The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 145

Chapter 145. Empress Coronation Ceremony

“Is it true that Her Highness the former Crown Princess has not died?”

“Could she possibly be alive?”

“That can’t be.”

After the Emperor left the conference room, the ministers exchanged words with confused expressions.

“I heard there’s a coffin of Her Highness in Loren Palace?”

Although she had been reinstated, her body was never found, and rumors spread among the ministers that a secret funeral had been held. Since a funeral had already taken place, everyone tilted their heads in confusion at the idea of holding an Empress coronation.

“Duke, is what His Majesty said true?”

The question was directed at Asher.

“…It seems so.”

Answering with a troubled face, Asher let out a sigh and stood from his seat. As if afraid someone might stop him, he quickly left the conference room.

***

A month later, at the Grand Temple of the empire, the coronation ceremony of the Emperor and Empress of the Richert Empire was held solemnly. The audience seats were filled with imperial nobles and distinguished guests from various nations.

“We will now commence the coronation ceremony of His Majesty Emperor Louid V and Her Majesty Empress Emilia Richert.”

After the High Priest’s declaration, Asher entered the temple aisle holding the golden ceremonial sword, the symbol of the Richert Empire. Behind him followed Louid, dressed in a black imperial uniform.

Louid smiled as he strode toward the seat of honor. Behind him, priests followed while carrying an object wrapped in a white veil. When they reached the seat, the priests removed the veil from the object they carried and seated it on the golden chair.

“Oh my.”

“Ah.”

A stir ran through the audience. Some noblewomen covered their mouths with both hands, while others blinked in shock.

Seated on the golden chair was a life-sized doll of Emilia. The ivory-colored dress the doll wore had been specially ordered by Louid from Madame Bella’s Boutique.

“May the blessing and glory of Goddess Herr be with His Majesty Emperor Louid V and Her Majesty Empress Emilia. We will now begin the prayer.”

As the High Priest recited the prayer, the once noisy temple fell silent. The coronation lasted for about two hours, and Louid’s expression was brighter than ever.

“I, in accordance with the will of the late Emperor, swear before Goddess Herr that I will faithfully carry out the duties of the Emperor with utmost loyalty.”

When Louid’s oath ended, the High Priest placed upon him the imperial crown and cloak passed down through generations of the Richert imperial family. In the same manner, he placed a crown and cloak upon the Emilia doll as well.

Louid watched the sight with satisfaction. It was the Emperor’s smile, seen again after a long time.

Standing to one side of the seat of honor holding the ceremonial sword, Asher also set aside his worries for today and looked at his friend with a calm expression. He understood Louid, who had gone this far.

Emilia could not return alive, but the Emperor had ultimately made her the Empress.

And the reaction of the audience was not entirely bad either. Some wiped away tears with sorrowful expressions, while others whispered to the person beside them, not understanding what was happening.

However, none of them believed that the Emperor truly regarded the doll as the Empress.

“This concludes the coronation ceremony of His Majesty Emperor Louid V and Her Majesty Empress Emilia.”

With the High Priest’s solemn declaration, the ceremony came to an end. As the sacred choir of the Grand Temple echoed, Asher led the procession with the ceremonial sword, followed by Louid and the Emilia doll as they exited.

After all procedures were completed, as Louid was about to board the golden carriage, he spoke to Asher as if in passing.

“That aide is nowhere to be seen.”

“Who… Lucian?”

Since there was no one nearby to overhear, Asher spoke casually.

“That’s right.

The young man who resembled Emilia, whom he hadn’t disliked. He’d heard he had become Asher’s aide, but he hadn’t been seen lately.

“He went down to a southern farm and quit to grow grapes. He said his dream is to make the finest wine in the empire. Something about going to pursue his dream. Then he left,” Asher said with a faint smile, half in jest.

“I see. Bring him to the imperial palace sometime.” Louid nodded as he spoke.

For some reason, he kept thinking of that young man today. Perhaps because he missed Emilia so much, he wanted to at least see a face that resembled hers.

“I will. He comes once a month. It should be about time for him to come,” Asher replied with a smile.

“You look beautiful. You’ve worked hard today, Emilia.”

Louid, who had boarded the golden carriage, spoke to the doll seated beside him. At the same time, he waved to the imperial citizens standing along the roadside. His expression was more pleased than when he had held his wedding.

Louid was happier about making Emilia the Empress than becoming Emperor himself. Following his revenge, he was carrying out what he needed to do one by one.

***

That night, Louid sat in a chair before the fireplace in Emilia’s bedroom, drinking wine. Beside him, he had seated the Emilia doll, and on the wall hung a large portrait of Emilia.

