The Empress Tames the Tyrant - Chapter 41

Glenn’s face was etched with worry as he stood before the doors of the audience chamber. The sight of a dispirited Cayenne early this morning was an expression Glenn had never seen, not even after two consecutive nights of relentless combat.

“This is confusing,” he muttered.

The anomalies did not end there. Cayenne had submissively allowed the Chief Attendant and Head Maid to dress him in his formal uniform, and he had summoned the Minister of Rites to the audience chamber first thing. Such a thing had never happened before.

“I hope nothing major is wrong with His Majesty,” Glenn sighed, guarding the tightly closed doors. Emma had mentioned that the issue concerned the Emperor’s marriage, but Glenn could not even begin to fathom what the problem could be.

Inside the chamber, Cayenne, seated upon the throne, was grappling with the same lack of understanding.

“I dare to report, Your Majesty, that it is a fact known to the whole world that the marriage was not finalized on the day of the wedding.”

“And if I say it was?”

“It is far too late to correct that. Furthermore, did you not depart on horseback before the guests had even left? Immediately after the ceremony ended?”

“Damn it,” Cayenne cursed under his breath. He had never dreamed that his impulsive actions back then would come to haunt him like this. At the time, he had not even expected to face Alicia and share a conversation ever again.

“Since Your Majesty has inquired, there is more I must report.”

“More?” Cayenne scowled, making no effort to hide his displeasure. His head already felt like it was exploding just thinking about how to clear up this misunderstanding with Alicia; what else could there possibly be?

“Yes. In truth, there have already been formal challenges regarding the validity of the imperial marriage.”

“This gets more ridiculous by the second! People have been gossiping among themselves about my marriage?”

The Minister of Rites, whose beard had turned entirely white, bowed his head. “Forgive me, but I sent several letters regarding this. It seems they never reached Your Majesty.”

The elderly Marquis had been appointed as the Minister of Rites because it was a position that involved almost no practical work. The new Emperor had never once expressed a need for the Ministry of Rites.

“Lucan has expressed extreme concern, and the nobles of the Empire are equally worried. Naturally, the Papacy has also officially expressed its regret.”

It was news to Cayenne, but even if he had heard it before, he would not have given it a second thought. At the time, the Empress had been nothing more than a chess piece planted by the schemes of Lucan and the nobles—a tiresome, noisy parrot.

Do not expect anything from me.

He was the one who had spoken those cold words to the innocent Alicia before leaving.

But now, Cayenne had to admit it: his judgment had been wrong. No, it was more than wrong; it had been utterly catastrophic. He had always believed that regret was a pathetic sentiment muttered only by the weak, but right now, he wanted to go back in time and strike his past self across the face.

“However, it is a relief that Your Majesty learned of this just before the deadline.”

The Minister’s words broke Cayenne’s reverie. Deadline. In this situation, it was a word that brought nothing but an ominous feeling.

“What… deadline?”

“Pardon? Was it not because of the deadline that you summoned me?”

“I asked what deadline you are talking about.”

“Oh dear, well, it is.”

Cayenne had never felt this kind of tension even in his first battle. As the elderly Minister’s lips slowly parted, it felt as though the blood was rushing simultaneously to his head and his heart.

“To put it simply, it means your imperial marriage is about to be declared null and void.”

“What? How dare they decide the fate of my marriage?”

“That is what I have been trying to say. The two of you have not yet finalized the marriage, and according to Papal doctrine and Imperial customary law, the limit is… well, this Sunday.”

Cayenne blinked slowly. “Tell me you don’t mean this coming Sunday.”

“Regrettably, I do. Let me see. Yes, you have three days left.”

Having lived a life of struggle in a barren land, Cayenne prided himself on being unflappable, but he could no longer say that was the case.

“It is absurd to suggest the imperial marriage could just vanish because of that.”

“Well, yes, in a sense.”

Cayenne was filled with rage at the Minister’s slow and ambiguous attitude, but he had to endure it, as there was no one else to turn to for answers at the moment.

“Then there is no problem!”

“Again, that is… not necessarily the case.”

Reaching the limit of his patience, Cayenne’s jaw tightened. He reminded himself that if he dismissed this old man now, it would take even longer to find a solution.

“In short, it is a problem if someone chooses to make it a problem, but not a problem if no one raises an issue.”

The Minister was composed, but Cayenne was seething. Was he not already surrounded by people who wanted to make a problem out of everything?

