‘A special existence.’

Dietrich did not give any answer to the Empress’s words.

It was because no immediate response came to mind.

Celiya, when talking to that woman, irritation that didn’t usually arise welled up, and watching her actions made him feel stifled as if his insides were blocked.

Not knowing others’ feelings, she carelessly got bread crumbs on her mouth while eating. Though she could have easily escaped, she didn’t run away and waited for him with a bloodied body.

She was in so much pain that he graciously gave her his healing power, but then she eagerly craved his saliva to the point of nearly pulling out her tongue, before falling into a light sleep.

There had never been a person who irritated him this much before, so in a way, Celiya was certainly a special existence to him. Even if it was in a negative sense.

The Empress glared at the silent Dietrich with her violet eyes glinting.

“You are no different from other men. I thought you, at least, would be a little different.”

“……”

Dietrich looked down at the Empress with an insensitive face. Though Dietrich was young, the Empress before him was middle-aged.

The Empress was beautiful, but the Emperor did not like her much. He hadn’t even visited her since their wedding night. This was because the Empress was the illegitimate child of the previous Duke Gredrick.

No matter how incompetent the Emperor was, he couldn’t have been unaware that the three dukes had placed her on the throne as Empress to monitor him.

The Empress had to listen to the moans of the woman in the room next to hers every day. She was truly disgusted by the Emperor who slept with women without any regard for her.

However, as the Empress, she had to think about the succession. For her, who had been abandoned by the Gredrick ducal family, producing an heir was the only means to grasp power.

The Empress drugged the Emperor’s meal and mounted his body while he slept. Covering the Emperor’s face with a pillow made it somewhat bearable. The ugly Emperor was merely a means and tool for the Empress to produce an heir to maintain her power.

That’s how the Empress gave birth to Jeremy, and then turned her eyes to other men.

Unlike the late Emperor who couldn’t resist women, the Empress was very picky in choosing men. Although she had entered into a political marriage with an Emperor twenty years her senior due to excessive desire for power, she was actually a woman with very high standards.

Her criteria for choosing men were as follows:

They must have never slept with another woman, and must be under thirty years old.

They also had to be handsome enough for anyone to turn and look, and have a certain social prestige. Their body had to be muscular and their eyes had to be pretty.

People meeting these conditions were extremely rare. Even if such a person was found, they were usually already married or engaged to another woman.

The Empress had no interest in men who had been touched by others.

Dietrich fulfilled all these conditions. Only Dietrich. Despite noble ladies filling the capital desperate to have him, he was indifferent to them all.

He was truly perfect to become her lover.

Of course, Dietrich had rejected the Empress’s proposals several times. But the Empress didn’t want to give up on him.

When the Emperor was alive, and even now, just a day after the Emperor’s funeral.

In fact, it could be seen as better now that the Emperor was dead.

The Emperor always kept Dietrich close, so if he were alive, she wouldn’t have been able to barge into his mansion in the middle of the night like this.

“Sir. My offer from that time still stands. If you say you’ll become my lover now, I can turn a blind eye to all your actions.”

“…What actions would you be turning a blind eye to?”

The Empress pressed her index finger firmly against Dietrich’s chest. Pressing against his rock-hard chest, the Empress moistened her dry lips with her tongue and said,

“For instance, the fact that you took that woman out of prison without reporting to me. Or the fact that you killed the knight who had served you for 4 years.”

“I’ve known for a while that Your Majesty had people watching me.”

Dietrich grabbed the Empress’s index finger on his chest. His dry gaze swept over the Empress’s face.

“If His Highness the Crown Prince learns of this, he will be very disappointed in Your Majesty.”

Dietrich swiftly removed the Empress’s squirming index finger from his hand.

“There’s no way Jeremy will find out about this. You won’t tell that child what I’ve said.”

The Empress was well aware that her son Jeremy disliked Dietrich. Even if by chance Jeremy found out that the Empress was trying to make him her lover, Jeremy would blame Dietrich, not the Empress.

Jeremy was the type of person who would blame Dietrich, accusing him of seducing his wise mother, and banish him from the palace, pinning all sorts of crimes on him.

“Sir. Tomorrow at noon, bring that criminal to my palace.”

