Madame Zed rushed to the grand duchy like a bullet as soon as she received my message.
I won’t bother explaining just how much her eyes bulged out when she learned that I, who was neither a princess nor royalty, was going to have an audience with the Emperor.
“I shouldn’t be standing around here! I need to fetch the finest fabrics immediately!”
“No, calm down…”
“This is a matter of my pride and honor as Madame Zed! I can’t let you wear just any dress when you’re going to see His Majesty the Emperor!”
“Whatever you make is always excellent…”
“Ah, Your Grace! You speak so beautifully! I will repay your kind heart!”
It seemed that my attempt to calm her down had instead fueled her passion. As a result, I naturally suffered for days on end, as Madame Zed brought in an enormous amount of fabric from somewhere.
‘Those were hard and exhausting days…’
I vowed never to bring up the subject of an audience with the Emperor again.
The weekend arrived. When I descended to the lobby wearing Madame Zed’s masterpiece, there was Ian waiting for me.
He was dressed in his usual white uniform that he wore to the monthly meetings at the Imperial Palace, with his hair slicked back.
I quietly admired him.
‘He really is handsome…’
In front of his looks, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of surrender.
“You’ve slicked your hair back.”
Ian turned at the sound of my voice and naturally extended his hand.
“Yes.”
“It suits you well.”
As I offered a light compliment, Ian noticeably paused. He gazed at me quietly before speaking softly.
“…Your dress suits you as well, my lady.”
Oh, it seems he’s finally learned to give compliments.
“Yes, when Madame Zed heard I was going to have an audience with His Majesty, she paid extra attention.”
I lifted the light green dress adorned with semi-transparent lace frills on the hem as I spoke.
Watching it intently, Ian seemed about to say something, but then swallowed his words, cleared his throat, and extended his hand.
“Shall we go?”
❖ ❖ ❖
Since we were going to see the Emperor, even the carriage was more extravagant than usual.
I had visited the Imperial Palace before at the princess’s summons, but this time, both Ian and I had been formally invited by the Emperor, so it felt like everyone was paying extra attention.
‘The only one who seems reluctant is Ian.’
As evidence, Ian wore a darker expression than usual throughout the ride.
‘Well, he never liked going to the Imperial Palace for personal matters.’
Despite Ian’s attitude, the carriage moved smoothly, arriving at the gates of the Imperial Palace.
“It’s the Grand Duke’s carriage!”
When the guards at the gate checked the carriage and shouted, several knights came out and guided the carriage to the east.
The knights then signaled to each other and operated the pillars. A hidden path unfolded before us.
“There’s a road here too?”
“This is an entrance reserved only for special guests invited by the Emperor.”
“Oh…”
As Ian said, the road was wide enough for a carriage to pass through comfortably, with dense trees lining both sides, creating a structure where the inside could not be seen from outside.
After about five minutes, we arrived at the back gate of the Solar Palace, where the Emperor and Empress resided.
Ian, who had already disembarked from the carriage, extended his hand to me in a now-familiar manner.
“Shall we?”
“Thank you.”
As I stepped out of the carriage, a silver-haired attendant, who had been waiting for us, approached and bowed deeply.
“Greetings to His Grace, the Grand Duke Ian Cloud, and Her Grace, the Grand Duchess Eloise Cloud.”
“Pleasure to meet you.”
While I returned the greeting calmly, Ian simply stood there, holding my hand and staring at the attendant with a displeased expression.
‘Why is he acting like this now, after coming all this way?’
I nudged his side lightly, signaling him to respond, but the attendant was quicker.
“It’s fine. It’s been a while, Prince—no, Grand Duke Ian Cloud.”
The attendant looked at Ian with a gentle smile.
Ian narrowed his eyes before reluctantly nodding. He still didn’t say anything.
‘It seems they know each other.’
No matter how much, his reaction was ridiculous. I wanted to say something, but since there were people watching, I held it in. Just wait until we get home, Ian Cloud.
“Then, if both of you would follow me this way. His Majesty the Emperor is waiting.”
In the meantime, the attendant started walking to guide us. Normally, an audience with the Emperor would take place in the reception room of the Solar Palace, where state affairs are conducted, but since this was a personal meeting, it seemed we were invited directly to where the Emperor and Empress resided.
As we followed the attendant inside, an incredibly lavish interior unfolded before us.
The enormous chandelier was made of diamonds and gold, glittering brightly, and the walls and ceiling, illuminated by the lights, were densely adorned with elaborate paintings and patterns. In contrast to this grandeur, white ivory statues scattered throughout the space created a calm and serene atmosphere.
‘Wow…’
The Emerald Palace, where the princess resided, was more luxurious than I could have imagined, but it couldn’t compare to the place where the Emperor lived. My mouth hung open at the dazzling spectacle, and Ian’s gaze briefly fell on me.
“My lady, perhaps you should close your mouth a bit.”
“…Ah.”
Had I opened my mouth too wide? I hurriedly covered my mouth with my hand to regain my composure.
‘He didn’t even tell me to close it.’
Even his criticism was rather princely.
“The hallway is unexpectedly beautiful.”
“It’s where His Majesty the Emperor resides. This must be your first time at the Solar Palace, my lady.”
“Yes. I had no reason to visit when I was a marquis’s daughter, and after I married, I only attended official events. But you must have come here often as a prince, right?”
“I did, in the past.”
Ian answered nonchalantly. Meanwhile, the attendant walking a few steps ahead, who had been listening to our conversation, glanced back at us and spoke.
“You two seem quite close.”
There was a subtle smile in his voice. I tilted my head slightly and asked,
“…Do we?”
“Yes. To this old man, it looks very nice.”
He spoke in a contented tone and then turned his gaze forward again. While I casually responded to the attendant’s words, Ian’s expression seemed oddly displeased.
‘It’s unusual for an attendant to interrupt when their superiors are speaking…’
They would be more strict about their conduct, especially in the Imperial Palace. Perhaps this attendant was familiar with Ian.
Just as I was lost in thought, the attendant spoke again.
“I was skeptical when I heard the rumors, but they seem to be true.”
‘…Hm?’
“I mean the rumors that the two of you have become much closer recently.”
His sudden comment caught me off guard, and even my steps slowed down.
Even if this attendant was acquainted with Ian, wasn’t this going too far? I glanced at Ian and saw that his expression had hardened even more.
“…Excuse me.”
I was just about to tell the attendant to watch his words when Ian spoke first.
“I think that’s enough.”
“…….”
“Your Majesty.”
‘…Your Majesty?’
Before I could even process Ian’s surprising address, the attendant suddenly stopped in his tracks. Then, with a grin, he turned around.
His expression, now brimming with ease, was a stark contrast to the formal demeanor he’d shown moments ago.
“Well, I thought I did a pretty good job this time.”
“…….”
“My younger brother is as sharp as ever.”
As he let out a small laugh and snapped his fingers, the silver-haired attendant vanished, revealing the figure of a man I had never seen before.
The first thing that caught my eye was his tall stature and the radiant blonde hair cascading down to his waist, as if he had captured the sunlight itself. Below that, his eyes, a mysterious azure—a hallmark of the royal family—shone brightly. His face was like a perfect painting, with a distinct nose and a wide, cheerful smile.
He smiled brightly.
“Couldn’t you at least pretend to be fooled, little brother?”
[Ayaka : I tried to make sure if the emperor was a woman or a man, but it turned out that the author herself did not specify the gender, so I will make The Emperor a man.]
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So nice 😊