“No. I simply came to inquire if Her Majesty the Empress had a peaceful first night.”

Grand Duke Martins shrugged as he replied.

He requested an audience just to ask about that?

“It was peaceful. So far.”

“It seems Her Majesty the Empress has something she wishes to ask me instead?”

Grand Duke Martins glanced at the audience chamber door once, then leaned his upper body slightly towards me as he spoke.

It was true. There was a question that had been lingering in my mind all night.

“Is the Royal Knights Order still searching for Princess Resilia? How is it going?”

“How would you… like it to go?”

Grand Duke Martins asked slyly, raising one corner of his mouth.

Taken aback by the Grand Duke’s unexpected question, I could only swallow hard.

I had casually asked about the princess’s whereabouts, but when faced with the Grand Duke’s counter-question, I was at a loss for words.

Of course, I should have immediately said that I hoped the princess would be found quickly.

Until yesterday, I had wanted nothing more than to be freed from this position as a substitute empress.

Yes, that’s how it was, so why now…

“It seems Her Majesty has already grown attached to that position?”

At the Grand Duke’s words, spoken like a joke, the persona within me blushed as if on cue.

I remained silent, afraid that any attempt to respond would only make me blush more.

“I’ll make sure not to mention this part to Prince Tessler.”

Grand Duke Martins spoke as if he were doing me a great favor.

He looked down at my hands, which I kept fidgeting with, and smirked.

That expression of his was strangely irksome.

“Being surrounded by people from the Rapion Imperial family and then being left alone with just people from the Chatonil Kingdom like this, I finally feel at ease.”

The Grand Duke changed the subject first.

“I’m sorry to pour cold water on your relaxed mood, but I am no longer a person of the Chatonil Kingdom. Now I am a citizen of the Rapion Empire and its empress.”

Although I’m just a substitute empress who will have to give up the position soon.

At my words, spoken like a jest, Grand Duke Martins’ facial muscles twitched subtly.

“Why didn’t I know before that Her Majesty was such a skilled speaker?”

“Because there was no opportunity to speak. Even on the way to the Rapion Empire, didn’t you mostly attempt to communicate with just your eyes, Grand Duke? Ah, that’s the look, probably?”

“That’s…”

Just as Grand Duke Martins was about to object to my words, Sharon re-entered the audience chamber.

It felt as if she had been listening to the conversation from outside and timed her entry to cut off the Grand Duke’s words.

If Sharon had deliberately entered at this timing for my sake, it was such perfect timing that I wanted to promote her from a lady-in-waiting to my personal maid.

“His Majesty the Emperor asked the head chamberlain what Her Majesty the Empress was doing now.”

Sharon carefully relayed the message as she placed milk tea in front of me and Grand Duke Martins in turn.

“Is that so?”

Unexpected…

I hadn’t thought Emperor Rinel would be curious about my whereabouts.

“Yes! He also instructed that the meal be prepared with foods that Her Majesty likes.”

Did he give orders after looking at the document containing information about me?

Before the national wedding, a document was prepared containing information about my preferences, foods I liked and disliked, any allergies I might have, my health condition, menstrual cycle, and so on.

I had even personally skimmed through the document for confirmation before it was finally handed over to the Emperor’s secretary.

In my heart, I had written ‘Actually, I am just a substitute empress’ in the very last column of the document.

“It seems His Majesty is being very considerate!”

Sharon exclaimed joyfully on my behalf.

“How kind of him.”

I gave Sharon a brief smile.

I could feel Grand Duke Martins’ observant gaze on me.

I took a sip of milk tea, then slowly opened my mouth while looking at the Grand Duke.

“Grand Duke. You never even looked at my face when I was a count’s daughter, but now that I’m the empress, you’re scrutinizing it quite carefully?”

Grand Duke Martins was caught off guard for a moment, unable to hide his surprised expression.

“I apologize. I have been rude.”

He apologized to me as he put down the teacup he was holding.

