The introduction to the letter was long.
The letter did not get to the point until after two full pages of simple greetings, idle chatter, and feigned concerns.
[...Also, it's a pity that I couldn't deliver the king's gift to you.
It seems that the Empire prohibits giving any kind of medicine to the Empress.
Instead, I'm sending you a small token of sincerity, hoping it can help you buy anything you might need.]
Yasiris took out the coin that was inside the envelope with the letter.
When she counted the coins that fell on her delicate hand, it was one gold and 18 silver.
Sure, this was no small amount, but it was seriously lacking to present to the Empress of the Empire with any sense of pride.
None of her jewelry was worth less than 10 gold, after all.
“Could it be...”
Was this the money left over from reselling the potions?
Are they suggesting she buy those things again with this?
The reasonable assumption gave Yasaris a headache.
It was a great talent to make her neck, which had been quiet for several days, twitch.
“Throw it in the stove and burn it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Yasiris handed the letter to her maid and got up from her seat.
She opened the window, hoping to get some fresh air to clear her dizzy head.
A garden made up of her favorite flowers appeared.
She saw a squirrel, she didn't know where it came from, climbing up and down a tree far away.
A flock of birds flew across the vast sky, riding the cool breeze.
Freedom.
Yasiris remembered one word from the vast scene and her face turned bitter.
It was a world she couldn't experience.
Since falling into Kazan's hands, she has not made a single personal outing, only attending official events.
Yasiris consciously took a deep breath to get rid of the feeling of suffocation.
She stared expressionlessly at the garden before turning her face away.
It's been seven days since the day she collapsed.
At least, she felt comfortable knowing that she could go out to the park tomorrow and finish her day in peace.
That was the day before the turning point came.
The day started out normally.
Yasiris bathed briefly, changed her clothes, and forced herself to eat breakfast.
Even though she was struggling with morning sickness, Viscount Lavaro had been in charge of her diet ever since she fainted, making swallowing easier than before.
The only difficulty was forcing her to eat without appetite.
“I will have light refreshments in the garden for lunch today.”
“I will return it”
The clear sky naturally caught her attention.
The weather was perfect for taking a walk and getting some fresh air after a long time.
Perhaps for this reason, an unexpected guest came to Yasiris while she was quietly looking out the window.
“Your Majesty, Duke Blake has requested an interview.”
“Duke Blake?”
Timsian Blake.
He was the man who hosted the evening banquet on the day of Runelia's coronation ceremony.
They had only exchanged formal greetings a few times and had never been close enough to visit her in person.
“Did he mention his purpose?”
“He just said he wanted to have a little chat.”
What a strange thing.
Nabil from Ozevia comes to see me.
Yasiris thought for a moment.
There was no obvious reason why a known Kazan loyalist would suddenly visit her.
It wasn't just about Duke Blake.
It was rare for any noble to visit her, as they could not get anything from her.
A helpless scarecrow who cannot handle the affairs of the Emperor's state.
A puppet who couldn't even get the simplest request no matter how much she begged the Emperor.
It had no power, and if you mishandled it, it was a dangerous element that could explode at any moment.
The nobles saw Yasiris as someone who could only be useful for correcting the Emperor's whims when he decided to play with her.
Yasiris was keenly aware of this perception.
“Has the Emperor caused another disturbance?”
“I haven't heard anything about that.”
This made the visit even more confusing.
However, there was no point in thinking about it alone, so Yasiris nodded.
“Tell him I'll be going to the reception room soon.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Yasiris put a light shawl over her hiking clothes.
Without any other decorations, she headed to the reception room.
“Duke Blake”
“I salute the glorious moon of the empire.”
Timsyan immediately stood up and greeted her respectfully when she entered.
Despite being the puppet empress, he maintained proper decorum, and showed his polite attitude.
But perhaps that was the extent of it.
“What brings you here?”
Yasiris asked as she sat down, watching Temesian.
The man, with the prominent scar on his face, was the head of a family that had pledged unwavering loyalty to the royal family of Tinilath for generations.
Emperor's dog.
A man who could never be her ally.
“I heard that Your Majesty is sick, so I came to visit you.”
