After dinner, I had a sword match with Sir Bern. We did it near the White Palace’s main gate, as the garden with a bench under the lilac tree is visible from the Emperor’s office window.

Sir Bern won only once out of three matches, and each time he blamed himself for not controlling his strength well.

This morning, ten days before the royal wedding, the head chamberlain of the main palace came to the office.

He greeted the head maid Anna with his eyes and then formally greeted Patricia. The head chamberlain asked about the schedule, and Anna answered.

“Then, after having afternoon tea with Countess Schmidt, you can come to His Majesty’s salon in the main palace.”

His Majesty’s salon?

Patricia asked what the business was.

“Madame Terra has completed the wedding attire and evening dress. For His Majesty as well. She says she will check the final balance of the two of you after you both try them on.”

Together, necessarily? It would be awkward.

“Dinner with His Majesty is scheduled afterward.”

“I understand.”

“Then, I’ll see you this afternoon.”

After Patricia expressed discomfort with the Emperor entering her bedroom without notice, the Emperor, who had shown a cold expression, did not come to the White Palace after breakfast that day.

She saw him a few times from afar by chance, but he passed by with a face as stiff as a statue, merely accepting greetings. As the objective and physical distance grew, the Emperor seemed stern and difficult to approach.

Patricia already felt drained at the thought of wearing wedding attire alongside the Emperor.

Cicadas were fiercely chirping in the shade of summer trees.

*

“Annie, I’ll go with the purple dress after all.”

“Your Highness, the pink dress Annie chose is brighter and suits you better.”

Patricia chose the purple dress for the afternoon. The taupe dress Annie recommended was made of chiffon with many ruffles and was elaborate, but the deep neckline would reveal her cleavage.

Princess, wear your dress modestly.

Patricia furrowed her brow, recalling the Emperor’s words on the day she arrived in Karsik.

There was a subtle difference when she tried on the dresses. The taupe dress had a deeper neckline. Small laces were also attached standing up around the neckline.

The Karsik dress was also made of chiffon, but it had an inner lining added to the body and the ruffles were significantly reduced, making the dress fit snugly and appear neat.

The neckline was also about one centimeter higher, and the lace was attached flat, covering more of the chest area. The sleeves also came down to the elbows.

Though the material was the same, the taupe dress design was brighter and more sophisticated. However, Patricia wore the Karsik dress. It looked neat and calm.

In Pana Castle, she was used to seeing the Emperor in a robe or with his shirt buttons loosened, but here in the capital Karsik Palace, he always wore his formal uniform with the collar buttoned up tightly.

At Tane Academy, there was a prejudice that he was arrogant and willful, but the Emperor she saw here was neat without any sloppiness and looked strict.

Such an Emperor… Strangely, when his face came very close, his sharp nose bridge and green eyes, visible only partially, looked sensual, even decadent, unlike usual.

After all, maintaining distance was good for both the heart and mental health.

Patricia chuckled. He had obtained an antidote for Patrick and was going to cure his illness, so there was no need to clash over mere dress preferences.

Patricia thought that if Patrick got healthy, she could even kiss the Emperor’s feet. Her mood was elevated at the thought of seeing Patrick soon.

Patricia picked up a folding fan with purple lace to match her dress and twirled around, mimicking dance movements.

She was inherently cheerful, enjoyed dancing the minuet and waltz, and had a bright and lively disposition that often laughed.

Due to her mother’s strict education emphasizing modesty and dignity, she had learned to suppress her emotions, lower her eyes calmly, and maintain a composed lady’s posture.

However, when riding horses or wielding swords with Patrick and Eden, she couldn’t hide her true nature and acted playfully, smiling as brightly as sunshine.

Patricia, who had been dancing, twisted her waist fully and opened the purple lace folding fan with a snap to match her dress, hiding her face before lowering it to look at Eva and Annie.

“How is it? Do I look like a proper lady?”

“You look like a fairy, not just a lady.”

“If I were a man, I would have fallen for you at first sight.”

Eva and Annie made a fuss.

“You little hedgehogs.”

Knock knock knock.

Following the knocking sound, the maid Lena entered.

She brought medicine sent by the imperial physician, saying it was a tonic. They were small black pills, five of them.

As instructed by Lady Leak, Lena swapped one of the contraceptive pills she had received through her sister Mina with one of the tonic pills, and individually wrapped five pills in paper. Fortunately, the size and color of the pills were the same.

“It’s to supplement my body?”

“Yes.”

“Are there any precautions?”

“You should take it regularly on an empty stomach in the morning. They said it won’t be effective if you forget even for a day.”

In fact, the imperial physician hadn’t mentioned any precautions. These precautions were Lady Leak’s instructions.

“Why are there so many?”

“It’s a three-month supply, Your Highness. I will prepare it for you every morning.”

“I’ll take care of it myself. Lena, you need to prepare breakfast.”

“I must diligently prepare it for you every day…”

“No, Lena. I don’t want to open my bedroom from early morning. At ten o’clock, you can bring breakfast then.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Then please take them well.”

After Lena left, Patricia turned to Eva and Annie with a bright smile.

