﹡ ⊹ ⊰ Chapter 2 ⊱ ⊹ ﹡
Warning: Reader discretion advised. This chapter contains scenes of abuse.
The Hesenian Empire, now called the world's most powerful Empire, boasted its long history as far-reaching as its vast land.
However, in all countries, Hesenia's beginning was very poor.
When the First Emperor, Ivan Saunière the Great, first ascended the throne, his kingdom was only 15,000 square feet. It was less than half the size of Herbon, the estate of Debryan, one of the most prestigious families in the Empire today.
However, Ivan the Great tripled the territory of Hesenia with his son Versailles. Surprisingly, it was done in just one year.
And it was Millium that emerged in those turbulent times.
Millium was a family that served the Lehman Empire, the most powerful in the northwest for generations. However, Ger Millium, the ancestor of the Millium family, realized that the southeastern wind from a small country called Hesenia was unusual.
Millium, who had a rich military foundation in the Lehman Empire, defected to Hesenia and denounced all of their conquests, diplomacy, and the millennium of allegiance that the Millium family had devoted to the Lehman Empire.
This is the history of Hesenia, a small kingdom, that became the world's largest Empire in the world.
And this is also why, a thousand years later, Adelaide Millium, the daughter of a barony family, has been married to the Count of Debryan.
"Did you wake up already, Miss?”
No, Adele didn't sleep a wink all night. She lit up a little candle light in the dark corner of the room and stayed up all night to see if a mark appeared on her wrist.
She wanted to fall asleep, but she couldn't.
"Did the mark appear?” Hayley asked as calmly as possible. Having worked for the Millium family for a generation, she knew what it means when there's no mark appearing on a Millium woman's wrist.
"There isn't..."
"You don't have any?"
Hearing Adele's trembling voice, Hayley drew close. She took her eyes off Adele's wrist and said, "Miss..."
"Yes."
Hayley suppressed her tears from falling.
"Miss..... Congratulations."
Adele smiled brightly as if she had been waiting for Hayley to say those words. For a woman with striking hair shining like gold, her features were quite soft. Adele was only 12 years old, and she was such a beautiful child that Hayley looked forward to her future.
"I can marry Ethan now, right?”
"Yes, of course."
"I can really get out of this house, right?”
"Yes, don't worry."
Adele hugged Hayley's waist as she approached her.
"I'm so sad to say our goodbyes."
"I'm just a maid."
"Don't say that. Hayley is like my sister."
"Lady Renee would be disappointed to hear that."
"Renee...”
Renérianne Millium. A woman who is about to become the crown princess of this empire.
Adele's sister, like a woman of the Millium family, showed a crescent-shaped red mark on the inside of her left wrist early on the day of her 12th birthday.
The meaning of the number 12 in the Hessenian Empire was special.
It meant both completion and end.
The day Ivan the Great expanded the territory of Hesenia, which was only part of the southeast, to the ends of the earth and took all the way to the Lehman Empire in the northwest with the help of Millium. He declared the Hesenian Empire the world's most powerful Empire in the world and himself the Emperor of it.
On one hellish night, a man in the robe came to him.
A man with black hair like the night sky and golden eyes made this prediction to Ivan the Great.
〈Only Millium will reap the benefits from the countless blood that you, the First Emperor, have sown on the earth. The second Hesenia will fall, but the third will last forever. Meeting the full moon on a dark night is the only way to protect this Empire. This is God's will.〉
Thus, the First Emperor abandoned the wife who gave birth to his first son and chose the Millium daughter as his Empress.
Although it was a prophecy from a thousand years ago and became a myth nowadays, the oracle was also a legend of the birth of the Empire and a fact clearly stated in the temple scriptures. There has always been controversy because it is written in the ancient language, but so far, biblical researchers have made the same argument on one fact.
Only a Millium can save this Empire.
"I'm sorry for my sister...… After all, I'm only a half. I never expected there would be a mark.”
"That's not something you should be sorry about," Hayley said as she looked at Adele with pitiful eyes.
Her mother's origins do not affect the appearance of the mark. Nevertheless, Adele always called herself a half-blood because of her mother's humble status.
It was also because Baron Millium brainwashed Adele bloody from an early age.
Half Adelaide Millium.
A disgrace to the Millium family
And now that there's no mark...… She was free.
