“These are the shadows who will assist Her Majesty the Empress from now on. Wherever Your Majesty goes, they will all accompany you.”

They were intelligence agents. In the previous life, they were swords directly wielded by Benjamin, now transferred to Charlotte’s side.

‘You’ve handed me too sharp a blade.’

They wore navy blue uniforms. The only marking was a crescent moon embroidered on their shoulders, signifying the Empire’s Empress and indicating their direct affiliation with her.

“They have no presence. They handle close protection, but don’t show themselves outside, so please keep that in mind.”

The reason they were called shadows was also because they had no presence.

“So these people will be attached to me.”

Charlotte tapped her chin.

‘These are the ones who became the Crown Prince’s blades and purged the central elders and key ministers…’

They were extremely trustworthy to entrust one’s back to, but also extremely chilling.

“Uh…”

Charlotte moved her steps slowly.

“I was worried it would be awkward since I don’t know anyone.”

The slow steps stopped at one point.

“But there’s at least one familiar person.”

Catarina was mixed in among them.

“Did your family send you?”

“No. It was my own will.”

Catarina bowed reverently.

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s consideration, I was assigned here.”

Though they were by Benjamin’s side in the previous life, now they guarded Charlotte.

“It’s a nice day. We should go for a walk.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll escort you outside.”

Charlotte took a step and went outside. Her steps were heavy yet light.

There’s no other way to describe those steps.

The steps of her toes were light, but the weight those steps carried was heavy.

Seeing the weight in those steps, the head maid knew.

‘His Majesty didn’t bring this person into the palace for nothing.’

The head maid respectfully suggested.

“How about taking a tour of the palace today? You’ve had many movement restrictions within the palace until now, haven’t you?”

The Imperial Palace was an area not to be carelessly trodden without the Emperor’s permission, located in the deepest part of the palace. Even as the Empress-to-be, there were many areas she couldn’t freely enter until after the marriage.

“The palace is vast. Many people get lost on their first visit. Even elderly central elders often get lost wandering around.”

“Then I’d like to walk quietly, could you minimize the entourage?”

The head maid bowed.

“I’ll dismiss the other girls, and only we will follow at a distance.”

There was a sense of presences gradually fading away. Charlotte stood alone, waiting for all their presences to fade away.

‘If they’re not in my sight, they don’t exist.’

Charlotte slowly strolled through the palace. The hem of her dress dragged on the floor.

It had rained a few days ago, so the ground was still damp.

Dew-covered grass rustled in the wind.

The palace was wide and vast. The buildings were enormous but spaced far apart,

and the interior was quiet as the number of people had decreased.

Perhaps everyone was holding their breath as a new dynasty entered the imperial family.

‘It’s too wide.’

Charlotte half-closed her eyes and looked back at the path she had walked.

To the west of the palace were portraits of the late emperor and empress dowager, and behind that was the mausoleum where the remains of the ancestors were enshrined.

There were also palaces where the empress dowager, imperial consorts, and various princes resided. But now most of them were empty.

“You probably didn’t want to see this state either.”

It must have been even more disturbing to leave it in this state.

“Your traces are here and there.”

“Why are you looking for my traces here?”

His voice was heard.

The maids’ whispering continued.

“I felt it when Her Majesty declared she wouldn’t take any consorts, but His Majesty the Emperor’s favor is apparent.”

“…Her gait is quiet, and her glances and gestures are all quiet, but she catches the eye.”

The head maid cleared her throat.

‘Be quiet.’

His Majesty the Emperor would surely hear at this distance.

“Silence is golden for those below. I warned that if you wag your tongues carelessly, your tongues will be cut off, yet who is wagging their tongue long?”

The maids stopped whispering. Though they knew they shouldn’t look carelessly, their gazes followed that back figure.

“An eyelash got in your eye. Doesn’t it sting?”

Charlotte rubbed her eye with the back of her hand and replied.

“I didn’t want to show it in front of them, so I left it.”

“You’re stubborn in unexpected places. Don’t blink your eye.”

Benjamin cupped Charlotte’s cheek with his palm. Her cheeks gradually turned pale as if hit by the cold wind.

No. Charlotte’s skin was pale to begin with. Her fair skin was thin and transparent enough to see the blood vessels.

“Ugh!”

When Charlotte let out a weak moan, Benjamin chuckled softly.

“I removed the eyelash. Did it hurt?”

“No. It’s fine.”

“Charlotte, your eyes are sensitive. It looks like you might cry at any moment.”

As her eyelids moistened, he wiped her tear ducts with his thumb.

“It feels like I’ve become a bad person without doing anything. You make me that way.”

When Charlotte raised her head, Benjamin fell silent and closed his mouth.

“Where are you coming from?”

“I was at the archives checking on the books lost during the previous emperor’s reign. The archive scribes were dying. With books burned and several cultural artifacts lost, it’s taking a long time to assess everything one by one.”