Unlike during the day, Louid’s expression was extremely dark. He was recalling the past. In the past, when Philip suggested that he should have a portrait of the Grand Duchess painted, he had refused, saying it was not yet time.

“Emilia, the reason I disliked portraits is because I only saw my mother through a portrait. I hated the thought of seeing the person I love only through a portrait. I didn’t let them paint one because I was afraid you would die early like my mother if they did, but it has come to this in the end.”

Drunk, Louid confessed the reason he had not allowed her portrait to be painted. His mother died not long after giving birth to him. So from childhood, he only saw his mother through a portrait. That had left a deep wound in him. Because of that, he came to hate portraits.

But Emilia had also left his side. She was nowhere to be found now, and in the end, she remained only as a portrait.

“I still hate seeing you only as a portrait. But it’s become like this.”

In the painting, Emilia wore her platinum blonde hair loose down to her waist, her light blue eyes shining as she smiled elegantly. She was the very image of a beautiful Empress.

“Look at me, Emilia.”

Louid muttered as he swallowed his wine. It felt as if the Emilia in the portrait kept looking elsewhere.

“I will write a will. Bring the documents.”

“Yes, understood, Your Majesty.”

In the end, after much thought, he gave the order to Adam.

It was not unusual. When one became Emperor, one prepared a will in advance and kept it in a secret archive.

The Emperor’s will contained instructions for after his death and could be rewritten at any time. And no one could see it before the Emperor died.

[If I die, I entrust the empire to Duke Asher Dalton.]

After quickly finishing writing the will, he signed it and handed it to Adam. Then he gave another order.

“Build a new greenhouse.”

He decided to build a greenhouse for Emilia. He wanted to plant the trees and flowers she loved so it would be remembered as the Empress’s greenhouse.

***

After eliminating the Kingdom of Billiot, their greatest enemy, the Richert Empire was more peaceful than ever. The lives of the imperial citizens were prosperous, and spring festivals wishing for a bountiful harvest were held everywhere.

Louid thought he had now done everything he needed to do. He had taken his revenge and made Emilia the Empress. The empire had also stabilized.

“Emilia, I’ll carry out the final revenge for you now.”

The final revenge was to cut off the breath of this useless body.

A world without Emilia was meaningless.

She alone had been his purpose in life and his happiness, so he no longer wished to remain in a world where he could not see her gentle gaze.

He had lived his entire life under the threat of assassination and had never been happy. The happiest time in his life was only the moments he spent with Emilia.

He couldn’t forgive himself for hating her and causing her death.

Thinking back, he had always been alone. There had never been a time when he found that unsatisfactory.

‘Then why can’t I endure being alone now?’

He thought it was because he had come to love Emilia. When he had not loved anyone, he had not known, but now being alone was painful enough to make him want to die. He wanted to go to her side as soon as possible.

He looked around the greenhouse, which was still under construction, one last time. The Empress’s secret greenhouse was located in a corner of the rear garden of the Crown Prince’s palace. When the Emperor appeared, the workers stepped aside.

“Emilia, appear.”

At his call, Emilia’s illusion appeared.

“You’ve come.”

She looked exactly as she had in life, with that gentle face. She only smiled faintly without saying a word.

“Have you decided not to speak to me?”

He nodded and gave a bitter smile.

“It’s fine. I understand.”

Human greed has no limits. He was grateful that she showed herself, yet he also wanted to hear her voice.

“Emilia, do you know I’m hurt?”

He didn’t treat the injuries to his shoulder and side that he had received in the war.

He remembered how she had diligently cared for him, saying she would heal him when he was struck by an arrow in the canyon.

Louid showed his side to the illusion, then soon let out a bitter smile.

‘Selfish bastard. Emilia is dead, yet I’m whining for her to notice my injuries.’

It was a kind of childishness that did not suit him. He still had not come to his senses. He truly was a terrible person.

“Finish it before I return. Gather all the flowers and garden trees from the continent and plant them. It must be the most splendid and beautiful in the world.”

He gave the order to the person in charge of the greenhouse as if he were someone about to leave for somewhere.

“Yes, understood.”

***

“Emilia?”

As he came out of the greenhouse, a woman caught his eye. Emilia, with her long blonde hair tied back, was walking ahead of him.

At the grand ducal castle, she often wore trousers. There were many times when she tied her long hair into one. That woman was undoubtedly Emilia.

At his call, she stopped abruptly. But she did not turn around right away.

“Emilia!”

Louid called out to her in a voice filled with certainty. His face was filled with joy.