The Empress let out a soft, sarcastic laugh.
“I listened carefully to your foolish response.
At least send for Caster; it is enough to order him to buy something beautiful and expensive.
And of course, do not forget to present it to her with your own hand and tell her that you chose it yourself.”
“I will excuse myself now.”
The Empress did not respond as if she was not satisfied.
It seemed that the son also was not waiting for a response, so he left the place immediately.
'His father was brilliant and compassionate in these matters, I don't know who this boy looks like to be like this.'
At a time when he is supposed to offer his heart and soul to her, he says what?
“She doesn't seem interested in jewelry”?
It is clear without any need for deep thinking.
He has completely failed to be a lovable husband.
I don't even know if he will be able to get married at all.
***
Outside the Imperial Palace, in the city center—
Prince Gerold and Count Curtis entered an alley to have a light drink after dinner.
The old alley prided itself on its age with its bumpy stone road, but it held a beautiful atmosphere thanks to the streetlights recently installed here and there.
Gerold pushed open a shabby wooden door nestled between the stone walls.
This unsigned place was the bar that Gerold and Curtis frequented at least once a week, and was run by the widow of one of the Gray Owls who died in an accident while on a mission five years ago.
Gerold entered first and took long strides, but he soon noticed that Curtis who was behind him did not follow him inside.
‘……?’
Gerold placed his hand on the dagger fixed at his waist and slowly approached the exit.
He checked the alley through the small, dusty glass window, and only then did he raise his hand from the dagger.
Curtis was talking briefly with someone he had met by chance, but Gerold's features did not relax despite seeing this.
Because the person Curtis was talking to outside was none other than Marquis Cédric d'Albert.
Gerold did not like Cedric.
Of course, doing sea trade via Dalbert was very beneficial in terms of time and cost.
For this reason, he did not hold back in supporting the pirate purge, and he intended to maintain a good relationship and coexistence with him in the future.
But the looks of the Marquis watching Miss Atha in the banquet hall remained stuck in his mind.
These were not just the looks of a man who fell in love with a beautiful lady at first sight.
It was deeper than mere admiration and curiosity, but rather closer to affection and anger.
Just like someone looking at their woman who was stolen by someone else.
'...annoying'
When he hid his annoyance and sat down at the round table, his facial features remaining stiff, the wooden door opened and Curtis and Cedric entered.
They went straight to where Gerold was sitting, and it was Curtis who started talking.
“I was a little late.
As I was about to enter, I ran into someone I was pleased to see at the door.
I remembered that Your Excellency had said you would like to see him once, so I brought him with me.
This is Marquis Cédric d’Albert.”
He then proceeded to introduce Cedric directly.
“And this is Deputy Prime Minister Jerrold Prince.”
Cedric bowed respectfully towards Gerold.
“It is an honor to meet you.
I am Cedric d’Albert.”
Gerold got up from his seat with a very happy face as if he had never thought about being annoying, and extended his hand for a handshake.
“Oh!
I've heard a lot about you, your reputation has risen recently.”
Gerold and Cedric shook hands politely, and smiled at each other cordially.
If a stranger saw them, he would think they were friends who had not met for a long time.
Of course, Gerold was completely hiding his true intentions, and so was Cedric.
Cedric meeting Curtis in the city alley after sunset was not just a coincidence.
Curtis was someone who owned a suite in the Crown Prince's mansion, Blossom, and was playing an important role in the future development of Dalbert County.
So, Cedric had naturally followed his path.
It is necessary to increase personal meetings under the guise of chance to leave a good impression.
He was lucky to meet Curtis after two days of waiting in this alley, but meeting Gerold, the Crown Prince's right-hand man, was a real stroke of luck.
Cedric had discussed with Count Curtis several times and had confirmed the Crown Prince's great interest in maritime trade using Dalbert.
So, today he had to clearly prove how useful and valuable he was to his province.
Moreover, he had to express his gratitude for the full support he received in purging the pirates, raising his value as a loyal knight to the Crown Prince, the future Emperor, and even the empire as a whole.
who knows?
Maybe he even gets a little suite at Blossom?
It was clear that Dalbert would experience unprecedented prosperity if he officially became a Crown Prince.
As his thoughts and ambition turned towards Blossom's wings, Atha crossed his mind for a moment, but Cedric tried hard to push away the image of the beautiful woman that almost filled his head.
Maybe because she is not in front of his eyes now.
Fortunately, he succeeded in putting Atha out of his thoughts, and was able to focus entirely on his conversation with Gerold.
***
Until the end of dinner, the course [“Separate from my son”] that Atha had expected did not occur.
'Have I been reading too many erotic novels?
But even the original version of this novel was exciting enough, wasn't it?'
This is natural, as its title itself is “The Life of a Saint in Captivity.”
Moreover, Alisto had looked like a promising tyrant from the beginning.
Given the title or keywords of the characters, the clichés of the imperial palace conflicts were supposed to appear...
How could the mother of the promising tyrant and Empress of the Empire not utter a single harsh word while her son was dating a miss from a humble count family who had nothing?
And even give her a bag full of money and jewelry as a gift?
And you tell her let's get along well in the future?
This is completely unrealistic.
Well, since it's inside a novel, it's naturally unrealistic.
But for her, who grew up as an orphan, the Empress's unexpected gift left her with sweet expectations.
Have I really encountered a mother-in-law who can live with me in peace, even if she doesn't treat me like her own daughter?
Even though she knows that the world doesn't go that easy, but—
Couldn't that happen somehow?
‘If this novel had been labeled “Daily Life and Psychotherapy,” I would have been optimistic.’
She shook her head right and left as if to expel those false expectations.
The label “laser” was too heavy to allow for any kind of “psychotherapy.”
Atha suddenly lay down on her bed and closed her eyes, thinking that the luxurious bed and quilt were the best ever.
‘It would be nice if I could just stretch out like this, but I have to go to Her Majesty the Empress’s tea party as well…’
There is no fatigue like this in the world.
No, what's going on?
Since I entered the Imperial Palace, I have not had a single day of rest.
They say that an unemployed person dies from exhaustion, and it seems that I will actually die from exhaustion.
What happened about the “Imperial Prison” in the first place?
No matter how much I thought about it, on the day of the arranged encounter, I went wrong in the temple's lavender garden.
'Should I escape tonight and be caught, so my range of movement will be limited to Blossom Palace only?'
If that happened, I wouldn't have to go to banquets or tea parties, and since the garden was located inside the Blossom Palace, strolling would also be possible.
In fact, Blossom Mansion already had a gorgeous garden, as well as a backyard perfect for picnics, a small lake, and a forest of tangerine trees.
She seriously considered feigning escape to get a more comfortable “Imperial Prison,” then fell into a deep sleep as if she had lost consciousness.
Because she slept without washing, Ruby used a soft cloth and warm water to wipe off Atha's makeup only, then quietly left the bedroom.
At dawn, when the rest of the maids had left and all the noise inside the palace had subsided—
The space above the side table next to Atha's bed was strangely distorted.
After a moment, a white letter envelope emerged from the distorted void and settled on the table.
The space quickly returned to its normal state, as if nothing had happened.
The white envelope was sealed with a logo symbolizing the temple.