How should I interpret this scene?

Lynette, who had returned with the medicine bottle, had to observe the surroundings for a moment when she saw the scene before her eyes. Fortunately, there was no one walking around, and Lebel’s disguise was surprisingly good.

Even when Lynette returned, she got lost for a moment trying to find where they were. At this level, doesn’t he have a special talent? Or perhaps he uses magic like people from the Eastern Continent.

Ilarid, half-leaning against Lebel’s chest, was either asleep or only her regular breathing could be heard. As Lynette cautiously approached, Lebel seemed to sense her presence and turned his head.

“Ah…”

Before Lynette could get any closer, Lebel raised his index finger to his lips. It was a gesture asking for silence.

It was an awkward situation. The empress asleep in the arms of a strange foreigner.

It was difficult to forcibly wake the empress who was in deep sleep, and equally awkward to tell Lebel to leave immediately. If there was any luck, it was that no one else was watching.

Eventually, Ilarid opened her eyes. It had been a light nap, not even long enough to dream. She slowly blinked, clutching the fragments of that short but sweet sleep.

“Where am I…”

“Your Majesty, are you feeling better now?”

Lynette quickly rushed over, noticing Ilarid had woken up. As she fumbled to regain her senses, she felt something.

“…”

As soon as Ilarid lifted her head, she met Lebel’s eyes. It was difficult to read any emotion in those calm eyes.

“Has your headache improved now?”

A low question without raising the end. Only then did Ilarid realize that she had been cradled in Lebel’s arms the whole time.

And that her wandering hand had touched his chest.

“Ah, this… I’m sorry. I made a mistake…”

It had been years since she had stumbled over her words in embarrassment like this. She had vowed to meticulously hide her emotions and act without making unplanned moves.

She had minimized conversations with others and only allowed a select few from her faction some access.

But to show such an unseemly side in front of this mercenary she needed to recruit. Ilarid wanted to hide somewhere immediately.

For a moment, it seemed like he smiled. To hide her flushed face, she quickly stood up to try and salvage the situation.

“I’m glad you seem to be feeling better.”

Lebel stood up with Ilarid and bowed his head. Ilarid covered her face with her hands to hide her embarrassment, but she couldn’t hide her reddened ears.

“I’ve been very rude. Well then…”

Ilarid trailed off and hurriedly left the place. At her uncharacteristically quick steps, Lynette rushed to follow behind the empress.

She failed to notice Lebel’s wistful gaze following their departing shadows.

How did she manage to return to the Empress’s Palace? Now she needed a fan and ice pack rather than headache medicine.

“Take the medicine first.”

“I’m feeling much better now. I’m sorry for showing my worst side…”

“These things happen sometimes. How can a person always be healthy and fine? Sometimes we stumble and fall too.”

Lynette reluctantly placed the headache medicine and a glass of water in Ilarid’s hands. It was to prevent any potential recurrence of pain. As she watched Ilarid swallow the medicine, Lynette added:

“Since the regular medical check-up is approaching anyway, I’ve postponed the doctor’s visit until then.”

“…Thank you. By the way, what happened? Why was that mercenary beside me…?”

“I was hesitating to leave Your Majesty alone, when that mercenary appeared just then.”

As if he had been waiting for it. Like the time he suddenly appeared when there was almost an argument with Selina last time. As if he had always been following behind. Like someone who always kept Ilarid in the corner of his eye.

“I apologize. But somehow I felt reassured…”

Lynette bowed, fiddling with her fingertips. But it was rather fortunate. The short nap had been so sweet that she felt a bit regretful even after waking up. Ilarid shook her head and comforted Lynette standing in front of her.

“Thanks to that, I had a good short nap.”

“That mercenary also signaled not to wake you… I couldn’t bring myself to call Your Majesty who was sleeping so peacefully.”

Come to think of it, she left in such a hurry that she didn’t even properly say thank you. I wonder if there will be a chance to meet him separately later. If nothing else, I wanted to express at least a small token of gratitude.

For now, she had to deal with the work that had piled up. Since she could no longer manage the Empress’s Palace, she had to move in a different direction. Now, she had to start another mental battle on what to do next.

“By the way, what happened to the Empress Consort’s tiara? Do you really not know anything about it, Your Majesty?”

“Why, do I look like the culprit to you?”

“No, of course not! How could Your Majesty commit such a theft.”

Lynette hurriedly waved her hands. Ilarid was equally perplexed by the series of events that unfolded at the enthronement ceremony.

Who could have done such a bold thing? Even for the most skilled thief in the world, to steal one of the palace treasures through such tight security?

“That thief is quite amazing. How could they have left no trace or presence for no one to have seen them?”

“I wonder if there was a specific purpose. A reason to steal the Empress Consort’s tiara on the day of the enthronement ceremony.”

After pondering for a while, Lynette lowered her voice as if something had occurred to her.

“This is really just my speculation, but… could it be a republican who secretly infiltrated the imperial family?”

“No, that would be too difficult. Infiltration is not as easy as it sounds.”

Ilarid gently shook her head at Lynette’s words. While it wasn’t impossible if someone was determined to get in, it wasn’t a likely possibility.

The republicans were one of the factions that Cledius was most wary of and trying to root out completely. He thoroughly rounded up those who claimed they wanted to share the emperor’s power, saying it was an act of rebellion against the empire.

