In the end, I left the main palace with Duke Martins and strolled through the garden.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

I had nothing in particular to say, and the duke seemed to be holding back his words.

The duke who had something to tell, and I who had something to hear, we both remained silent.

We walked and walked, inhaling the fresh scent of grass leaves.

“The approval should have come through by now.”

It was the first thing Duke Martins said to me after we came out to the garden.

“You mean about the concubine issue?”

“Yes, how do you feel?”

“I’m not sure what answer you’re looking for with that question, Duke. You know my true identity best.”

If I were the real empress, that jar next to me would have already been shattered in my hands.

“That’s precisely why I’m more curious to ask. Have you perhaps developed feelings for His Majesty?”

My heart skipped a beat at Duke Martins’ words.

“Well, people’s feelings can change unexpectedly sometimes.”

“That sounds exactly like your own experience?”

“It’s amusing to hear such a question from the person involved.”

“…What? What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

Duke Martins’ expression seemed to be hiding something, contrary to his answer.

It seemed like he would reluctantly answer if I pressed further, but I wasn’t particularly curious, so I didn’t pry.

As we turned our walk towards the endless field of sunflowers, Duke Martins began to speak again.

“I say this out of concern, but Your Majesty the Empress is only staying here temporarily. You didn’t come here to find your real husband.”

“Is my acting as empress that perfect? It seems you’re giving such advice thinking I might forget my position?”

I asked sharply, as if interrogating.

“I apologize if I offended you. If all of Your Majesty’s gazes and expressions towards His Majesty were acting, then it’s truly impressive.”

“…That’s a relief.”

I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

“Duke. Why don’t you tell me what you wanted to say now?”

When I urged him, Duke Martins nodded with a meaningful smile.

“The Royal Knights have found Princess Resilia.”

At those words, my heart sank.

If I had heard this news before the royal wedding, I would have surely been relieved and happy.

But having already spent time with him, I wasn’t happy about this news at all.

This is bad. Such emotions are dangerous.

“Then, when will the princess… come to the Raphion Royal Palace?”

“There seems to be a bit of a problem with that.”

“A problem? What happened?”

“Hmm, it seems Princess Resilia’s health is not good.”

“You mean she’s fallen ill?”

“Not quite an illness, but the princess needs some time to recover. After all, someone who’s never known hardship had to live on the run with a mercenary of unknown origin, so her body must have suffered.”

“Yes, that makes sense.”

I stared into space and responded lifelessly.

With the issue of bringing in concubines and now the Princess Resilia problem added, my head was throbbing mercilessly.

Which of these two issues was making me feel worse?

…I really didn’t know.

Right now, I just desperately wanted to return to my bedroom and retire early.

“I’ll inform Your Majesty the Empress as soon as we receive any more news from the kingdom.”

“Please do so.”

I responded to Duke Martins while gesturing to Sharon, who was standing at a distance.

“Sharon, let’s return to the Empress’s Palace now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The duke quickly whispered to me, conscious of Sharon walking towards us.

“Before Princess Resilia arrives at the palace, it might be good to discipline the concubines if you can.”

“Who?”

My head tilted crookedly at Duke Martins’ sudden remark.

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

The duke pointed at me with his chin as he spoke.

“Why should I do that?”

I asked in protest, raising my shoulders high.

“Well… for the sake of Princess Resilia, who will become empress in the future, and to vent Your Majesty’s current frustration?”

Duke Martins’ tone sounded like he was testing me.

He waited for my reaction with a half-smiling face.

The urge to stamp on Duke Martins’ shin with the tip of my shoe like an axe chopping wood made my ankle lift slightly off the ground, but I held back.

Just as I was putting strength into my foot, we heard movement from the opposite side of the sunflower field where we were standing.

“Your Majesty, will we be able to dine together and take walks often like before?”

“Catherine, surely you haven’t forgotten what happened before the engagement?”

“Of, of course not. I made such a foolish mistake back then. There hasn’t been a day I haven’t regretted it.”

“You don’t know what a mistake is if you make one. That was deceiving me.”

It was Rinel and Catherine’s voices.

Duke Martins and I unintentionally ended up eavesdropping on their conversation.

Some serious dialogue was taking place.

“I despise people who deceive me the most.”

Along with his cold voice, a chilly wind blew through the sunflower field.

