The Impact Of The Villainess’ Fake Marriage On The Ending

Chapter 42

“His Majesty summoned me?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”

Adeline hid her agitated look as much as she could and looked at the tactician.

It didn’t make sense to summon Kael, but it was even more unimaginable to summon Adeline.
Normally, when the emperor summoned a nobleman, most of the time, it was because that nobleman had committed a great sin.
Because even issuing a summoning order was a political burden, it wasn’t used recklessly, so the fact that this order was issued meant that there were suspicions or faults that could be confirmed.

‘But he’s using that summons on me? The grand duchess, not the grand duke?’

Adeline thought hard in confusion.
She couldn’t even picture what on earth he was scheming.

“I apologize, but as His Majesty knows, His Grace is away right now. How can Her Grace be summoned to the capital in this situation? This is nonsense.”
“You dare to rebel against His Majesty’s edict?”
“Please don’t react so sharply. You know it too. This has never happened in the history of the Empire.”
“History is always being rewritten. His Majesty has given the summons, and the Grand Duchess must follow it. If His Majesty is looking for you, how could you disobey His request?”

Zion stood in front of her, saying it was ridiculous, but the tactician responded sharply while looking at Adeline, who was still stiff.

“I will give you time to prepare. I’ll take you by carriage in two hours. The portal in the north is just around the corner, so you can go there.”
“Sir Ruth. This is…”
“Oh-oh! Didn’t I say it was His Majesty’s edict? And a summons, on top of that! But you keep blocking it like this! Is this treason? There is no one who doesn’t know you are the Grand Duke’s first tactician, so when you come out like this, it is inevitable to think that His Grace despises His Majesty.”
“What kind of logic is that?! Has there been someone as loyal to the imperial family as His Grace?”
“If you want to prove that allegiance, cooperate with me today.”
“Look here, Sir Ruth…”
“Zion. That’s enough.”

As Zion’s face grew stiffer at the stubborn attitude of the tactician, Adeline stopped him.

“Let me ask you again. Did His Majesty summon me?”

Adeline asked, slowly stepping closer to the tactician after sending Zion behind her.
She didn’t raise her voice or twist her face, but the intimidation emanating from her voice, slightly lower and more firm than usual, was not normal.

The tactician, shrinking slightly at her unexpected appearance, soon got back to his senses and continued after clearing his throat a few times.

“Yes, Your Grace. That’s correct. His Majesty has commanded me to summon Grand Duchess Inver.”

After what happened with Leo, she expected that she would not encounter the emperor much, but he pressured Kael and Adeline, revealing his existence whenever they were about to forget him.
Rather than holding the north in check, it was more of a personal grudge.

‘But that amount of grumpiness is excessive. The emperor’s summons? What is he thinking? What is he trying to do by calling me to the capital? In a situation where Kael can’t rush there?’

After hearing the contents of the edict, she kept level-headed and quickly searched for a reason, but no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find an answer.

“As I’ve said many times and you already know, rejecting a summons is considered treason. Your Grace must go to the capital.”
“I know. His Majesty sought me, so of course I have to go.”

As Adeline continued the conversation, giving him the advantage, Zion looked at her with worried eyes.
However, Adeline stopped Zion with a determined gaze, then turned to face the tactician again.
With Kael absent, Adeline had to step up. It was an arrow aimed at Adeline in the first place.

“However, as Sir Zion said, His Grace is on the border right now, searching for traces of the Corrupted. He’ll be back in three days, so give me that much. How could I leave without saying goodbye to him? It’s a summoning order, not some other kind of edict.”

She had to delay things as much as possible. Even if she was taken away, she had to move while Kael was able to protect her.

“I know well what kind of person His Majesty is. He is very merciful. Besides, he owes me. So I believe he will be willing to wait for three days. He is such a virtuous figure.”

The debt that Adeline spoke of was related to Leo.
Since Sir Ruth was one of the emperor’s tacticians that was the closest to him, there was no way he didn’t understand Adeline’s words.

“Will you tell His Majesty that?”

Adeline pressed the tactician with a soft but powerful voice.