“No, one should look at the other person’s face when having a conversation. That’s proper etiquette, isn’t it? Grand Duke Martins?”

My words were laced with sarcasm.

During the few days it took to come to the Rapion Empire, Grand Duke Martins would keep his gaze fixed on the floor even when he had something to tell me, instead of making eye contact.

I wasn’t particularly hurt, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being disrespected.

But now, overnight, as I became an empress, Grand Duke Martins’ intense stare at my face suddenly felt somewhat detestable.

Although I would soon return to being just a count’s daughter, I spoke boldly, befitting my current position as empress.

A perfect performance as an empress.

After all, that was the task given to me.

Contrary to my expectation that he would show an unpleasant expression, Grand Duke Martins burst into hearty laughter.

Unlike when he kept his mouth tightly shut, his sharp features looked surprisingly docile when he smiled widely.

He was about my age, and I couldn’t help but think how nice it would have been if he had treated me with such a human-like smile from the beginning.

It was a moment when I felt the terrifying power of authority.

“As Your Majesty knows, our Rohain Grand Duchy is a family that has amassed wealth through trade with various countries. In the future, I will be responsible for that trade business.”

What’s this sudden talk about?

He’s not trying to sell me something, is he?

“I’m not buying.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m joking. So?”

“Ah, yes. After seeing you today, I realized that I’m still far from being the talent needed to continue our family business.”

Grand Duke Martins picked up his teacup again and spoke quite seriously, putting himself down.

“Why did you suddenly think that?”

When I asked indifferently, he continued as if he had been waiting for the question.

“I just realized that my judgment of people is lacking.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Is he saying that his assessment of me was wrong?

I couldn’t understand Grand Duke Martins’ words, but I didn’t want to press him for an explanation either.

“It’s nothing. Prince Tessler was worried about whether you could perform the role of empress well, but I’ll have to tell him there’s no need for concern at all.”

Right, while you’re relaying news to the prince, send him my regards too.

I had been quietly listening to the Grand Duke’s words when I turned to Sharon.

“Sharon, how much time do we have left until luncheon?”

“If you want to look around the Empress’s Palace before luncheon, we don’t have much time left.”

Sharon glanced at Grand Duke Martins as she spoke to me.

“Ah, then I shall take my leave. Your Majesty, today’s conversation was more pleasant than I expected. I will visit you often in the future.”

Grand Duke Martins tactfully stood up from the sofa and greeted me.

I glared at the back of the annoying Grand Duke’s head as he walked towards the audience chamber door and asked.

“How long do you plan to stay here at the Imperial Palace, Grand Duke?”

“As long as Your Majesty remains in that position, I intend to… always be by your side.”

Grand Duke Martins answered as he slowly turned to look at me, his hand on the doorknob.

I nodded slightly in response, and he smiled, bowed lightly, and left the audience chamber.

Grand Duke Martins’ last smile left me with an extremely unpleasant feeling, as if I had stepped in something foul.

***

Before heading to the main palace, I toured the Empress’s Palace with Sharon.

The Empress’s Palace was quite large, larger than I had expected. There wasn’t nearly enough time to tour the entire palace before luncheon.

So today, we were focusing on touring the main rooms that I would primarily use in the Empress’s Palace.

“It’s time for you to go to the main palace now, Your Majesty.”

Sharon, who had been meticulously explaining the interior of the Empress’s Palace, checked her pocket watch and spoke as we approached the central staircase on the second floor.

“Is it that time already?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The garden path connecting the Empress’s Palace to the main palace is particularly beautiful, so your journey to the main palace will always be enjoyable.”

“Is that so? I look forward to it.”

‘Aren’t you looking forward to your first meal with the Emperor?’

The persona within me suddenly asked.

I pretended not to hear the persona’s question and followed Sharon’s guidance towards the main palace.

In truth, I felt a bit nervous as well.

***

“Her Majesty the Empress enters!”

As Head Chamberlain Stian’s announcement rang out, the banquet hall doors opened.

As I entered, the first thing that caught my eye was Emperor Rinel sitting at the far end of the long table.