“It may sound presumptuous of me to say this, but… you handled it well, Your Majesty.”

“Because others were watching.”

A light sigh escaped. If she had raised her voice claiming innocence, she might have been swayed by Selina and aroused even greater suspicion.

And more than Selina, it was an unconscious reaction born out of dislike for Cledius.

He was the family enemy with whom even skin contact was horrifying. The worst amalgamation that had trampled and ground even the dregs remaining at the bottom.

She would never show naked anger or the emotion of hatred in front of that man.

There was nothing like work to calm a complicated mind. As Ilarid rose to go to her office, Lynette blocked her in horror.

“Your Majesty, where are you going?”

“There are remaining schedules for today, so I need to finish them.”

“What are you saying? You need to rest today.”

Judging by Lynette’s stern voice, it seemed she would not yield at all. Her stubbornness, which had grown stronger, held Ilarid back and wouldn’t let go.

“Lynette. There’s still work left to do.”

“As the head maid of the Empress’s Palace and your personal maid, I have the right to stop Your Majesty. Just for today, forget about work or writing or anything else and take your hands off it immediately.”

“Then tomorrow’s schedule will be disrupted…”

“I’ve already adjusted everything.”

It seemed their positions had reversed, but Lynette didn’t mind. If nothing else, she absolutely could not compromise on proper rest.

‘Always so tired…’

Ilarid always chose overwork to forget her fatigue. She pulled in everything from tasks that didn’t need to be handled by the Empress’s Palace to minor details. If there was no work, she would create something to write just to keep her hands moving.

The accumulated weight of labor was bound to bring all illnesses.

After losing the child she had given birth to after just 3 days, Ilarid grew increasingly gaunt. It would have been good if she had rested properly for about a month. Despite everyone’s dissuasion, the empress worked with bloodshot eyes.

Unable to fathom her feelings, no one in the Empress’s Palace could stop Ilarid. Every time she saw that sight, Lynette had to swallow back the tears that welled up.

“Today, lie down in bed and rest well. Do you know how anxious I was seeing you so pale throughout the enthronement ceremony?”

If she insisted on going to the office and carrying out her schedule, Lynette was prepared to drag her back and change her into pajamas. In the end, Ilarid had to surrender to her old friend’s stubbornness and retire to bed early.

**

They say you only understand the hardships of others when you experience them yourself. The old saying was not wrong at all. Selina barely managed to open her eyes to greet the maids attending to her morning routine.

Since becoming the Empress Consort, she had to wake up at a set time without fail. It was vastly different from her ‘shadow’ days when she would get up whenever she felt like it and head to the Emperor’s Palace. Adhering to the strictly divided daily routine was quite a hardship for Selina.

“Maintain proper decorum even in unseen places.”

As soon as she yawned lazily and stretched, the head maid’s admonition flew at her. Selina immediately pouted and glared at the head maid. But she stood firm, observing every move of the Empress Consort.

Why was everything so rigid? She wanted to voice a complaint, but the sight of the seemingly strict head maid made the words stick in her throat. How long would she have to live like this? She didn’t like it at all.

When the head maid briefly left her post, Selina casually threw out words to the maids helping her dress.

“It must be hard for you too. Working under someone so meticulous.”

They looked at each other and kept their mouths shut. Was there something they shouldn’t tell the Empress Consort? Their reluctance to speak felt a bit annoying.

“As you can see, I’m from the countryside, right? So I’m completely ignorant about imperial etiquette… Has the head maid been working here for a long time?”

Selina cast out the bait and waited for them to take even a small nibble. After a long while of testing the waters, one fish finally bit her fishing line.

“I heard her mother was a maid to the Empress Dowager. Later, she returned to the palace on the recommendation of Her Majesty the Empress…”

The Empress Consort’s eyebrows moved subtly, but the maids were too focused on the sleeves and the knot at the back to notice.

‘So she’s the Empress’s person? Didn’t all of the Empress’s influence disappear from the Empress Consort’s Palace?’

She had received direct assurance from the Emperor even after the enthronement ceremony. Cledius had promised to make it so the Empress couldn’t interfere, but had it not been properly implemented?

After finishing her preparations, Selina immediately headed to the Emperor’s Palace. It was time for the morning greeting, but it seemed complaints would follow after the morning salutations.

“Good morning, Empress Consort. Your face has been blooming beautifully these past few days, but did something happen? You look like someone who had a nightmare.”

Cledius, who had been reviewing documents, greeted Selina with a light laugh. Selina immediately approached Cledius and tried to sit on his lap as usual.

“Your Majesty the Empress Consort. Forgive my impertinence, but that behavior is inappropriate for the current etiquette. As His Majesty the Emperor is working, please restrain yourself.”

Selina stopped in an awkward posture and looked at the head maid with resentful eyes. But the head maid stood firm. Cledius also didn’t add any words to the head maid’s admonition and focused only on the documents.

In the end, Selina retreated hesitantly. As soon as she sat down in a nearby chair, she looked around at the surrounding maids and servants.

“I have matters to discuss privately with His Majesty the Emperor, so I would like you all to leave.”

After they disappeared behind the door with hurried steps, Selina immediately got to the point.

“Your Majesty. Are you aware that the head maid of the Empress Consort’s Palace is the Empress’s person?”