“How…I didn’t…”
Empress Aratine seemed to be in great shock.
“How can you not say a word to me about such a thing?”
Countess Seomina and the other ladies-in-waiting all knelt.
“We apoloize, Your Majesty. Isn’t His Majesty the Emperor always concerned about the health of Her Majesty the Empress? That’s why he asked us not to frighten Her Majesty…”
In the end, she said that the fact was hidden by the emperor’s order.
“No matter how much His Majesty requested it, isn’t this too much? I am the Empress of this country, and she…”
Realizing that it’s useless to speak, the Empress bit her trembling lips as she could not speak anymore.
The ladies-in-waiting didn’t say anything and just bowed their heads deeply.
If left alone any longer, it seemed that the court ladies’ arrows of resentment would hit them. Lilian cautiously opened her mouth.
“Please calm down, Your Majesty. The Countess is only concerned about Her Majesty’s health.”
“But Lily…”
“Perhaps even for the Countess, she found it difficult to disobey His Majesty’s strict orders. Isn’t that so?”
The quick-witted Countess Seomina lowered her head repeatedly.
“No. It’s all my negligence, Your Majesty the Empress. No matter how much His Majesty ordered it, it’s my fault for not being more considerate of your feelings as an attendant.”
“…everyone go away. Because I want to talk a little closely with the Grand Duchess.”
“Your Majesty the Empress…”
“Don’t worry. I won’t make this any more of an issue.”
The ladies-in-waiting, including Countess Seomina, left without saying anything.
“I’m very embarrassed to show you this when we first meet.”
“No. Everyone was just worried about Her Majesty.”
Actually, the Empress had something to be ashamed of more than not being able to lead the people under her. However, the Empress sighed and said something completely different.
“This is all because I was weak and couldn’t perform the duties I was supposed to do as an Empress. Everyone treats me more like a sixteen year old girl than an Empress…”
Lilian was so embarrassed that she couldn’t answer.
“Father is still calling me out to behave like an Empress. It’s not even where I want to sit.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes, for Teo’s sake, he said that I had to defend the position of Empress.”
Lilian, who didn’t know that the Empress herself would open her mouth on this subject so easily, was taken aback.
“Because Teo was so young when the Sun Emperor passed away. He said he was entrusting the throne to his trusted uncle for a while…”
He even said that by marrying her and Claude, Matteo had become Claude’s adopted son, and that she’d be able to lessen the noise of his succession.
It’s not a lie, Aratine seemed to believe that with all her heart.
“Anyway, my father always scolds me for living a secluded life even though I have such a great responsibility. If things go on like this, everyone will forget who the Empress is. If they knew about this, they would be very angry…”
Empress Aratine seemed to be worried only about that. Her trembling hands seemed to indicate the magnitude of the Empress’ anxiety. The Empress, whose hands trembled, emptied the glass in front of her at once, as if she couldn’t calm down.
“Your Majesty.”
When Lily reflexively dissuaded her, Aratine waved her hand.
“It’s okay. This is the drink my father sent me. It’s soaked in medicinal herbs, and it’s said to be effective in relieving anxiety.”
Lilian had no choice but to watch in bewilderment as Aratine poured another glass of alcohol after that. Aratine asked.
“Can you give me some advice on what to do in this situation?”
Lilian was embarrassed, but if she left the Empress alone, it seemed that she’d do something unexpected while drunk. That could have a negative impact on Matteo’s reputation.
“The county title has been handed down by His Majesty, so there’s nothing we can do about it. Since it was announced during the Great Reconciliation Period, there’s no possibility of it being revoked.”
The Empress’ face darkened in an instant.
“But if it’s someone dignified like the Empress, it’s not like there’s no way to protect it.”
“If there’s a way to protect it…”
“Your Majesty the Empress is the owner of the Inner Palace. Rather than pretending not to know about Madam Rachel’s event, I think sending a ‘gift’ could be a way to reveal Her Majesty’s presence as a superior.”
Aratine was openly impressed.
“Oh my God, Lily! You are so brilliant.”
“No. If Her Majesty hadn’t panicked, you would have thought of a better way right away.”
“No, I’m not good at things like this… Come often and lend me your wisdom.”
Aratine called for her lady-in-waiting, Countess Seomina. She then instructed to send a suitable gift to Rachel.
