“Whatever happened, I understand that you cherish that maidservant.”

The subsequent response was strangely lukewarm. The occasional smile seemed fainter than usual.

“Yes, because she helped me…”

Cloe thought it was his misconception. He dismissed it as a minor change detected due to his sensitivity. He considered it insignificant, saying that people can’t be the same in everything.

However, even that was Cloe’s misconception.

As Koon began to respond, his eyebrows slightly shot up. Despite the expected change from the monotonous answer, it seemed that discontent had been accumulating.

When Cloe stared at him intently, he finally realized his behavior.

Seemingly embarrassed, Koon, who had been washing his face briefly, muttered softly.

“It seems you cherish everyone who has helped you.”

While expertly hiding emotions, this time, he couldn’t conceal his haste. Something else, obscured by embarrassment, subtly leaked out.

“So be careful. You seem to be noticeable everywhere, so it’s good to be cautious of strangers.”

Suddenly, the first meeting of the two flashed through Cloe’s mind.

It was an unexpected recollection, not a similar situation to the present. However, Cloe felt a strange resemblance in the parts where the two got angry, then and now.

For some reason…

“It’s natural to have goodwill towards those who show kindness.”

“But…”
“I know that some kindness has reasons. So, there’s a special friend whom I truly cherish.”

First, he decided to soothe the stubborn emperor.

At Cloe’s words, Koon’s eyes subtly lifted. It was different from when he narrowed his eyes.

If you insist, it’s similar to how dogs perk up their ears. It’s like a leap to scrutinize the intended interlocutor more persistently.

“My dearest friend has been offering kindness without any reason.”

Complimenting another Koon who is not present here, along with a smile, finally softened the demeanor of the Koon in this place.

Due to his drooping eyebrows, an upright determination became evident. The diamond-shaped eyes, spread on both sides, half-closed.

“That friend must have had reasons too.”

“He asked for letters. Well, it turned out to be good for me, so I didn’t pay much attention.”

“Calculating.”

“Sly, isn’t it?”

“Not quite yet.”

“Good for you.”

Cloe, who was resolutely maintaining a blank expression to suppress laughter, also collapsed helplessly. The closed, large eyes were covered by lush eyelashes.

“Is that dear friend the only one?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve heard stories about that friend a long time ago. I was curious if it’s still the same.”

Koon is the person who has been by Cloe’s side the longest. Even the person herself would know that she has no new connections.

‘Could it be?’

Cloe’s sensitive touch sensed something.

“And…”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”

The eyes that were partially visible now drew a perfect arc.

An infrequently seen artificial smile. A shallow smile allowed only for Cloe. Mockery disguised as a smile.

Cloe had seen countless kinds of laughter until now, but this was the first time she witnessed the Emperor’s laughter, which shone so brightly.

‘Beautiful.’

A face formed by thick and bold lines. A body composed of broad shoulders, a wide chest, and sturdy thighs. Not to mention, even her personality and way of speaking were far from simple.

However, the word that came to mind didn’t quite fit with her.

Even though she had good self-control, she could have easily blurted out what she was thinking.

If she had said, “Beautiful,” in front of him, the Emperor would have probably responded like this:

‘You are more.’

‘…Luckily, it’s ambiguous.’

Cloe secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In any case, it was an empty compliment. It was a phrase that leaned towards the positive side rather than the negative side.

She wondered why she felt relieved not to hear those words.

Laughter continued within the glass greenhouse of the palace.

“Oh my, really?”

“Yes. So…”

The ladies chatted while seated around the table. Perhaps to adorn themselves, they were all dressed in outfits unsuitable for the season.

Thanks to the relatively warm water and the open tea time in the greenhouse, there was no worry about catching a chill.
They have been gossiping about the recent famous scandals in the social circle.

Starting from scandals that could be fake or real, to trendy items in high society.

The more they talked, the more threads of connections emerged, and there seemed to be no end to it.

‘It’s time to start slowly.’

Cloe thought while glancing subtly at her pocket watch. Though she had done nothing but sit and open her mouth, time had passed quickly.

The teapot was quickly empty from chatting, and Cloe, with a dry throat, asked the maid standing at a distance to bring more tea.

As the lively conversation came to an abrupt pause, the aristocrats fell silent. It seemed like they were conscious of a specific couple.

It’s probably because of me and Helena.

Cloe silently looked at Lady Edward.