Stella carefully laughs and she looks at him. "I take that as a promise, then?" 

Well, he did state he will only take someone if they are unmarried. So, that should be a promise. "I did say that, so it is a promise."

"By the way, about her majesty," she mumbled and looked at him. "After this ordeal, can you arrange for us to meet in private?"

Derrick's face changed. "What could be the reason?"

"I think her majesty is having a hard time. She said she is fine, but I still feel worried about her well-being, but if that can’t be arranged, I will ask for another time," she said.

'She is a tough person,' Stella thought, but even the toughest person alive can break down at any point.

"If that can help at least to lighten up her burden, then I will cooperate."

Showing strength externally does not always correlate with feeling well internally. Noble women prioritize their own desires and tend to mock others rather than thinking about them.

The empress has no friends who she can depend on, but Lady Stella accepted her wholly. No one ever did that, because the empress is not just any noblewoman in the empire. She is the most noble, most important woman in the empire right now. 

Though he must admit that at the moment, the empress is a human being. He felt reassured knowing that she had a friend like her who was prepared to lend a hand. 

━━✣━━

She gazes at the white ceiling of her room. It was cold, but she barely slept a wink. Besides not having a good sleep for the past days, she was always tired and her body couldn't even get up properly, as it does not handle stress well.

After all, her body has already been blessed with a child—if Selena didn't throw away her barely even walking child, would her and the author's circumstances change?

She placed her hands on her stomach, feeling the warmth. The author barely remembers her past life, but she knew her life was a single cup, even though at her age, she should be married. 

She couldn't even distinguish herself from the past. As if something was stopping her, and her memories are getting unclear. As time passed, she adjusted to the life of an empress, and at some point, she still thought about a way to leave this body and go back.

Perhaps it is imperative for her to pay a visit to that individual. Only by discovering her authentic self can she truly delineate her identity. That person might be the former pope. "Maybe I'll go meet him when the trials are over?"

*Knock*

"Your majesty, good morning, are you awake?"

"Indeed, I am—" she replied, and she woke up from her bed. The maid soon enters her room, and she bows down. "Get the bath ready and pick out my clothes for the trial."

She nodded, and she called upon a few maids who came into her room and they all bow to her. The first maid—the head maid had to prepare the bath, and she took off her majesty's nightgown.

The maids who were helping her had been the maids who permanently stayed after all the maids were fired up a month ago. They had seen the empress a few times before, so they knew that her pale skin and black eyes were not a good sign.

She was always happy, and her skin was bright, but ever since her husband left, she barely touches her food, nor sleep. She doesn't even rest after a long day of working.

Whenever the secretary was forcing her to eat, she only took three spoons, and she's done. That was the best thing they could do to at least consume something, but when the secretary is not around, she does not touch her food completely.

Today is no different. Her body remains frail, and her face was paler than before. They carefully touch her body, as they fear of making any mistakes, and they wash her until they reach her hair.

Once done, the empress had changed into her usual attire, a simple but elegant dress—it is simple since she wore her dress without accessory. The only thing she wore was an old ornament? Or a necklace of an old style.

An emerald simple necklace which would be worn by any commoner. Fear of asking, they brushed it off and they bowed.

The empress looked at herself in the mirror and a bittersweet was shown on her lips. She seems usually seen in trousers but this is an official arrangement, so a dress with a pile of layers was put on her body.

*knock*

A man soon enters her room—different from Marquis Rohas, with his dashing disposition. The young man was a stiff, a knight, and an average man. With the Alvadiz Logo engraved on the side of his pauldron, he wore his armor confidently. He then bows his head upon entering.

Showing his courtesy and manners before he had spoken. "Greetings, empress, the moon of the empire. I was assigned to be your guard for the rest of the day. I was also told that Sir Rohas will be returning soon."

"It's time. Let's go," she commanded, and the knight nodded.

She tilted her head as they rode from her palace to the main palace where the courthouse was built. The courthouse is a sentimental, priceless asset of the empire. The logo of the empire, the emblem that shows the empire's amazing history.

Is a curved embodiment of a Goddess, where she was holding a cup known as truth and a scale known as justice. There exists a myth concerning a celestial deity who faced expulsion from the heavens, becoming enamored with a mortal man and ultimately perishing due to her devotion to him.

The Goddess; Lena was burned in this very land, where the Alvadiz Empire stood and was built. Her display as the Goddess Of Light was chosen as the symbol of the empire’s beloved logo. 

It represents what the Goddess was all about. She is the Goddess who asks forgiveness for the sins of mankind. Which establishes justice and her truth. Combining it with wisdom and peace.

She beholds the cup of her belief to show mankind that she had forgiven them despite their betrayal. Therefore, she gifted this land an infinite prosperity which will never wither.

Lena the goddess has a brother who avenged her and he, who once was the father of all, became known as the Demon God who slaughtered and killed mankind for their arrogance.

He who only wants to retaliate against his sister, and learned that mankind is a flourish beast—saw the light in Lena's eye—according to the legend which was written in the Alvadiz oldest archives. 

The book said that Safar, the Demon God, restored the land he destroyed using the Tree of Light—before he returned it.

That tree has still been standing at the rosemary garden—below which the courthouse had been built. The Tree of Life is but a replication of the original, which places it as a prominent symbol too many.

The courthouse was built in that place to honor the Goddess Of Light, Lena.

And to appease the Demon God, Safar...

Upon arrival, the knight who was stationed as her temporary escort helped her get down from the carriage. It is early morning as scheduled, but the empress, as she was the leading judge, will have to appear earlier than the people.

The courthouse boasts a simple yet elegant architectural scheme that rivals even the grandest imperial palaces, owing to its remarkable and influential design. The structure was very similar to a capital's courthouses, but the imperial courthouse is still far different.

The structure boasts a glass dome, while within the edifice lies a capacious yet intimate arena shrouded in darkness. The courtroom is an immense room in place of a hundred audience, Ten Judges and a highest table—the chief prosecutor, the judge, pledges under the name of the empress.

Unlike the Imperial Courthouse, the local courtrooms are very different.The singular judge is solely responsible for rendering a verdict, whereas the Imperial Courthouse boasts multiple judges and an authoritative high-table to guarantee courtroom equity.

In which she is expected to sit at the highest chair, which was customized for the Imperial Royals. Usually with this, she doesn't do much but sit on her throne.

The judging will be put under the Ten Court Judges.

She breathed out, and she went upstairs as she should, while the knight was helping her on the stairs. She had Derrick instructed to foresee the witnesses and evidence in case someone will use manipulation for their own gain.

After all, she was busy doing things left by her husband in her care. She doesn't rest, nor have time to eat, because she needed to do these things out of duty.

Or perhaps she is doing this out of guilt?

Her husband was so different in this life, nor from the one she created. It seemed hard to believe he changed. Thanks to him, she didn't have time to rest and enjoy her carefree empress life.

She held her head and she looked at the empty courtroom with a dire and cold face. Did he really run? An excuse for going on a rush expedition because of that issue?

'The emperor did that?'

Is this even real? She never saw him look like that, nor show such a face of dismay. It felt as if she was just seeing him for what he was outside and from what he was from the person she created.

She didn't feel right.

What is the success of a marriage? How can she fix one with such circumstances?

‘Is there a reason to?’

‘What is he thinking anyway?’