Running Away Before the Runaway Empress

Chapter 4

Upon returning from a restful break, Sara pointed her index finger at Cedric, who was loitering near the maid’s quarters in the empress’s palace.

“Who’s that man?” she demanded.

“I lost my way,” Lelia replied.

“What?” Sara exclaimed.

“While you were away, I took a walk as per your suggestion and got lost. Thanks a lot, Sara.” Lelia said.

Ignoring Lelia, Sara repeated her question, “Who is he?”

“Why? Are you interested in him?” Lelia teased.

“No! Who is he? Is anyone in your head right now?” Sara pounded on her own chest out of frustration.

The self-satisfied grin on Lelia revealed that she was only teasing. Sara was about to give her a piece of her mind, but she thought better of it. Lelia’s faint smile was too endearing.

Narrowing her eyes, Sara interrogated, “What’s your relationship with him?”

“He’s just someone who helped me find my way back,” Lelia replied nonchalantly, not even glancing out the window.

Sara knew well that the servants of the imperial palace avoided those from the empress’s palace, which is why Lelia’s beauty had not become the talk of the palace. Moreover, due to Lelia’s family background and her origins, those who approached her for her beauty quickly scurried in fear.

Lelia had suffered greatly after being betrayed by a man she deeply loved. Sara remembered how Lelia’s face had grown haggard and how she cried herself to sleep every night. She was so beside herself that she opened a door in a daze one day and smashed her head. Since then, she hadn’t cried over that man at all. Sara was relieved that Lelia seemed to have forgotten everything about that wretched man.

Good riddance, Sara thought to herself, gritting her teeth. If I never see that piece of garbage again, it’ll be too soon.

Noticing Sara’s expression, Lelia asked, “You know I’ve lost my memory, right?”

Sara shifted her gaze from the window to Lelia.

“Where is all the money I earned?” Lelia continued.

“Don’t people usually ask about their family first?” Sara replied.

“Where is my home?” Lelia asked, as if it were the same question.

Sara had wondered why Lelia wasn’t curious about her family and at the same time hoped she never would. Yet, she knew Lelia would find out everything once her memory returned. Though she didn’t want to tell her, she didn’t want her finding out through rumors floating around. Besides, Sara couldn’t hide the truth anyway.

“I’ll tell you on our next day off,” Sara said.

“And my money?”

“Also on our next day off,” Sara answered, holding back a sigh.

Lelia, with her innocent eyes, looked especially pitiful today.

***

“Empress, may I brush your hair?” Sara asked.

The empress nodded slightly. As Sara signaled, Lelia approached and carefully began to brush the empress’s hair.

The empress had become increasingly silent over time. The once radiant Lady Arctylus was losing her light. Loving the wrong man had gradually drawn the life out of her. As she stared blankly into the mirror, her gaze shifted to Lelia, who was far more beautiful than the emperor’s mistress. However, Lelia’s peculiar energy made her exquisite features seem less striking.

Lelia, once radiant, had also grown gaunt and weary, especially after her heartbreak. Although she tried to hide it, her despair was evident, and the empress had eventually inquired about it. Hesitantly, Lelia had confessed through tears that she had been jilted, just like the empress. This similarity had made the empress more lenient towards Lelia, turning a blind eye to her mistakes.

But recently, something had changed. Lelia, who had once been so despondent, now seemed to glow. The shadows under her eyes disappeared, and her once sorrowful face looked at peace. The empress, witnessing this transformation, couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. She was still in so much pain. How had Lelia managed to overcome her suffering?

Hesitantly, the empress finally spoke, “Lelia, how have you been lately?”

Lelia, focused on brushing the empress’s hair, didn’t hear her question at first. Sara nudged her, and Lelia quickly responded,

“Yes, ma’am.”

Usually, this kind of response sufficed. The maids used “Yes, ma'am ” as the standard response to most of the empress’s inquiries. But today was different. The empress looked at Lelia with an unusual expression, and Sara, biting her lip, shut her eyes tight.

She’s done it now, she thought.

Then, unexpectedly, the empress’s lips curled into a smile, which she tried to hide with her hand before letting out a soft laugh.

