Chapter 021
“It’s not a joke. I really……”
“Madam! I’ve brought the water!”
Just as I was about to say more, May, who had gone to fetch water, returned.
Evan, noticing May approaching, quickly got up and brushed off his seat.
The faint smile that had been lingering at the corner of his mouth vanished like smoke.
“Then please rest a bit more before you go back.”
Seeing Evan quickly move away to where the knights were, I let out a faint sigh.
“Madam! Please drink some water. Are you feeling better now?”
As I drank the water May handed me, I wondered if the words I had said earlier about wanting to protect him had sounded so ridiculous.
‘Well, considering how I probably look to that man—just a woman who’s been in a pathetic relationship for over ten years—it’s not surprising he wouldn’t believe me.’
I steadied my resolve as I watched Evan among the knights.
If he doesn’t believe me, I’ll just have to make him believe from now on.
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A few days later.
The opportunity to show my true feelings came sooner than expected.
“Honestly, I don’t really want to go.”
While drinking tea, I muttered as I recalled the schedule for tomorrow.
Before I knew it, a day had come when Evan and I would officially attend an event as a couple.
One troubling point was that the host of the party was the Empress.
“If he has any sense, Delos won’t show up at the banquet tomorrow, right?”
Thinking about Delos, who had been silent since the wedding, I shook off my unnecessary worries.
What mattered more was how Evan and I would present ourselves at the banquet tomorrow.
Since the banquet is hosted by the Empress at the palace, many nobles are expected to attend.
Given that our marriage has attracted so much attention, countless eyes will be on us.
“Just wait. I’m someone who always keeps my promises.”
I set down my teacup and smiled faintly.
It was time to execute the first plan I had in mind.
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On the day of the banquet.
The event I was attending today was a social gathering for nobles that the Empress held once a month.
Anyone who was a noble, regardless of their family, could attend, so it was typically quite large.
Among the attendees, there were nobles participating to build connections with high-ranking aristocrats.
“Let’s go in.”
Seeing the line of nobles entering, I got out of the carriage and followed suit.
As I stepped into the banquet hall, I was greeted by an abundance of yellow roses, known to be the Empress’s favorite.
As I entered the hall, greeted by the scent of roses, I felt a stir of excitement from the crowd around me.
“They must be close if they’re attending the banquet together.”
“Look at that. It seems the rumors were true.”
It seemed that wherever I went, there would be loud voices making comments.
Since my sudden marriage to Evan, various rumors have emerged in high society, one of which claimed that we fell in love at first sight and quickly got married.
Following that, the second most prevalent rumor was that our relationship was not just good but extremely passionate.
It was likely that the second rumor arose from the incident in bed a few days ago.
‘Well… even if it’s not true, it’s actually beneficial for such rumors to spread.’
As I had anticipated, the more people talked about the good relationship between our families, the more Evan’s status would rise, especially after he had endured all sorts of insults due to his background.
As I naturally looked around, it seemed that the host of today’s party, the Empress, had not yet made her appearance.
While scanning the surroundings, I suddenly spotted a familiar face on the opposite side.
‘That person is…’
Recognizing who she was, I let out a deep sigh inwardly.
She was the Empress’s personal maid, and she was staring intently at my face.
Standing just a step away from the banquet hall, she was waiting for me to approach her.
I glanced at Evan, who was standing right next to me.
Since I had warned him that we needed to appear somewhat friendly in front of the many onlookers, he was silently standing by my side.
“Evan, could you lend me your ear for a moment…?”
I stood on my toes and placed my hand on his shoulder as I spoke.
His shoulders stiffened instantly, and no matter how much I pressed, they didn’t relax.
Reluctantly, I stood a bit taller and whispered softly so only he could hear.
“I’ll be stepping away for a moment. You can manage on your own, right?”
“Do you think I’m a child? I’ll be fine, so go ahead.”
I felt worried, wondering if he was going to sit quietly among those who insulted him like before.
Noticing my concern, he frowned and looked at me with an incredulous expression.
Smiling slightly, I turned away from him.
As I walked, I kept feeling a stinging sensation in the back of my head, so I looked back, but he had turned his head to the opposite side.
‘Did I feel it wrong?’
I fiddled with my hair and turned back again.
When I finally reached the maid, she bowed her head and greeted me.
“Greetings, Duchess Ballestain. I will take you to where Her Majesty is.”
Hearing that, I had to struggle to keep my furrowed brow from tightening even more.
“Alright. Let’s go right now.”
Even though I wondered what I could possibly discuss with the Empress since I had already parted ways with Delos, I decided to follow silently.
After all, if I didn’t go today, there was a high chance she would find another way to summon me later.
After walking for a few minutes, we arrived at a small greenhouse near the banquet hall.
Here too, there were plenty of yellow roses blooming, just like in the banquet hall.
“It’s been a while, Dahlia.”
In the greenhouse, a woman leisurely sipping tea greeted me.
“……Your Majesty.”
Setting down her teacup, the Empress gestured for me to sit in the chair in front of her.
Naturally, I expected Delos to be here as well, but it seemed I was mistaken; only the Empress was present.
‘Should I be relieved?’
If it wasn’t about something related to Delos, what could the Empress Dowager want to discuss with me?
As I stood still without sitting down, the Empress smiled gently and tried to engage me in a friendly manner.
“Please, sit down. The tea tastes especially good today.”
“Yes, thank you.”
As I sat in the chair she indicated, a teacup and some snacks were immediately set before me.
I watched the servant pouring the tea with a blank expression when I noticed a familiar embroidery pattern in front of me.
The wide garment with blue embroidery on the end was not something a servant would wear.
‘This is…’
I shifted my gaze to the face of the person who had placed the tea down.
“I hope the tea suits your taste.”
As our eyes met, the man smiled and stepped back.
Although I hadn’t spoken to him before, I knew exactly who he was.
‘It’s that man from before.’
That night when the rebellion broke out.
He was the personal magician who had run away with Delos.
He had entered the palace as a low-ranking magician and, at some point, gained the favor of both the Empress and Delos, quickly rising to become their personal magician.
‘Why is this man here…?’
I looked at the man pouring tea with a confused expression.
Noticing my confusion, the Empress preempted my concerns.
“Ah, don’t mind him. I just called him because he’s good at serving tea.”
“Yes. I see…”
I nodded with a slightly uneasy face.
As the Empress said, he really did just pour the tea before returning to where the maids were waiting.
Meanwhile, the Empress, who had been leisurely savoring her tea, set her cup down and began to speak.
“Well, I didn’t call you to ask why things turned out this way. I’m just curious about how you’ve been lately.”
“Thank you for your concern. I’m just living as normally as anyone else.”
“I see.”
The Empress smiled warmly at my response, expressing her relief. After that, the conversation continued without much meaning.
I wondered if there was some hidden meaning in her words, but no matter how much I thought about it, the Empress was genuinely sharing ‘everyday stories’ with me.
How long did this strange conversation go on?
“Oh my, I’m afraid I’ve taken up too much of your time.”
The empress, with a satisfied look on her face, allowed me to leave, saying that I could go back alone now.
