Synopsis and Starting Chapter Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90 - Light And Shadow>
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Chapter 108
Chapter 109
Chapter 110
Chapter 111
Chapter 112 - The Morning Comes>
Chapter 113
Chapter 114
Chapter 115
Chapter 116
Chapter 117
Chapter 118 - After The Storm
Chapter 119
Chapter 120
Chapter 121
Chapter 122
Chapter 123
Chapter 124
Chapter 125
Chapter 126
Chapter 127
Chapter 128
Chapter 129
Chapter 130
Chapter 131
Chapter 132 -
Chapter 133
Chapter 134 - Epilogue 1.3
Chapter 135 - Epilogue 2.1: Traces Of Life
Chapter 136
Chapter 137 - Epilogue 2.3
Chapter 138
Chapter 139
Chapter 140
Chapter 141 - Epilogue 4.1: Ever After>
Chapter 142 - Epilogue 4.2
Chapter 143 - Epilogue 4.3
Chapter 144 - Epilogue 5.1>
Chapter 145 - Epilogue 5.2
Chapter 146 - The Most Romantic Weekend>
Chapter 147 - Short Stories 1.2
Chapter 148 -
Chapter 149 -
Chapter 150 -
Chapter 151 -
Chapter 152 -
Chapter 153 -
Chapter 154 - Short Stories 3.1: Unexpected Things Happen>
Chapter 155 - Short Stories 3.2>
Chapter 156 -
Chapter 157 -
Chapter 158 -
Chapter 159 -
Chapter 160 -
Chapter 161 - Short Stories 5.1: The Man Behind The Mask>
Chapter 162
Chapter 163
Chapter 164 -
Chapter 165 -
Chapter 166
Chapter 167 - Short Stories 6.2
Chapter 168 - Short Stories 6.3
Chapter 169
Chapter 170
Chapter 171
Chapter 172
Chapter 173
Chapter 174
Chapter 175
Chapter 176
Chapter 177
Chapter 178
Chapter 179
Chapter 180
Chapter 181
Chapter 182
Chapter 183
Chapter 184
Chapter 185
Chapter 186
Chapter 187
Chapter 188
Chapter 189 (End)
Categories Genre: All, Completed, Fantasy Status: Completed ______
Total Chapters in book: 189
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
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LIST OF LAST 10 CHAPTERS:
Page No. 189 Page No. 188 Page No. 187 Page No. 186 Page No. 185 Page No. 184 Page No. 183 Page No. 182 Page No. 181 Page No. 180 Page No. 179 Chapter 102
Chapter 102:
I answered coolly, “I am being framed.”
Ksania’s shrill voice ordered, “Ludia, please tell us what you saw two days ago.”
Princess Ludia glanced at the dowager empress, me, her aunt, and her brother before speaking. It was exactly what I expected.
“Two days ago, I visited the castle library out of curiosity and saw the emperor’s wife from afar. I noticed she was with another man. They looked very close.”
Coronel shouted in anger, “This is unacceptable. A proper Genoan woman would never commit adultery.”
I asked Ludia coldly, “Did you see the man I was with?”
Ludia flinched but quickly smiled.
“I didn’t get to see his face clearly, but I remembered his outfit. He was wearing a deep green top decorated with golden thread and a pair of black pants.”
As I expected, she didn’t get to see Clodys’ face, but just in case, I had already warned Clodys not to be seen by Ludia in the castle. You could never be too careful.
Ksania continued to accuse me triumphantly, “Why would any married woman meet with a man in secret unless she was having an affair?”
The dowager empress answered, “I agree.”
It was funny how in this case, Ksania and the dowager empress seemed to be in perfect agreement. An enemy of my enemy was my friend…
Ksania threatened me, “If an empress or a wife of an emperor commits adultery, it’s considered treason. Isn’t this correct, your highness the dowager empress?”
“Yes. In fact, the former empress Beatrice was executed for this exact crime.”
The dowager empress looked at my neck sharply. She was probably remembering the Empress Beatrice’s execution.
She continued, “If Sa Bina has committed this crime, she won’t be able to escape from execution.”
Ksania seemed like she wanted to high-five someone. Ludia and Coronel also seemed excited.
I found this situation hilarious.
Even if I was found guilty and was executed, this didn’t guarantee that Ludia would become the next Empress. Yet, the Genoans were acting like I was the only obstacle.
I answered evenly, “I am innocent.”
Ludia smirked. “A guilty person always says that.”