“Understood. And Her Majesty the Empress…”
The lady-in-waiting hesitantly announced.
“Yes?”
“His Highness the Grand Duke is waiting for you.”
“His Highness the Grand Duke?”
“Yes, that’s…”
Countess Seomina glanced at Lilian and quickly reported with an embarrassed expression.
“I’m sorry, but since I’m a newlywed, I didn’t like my wife’s late return home, so I risked the rudeness of intruding to bring her home… He asked me to tell you that.”
“Oh my gosh…Damian?”
Damian’s words, which came from the mouth of a respectable Madam, were not thrilling, but gave more than twice the usual shame. Lilian cleared her mouth involuntarily and looked away.
Aratine laughed brightly.
“What an unexpectedly cute newlyweds. I have become a hindrance.”
“I have no face, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“You don’t have to be shy. Damian will hate me if I make him wait any longer. It’s okay to just go.”
Since the conversation with Aratine had unexpectedly burdened her heart, Lilian gladly accepted the offer.
“Thank you for your consideration. Then I will leave…!”
Then, Aratine suddenly grabbed Lilian’s hand as she tried to back away.
“Thank you so much for today, Lilian. Please help me a lot in the future.”
The moment her eyes met the eagerly shining brown eyes, Lilian seemed to understand why everyone all commented on Aratine as a ‘weak person’ with an ambiguous expression.
***
With courteous words, she gently separated from the Empress clinging to her like a child.
Damian was waiting for Lilian in the parlor of the Empress’ palace.
“Your Highness…”
To be precise, he was asleep.
Sitting on the sofa in the parlor of the Empress’ palace, Damian was lightly asleep.
Damian, wearing a shirt with his collar raised high, perhaps to cover the scar on his neck… it was like a statue that had been sculpted by an artist with all his might and was filled with life.
It’s not a place where you can sleep peacefully, but it’s strange that Damian, who was especially senstive, was dozing. Lilian approached Damian involuntarily and sat down next to him.
The sunlight shone on his soft white blond hair. His long eyelashes stood out when he closed his eyes. Even the lips that knew how to smile beautifully were now just lightly closed.
Lilian, who had been appreciating her husband’s beauty in detail for the first time in a while, was involuntarily impressed.
‘Beautiful…’
Right at that moment.
…here.
At the faint words, Lily turned her head. However, there were only Dame Kyrie with a puzzled expression and two attendants quietly guarding the drawing room.
“Your Highness?”
“Dame, did you hear something just now?”
“I didn’t hear anything.
Only…
“I see. Looks like I heard wrong…oh.”
As she looked around, Lilian’s cheek lightly brushed his lips.
“Your Highness!”
The culprit was Damian, who opened his eyes before she knew it. Damian made an excuse, rubbing his cheek against Lilian’s shoulder, as if to stop being angry.
“…I tried to become a princess sleeping in the forest, but no matter how much I waited, my prince didn’t seem to wake me up with a kiss.”
“Is that why you woke up and kissed me?”
Not at their house, but here, in someone else’s palace?
“Yes, I’m an adult who is good at everything.”
Seeing him answer without losing a single word, even the mild-mannered Lily suddenly wanted to refute.
“Your Highness is not a princess in the first place.”
“Hm, well. That’s true, but wouldn’t I be prettier than the princess?”
His purple eyes, like jewels that shone in small pieces that not even a princess could have, were shining playfully.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because it’s so true that I don’t have anything to say.”
“I knew you would think so.”
Damian, laughing coquettishly, looked very mean. If he was a little less pretty, she might have wanted to pinch his cheek.
“Then, shall we get up and go?”
Lilian sighed and stood up holding her husband’s hand. And she carried on her nagging while being escorted by Damian.
“Apart from what happened just now, did you really have to say that to the lady-in-waiting? It was very embarrassing when the gentle madam told those words to Her Majesty.”
“But if I didn’t do that much, I thought my sister-in-law wouldn’t let you go.”
Damian said with a smile as if he saw through the situation.
“Everywhere I go, there are only people who like my wife, so as her husband, I’m very worried…”
‘Huh?’
At that time, dizziness and tinnitus suddenly overtook Lilian.
Someone whispered amid the beeping tinnitus.
Here. Come over here.
Come see me again.
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