For Jeremiah, there were only two possible measures he could take. Either go to the Empire directly to persuade the Imperial Princess to nullify the marriage, or stall for time until his father’s last breath.
When the current king dies, the Empire’s Emperor would likely create another pretext, but that was something to worry about later.
Jeremiah attempted to lighten the gloomy atmosphere with a frivolous jest.
“When I go to the Empire, I won’t be seeing your stern face for a while. How regrettable.”
But Philip, ignoring the comment entirely, spoke with a grave expression.
“Be careful, Your Highness. Though the throne has a new owner, the Empire’s military remains under that man’s command, so you mustn’t let your guard down.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. Above all, the Emperor probably doesn’t even know what happened between my father and me.”
Jeremiah waved his hand dismissively. Then his eyes suddenly turned cold.
“Though I wonder about the one who might have been my mother.”
The Imperial Guard sent by the Empire’s Emperor arrived as the ridge was being dyed with the red light of sunset. Jeremiah headed to the reception room to greet them.
Upon entering, a man in a pure white uniform stood and gave him a slight bow.
“It’s an honor to meet Your Highness.”
“You must be tired from your long journey.”
“Not at all.”
Jeremiah glanced at the man’s stiff tone. He seemed somewhat offended.
Having come with the Empire’s imperial orders, he appeared wounded in pride that a mere prince, not the king, was receiving him. Noticing this, Jeremiah smiled and said:
“I apologize. If my father were well, he would have welcomed you personally.”
“Given his serious illness, it can’t be helped. At his advanced age, what could be more important than recovering his health?”
“Thank you for understanding. It’s just a cold anyway, he should recover soon.”
Jeremiah tried to improve the knight’s mood good-naturedly. However, the knight gave a faint sneer.
“Let’s hope so, Your Highness. The Emperor is putting considerable effort into this marriage.”
The insolent attitude made the room’s atmosphere turn as cold as ice water. Philip’s teeth could be heard grinding beside him. Jeremiah, who was actually the one being insulted, laughed heartily.
“Indeed. That’s why I, a prince of Parma, am personally going as an envoy.”
Then he smoothly brushed off the knight’s rudeness.
“I too am looking forward to this marriage. It will be an unprecedented honor for Parma.”
Though his face still wore a smile as he looked down at the knight, his gaze was exceptionally cold.
****
Despite it being evening and not too dark, the Emperor’s office was as bright as midday. Marianne entered and curtsied to the Emperor.
“I come before Your Majesty the Emperor.”
The Emperor, reading documents, spoke without raising his head.
“I hear the envoy from Parma will arrive at the Imperial Palace within this week.”
At these abrupt words without any greeting, Marianne’s eyebrows shot up. The Emperor continued with the same indifferent attitude.
“As a member of the imperial family, you’ll have several occasions to face the delegation, so it would be best to refrain from any conspicuous behavior for the time being.”
“Is that why you summoned me?”
Marianne asked sharply, with an expression of disbelief.
“Your Majesty, I don’t think I’m the one who needs this warning. I fear rumors might reach the King of Parma’s ears about how a woman promised in marriage is flirting with another man.”
“I already warned the Grand Duke after hearing your words last time, so if he understood properly, he should be careful with his behavior for now.”
With this dry response, the Emperor’s eyes finally turned to her.
“By the way, I heard you met with the Empress that day at noon?”
This seemed to be the real reason he called her here. Marianne, belatedly realizing his intentions, clenched her molars.
‘Acting proper in front but tattling behind backs. How lowly.’
Swallowing her rising anger, she responded casually.
“I happened to meet her while taking a walk with the Grand Duke. She had left the Imperial Prince in care of this Imperial Princess.”
“So you harassed the Empress’s maid?”
A momentary bewilderment crossed Marianne’s sharp expression.
“Your Majesty, harassment? How could they leave the child with that woman when she might harm the Imperial Prince? I merely disciplined a maid who wasn’t fulfilling her duties.”
