To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

Soon after, Marquis Schmidt’s mind leaned towards telling the Emperor about Louisa’s information. After all, he was currently loyal to August. The sun of this country was still August. The Emperor had been considering the Lartman and Hamelsvoort families as thorns in his side lately, so why not inform him that Liv Lartman had sided with the Princess and make the Emperor even angrier?

The benefit Marquis Schmidt could gain when the Emperor was angry was simple. The Emperor would trust him even more because of this.

[To His Majesty the Emperor, the sun of the Empire.

This is your loyal servant, Marquis Schmidt. I write this letter because I feel I must inform Your Majesty of important news.

Two days from now, some nobles have decided to hold a meeting at the Wünschen Salon. Nobles who oppose Your Majesty will attend that gathering.

I leave the handling of the remaining matters to Your Majesty’s choice, but my blood boils at the thought of nobles who dare oppose Your Majesty walking around with their backs straight.

—Yours faithfully,

Marquis Schmidt]

“Duke Lartman, I’m sorry it’s come to this.”

Recalling a day when they had conversed intimately when Duke Lartman was younger, Marquis Schmidt put the letter into an envelope.

* * *

‘What should I do…’

Liv repeatedly paced back and forth in the room with an anxious face. She didn’t know if she should go to the gathering Louisa had invited her to. How could she stop Louisa? Siding with Louisa wasn’t very wise, but dealing with both Louisa and August as enemies would be tricky.

In two days, the day Louisa had invited her would come. And the day after that, Hildegard’s hearing would be held. Everything was so complicated that it felt like her head was throbbing.

When Liv was about to bang her head against the wall, it was Emmett who opened the door and came in.

“Liv.”

“Yes?”

“You look troubled.”

“Ah…”

As Liv hesitated to answer, unable to speak, Emmett sat on the bed and pulled Liv to sit beside him.

“Let’s speak honestly. What conversation did you have with Princess Louisa?”

Emmett had wanted to know about the conversation between Liv and the Princess all along, but Liv hadn’t told him, and he hadn’t forced an answer either. However, at this moment, Emmett’s voice had the power to persuade people. Finally, succumbing to his voice, Liv hesitantly began to speak.

“Well, you see… Her Highness Princess Louisa asked me to take her side…”

Feeling relieved after spilling everything, Liv’s words continued for a while. After listening to her story to the end, Emmett sighed. Thinking he might be disappointed in her, Liv flinched, but Emmett comforted her.

“No, I just sighed because of Princess Louisa.”

“…”

“Surely you’re not planning to attend that gathering?”

“No, it’s obvious I’d be used in that situation. But I don’t know how to stop Princess Louisa.”

“Liv, if it were me, I could eliminate the Princess.”

At those words, Liv looked at Emmett in surprise. Yes, she had momentarily forgotten that Emmett could sometimes be this cruel.

“No, I’ve thought about it too, but how can we just kill someone because of threats?”

“…Is that so.”

“And I can’t entrust you with such a task…”

At first glance, Liv’s words might seem frustrating, but Emmett respected Liv’s choice. Liv felt her heart stabilize a little at his attitude.

“Actually, there is a way to stop Princess Louisa…”

“What is it?”

“If I show her a terrifying sight that humans can’t handle, wouldn’t she either go mad and shut her mouth or forget about me? Though I can’t guarantee that result…”

“…How is that different from killing her?”

“Well, the gods wouldn’t scold me.”

Yes, child. Would I blame you for driving just one person mad?

It’s that person who can’t handle the power of the gods.

“See, they’re taking my side even now.”

Emmett looked like he truly couldn’t understand the gods, but he didn’t say anything more to Liv about it.

“Liv, more than that, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“If such a thing happened, you should have consulted with me earlier.”

Emmett, saying this, somehow seemed both disappointed and worried about Liv.

“Liv, spouses should share everything. When we talk like this, even difficult matters tend to resolve.”

“Share everything…”

At those words, Liv stared at Emmett. And without realizing it, those words spilled from Liv’s mouth.

“But you haven’t told me everything either.”

“What?”

It wasn’t difficult to deduce where Emmett was going so busily every day lately.

“You’re looking for ways to oppose the Emperor, aren’t you?”

“…Liv.”

Yes, up to this point was a fact that even Hildegard could guess. And…

“But why aren’t you telling me who you’re planning to set up as the new Emperor?”

Liv’s pale pink eyes, asking this, shone sharply in a rare moment. At those words that accurately pinpointed Emmett’s intentions, he showed a rare surprised face.

“Liv…”

“You’re planning to put me in that position, aren’t you?”

The reason she hadn’t told Emmett about this until now was that she didn’t want to clash with him. He must have chosen Liv because she was the last descendant of the former imperial family, and she didn’t want to complicate Emmett’s thoughts unnecessarily before things even started. But now Liv felt it was time to address this issue.

“I don’t want to become Emperor. You know that.”

“Liv, but…”

“If that’s the case, it would be better for you to become the new Emperor. You would govern this country much better than me.”

“…I wasn’t trying to hide it from you.”

“No, you were trying to hide it from me.”

