Chapter 10
"Time inside the Imperial Palace moves five times faster than time outside it. To you, Lady Trinia, it's only been a few days of confinement. But outside this room, the palace changes every single day, every single moment."
Trinia lowered her head and began to sob quietly.
She had spent years trying to keep those two apart!
Explaining everything she had done to create that distance would have been exhausting enough on its own.
And now their relationship was improving?
If luck didn't favor her, her life as the Emperor's beloved mistress might as well have been given an expiration date.
And what about the prince who had only just been born?
"It's... all over now. I've been confined to my room. How am I supposed to drive them apart again...?"
"Take this."
Count Shilton placed a small medicine bottle on the table.
Trinia's rose-colored eyes stared at it.
Even at a glance, it looked dangerous.
"But only take it when other people are around. Otherwise, you could actually die."
Trinia said nothing.
She simply nodded once.
The fingers that had been busily working through the mountain of documents piled across the desk suddenly stopped.
A pair of clear golden eyes fixed on the attendant.
"Francio intends to make Riena the Crown Princess?"
"Yes! That's why the nobles have been talking about nothing else!"
The attendant continued excitedly, but the Empress's expression remained far from bright.
She knew how heavy that position was.
And something about the situation bothered her.
He never even mentioned making her Crown Princess before. Francio, what exactly are you thinking...?
Her golden eyes stared into empty space before slowly closing.
Six years had passed since Riena's birth.
Not once during that entire time had the Emperor ever mentioned making her Crown Princess.
Part of that may have been because Riena was naturally kind and too trusting of others.
But more importantly, the Emperor had always wanted a son.
I need to find out why Francio suddenly changed his mind.
She narrowed her eyes and turned another page.
Then loud commotion erupted outside.
"What is that noise?"
"I'll go and find out!"
The attendant beside her hurried outside.
The Empress frowned at the door.
Her bad feelings had an unpleasant habit of becoming reality.
It wasn't long before the doors to her office burst open.
"L-Lady Trinia has collapsed!"
The Empress covered her forehead with one hand.
Only the faint scent of powder remained in the quiet room.
Trinia's black hair lay limply across the pillow, and her face was pale.
Emperor Francio, sitting on the edge of the bed, looked toward the Empress as she entered.
"You're here."
"What happened? Why did she suddenly collapse?"
"Ha. They say she had a seizure from malnutrition."
The Empress's golden eyes flashed.
The Emperor's mistress suffering from malnutrition?
What complete nonsense.
But instead of saying that aloud, the Empress smoothly responded.
"She gave birth not long ago, so I suppose it is possible. You should lift her confinement now."
The Emperor smiled with satisfaction, almost as though he had been waiting for her to say exactly that.
"As expected, the Empress is a truly virtuous woman. I can never compare to you!"
There hadn't really been another option.
He would obviously have informed her that he intended to lift Trinia's confinement anyway.
It was better to make the suggestion herself first.
So now you're finally showing your true intentions.
The Empress's golden eyes trembled faintly as she looked at Trinia.
"Are you awake?"
"Your Majesty the Emperor... Your Majesty the Empress...."
Trinia's rose-colored eyes moved between them.
Her voice trembled as though she might faint again at any moment.
The sight was so sickening that the Empress nearly gagged.
And she wasn't the type to simply stand there and watch.
"Are you all right? You've only just regained consciousness. How exhausted must your body have been for this to happen?"
Ignoring the Emperor, the Empress personally helped Trinia sit up.
"Your Majesty the Empress... I'm sorry for making you worry."
Sorry, my foot.
The Empress would have considered herself lucky if Trinia wasn't cursing her internally.
Caught off guard by the Empress suddenly taking control of the situation, the Emperor could only stare at the two women in stunned silence.
"Your Majesty, I will personally make sure Lady Trinia's health is properly managed. Please do not worry."
"As expected of the mother of our Empire."
The Emperor grinned broadly as he looked between them.
Trinia, however, could only force an awkward smile.
Having her confinement lifted was good.
But this wasn't the kind of situation she had wanted.
"I couldn't possibly trouble Your Majesty the Empress.... Y-you may return now...."
Trinia spoke with as much false politeness as she could manage.
But the Empress was equally firm.
"Don't worry about me. You should rest properly."
However...
"The Empress already has plenty of duties. How can she possibly care for a patient as well? Leave it to the servants."
The Emperor's tone was even firmer.
If the Empress pushed any further, she would only damage her own dignity.
As though giving up, she quietly stepped back.
Trinia's expression immediately brightened.
Knock, knock.