“Who exactly has the right to raise such an issue? And what must I do right now to prevent the marriage from being annulled?”

“The answer to your first question is everyone. To be precise, every believer in the Papacy who follows the name of our God.”

Damn it. This was not the answer Cayenne wanted. Lucan also followed the Papacy externally, so the Great Sage could demand Alicia back, or the ambitious Duke Nigel could try to install a new Empress from within his own faction.

“As for your second question, how could Your Majesty not know?”

Cayenne cleared his throat involuntarily out of sheer embarrassment. In his haste, his tangled thoughts seemed to have spilled out of his mouth.

“Then it is a simple matter. My marriage is fully established. We can set the date to any time after my return.”

Had Emma been present, she would have scolded him for such a suggestion, regardless of his imperial dignity.

“Forgive me, but that is not possible.”

“Are you defying my command?”

“It is not a matter for me to decide. Did Your Majesty not leave a year ago while the ceremony remained incomplete?”

Cayenne’s dark brows furrowed even deeper. Did they dare to demand knowledge of his private bedroom affairs? He didn’t care about that, but the moment Alicia’s face flashed in his mind, a surge of irritation rose within him.

“How dare you!”

At Cayenne’s shout, which echoed through the audience chamber, the Minister hurriedly bowed.

“Please, compose yourself, Your Majesty.”

“You had best watch your tongue.”

“No, no! That is not what I meant!” The Minister broke into a cold sweat. He knew the Emperor was ignorant of etiquette, but it was staggering that he was unaware of something even the common people of the Empire knew.

“The ceremony is a matter of Papal doctrine. The priest who officiated the wedding, in your case, the Pope himself, shares a prayer of blessing with the couple. After the wedding night, he prays the next morning to signify the birth of a new family.”

Only now did Cayenne realize that he had never properly finished the wedding ceremony itself.

“You should have told me then!”

“I dare to report… Your Majesty said you would execute anyone who stood in your way.”

Blast it. Cayenne rubbed his temples. In this absurd and ridiculous situation, the only person he could blame was his past self.

“Why Sunday?”

“It is the anniversary of the day the imperial wedding took place last year.”

As this dialogue continued, Cayenne could not stop the mounting sense of self-loathing. He had a mission to fulfill, and the Empress was the daughter of Lucan. But as he looked at the facts one by one, he realized he was the source of all the trouble. In fact, he had never once done the right thing.

“Regrettably, His Holiness the Pope is currently ill. However, since the matter is urgent, if you permit it, I shall contact the Papacy immediately and ask them to choose an Archbishop to stand in his stead.”

The Minister’s explanation contained not a single thought for the Empress’s position. Cayenne felt indignant at that fact, but at the same time, he was enraged by his own past behavior, which had been no different. He didn’t even remember the date he had so heartlessly turned his back on a woman. Then again, as a husband who didn’t even know which cheek he had kissed at the wedding, it was hardly a surprise.

“Truly, this is the absolute worst,” a belated regret escaped his lips.

“Not at all, Your Majesty. You still have three days. You may finalize the marriage at any time.”

Cayenne’s fist tightened on the armrest of the throne. “It is a simple matter, so you need not worry at all.”

But he knew well that he had no right to criticize the old man before him. At least, that was how it must have appeared to Alicia last night. Even if it was unintentional, Alicia had understood his intent that way.

Please go back.

The moment her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears, Cayenne had seen many emotions. At the time, he was so flustered by her weeping that he didn’t know what to do, but looking back, he thought he understood Alicia’s feelings.

It was fear, sorrow, resentment, and… disappointment.

Please…

Alicia, always so elegant and gentle, had pleaded desperately. It was a rejection that nothing could change.

However, there was one thing he couldn’t know. Whether Alicia had rejected his hasty and rude demand, or whether she had rejected every possibility of their future, he could not know as long as the misunderstanding remained between them.

“Your Majesty, what shall we do? To the Papacy.”

“Get out! Out of my sight!”

Recalling Alicia weeping under the moonlight the previous night, Cayenne barked the command and waved his hand. He did not want to share that memory with anyone.

“Pardon? Ah, yes… then I shall withdraw for today.”

As the Minister of Rites departed, Cayenne, left alone, let out a long sigh. It wasn’t just the memory; he didn’t want to show his current state to anyone.

“What if her rejection was of me?”

It was truly strange. A woman who, until recently, had no presence in his life had now entered his heart, poking into every corner and tormenting him. It was a violent, painful thumping, as if his heart were punishing him for his past actions.