Chapter 14
Chapter 14: That Rumored Empress
This was the Empress’s first official external schedule where she was attending alone.
There was much talk about the Empress, who had barely tended to the inner affairs of the palace, suddenly deciding to visit the Knight’s Order at the border. However, people were still cautiously observing the Emperor’s reaction and keeping quiet about it.
As soon as the Empress’s schedule leaked out, many nobles requested to join, citing various reasons.
And today, the nobles who had been granted permission to accompany the schedule gathered at the Empress’s Palace. They all had one purpose: to somehow create a connection with the Empress through this opportunity.
As people gathered, conversations flowed, and as voices mixed, naturally, talk about the palace’s owner emerged.
“The banquet that Her Majesty the Empress attended recently was beyond our station to attend.”
“A merchant guild’s banquet, I hear half the attendees were commoners.”
“She seems to be a unique person. One would expect her to arrange a gathering by now, but she stays in the palace and doesn’t show herself at all.”
“Indeed. And those rumors too. How could she possibly… to His Majesty the Emperor…”
As the conversation lengthened, unnecessary words began to spill out.
The servants, well aware of the current state of affairs in the palace, lowered their heads and hurriedly left their positions, fearing the palace’s owner might overhear.
Amidst the commotion, there was a group quietly settled in one corner. They were unmarried young ladies who had entered the imperial palace with their mothers.
“Is this really alright? Even if we received permission, Her Majesty the Empress couldn’t have expected so many people…”
“I know. By the way, doesn’t it seem like everyone has similar thoughts?”
“Yes. It’s quite something, even if an opportunity arose, to think so many unmarried ladies would gather like this…”
While some young ladies cautiously surveyed their surroundings with worry and anxiety, others had eyes filled with expectation.
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know that this royal marriage was a contract between the two empires?”
“That’s right. It might be a bit early, but I think someone from Tessibania should be by His Majesty’s side.”
“I agree. It should be so, for the sake of the imperial family.”
The gazes of the young ladies saying this were directed towards one place. A young lady standing alone, straight-backed against the wall in the most secluded corner: Eurene Castallo.
If there were a single elegant lily drenched in morning dew, would it look just like that? Despite coming alone without any companions, no one dared approach her easily.
This was partly because, unlike the eldest Castallo son, she hardly ever appeared in social circles, and partly due to the rumors surrounding the Duchess of Castallo.
The ladies who had brought their daughters scanned Eurene, who was wearing a calm, mint-green dress and keeping her gaze lowered.
“I don’t understand what’s going on. How could the Duchess, who cherished her daughter so much that she hardly ever presented her properly, allow the young lady to go out?”
“She won’t be able to sit in the Empress’s seat anyway, so why did she come to a place like this?”
“Shh! My lady, don’t you know what happened to those who spoke of that rumor?”
The Emperor Emeritus’s mistress. What became of those who dared to speak of the rumors about the Duchess of Castallo? Without exception, they were either unable to set foot in the empire again or lived unhappy lives. It was a well-known fact that the Emperor Emeritus himself had dealt with them.
Belatedly, the noble ladies fell silent, watching their words carefully.
Although she couldn’t have been unaware of the whispers and glances directed at her, Eurene’s expression remained unchanged. Whether lost in thought or waiting for something, it was hard to tell.
Her gaze, which had been motionless, only moved when news arrived that the palace’s owner had arrived.
“Her Majesty the Empress is entering.”
All eyes turned towards the figure descending the high stairs.
Dressed in light riding pants and a flowing shirt, with her long hair tied back in a single tail, Vinea’s appearance was uncharacteristically simple for an Empress, yet her somewhat imperious bearing drew attention sharply.
The ladies who had attended the wedding naturally recalled the kiss between the Emperor and Empress on their wedding day. A kiss too passionate to be mere show, yet the two had been too beautiful nonetheless.
The noble ladies thought that perhaps the other rumor—that the Emperor had fallen for the new Empress’s beautiful appearance at first sight—might be true after all.
As she put on the leather gloves she had brought, Vinea scanned those bowing their heads towards her. Her gaze briefly touched on Eurene’s sky-blue hair in the corner before moving away.
“So, you all wish to accompany my schedule.”
At Vinea’s first words, the oldest noblewoman among those gathered stepped forward. She was the wife of Viscount Talio, the vice-commander of the Dawn Knight Order guarding the border.
“I behold the glory of Tessibania. I am Persana Talio, mistress of the Talio viscounty.”
As she straightened up, she gave a subtle nod to her daughter who was standing with the other young ladies. At that signal, her daughter approached the viscountess’s side.
She couldn’t have been more than ten years old. The eyes looking up fearfully seemed to contain no political purpose or self-interest.
The viscountess, who had put her young daughter in front, continued speaking.
“Actually, my husband is the vice-commander of the Dawn Knight Order, and it’s been a long time since the child has seen her father. So, I dared to request to accompany you, despite the impropriety.”
It was a plausible reason. A husband at the border, a wife and young daughter missing him.