“Pfft.”

“Hm?”

“Haha!”

The empress’s laughter rang clear and pure. Sara was startled; she had not seen the empress laugh so freely since she had come to the palace. Tears pricked at the corners of Sara’s eyes. Such a beautiful smile.

Meanwhile, Lelia was clueless about what was so amusing. What did I do wrong? she wondered, feeling perplexed.

The empress, still smiling, asked, “Do you know what I asked you?”

“Um...” Lelia stammered, wishing she could vanish into thin air. She had to stay in the empress’s good graces to ask permission to resign.

“I asked if you were happy these days,” the empress clarified.

Relieved it wasn’t a more difficult question, Lelia replied, “I’m neither happy nor unhappy.”

Although she could have easily spouted a hundred meaningless, flattering remarks, Lelia knew the empress didn’t appreciate insincerity, so she opted for honesty.

Was she happy? No. This wasn’t the world she belonged to. Was she unhappy? No. She had met good friends like Sara and the other kind servants of the empress’s palace.

Sadly, however, this was Lelia’s world, and the good friends she made were all Lelia’s people. Conclusion: neither happy nor unhappy.

“I see. Then how did you recover? You were having such a hard time,” the empress inquired.

Lelia tilted her head, thinking the empress must be referring to the original Lelia. Sara’s anxiety rose as she watched the exchange. The current Lelia wouldn’t understand the empress’s question.

What should I do? Sara wondered, but before she could intervene, Lelia answered.

“It wasn’t so much overcoming it as realizing that I am invaluable.”

Sara’s eyes widened at Lelia’s unexpectedly profound answer.

“Invaluable?” the empress echoed.

“Yes. Since we are all alone in this world, rather than being jerked around, I decided to live according to my h—”

At that moment, Sara silenced Lelia by covering her mouth. It sounded too much like commentary on the empress’s situation.

Swallowing nervously, Sara watched the empress’s reaction.

***

Living as Lady Arctylus, Deanna had once cherished herself greatly. She was proud of her position, confident, and enjoyed life to the fullest. She could have anything she desired, her parents loved her immensely, and her twin brother treasured her above all.

After her parents handed over the title of Archduke to their son Vantheon and retired to the countryside to live out the rest of their lives in peace and bliss, everything seemed to be going perfectly for the Arctyluses.

As the wife of the emperor, Deanna believed she would live happily ever after, raising children who would grow up to be just like her and her beloved husband. But soon, the emperor revealed his true nature. When he appeared with his beloved mistress, Deanna’s brilliant life was swept away by a storm.

At first, she fought back, trying to win back the emperor’s heart and refusing to let a mere mistress ruin her marriage. But her beloved sided with the mistress, causing Deanna unbearable pain. The emperor trusted and protected the mistress, while Deanna was maligned and distrusted. Whenever she tried to intervene, the emperor would look at her with disappointment.

“Empress, if you love me, can’t you understand this?”

Yes, because I love you. Because I love you, I must understand. Even your mistress and your cold, indifferent heart. As empress, I must understand everything, Deanna tried to convince herself, but it only brought more suffering.

The emperor continued to ignore her anguish, and her brother Vantheon, fearful for his sister, ensured that none of this reached outside the palace. The servants, bribed with wealth and honor, kept their silence.

However, Vantheon knew everything. As the most capable archduke in history, he had the power to overthrow the emperor at any time. In a country where the nobility wielded more power than the throne, Vantheon could do anything.

Knowing his sister’s plight, Vantheon tried to help, but…

“I’m fine. His Majesty—I mean, Meyon, is just angry at me for now.”

“Deanna.”

“So leave it be. I can win him back.”

That was her pride speaking, and she refused Vantheon’s help, isolating herself further. Aware that Vantheon couldn’t act without Deanna’s approval, the emperor grew more brazen. Deanna’s self-esteem plummeted, and she, once a beacon of confidence, began to fade.

And yet here was this girl, so lovely even in the mirror—Lelia. Despite being betrayed by a man, she had somehow overcome it.

“I just realized I am invaluable.”

That single phrase stirred something deep within the empress.