“Of course.”

“Jieselgrante, you must have said that.”

When I thought it was fortunate that Mikhail seemed to be in a good mood, the dance music also ended.

“I need to rest a little.”

“Sure, sure. Father also wanted to dance with you, but dancing four times in a row would be too much. I’ll explain it well to Father.”

“Please do.”

“Alright, don’t worry. Jieselgrante, are you thirsty? Shall I bring you something to drink?”

Seeing Mikhail’s attentive care, a pleasant smile involuntarily escaped.

“What’s wrong…?”

Mikhail tilted his head like an idiot. That sight was also too cute.

In fact, considering only mental age, Trinity’s life made her older than Mikhail.

However, Mikhail, who had no way of knowing this fact, would always think of her as a younger sister in need of care.

Unable to ignore Mikhail’s sincerity, Jieselgrante deliberately played coy.

“I am a bit thirsty after dancing so much.”

“Right? I’ll quickly go get you something to drink. Rest here for a moment.”

Before leaving, Mikhail fanned Jieselgrante’s face, then hurried away on his long legs.

He seemed to be in a good mood, his face constantly beaming.

‘What could he be so happy about?’

Just running errands…

Though she thought it was silly, her upturned lips wouldn’t come down.

The love and protection most people receive from family since childhood. Yes. That emotion she had never felt while living as Trinity.

It must be because enjoying that now felt so unfamiliar, making her chest tickle and a corner of her heart warm.

Thinking that way made her heart swell. Her eyes also seemed to get a little hot.

As Jieselgrante was secretly dabbing the tears that had leaked out with her sleeve, Mikhail returned.

“Jieselgrante, I didn’t know what you’d like to drink, so I brought various things.”

On the tray Mikhail was holding were several types of drinks.

Among them, Jieselgrante chose the peach nectar.

“I’ll have this one.”

Sipping the peach nectar, Jieselgrante took a rest.

‘Well, this isn’t bad either.’

It was when she casually turned her gaze while thinking that.

‘Ah…’

She made eye contact with Count Frederick.

He didn’t avoid her gaze. But he didn’t greet her with his eyes or approach either.

He just stood far away, staring at her for a while before turning away.

‘Hmm…’

Jieselgrante slightly furrowed her brow as she watched Count Frederick’s broad back receding.

‘Why does he keep acting like that?’

His puzzling change somehow made her feel unpleasant. But seeing Mikhail’s bright smile made the unpleasant feeling disappear completely.

‘Right. It would be good to have a proper conversation with Count Frederick sometime.’

Making that resolution, Jieselgrante gulped down the remaining peach nectar in her cup.

Watching her from the side, Mikhail held out another cup and said,

“Did you finish? Then would you like to try this too?”

A few days after the Emperor’s coronation. Cabelased invited a painter to the Imperial Palace.

Even before the coronation, Jieselgrante was staying at the palace, but with the coronation as a turning point, the opinion to leave a portrait of the Empress came up.

Jieselgrante did not refuse, saying that a record to remain in history was needed.

“The painter invited today, I hear he’s quite popular among the nobility recently.”

Agreeing with the Countess Greykin’s words, Marchioness Howard chimed in.

“That’s right. I heard he’s so popular that even if you offer two or three times the usual fee, it’s not easy to invite him?”

“Is that so?”

Jieselgrante’s head tilted slightly.

“Yes! I heard even Duchess Blatnik wanted to call that painter, but he was so arrogant that he just said to wait even when offered several times the usual fee!”

Marchioness Howard gossiped enthusiastically as if it were her own business.

“Oh, right! Countess Greykin, you know, don’t you? That Duchess Blatnik and I are playmates?”

“Ah, yes. I know. But that painter didn’t change the order even when offered more compensation?”

“That’s what I’m saying! Really…”

Through the conversation between the two, Jieselgrante realized the popularity of the painter invited to the palace today.

Moreover, she could tell that he was a person who valued principles.

That was because normally, one would respond first to jobs offering higher compensation.

Or they would prioritize invitations from more influential families.

That way, they could continue to get work and maintain popularity more easily in the future.

Especially for a commoner, it would be difficult to refuse an offer from a famous noble family like the Blatnik Duchy.

