The Villainess's Reputation [Kingdom Building]

314. The Imperial Funeral

“Happy Birthday, Marie,” Ravenna whispered as the carriage rattled through the moonlit streets of Kim City, heading toward the bustling port.She reached across the interior to pat the sleepy head of the girl sitting opposite her. “I would have taken you to the Capital with me, but you understand the current situation.”

Marie pouted slightly, rubbing her eyes as she tried to stay awake. “I know, Master. Now that everyone knows I am the Saintess, it’s too risky to leave the protection of the Dukedom, especially with the Witch’s Cult hunting for me. I’m just a bit disappointed, that’s all... but you have to go. It’s your father’s funeral.”

“Here,” Ravenna said, handing Marie a thick, cream-colored envelope with a knowing smile. “This is the gift I’ve been preparing for a while now. Don’t open it until after I’ve departed.”

The carriage came to a halt at the docks, where the massive steamship was already venting plumes of white vapor into the chilly morning dew. Port workers moved like shadows in the pre-dawn light, preparing the vessel for its journey. Ravenna stepped down, the hem of her dark traveling cloak brushing the cobbles.

“Have a safe trip, Master!” Marie called out, waving energetically from the carriage window.

Ravenna began climbing the gangway, pausing at the top to look back one last time. A playful, mysterious smirk touched her lips. “Hopefully, the next time we see each other, you’ll be addressing me differently,” she muttered. Her voice was low, yet it carried through the crisp air perfectly, reaching Marie’s ears as if the wind itself had delivered the message.

As the ship began to pull away, its massive hull slowly disappearing into the morning mist, Marie’s curiosity finally got the better of her. She carefully broke the wax seal of the envelope, her breath hitching as she pulled out the parchment within.

The documents were heavy and felt distinctively official, bearing the embossed crimson seal of the Sun Palace.

Her eyes widened as she read the title of the lead document: "Declaration of Adoption for Marie Leon Solarius."

“W-what?”

Stunned, Marie’s hands trembled as she checked the second paper: a handwritten decree bearing the unmistakable, bold signature of Emperor Andrew Solarius himself.

“I, Emperor Andrew Solarius, the 13th Sovereign of the Ancorna Empire, hereby declare Marie Leon as a new addition to the Imperial Family of Solarius. I bestow the Solarius name upon her as the adopted daughter of my youngest daughter, Princess Ravenna Solarius.”

In a total daze, Marie slumped back against the carriage seat. She stared out at the horizon where the ship had vanished, the rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the wooden docks filling the silence.

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“She did promise to adopt me... but I didn’t think Master would really go this far,” Marie whispered. For a reason she couldn't quite explain, a single, warm tear escaped her eye and splashed onto the Emperor's seal.

Imperial Funeral Grounds, Central Solious Cathedral, Imperial Palace, Capital City, Ancorna Empire

The towering Solious Statue dominated the center of the vast, enclosed hall, its outstretched hand pointing toward the heavens while a massive, sun-shaped crown rested upon its brow. In the dim, flickering light of the cathedral, the monument looked ethereal, a silent guardian over the tombs of the Solarius line, those who descended from the blood of the Goddess herself.

The atmosphere was stiflingly somber. The priests were draped in robes of deepest black, mirroring the mourning attire of every soul present. Miraculously, the entire Imperial Family had arrived on time, despite about to scatter across the continent just days prior.

Prince Landon stood at the vanguard with his wife and children; with Nolan’s recent passing, he now occupied the heavy position of the eldest. Behind them stood Princess Serena and her husband, followed by Prince William. Finally, at the rear of the siblings, was Ravenna. They were all clad in the traditional black imperial uniform, their expressions masked and identical in their stoicism.

Unlike common funerals, the Solarius rites followed a unique path. Because the souls of the Goddess’s descendants were said to be handled directly by Solious rather than Herptian, the ceremony focused on divine light rather than the typical offerings to the Queen of the Afterlife. High nobles and distant relatives watched from a respectful distance as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

“His Majesty, the thirteenth sun of Ancorna, maintained the Goddess’s justice and light with his head held high for the people of this great Empire!” Due to The Pope’s death it was the Archbishop who intoned, his voice echoing off the stone. “That he met such an unworthy death at the hands of traitors to the Faith shall be judged by the Goddess herself. For now, we pray for a safe reincarnation for our great Sovereign!”

As he spoke, he channeled a blessing that caused the entire hall to glow with a brilliant, divine radiance. Ravenna grit her teeth, her skin crawling with the usual discomfort she felt whenever Solious’s blessing saturated the air.

One by one, according to custom, each imperial child approached the Emperor's tomb to whisper a final few words. When it was finally Ravenna’s turn, she knelt before the cold stone after Prince William stepped aside. She laid her bouquet of flowers down with a steady hand.

“I really don't have much to say to you,” she whispered, her voice too low for the prying ears of the court. “Other than... I hope you’re at least a good father in your next life, old man.”

She stood up and retreated to her place behind her siblings, remaining silent as the High Priests spent the next hour recounting the Emperor’s long list of achievements and glorifying his life.

Once the formal rites concluded, the doors were opened to the other mourners. A slow procession of officials and citizens began to file through, each offering flowers and prayers. Among the crowd of red roses and lilies, Ravenna’s eyes caught a flash of deep, dark red.

An old man with dark red hair approached the tomb. Unlike the others, he offered a bunch of sunflowers, vibrant and out of place in the gloom. He offered a brief, silent prayer and immediately began to weave his way back through the crowd, moving with a subtle haste as if he couldn’t stand the stifling atmosphere of the cathedral.

Ravenna didn't hesitate. She moved through the throng, her eyes locked on the retreating figure. Just as he reached the threshold of the funeral grounds, she reached out and snagged the fabric of his jacket.

The man froze, but he did not turn around.

“I didn’t think I would ever see you again,” Ravenna said, her voice trembling slightly with a mix of childish tantrum and recognition. She tightened her grip on his jacket, her knuckles turning white. “It’s you, isn’t it... Master?”