Meeting Her Majesty the Empress on the way to see Leoprick was a coincidence.

An unexpected coincidence.

“Oh my. Where are you going, Amelia?”

Even as I saw the Empress approaching with a friendly smile, I couldn’t greet her with complete joy.

Just as I was about to offer my greetings, I wondered in my mind if she was going to meet Leoprick.

It wouldn’t be good if she heard what I was planning to say to Leoprick.

After a brief deliberation, I smiled along with her and slightly bent my knees to greet her.

“I greet the Moon of the Empire.”

“It’s just us. Be at ease.”

The Empress waved her hand, smiling awkwardly at my formal greeting.

Just as she had said when we first met to treat her simply like family, she truly treated me like family.

For someone like me who wasn’t very affectionate, it was even more awkward.

“I am honored, Your Majesty. But there are many eyes watching…”

“This is the Imperial Palace anyway, Amelia. Whether I treat you as the Crown Princess of a country or as my daughter-in-law, people will make up all sorts of things according to their own standards. That’s how this place is.”

No matter what you do, the treatment is the same anyway.

The Empress said this while shrugging her shoulders.

“So just be comfortable with me. This position is originally like that, so we should at least live caring for each other when it’s just us.”

Don’t you think? Her face looked so relaxed as she added this that I ended up nodding my head.

“I will do so, Your Majesty.”

“Call me mother. If it’s too difficult, then I can’t help it.”

I thought her face looked quite lovely as she smiled and spoke.

Of course, I already knew that her calm and innocent-looking face wasn’t all there was to her.

While the position of the Empire’s mother was inherently such a role, I had also heard and knew that she herself was not an easy person.

Still, anyone who knew her even a little personally would not get the impression that this face would cause any harm.

Am I being too sentimental before a big event?

I started walking in the direction I was going, substituting an awkward smile for an answer.

“Are you on your way to see His Highness?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. I was on my way to see Leo. He must be so busy preparing for the banquet that he barely has time to breathe.”

It’s so kind but also sorry, isn’t it?

As she spoke, the Empress slightly lifted the basket she was holding.

It seemed she had prepared some light refreshments.

Looking at the basket that appeared heavy even at a glance, I glanced at the court ladies standing behind her.

“It looks heavy. Why don’t you let them carry it?”

“They’ve been constantly asking to do so, but I wanted to deliver this personally.”

“Ah…”

“Even if it’s not just this, we can’t really hold anything properly with our own hands for our entire lives, can we? Even though I have hands.”

The Empress spoke jokingly as she began walking alongside me.

“It’s always grateful to have people helping, but sometimes it’s also regrettable. It’s not very pleasant to have to let others help with even the most basic things we can do.”

“But isn’t that how nobles usually live? We’re taught that’s how we should naturally live.”

We continued our conversation as we walked slowly.

If you’re a noble, it’s natural that someone else should do things for you.

It’s what we’ve been taught since before we knew better, and what we’ve learned and gotten used to for a very long time.

So it would be right for her to accept it as natural too.

I felt a bit strange seeing her thinking differently from ordinary nobles.

I heard that Her Majesty the Empress came from a humble family background, is that why?

When there are fewer servants, you tend to dress yourself or do more things on your own.

I was thinking to myself when.

“Well, those who have lived like that naturally would think it’s natural, but I don’t.”

She smiled as if she had read my thoughts.

“My parents taught me from a young age that I should do my own things myself. Not to forget my dignity as a noble, but to never forget to be grateful to others.”

“To never forget gratitude…”

“It means that what everyone thinks is natural is actually something I can do alone.”

“…”

“In fact, dressing and washing oneself are things anyone can do alone. If they’re a properly grown adult.”

I quietly nodded at her words spoken as if they were obvious.

It’s not wrong.

Any properly grown adult can do their own things themselves.

If parents taught it, doing such things alone wouldn’t be very difficult.

But nobles made these obvious things not so obvious, and paraded around with numerous servants to show off their authority to each other.

Not just those providing basic services, but servants holding fans, servants holding handkerchiefs, even servants sweeping the path they walk on.

Anyone who can walk should be able to see and avoid obstacles in front of them, but it was just to show off how powerful and wealthy their family was.

“It’s shameful for a grown adult to not be able to properly do things on their own. That’s how I was taught, and I know it to be natural.”

I listened attentively to her next words while agreeing with what she said.

“So while I’m grateful that the court ladies want to help, at the same time it doesn’t feel very comfortable.”

It may seem a bit strange, but this is who I am.

