Seyla's words indeed plunged Remesis into deep, heavy contemplation. She didn't even notice when she stopped eating — the spoon froze in her hand, and her gaze became distant. All her attention was now fixed on what she had heard.
Her thoughts tangled, overlapped, and refused to let her concentrate.
After all, how could one remain calm upon suddenly learning of the death of the Emperor and Empress? Such news does not pass without a trace — it inevitably changes everything.
Seyla, being a maid but possessing a fairly wide circle of acquaintances, inevitably found herself at the center of many rumors and conversations.
According to her words, the situation in the empire was currently tense to the breaking point. If not catastrophic.
Several weeks ago, the imperial court officially announced the death of two members of the imperial family simultaneously.
The Emperor and Empress.
However, strangely enough, it was the Emperor's death that raised the fewest questions.
His health had been poor for a long time. This was discussed not only at court — rumors had long since leaked beyond its walls, spreading throughout the empire. Many knew he was seriously ill, so when it was announced that the Emperor had died after a prolonged illness, it came as no surprise.
But what about the Empress?
How could a woman in good health and far from elderly suddenly die — and almost at the same time as the Emperor?...
This question troubled everyone.
That is why far more rumors, conjectures, and anxious gossip arose around her death. People discussed it in hushed tones, constructing various theories, but none of them provided a complete answer.
At present, only one version was considered the most plausible.
Julia Ravelia Ashehlot, the Empress of the empire, was murdered — and, it was claimed, at the hands of the Chancellor. They said he attacked her late at night, right in her own palace.
The Imperial Chancellor... killing the Empress.
This alone was enough to push the entire country to the brink of upheaval.
How could something like this have happened?
Why would a person in such a high position commit murder? And most importantly — why?
No open conflicts between them had been heard of before. No scandals, no confrontations, not even hints of enmity. It all looked as if the blow had been struck suddenly, without any warning.
That is why this affair seemed like one complete mystery.
Too many questions — and not a single clear answer.
Be that as it may, Chancellor Ardelio was officially charged with the attempted assassination of the Empress. At present, he was held in the imperial prison, awaiting the conclusion of the investigation and trial.
It seemed that in such a short span of time, there had already been more than enough shocking news about the imperial family.
But, as it turned out... this was far from everything.
Remesis couldn't even process it immediately. She was still trying to digest what she had heard when Seyla cautiously added that this was only part of what was happening. And it was at that moment that Remesis truly felt how serious the situation had become.
Because after the death of the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Princess, the monarchy itself was under threat.
The imperial family had been almost completely destroyed.
And with that, obvious authority had vanished.
Effectively, there was no one left to govern the country.
This was no longer just alarming — it was catastrophic. The empire found itself in a position where its entire structure could collapse at any moment, like a fragile construction deprived of its support.
However, to be more precise... one heir did remain.
The only one who could still ascend the throne.
Asil. Asil Nara Ashelot.
The Emperor's eldest daughter.
Under the current circumstances, her ascension to the throne looked less like a right and more like a necessity. Almost an inevitability.
After all... if not her, then who?
At first glance, this seemed entirely reasonable.
But the problem lay elsewhere.
The imperial court was by no means eager for the eldest princess to take the throne. On the contrary — among the highest officials, there was a clear reluctance to allow her to gain power. And this reluctance was not limited to talk: they sought any means to prevent her ascension.
The reason was obvious, even if not spoken aloud.
None of them wanted to see the so-called "Northern Devil" on the throne.
That epithet had long been attached to her — cold, full of fear and prejudice. And now it was becoming the main argument against her coronation.
And then... another solution was unexpectedly proposed.
So strange and sudden that at first it seemed more like a rumor than reality.
A child appeared.
No one really knew where he came from, but the ministers insisted he was none other than a long-lost relative of the imperial family. According to them, the boy was the son of the Emperor's younger sister, whose existence had previously rarely been discussed.
A boy with silver hair and amber eyes.
One look at him was enough to dispel any lingering doubts among the courtiers. The resemblance in his features was too recognizable, too characteristic of imperial blood, to be dismissed as a coincidence.
And that was enough.
Events after that began to unfold rapidly.
Decisions were made one after another, almost without hesitation.
And ultimately, the fate of this child — like the fate of the entire empire — was determined in just a few days.
Immediately after the news of the Emperor and Empress's deaths, as if fearing the eldest princess would soon appear to claim her legitimate right to the throne, the officials decided to act preemptively.
They did not wait.
And almost immediately, not allowing events to unfold naturally, they hastened to cement their position — by crowning this child as the new Emperor.