As the Empress was using the magic circle installed in the imperial palace for her visit, it was a good opportunity to meet her husband without having to travel the dangerous road.
Whether that was her true intention or if she had other motives, only she would know.
Vinea slightly raised her head and scanned the other nobles with her eyes.
“It seems I could organize an excursion rather than inspect the Knight Order.”
Clearly, only the names of the noble ladies had been written on the letters requesting to accompany her, yet upon arrival, it was not uncommon to see cases where they had brought along their daughters, cousins, and nieces as well.
At Vinea’s mocking words, the nobles discreetly averted their gazes.
“H-How could we dare, Your Majesty? Absolutely not.”
The Viscountess Talio stepped forward, but her flustered state was evident. She too knew full well how they must appear now.
However, she truly was desperate for this opportunity. Although she had stepped forward as a representative due to the insistence of the other noble ladies, when else would she be able to see her husband stationed at the border along with her young daughter, if not now?
At that moment, Eurene, who had been standing quietly in the corner, stepped forward. Although all eyes turned to her, Eurene greeted Vinea with perfect etiquette, showing no signs of nervousness.
“I behold the glory of Tessibania. I am Eurene Castallo, daughter of Duke Castallo.”
Vinea’s eyes darkened at the sight of this persistent ill-fated connection they had encountered once again.
“I humbly beg your pardon, but I have something to say.”
“Speak.”
“I believe you must have been discomforted by our rude requests. There may be various reasons, but I think the strongest desire was that we didn’t want to miss this opportunity to see Your Majesty up close, as we haven’t had such a chance until now.”
Wasn’t the reason they hadn’t had a chance to see the Empress up close because she had been in seclusion since making an unexpected appearance at the merchant guild’s banquet?
However, Eurene neither pointed this out explicitly nor caused any displeasure, instead wrapping it all up as a noble desire to see the Empress. Some young ladies looked at Eurene with admiration.
“Please consider our feelings, and if the situation is not favorable, we will withdraw and wait for the day when Your Majesty formally summons us next time.”
It was a respectful attitude with no trace of rudeness.
Now the decision lay with Vinea. The older ladies who had been caught up in this situation with the Empress bowed their waists, uncomfortable but having no choice.
After a brief silence, Vinea spoke.
“I see. I can understand why you’ve gathered like this, since I haven’t held even a single common banquet. On His Majesty’s orders, the garden is under construction. I was planning to start full-fledged social activities once the construction is complete.”
Viscountess Talio cautiously asked.
“By construction, you mean…?”
“When I mentioned having headaches due to the Baloua fragrance, he said he would dig up the entire garden and create a small forest and pond.”
Those around gasped.
Baloua, what kind of flower was that again? It was the flower that the late Empress Dowager cherished more than anything. Brought from a distant foreign land across the sea, it was incredibly delicate and would wither immediately upon being picked. Because of this, each living blossom was worth its weight in gold.
Amidst the shocked faces of the people, Eurene’s pale complexion stood out.
Vinea’s brief gaze fell on her.
Her tightly closed lips, clenched fists, and trembling shoulders spoke of her current state of mind.
She must be uncomfortable. Anger must be welling up inside her. But so what? What could she do? The Baloua Garden, steeped in her childhood memories, was never hers to begin with.
Neither the one who married the Emperor nor the owner of this palace was her. Vinea took her eyes off Eurene with an indifferent face.
“I grant you permission to accompany me.”
With these brief words, Vinea turned around.
As if to remind everyone once again who the owner of this palace was, an undeniable aura emanated from her slender back.
Everyone slowly followed behind Vinea, watching each other’s reactions. Only Eurene remained standing in the central hall of the now-empty Empress’s Palace, her gaze fixed on Vinea’s back until it completely disappeared.
When everyone had completely gone, Eurene, who had been forcing a smile, relaxed her expression and bit her lower lip hard.
“Brother Tatar, why the garden…”
What kind of garden was that? It was where she had spent time with the late Empress Dowager and him.
The memory of him personally placing a flower crown on her head, saying the sky-blue petals of the Baloua resembled her, was still so vivid.
“It was because of the contract, because of duty. It couldn’t be helped, right? That’s it, isn’t it, brother…?”
Eurene closed her eyes tightly and then opened them again with a pained expression. Then she recalled once more the face of the Empress she had properly encountered for the first time today.
The place where the Empress stood, the garden the Empress had removed, this palace, even the position by his side. These were all things that should have been in her hands originally.
Her green eyes, brimming with tears, took in the empty hall.
“I sent a letter saying I was coming here…”
Until now, letters bearing the name Eurene Castallo had arrived directly to him without undergoing inspection. It was a kind of privilege. A proof and privilege that he regarded her as special.
However, at some point, replies stopped coming to the letters that had never been ignored before.
After he got married, after that woman entered this palace.
Eurene felt nauseous. Everything was a mess. As if someone was deliberately shaking up fate.
Her shadowed green eyes shed beautiful tears, like the ill-fated protagonist of a fairy tale.
