Chapter 26
One of the ladies nearby spoke sarcastically, but Trinia ignored her and curled her lips into a smile.
"They say sweet cookies help relieve tension and worry. Your Majesty, please try just a little. All right?"
"I appreciate the thought, but I'll decline. You're a mother too, so surely you understand. My child is out there beneath ash and flames, fighting a disaster. Do you really think I could swallow a cookie right now?"
The Empress's tone was calm and gentle.
But the sheer pressure behind her words made Trinia clamp her mouth shut.
Once the Empress finished speaking, the other ladies-in-waiting glared at Trinia as if they wanted to kill her.
Trinia's shoulders trembled, and she put on a pitiful expression.
"I... I only wanted to do something for Your Majesty...."
The ridiculous act was enough to make the Empress frown.
"Would it kill you to eat one out of respect for the person who baked them?"
The Emperor's sharp voice rang down the corridor of the Empress's Palace.
The Empress closed her eyes tightly, looking exhausted.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
Trinia hurriedly bowed.
The Emperor lifted her by the hand and looked at her gently.
"You're not alone anymore. I told you, you can skip formal greetings like this."
Trinia shyly curved her lips into a lovely smile.
It was meant to upset the Empress.
But only the ladies-in-waiting turned their heads away in displeasure.
The Empress herself simply stood.
"You're here."
"Is it really that difficult? I'm not asking you to bake the cookies yourself. Is eating one really so hard?"
"I don't particularly like cookies, and I have a sore in my mouth...."
"What an impressive excuse. Anyone listening would think you're the only person in the Empire with work to do! A pregnant woman went out of her way to bake cookies for you. The least you could do is let her into the room!"
It was always like this.
Whenever Trinia became involved, even the simplest conversation turned impossible.
"And I pity all of you too! I can see perfectly well how the Empress usually thinks of Trinia and treats her!"
"That's a misunderstanding!"
"A misunderstanding? You're saying this is a misunderstanding? I understand the Empress's intentions quite clearly now!"
As voices rose, the Empress finally pulled the protesting lady-in-waiting back.
"It was my fault."
"Tsk. You can't even control your own attendants, yet you speak of handling work."
The Emperor glared at the Empress with angry eyes.
Trinia tugged at his clothes.
"Y-Your Majesty, if you keep doing this, you'll only make things harder for me. Please?"
"Never bring cookies to the Empress again. She doesn't even know how to appreciate kindness!"
After saying only what he wanted, the Emperor turned and left the office.
Trinia, caught awkwardly in the middle, couldn't endure the ladies-in-waiting's stares and hurried after him.
Damn it. Why did everything turn out like this?!
Her plan had gone completely wrong.
Trinia could only bite her lower lip as the Empress's office grew farther away.
"I'll eat the cookies you made!"
The Emperor's booming voice carried all the way back into the Empress's office.
"His Majesty can't possibly behave like this. Calling a mistress 'madam'?"
"And using an honorific with her too.... This is too much."
Whether he called her madam or anything else wasn't the real issue.
I have to endure it.
Until Riena becomes Crown Princess.
The Empress clenched the blue fabric of her skirt and gritted her teeth.
"As expected. She's truly vicious!"
"Y-Your Majesty, please calm your anger. All right?"
"Just give me a son! I'll make you an Imperial Consort."
An Imperial Consort?
Not Empress?
No. If the Empress dies today, then I can become Empress...!
At that moment, the Emperor grabbed a cookie and brought it toward his mouth.
"No!"
Trinia shrieked and reached to snatch it away.
The Emperor stared down at her with wide eyes.
He was just as startled as she was.
"What do you mean, no?"
"W-well... the baby said it wanted some...."
The Emperor's expression immediately softened.
He pulled Trinia close.
"Of course. If you eat well, the baby will grow well too."
He brought the cookie he was holding toward her red lips.
Trinia's rose-colored eyes shook violently.
Before she could come up with another excuse, the cookie had already touched her mouth.
If she spat it out or knocked it away now, she could be accused of insulting the Emperor.
Worse, she might raise suspicion of poisoning.
There was no other choice.
She bit into the cookie.
"Grow nice and healthy~"
The Emperor's other hand gently stroked Trinia's stomach.
"If there's anything you want to eat, tell me anytime. You are the joy of my life."
Trinia chewed stiffly, as though she were eating insects.
The Emperor picked up a glass of milk beside him.
"Is it dry? Here, drink some milk too."
She had planned to chew a little and throw the rest away.
But with him pushing milk toward her, there was no chance to escape.
