I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress

CH 5.1



Adele glanced over at the table of honor, where a man and woman were seated. She noticed Elizabeth rising from her seat, a look of frustration on her face. Adele knew that she was angry with Emperor Karl for ruining the ceremony and being late on such an important day. Despite this, Adele couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for Elizabeth’s poise and grace. If Adele had remained standing at the entrance instead of taking her seat, the nobles would likely have found the situation amusing and laughed, which would have been a major embarrassment for the imperial family. Adele knew that it was important for her to maintain a sense of dignity and decorum, especially in the presence of the nobles.

As she sat in her high chair, Adele watched Elizabeth approach with a sense of curiosity. Adele stood up to greet her, offering a light, soft smile and a polite greeting. “Hello, Your Majesty. My name is Elizabeth Ulrich Grand.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Adele said.

The man sitting next to Elizabeth also stood up and introduced himself. “Hello, it is an honor to meet you here. My name is August Ulrich Desponge,” he said.

Adele responded with a gracious smile and a formal tone. “It is difficult for me to introduce myself with such polite greetings from the two of you. It would be nice to have a ceremony and proudly introduce myself as Ulrich Ehmont. Even the pronunciation sounds elegant and formal. I am Adele, who want to become an Ulrich Ehmont.”

The two chuckled, and the nobles also laughed, being careful not to offend the future empress. Duke Desponge said, “You already look like Her Majesty, the Empress of this Empire. You can proudly introduce yourself as Ulrich Ehmont, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Adele said.

“It is not a compliment, but a fact,” Duke Desponge replied, before adding, “Now, let’s take our seats. It looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer for His Majesty to come.”

With that, Duke Desponge sat down, and Adele followed suit. In this gathering of nobles, Adele once again demonstrated her leadership skills by simply exchanging greetings and offering a seat. It was a quality that couldn’t be learned but rather was innate. Elizabeth sat down, biting her lip as if she were trying to hold back laughter. She then looked curiously at her uncle, Duke Desponge, who was sitting next to her, before turning her head away.

After a while, the entrance to the Great Hall became noisy, signaling the arrival of the man who had made everyone wait: Emperor Karl. Adele couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread wash over her as she steeled herself for the encounter, knowing that she had to maintain her empress demeanor no matter how much she wanted to run away and hide.

As the attendants cleared a path for him to enter, Adele couldn’t help but feel a sense of annoyance towards the man who had caused so much chaos on his own wedding day. She straightened her back and sat up straight, determined to keep her emotions in check.

When Emperor Karl finally made his grand entrance, accompanied by a group of attendants bowing politely, Adele’s eyes were drawn to his arrogant expression. She couldn’t help but wonder how someone with such a lack of consideration for others could be the leader of their empire. Despite her misgivings, Adele forced herself to maintain a calm and composed demeanor. She knew that as the future empress, she had a role to play in the royal family, and that meant putting on a “face” for the public. With a deep breath, she stood up to greet her soon-to-be husband, determined to put on a strong front for the sake of her future and the empire.

As they stood facing each other, the tension between them was palpable. Adele could feel goosebumps on her shoulders and ears as she faced Karl, and she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, feeling exhausted before the ceremony had even begun.

The high priest who was going to perform the consecration stood up, and the attendants and maids nearby recommended that the couple begin the procession. The lady-in-waiting presented Adele with a bouquet, and the attendant said to Karl, “Take Her Majesty’s hand, Your Majesty.” But Karl, glancing at Adele, seemed not to hear and instead took the first step on his own. The chill of desolation, as if ice water had been poured over the temple, once again raged. Karl had refused to hold Adele’s hand and enter with her. Even Adele, who was always careful to maintain her expression, had cracks in her facade, as if a glacier were cracking. It was as if sparks were flying from both of her eyes. She clenched her fists and teeth, determined not to let her emotions show.

Adele struggled to keep up with Karl’s long strides, and the two of them walked in silence, the only indication that they were in a wedding being their attire. Karl leaned over to Adele and whispered sharply, “Don’t be rude.”

Adele was taken aback by Karl’s comment. “What do you mean?” she asked quietly.

“I heard you asked Diane Poitier if she was a lady-in-waiting,” Karl replied. “Since she is not a lady-in-waiting, please do not disrespect her anymore.”