Only three days had passed since the boy was declared heir.
And on the third day, he was enthroned.
This was not just hasty — it seemed almost desperate. To be frank, no real solemn ceremony even took place. Everything happened quietly, quickly, almost in secret, as if they feared any delay might ruin their plans.
The ministers were clearly aiming for only one thing — to place the child on the throne before the eldest princess could get there.
And thus...
At that moment, the country was formally ruled by a seven-year-old boy.
Though, of course, in reality, it was entirely different.
Who in their right mind would entrust the governance of an entire empire to a child?
Naturally, real power was concentrated in the hands of the imperial court. Soon, discussions began among the ministers about who would become the regent — the one who would govern the state on behalf of the young Emperor until he came of age.
Effectively, the struggle for power was just beginning.
When Remesis heard all of this, she was truly stunned.
But not only because of the situation itself.
Rather because she almost immediately understood who was being referred to.
This "new Emperor"... was someone she knew.
The very boy she had once met in the abandoned palace. Orion. The son of Princess Kastrea and her spouse Gilia.
And now... he sat on the throne.
According to rumors, the eldest princess had tragically died from her long-standing illness — and this had occurred shortly before these events. Nothing definite was known about Gilia's fate.
And this meant only one thing.
That very same little boy, with his frightened gaze and quiet manners, whom she remembered, was now completely alone.
An orphan.
This thought weighed heavily on Remesis for some reason.
The news of Princess Kastrea's death affected her far more than the news of the Emperor and Empress's passing.
For deep down, Remesis had still hoped that one day she might meet and speak with her again. But now that possibility no longer existed.
Remesis pursed her lips tightly and sank into silence for a while, pondering all she had heard. Too many events, too many changes — all crashing down at once, leaving her no time to recover.
Seyla's words sounded increasingly convincing.
In the current situation, she truly needed to leave the capital as soon as possible. The situation in the south was too unstable. One could not rule out the possibility that at any moment it could escalate into open unrest... or even outright war.
And yet...
Remesis frowned faintly.
It was hard to believe that the eldest princess would simply accept what was happening.
After all, as the Emperor's eldest daughter, she had a far stronger claim to the throne than her underage nephew who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
Therefore, it was quite possible that Asil Nara Ashelot would not tolerate the current state of affairs.
And then...
Rebellion would be only a matter of time.
If she decided to assert her rights, the conflict between the north and the south would inevitably escalate into something far more serious. An open war.
Perhaps this would be the most expected and, in a sense, the most logical development.
That is why Seyla's words now sounded different to Remesis.
She was indeed right.
Staying in the capital at such a time meant putting oneself in danger. Too much here could spiral out of control.
And all this only made Remesis's situation even more complicated.
She lowered her gaze, involuntarily asking herself the same question:
Where was she to go now?
At first glance, the answer seemed obvious.
The north.
Return to where she came from.
This seemed the most reasonable decision... but Remesis didn't even want to think about it.
Because she could no longer consider that place her home.
Not after everything that had happened.
For it was the people of the north — those for whom she had tried so hard, for whom she had done everything — who had ultimately turned their backs on her.
And this feeling of betrayal was too fresh, too painful to simply forget.
No... she did not want to return there.
As for the south...
The political unrest itself did not frighten her as much. If she wished, she could simply leave the capital, find a quiet, secluded place, and try to start anew, far from the intrigues and power struggles of others.
But there was something that worried her far more than all this instability.
Her second brother.
Livius Carter...
The man who, in such a short time, had managed to overthrow his own father and brother, rising to heights many could only dream of. He was now one of the most influential aristocrats in the entire empire. The power of the Carter house — powerful and wealthy — was now almost completely concentrated in his hands.
And along with this...
The southern lands were also under his control. Effectively, the entire south lay before him like an open hand. And this meant only one thing.
If Livius wanted to — it would be no trouble for him to find her.
Anywhere.
Even if she tried to hide in the most remote, inconspicuous corner, in a tiny dot on the map — he would still be able to reach her.
Remesis involuntarily clenched her fingers.
Of course, she did not want that. Under no circumstances.
And so the conclusion suggested itself — there was no place for her in the south either.
Essentially...
There was no longer a safe refuge for her in the entire Nadal Empire.
Neither in the north. Nor in the south. Nowhere.
This thought was heavy, almost suffocating. And then another, more radical option arose in her mind.
What if... she simply left this country?
Leave everything behind.
Go somewhere far away, to another realm, where no one knew her name or her past — and start with a clean slate.