Speaking about it made her anger rise further. She was furious at both the Empress for leaving the Prince’s side and at Sienna for sitting there without knowing her place. The more she thought about it, the more infuriated she became.
“Everyone knows Sienna harbors ill feelings toward Your Majesty. How could those who serve the Empress so recklessly leave the Prince in that woman’s care?”
“Would she be foolish enough to do that?”
Joseph’s cold voice made Marianne’s shoulders flinch.
“As you say, would she dare harm the Prince in the Empress’s quarters?”
“But…”
“I know your affection for Leo is extraordinary. However, interfering with the Empress’s servants went too far.”
Touching a superior’s servants was an insult to the master themselves.
Joseph had previously overlooked Marianne’s overstepping of authority. He had even allowed her to keep check on the foreign-born Empress and select all of Leo’s nursemaids from the Empire.
However, this was only because Marianne’s actions somewhat aligned with Joseph’s own intentions, not because he meant to let her run wild.
Though he clearly cherished the Empress, his stance regarding Leo was completely different.
While the Empress saw Leo simply as her beloved child, to Joseph, before being a beloved son, Leo was his successor.
Therefore, he was displeased with the Empress subtly raising the child in her homeland’s ways.
Even though he had granted her request to fill high-ranking lady’s maids and serving maids with people from her homeland, this was why he insisted Leo’s wet nurse be from the Empire.
However, he never crossed certain boundaries. While raising Leo as his successor, he never did so in a way that would undermine the Empress.
“Leo will certainly succeed me as Emperor of the Empire. I want him to become a monarch with perfect legitimacy, unlike myself.”
Like any parent, he wished his child wouldn’t suffer the same misfortunes he had. Joseph was no exception.
His mother had been the previous Emperor’s first wife but was expelled before his ascension. His life afterward was miserable.
After his father took a second wife, he lived in constant fear of having a new brother, and after the second wife’s death, he feared being cast aside by his father’s whims. That past remained vivid as if it were yesterday.
He tried his best not to become a parent like his father. He avoided unnecessary attention to women other than the Empress and tried to spend time with family when he could.
He didn’t want Leo to inherit the humiliation of being looked down upon as an Emperor without legitimacy, as he had been upon his ascension.
“For that to happen, you shouldn’t destroy the Empress’s dignity with your own hands.”
At his stern voice, Marianne felt a corner of her heart grow cold.
But what more could she say? The Emperor was no longer the brother who cherished her above all others.
Marianne bit down hard on her lower lip.
From childhood, her brother had been not just a sibling but also a father figure, her only true friend, and the closest person in her world.
Now he had others who were as precious to him as she was – perhaps even more so – and it was inevitable that her presence would naturally be pushed aside.
Cracks had begun appearing one by one in what had once been their solid world.
“…I was rash, Brother.”
Marianne clenched her fists.
Realizing further argument would bring her no benefit, she readily lowered her tail. Seeing this, Joseph’s expression softened considerably.
“Mari, regardless of what anyone says, you’re my only sister. Though circumstances have changed greatly, the fact that you’re my most precious blood relative remains unchanged.”
He soothed his sister with his usual gentleness.
But Marianne knew all too well.
That nothing was the same as before.
****
The sound from outside the window caught Sienna’s attention as she was reading the newspaper. She frowned at the loud music before belatedly realizing.
‘I heard the delegation was coming, but was that today?’
Theodore peeked out the window to look below.
“The Parma delegation arrived this morning. I hear the king’s eldest son came as representative – looks like he’s going to pay his respects to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“…I see. I thought it might be something like that.”
Sienna muttered, drawing her gaze away from the window. Interpreting her reaction differently, Theodore gave an awkward smile.
“Your Highness, if you think positively, there might be some good points.”
Then he spread out his hands and began counting them one by one.
“For instance, you won’t have to face His Majesty the Emperor and the First Imperial Princess anymore. And Parma is famous for its delicious food, so that might bring you a new kind of enjoyment.”
When she ignored him, deeming it not worth responding to, he persisted in folding down his fingers undeterred.
