Chapter 13
The Emperor read his documents without saying anything. Nearby, the Empress picks up a cup of tea to drink from it.
“I thought you liked it hot? It’s gotten cold by now.”
“I was not thirsty earlier.”
“Ah. I didn’t know that. I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“I didn’t notice.”
“It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of such a thing.”
The Empress pouts and begins to reheat the tea.
The garden is silent except for the rustling of leaves. After a moment has passed, the Empress lays a hot cup of tea in front of the Emperor. She mutters that she is annoyed that the Emperor hasn’t given thanks or a compliment to her.
“Still, I worked really hard to prepare this tea for you since it’s good for the body. Your Majesty is too dismissive. You won’t even say a word of praise.”
“I never asked you to do it.”
“Yes, yes. I was forced to pull it. I said no, but please.”
The Empress, who admitted bluntly, raised the teacup, complaining to the expressionless tea drinker, the Emperor.
“How can I make your Majesty more willing to listen to me?”
At those words, the users trembled at the scene in front of them.
‘If I’m not willing to… what does it mean to be willing?’
A laced tablecloth covered the girly-looking vanilla-colored tea table.
In this fairytale-like scenery, sat the expressionless Emperor, holding a teacup like a woman who was at the peak of cuteness.
Even now, it seems like a dark pervert who broke into a lady’s tea party. How can I be more comfortable here?
However, it was even more questionable that the two parties did not know of this irony at all.
‘I think it’s true that the both of you are acting weird.’
Still, it should be black.
To keep the peace, the guards and maids cast blurred eyes at the strange behavior of the royal couple.
* * *
“Wow, that smells really unique.”
I was walking in a remote corner of the Empress’s Palace Garden, a newly created herb garden.
The first stage of Lindo’s poison prevention project was to strictly select and plant poisonous herbs and then undergo adaptation training.
The second stage was to make a universal antidote, but the ingredients were not yet ready. The first stage was about to start.
‘It seems that my fingertips are a little itchy.’
I tested it with Lindo first, so there shouldn’t be any problems. But it’s amazing that even those young shoots are poisonous and have an effect.
‘If I told you to kill yourself, you wouldn’t be getting revenge.’
I shrugged, scratching my itchy fingertips.
A few days ago, when the Tyrant Switch was pressed, the Emperor suddenly came and tried to kill Lindo.
However, I had no choice but to agree because I was in danger of being suspicious and dangerous if I decided against it.
He couldn’t really kill him, so I slowly appeased the Emperor, and fortunately, I succeeded in calming him down because it was worth keeping him alive.
‘Because it really took ten years.’
The surviving Lindo teased me about what to do with him there, and I was only able to regain his trust after I gave him a generous amount of pocket money.
‘But thanks to that, he can be a proud servant in the Empress’s Palace, so it worked out.’
I knew this. Well, he was going to show it to the Emperor earlier.
Taking the thought of smashing the contract if Lindo had known, he finished the first poison acclimatization training.
And I went back to the Empress’s Palace with the workers who had previously been kept far away due to the former Leah’s terrible personality.
“Your Majesty.”
At the entrance to the Empress Palace, a middle-aged man with silver hair and blue eyes was waiting to greet me.
‘Cromwell Celeste?’
At that moment, Leah’s memories flashed in my mind, and I knew his identity at once.
He was the Duke of Celeste, the biological father of Empress Leia. Of course, the detailed memories were blank.
“Father.”
But without even thinking about what to do, my mouth responded unconsciously. Is it because the body recognizes him as my father?
‘Oh, it’s uncomfortable.’
I naturally looked at the Duke with joy.
He looked like he was in his 40s, and his eyes were very intense with a very cold impression.
He told his escort knights and maids to step away, saying that he had something to talk about privately with his daughter.
“I was worried that he might have been ill since the Emperor has not been following through on his promise to me. Fortunately, he looks good.”
Oh, it’s embarrassing, so I broke my promise right after the harem shut down.
“Yes, I am fine now.”
Still, I’m worried about Father, so I’m trying to speak softly.
“Have you forgotten why I made you into the Empress?”
The Duke stared intently at me. His eyes were so intense that my heart raced.
I blinked a little in surprise.
The Duke’s words were spoken, but even when he saw the Emperor who was called a tyrant, he had a feeling that she didn’t understand.
It was like, the feeling of being overwhelmingly oppressed.
“Did I expect too much from your Majesty? There was only one request. To conceive an heir with the Emperor”
Why are you suddenly angry? I answered by rubbing my chin involuntarily.
“The merger went as planned.”
“And I told you not to do anything else.”
“What?”
The Duke of Celeste twisted his lips at an angle and took one step closer to me.
“In return, I have overlooked all the luxury and enjoyment your Majesty has enjoyed until now. Are you going to break your promise?”
‘Look, it seems that he made a promise to his daughter by forcing her to marry a tyrant.’
Are you saying that we should only have an heir and not build friendships? Instead, do you want to do whatever you want?