“……”

For the first time, something that could be called emotion appeared on Dietrich’s previously impassive face. The Empress felt herself heat up as his gaze, cold enough to freeze her spine, looked down at her.

“This is an order I’m giving as the Empress.”

“……”

“If you don’t want to lose your military authority, it would be better to get on my good side now. The fence that protected you is gone now.”

The Empress added, pulling up the corners of her mouth.

“When Jeremy succeeds to the throne, I’m set to become the Empress Dowager and the most powerful person in this country, so listen well to what I say.”

The Empress looked Dietrich up and down. She swept her subtle gaze over the front of Dietrich’s pants. It was visibly thick. Seeing this, the Empress swallowed dryly and said,

“How about becoming my dog?”

Although it was a statement made deliberately to see Dietrich’s angry face, his expression had already returned to its insensitive state.

Dietrich responded with an expressionless face.

“Please leave now.”

“……”

“His Highness the Crown Prince will soon become Emperor, wouldn’t it be bad for Your Majesty if scandals were to follow?”

It wasn’t quite a satisfactory answer for the Empress.

But she had ordered him to bring that woman tomorrow at noon, so even Dietrich wouldn’t be able to refuse this.

“Sir. Don’t forget, tomorrow at noon.”

With those final words, the Empress turned her back. Only after confirming that the Empress had disappeared into her palace did Dietrich return to his mansion.

Dietrich immediately called for his adjutant, Anderson. He had instructed that no one be allowed to enter the mansion, but the Empress had suddenly barged in.

“I’m deeply sorry. Your Excellency, the Empress threatened to cause a disturbance if we didn’t let her in……”

Anderson looked as if he might fall to his knees on the floor, he seemed so truly sorry. Dietrich didn’t blame him. No matter who it was, in the current situation, no one could have stopped the Empress.

Now that the Emperor was dead, the Empress, with the next heir to the throne, was the absolute power in this palace.

“Did you find out what I asked?”

“……”

Anderson’s expression turned gloomy. He reported without hiding his depressed expression.

“Already hundreds of palace knights have switched sides to the Crown Prince.”

“……”

“It seems the Crown Prince has bribed the knights. Otherwise, those who were loyal to Your Excellency wouldn’t backstab you like this.”

Dietrich had expected things to turn out this way.

“No. The knights weren’t bribed. The Emperor who trusted me is dead, so they didn’t want to keep riding on a ship that might sink at any time.”

“…!”

Anderson widened his eyes in surprise.

“How could they betray Your Excellency? Didn’t you take extremely meticulous care of the knights?”

“They’re not bad people.”

At Dietrich’s calm voice, Anderson closed his mouth.

“It was predictable from the moment the Emperor died.”

After murmuring languidly, Dietrich said nothing more.

Anderson silently stood by Dietrich’s side.

Celiya really slept deeply.

When she woke up feeling refreshed, it was already morning. The sound of chirping birds came in through the open window.

Celiya pulled the bell cord of the bed. It was to request water for washing.

Soon after, knock knock. A knocking sound was heard.

“I’m coming in.”

Along with a soft-spoken woman’s voice, the door opened and a maid with reddish short hair and freckles entered.

Celiya was a bit surprised, not expecting Dietrich to actually provide a maid.

However, one peculiar thing was that the maid kept her eyes closed the entire time she faced her.

“Is there anything you need?”

“I was hoping you could draw some water for the bathtub……”

The maid seemed startled at Celiya’s voice. But soon, the maid bowed her head and retreated.

“I’ll bring hot water right away.”

The maid immediately brought a tub full of warm water and poured it into the bathtub. Throughout her work, the maid kept her eyes closed. Despite this, the maid performed her tasks very skillfully.

Celiya quietly watched the maid work, then asked a question.

“Are you perhaps, unable to see?”

The maid nodded and answered.

“Yes.”

As if she didn’t want to explain how she became blind, the maid hurried to leave the room.

“If there’s nothing else you need, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Wait.”

Celiya called out to the maid who was about to leave.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Ellie.”

“…I see. Ellie. You may go.”

The maid was about to leave the room when she suddenly stopped.

“If it’s not too impertinent, may I ask you a question?”

Without waiting for Celiya’s response, the maid asked her question.

“What is your relationship with my master? Are you perhaps… his lover?”