Chapter 118

Morning Rose.

Eugène murmured the name to himself, as though speaking in solitude. Judging from the context of the writing, the name clearly referred to Empress Mother Héloïse. It was, indeed, a name of beauty. Nearly forgotten now, a nickname remembered by none, Eugène, in repeating it, swallowed a deep sigh within his heart. When he realized that, several metaphors he had thus far passed over without truly understanding now revealed new meaning.

On the surface, this editorial seemed to censure the promiscuous private life of Armand III. But, upon closer scrutiny, it had been written to reproach his choice of Young Lady Héloïse as Crown Princess. There were other instances where Armand III was ostensibly criticized, only for the barbs to be directed at the innocent princess, and invariably, such passages were followed by lines expressing pity for the ‘Princess of the Moon,’ leaving the intent unmistakable.

Eugène realized that the title ‘Princess of the Moon’ sounded oddly familiar and searched his memory. Before long, he recalled having heard it in the salon of the Viscountess Gagnon. The Princess of the Moon was the Viscountess herself, Mildred, daughter of the Duke of d’Estuaire, in her youth. Thus, the author of the editorial was in truth claiming that the daughter of the Duke of d’Estuaire, the fiercest political adversary of Armand III, should have been made Crown Princess instead of Empress Mother Héloïse.

The decisive confirmation of this lay in the final paragraph of the piece. Eugène, who until then had merely skimmed the text with his eyes, read that particular sentence aloud.

“‘It is truly regrettable that the Estates-General, which was to be convened for the first time in decades under the pretext of the Crown Prince’s marriage, has been postponed indefinitely.’ … Hmm. The Estates-General, once deferred, can only be called again at intervals of several years, and yet you say that a national matter of such magnitude was delayed on account of the Imperial House’s private affairs? I see… so it was the Eastern nobility who petitioned for that assembly?”

Eugène quietly bit his lip and began methodically organizing in his mind the course of public opinion as it appeared in the editorial collection. Armand III had postponed the convocation of the Estates-General, petitioned by the Eastern nobility, indefinitely under the pretext of arranging the state marriage to welcome Crown Princess Héloïse.

If one bore in mind that the most likely candidate for Crown Princess before then had been the Duke d’Estuaire’s daughter, the decision amounted to nothing less than a double gain for Armand III. Consequently, the Eastern nobles, their aims thwarted, moved to stir public opinion so thoroughly that their influence even reached into the editorial columns of certain handwritten gazettes.

Not only that. It seemed they had also exerted their strength in more direct displays of power. This was suggested, albeit indirectly, in the editorials that aggressively criticized imperial foreign policy toward Kayediv.

The people of the empire, proud of belonging to a great power, had traditionally been most amenable to fostering friendship with Kayediv. And yet, in reviewing the period’s editorials, one could see vehement attacks on the government’s foreign policy, asking how, in a time when prolonged climatic disturbances had driven prices so high that even the citizens of the empire could barely afford to live, they could be lavishing aid upon others. Such words spoke of a public sentiment grown dangerously harsh.

That mounting discontent, within a few months, erupted into an outbreak of civil unrest. Angered by the soaring price of grain, the citizens of the capital at last rose in open riot, throwing the city into upheaval.

The Capital Defense Corps and the Imperial Guard, together with the full deployment of the Public Safety Bureau, barely succeeded in quelling the revolt, but public unrest still persisted. It was in the midst of this turbulent state of affairs that Empress Mother Héloïse conceived an heir destined to inherit the empire.

What followed immediately after was the Second Landrienne Campaign.

Even now, it was a chapter of history so turbulent it left one breathless, yet such events could not have occurred without cause. Eugène, sensing dimly that the deep-seated enmity still lingered to this day, sank into thought.

In his view, the far-reaching maneuvers of Duke La Mer and his faction were beyond what could be countered with the resources presently at hand. As could be seen from the matter involving the monastery in the Tuler Territory, they had inherited a considerable legacy from their predecessors. But it was precisely the fact that they concealed this so thoroughly and kept themselves low that drew his attention.