Unable to answer Liv’s dry tone, a shadow fell over Emmett’s face.

“I still find it difficult to mingle with people, and above all, I don’t know much about politics. How could someone like me become Emperor?”

“…What’s important is legitimacy. With the justification and legitimacy to become Emperor, anyone can become Emperor. Even August became Emperor without being fully prepared. Princess Louisa hasn’t learned much about kingship either. There aren’t that many things one needs to have to become Emperor.”

“I’m different from others.”

“You can become like them.”

As their argument grew longer, a sharp current flowed between them as if sparks were flying. Emmett kept trying to persuade Liv, but Liv only countered Emmett’s words with a face that showed she wouldn’t yield her stubbornness. After continuing to speak for a long time, it was Emmett who finally bowed his head and embraced Liv.

“Liv, I, ah…”

“…”

“If I say that making you Emperor is my mission, would you understand my words?”

“Why is that your mission?”

“It’s what I must do. No matter what happens, I will return you to your original place. It’s for both you and me.”

“I can’t understand.”

“You probably can’t understand now.”

Emmett relaxed his body that had been embracing Liv. But his gaze was still directed at Liv. Strangely, looking at his ashen eyes that reminded her of Abgrund yet were clearly different, Liv felt her heart softening.

“There were actually several times in the past when I couldn’t understand you. But after a long time, I eventually came to understand you. The opposite is also true. You, Liv, will eventually come to understand me.”

“…Is that so.”

“Please trust me, Liv.”

Emmett continued, whispering in Liv’s ear.

“I will never do anything that will harm you…”

Hearing those words, Liv couldn’t move her body for a long time. The world surrounding Liv was becoming more complex. She knew she could no longer act passively and settle for reality as before… but it wasn’t easy to find her way and protect herself in a rapidly changing world.

“And Liv, it’s inevitable that your identity will be revealed to the Emperor. He’ll find out eventually anyway, and removing the Emperor before that is for your own good.”

Liv didn’t answer those words, but she knew that being anxious about her identity being revealed to the Emperor was ultimately meaningless. There are no eternal secrets.

“…For now, I won’t go to the gathering the Princess invited me to. You continue with what you’ve been doing.”

* * *

There were several nobles gathered in the room, but the atmosphere was quiet. They just glanced at the host of this gathering without saying anything.

“…Could she really not have come?”

Louisa muttered, looking towards the door. She felt the urge to throw the cup in her hand right away, but Louisa barely managed to suppress it.

Liv Lartman. She didn’t expect her not to accept her proposal…

‘Really, everyone in Lartman is…!’

Louisa frowned, unable to hide her irritation. Neither the stubborn Duke Lartman nor his wife had been helpful in Louisa’s life. It seemed she would have to pressure them in another way soon.

She should deal with Hildegard at tomorrow’s hearing, and then provoke the Emperor to completely destroy the other members of the Hamelsvoort family. And after that…

At that moment, Louisa’s face turned pale as she saw the figure entering through the opening door.

“Y-Your Majesty the Emperor…!”

The Emperor entering through the door looked angry. As the other surprised nobles prostrated themselves on the floor, the Emperor strode towards Louisa without even looking around.

“Louisa, what scheme are you plotting, hm?”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“I heard from Marquis Schmidt that those who rebelled against me were gathered here. So why are you here?”

Louisa sat frozen in her chair, unable to move. She was someone who looked down on her father more than anyone else. However, at the same time, she was also someone who was more afraid in front of her father than anyone else. The fear and helplessness she had learned over a long time consumed her.

While Louisa couldn’t say anything, the Emperor scanned the surroundings as if searching. The nobles bowed their heads even more to avoid making eye contact with him. The Emperor’s face showed disdain as he failed to find any familiar faces.

“They’re all insignificant beings. There’s no need to bother eliminating them.”

At those words, relief filled the nobles’ faces, but only Louisa still couldn’t erase the terror from her eyes, as if she had seen hell. He took one step closer to Louisa.

“Louisa, if you’re going to cause trouble, do it big. What good is playing with these small fry?”

“F-Father…”

“If everyone here is just small fry.”

The Emperor’s large hand grabbed Louisa’s hair.

“The only one I need to eliminate here is you, isn’t it?”

“F-Father!”

At that moment, Louisa felt unbearable fear.

Because her father had ‘those eyes’ she had seen when she was young.

Louisa thought her father might abandon her like this. As soon as she realized this, Louisa’s instincts sounded an alarm. To escape from here right now. To survive somehow. To sell out someone else instead of her.

“F-Father, that’s not it. I have something to tell you.”

“Alright, let’s hear it.”

“Today, I… Yes, I gathered people to discuss countermeasures.”

“What countermeasures are you talking about?”

Louisa’s face, which had been rambling while trying to buy time somehow, gradually hardened. Ah, now she didn’t even know what words were coming out of her mouth.

“L-Lartman. Duchess Lartman. Liv Lartman is actually…”

Finally, unable to overcome her fear, Louisa whispered ‘that fact’ that would bring a bloodbath to the Emperor’s ear.

“She’s the last descendant of Gracia…”