Chapter 29: Face-to-Face with the Empress
The physician, hunched over, hurriedly wrote out the diagnosis.
“My lady, what should I write as the cause?”
“The cause?”
Estelle paused for a moment, considering his question.
This false diagnosis was meant to deceive the Empress. If it wasn’t convincing enough, she would only grow suspicious. It needed to be plausible.
“Write that my menstrual cycles have always been irregular and that I’ve been weak since childhood. Say that I was born prematurely, which likely contributed to the condition.”
“…Understood.”
“Also, mention that while infertility treatments could be attempted, the chances of success are slim. Even if conception were possible, childbirth would be dangerous.”
She couldn’t allow the Empress to entertain false hope and insist on treatments.
“I’ve written everything, my lady.”
“Give it to me.”
She checked the diagnosis carefully to ensure it matched her instructions before sealing it in an envelope.
“My lady… If you truly have such a condition, shouldn’t you inform the Duke?”
The physician’s voice was hesitant, his gaze wary.
‘He’s not actually worried about me—he’s just curious.’
She could see it in his eyes. If she didn’t warn him properly, he might let something slip too easily.
‘Besides, it’s not like I’m actually infertile. There’s no need to tell the Duke.’
Estelle took a gold coin from her drawer and tossed it to the physician.
“I already told you—there’s no such thing as a secret that stays hidden forever.”
“…My lady?”
“But if the person who knows the secret disappears, then the story changes. After all, the dead can’t speak.”
Fear flickered in the his eyes.
She had never actually intended to kill him, but it was amusing to see how effective the threat was.
“I… I saw nothing, wrote nothing, and heard nothing. I am forever grateful for your kindness, my lady.”
He bowed, quickly pocketing the gold coin.
“If you ever need anything else, please call for me. May I take my leave now?”
At least now, he knew how to behave.
“You may go.”
With a nod, he retreated, bowing deeply as he exited the room.
—
The sound of hurried yet measured footsteps—unmistakably Anna’s—approached.
Moments later, she entered the room.
“My lady, I brought only the freshest selections from the kitchen.”
She carried a basket of fruit and a glass jar filled with sweets.
Estelle glanced at the contents.
‘Oranges, plums… peaches.’
A laugh nearly escaped her.
Her own maid of over ten years didn’t even know about her peach allergy.
‘I didn’t intend to eat any of this anyway, but still…’
She wasn’t particularly fond of overly sweet or sour fruits, so even without the peaches, she wouldn’t have been interested.
“These peaches have such a lovely pink hue. Shall I peel one for you, my lady?”
Anna picked up a peach, offering it with a bright smile.
‘Of all the options, you chose peaches?’
At this point, Estelle had to wonder—was Anna truly unaware, or was this intentional?
“…Are you trying to kill me? Do you not know I’m allergic to peaches?”
Anna’s hands trembled, and the peach slipped from her grasp, rolling to the floor near Estelle’s feet.
“I—I’m so sorry, my lady! I truly didn’t know! I swear, I had no ill intentions. It just… looked delicious…”
Her excuse was almost laughable.
Anna had served as her personal maid for over a decade.
She had more than enough time to learn about her allergy.
If she hadn’t known, it meant she had never truly cared to pay attention.
“I’m sorry, my lady…”
“It’s fine. It was a mistake, so I’ll let it go.”
She wasn’t hurt by it.
Maybe because she already knew about Anna’s betrayal.
‘If you had truly cared for me, you wouldn’t have poisoned me with snake venom in my past life.’
They were far beyond a relationship where such trivial emotions mattered anymore.
Anna quickly picked up the fallen peach and hid it in the basket.
“Anna, take that medicine from the nightstand and dispose of it.”
“But, my lady, the physician said it’s most effective when taken warm…”
Drinking it would help her recover faster.
‘But that’s all it is. It’s not like I’ll die if I don’t take it. More importantly…’
She couldn’t trust medicine prescribed by a man who had stolen someone else’s research.
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“…Understood, my lady.”
Satisfied, Estelle picked up the sealed letter from her desk and handed it to Anna.