Yasiris did not immediately understand Temesyan's words.
She thought about the connection between her illness and his visit, and then after a moment she realized.
“A visit to heal…?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I have also brought some fruits that are believed to be beneficial for your recovery.”
He was honest.
Yasiris looked at the fruit basket placed in the middle of the table with a silent expression.
It was the first healing gift she had received here.
“Why?” ,
The sudden question made Temsian blink.
“How can I not be worried when the Empress of the Empire is sick?
It is right for a person to be worried.”
Of course.
This is a normal reaction.
My treatment was abnormal.
Yasiris was shocked by how accustomed she was to the anomaly.
The fact that one year as Empress had overtaken her entire life as Princess overwhelmed her heart again, and she spoke in a sharp tone.
“No one else showed interest in my well-being.”
“The Sun of the Empire would be extremely troubled to hear such words.
You know how much he cherishes your majesty.”
“Aziz… Even if that's true, isn't it a little late for a healing visit?”
“I had intended to visit earlier, but visits have been prohibited for a week.
I thought Your Majesty was seriously ill, but I am relieved that this is not the case.”
That's why no one came.
Yasiris closed her mouth at Temesian's direct response.
She did not expect any Osivia noble to respect her as a person, let alone that he would be the Emperor's right-hand man.
Because he held a banquet just for Runelia, Yasiris naturally thought that he hated her.
“...Have you planned a banquet for my wedding as well?”
“How did you know?
Although it was canceled due to lack of approval, preparations have been made.”
Yasiris let out a short breath.
In the end, it all revolves around that damned emperor.
There are good people like this.
No, it should be neutral.
His actions were most likely for Tinilath's sake and not for my sake.
Quickly correcting her thoughts, Yasiris nodded and slightly pulled the fruit basket towards her.
There was no reason to refuse a gift from one of the rare people who didn't hate her.
“I will accept it with gratitude.”
“I'm the one who should be grateful for your acceptance.”
Temesyan smiled widely, and took out a small bag from his pocket.
The packaging was charming, quite the opposite of his rough appearance.
“Actually, I was planning to eat this alone, but in the hope of Your Majesty’s speedy recovery, I will share it.”
“What is it?”
“Biscuits made by my wife.
They are very healthy and delicious.
They may even beat the most famous bakery in the capital.”
“…I understand.
The Duchess has a very fruitful pastime.”
“Haha, I actually proposed to her because I fell in love with her cooking.
I have never regretted this marriage.”
Yasiris felt her tension dissipate.
Although she didn't know everything about Temesian yet, she understood that he was harmless.
He seemed articulate enough to proudly mention that his wife cooked, a humble trait among nobles.
For the first time in the Ozevia Empire, Yasiris had a comfortable conversation with someone.
She became immersed in the Duke's strange and surprisingly talkative stories, and found herself faced with a proposition that was difficult to respond to.
“The new restaurant has been rumored to be very delicious, so my wife and I visited it, and it was actually excellent.
Now that Your Majesty is feeling better, how about we have lunch there sometime?”
“...Duke, I...”
Yasiris hesitated for a moment, studying Temsian.
One of the things she realized during their conversation was that this man was more oblivious than she thought.
He only paid attention to his areas of interest and was somewhat lackluster with regard to other information.
For example, he did not know that Yasiris lived a life close to prison.
Such trivial things were unknown to him.
These were things he would have known if he had paid a little attention.
“If His Majesty the Emperor allows it… I will go.”
Yasiris didn't want to reveal her entire situation to Timisyan, so she avoided it as much as possible.
She planned to postpone the visit indefinitely and later pretend to forget it.
You wouldn't really ask Kazan for permission.
“Your desire to share good food with your husband truly shows the motherly nature of the Empress.”
“This is a misunderstanding.
It is not so...”
“So shall we go now?”
"Sorry?"
“It is almost lunch time.
Let us ask His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Wait, Duke.”
"I'll cover the cost of the date.
It's been a long time since I've done something nice.
Haha!"
Wasn't he not only eccentric but actually crazy?
Yasiris tried to stop Temsian with a stunned expression, but at the worst possible moment, the worst person appeared.
track-
“Who will date whom?”