The Emperor kept smiling, completely unaware of what she was thinking.
"Madam, do you know why I allowed our son to hold the title of prince?"
Children born between an Emperor and his mistress were usually never formally acknowledged and simply lived as ordinary nobles.
Francio, however, had used the Imperial Family's traditionally powerful authority to recognize Trinia's son as a prince.
That alone proved how deeply he cared for her.
But...
"I don't know."
Her stiff answer made Francio's brows twitch.
"...I see."
He gave a bitter smile and slowly nodded.
"In any case, once this matter is over, become my Imperial Consort."
"Imperial... Consort?"
"In time, it would be ideal if the princes became a strong support for Riena."
"B-but didn't Your Majesty say you would formally acknowledge me and our children...?"
"An Imperial Consort is a formal wife. I'll officially acknowledge the child you're carrying too, so don't worry."
Trinia's face turned pale.
Her lips moved soundlessly before she finally forced words out.
"Y-you said you'd completely lost affection for the Empress, didn't you?"
The Emperor looked down at her with a gentle smile.
"Affection between an Emperor and Empress is a luxury. You are the only woman I need, Trinia."
Instead of answering, Trinia gritted her teeth and pressed herself into his arms.
The Emperor played with the loose strands of hair around her face.
"Love is unnecessary for an Empress. Just as ambition is unnecessary for you. Simply accept what I give you. I already give you more than enough."
It was a threat disguised as affection.
"...Of course. I was too greedy! I'm sorry I upset you, Your Majesty."
She buried her face against his chest and acted sweetly.
The Emperor frowned slightly as he looked down at her.
"No. I was the one who neglected you. You gave birth to a prince, yet you're still only called my mistress."
"What does any of that matter? Your Majesty cherishes me this much."
His large hand stroked Trinia's hair.
Her slender fingers picked up another cookie nearby.
"Your Majesty, I may not be good at many things, but I'm confident in my cookies! So please, try one. Ah~"
Watching Trinia act like a cute cat in his arms, the Emperor happily took a large bite.
The moment Riena stepped down from the Imperial carriage, the surrounding citizens rushed toward her.
Cries of grief erupted from every direction.
"Please save us! Your Highness, please!"
"Your Highness! Please, please... save our son! Let him receive treatment!"
"Your Highness! Our home burned to the ground! Please show us mercy!"
Their desperate screams tore through the air.
Hearing everyone beg to be saved weighed heavily on Riena's heart.
"Transport the patients first. What about the civilian firefighting teams?"
"Thirty percent are currently fighting the fire near the mountain range."
"Leave only thirty percent here and send everyone else to the mountains! Focus on suppressing the mountain fire!"
"Pardon? But...!"
"But what? Are you refusing an order?"
There wasn't a second to waste.
And this person was arguing?
Who would have thought the abdominal breathing she'd learned by watching Antonio would come in handy like this?
"Go! Right! Now!"
Everyone nearby stared blankly at Riena.
The civilian firefighter jolted, then immediately ran.
"Sir Antonio! Distribute the bread we brought to the refugees. Absolutely evenly! That's your first mission from me!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Franco! Identify every casualty and make a proper written record! If you're not fair, I won't let you off, so do it properly!"
Her golden eyes practically growled.
Franco could only nod.
"Then move!"
At the Imperial Princess's shout, several people rubbed their arms as chills ran over them.
She had even singled out a mere palace physician by name and threatened him.
Somehow, the princess was scarier than the Emperor.
Keep your enemies close.
Franco.
There was no way Riena could forget him.
In her previous life, he had been the palace physician who killed the Empress and allowed Riena's eyes to deteriorate until they became that bad.
"Your Highness, are you all right?"
"Seeing it with my own eyes is worse than I imagined."
The Cartes fire had been a disaster large enough to affect the fate of the Empire itself.
It had been so severe that nearly thirty percent of the citizens who once supported the Imperial Family turned against them afterward.
"Romi, stay right beside me. That's an order."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Riena gave a short nod and looked around.
Just watch.
I'll protect every one of them.
Her golden eyes burned with determination.
Ash settled in a pale layer over the rooftops.
Just as Riena had predicted, the wind changed direction.
In the end, they succeeded in bringing the fire under control.
"This is all thanks to Your Highness!"
"If we hadn't followed Your Highness's instructions, we never would have suppressed the fire near the mountain range!"
"Your response was outstanding. This was all possible because of Your Highness's wisdom!"
Praise burst out from every direction.
One after another, people cheered and applauded with tears in their eyes.
