Chapter 19
"Y-Your Majesty the Emperor...?"
"Forget the formalities. You're holding the prince."
How long had it been?
That gentle voice.
That warm gaze.
It was the tenderness Trinia had missed so desperately.
"...I suppose you don't have much else to live for. All you can do is look to me and the prince.... I've been too indifferent to you lately."
"No. Never...."
Without another word, he gently stroked her slender shoulders and back.
"...Behave yourself from now on. That way, both you and our child can live here without trouble."
"I'll remember. I'll never make a mistake like that again. Never...."
It was a picture-perfect scene.
A mother holding her child.
A father embracing both the woman beside him and his child.
They looked so much like a happy family that Empress Chernuier, who had been watching from behind, quietly turned away.
The maids nearby noticed her and silently bowed as she passed.
They really do look like a family....
Swallowing the emotion rising in her throat, the Empress headed back toward her office.
"Your Majesty... would you like to take a walk in the garden?"
One of the ladies-in-waiting, unable to keep watching, spoke first.
But the Empress quietly shook her head.
"As you know, I have a mountain of work.... No matter how much I finish, the pile never seems to shrink."
Her bitter smile looked unusually sad.
"Your Majesty, at this rate you'll collapse."
"It's not that serious yet, so don't worry."
Her footsteps toward the office looked painfully lonely.
"So Lady Trinia is going to raise the prince again?"
"Yes, Your Highness. And lately... Lady Trinia's way of speaking has been...."
Riena gestured to the maid.
The girl hurried over and whispered into her ear.
Before long, a chill settled into Riena's golden eyes.
"What? Suddenly?!"
The viscountess stared in shock, but Trinia merely snorted.
"In any case, thank you for everything, ladies."
"W-wait, Lady Trinia!"
The door slammed shut in their faces.
The countess stared at it in disbelief.
The viscountess ground her teeth.
"Ha! Unbelievable! Fine! We hated being here too! I'm going to report this to Her Highness immediately!"
She linked arms with the countess and marched forward.
Driving out ladies-in-waiting personally assigned by the Imperial Princess was no small matter.
"Wait. Won't this only make things worse...?"
The countess looked visibly anxious.
There had already been whispers that the Empress was using the Imperial Princess to keep watch over Trinia.
The rumor had died down quickly because Riena was so young.
Even so, the countess didn't want to drag the princess deeper into the matter.
"What are you two doing?"
That hope shattered instantly.
Speak of the tiger.
A pair of curious golden eyes peeked toward them.
"G-greetings, Your Highness!"
The ladies hurriedly arranged their skirts and bowed.
Riena tilted her little head.
"Why are you leaving already? Aren't you going to keep Lady Trinia company?"
"W-well...."
"Apparently, she told us not to serve her anymore starting today."
"W-we don't know the details either. But please don't concern yourself, Your Highness."
The countess spoke gently.
The viscountess, however, had no intention of holding back.
"It's unfair! We didn't do anything wrong!"
"Enough. If you say things like that, you'll only trouble Her Highness."
At that moment, a small hand tugged both of theirs.
"I don't know what happened yet, but I'll look into it and tell you later. Okay?"
The ladies looked down at Riena's impossibly small hands and sighed.
What could such a tiny child possibly understand?
Their irritation melted away.
"We're sorry. We were so surprised that we raised our voices.... We're fine, Your Highness!"
Their anger and hurt gradually disappeared, replaced by warm, motherly smiles.
Riena turned around.
The moment she did, her expression changed completely.
She headed away from the room.
She showed her true colors faster than I expected. That makes things easier.
With her arms crossed, Riena looked back at Trinia's firmly closed door and smiled faintly.
With the people watching her every move finally gone, Trinia felt as though she'd entered heaven.
"Ha! I can finally breathe now that those damned women are gone."
She threw herself across the bed with her arms and legs spread wide.
Her silky black hair fanned out around her.
"But... are you really sure this is all right?"
The maid's nervous voice trembled.
Trinia raised one corner of her lips in an arrogant smile.
"His Majesty allowed it. What's the problem?"
"But... what if Her Highness becomes upset...?"
"Let her. That would actually be even better."
The maid frowned and tilted her head.
"His Majesty feels sorry for me again. So what if that little fox gets angry at me? He'll scold her for failing to behave with the dignity expected of an Imperial Princess."
"Ah...!"
Only then did the maid brighten.
"And what if Her Majesty the Empress doesn't stay quiet?"
"If she doesn't? Even an Empress is nothing but a dead tree without the Emperor's favor. Look at me. A commoner became a baroness, and that baroness became the Emperor's woman."
