“What is this?”
I paused mid-breakfast, staring at the object in question.
Xian, as usual, was eating with an unreadable expression, not even glancing at me as he answered.
“A flower.”
“…Yes, I can see that.”
But why was a flower—one even bigger than my plate—suddenly sitting on the breakfast table?
Setting down my utensils, I examined the enormous, freshly picked golden bloom.
Still focused on his omelet, Xian casually asked,
“What do you think?”
“It’s… huge?”
“And?”
“It’s pretty.”
Honestly, if not for its very misplaced presence on the table, I would have simply admired it.
It was an absurdly large, undoubtedly rare, and undoubtedly expensive variety of flower.
As I inhaled its subtle fragrance, a natural habit kicked in—I instinctively checked for any traces of poison.
“Doesn’t seem to be toxic.”
Satisfied with my analysis, I smiled.
Xian, who had been steadily cutting his omelet into small pieces, seemed pleased with my answer.
Turning toward him, I beamed.
“Then I can eat it—”
“Put it in your room.”
Our voices overlapped in the air.
Xian froze mid-bite, his fork hovering with a piece of omelet speared on it. His brow twitched.
“What?”
Midway through pulling the large, vibrant flower from its vase, I tilted my head.
“The flower. But why my room?”
Slowly, Xian turned his head toward me, his brows knitting together.
“Why would you eat a flower?”
“You brought it to the dining table. I thought it was meant to be eaten.”
Was it not edible?
I hummed in thought, and Xian, still expressionless, firmly clarified,
“No one said anything about eating it. It’s for your room.”
“Oh, I see. Alright.”
I easily nodded and sat back down, while Xian, seemingly reassured, refocused on his plate.
“But why the sudden gift?”
“Picked it up on the way.”
“Ah, did the gardeners bring in new flowers?”
A pause.
Then, somewhat awkwardly—
“…Yes. They said it’s a far superior breed to roses.”
Roses?
The mention of roses reminded me of the Helios rose I had placed in my room—Kaibel’s gift.
That beautifully scented, strikingly deep red rose that had completely transformed the atmosphere of my quarters.
“How thoughtful, Xian. Thank you.”
Looks like someone was feeling particularly generous today.
It must be because he was sleeping so well these days—his temper had definitely improved.
As I rested my chin in my hands and smiled brightly, Xian remained silent, lifting his fork to take another bite.
Yet… there was something in his face—an almost imperceptible sense of satisfaction.
Interesting.
A mischievous thought crossed my mind.
“Still, nothing beats a rose, right?”
Thunk.
The piece of omelet slipped from his fork, landing unceremoniously on his plate.
His face remained neutral, but I saw it.
His fork, now stabbing mercilessly at his omelet, tearing it into unrecognizable shreds.
Suppressing a grin, I added,
“But of course, Your Majesty’s gift is far better. Much bigger, too.”
“It’s not a gift. I just picked it up. And don’t call me ‘Your Majesty’ only when you’re messing with me.”
“Ah, you noticed?”
Lately, I had developed a habit of addressing him formally when teasing him.
Spending so much time together, I had started experimenting—curious about how his ever-stoic expression might change.
Xian, unfazed, simply muttered about being more consistent, resuming his meal.
His expression was as impassive as ever, yet his fork, now poking at the shredded remains of his omelet, moved with surprising lightness.
Is he really that happy just because I said his was better?
Biting back a chuckle, I decided to push just a little further.
“Where should I put it? Should I move the rose and place this instead?”
“Do as you like.”
“Hmm. Then I’ll put this on the table and keep the rose by my bed.”
A long silence.
I peered at him curiously.
“Your Majesty? Your fork is bent.”
****
“Your Majesty, I’ve arranged an opportunity for you to obtain the jewel you desire.”
A letter arrived from Ruby.
I had assumed she would introduce me to a jeweler or a luxury boutique, but to my surprise, the contents were entirely unexpected.
“A noblewomen’s gathering?”
And, true to Ruby’s bold nature, it was scheduled in just two days.
I liked that about her—straightforward and efficient.
The imperial capital was divided into two sections: the inner palace, where the emperor and royal family resided, and the outer palace, which housed the grand gardens, library, and several administrative buildings.
Occasionally, the outer palace hosted gatherings where nobles and royalty with proper clearance could socialize.
Ruby had personally organized this upcoming meeting, inviting me to join as a guest.
Including her, there would be five attendees in total—a small but exclusive circle.
Or, more accurately…
“It’s a gossip session.”
I chuckled as I read the details and promptly sent my reply:
“I’ll attend.”
After all, chatting was one of my strengths.
“And these are exactly the people I wanted to befriend.”
Though they rarely attended large social events, each of these women held high status and influence.
I had already built connections with the more socially active nobles, so now it was time to strengthen ties with the more reserved, powerful figures.
Both for the jewel and for securing a peaceful, comfortable future for myself.
As I was reviewing the guest list, something unexpected caught my eye.
“Wait… Eloise has a surprisingly wide social circle?”
Curious about other gatherings taking place in the outer palace, I had checked the guest registries.
To my surprise, Eloise was consistently attending a variety of events.
I had assumed she was on the quieter side, but it seemed she was quite active in networking.
