On the other hand, Atha who was anticipating the track [“Break Up With My Son”] was slightly disappointed.
The dinner with the Empress had already lasted two hours, and the money envelope did not seem to intend to appear.
It was not as if they were having a friendly conversation, quite the opposite.
The Empress was sitting opposite her and just watching her while she ate quietly.
From time to time, she would put some food on her plate as if to encourage her to eat.
“It's so delicious”
Although Atha was giving her thumbs up and widening her eyes in admiration, the Empress was content with a light laugh as she sipped her wine.
In keeping with the reputation of the Imperial Palace, the food was sumptuous and tasted great.
Especially the steak which was one of the main dishes, it was indescribably impressive.
She originally loves beef, so what if it is grilled so tenderly that it melts in the mouth.
Because she did not want the meat to disappear from her mouth, she chewed it very slowly.
'Why... why do you keep staring at me so intently?'
It couldn't be said that the Empress's banquet was comfortable even if one lied.
And at the moment Atha thought: ‘I will never be able to come again...’!
The Empress took out a small handbag and placed it on the table, then slowly pushed it towards Atha.
Atha felt instinctively that the longed-for moment had finally arrived.
Will the money envelope trail finally begin?
She tried hard to hide her excitement and showed an expression of feigned confusion.
“M, what is this...”
Only then, she could hear the Empress's voice again after two hours had passed.
“Open it”
Atha hesitantly pulled out the bag and opened it.
The bag was filled with a thick envelope and jewels that shone brightly.
She couldn't estimate its value, but it seemed quite enough to ask her son's lover to leave.
I thought a little—
If I say this is not enough as a condition for leaving Alisto, will you give me more?
Giving up the imperial prison and leaving on a bumpy road for just this...
Doesn't the bag look a little small?
Although she wanted to negotiate with all her heart, she did not have enough courage.
‘If you ask me to leave the palace immediately, I will say: Yes!
And leave'
While Atha was watching the Empress's lips intently—
“Let's get along well in the future.”
“Yes, I will do that...”
Yes?
“…k”
They were completely different words than I expected.
Atha was completely confused, while the Empress thought her voice was like that of a goat and sipped another mouthful of wine.
'What a fun baby girl'
The Alisto that Onisia knew had not shown any interest in the opposite sex since his adolescence.
He tried a few times to enter into love relationships, but whether through the eyes of the mother or through the eyes of the woman, it was...
'He did not view them as attractive partners, but rather he observed them as if he were studying strange living creatures.'
Frankly, when she heard the news of her son writing a marriage contract with the saint, she thought he had received a special revelation from the temple.
I believed that there must be a reason parallel to the revelation even if it was not a revelation itself.
Because the Empress always looked at Alisto and thought that, despite being her son, he was a man who failed at falling in love and marrying.
But what a surprise!
[‘Just remember that she is the woman I chose because I loved her’]
It was an expression she had never seen on his face throughout his entire upbringing into adulthood.
With that look full of concern and caution, mixed with a hint of warning, she instinctively realized the matter.
Love has finally knocked on my son's door.
So, she had no choice but to be curious about what kind of young lady her son’s life partner was.
Honestly, when she received the research report on Count Hermann's family, she didn't quite like it.
Not just because the family is humble, but for another reason.
How to say?
Maybe because of their low level?
Atha's mother, the former saintly Mrs.
Hermann, is only an exaggerated follower of money.
The husband is a frivolous man.
And the son is a gambler.
As for Miss Atha... although she is the best among them, she legally ran away from her home with a man even before completing the marriage contract.
It was really disappointing, but—
The Atha she actually saw was interesting to watch.
She seemed friendly because she smiled a lot, and although she looked as small as a scrawny foal, her voice was like a newborn baby goat, which made her suitably cute.
She also ate the dishes presented to her with great appetite.
She was giving a specific impression.
Like meeting a small wild animal.
When you take any snack out of your pocket to tempt him.
An animal approaches cautiously, sniffs, and then eagerly devours the meal offered to it.