Benjamin clicked his tongue in displeasure. Even a country on the brink of ruin is still a country. Even when dirty scoundrels fight over their own interests, Benjamin must maintain the center by purging their necks one by one.

“Tsk tsk. To have maintained this country’s lifeline by bringing in such useless fellows, somehow managing to pull out the somewhat useful ones from a pile of useless ones.”

Benjamin tilted his head as he finished speaking.

“Your family is supposed to visit in the afternoon, but you don’t look particularly happy.”

“I am happy. How could I not be happy when they’re so thoughtful?”

Charlotte pulled her neck back.

“You’re looking at me as if I’m about to eat you up.”

“…”

“Even I get hurt when you make that expression. Lately you’ve been showing signs of wanting to run away, especially in front of me.”

You hide it well in front of others, but you can’t hide it in front of me. I’m not sure what you’re hiding, but there are times when you become careless like now.

‘As if you want to give up everything.’

It seems like something would come out if I poke you.

“What about me has stimulated you?”

“…”

“Charlotte. Charlotte.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Loosen your expression. You shouldn’t show signs of agitation in the palace.”

Benjamin is sensitive to subtle changes in people’s expressions.

“I told you these subtle changes create gaps.”

A solid wall must not allow even the slightest gap.

“It’s needless worry.”

“Then that’s good.”

“Put that worry aside.”

“I react to everything about you. Don’t forget this.”

Soon, the head servant came looking troubled.

“Your Majesty. Someone from the intelligence bureau has come. You should go to the office.”

“Ah… I’ll come back later. Don’t stay outside too long.”

Benjamin left like that. Charlotte stood still, watching his retreating figure. As he got farther away, somehow it was hard to take her eyes off his back.

“We should also…”

Just as Charlotte was about to add something.

“Yo-Your Majesty, someone from the House of Windsor has come!”

A presence approaches from far away.

Everything is like that.

Gaps open without warning.

“How do you think your family feels watching you with such a gloomy expression right after your wedding?”

Leandro said as he set down his teacup. His gestures were imbued with refined elegance. Clear and clean. Like looking at clear tea water with all impurities filtered out.

“I understand you’re mentally and physically exhausted after the marriage. But you shouldn’t be trapped in such feelings for long. Those below are sensitive to everything about those above.”

The flower petals floating in the tea trembled as if swept by waves. Charlotte neatly composed her expression.

“You came early.”

“Ah, I woke up early this morning. The weather has been unusually cold these past couple days. The servants were busy checking the heating system in the mansion.”

Snowflakes are flying. We’re approaching the end of the year. At the tail end of the harsh winter, the warmth in one’s hands quickly cooled. The head maid draped a shawl over her. As snowflakes touched the shawl, they immediately melted and soaked in.

‘Something feels different from before.’

Where did this feeling come from? It’s not vaguely coming to me. It was a sense of discomfort that seeped in very slowly and gradually.

“What about Uncle Cesar?”

“He went down to the family’s estate. After all, the young duke was directly managing it, but there’s been a long vacancy in the manager position for the past five years.”

“Ah, so he’s managing the estate.”

“He said he would send frequent messages, so I’ll let you know when news arrives. As Your Majesty already knows from staying there, Windsor is a quiet estate.”

The implication was not to worry since nothing was happening. The words continuing with honorifics were warm. They were clearly warm, and yet…

‘There’s a distance that wasn’t there before.’

As I became accustomed to their warmth, I also became numb to this quiet life.

“That’s how it is with high status. Those who were once only close grow distant, and those who were distant grow close. If Your Majesty’s birth mother were alive, she might have shown complex feelings about this marriage arrangement.”

“Yes. Mother wouldn’t have been happy either.”

“Cosette… Yes. If it were that child, she would have. Because she was that kind of child, she would have supported Your Majesty’s marriage. Compose your complicated feelings.”

The words that followed were as decisive as handing Charlotte a sharply honed blade.

“As much as the hierarchy of those below has crumbled, the discipline of the palace must be set straight. Even if the ogres bare their fangs and bite each other in the power struggle, even if Her Majesty the Empress stabs their necks with a blade… Please, do not stray from the center and keep your place.”

I understand well what he’s telling me. Grandfather is saying to get used to all of this now.

“The Tutor family will soon send maids. They are ruffians. Mad ruffians become wild dogs when they have nothing to lose. Tighten their leash firmly and press them down. That’s the beginning.”

Leandro showed the way to strangle the Tutor family.

“The imperial family is justification. If the palace loses its center, the hierarchy will collapse like a tower built of paper. Build that justification first. Then behead them or put a leash on them.”

Regain direction before the lost blade scratches your hands. Don’t take it lightly. If you’re swayed by the power in those hands, you’ll lose yourself.

“Don’t forget.”

Leandro trailed off.

“Where Your Majesty has climbed to.”