“Huh. No wonder she was so persistent about getting close to Ruby.”
Tapping my fingers against the table, I studied her name for a moment before closing the ledger and stretching.
With only two days to prepare, I had a lot to do.
Between choosing the perfect outfit and convincing Xian to let me leave the palace—because of course, he was not thrilled about me wandering off again—time flew by.
And finally, the day of the gathering arrived.
“Good afternoon, ladies! It’s our first time meeting in a private setting, isn’t it?”
“Your Majesty, it’s an honor.”
…Huh?
Something felt off.
Typically, in these settings, people would greet me with eager smiles, their eyes twinkling with curiosity or excitement.
But today?
The attendees looked tense, like subordinates summoned to a disciplinary meeting.
I kept my expression bright as I greeted each noblewoman one by one.
Then, as I finally reached Ruby, I leaned in and whispered,
“Why is the atmosphere so stiff? Did something happen?”
Her grip on my arm tightened as she whimpered.
“I, um… I might have pestered them too much to attend and got scolded for it…”
Aww, someone scolded my poor Ruby?
Who dares?!
“Please, take your seats.”
A woman with elegantly coiled golden hair spoke politely yet firmly.
I recognized her—Countess Ekaterina.
At thirty-something, she was the second-youngest here, just after Ruby and me.
The other two attendees—Marchioness Hessen and Marchioness Hazel—were in their forties and fifties, respectively.
And judging by their sharp, no-nonsense expressions…
They definitely gave off “strict older sister scolding the naive youngest sibling” vibes.
As I quickly analyzed the room, I continued to act as though nothing was amiss, flashing my signature bright smile.
Ruby, still visibly nervous, hesitated before finally settling into her seat beside me.
“Thank you all for coming. As you know, I haven’t been Empress for long, so I still have much to learn. I wanted to seek advice from experienced noblewomen like yourselves, so I asked Duchess Shire to arrange this meeting.”
“It’s an honor. We heard you have delicate health—are you well?”
And so, the tea and conversation began on a technically polite note.
But no matter how warmly I spoke, their responses remained formal—cold, almost.
Ekaterina was slightly more receptive.
But the two marchionesses?
“Marchioness Hessen, Marchioness Hazel, do the refreshments not suit your taste?”
“Indeed. I’ve been cutting back on sweets lately.”
“I simply do not enjoy tea snacks.”
Not even subtle hostility—they were being blatantly distant.
Clearly, they had only come because Ruby had begged them to.
I glanced at Ruby, who looked like a scolded puppy, eyes darting nervously toward me.
But honestly?
“This is nothing.”
Compared to Xian’s cold demeanor, this was downright adorable.
Even if they were standoffish, they were still following etiquette.
Besides, I had more than enough patience to wear them down.
And sure enough…
As the conversation continued, I noticed small changes.
At first, they merely listened with stiff expressions.
But gradually, as time passed, their expressions twitched—like they were trying to reconcile their preconceived notions with what they were actually seeing.
“Wasn’t she supposed to be an arrogant, selfish hedonist?”
I could practically hear the thoughts running through their heads.
Their perception of me was clearly based on outdated rumors—ones they still believed.
Considering they rarely attended social events, they must have assumed that my supposed “change” was just another baseless rumor.
I wouldn’t believe it either if I were them.
Finally, they cut to the chase.
“Duchess Shire mentioned you had a specific reason for calling this meeting, Your Majesty.”
“We have never interacted privately before. Why now?”
A direct, no-nonsense approach.
Ruby froze, looking like she wanted to disappear into the ground.
And I could guess why.
These women were all former Helios royalty.
Of course, they treated Ruby—a Helios princess—with warmth.
But with me?
Naturally, they were skeptical.
“They probably think I lured their sweet, innocent Ruby into something suspicious.”
…Which, well.
They weren’t exactly wrong.
I did have an agenda.
But instead of denying it, I simply smiled.
And answered them with equal directness.
“Yes, I do have a reason. I absolutely love Duchess Shire’s ruby necklace.”
The three women flinched.
Because usually, in these situations, the expected response was fake humility.
People would pretend they didn’t have ulterior motives.
But I?
I was blunt.
“When I told the Duchess how much I admired it, she promised to get me something similar. So, she arranged this meeting.”
I watched their reactions carefully.
As I had predicted, their wariness began to loosen slightly.
Ekaterina and the two marchionesses exchanged glances.
Then, the countess finally spoke.
“Then allow us to be just as honest, Your Majesty.”
“By all means.”
“Duchess Shire’s necklace is one of a five-piece set from the Helios royal family.”
“Each of us possesses one of the others.”
As she spoke, she displayed her emerald bracelet, while the marchionesses subtly revealed their sapphire and topaz rings.
“These gemstones were given to Helios princesses upon marriage into foreign lands.”
“They are said to be imbued with the mystical energy of an ancient sea, bringing good fortune to their wearers.”
Wait. That sounds exactly like what the red book described…!
The very thing that could stabilize Xian’s rampages…!
I must have looked too intrigued because Ekaterina suddenly pressed her lips together.
Then, with a hint of apology, she firmly declared—
“I’m afraid we cannot give one to you, Your Majesty.”