I must first look into the assembly.

After some deliberation, Eugène finally resolved himself and began putting away the books he had been reading. Having grasped the situation thus far, it was now time to move to the next stage. For the moment, he would step outside to take in some fresh air, rest briefly, and then return to the Imperial Library.

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…Why?

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Wait. Come to think of it, who was it that designated these books as forbidden?

The instant that question struck him, Eugène’s closed eyes flew open, and he sprang to his feet. He hurried to the outermost bookshelf and pulled out a book. What he had taken was the bibliographic index of the repository, the very one Professor Galle had handed him not long ago.

For several days, the professor had merely watched Eugène’s struggles until he quietly handed over a handwritten catalogue, saying it might be of some help. Upon inspection, however, it turned out to be a simple list noting little more than which books were stored where and who had designated them as forbidden. It was hardly of great assistance.

But every object, after all, had its use.

General Breuter’s Treatise on Advanced Tactical Operations in Artillery Units: A Strategic Review of the Defeat in the Second Landrienne Campaign

Since the restriction on the book had been lifted, Eugène was able to see the signature of the final decision-maker who had imposed the ban, marked next to the title with a line drawn through it.

Disposition: Patent Revocation, Forbidden Book Confinement, Final Signatory: Regent Héloïse/ Lifting of Restriction, Final Signatory: Emperor Ebroin V

Beneath that as well, he continued to discover familiar names one after another.

The Development and Understanding of the Imperial Tax Law. Disposition: Patent revocation, Forbidden Book Isolation. Final Signatory: Regent Héloïse / Lifting of Restriction: Final Signatory Emperor Ebroin V

‘Several Pieces of Advice for Hosting an Excellent Banquet’– Disposition: Zero Tolerance, Forbidden Book Confiscation. Final Signatory: Regent Héloïse

‘The Bride of Reville’– Disposition: Zero Tolerance, Forbidden Book Confiscation. Final Signatory: Regent Héloïse

‘Memoirs of the Duchess Didrey’ – Disposition: Unauthorized, Forbidden Book Confiscation. Final Signatory: Regent Héloïse

…

‘A Report on Historical Scandals Without the Slightest Sense of Shame’– Disposition: Unauthorized, Forbidden Book Confiscation. Final Signatory: Regent Héloïse

Regent Héloïse.

Eugène drew in a quiet breath as he stared intently at the name he had never once imagined would appear here. Was it her? He gazed in confusion upon the name of the most illustrious Empress in the history of the empire. Why had she concealed this information? No matter how he searched his thoughts, he could not fathom what reason such a noblewoman might have had to shield the tyranny of the Eastern nobility.

The lifeline he had clung to seemed once again to sink beneath the sea. The more he learned, the greater the unknown became, until he could seize hold of nothing. With every step forward, it felt as though he sank deeper into a labyrinth. Pressing his forehead, now beginning to throb, against the bookshelf, he released a restrained sigh.

***

He left earlier than usual.

Even so, by the time he stepped out of the repository, the sun was already sinking toward the horizon. In the lightless basement, it was never easy to grasp the passage of time. Moreover, his concentration was such that once he immersed himself, he tended to forget both food and rest. Today as well, apart from the simple bread and wine he had brought in the morning, he had eaten nothing all day, and now, swaying in the carriage, he felt the belated sting of an empty stomach.

I must soon look for a dwelling where I may stay outside the palace.

His thoughts, already tangled, grew heavier as the carriage drew nearer to the palace. What he required now was a quiet space where he might cool his mind in solitude. However, his chambers within Imbert Palace were hardly a place suited for private hours.

The court he had known was as confined a society as any ship at sea. Attendants passed in and out at all hours under the pretext of service, and even a single step beyond his chamber brought him into the gaze of others.

