ERTHMB Chapter 140

The Lady Who Sees the Future

“With whom are you having such an enjoyable conversation, my lady?”

As he approached, the Emperor soon discovered Helena and let out a soft exclamation.

“Ah, the lady who sees the future.”

“I greet Your Majesty, the brilliant sun of the Empire.”

Helena hurriedly composed her emotions, rose, and paid her respects.

The Empress, who had been about to frown at the unwelcome guest’s presence, quickly brightened. The Emperor leaned in from behind her and affectionately kissed her cheek.

The Empress welcomed him with a caressing touch, then smiled gently at Helena.

“I met this man again when I was about your age. Looking at you reminds me of myself back then.”

The Emperor’s gaze followed the Empress’s to Helena. He pressed down gently on Helena’s shoulder, seating her again.

Helena fidgeted, not knowing what to do, but the Emperor nodded to indicate it was fine and replied.

“The day I first met the Empress… it was probably in a secluded palace garden while snow was falling. I remember my unseemly sound of constantly sniffling.”

“With that foolish appearance, you appeared before me and confessed you’d fallen for me at first sight.”

“Yes, I fell for you first. Though you weren’t as beautiful as Lady Evergale.”

At the Emperor’s mischievous teasing, the Empress rolled her eyes at him without real displeasure. The Emperor made a gesture of stepping back and moved away from the two. His eyes, laughing heartily, briefly glanced past the Empress toward where the deputy nobles were gathered.

“I apologize for intruding on the ladies’ conversation. I have business to attend to, so please continue your discussion.”

As the Emperor departed gracefully, the Empress followed his retreating figure with her eyes and murmured softly.

“He’s such a good person, isn’t he? Perhaps I was actually the one who fell first.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, so Helena inwardly wondered if it was a question requiring an answer. The Empress maintained silence for a few more seconds before returning her gaze to Helena.

“But it took a very long time before I committed to marrying him. As you know, it was my second marriage, and I was the first remarrying Empress at the time. Can you imagine how the world treated me? It was chaos, as if I’d turned heaven and earth upside down. All over a mere marriage.”

Despite her self-deprecating tone, the Empress’s face was clear. Helena found it somewhat uncomfortable to look at that face.

She couldn’t even imagine what kind of resolve it took to push through an upside-down world and reflect on the past so purely.

“But I finally thought I’d found where I belonged. I instinctively realized that my place was by his side. Once I knew that, there was no other choice.”

The Empress spoke in a soothing voice, like giving warm milk and cookies to a servant who had returned from a long journey.

“So it’s never too late to find something. Whether it’s happiness, a person, or yourself. There are only regrets and greater regrets.”

The Empress’s deep eyes gazed at Helena for a long time. Seeing her own reflection in that cavern, Helena newly understood her words.

The Empress’s position gained through remarriage, and her first child lost to miscarriage. There were similar threads in their lives.

This must be why the Empress felt such tender affection for her. Though Helena knew it was cowardly, she wanted to lean on that.

‘Chief Justice Monteg Bernhardt. He was the Empress’s nephew… Perhaps I can receive help.’

With subtle confidence, Helena cautiously asked.

“Then if my knowledge has truly helped Your Majesty the Empress… may I make one request? I no longer wish to live with those who caused me to lose my child.”

“…!”

At the unexpected confession, the Empress’s eyes widened. But soon, as if reading her intention, she let out a long breath and dropped her shoulders.

Rather than saying she would do so, the Empress first reached out and embraced Helena. The hand that unhesitatingly stroked her back was firm and compassionate.

In her embrace, Helena continued explaining why she needed help.

In truth, it was closer to spitting out disconnected words that didn’t even make sense contextually. Her voice trembled greatly as she barely held back tears. It took quite some time, but the Empress waited quietly.

“You’ve worked so hard becoming an adult alone. Truly, you’ve worked so hard.”

The silent bond didn’t break until the agitated emotions settled. Helena was yielding her body to her when she suddenly came to her senses and pulled away.

To Helena, who didn’t know where to put herself and felt apologetic, the Empress offered her handkerchief. Not daring to refuse, Helena accepted it and widened her eyes to dry her tears.

Meanwhile, the Empress gestured to a servant standing at a distance.

As if having received prior instructions, the servant brought a fairly bulky box. Handing it to Helena, the Empress said.

“Take it. It’s my gift. I’m not sure if it suits your taste.”

The imperial seal stamped on the box’s surface gleamed clearly. Without needing to ask, Helena could tell what the gift was.

“The request you just granted me is more than enough. What right do I have to wear Your Majesty the Empress’s dress?”

“How many estate residents were saved thanks to you? It’s woefully insufficient as payment for lives. I had this prepared in advance anyway. The request just now is my answer as Empress on their behalf, and this is my personal favor—I’d be grateful if you’d accept it.”

The Empress was persistent, and Helena, after showing great reluctance, reluctantly accepted the gift.