If he hates those who deceive him the most…

Then… I must be his greatest object of hatred.

Suddenly, a chill ran through my body.

“If Your Majesty had embraced me back then, I would have had no reason to do such a thing!”

“Are you saying it was my fault?”

“That’s not what I meant. But now I’ve become Your Majesty’s woman, haven’t I? So can’t we forget about that now…”

“No matter if you’ve become a concubine, I don’t consider a woman I haven’t shared anything with to be my woman.”

“Surely the rumors about you consummating the marriage night… aren’t true, are they?”

“Why wouldn’t they be? Isn’t that natural for a married couple?”

Unlike Rinel’s composed voice, Catherine began to get quite agitated.

“I thought it was just a rumor! H-how could you… Your Majesty isn’t someone who gets close to women!”

“I told you. The empress isn’t just a woman, she’s my wife.”

“B-but the empress is…”

Catherine didn’t finish her sentence.

I think I knew what she wanted to say.

She probably wanted to say that my appearance was inferior to hers.

Well, it’s not entirely wrong.

Rinel must have also sufficiently guessed what Catherine was about to say.

A moment of silence passed.

I made eye contact with Duke Martins.

We had to decide whether to reveal our presence now, or enter the sunflower field and pretend to be sunflowers with our chins resting on both hands.

“Don’t speak carelessly. About my wife.”

Rinel’s low voice caught my ankle as I was about to turn away.

I wanted to quietly leave the place, but I couldn’t move my body.

With his final words, Catherine’s voice was no longer heard.

She must have been as shocked by Rinel’s words as I was, rendering her speechless.

I pressed my lips tightly and tapped Duke Martins’ arm, pointing my finger in the opposite direction of where the two were.

At the same time, I mouthed to the attendants.

“Everyone, that way!”

They all nodded at my words and lowered their bodies.

I mouthed counting ‘one, two, three’ again and carefully took a step with the attendants, lifting the hem of my dress.

But at that moment.

“Shall we end the walk here? Your! Ma! Jes! Ty!”

The jar that was leaking inside finally leaked outside too.

Should I really break it with my foot, or not?

I glared fiercely at Duke Martins.

The duke cupped his hands around his mouth and loudly announced my presence, enunciating each syllable.

I wonder what would grow if I ripped off that duke’s mouth and planted it in this sunflower field?

The sound of Rinel and Catherine’s footsteps approaching from the opposite side suddenly stopped.

My reason also snapped due to Duke Martins’ big mouth.

‘Why on earth are you shouting, you detestable thing!’

I hurled all sorts of curses at the duke with my eyes.

Looking at me, Duke Martins laughed silently with a very amused expression.

Seeing the duke laugh so freely, my insides churned even more.

Now that I look closely, Duke Martins’ face was blooming more brightly than the sunflowers.

“Empress?”

With Rinel’s voice calling me, another cold wind blew through the sunflower field.

I slowly straightened my bent waist.

As I turned to face him, I covered my face with the sunflower I was holding.

“Are you the empress or a sunflower? Reveal yourself.”

At Rinel’s commanding inquiry, I lowered the sunflower with a ‘ta-da’ smile.

“Oh my, Your Majesty.”

I called out cheerfully as if I had just discovered him.

Wait, shouldn’t I have acted surprised before smiling broadly at him? I messed up.

Haah… never mind, never mind.

As Rinel slowly approached me, Catherine also followed closely, sticking to his side.

The sight of the two walking together was like a beautiful painting.

Even the colorful flowers around them seemed faded compared to their beauty.

Even under the dazzling midday sun, Catherine’s skin was as white and smooth as a well-peeled boiled egg.

As Duke Martins formally greeted the two, Catherine also greeted me.

I wanted to smile confidently like her, but the corners of my mouth wouldn’t cooperate.

“I pay my respects to Your Majesty the Empress. I am Catherine Calios, who will soon become His Majesty the Emperor’s first concubine.”

She spoke with very haughty and restrained gestures.

I lowered my gaze to Catherine’s lower body.

When I saw her at teatime, I thought her knees were not good, but now I see they bend quite well.

While her knees bend so well, her head remained stiff as ever.

I wonder which will come faster – the day that stiff head bows, or the day I’m driven out from the empress’s position.

Such an amusing thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“We met at teatime and now we meet here again.”

I threw out an excruciatingly banal remark, having nothing proper to say or share with her.

