Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 87

Stella had a triumphant smile on her face.

 

So, she’s trying to take the role of attending to the emperor away from me.

 

It was widely known that the emperor enjoyed wine. If the emperor showed pleasure here, it would put me in a difficult position. I was the one assigned to attend him, yet I would be losing that role because I had failed to perform it properly.

 

“…”

 

However, the emperor made no move to accept the glass from Stella. The confident smile on her face slowly stiffened.

 

“Your Majesty…?”

 

I quietly picked up the glass of water from the tray. It was because Ludwig had just signaled to me with his eyes, pointing at the glass of water.

 

“Your Majesty, please drink this.” I offered the emperor a glass of water.

 

Two glasses were presented in front of the Emperor at the same time. My glass of water and Stella’s glass of wine. At that moment, a gentle curve formed at the corner of the emperor’s lips.

 

“Thank you, Lady Epirosa.” The emperor accepted my glass of water and gulped it down in one go.

 

Stella’s face turned pale.

 

“Lady Stella, please clear the glass.” Claude spoke to Stella with a stiff expression.

 

“B-But…”

 

When Stella hesitated, Claude took the glass from her and placed it back on the tray himself.

 

After finishing the water, the emperor blatantly turned his back on Stella and looked at me with a satisfied expression. “It’s true that I enjoy wine, but when I watch a play or opera, I prefer water. I want to experience the performance with a clear mind.”

 

The meaning behind his words was clear. It was a warning not to try to flatter him when one doesn’t even know him properly.

 

Stella collapsed back into her seat, her face deathly pale. Hubert frowned and shook his head in disapproval. Meanwhile, Ludwig secretly lifted the corner of his lips as he looked at me.

 

Ludwig helped me out. The fact that the emperor didn’t drink wine while watching performances was something only someone like Ludwig, who had once watched plays with the emperor in a closed private box, would know. Grateful, I returned his smile.

 

As the emperor removed his gloves, I reached out and accepted them. That gesture of handing me his gloves meant he acknowledged me as his attendant. It made me proud. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but be mindful of Hubert, who stood in a position of rivalry with the emperor. Fortunately, that issue was soon resolved.

 

Before the opera began, Marchioness Gent stepped onto the stage. “What we will present today is a reinterpretation of The Heroic Epic of Baldonov. Please enjoy!” After finishing the introduction, she stepped down from the stage.

 

I gave up my place to Marchioness Gent and handed over the emperor’s gloves. Once again, she took over attending to the emperor. In exchange, I moved to sit next to Hubert.

 

“How was it serving His Majesty?” Hubert asked as if testing me.

 

“I was very nervous.”

 

“And now?”

 

I whispered to Hubert with a smile. “I feel at ease. I’ve been waiting for this moment!” My hand reached out to him. “Even so, I shouldn’t let my true feelings show in front of His Majesty, right?”

 

Hubert smiled contentedly and handed me a pair of gloves. Soon, the curtains on the stage parted to both sides. As the protagonist, Baldonov, appeared, the audience began to murmur.

 

“Isn’t that Jaina Simmons?”

 

“Baldonov is a princess?”

 

“A female Baldonov?”

 

The crowd was thrown into confusion. However, as Baldonov’s sorrowful aria, lamenting being framed by her half-sibling and exiled by her father, resonated through, the audience fell silent. Jaina Simmons’s emotional delivery, which shone in tragic songs, captivated everyone present.

 

* * *

“Are you sure you’re just going to take a quick look at the Unicorn and return?” The soldier guarding the Divine Beast Garden asked as he stepped aside to let him through.

 

Violet’s subordinate lightly tapped the soldier’s shoulder. “Of course. Duchess Clementi asked me to check on something real quick, so I’m just going to take a look and head out.”

 

“Still, the job is way too dangerous…”

 

“That’s why I paid you a hefty sum, didn’t I?”

 

At the mention of money, the soldier couldn’t complain any further.

 

“Just go in and report back quickly! If we get caught, I’m done for!”

 

“Don’t worry. I’ll be out in no time.”

 

“Take that path over there. You’ll find the Unicorn there.”

 

The man followed the path the soldier had pointed out. Soon, atop a hill, he saw a pure white unicorn grazing on the grass. Its silver horn shimmered brilliantly. The man couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.

 

“As expected of a divine beast! It’s truly beautiful!” He stared in awe for a while, but quickly snapped out of it when the divine beast suddenly turned its gaze toward him.