It was a condition that seemed to call me to remember the promise due to Leah’s personality. I clicked my tongue and opened my mouth.
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything that will cause you to lose your position as Empress.”
The Duke seemed to be an actor trying to do anything with his daughter. It seems that in both my lives I really have to live without my parents’ blessings.
But what am I supposed to know? I’m only interested in keeping the Emperor alive and healthy until our divorce.
I thought as I looked at him sullenly.
‘Even my own father is not someone I want to see for a long time.’
Somehow it seemed that he was not in good shape. The Duke is a strong man, and he must have been training for poison resistance.
So, I roughly retorted and tried to pass by.
“Goodbye. See you next time…”
“Does that mean I can love you?”
‘What?! Who said that?!’
I was shocked and looked back. Eyes of a different color from my own were looking at me like I was pathetic.
“It’s pathetic. I couldn’t even sit still like a doll, so I made a plan on my own. Now, if you clean up the harem and stick with the Emperor, you will receive his attention.”
No. What kind of bullshit are you talking about? His daughter is listening.
‘I want to get attention from a handsome young man, not an old man.’
Somehow, I seemed to understand why Leah’s personality was the worst. I looked at the arrogant Duke in silence and felt compassion for the poor woman.
‘The kind personality disease has no medicine. How do you fix that….’
Drip-
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes, and they started dripping down my cheeks.
‘Am I crying now?’
Ironically, I was crying pitifully in front of my father, who I didn’t even really care for.
To make matters worse, my emotions were agitated, and I began to have trouble breathing.
“Hey, ah, ha…”
“No. What? Why am I here?”
“That’s why you should have listened to your father calmly.”
As I took a deep breath, wiping away my tears, the duke skillfully turned his back on the servants and pulled out a small bottle of clear liquid from his bosom.
I gasped and reached for the bottle desperately.
“Recently, my plans have gone awry because the Emperor has been doing all he can.”
“Huk! Ack!”
“Do what you do. Don’t try to attract my attention with useless things like drinking alcohol with men or screaming like a whale when you see the Emperor. Do you understand?
The Duke was savagely waving the bottle in front of his daughter, who was struggling with breathing, saying only what he had to say.
‘It’s hot, it’s hot—’
In the end, my eyes became blurry, and even my begging became hot.
I coughed and tried breathing in vain. Only then did the peacock open the lid as if benevolent and throw it to me.
I desperately drank it.
“Ughh!”
Then, to my surprise, my vision and breathing quickly returned to normal.
“Your Majesty must have learned a lot by now. I believe that from now on, you will never break your promise to this father.”
After saying that, the Duke took back the empty bottle and corked it. Then, with pitiful eyes, he turned and left. I hurriedly grabbed the peacock’s hem.
‘Give me the medicine and then you can leave!’
Also Felix, it must have been the Duke of Celeste who approved that damn quack doctor.
Apparently, the Duke hid his daughter’s illness and made her the empress, and she must have listened carefully to get the medicine.
‘Looking at the plan you’re talking about, you gaslighted your sick daughter and used her as you liked!’
I sharpened my sword inside and grabbed the Duke. But I was crying all the time, so I must have seemed weak to the world.
“Your Majesty, are you still not in the mood?”
The Duke grabbed my wrist with a cold face.
“Don’t be like a thunderbolt. Didn’t you tell me If you want my attention, then give birth to a successor.”
If I were the real Leah, my heart would have been ripped out. But I am Leah, yet I’m also not Leah. All his condescending words mean nothing to me. The Duke only knew my face and nothing of what was behind it.
It was so cliche that I almost yawned.
‘My shoes, how many centimeters in heels.’
Instead, I will have to obey his word.
Rolling my head, I pretended to cry, to be pitiful, and lowered my head.
“Waah. father.”
It’s here!
“That’s your only value… ”
I can’t now but one day I will pay him back for all that he’s put me through.
Wack!
“Ugh!”
The sound of a leather drum beat and the duke bowed his waist like a bow.
Holding my wrist as if it was natural, I was pulled into an embrace.
“Your Majesty?”
I widened my eyes in surprise. The Emperor, whom I did not know had come, wrapped his hands around my waist and hugged me.
“The road to the garden was nowhere near here.”
While being held in his arms still, I looked up at his face.
He was still blunt, but he had a different feeling, perhaps because of his posture.
“I see your Majesty, the Emperor.”
The Duke straightened himself up and said hello. He seemed quite polite despite slowly assuming control over the empire and having fun while at it.
“I understand that he entered the palace for trade negotiations.”
Said the Emperor coldly. The Duke lowered his eyes.
“I’m sorry. It’s been a long time since I have seen her Majesty, my daughter….”
“You mean my wife.”
A heavy voice pierced my heart.
“The Empress.”
Arigato.
This is interesting eventhough the conversation is kinda hard to grasp. I still appreciate you hardwork tl-ing this novel. Thank you