“It seems we’ll be seeing each other more often from now on.”

Catherine took my casually tossed words and wrapped them up very meaningfully before throwing them back.

Seeing Catherine’s arrogant demeanor, one question flashed through my mind.

What would happen when Princess Resilia, with her childlike innocent mind, faces such a haughty concubine?

It would be quite a sight to see them clash, wouldn’t it?

“The empress and the duke… even taking a walk together.”

Rinel asked with a displeased look, alternating his gaze between me and the duke.

His tone was like that of someone interrogating people caught plotting treason.

“Yes, Duke Martins is my conversation partner. Your Majesty was already… taking a walk with your new concubine, I see?”

And your former fiancée at that?

I mimicked Rinel’s words exactly.

“Conversation partner? Well, I suppose you’d have a lot to talk about, being the only person from the Kingdom of Chatreaunil in this palace.”

Rinel muttered softly as if talking to himself, but still looked at me with furrowed brows.

Oddly enough, he didn’t mention Catherine, who was standing next to him flaunting her splendid figure.

“Did the meeting go well?”

I asked in a voice feigning calmness, conscious of Catherine standing next to Rinel.

Rinel just nodded without answering.

His gaze continued to stare at me intently.

“Your Majesty, it seems we’ve interrupted your pleasant conversation with your new concubine.”

Duke Martins spoke to him with his trademark annoying eye-smile.

“We?”

Rinel’s sharp gaze flew towards me at the end of his questioning word.

Duke Martins spoke, but why is he glaring at me like that?

He looked quite displeased.

“Please continue your delightful conversation with Lady Catherine. I was just about to return to the Empress’s Palace. Then I’ll take my leave…”

“…”

I quickly greeted Rinel and turned around, starting to walk away quickly as if fleeing.

“Your Majesty, don’t worry. I will escort Her Majesty the Empress. Then I shall also take my leave.”

Behind my back, I heard Duke Martins’ unwelcome meddling.

I don’t know why he’s chasing after me to upset me even more.

I walked at an almost race-walking pace to maximize the distance between myself and Duke Martins.

Glancing at Sharon, who was diligently following me even while panting, I said,

“Sharon, I wonder if there are any landmines in the imperial palace?”

“Pardon? Your Majesty, why are you suddenly looking for landmines?”

Sharon asked, lowering her head to look around the ground.

“To plant them with every step Duke Martins takes. No, the duke himself is a landmine.”

“Heehee!”

At my sincere words, Sharon quickly covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

Sharon seemed to want to add something too, as she tried to hold back her laughter and opened her mouth.

“If we ever have a chance to go out of the palace, I’ll check at the weapon shop in the busy market area then.”

“Excellent.”

When I gave her a slight thumbs up, Sharon giggled again.

“Gasp, the human landmine is chasing right behind us.”

Sharon, who had glanced back, urgently told me.

Oh, for crying out loud.

“Your Majesty the Empress! Please wait. Whew… why are your steps so fast?”

Well, my walking speed is a kind of teleportation technique developed from a lifetime of avoiding others’ eyes.

Duke Martins finally caught up beside me, panting heavily.

“I thought we had already finished all the conversation we needed to have, what other business do you have?”

I increased my walking speed even more, staring straight ahead.

“The sight of Your Majesty’s back as you turned away alone was so concerning. I wanted to escort you.”

This man even maintains politeness when being a nuisance.

“It’s fine. Don’t you think Sharon, who has lived in the imperial palace all along, would be much better at escorting than the duke who came from the Kingdom of Chatreaunil on the same day as me?”

At my words, Sharon looked like she was about to burst out laughing, so she bowed her head deeply and walked behind me.

“Ah, I see. Then I shall see you off with the spirit of chivalry.”

What spirit?

“My, I thought you failed the knight’s exam, Duke? Do you have it? The spirit of chivalry?”

“!”

“Did I hear wrong?”

Duke Martins, with a shocked face, remained dazed for a moment before covering his mouth with one hand and whispering to me.

“From whom… did you hear that?”

“From Prince Tessler!”

I also covered my mouth with one hand as I replied, but I deliberately raised my voice.

“…The prince? What a, what a traitor!”

Duke Martins gritted his teeth, clenching his molars tightly.

In truth, I hadn’t heard that secret from Prince Tessler.

But, who cares?