The Empress had grown up in a comfortable life, even though she was a commoner.
She was the daughter of the owner of the largest bakery in the vibrant capital area.
Of course she had never met wild animals like this before, but she had imagined it through the illustrations in the fantasy stories she had read to Alisto when he was young.
Imagine sharing snacks with a small, skinny animal, and befriending them.
Now, she holds small tea parties, banquets, and bazaars, and has a lot of simple chores so she doesn't get bored, but it was different then.
When she first entered the imperial palace, she had no acquaintances, and she did not fit in, so she felt lonely.
The Empress thought about her old days quietly, and realized that Atha's situation was similar to her own.
Although she was a commoner and Miss Atha was the daughter of a count, Count Hermann's family was very humble.
At least in the province, they could boast of owning land and serfs even if they were not fertile, but in the capital they were no different from commoners.
‘It was said that Ms.
Herman is planning to return to the county once her daughter’s marriage price is paid, isn’t it?’
This means she has no family to support her.
It was the same way in the past.
Well, just looking at the situation, my situation was much worse.
So I was hoping that the woman who would become the next empress would be the daughter of a distinguished noble family...
But a lady entered who looked like a little goat interested in eating?
My son has really strange taste even though he is my son.
“There is a tea party the day after tomorrow at noon, can you come?”
Then, the movement of Atha's fork, which had never slowed down until the bag was opened, gradually stopped.
"tea party?"
The Empress smiled as she looked at the trembling tip of Atha's thorn.
“The tea party will be attended by many young ladies of your age.
If you find a close friend, life in the imperial palace will not be so lonely.”
Atha swallowed the meat in her mouth and asked in amazement.
"Yes?"
“Do you feel uncomfortable?”
She shook her head quickly.
“No, I'm not uncomfortable.”
The Empress smiled gently.
She couldn't believe that Atha's words came from her heart.
Who is the daughter of the humble count who dares to say that she is uncomfortable in front of her?
Whatever that little goat had in mind, the Empress was satisfied because she had found a nickname to call her affectionately.
“That's good.
Are there any desserts you like?
The chef at Qasr al-Ward is very good at making desserts.”
The problem was Atha.
Honestly, she just wanted to lie down on her bed tomorrow and the day after, whether it was a tea party or something else.
But she couldn't say that to the empress's face, so she mentioned the most expensive sweets she knew with a resigned spirit.
“I, I love cakes”
***
Alisto appeared in the Empress's banquet hall after Atha left.
The Empress knew as soon as her son appeared after Atha's departure that he had been watching the whole time.
“I did not treat that child badly.”
“I just passed by”
Alisto greeted the Empress and then got straight to the point without sitting down.
“What happened about going to the temple?”
The Empress summoned the maid with a wave of her hand and pointed to the empty cup.
The elegant maid filled her glass with wine and then withdrew.
“Calaves agreed.
Was what he swallowed in his throat big?
I don’t know if he would have been able to digest it.”
This means that he accepted ownership of the McGirty Hotel.
Alisto nodded.
“That's enough”
When he turned around, as if his mission had been completed, the Empress said to Alisto in a low voice: “Give Miss Atha a jewelry set as a gift.”
Alisto did not immediately process her words.
‘……?’
While he was wondering the reason for this sudden request.
The Empress sighed as she looked at her son who did not understand her meaning, then added: “Even if the person who invited that child today is not me, why is it that the lady invited to dinner is not wearing even a single necklace around her neck?”
His mother spoke as if Alisto had made the saint look shabby.
But—
“She seems to have no interest in jewellery.
I have already filled the cupboards of the dressing room in the Almond Wing with all kinds of jewels, gold coins and decorations.”
“And of all that, what did you yourself give as a gift?”
“……”
His mother clicked her tongue as if she was seeing a fool for the first time in her life.
“Tsk.
If you had experienced love at your age, you would know what to do.
Go to the jeweler tomorrow immediately.”
“I'm busy tomorrow,” the fool replied.