“Eva, did you hear? This… It’s a body supplement pill, so make sure to take it. You need to take it regularly every morning.”

“No, Your Highness. Why are you giving this to me?”

“As you know, I’m too healthy. Eva, your knees, shoulders, back, and waist all hurt. Take this and gain strength to take care of Patrick. In Tane, the only people I can trust are Eva, Annie, and Eden.”

Until I return to Tane.

“Your Highness.”

Eva pulled the hem of her skirt to wipe her eyes.

“And Annie.”

Patricia gave her a pouch containing jewelry made of gold and diamonds. She had selected valuable items from the wedding gifts.

“Sell these and arrange a house to live with Eva in Tane.”

They couldn’t stay in the West Tower without Patricia when they returned to Tane. As long as Empress Pamila was there, they couldn’t enter as palace maids or servants.

When leaving for the Karsik Empire, she hadn’t thought of sending them back to Tane. But upon arrival, she found that the White Palace maids were uncomfortable with the nanny and maid brought from Tane.

Eva was older than the head maid Anna, so they awkwardly addressed each other formally, and the head maid didn’t give Eva separate tasks. Instead, Eva looked for work while being mindful of the head maid’s mood.

Annie helped with bathing and casual clothes, but Patricia couldn’t send Eva back to Tane alone.

It’s just a year anyway. We might return to Tane even sooner than that.

“Let Sir Eden know where you’re staying, and Annie, take care of Eva.”

When I return, let’s all gather and live in the West Tower together.

*

While having afternoon tea, Countess Schmidt emphasized that this was the last and most important part of the wedding night education.

“Women can know their likely pregnancy period through regular menstrual cycles.”

The Countess informed her about the fertile period and foods and lifestyle habits to be cautious of. Patricia listened attentively. She needed to remember well to avoid pregnancy.

“After you return from your honeymoon, the head maid and chamberlain will discuss and check the dates for consummation.”

“They even decide that?”

After asking this, Patricia blushed.

Hoho. This princess is really pure and innocent. Should I raise the level a bit more?

The Countess smiled mischievously and said,

“Well, it would have a higher success rate for conception if the head maid who knows Your Highness’s menstrual cycle and the chamberlain who checks His Majesty’s physical condition discuss it.”

“Ah, yes.”

“You remember I mentioned last time that His Majesty also received education? He listened half-heartedly for the first two times, but eventually got irritated and never completed it. So the Empress Dowager was very worried. But this time…”

The Countess paused for a moment and slowly drank from her water glass. While observing Patricia’s reaction. The bland water transformed into a sweet and savory taste of the situation on her tongue.

Gulp.

Patricia also picked up her water glass and drank. She always felt thirsty when talking with the Countess. Why did her mouth feel so dry even though she was embarrassed?

Waiting for Patricia to put down her water glass, the Countess continued,

“This time, he seriously listened to methods using eye contact, voice, ears, hands, and so on.”

Countess Schmidt raised her gloved fingers in the air.

“Ah, Countess. I think you don’t need to say more.”

The Countess trembled with admiration seeing the Princess’s face, which had turned as red as a tomato.

From what the Countess knew, the Emperor also had no experience. Just imagining the wedding night of these two young and beautiful people made the Countess’s heart flutter warmly.

“Your Highness. You are at your most beautiful now.”

Countess Schmidt had been in charge of chaperoning and wedding night education for numerous noble young ladies within the Karsik Empire.

At parties with many people or small tea parties, ladies hid their true feelings and adorned themselves with pretense, making it difficult to grasp their deep inner selves.

However, after talking face-to-face a few times about intimate matters, she could discern even the hidden character of the young ladies.

Even young ladies who packaged themselves with modesty and pretense as taught by their families couldn’t hide their curiosity about sex.

If you gently scratched and dug deep into one thing, they would reveal their inner thoughts all at once, like unearthing root vegetables from the soil.

Countess Schmidt usually had no interest in ladies and didn’t bother to dig deeply into the soil.

Very rarely, there was a lady who piqued the Countess’s interest. Patricia was one of them.

The firm and taut bodies of young ladies were all supreme, whether voluptuous or slender. Their faces were also all beautiful regardless of makeup skills, as it depended on how they groomed themselves.

What the Countess paid attention to was the impression given off by habits ingrained over a long time and the inherent character that emerged from within. There were people who were so charming that even other women were magnetically attracted to them.

The Princess had nothing that bothered the Countess’s sharp eyes. She had a nature as bright and radiant as the sun that couldn’t be hidden.

The more they met, the more she wanted to meet her. She revealed herself honestly without packaging, yet maintained her dignity and elegance.

Perhaps the Emperor would fall for her charms after spending just a few times together. No, the Emperor had already fallen for her. On the first day of the wedding night education, the Emperor who came with a sword had a desperate look in his eyes, wanting to see her even one more time.

With skin so white that not even veins were visible, an expression as fresh as a powdered flower bud, sea-blue eyes full of rich emotions under a moderately prominent forehead. Clear features. A body that seemed delicate yet subtly muscular and voluptuous, a voice that wrapped around you… Perhaps, the Emperor… Hm.

Before winter ends, he’ll be completely smitten with the Princess, unable to escape.