Ksania agreed with her niece, “If you are innocent, you should be able to tell us who that man was in the library.”
I knew they would never be able to find out it was Clodys. Usually, anyone entering the main castle was required to sign in. On that day, Clodys did sign in as well, and I knew leaving this record was dangerous. Not only for this incident but if the dowager empress ever happened to look at it, it would look suspicious. So I asked Liliana to delete this record that day.
Then, I ordered Agnes and the trusted guard to hide Clodys out of the castle by having him leave inside a vegetable carriage. This meant there was no record of Clodys ever being in the castle that day.
The only problem left was to figure out how to explain who the man I supposedly met in the library was.
If I gave them a reasonable answer, this whole thing would go away.
In fact, this could be a chance for me to get rid of the Genoans.
When I remained quiet, they looked triumphant. Just then, I addressed the dowager empress.
“Before I answer, I would like to confirm something, your highness.”
The dowager empress looked confused.
“Confirm? Confirm what?”
“What will happen if I am found innocent?”
Ksania laughed loudly. “Ha! Innocent?”
The dowager empress looked at me knowingly. I could tell she figured out what I meant. I knew she didn’t care for the Genoans. It wasn’t like she made an official deal with them. In fact, I was sure she wouldn’t mind getting rid of Ksania.
She would have preferred to get rid of both of us, but she wouldn’t get that chance.
Katleyanira played with a strand of her red hair and answered with interest, “If you are innocent… Then those who accused you will, of course, be punished.”
Ksania flinched and protested, “It is a wife’s duty to prove her purity, just as it is her duty to question other wives’ purity. I am only doing my duty as a proper royal woman and her highness should do the same.”
I asked accusingly, “How could it be the emperor’s wife’s duty to accuse an innocent person? If I prove my innocence, it means her highness Ksania was attempting to frame me. How could this not be a crime?”
“What…!”
Before Ksania could reply, the dowager empress stopped her. No matter what, Katleyanira had the highest rank in this room. On top of that, Ksania reported my imaginary crime to the dowager empress, which gave Katleyanira the right to act as the judge.
This was Ksania’s biggest mistake in this scheme.
“If the emperor’s wife can prove her innocence then it means her highness Ksania accused her without solid proof and therefore would have to pay for her mistake.”
Ksania frowned while Ludia looked at me nervously.
The dowager empress turned towards me. She looked like she was having a good time. I hated it, but I had no choice but to continue.
“So how will you prove your innocence?”
It was time.
I smiled confidently. “It is true I did meet with a man that day in the library.”
“Finally, the truth!”
Both the dowager empress and I ignored Ksania’s exclaim.
“That man is…”
I paused dramatically. I could hear the noise outside.
He was here.
“Just about to enter this room.”
As if planned, the servant at the door announced loudly.
“Your highness the dowager empress, his highness the emperor has arrived!”
***
As Lucretius walked in, a silence fell in the room.
He approached us elegantly and greeted the dowager empress with respect.
“I apologize for a sudden visit, your highness.”
The dowager empress tried her best not to laugh. She knew exactly what was going on.
“Not at all. This involves you as well, your highness, so you should be here.”
Lucretius slowly took off his cloak and handed it to the servant. When people saw what he was wearing underneath, they gasped.
Deep green top with gold decorations. A pair of black pants.
Lucretius wore an outfit resembling Clodys’ clothes the most from his own closet.
I took his arm and turned to Ksania and Ludia.
“Two days ago, the man I met in the library was his highness.”
Ksania stood up and screamed, “That, that can’t be…!”
Lucretius looked around as if confused.
“I don’t understand why this is happening. Why is my rendezvous with my own wife such a huge problem? Explain yourself, Princess Ludia.”
When Lucretius glared at the princess, Ludia became pale.
“T, that is…! I, I saw it!”
The dowager empress interrupted her, “You said that you saw a man wearing a similar outfit as his highness is wearing right now, correct?”
“Well…!”
Ludia couldn’t say anything. She saw Clodys and I from afar, which meant there was no way she could see Clodys’ face clearly.
Even if she did, we would insist that she was mistaken. Meeting my own husband secretly was not a crime. If Lucretius claimed he was there, we both knew no one would dare question him.
Ksania’s hand trembled visibly. The dowager empress summarized the situation with a smile.
“So this is it, then.”
Ksania, Ludia, and Coronel couldn’t say a word.
Total Chapters in book: 189
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
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