Chapter 55
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***
Lillian's sobbing screams echoed through the halls of the Empress's palace.
"Don't do this! Don't do this!"
But her words were not considered an order by her escorts.
The door to the bedroom opened and she was thrown down on the bed. The escorts walked out, leaving only Sophia, the handmaiden.
Lillian stared at her, her face a mess of tears. Her hair was disheveled, knots and buttons had come undone in the struggle, and her crumpled clothes looked like rags.
No, the knots and buttons hadn't come undone, but perhaps her hands had. The crumpled marks could not have been made only while being dragged.
"Didn't I tell you to stop seeing him?"
Sophia said with a deep sigh. Lillian grimaced, sucked in a breath, and sobbed.
"It's not my fault, it's not my fault."
She said it, but there was no way she didn’t know what she did wrong.
She used her Empress's title to have a relationship with a stranger. As an Empress she was free to have side lovers, but that was only true for someone in power. The immorality of the affair aside, it was hard to imagine a woman of such lowly status and favorability, getting away with betraying her husband, the source of her position.
But Lillian sank down on the bed, sobbing, and then suddenly jumped up and clung to Sophia's ankles on her knees.
"You know how I live. I just, I just wanted to be loved, just a little bit, can't you sympathize with me?"
It was wrong to pity her, Sophia thought.
She'd been by Lillian's side for over a decade. She'd been her guard, but after all that time together, it was impossible not to grow attached.
She knew better than that the Empress’s position was an illusion. The Emperor's fondness for her was a complete lie. In the twenty years since Lillian gave birth to her baby, she had never met or spoken to the Emperor, except in an official capacity. They were never a real couple.
If she wanted to make a true friend, she had the chance. Not every handmaiden who had come and gone from her side in the years Sophia had known her well enough to get to know her was looking at Lillian with the sole intention of spying.
If she didn't want to talk to her maids, she could have socialized and made friends outside. She hadn't been confined for twenty years.
She could flaunt her luxury and power. If she was ambitious, she could try to create her own power within the palace. Increasing her influence over her daughter, her only heir, was a fairly easy thing to accomplish.
If she was willing to risk her reputation for frivolity, she could continue dancing. There were many other ways to enjoy life, such as indulging in gourmet cuisine or building a reputation for art and literature.
But there were some women in the world who valued only a man's love.
So Sophia pitied her, both for her loneliness and for the fact that she was such a woman.
Perhaps it was because she was such a woman that the old Duke of Schwaben chose her as Empress. A woman who would never dare to raise her power against Schwaben, let alone have the desire to do so.
"I think I should not have pitied her, for then Her Majesty would not have made this mistake."
"Oh, Sophia...."
Sophia had pitied her, so she suggested they go to the theater. She knew Lillian was infatuated with Zion Miller, but she didn't think that was a bad thing.
It would be fine to accept flowers and chat in the parlor. Taking a walk together was acceptable. As long as they were sharing their hearts in the name of friendship, Sophia was willing to turn a blind eye. She couldn't imagine Lillian betraying the Emperor and having an affair after all these years.
She had crossed the line.
"What were you going to do, you really didn't know what would happen if this got out?"
"Hmph."
"Rumors are spreading. The Empress has Zion Miller as her secret lover.”
Lillian's eyes fluttered with tears as she shuddered.
"If this becomes public knowledge, the Empress is finished. Do you think the Duke of Schwaben will stand for that?"
"I, I...."
Lillian stammered, sounding frightened. Sophia sighed. She wasn't stupid, she knew what she was talking about.
"You can rest in your bedroom for the time being, and I'll tell the people that you're sick."
Sophia helped Lillian to her feet and sat her back down on the bed, and as she turned to leave, Lillian suddenly lunged at her again, grabbing the hem of her dress from behind.
"Zion, Zion, no!"
"Your Majesty."
Sighing, Sophia tried to pull her hand away again. Lillian pleaded, her fingers gripping the hem of her dress so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"I'm the only one who did anything wrong. I seduced Zion, so don't touch him."
"......."
"Please, Sophia.... Please."
Sophia didn't answer, just yanked her hand away again and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
***
Theodore entered the old mansion on Linden Street with a heavy heart.
The red brick mansion had been abandoned for more than a decade. It was one of the nicest houses in the neighborhood with a large lot, but on the flip side, no one who could afford it wanted to live in the area. It was right on the edge of the red-light district.
Shortly after taken over several backstreet organizations, including Paul Bauer's, he bought the mansion. Count Lutgard had a townhouse in the capital, but it would be too conspicuous with someone like Paul coming and going. Rather than have to go through the trouble of disguising himself every time, he decided to buy a mansion in a high-traffic area, close to the entertainment district, so that he wouldn't be seen suspiciously coming and going.
Of course, Theodore himself had to be careful with his movements as well.
"Ha."
He sighed as he made his way across the devastated garden. Several trusted soldiers of the Lutgard army had been keeping watch around the mansion, pruning and weeding, posing as gardeners, but being no real gardeners hadn't made things any better.
It didn't matter, though: the neighbors were curious at first, but after a few encounters with Paul's men, they didn't want to approach the house anymore.
Theodore knocked on the door and a butler answered. He had been summoned from the Lutgard estate.
"Welcome, my lord."
"Did the guest arrive safely?"
"Yes, sir. He thought you might like to see him, so he's not sleeping."
Theodore nodded and made his way briskly to the living room. Since most of the manor had not yet been cleared out, it was the only place they could find to talk.
Zion Miller was sitting on the sofa, script in hand, reciting lines aloud.
"If revenge is a wound, it must be a knife plunged deep into the heart to reach the bleeding spot!"
Theodore stood in the doorway, tilting his head slightly.
"Is this the script you chose to say what you wanted to say?"
"Ah, Count."
Zion lowered his theatrically raised arm and stood up. There was not a hint of anxiety in his smirk.
"There are moments when I wish I had practiced this exact thing."
"You said you were waiting for me. Is there something you want to talk about?"
"Well, on the contrary. I waited to see if the Count might have something to say."
His demeanor was pleasant throughout.
"I have nothing to say, but I hope you are not uncomfortable while you are here. It's dangerous, and I don't think it's a good idea to venture out. But I don't suppose this is what you were expecting to hear, was it?"
"What did Laila say?"
Theodore looked at him warily. He had never been prejudiced against actors, but now that they were working together in this way, he felt terribly uncomfortable with the difficulty of reading the other man's mind. Even nobles had to learn to consciously control their gestures and facial expressions to avoid being read, but at least they could at least 'not be read', whereas this was someone who could be completely sincere and put on a facade.
But he would not allow himself to do so. Zion was the first to enter Olivia's plans, even before Theodore.
****
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