“And this, send it to Count Madel. I plan to visit the south next week. In the meantime, I’ll give you some time off.”
Count Madel’s estate was in the south, so it was quite a long journey. She didn’t want to travel with someone else and be inconvenienced.
“Really?”
Perhaps she was sending her away deliberately so she could go quietly, and Anna was happy.
“Count Madel is quite far, but are you sure you don’t need me to accompany you?”
“I just want to visit my grandfather for a few days. I thought you might want to see your family too, so I’m giving you time off.”
“Thank you, miss! I’ll keep working hard.”
She had been treating Anna harshly because of past grudges, but…
‘I need to use her until I get my revenge on Melody, so I shouldn’t push her too hard.’
Giving her appropriate rewards made it easier to manage her.
“By the way, have you seen my rabbit doll?”
“Ah, that… I found it near the entrance, so I took it and washed it.”
She didn’t like anyone else touching her rabbit doll. She had intentionally gone to the lakeside to wash it herself.
‘Well, it’s better than losing it.’
Still, it was better than losing it, so she let it go.
The rain still hadn’t stopped.
‘It always happens like this when it rains.’
A sharp pain shot through her right foot, which she had injured long ago.
* * *
Three days later, the rain stopped, and the ground dried up. Having recovered a bit, Estelle was preparing to return to the palace. She wore light makeup to appear pale and a dark gray dress.
‘What if I run into Michael at the palace?’
If she met him, she planned to ask why the sapphire necklace had been by the lakeside. She put it on, admiring its beauty.
‘It’s pretty…’
The glowing sapphire necklace stood out when she looked in the mirror.
After finishing her preparations and taking the medical certificate, Estelle met Lucas, who was strolling down the hallway.
“Hey, where are you going? You still look so pale!”
“To the palace.”
“To the palace…? Why? No, more importantly, what are you going to do if you faint again like this?”
Lucas continued to chatter, even as he descended the stairs.
‘If I respond sharply here, he’ll just make more noise.’
It would be better to thank him for catching her when she collapsed in the entrance.
“Thanks for that day.”
“…Huh?”
Lucas’s face turned red, and she took the chance to leave him inside the mansion.
‘I haven’t seen the Empress in a while.’
Estelle recalled the day she had met the Empress while riding in the carriage.
‘She’s very particular about etiquette. If you show even a hint of disorder, she dislikes it.’
The Empress was cruel, to the point of having someone’s hand cut off for spilling tea by mistake.
“We’ve arrived at the palace, Miss.”
‘Time passed quickly because I was lost in thought.’
After getting off the carriage, Estelle walked toward the silver palace with a sense of nervousness. The palace maids, all moving with restrained motions, quietly escorted her to the reception room where the Empress awaited.
“Your Majesty the Empress, Lady Estelle Winchester has arrived.”
“Let her in.”
The door opened, and the Empress appeared, sitting gracefully. Her soft blonde hair and deep green eyes resembled Leonov’s closely.
It was the principle not to speak first when dealing with royalty, so Estelle clasped her hands and bowed her head.
“Welcome, Lady Estelle.”
“…I see the moon that brightly lights Valderman. May your esteemed Majesty always be accompanied by glory.”
The Empress’s lips softened, a sign of her satisfaction with Estelle’s greeting.
“You look unwell, and you’ve only come now. I hope I didn’t call for you in vain. Please, sit.”
As Estelle sat down, a maid approached with a tray.
‘…I’m nervous. If I make a mistake here, I might lose my hand.’
The maid’s hands were trembling as she held the teacup, under the Empress’s gaze.
“I ordered a precious tea to be served since Lady Estelle is here.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I have something urgent to discuss, may I ask for some privacy?”
She hadn’t intended to get to the main point so soon, but she wanted to divert the Empress’s attention and help the maid.
“I also have something to tell you, so that’s fine.”
The Empress’s gaze shifted to Estelle. The maid managed to set the teacup down safely and left quietly.
“Lady Estelle… I heard you refused to marry the Crown Prince.”
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