Chapter 143. Finally, At The Imperial Palace?

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    Tamon, who was waiting on the second floor, held Asha’s hand and kissed the back of her hand as she finished her preparations and came down.?

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    His lips felt so hot even though she was wearing gloves.?

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    “How could someone be so beautiful even when hidden from head to toe?” (Tamon)?

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    Only Tamon would make such a compliment, but it didn’t make Asha feel bad.?

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    But it didn’t mean the words were serious enough for Asha to reply.?

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    She snorted and grabbed his hand.?

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    “We have to hurry too, don’t we? We’re already near the gate.”?

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    “Yes, we have to go.”?

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    Tamon kissed the back of Asha’s gloved hand again as he led her in the carriage.?

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    Today was the day for foreign delegations to officially enter the palace.?

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    Whatever method she used, the amazing Amor king really did arrive in Tanatos in time for the July Festival.?

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    Compliments to her competence, Tamon and Asha went to the city gates to greet her.?

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    * * *?

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    ”I’m finally here.”?

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    Theoransha kept her hand gripping the horse reins and glared at the pointed spire of the Imperial Palace of Tanatos.?

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    She had finally set foot in the country of the terrible enemy, but her anger did not boil over as much as she had expected.?

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    She gazed with calm eyes at the imperial citizens who welcomed the envoys from other countries.?

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    They cheered with curious faces, as various foreigners appeared in strange clothes.?

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    Most were commoners, and children made up more than half of the population.?

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    “They can be replaced, but the sacrifice will be minimal.”?

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    “I trust you will understand my feelings.”?

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    The voice of Aranrosia, who had vowed the downfall of Gillotti Tanatos before her departure, came to the surface again.?

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    Theo, who was looking at the crowd that had gathered still, chuckled.?

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    “…… anyway, I have a weak heart.”?

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    Helia, princess of Amos, approached Theo and whispered.?

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    “What are you mumbling about?”?

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    “Hm? Nothing. I was just deeply moved.”?

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    Helia nodded as if she understood Theo’s words.?

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    Amos was a country derived from Amor, as evidenced by the similarity of the names Amos and Amor.?

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    It was sometimes called the land of sisters, so the Princesses of Amos often came to study in Amor when they were young.?

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    It was through her study abroad that Helia came to know Theoransha.?

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    Theo, who was active and spirited, and Helia, who was frail, were strangely compatible despite their opposite tendencies.?

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    Where the childhood connection had always been there, Helia was abducted when she was 17 years old.?

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    The pirates abducted Helia, and the problem was that they put this crime on Theo.?

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    It was that “Theoransha” was jealous of Helia for some reason, killed her, and pretended not to know.?

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    Theo was once suspected for a moment by the royal family of Amos, who had lost their reason.?

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    Of course, they could not pursue the matter frankly, but in any case, as an urgent matter, they could not overlook any possibility.?

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    Theo dove directly into the abduction case to clear her name and discovered that it was the work of pirates in the Caliphate waters.?

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    The pirates who abducted Helia were those who were known for their poor quality in the Caliphate waters.?

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    Human trafficking was basic, and abduction, confinement, and assault were commonplace.?

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    Fortunately, just before something bad happened to Helia, Theo was able to rescue her.?

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    However, rescuing Helia was not enough satisfaction for Theo. She killed all the “black mist pirates”.?

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    This caused the royal family of Amos to owe Theo a big debt.?

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    At the time, Theo refused to accept compensation from the royal family of Amos.?

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    She had already made up her mind at that time that she would be the king of Amor, so she was determined to collect this debt more appropriately next time.?

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    And today, she has received a very appropriate payment.?

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    Helia, the Princess of Amos and revered as a Saint, followed Theo directly to Tanatos with Amos’ holy relic.?

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    Lumosha’s sacred relic was in Theo’s hands.?

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    Oh, it really has been a tough month.?

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    In the meantime, Theo spotted Tamon, who had said he would come to pick Theo up with a face that looked ten years older.?

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    Since Tamon stood out even at a distance, they found him without difficulty.?

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    Ronasso, who was following Theo, also found Tamon, but he was unable to come forward because of his duty to protect Theo.?

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    “It’s good to see him again in good health.”?

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    “…… don’t I look healthy now?”?

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    “You’ve done this kind of schedule, and I think you’re in great shape.”?

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    “Oh, that’s true.”?

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    “I see that the Princess of Amos came with you. May the blessings of the sun be upon you at night.”?

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    “May the blessings of the night shine upon you in the day.”?

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    While they were exchanging greetings, Theo glanced at the carriage that Tamon was guarding.?

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    The window of the carriage opened and Asha, wearing a veil, waved her head in greeting.?

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    Theo also greeted her by bowing her head slightly.?

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    Flying pollen, the cheers of the crowd, the music echoing through the air.?

