ততত URDUJA CROIMONT ততত

The Empress's Garden is bursting with vibrant flowers and lush trees. Inside the peaceful gazebo, a gentlewoman with auburn hair and purple eyes sits at a bistro set, cradling a cup of green jasmine tea. She watches intently as gardeners tend to the bushes. Inhaling the sweet scent of the tea, she takes a delicate sip, savoring its delicate flavor.

"Thank you for t-today's t-tea, Gertrude," the gentlewoman named Urduja Croimont says softly.

Gertrude, Urduja's lady-in-waiting, bows her head politely. "I'm glad Her Imperial Majesty likes it." Gertrude feels a soft caress from their Empress's words.

Urduja places the teacup in the saucer and contemplates from afar. "Has Alistair arrived yet?" she asks after a while.

Gertrude glances at her fellow three ladies-in-waiting of the Empress named Camila, Ingrid, and Polly, questioning them if they hear about the news of their Emperor's arrival. They shake their heads to some degree. Gertrude gulps before she speaks.

"My apologies, Your Imperial Majesty but until now, we haven't heard of the arrival of His Imperial Majesty in the palace." She chews her inner cheek, feeling agitated.

"I see..."

As soon as the dejected tone of Her Imperial Majesty reaches their ears, panic sets in among the group. Urduja sighs heavily and leans back in her seat, her expression reflecting her disappointment.

"W-We will inform you immediately as soon as His Imperial Majesty arrives, Your-"

"I'm good," Urduja cuts her off and apologizes to Camila for suddenly cutting her off.

Camila nods her head, sighing. The ladies-in-waiting tacitly look at each other. They want to make Empress Urduja happy even though the Empress has lost her favor from their Emperor Alistair.

Although the ladies-in-waiting know that the empire will not take her seriously, they remain devoted to their charge. They are a constant presence, accompanying her through both good times and bad. Their primary concern is protecting her from all harm, especially from the Emperor's concubines, who pose a constant threat.

The chilly breeze carries the scent of an impending rainstorm as Urduja sits in silence, lost in thought. Despite the realization that the Emperor will never again lay eyes on her, she cannot help but continue to seek him out. A bitter smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as she gazes down at her hands, feeling a sense of despair wash over her.

'If only I could even unleash my magic armament, I wouldn't be looked down on by the court...' Sighing, she feels useless.

Despite being born with faint magic, having low mana has not brought any blessings to her. Her health condition and low standing as a magic-user have resulted in her losing favor with the Emperor.

She is considered an incompetent Empress of the Lucelence Empire, not having her magic armament using her mana. She even has a tongue-tied condition that restricts her to ague's range of motion. She starts massaging her neck and shoulders, feeling sore.

Gertrude approaches her again. "Are you feeling sore again, Your Imperial Majesty?" she asks.

Urduja nods her head. Her tongue-tied condition is behind all of this soreness she is feeling. Plus, as much as she wants to speak with these four ladies, she can't because the more she speaks, the more she experiences her tongue-tied condition. Polly approaches her and helps her to stand up.

"Shall we call the Imperial Physician, Your Imperial Majesty?" Polly asks, worried.

She looks at her and shakes her head. "I want t-to t-take a rest," she answers shortly. She doesn't want to stay in the gazebo since the clear sky is being besmeared by the dark clouds.

Hesitant, Polly nods her head. Then she looks at her fellow ladies-in-waiting. Ingrid is already holding the tray and gives it to the maidservant. They silently follow the Empress with concern on their faces.

She doesn't want to stay in the gazebo since the clear sky is being besmeared by the dark clouds. She looks up, sighing. 'Looks like it's about to rain,' she says. Lighting caused by the lighting dragon in the clouds starts appearing from afar. They need to get inside the palace. The lightning dragon is playing and amusing itself in the sky.

Urduja passes through the moon bridge over a pond, smiling as she sees the water lilies floating in the pond. But she halts as soon as she spots Noble Consort Tatiana, the eldest daughter of Duke Tobias and Duchess Elsie of Harwell Household, along with Consort Odette, the third eldest daughter of Viscount Alden and Viscountess Ruth of Averil Household, and Consort Eleanore, the only daughter of former Knight Kenneth and Lady Hellen Lamonica.

Noble Consort Tatiana, Consort Odette, and Consort Eleanore are the concubines of the Emperor.

Tatiana halts as soon as she sees Her Imperial Majesty. She displays a condescending smile at Empress Urduja, then looks at her fellow concubines with their scornful smile seeing the Empress.

"Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty," they said in unison.

Urduja nods and sighs. 'Not this time that I will have to meet them.' She doesn't want to meet any of them because things will be a bit chaotic every time she meets the concubines of the Emperor.

The four ladies-in-waiting of Urduja shield her the moment they see the concubines. All of them release their magic armament to protect her.

Tatiana snickers. "Your Imperial Majesty, your ladies-in-waiting seem disrespectful toward us." She flaps her magic armament, sword fan, and covers half of her face.

"If His Imperial Majesty knows this, I wonder what they will do to your ladies-in-waiting, Your Imperial Majesty," says Odette with a sardonic smile.

