“Yes.”

“So it is…….”

As I silently nodded, one of the knights with a parting on the left nodded his head. It seemed strangely that only this man had been speaking all along.

I couldn’t tell who was who, they were identical like twins. Perhaps the only difference was the parting in their red hair.

“If the Empress Mama approves, I would like to escort you nearby. Since there has been no official announcement yet, we don’t know what may happen.”

“Ah.”

“If Empress Mama consents, the Emperor will also permit it.”

Feeling something oppressive, I awkwardly smiled.

“I’m not sure……. This doesn’t seem to be a matter I can decide alone.”

“If you find this burdensome, will you allow outsiders to enter when they visit?”

“Well… that should be fine.”

I felt like they would put more pressure on me if I didn’t agree. It hadn’t felt uncomfortable while I was in the Star Palace, but this place was very uncomfortable, perhaps because the knight was emphatically saying only what he wanted.

It seemed that Shasha felt the same way.

“Ron. Don’t burden the Empress Mama.”

“Ah.”

“And you didn’t even properly greet her.”

The man who had been quiet beside me finally spoke, with a displeased expression.

“That’s true. I apologize. It’s my first time attending to someone so esteemed, and I unintentionally only spoke my part. I apologize.”

“It’s alright.”

“Allow me to introduce myself again. I, who have been speaking to Empress Mama until now, am Ron Gelleis. And I am Ken Gelleis. As you can see, we are twins.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Finally hearing both of their names, I slowly nodded my head.

That was all. Ron seemed to have much more to say, but Ken restrained him.

“You mustn’t speak until the person you’re attending to speaks first, Ron. So mind your manners.”

“……I don’t like it.”

At first, they seemed mischievous, but now they were distinctly different from what I had expected. The twins I knew usually squabbled with each other…….

‘This place is different.’

From ancient times, twins have symbolized misfortune. In the royal family, when twins were born, the less fortunate twin would often be cast away, so bad things always happened to twins.

Even a child born in the precious royal family was treated this way, and other children were no different.

Twins were seen as divided from one life, so they were generally considered incomplete and thought to create accidents and incidents.

Crimes and bad deeds were also attributed to twins.

So the old people unhesitatingly said that if one of the twins died, the family would be ruined.

In Isabella’s memory, it was so. That’s why one of Isabella’s friends disappeared when she was very young.

She was a twin with her brother, and when her brother was often injured, the family killed the sister.

It was quite horrific, and Isabella cried a lot when she found out later, but the girl’s name was completely erased from everyone’s memory.

‘So those two are quite strange. It’s not enough for twins to be together; they’re even knights in the royal palace.’

How many dangers have they faced over the years?

My thoughts and the thoughts of this world were totally different, so that fact itself was uncomfortable.

“We are almost there. You may prepare to disembark, Empress Mama.”

That’s when it happened. As Ken announced the arrival, Ron, who had kept his mouth shut the whole time, whispered.

“You’re talking first. Why do you only tell me not to speak?”

“Ron. How rude.”

“……I apologize. I didn’t think it would be heard. Ken always tends to do as he pleases, so while complaining about that…… I’m sorry.”

He apologized, but I felt that things were not so good between the two.

It was surprising that they would quarrel like that in front of the person they were attending to. After Ron apologized, Ken sighed deeply and apologized as well.
“I’m sorry, Empress Mama. This will not happen again.”

Reckless Ron and calm Ken. Ron, who wanted to prove his excellence more than anyone else, and Ken, who calmly held back Ron. The two of them were quite a contrast.

“It’s fine. Let’s get off then.”

They seemed like they shouldn’t be close to each other.

‘Is that why they say twins are emotionally immature? Even though I try not to be biased, they act just like children.’

Is it that they are preparing something before doing a job? Or do they think I am insignificant?

‘Or is it that the emperor, or other people are testing me through this?’

A woman who hasn’t yet become an empress. How would she deal with those who rudely behave in front of her?

Thinking only about the palace’s scheming, deceit towards each other, and tricks to harm others, my thoughts were becoming more and more excessive.

I managed to suppress my thoughts and nodded in response to them.

“You should be careful from now on. I’m not someone who takes this too seriously, so I can overlook it, but it would diminish His Majesty the Emperor’s dignity. That’s not what you want, is it?”

Ron’s expression had hardened more than before.

“I will keep that in mind.”