NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 44
Several days passed in a storm of unbearable embarrassment, preventing me from even looking properly at the Grand Duke’s face as we continued our journey.
Despite that, time flowed smoothly, and before I knew it, our party had arrived at the imperial capital.
“Your Grace, welcome to the Imperial Palace.”
“Thank you for your efforts.”
After the identity check at the castle gates was completed, the carriage, which had come to a brief stop, slowly began moving again.
Even though the carriage bore the insignia of House Blaile, they still insisted on conducting an inspection.
The strict security already had me feeling overwhelmed, and I clutched my throbbing head.
Passing through the vast outer palace and into the inner palace, the carriage, moving at a sluggish pace, soon came to a halt.
“Th-this is…”
“Shh! Mind your words.”
Though I had caught glimpses of lesser nobles from afar, I had never dreamed that I would set foot inside the imperial palace itself. The artists with me murmured in unease.
Even the three elderly painters, who had considerable experience, seemed just as tense. Their usual calm and kind expressions had vanished, replaced by rigid discipline.
…And, of course, I was no different.
‘I actually ended up here…’
Beside me, the Grand Duke walked on, his expression unreadable, his pace unhurried.
Meanwhile, I could barely keep my legs from trembling.
And to make matters worse, the place we arrived at wasn’t an audience chamber prepared for visitors—it was the Empress’s palace, located at the very heart of the imperial palace…?
‘Something’s up.’
My instincts were screaming at me.
Could it be that the one who invited us was the Empress herself?
As if to answer my unspoken question, a maid—who appeared to hold a fairly high position in the Empress’s palace—politely stepped forward and guided us.
“From this point onward, only those involved in the making of the comic book will be allowed entry.”
“I see.”
It was an obvious dismissal, but the Grand Duke simply nodded without a hint of disturbance.
“It seems our journey together ends here. Farewell.”
“Wait, but—”
How could he just turn his back and leave like that?!
With the Grand Duke—who had felt like my only reliable support—now gone, my unease only grew. But since it was the Empress’s order, there was nothing I could do.
In the end, the artists and I had no choice but to follow the palace attendants hesitantly, our steps filled with fear.
Before long—
“Her Majesty the Empress arrives.”
With the steward’s announcement, a woman clad in an extravagant dress appeared.
Her golden hair, vividly bright, was elegantly styled in an elaborate updo.
She was Oriana kletan, Empress of the Empire.
As I bowed my head in greeting, I recalled what I had read about her back when I worked in Salt Castle.
In her youth, she had ruled high society. Later, she had eliminated numerous political rivals to secure her son, Raiden Kletan, as Crown Prince… A cold and ruthless figure.
“Are you the artists who illustrated < Safety Rules for Writing Horror Stories >?”
She glanced around the room with a dignified air before stopping right in front of me.
“Y-yes, Your Majesty,” Ashley, the project’s lead artist, answered.
However, the Empress only frowned slightly and gazed down at us with an unreadable expression, offering no immediate response.
As the silence stretched on, my anxiety grew. Could there have been an issue with the comic’s content…?
As I nervously rubbed my cold fingertips, waiting for her to speak—
“You must have had a long journey.”
A warm smile suddenly blossomed across the Empress’s face, replacing her emotionless expression.
At the same time, the heavy atmosphere in the room shifted entirely.
‘Huh? What’s going on?’
Even though we had never met before, I could clearly sense her genuine interest in us.
“You must be tired. Let’s discuss things over a meal.”
At her words, the nearby attendants promptly stepped forward and bowed deeply.
“This way, please.”
Now that I thought about it, it was already nearly dinnertime.
Ignoring the unsettling feeling creeping over me, I followed behind the Empress, who seemed uncharacteristically excited.
* * *
To my relief, the slightly early dinner began without incident.
In fact, after learning that the artists had delayed their deadlines just to meet her, the Empress even instructed the head steward to treat us with extra care, looking somewhat apologetic.
An endless parade of rare delicacies—dishes not even seen in the Blaire Grand Duke’s estate—was brought to the table.
It was a mouthwatering sight.
And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the meal.
Instead, it felt as if something were stuck in my throat.
“So… what do you think, Lady?”
The Empress suddenly pressed for an answer.
Like me, she had barely touched her food.
How did things end up like this?
For the first time, I keenly felt the absence of the Grand Duke.
“Th-that would be difficult, Your Majesty…”
I barely managed to muster the courage to refuse.
And the reason was—
‘Who asks an author to spoil the ending of their own story?!’
As soon as we sat down, the Empress had made an unexpected and extremely difficult request.
At first, she had casually shared her thoughts and compliments on the comic.
But soon enough, her true intentions became clear.
“I want to know the ending.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m tired of waiting for the next volume. So for the sake of my peace of mind, you must tell me how it ends.”
Though her words were demanding, her tone remained graceful and regal.
It seemed even a tantrum could be thrown with elegance…
‘But I’m just an insignificant member of a branch family of the Grand Duke’s house, and she’s the mighty Empress of Kletan.’
It wasn’t even a contest.
And considering that her son—Raiden—was depicted in the original story as a heartless lunatic, the last thing I wanted to do was upset his mother.
Absolutely not!
“Am I to believe that you’re hesitating, even after my sincere request?”
A hint of coldness seeped into her previously poised voice.
It was an implicit warning not to test her patience any further.
‘This is bad.’
Honestly, it would be easiest to just tell her the ending right away.
But I couldn’t do that.
No—I refused to do that.
“No, it’s not that… I simply cannot accept Your Majesty’s request.”
Cough, cough—
A heavy silence fell over the room, punctuated by the sound of someone coughing.
“…What?”
The Empress’s voice trembled slightly, as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
“What did you just say, Lady?”
“I mean…”
Hoo.
I took a deep breath and began explaining in a firm tone.
“The ending has not yet been decided, which is why I must decline Your Majesty’s request.”
Cough, cough!
This time, loud coughing erupted from the elderly artists.
They, of course, knew that the ending had already been fully planned.
To them, my refusal must have been completely baffling.
But—
‘If I reveal the ending now, the fun of the comic will be ruined.’
As an avid reader who had spent years engrossed in comics, that was simply unacceptable.
It wasn’t just about losing the element of surprise.
The joy of flipping through each page with anticipation, the excitement of waiting for the next volume—
It would all be lost.
“No ending?”
The Empress arched an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
Every story has an ending.
The excuse I gave must have sounded ridiculous to her.
The tension in the room felt like walking on thin ice as I continued.
“The Ghost Duke and his bride are living, breathing characters in my mind. I am merely a storyteller conveying their tale.”
“…….”
“Just as no person can predict their own future, neither can they. Thus, the ending remains undecided.”
I tried to sound as much like an eccentric, artistic genius as possible.
Would it work?
After all, when faced with overwhelming power, the only thing stronger… was the power of a persona.
When I was first kidnapped by the Grand Duke of Blaire, I managed to survive the ordeal by adopting a slave persona.
“Hmm…”
The Empress’s expression became enigmatic as she gazed at me in silence.