Second Prince, Alex had served as his guard, and whenever there was a need to go outside, he would always come to report after preparing for departure. But today, Alex’s pale face and tear-filled eyes were far from a simple departure report. A bad feeling crept over him.

“Is the departure ready?” Louid asked, grabbing the longsword he would wear at his waist.

“Your Majesty, I’ve been told that Her Highness the former Crown Princess has passed away.”

Now Alex also addressed him as Your Majesty. Louid didn’t care whether his subordinates called him Your Highness or Your Majesty, but the content of Alex’s report was shocking.

“…?”

Before Alex could even finish his report, the dull sound of a sword hitting the floor rang out heavily. Louid’s sturdy body froze as if turned to ice, unable to move.

“Say that again. What did you say happened to Emilia?”

Louid, who had stood motionless as if his breath had been cut off, spoke in a low voice. His heart pounded violently. The eyes glaring at Alex darkened like blood. It was a deep, blazing red, as if multiple suns had fused into one.

“They say Her Highness Emilia Richert, the former Crown Princess, threw herself from the tower of Peric Island prison. Your Majesty.”

Alex lowered his head with a grief-stricken expression as he reported once more.