A gentle knock sounded.
The Emperor tilted his head.
"Who is it?"
"Well... that is...."
"I greet Father. I greet Mother."
"Ah, it's the Imperial Princess. Have you come to visit the sick?"
"I finished all my studies for the day and was feeding the rabbits in the garden when I heard that Lady Trinia had collapsed, so I came to see her!"
Riena held the skirts of her dress neatly in both hands.
"My, my. Our princess truly has such a compassionate heart."
Playing along with Riena, Emperor Francio couldn't stop smiling.
Perhaps it was true that when one's child was adorable, everything they did seemed adorable too.
"I was taught that one of an Imperial Princess's virtues is to treat matters within the palace as though they were her own and to share kindness generously. So I would like to lend some of my maids to Lady Trinia!"
"Your maids?"
The Emperor's expression sharpened.
The Empress, who was watching him closely, also became tense.
"What a clever idea! Lending her your maids. How did you think of that?"
"Lady Trinia's attendant looked overwhelmed working alone. And now that the prince has been born, I thought she must have even more work to do!"
The Emperor's gaze turned toward Trinia.
It wasn't a kind one.
"The prince, you say.... You don't need to worry about that. Still, as you said, Lady Trinia is in poor health. You may leave some of your maids with her if that's what you want."
"Thank you, Father!"
Riena smiled brightly and innocently.
The moment Riena returned to her room, the ladies-in-waiting began scolding her.
"Your Highness, didn't we already tell you? You shouldn't get close to Lady Trinia. Didn't we?"
Another lady immediately joined in.
Only Countess Sertua remained silent.
She simply touched Riena's hair and began arranging it again.
"Call the maids back right now. If you keep this up, His Majesty and Her Majesty may become angry with you."
"Mother and Father aren't that petty, you know? I want cocoa!"
"You always ask for cocoa whenever you have nothing else to say."
Riena grinned at the viscountess's complaint.
The viscountess grumbled as she left the room with the other ladies to get cocoa.
Once they were gone, Countess Sertua spoke with a smile.
"Your Highness, don't you hate Lady Trinia at all? If it were me, I wouldn't have let her off so easily."
Well...
Knowing the countess, she might have used the skills from her days as an Imperial Palace mage to secretly lock Trinia away in the Magic Tower where no one would ever find her.
Just imagining it was frightening.
But Countess Sertua was certainly capable of it.
Even though she was much weaker now because of her illness....
Riena smiled faintly.
"She gave birth to my little brother, so shouldn't I treat her well?"
Trinia looked as dry and lifeless as a dead leaf.
Compared to this, being confined to her room had practically been heaven!
Riena's personal maids now watched Trinia twenty-four hours a day, reporting everything she did back to the princess.
Living in a prison without bars was pure misery.
"Lady Trinia, excessive activity is forbidden while recovering from childbirth."
"I know. But surely taking a walk in the garden is fine?"
"I'm sorry, but not right now."
"What? I've been going out perfectly well until now. Why can't I now?"
Eventually, Trinia couldn't hold back anymore and exploded.
Her kind image?
After the Harvest Festival, half the Empire already thought of her as a wicked seductress.
Why bother pretending anymore?
"Her Majesty the Empress will soon be taking her walk in the garden. As a matter of basic etiquette, Lady Trinia should avoid going out at the same time."
Trinia gave an incredulous snort.
"Then when is a mere mistress like me allowed to use the garden?"
"Whenever Her Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Imperial Princess are not using it."
The maid's calm answer made Trinia's face flush with anger.
Her eyes trembled.
Her clenched fists turned white.
"Fine! I'm not going out, so stop preparing!"
"If you need anything, please call us at any time."
"You say that as if you're going somewhere far away. You're not even leaving this room! You're just going to stand around staring at me anyway!"
"Her Highness said she would not forgive us if we failed to care for you properly...."
"All right! I heard you!"
Trinia irritably cut her off before she could finish.
Knock, knock.
"Her Highness the Imperial Princess has arrived."
"Please stand up and greet her properly. Quickly!"
Trinia kicked off the blanket, stood, and bowed her upper body.
Click.
"Lady Trinia~ How are you today?"
"Greetings, Your Highness.... Thanks to you, I'm feeling much better. It's all because of Your Highness's care."
...Or at least, that's what Trinia said.
Her expression told an entirely different story.
She looked one step away from cursing out loud.
But Riena's large golden eyes immediately sparkled with worry as her face fell.
"No, no. Just look at your face, Lady Trinia. You look really, really unwell. You still look sick."
