The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 325

Many ladies in the past told Poliana that she should find a man who could satisfy everyone’s expectations.

“Marquess Winter, you are one of the very few women, perhaps the only one, who has the right to choose her own husband. So we hope you marry someone amazing.”

But what Tory was telling her right now wasn’t the same thing. The definition of a “good husband material” in most ladies’ minds was the same as that of a “good wife material” except for the gender.

A good husband material was someone young, good looking, from a good family, kind, and talented.

The ladies thought that since Poliana was a successful and powerful woman, she had the right to get a “perfect” husband. If this was the case, there could be no one better than Lucius the First. He was certainly gorgeous, talented, and from the best family, there was. In fact, Poliana should’ve been honored.

The problem was that it wasn’t Poliana who “chose” this. She was “chosen.” Normally, a woman would’ve bowed with great appreciation.

But Tory advised Poliana, “It doesn’t matter if you have a prince with the emperor. Your right to choose does not change.”

“Your way of thinking is a little bit too progressive. The fact is, I cannot have Gerald remain a bastard.”

“Then what were your plans when you ran away to Sitrin?”

Poliana replied quickly, “I was going to forge the papers.”

“Then, you can still do that.”

The head of the Second Division and the ex-wife of the emperor casually chatted about illegally forging government papers. Poliana replied, “But I was caught. It’s too late now.”

“No, it’s not. If you act strong, his highness won’t be able to do anything about it. You have all the power, Marquess. This is your choice and no one else’s.”

Tory bowed and apologized quietly before continuing, “What I am about to say may sound cruel, so forgive me. But here are the facts. The death rate of children in this world is very high. There could be an unexpected accident or a plague, which doesn’t discriminate between commoners and nobles. Lady Rebecca’s sister, who was a princess of her own kingdom, drowned. One of my relatives had five children but only two of them survived to become adults. Just because you had a baby, and just because your son is the child of the emperor, doesn’t mean you should give up your right to choose. I really hope you don’t.”

“…”

Poliana never realized that Tory was even more radical than Rebecca. At the same time, Tory was also very cold.

Oftentimes, people equated being cold to being rational. Tory was the most rational and emotional person Poliana knew. Tory was realistic, but it was her passionate nature that made her choose the unknown life over her comfortable one.

Tory’s difficulty in life did not end just with the loss of her station. The conflict at work was also not the hardest thing Tory had to go through. What Tory found most challenging in her current situation was her relationship with other people.

Tory betrayed her own people in front of everyone. The proof of her claim was the conversations she remembered from the past. After this incident, Tory’s intelligence made people nervous, and her ability to remember made them feel suspicious of her.

Tory made everyone change how women were seen in the kingdom. A woman was no longer just an animal that could walk on two feet. A woman was no longer just a silent property like a house or a carriage. Men saw, for the first time, that a woman had a mouth; a mouth not only just to eat but to speak.

The problem was, half the population was women, which meant it was impossible for the men to be wary of every woman. It would be too time-consuming. It would also mean that they would have to give up everything they believed in. So the men of Acreia decided to believe the easiest explanation they could come up with.

Tory was an exception.

Sadly, the other women did the same. They did not wish to become untrusted by the men. It was going to make their lives too complicated, so in the end, the women decided to ignore Tory as well.

Everyone chose to see Tory as an exception and nothing more.

A special case.

Thankfully, Stra did not listen to the suggestions of those around her. Everyone thought she should move away, but instead, she returned to Yapa. She was going to keep her promise to take care of Princess Luminae, and to help Tory, she chose to become the head of the maids. Cekel, who also became the head of the maids, was happy to interact with Tory, but everyone else… They chose to ignore Tory.

Tory became the one person who people decided they could never share their secrets. Her reputation was ruined beyond repair. People didn’t even bother to insult her or show contempt. Instead, they did the worst thing that could be done to a person.

People ignored Tory.

The maids and the servants followed Tory’s orders, but they did not respond in any way. Even when Tory ordered the wrong thing, they did not correct her.

Tory was the most distrusted figure in the kingdom, yet it was she who Lucius the First trusted enough to reveal the existence of his son, Gerald. She should’ve been appreciative and supported the emperor without question, but Tory chose to do something else. She decided to support Poliana to make her own decision because Tory remembered that it was actually Poliana who trusted her first. Even if Poliana chose the wrong path… Tory was going to be there for her.

“To be honest, it would be a good thing for me for you to become the next empress, Marquess Winter, because I know you will give me the power to handle everything in the lady’s quarters. This will make my place here more solid and meaningful. Even if you chose to take control, you would still need my help because I know much more about running this place than you do, but do not think too much about how other people, including myself, feel about this situation. The most important thing is what you want, Marquess. You are not a bird trapped in a cage. You are free to choose whatever you wish.”

Even before Tory broke out of her own birdcage, Poliana has always been a free person. If Poliana chose to go into the cage because of the egg she laid inside, that was going to be her choice and Tory would support it. however, it would be such a sad thing if Poliana felt like she had no choice other than this just because she felt responsible for her child. Even if Poliana chose to be free, there were going to be plenty of people who are only happy to raise Gerald. Everyone probably told Poliana she was needed to raise Gerald and make things right, but this wasn’t true. Everyone knew this but refused to tell Poliana.

A bird inside a cage. A flower inside the greenhouse. A fish inside a bowl.

A woman trapped inside the walls…

Only

Poliana wondered, “Am I actually about to walk into the inside of the walls…”

The place Rebecca was so desperate to escape… Was Poliana about to make the biggest mistake of her life? She couldn’t tell. Just because she had a baby… The fact that she believed marriage was a necessity meant she was trapping herself?

If Gerald didn’t resemble Lucius the First so much, it would’ve been an easy matter to fix. Just a few forged papers would’ve been enough.

Tory shook her head and replied, “You can choose to marry the emperor if you wish, Marquess. What I am telling you isn’t that you should not. I am telling you that you can do anything you want; you are free to choose.”

“It’s just that if I choose to get married, I might feel guilty even though I am not doing anything wrong… I might feel like I lost.”

“Please don’t think that way. This is your choice and if anyone says otherwise, you let me know and I will punch them in the face.”

When Tory clenched her fists bravely, Poliana laughed.