While he was lost in thought, the carriage reached Imbert Palace. Evening was the hour when the court stirred most busily. To avoid the bustle of the central hall, where people would already be gathering in throngs, Eugène ordered the carriage to stop at the quieter rear of the palace.

It would have been best if he could return to his chamber without being seen by anyone, yet he knew better than anyone else that such a thing would not be granted to him.

…Even so, I had not thought of meeting this person.

The days of autumn were short. Night had already fallen, and the darkened air outside was cool to the skin. At such an hour, there were few indeed who passed through the gardens. For that reason, the western side corridor, leading to the outer grounds, lay in a still and hushed atmosphere.

As he returned toward his chambers, offering brief nods of greeting to those he occasionally passed, his steps slowed at the sight of a familiar face. Almost at the same instant, the figure approaching from the opposite direction also seemed to have recognized him.

His measured steps gradually slowed as the other’s gaze turned toward him. The hesitation lasted only a moment. Eugène at once removed his hat and offered a courteous bow to the man who had been his greatest supporter for years, and who, for a time, had even been bound to him by kinship.

“It has been a long time since we last met, Your Lordship, Marquis of La Baille.”

Ordinarily, he should have offered the salute due to a superior officer, but he was presently on leave. The Marquis of La Baille answered his courteous greeting with a faint, somewhat wistful smile.

“Indeed, it has been long. Vice Admiral Chastan, no, I suppose I must now call you Baron Amieux.”

“Please address me as you find convenient.”

They exchanged greetings with the ease of men who had parted only the day before. But this was in fact the first time they had met privately since Eugène had been summoned to the capital for the‘Trial in the Emperor’s Presence’and visited the Marquis’s residence. Their relationship might well have lent itself to awkwardness, but neither of them was a man to reveal such feelings outwardly.

“Are you returning from some errand, then?”

“Yes. I had personal business to attend to outside the palace. And, what brings Your Lordship abroad at this hour?”

“There is a banquet with His Majesty to which I must attend after some time. Until then, I thought to step outside for air. And by chance, it seems, I have met you.”

The two men exchanged brief courtesies, words so unremarkable that no third party could have found fault with them. Eugène, observing the strict propriety of form, judged that the conversation had reached its natural end. However, after a pause, the Marquis of La Baille made a request Eugène had not anticipated.

“Indeed, I had been intending to call upon you one of these days. Since fortune has arranged matters thus, all the better. Would you care for a walk?”

A flicker of surprise passed through Eugène’s otherwise composed gaze.His Lordship had intended to visit me?Contrary to the gossipmongers’ speculations, the reason they had refrained from calling upon one another until now had not been personal enmity but the matter of appearances. No matter how cleanly the affair had been settled, the husband who divorced on account of his wife’s adultery and her maternal uncle were an unavoidably conspicuous pairing.

Eugène, puzzled by the unusual situation, accepted the Marquis’s request with a willing attitude.

“Of course.”

The Marquis of La Baille led Eugène into the dim garden. The night was hushed. Along the path, there was not a soul in sight; only the lofty lights of the court, mirrored upon the lake like starlight, cast a glow upon the darkened walk. They walked on in silence until they had left behind any chance of eavesdropping. It was only when the distant strains of music grew faint as if in a dream that Eugène at last spoke quietly.

“Come to think of it, my condolences are belated. I heard that Your Lordship’s family has suffered a grievous loss. That your younger brother, Young Lord La Baille, has passed away.”

Eugène, unable to pay his respects at the time, Eugène offered his sympathy belatedly. Hearing his words, the Marquis La Baille smiled dryly.

t/n:hiii! more updates than usual since it’s my birthday today and so, this is a special treat for you all :3 please don’t be too mad about how the last chapter ends though! also, join myserverif you wish to be pinged for updates and important announcements! thank you so much for reading! (if you’re coming from another novel, apologies for making you read this yet again. pls look away…)