The Empress shrugged as she finished speaking.

Now that I looked, I noticed the number of court ladies following her was much fewer than mine.

Of course, there were more court ladies following me than usual to prepare for the tea time with Leoprick, but still…

I suddenly felt a bit ashamed of that fact.

The Empress personally carrying a basket of refreshments for her son, and me walking down the corridor with a line of court ladies, holding nothing in my hands, to have tea time with my husband.

In a way, I might look normal among nobles, but now it didn’t feel natural anymore.

They would all be receiving wages and doing their jobs, but surely they have many other things to do besides this.

I awkwardly hid my empty hands between the folds of my skirt and averted my gaze.

“So sometimes on days when it’s okay not to be seen by others, I take care of my own things like this. It makes me feel alive.”

The Empress winked and smiled.

That phrase about feeling alive somehow resonated in my heart, and I smiled along with her, albeit awkwardly.

At the banquet hall we arrived at, Duke Valois was present.

The Empress also seemed surprised by this unexpected visitor.

And if that person was none other than Derick Valois, the leader of the noble faction, he surely wasn’t here with good intentions.

Moreover, his tone of conversation didn’t seem to be in good faith either.

His tone and expression that seemed to belittle His Highness’s sincerity, and even the near-confrontation with the Empress.

As I watched Valois mentioning Isolde’s Tears with a triumphant smile, I vowed that his nose would be flattened at this banquet without fail.

“How dare you speak of the royal family’s treasure. You have quite the nerve, Duke.”

“I merely made a suggestion, Your Majesty.

The Empress, being no pushover herself, did not easily fall for the Duke’s provocation.

However, she also did not say that she would definitely wear Isolde’s Tears.

It must be difficult enough to pretend a non-existent treasure exists, let alone make a hasty promise to show it at the banquet.

I quietly observed the standoff before opening my mouth.

“Whether or not to wear Isolde’s Tears is for Her Majesty to decide. It doesn’t seem to be a matter for the Duke to comment on.”

Rather, shouldn’t the Duke be worrying about what gift could be more splendid than the royal family’s treasure?

At my quietly added words, cracks appeared in Valois’s confident face.

Of course, now is not the time to worry about the Empress’s attire, but to consider what gift to offer to maintain his dignity as a Duke.

Not expecting me to point that out, the Duke fell silent for a moment before putting on an awkward smile again.

“Your Highness is correct. I was momentarily distracted.”

“One must not forget one’s place, Duke. And you certainly shouldn’t think to give unnecessary advice to a mother in front of her children.”

“Unnecessary advice, Your Highness? I believe you have misunderstood my words.”

“Well, isn’t it up to the listener how words are taken? That’s how it sounded to me, so you’d best watch your words.”

If that’s how I heard it, what can you say?

As I said this while staring intently at the Duke, he seemed to take a step back for now.

“I apologize, Your Majesty, Your Highness. That was not my intention.”

“Very well, Duke. We shall gauge your intentions by the gift you present at tomorrow’s birthday celebration.”

And the Empress did not back down either.

With a broad smile as if she was in a particularly good mood.

She told the Duke to prepare his gift well and waved her hand for him to leave.

Duke Valois left, unable to hide his displeased expression.

“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”

Once he was gone, Leoprick looked at Her Majesty with a worried face.

But the Empress, who had been smiling broadly since earlier, nodded and patted her son’s shoulder.

“I’m fine. Perfectly fine. Have you ever seen me upset by such a battle of wits?”

“Of course I know you don’t, but I can’t help but worry.”

“It’s alright. Amelia stood by me so reliably.”

At her words, two pairs of eyes turned to me.

Gazes full of goodwill and gratitude towards me.

…It felt quite burdensome, and somehow made my heart sting a little.

“Thank you, Amelia.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty. It was only what I should have done.”

“There’s no such thing as what one should do, Amelia. Especially when it’s not one’s own business.”

The Empress looked at me with a gentle smile.

“So this is how it feels to have a daughter-in-law! I felt very reassured thanks to you.”

The continued words of gratitude made me uncomfortable.

I waved my hand awkwardly, unable to raise my head fully.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It really was nothing…”

“Isn’t it up to the listener how words are taken? To me, it was a very kind act.”

The Empress repeated the words I had said earlier, smiling as if she was truly pleased.

Is it because she herself is a person who tries to be grateful for everything that this small act is received so greatly?

I bowed my head, mulling over the conversation I had with the Empress on the way here.

Uttering only small words that I would help anytime if needed.