The pressure I felt was different from when I saw him in the bedroom.

No matter how I looked at him, he didn’t seem like the man who had shared a bed with me yesterday.

The Emperor’s cold gaze, his high bridge of nose, and his luscious lips that seemed to part more and more as the distance between us decreased for some reason.

‘It was warm, I didn’t mean to think this way but I couldn’t help it, wasn’t I your first empress? We’re now husband and wife.’

His words that had seeped into my skin last night began to echo in my ears like a round, in no particular order.

As I walked towards where Emperor Rinel was sitting, the sound of my heels filled the large and grand banquet hall.

Thanks to that, there was no risk of him hearing my rapidly beating heart.

“I… greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

As I was greeting him, a group of glittering ladies caught my eye to my right.

I hadn’t noticed them while I was walking up to him.

The ladies were standing in a single line with their backs against the wall.

Well, that’s lunch taken care of.

The moment I confirmed their identities, my appetite disappeared.

Not just my lunch appetite, but my dinner appetite vanished out of the banquet hall as well.

“We greet Her Majesty the Empress!”

The four ladies, upon making eye contact with me, wiped the smirks off their faces and paid their respects to me.

“We meet again here.”

It was those noble ladies who had intruded into the Empress’s bedroom this morning, claiming they had become my personal maids.

Not knowing how to handle this situation, I tilted my head slightly and looked at Emperor Rinel with eyes that demanded an explanation.

“Come and sit.”

Emperor Rinel commanded instead of explaining.

With a face as expressionless as it was chilling, he gestured with his chin towards the seat diagonally across from him.

I sat down in my seat with a disgruntled feeling, guided by an attendant.

Just as I was about to ask again why those ladies who claimed to be my maids were here en masse, he beat me to it.

“I heard you toured the Empress’s Palace? How was it? Did you like it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The palace was very splendid. With a little more refinement, it will be perfect.”

“Do you like splendid things? Somehow, it sounds to my ears as if you mean something else?”

Emperor Rinel’s tone was indifferent, but he was quite perceptive.

He caught on to the slight sarcasm in my words.

He was right. Things that are merely splendid tend to become tiresome quickly.

Excessively dazzling things, be they people or objects, eventually make one turn away.

“Not at all. If I add my affection to the Empress’s Palace, even the purely splendid atmosphere will change in quality. For instance, adding a warm ambiance…”

“Is that affection something only the Empress can give?”

“Of course not. Will Your Majesty also come occasionally to give your affection?”

“…”

Ah, my mouth ran away with me.

Reflexively responding to the Emperor’s words, I realized my words sounded like I was trying to flatter him.

His straight eyebrows, which hadn’t moved at all, shot up and then came back down.

Emperor Rinel downed the wine that had just been poured into his glass in one gulp.

Feeling embarrassed, my hand instinctively went to the right side of my face where the burn scar used to be.

Whenever something went wrong or I felt awkward, I would unconsciously touch the burn scar out of habit.

“Your Majesty, please consider my previous words as if you hadn’t heard them…”

I said, forcing an eye-smile to dispel the awkward atmosphere.

“I’ll visit often.”

Emperor Rinel replied as he put down his wine glass.

His deep, heavy voice saying “I’ll visit often” echoed in the banquet hall like a reverberation.

Perhaps due to his profound baritone, oddly enough, those words sounded sincere.

Some of the ladies who had been smirking at my earlier comment now had their mouths hanging open one by one at the Emperor’s response.

“Empress, why that expression? Was it just something I said?”

“Ah, no. I was just surprised that Your Majesty, who is so busy, would say such a thing.”

Not wanting to show my surprise, I naturally moistened my throat by picking up the wine glass in front of me.

Ugh. I forgot that I can’t handle alcohol and drank too much wine.

“No matter how busy I am, I still need to sleep. Like last night.”

“Khe, kheck, last night…?”

The wine that was going down my throat reversed course in surprise at Emperor Rinel’s words.