Then the door burst open and Max Millium, the current Master of the Millium family, rushed into the room. He suddenly came up to Adele and pulled her left arm. And when he checked her empty snow-white wrist, he raised his hand and slapped Adele on the cheek.
"Useless girl."
The 12-year-old Adele was slapped and even tossed on the floor but she had a smile on her face. She tried to put up with it, but couldn't. Now, with a little patience, she'll be able to get out of this damn house.
"Are you smiling?"
Baron Millium managed to notice Adele smiling. His face dyed red and raised his feet. Even when she was beaten, it was always just a sting, but Adele clenched her stomach in advance, wondering if she would be trampled on by a shoe today.
"Father!"
At that moment, Renee rushed into Adele's room.
Renee, now 18, had cold silver hair and sea-blue eyes, characteristics of the Millium family.
If Adele was the sun, Renee was the moon.
As the moon covered the sun, Renee stood in front of Adele to shield her.
"Don't hit her."
Originally Baron Millium would have pushed her sister away and hit Adele. However, he had no reason not to listen to the words of the future Crown Princess, who is about to enter the Imperial Family.
"Get out of the way, Renérianne.”
"You've still maintained your dignity as a nobleman in public, but inside the house, you're acting like a ruffian.”
"This child belongs to me! You don't have a say in this!"
"No, she's one of my people. I don't care whatever you do, about your wretched desire of wanting to discard a defective product but don't touch her. My father is also my person, so you must listen to me."
Adele's wrist was unmarked and there were no rumors circling about herself, so Renee was able to enter the Imperial Family smoothly. And not to mention, the 18-year-old girl, who had just become an adult, was as beautiful and ripe for picking as a flower in full bloom.
She was worthy of being called the future Empress of the world's most powerful Empire in name and existence.
Adele was always curious. How could a perfect creature like Renee come from a man like Max Millium?
As Baron Millium reluctantly left Adele's room with a scowl, Renee turned around and looked down at Adele.
"You've gone too far, Adele. Why did you have to laugh of all things?"
"I'm sorry."
But what can I do? I felt happy for once.
Adele sat down before the cold, beautiful moon and smiled brightly like evening primrose.
But Renee knew. There was no mark on Adele's wrist, but Adele had powers. It was different from the ability that had previously appeared to any Millium, but it was definitely an apparition. Also, Adele...
"Pack your things."
"Right now?"
"Yes, there's no reason to hesitate anymore. It takes two days from here to get to the Herbon estate."
"But...….”
"I don't know what else our father will do to you. So the sooner the better. And pack as simple as you can."
"Sister, is this really okay?”
"I don't want to waste time fighting with you. If you don't hurry up right now, I won't help you anymore.”
"Oh, alright!"
Adele fully understood what her sister meant. And Hayley, too, began packing Adele's belongings right when Renee said to pack. It took less than an hour to finish packing, and by the time Adele was ready, her sister, who had gone outside earlier, returned to the room.
"Let's go now."
Adele followed behind her sister without answering. As her sister said, there was no reason to be here anymore. As they stepped out into the yard of the annex where Adele stayed, a larger and more luxurious carriage was waiting.
"Sister, how did you get such a big carriage...….”
"There's nothing to be thrilled about. I've sold all the jewels and accessories I have, what good does it do for me now?”
As Renee said, she will now live a life of luxury that she won't have to wear such shabby jewelry.
"I couldn't help it since I don't want them to give you an impression that Millium is kicking you out. Adele, listen to me."
Adele held her head reverently at her sister as if she were listening to God's commands from heaven.
"You're a defective Millium.”
Adele's eyes grew bigger at her sister's words. Even if it was a fact that everyone knew, it was the first time her sister told her that she was defective. She couldn't believe that those words came out of her sister's mouth.
"And I'm perfect."
But Renee is not wrong at all.
But of them are just the same— a product to Baron Millium.
"Sister..."
"But Adele, just because he regards us as properties doesn't make us one. So you're not a defective product and I'm not perfect."
Her sister has never said anything longer than a sentence to her. Tears fell from Adele's eyes, thinking that this was really a farewell for both of them. Her sister held out her palm and wiped tears from Adele's eyes.
"Don't cry and listen carefully. I don't care what people call you. No matter how much they treat you badly, it's not because you're at fault. Do you understand me?
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April 24, 2022
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