“I apologize, Your Grace. Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”
“First, tell His Majesty…”
“His Majesty requested me many times. For me to bring Your Grace to the capital before sunset today, no matter what.”

Adeline’s conciliation plan did not work.
The tactician was adamant, and he quickly became more aggressive and spoke of treason again.

“You must go today, Your Grace. The two hours I mentioned earlier are also very merciful.”
“…”
“As Your Grace said, His Majesty is merciful, but not to traitors.”
“…”
“If you don’t leave by the time I told you, the imperial troops will come to this castle, as well as to the northern border where Grand Duke Inver is.”

It was a threat that he didn’t even try to conceal. Zion, who knew what it meant, clenched his fists, and Isabel and Melissa, who were behind them, also showed signs of anger on their faces.
The people of the castle were giving off a fierce attitude as they looked at the carriage.

“Ahem, get prepared at once, Your Grace. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Feeling the ferocious atmosphere, the tactician looked at Adeline while trying to hide his fear.
Adeline barely swallowed fake laughter as she faced him.

It was a path not to be followed. But if he was so adamant about treason, there was no way Adeline could refuse to do so.

“Alright. We’ll go to the portal in two hours.”
“Your Grace!”

Zion called to Adeline in a startled voice, and the others looked at her with shaky eyes.

“Sir Ruth.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“You know what my name is.”
“Grand Duchess Adeline Tien Inver.”
“That’s right. So I am a grand duchess in the North, and a daughter in the East Coast.”

Adeline didn’t want to hide the anger in her voice.
She had a pale smile and a noble attitude towards the tactician, but her voice overflowed with intimidation as she spoke.

“Both Sir Ruth and His Majesty should be able to handle the consequences.”
“…”
“It’s the East and the North.”

Adeline smiled brightly, but it gave goosebumps to the tactician who was facing her.
It was a clear warning.
A strong warning that if he did something ridiculous, he would lose both the north and the east.

***

“You can’t, Your Grace. We need to buy some time again.”
“There is no other way right now. Unless His Grace can come flying right away. Is that possible?”
“… It’s impossible.”
“In that case, there’s no helping it. Instead, please put a message in for His Grace. Can he check it right away?”
“Sadly not. Contact will be possible in three days.”

The surrounding situation wasn’t good. In fact, it was close to the worst-case scenario.
But Adeline still had no choice.

“Then, tell His Grace the news as soon as possible.”
“I will definitely do that. But…”

Still, Zion felt frustrated as if he couldn’t understand the situation at the moment, and blurred his words.
He wanted to keep Adeline here somehow. However, he had no way to do it, so he looked distressed.

“I am the Grand Duchess of the North. Even His Majesty doesn’t know how powerful the North is, and the East is backing me, so he won’t be able to touch me recklessly.”

In fact, it was common sense not to even think about touching Adeline in the first place in this kind of situation, but the stupid emperor didn’t understand that.

Adeline let out a shallow sigh, soothing the anxious Isabel and Melissa as well as reassuring them.

“Have you ever used a portal?”
“No. It is my first time today. Well, there’s always a first time. It’s a pity that it had to be done today, but there’s no other way.”
“After you go through the portal, you may feel somewhat dizzy. Be careful then. And the portal changes color at the end, depending on where you’re going.”

Zion checked how much time they had left and explained how the portal worked.

“There are two portals in the capital, so when you go to the destination that the tactician told you about, you must see a golden color. If it’s not gold, you’re going somewhere else. Make sure to check that, Your Grace.”
“Understood. I’ll do that.”

Adeline reassured the people that she would be fine again and again, then climbed onto the carriage with Melissa.
She could only take one handmaid with her, and no escort was allowed, so only Melissa could protect Adeline.

“Then, let’s go.”

The carriage departed, and soon arrived at the portal in the wasteland that connected to the capital.

“We will escort you. Follow us slowly.”

With the imperial knights escorting her, Adeline slowly took a step forward and entered the portal.
She was extremely worried, but she didn’t want to show any signs of nervousness, so she kept a peaceful expression.

‘… Damn it.’

However, the tranquility she had worked hard to create was disastrously broken the moment she crossed the portal.

The color the portal changed to was not golden.
It was grey.

——