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    They felt it all as they entered the wide open door of Tanatos palace.?

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    * * * *?

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    The imperial banquet welcoming the delegations was magnificent.?

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    Tanatos was dressed more glamorously than ever, perhaps to let people know that the country was alive and well.?

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    Asha, after all this time, looked around the imperial palace, which was filled with jewelry, flowers, and fine ornaments.?

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    ‘Did the imperial family have this much finances left?’?

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    Of course, it was not that Tanatos had no money.?

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    It was because when she was here back then, they already had a three-year budget proposal, but at that time, the proposed budget for events in July was not as large as this one.?

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    This meant that the proposed budget after three years was either brought forward and used, or the nobles’ taxes were raised.?

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    At that moment, Asha remembered another reason why Tanatos finances had grown.?

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    ‘……Yes, they confiscated the Sunset family’s property.’?

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    Asha’s eyes grew colder.?

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    This horrifying glamour was the blood and flesh of the Sunset family.?

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    How large was the confiscation of all the property of the ducal family, which was the pillar of this huge empire??

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    Asha stared coldly at Gillotti, who was greeting the delegations in turns.?

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    Hilariously, Natasha stood beside him, dressed in the Empress’s gown.?

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    As soon as Roselyn was removed, Natasha was given the title of “Count”.?

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    Of course, it was an aristocratic rank only in appearance, but by gaining the position, she would be qualified to ascend to the throne of the empress.?

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    Somehow, however, Gillotti’s decision was slow.?

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    There was a rumor that there would be an official announcement at this July festival.?

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    ‘…… Yes, I see that.’?

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    Those two were very similar, especially in that there was no limit to their greed.?

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    Roselyn had never forgotten Natasha’s voice whispering in her ears while Roselyn’s white skirt was stained with blood. (*the use of the name Roselyn here because at the scene back then it was Roselyn the empress. Asha didn’t exist then.)?

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    “Good-bye.”?

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    Natasha was crying and laughing while pushing Roselyn into hell.?

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    The power was in Gillotti’s hands, but Natasha would not be easily detachable.?

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    Asha intended to drag Natasha down in the same way that Natasha had sent her to her death.?

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    Catching her off guard and pulling on her neck in the blink of an eye…….?

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    Asha looked carefully at Natasha’s big belly.?

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    It was only seven months ago that she announced that she had given birth to a stillborn baby while bleeding.?

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    But now Natasha’s stomach was so huge that it was no exaggeration to say that she was ten month pregnant.?

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    Of course, it was difficult for Asha, who had never given birth, to determine whether or not the belly looked right or not.?

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    But thinking about Natasha, Asha felt something unpleasant.?

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    Even though they were forced to marry, Gillotti and Roselyn fulfilled their marital duties.?

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    In particular, having children was the most important task for the emperor and empress to pay attention to, especially since the imperial children were precious due to the different nature of death.?

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    Inside the imperial palace, the couple calculated the best time to have a child, and Roselyn and Gillotti drank various medicines and teas that were good for pregnancy.?

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    They spent four years that way and still had difficulty conceiving.?

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    This meant that there was a possibility that either Roselyn or Gillotti was infertile.?

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    Of course, she  had her own possibility in mind.?

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    Because before she became Empress, the Temple and the doctors checked the health of the Crown Princess, and there were exceptions to all of them.?

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    The funny thing was that they didn’t check the royal family.?

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    In Tanatos, it was traditional not to question the “authority or qualifications” of the royal family in any matter.?

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    So if an imperial family member was infertile or potentially infertile, they could not make a fuss about it out loud.?

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    At least ostensibly.?

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    Well, in any case, as Natasha was pregnant now, it must be Roselyn who was infertile.?

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    Asha rubbed her flat belly.?

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    Not once did she think she could not have a baby.?

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    Her body was very healthy and her menstrual cycle was regular.?

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    ‘Oh, come to think of it, this cycle has already passed.’?

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    Of course, after she came back to life, her cycle changed a bit, but it was never cut off.?

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    But, she was quite late this month.?

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    While traveling here with a rush schedule, she forgot that she was half a month past her scheduled date.?

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    ‘….. is the cycle changing again?’?

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    Perhaps it was a side effect of engraving with Tamon.?

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    In any case, it was a different power that affected the body, and for similar reasons, the Tanatos imperial family had a hard time finding an heir.?

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    But what was important now was not that her cycle had changed.?

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    “King Theoransha Lantifu of Amor, Tamon Krasis, the Chief of Diplomacy, and the first Princess of Amos are here.”?

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    Count Ranier introduced the important guests one by one.?

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    At last, attention was paid to Amor’s guest of honor.?

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    Tamon quietly held Asha’s hand.?

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    Asha approached Gillotti, holding Tamon’s hand forcefully with cold fingertips.