"It seems Empress Urduja can't even protect herself. It is a shame that the ladies-in-waiting of Her Imperial Majesty have additional work other than as personal helpers," Eleanore utters with an amused smile. She magically appears with her magic armament, a glaive-like weapon, and points the sharp glaive in their direction. "Your ladies-in-waiting start this fight, so I hope Your Imperial Majesty is ready for the consequences." She giggles.

The four ladies hiss silently and hold their armament. Polly has her dagger as her magic armament, Camila has a mace, Ingrid has darts on her hands, and Gertrude has a shield.

Dignified, Urduja raises her hand. "Hold your horses, l-ladies," she calmly says. She wants to stay away from them as soon as possible. Having a conflict with the concubines will cause her trouble with the Emperor once he returns from his expedition.

"But Your Imperial Majesty..." Ingrid disapproves and looks at her, shaking her head. "They will try to hurt you again."

She smiles at Ingrid's thoughtfulness. Seeing how her ladies-in-waiting concern for her is making her heart warm. 'As much as I want to thank them for being there for me, I can't make a commotion with the Emperor's concubines.' She has already lost the Emperor's favor and doesn't want to have a feud with him.

She steps forward and nods her head, telling them to drop their weapon. Hesitant, they drop their armament and bow their heads. Urduja raises her chin before she speaks. "I hope L-Lady Eleanore will d-dr-drop..." 'drop her weapon,' she paused, getting tongue-tied from her words.

The concubines snicker at what happened. They laugh at her stammering condition that the Empress has.

"What is it, Your Imperial Majesty? W-W-What? I-I beg y-your p-pardon," Odette remarks as she copies her tone through chuckles.

Urduja draws a meek smile and doesn't answer. She accepts all the insults the concubines stated. Her ladies-in-waiting can't even utter a fight as much as they want because they cease their movement due to the Empress's order.

Tatiana steps forward and halts in front of her. "Your Imperial Majesty, will you grant me sparring with you? I heard that you were trying to unleash your magic armament but failed to do so."

Urduja smiles. Not a scornful smile or reluctant smile. But it is just a nice, subtle smile. "L-Lady T-Tatiana, you know t-t-t-t-that I cannot have sparred with you." She wants to be as polite as possible. She wants to avoid casualties with them even though they are the ones who start it.

"Because the Empress is weak," Tatiana taunts. "You do not deserve the Empress title because you are incompetent and unqualified. I can't even feel you have mana." She closes her sword fan from spreading and points the sharp tip of it to Urduja's chest. "I suggest you must step down as the Empress. What do you think, Your Imperial Majesty?" There was a sardonic tone and expression Tatiana had.

"Lady Tatiana! You are being disrespectful to Empress Urduja!" Camila barks and materializes her mace but halts when Urduja summons her hand and shakes her head at her. Camila shows an annoying stare at Lady Tatiana, who is smiling triumphantly at her.

The lightning and thunder start dancing in the cloud as rain threatens to fall. Urduja must finish the discussion with Tatiana before the lightning dragon dares to play with them and strikes lightning at their position—the clouds outbreak rain and drizzle.

Urduja grips Tatiana's sword fan that is pointing to her chest. "I believe we should settle t-to a shelter now, L-Lady T-Tatiana. There is no point in suggesting t-to make me step down as t-the Empress of L-Lucelence Empire. Emperor Alistair made t-this d-decision t-to make me his Empress and even you can't undo his d-decree t-two years ago. If His Imperial Majesty's decision is questionable, shouldn't you suggest it t-to him once he returns?" She smiles and tightly holds Tatiana's sword fan to the point where her hand is already bleeding from the sharp edge of the armament.

But Urduja endures the pain and wants to show Tatiana that even though she is weak and has low mana, she can't just let people oppress her at this point. She already bears their insults, and this is the first time she stands up for herself.

Tatiana snorts and tries to take back her sword fan. "Let it go, you wench!" she says through gritted teeth. But the empress won't budge. That boils her. "Just because you are the Empress doesn't mean you are a respected royalty. With the Emperor losing his favor to you, you are just nothing but an Empress title who can't even execute her authority. Let go of my weapon or else-"

"Else what?" she challenged but didn't release it.

'This hussy is making my blood boil.' Tatiana remarks mentally. 'I am going to erase that proud expression of hers.'

After attempting, Tatiana finally has her armament. She sends the Empress a glare. "Or you will taste my wrath, you incompetent Empress!"

Tatiana unfolds her sword fan and swings it to Urduja.

Urduja struggles to raise her hands to block the fan's incoming strike, but her weakness and lack of mana make it impossible. She is overpowered by the force of the blow and sent tumbling backward into the nearby pond.

"Empress!"

"Empress Urduja!"

"Your Imperial Majesty!"

"Her Imperial Majesty fell in the pond!"

Gasps escape the group as Tatiana unleashes her attack, but she remains outwardly calm—a small smile of triumph curls at the corners of her lips. As the ladies-in-waiting prepare to rush to Urduja's aid, a lightning dragon strikes the pond with devastating force, resulting in Urduja's untimely death.

Corinne's death and Urduja's death happened at the same time.

A soul and body binding ritual starts to activate from Urduja when the two different souls meet halfway.

Little did Corinne know, her soul was now bound to Urduja.

And Urduja's soul... has perished from the mundane world.