 

Damn! I have a job to do! Violet’s order echoed in his mind. Show the unicorn the cloth stained with the emperor’s blood, and it would react. Then, lure it to the outer palace.

 

It was a dangerous task, but the man was confident. He had once worked as an assassin. Even now, he was incredibly agile and quick on his feet.

 

The man pulled out the cloth stained with the emperor’s blood from his coat. “Come here, Unicorn!”

 

The unicorn’s black eyes gleamed strangely. And then, it started running straight toward the man.

 

“Yes! That’s it!” The man immediately turned around and started running as well. “Come on, follow me! To the outer pal— ugh!” But he didn’t get far.

 

The Unicorn, which had dashed forward like lightning, kicked the man in the back and sped past him. The man lost consciousness and collapsed. The blood-stained cloth of the emperor fell to the ground. But the Unicorn didn’t stop running.

 

The emperor’s blood! Could something have happened to its master?

 

The Unicorn swiftly searched for the emperor’s whereabouts. The divine beast’s instincts told it that its master was in the outer palace. So, the Unicorn raced toward the outer palace to protect its master from any potential danger.

 

* * *

“I miss you, Father. Under the moonlight, I always sing. Even after victories in battle, there’s only ever sorrow. For I cannot dedicate that glory to him. If this moonlight reaches him as well, please carry my longing to him.”

 

Jaina Simmons’s, I mean, Baldonov’s sorrowful song echoed through the outer palace. It was the new piece I had written the lyrics for.

 

The audience held their breath, wholly focused on the performer and the song. Sniffling could be heard here and there. The audience held their breath, completely absorbed in the actor and the song. I could even hear the sound of quiet sobbing here and there.

 

Hubert was no exception to this focus. With a face full of emotion, he bit his lip. It was an unusually intense reaction for Hubert. Did Baldonov remind him of my mother? Was he letting his emotions show, thinking that the darkness would hide him from everyone?

 

No matter how I looked at it, it was a success for me. Because I had moved Hubert’s heart. But— It’s a success, I should be happy… so why does my heart feel so heavy and sad? Feeling my eyes grow hot, I quickly turned my head toward the stage.

 

In the end, Baldonov triumphs over her sibling, gains her father’s recognition, and ascends to the throne. The curtain fell with the image of Baldonov standing proudly as queen.

 

The emperor suddenly rose from his seat. “Truly magnificent! Absolutely the best!” He clapped loudly with a face brimming with satisfaction.

 

The other audience members also rose to their feet, giving a standing ovation.

 

“Applause for the performers! And honor to Marchioness Gent, who planned this opera!”

 

“Applause and honor!” The audience echoed the emperor’s words.

 

Marchioness Gent turned around to face the audience and bowed. “Thank you, everyone. And…!” She stepped forward and brought me to the front. “Please also give a round of applause to Lady Epirosa Blanche, who provided the idea for this opera and co-planned it with me!”

 

“That young lady came up with the idea?”

 

“So she wasn’t just an assistant for the opera!”

 

“She’s good at making medicine, and now this? Truly talented. As expected of the Blanche bloodline!”

 

Thunderous applause rained down on me. As I returned to my seat with Marchioness Gent, Hubert spoke to me with a pleased expression.

 

“I didn’t know you had such talent. You were truly impressive.” His large hand gently ruffled my hair. “With an ability like this, you’ll be able to manage the Blanche Theater just fine as well.” And just like that, he seamlessly transitioned into talking about business.

 

Of course, he never just gives compliments for free. Hubert really is the epitome of a meritocrat. But this has become familiar by now. I looked up at Hubert with a smile.

 

“Your Majesty!” At that moment, someone cautiously approached the emperor. It was one of the servants. He whispered something into the emperor’s ear.

 

The emperor, who had been savoring the lingering emotions of the opera, furrowed his brows. “What? Is that true?”

 

“Yes, the message came from the imperial palace…”

 

The surroundings were noisy, and the two of them lowered their voices, so it was hard to make out what they were saying. But it was clear that it was something urgent. The emperor quickly left his seat. People murmured at the sight. However, their curiosity about the emperor didn’t last long.

 

Kwang! As soon as the emperor left, a thunderous crash resounded. I stared toward the source of the noise, horrified.

 

Right in the middle of the opera stage, which was now ruthlessly destroyed, stood a unicorn with a sharp horn, glaring with fierce, icy eyes.