Duchess Blatnik was a famous figure in social circles, and if rumors spread that he painted her portrait, the painter’s popularity would rise even more.

Although the profession of painter was considered the exclusive domain of the commoner class, there were occasionally nobles who painted as a hobby.

In such cases, if their skills were even slightly supported, they quickly gained fame.

Well, whether that popularity would last long was another matter.

Anyway, the painter’s conduct they were meeting today was certainly interesting.

‘I wonder what kind of person he is.’

Jieselgrante made her way to the office to meet the painter at the appointed time.

The Empress’s office that Cabelased had specially prepared for Jieselgrante was certainly comfortable.

The ceiling had murals that had been painted since the palace was built, and all the furniture and fixtures, such as the desk, bookcase, and sofa, were of the highest quality.

Until now, the Empress’s office was located on the east side of the central palace, while the Emperor’s office was on the west side.

They had in common that they were both in the central palace, but the Imperial Palace was vast.

This meant that if they only moved within their own living quarters, it would be difficult to see each other’s faces even once a day.

And Cabelased was not pleased with this.

So he changed the location of the Empress’s office. That wasn’t all.

He also moved the Emperor’s office.

At first, the nobles opposed this in the council. They said the Emperor and Empress’s offices were not just places for simple work.

At that time, Cabelased persuaded the nobles by mentioning history.

‘Originally, the Emperor and Empress’s offices were here. Until one Emperor moved the Empress’s office far to the east. …The reason was to enjoy secret meetings with the government without the Empress’s interference, they say?’

‘…’

‘Now and in the future, the only woman for me will be the Empress. There’s no need to endure inconvenience unnecessarily.’

‘…’

‘So I’m trying to return the offices to their original location, so if you have any complaints, come find me personally. I’ll make time in my busy schedule to listen to your opinions as much as you want.’

Expressed elegantly, it was persuasion, but what Cabelased actually did was closer to threats based on historical facts.

And Jieselgrante happened to witness that situation.

Even for her, who had been in a ruling position since infancy, it was the first time in a while she felt such pressure that made her tense up.

Perhaps because of that, she realized anew.

‘This must be the charisma of a heaven-sent ruler.’

Thinking that, Jieselgrante sat at the desk in the office.

“Shall I bring the painter here?”

“Please do.”

Nodding to Countess Greykin’s question, Jieselgrante picked up a piece of parchment on the desk.

Since the portrait work would take at least half a day, she intended to do some work that needed to be done in between.

She had read about half of the parchment’s contents when it happened.

Countess Greykin entered the office with the painter.

But the painter’s face was familiar.

The painter she had sought before to reveal the identity of the baby in the late Empress’s portrait.

“…Please take care of it.”

As Jieselgrante greeted him with slight surprise, the painter bowed deeply towards her, very pleased.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty the Empress. I was so glad to hear that you had called for me again!”

Although she wasn’t officially Empress yet, everyone in the palace called Jieselgrante Empress, so there seemed no need to correct the title.

After a brief greeting, the painter looked around the office and asked,

“May I start working right away?”

She had already heard that he was a very busy person. She also couldn’t waste time idly, so she nodded readily.

“Sure.”

The painter looked at her sitting with her back to the large window and asked,

“Is this composition alright to proceed with?”

Just as Jieselgrante was about to nod, Countess Greykin offered an opinion.

“Our Empress’s right side is more beautiful.”

“Ah, is that so? Thank you for your input.”

The painter moved the easel, looking pleased.

Watching this, Countess Greykin winked at Jieselgrante. Just as Jieselgrante smiled slightly, it happened.

This time, Marchioness Howard gave her opinion.

“Honestly, I think the Empress’s left side is more striking. To better capture the majesty of the Empress that can be felt when meeting her in person, from the left…”

Perhaps confused by the two conflicting opinions? The painter glanced at Countess Greykin and pulled the easel slightly to the left.

“…Is that so?”

“No, I mean? The right side…”

Watching this, Countess Greykin gave her opinion again.

“Listen to me. The left side…”

Marchioness Howard gave her opinion again.

Somehow, it seemed the portrait work might not go smoothly.