Compared to everything else, this option seemed almost tempting.
But as soon as she thought about it a little deeper, reality immediately made itself known.
To leave the country, she needed money. And a considerable amount. And Remesis... currently did not even have a single copper shelling.
She had fled the Carter estate in haste, taking almost nothing with her. No personal belongings, not even the most essential items. Everything remained there — in the past, from which she was now desperately trying to separate.
She had not even kept the jewelry Livius had given her.
She had smashed it. Without hesitation. And discarded it, as if ridding herself of something dirty and unwanted.
Nevertheless, Remesis did not regret it for a moment. On the contrary — this decision brought her almost relief. She did not want to keep a single thing connected to him. Not a single reminder.
And yet... What was she to do now?
After she had managed to finish her breakfast with some difficulty, Remesis headed to the bath. The warm water helped her to clear her thoughts somewhat, to wash away the remnants of the tiredness and anxiety from the previous night. It was a simple act, but even it seemed important now — like the first step towards feeling like herself again.
After changing, she paused for a moment, looking herself over.
The clothes Seyla had given her were the most ordinary — a coarse dress made of simple fabric, like those worn by common women. And yet...
Even in this attire, Remesis looked different. Her posture, her features, her gaze — all of it involuntarily betrayed her aristocratic origin.
However, her appearance was the least of her concerns right now.
Perhaps, on the contrary — in such clothes, it would be easier to blend in with the crowd, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
And that was exactly what she needed right now.
After freshening up, Remesis didn't want to simply sit idle. Her thoughts still gave her no peace, and she wanted to occupy herself with something, to distract herself.
So, without much deliberation, she went to the kitchen and offered Seyla her help — no matter how simple.
It was a small gesture. But at least in this way, she could try to thank her for the hospitality.
Nevertheless...
At some point, her attention was caught by a strange noise outside.
At first, it was barely perceptible — like a distant rumble. But then the sounds became clearer: agitated voices, shouts, mingling together, creating a sense of mounting commotion.
Seyla's house was not far from the central square, so everything happening outside was particularly audible.
Remesis frowned involuntarily and walked to the window, carefully peering out.
"Has something happened?.." she said. "There seems to be some panic in the street..."
"Ah," Seyla replied, not stopping her washing of the dishes, "it's most likely because of the celebration."
"Celebration?.." Remesis turned around, still not understanding.
Seyla smiled slightly:
"Today, the solemn inauguration of the new Chief Astrologer is taking place in the central tower. It's quite a significant event, so it's no wonder people are so lively."
"A new Chief Astrologer?.. A ceremony?.."
She fell silent for a few moments, thinking.
And suddenly, something surfaced in her memory. Something important... that she had completely forgotten.
Iliana Alseid.
Who would have thought she would remember this woman now, in such a confusing and alarming situation?
Nevertheless... Remesis pursed her lips. Before, she hadn't even considered such an option. But now... perhaps it was the only way out.
To ask Iliana Alseid for help.
Yes, it was not what she wanted. And perhaps it would be unpleasant. But under the circumstances, it might indeed be her only option.
To ask Iliana to shelter her for a while... This seemed more sensible than continuing to burden Seyla's modest home and her family with her presence.
Moreover, Remesis had a perfectly objective reason to approach her with this request. Once, she herself had agreed to shelter Iliana in the northern castle while the woman conducted her investigation. So why not return that favor now?
She closed her eyes for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. Her heart beat a little faster — the thought of having to turn to someone else for help again always caused inner tension.
At that moment, the cries of people from the street reached her again.
And this time, they seemed even stranger. As if the panic outside was beginning to take on a completely different tone — one that heralded something more than just ordinary city noise.
The cries held no sense of joyful anticipation or festive excitement. No, it was something else entirely... alarming and tense.
Remesis's heart tightened. Her own conjectures were beginning to take the form of a troubling premonition. She could not stay in the house, sitting idle. Deciding to check the situation herself, Remesis opened the door and stepped outside.
Seyla, noticing her sudden movement, hurried after her, obviously concerned:
"My lady!"
And then Remesis saw it with her own eyes.
Chaos reigned in the street. People were running in all directions, pushing, shouting, stumbling. Panic hung in the air, drowning out anything that might resemble a celebration. This was far from the festive merriment Seyla had mentioned just moments ago.
"What's going on?.." Remesis muttered involuntarily, trying to discern something amidst the turmoil and noise.
But her hesitation did not last long.
The very next second, someone's arms closed tightly around her waist.
And a voice, painfully familiar, whispered in her ear:
"...Wife, I finally found you."