The ordinary dress box felt like a unique treasure in the world at this moment. Perhaps it was an asset incomparable to mere treasure.

Because warmth that came without needing to actively seek it was a miracle.

Whether it was slaying a magical beast with bare hands or becoming suddenly rich overnight from being a debtor. Helena knew that this bare hand stroking her head was closer to a miracle than any of that.

So Helena couldn’t refuse the dress.

“I hope to see you at tonight’s ball as well.”

The Empress had her servant pack the gift and escort Helena. Helena bowed with sincerity before withdrawing.

Looking around, the atmosphere had become much quieter. As the sun had considerably set, people were leaving the hunting grounds one by one for Rocton manor where the venue for the after-party ball would be.

‘Ian participated as Gelda’s representative, so he won’t be able to enter the ball…’

Though she knew it was actually better not to see him in the current situation, Helena looked around for Ian. Once she entered the manor, there would be many watching eyes, so she wanted to meet him one last time.

But the person Helena encountered instead was someone far rarer to meet. How she came to face such a person twice in one day was a mystery.

“Did you have a good conversation with the Empress?”

Emperor Bohemian approached with his deputies and various nobles in tow. He smiled with satisfaction as Helena greeted him again.

“It seems the Empress had many questions for you. She was comfortable too. She doesn’t usually converse so long with strangers.”

“It was an honor to briefly be a conversation companion for Her Majesty the Empress.”

The Emperor nodded quietly, then soon began speaking as if something had occurred to him.

“Oh yes. Then I also have something I’d like to ask—will you hear me out? It’s something I’d like the lady who sees the future to answer.”

“If it’s something I can answer, I’ll think on it with all sincerity.”

“Don’t be too nervous, it’s nothing major. It’s just that we’re currently promoting several trade projects as part of exchange programs with neighboring kingdoms, and we’re in a situation where we must decide between the Kingdom of Usturn and the Kingdom of Hebrevia. Use that innate intuition of yours to choose. Which would be more profitable?”

Like when the Empress had called for her, the murmuring from the clearing was repeated here.

Facing the Emperor directly, Helena could read the lip movements of everyone standing behind him.

Most expressions looked down on her pitifully, wondering what he could expect from a woman who hadn’t even been properly educated.

Count Rocton’s voice in particular was rather loud—loud enough to reach the Emperor’s ears, it seemed.

The Emperor suddenly turned around and spoke.

“As someone who’s lived a bit longer than you all, let me say this. Fortune is like a fish on a fishing hook—it doesn’t discriminate. Who knows? An unimaginable great fortune might eagerly bite the Grand Duchess’s hook.”

Facing Helena again, the Emperor made a promise as if his competitive spirit had been stirred. If your prophecy is correct, I’ll grant you any one wish you desire.

Helena replied candidly without much deliberation.

“I recommend proceeding with the Kingdom of Usturn.”

“The reason?”

There were many reasons she could give, knowing the future already. But Helena simply smiled politely.

“I’d say it’s innate intuition. If I’m wrong, it’s intuition confident enough that I could grant Your Majesty’s wish.”

At that, the Emperor’s Adam’s apple bobbed greatly. He let out a hearty laugh and concluded the conversation in a highly amused tone.

“Well then, we’ll find out next time we meet. Whether I’ll grant your wish or you’ll grant mine. Either way, I look forward to it.”

****

Sparks scattered in all directions. Shouts and metallic sounds exchanged, and acrid smoke dug into throats.

“Over here!”

“The swampland ahead is a trap! Everyone be careful!”

Heidi ran, breathing up to her chin.

This was the first time Rihalt’s steep mountain range felt so resentful. Her moving legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, as if they weren’t her own.

Heidi clutched her numb arm and shouted.

“Scatter the central forces and secure the retreat! We’re withdrawing now!”

A vice-commander nearby relayed the order in a louder voice. After receiving Heidi’s signal, he fell back to gather the stragglers from the rear forces.

After confirming his withdrawal, Heidi supported a wounded soldier in front of her and handed him to another soldier. Her breathing became even more labored at the unexpectedly heavy weight.

Even gasping as if to expel everything inside, strength barely entered her body.

“Damn it, if you’re going to lie down, lie down at home—snap out of it!”

The goal had been to confirm the garrison, so they’d achieved their objective anyway. Now all that remained was returning.

Heidi forcibly whipped herself, removed her hands from her knees, and straightened up. Just as she was about to escape the chaos as quickly as possible, a fierce wind suddenly grazed past her ear.

The viciously flying dagger left a line of injury on her cheek and lodged in the throat of a soldier nearby.

Blood spurted like a fountain, and simultaneously, someone’s laughter burst out.

“Ah, what a waste.”

The voice was thicker than in past memories, but it was one she knew. One that made her grind her teeth until her gums wore down.

Heidi slowly turned around to face him.

“Long time no see. Did you miss me?”