“Wow…”
The greenhouse where the palace servant had led me was enchanting.
Whoever had the idea to fill a building with blooming flowers? Thanks to that, the fragrance was trapped inside, making it feel as if I were walking inside a bouquet. Looking up, I could see the blue sky through the glass, and looking down, the vibrant flowers filled my vision. Yet, because there was a lot of greenery overall, my eyes didn’t get tired.
“Amazing, isn’t it? This glass greenhouse was a gift from His Majesty the Emperor to Her Majesty the Empress upon their marriage. It’s the pride of the empire.”
Whether it was because they liked children or because they wanted to boast about the imperial couple’s affection, the palace servant guiding me explained with a smiling face. Not wanting to prick his kindness, I honestly expressed my admiration.
“Imwssife. (Impressive.)”
I wasn’t interested in wealth and splendor, but this was something I could appreciate. I deliberately did not hurry, walking slowly and leisurely, enjoying the floral scent.
I wouldn’t be late anyway, and if anyone complained about a three-year-old arriving right on time rather than early, they’d seem unreasonable.
The palace servant must have noticed my noticeably slower pace but didn’t rush me.
“Shall I lift you up? So you can see the flowers on the trees?”
Instead, he even made this suggestion. However, I shook my head because I thought that even if I walked a little slowly, doing something completely different would not be a good first impression.
“I appwishiate dhe sought. (I appreciate the thought.)”
The palace servant smiled and slowed his pace to match mine. He were already walking slowly enough due to our difference in leg length.
Because of our slower pace, by the time we arrived at the central area of the greenhouse where the tea party was being held, most others had already arrived.
This allowed me to easily notice the peculiar scene.
The greenhouse was so vast that the tables were spaced further apart than I expected. Each table could seat about four to five people, and there didn’t seem to be any particular markers indicating that people from the same palace should sit together.
Up to that point, there was nothing strange. The odd part was that there was one table among the scattered ones that was nearly empty.
It wasn’t completely empty. If it had been, I might have thought that everyone had sat at already occupied tables to make acquaintances, leaving that table vacant.
The table in the very center had only one person seated. Based on the location, the quality of her clothing, and the elegance with which she held her teacup, I inferred that she was the Empress.
I could understand if no one else was seated at the Empress’s table. Even if seats weren’t assigned, there might have been arrangements for specific individuals to sit with the Empress.
What seemed strange was that the other royals appeared to be avoiding that table.
No other table had just one person seated, and the royals at the other tables seemed afraid to even glance in that direction, keeping their eyes downcast.
‘What is going on?’
The sunlight was bright, and the space was warm. The air was filled with the mingled scents of flowers and tea. The sweet smell of desserts and the frills decorating the formal attire were dazzling.
The Empress, seated in the center, seemed to be the essence of all this splendor.
Yet, what was this atmosphere? Instead of flocking around her and fawning, they seemed afraid to even make eye contact with her.
From what I saw when she stopped the Emperor, she didn’t seem to have such a fierce temperament that people would avoid her to this extent.
I was puzzled, and soon I found the most plausible explanation.
The difference in national power must be quite significant.
Well, this is a place where dozens of countries have to send hostages without being able to properly complain. If someone carelessly approaches the Empress and ends up offending her, the consequences would be difficult to handle. It’s understandable that they avoid her as if she were some kind of plague.
But that’s the perspective of ordinary people. I understand the minds of those in power. They always want people who will flatter them.
This is true whether the ruler is wise or tyrannical. The distinction between a wise ruler and a tyrant isn’t whether they like flattery but whether they grant excessive power to sycophants.
And while I am not a sycophant, I have observed them flattering His Majesty, and I have received flattery myself.
What this means is that I can flatter the Empress enough to satisfy her. Plus, I’m not bad-looking, so I can please both her eyes and ears.
“Tank you for eskorting me. Kod I ashk one mo fafor? )Thank you for escorting me. Could I ask one more favor?)”
“Of course. What can I help you with?”
“Pwease seet me in this shair. (Please seat me in this chair)”
After saying that, I boldly pointed to the central table. I extended my arm fully, thinking that just pointing with my finger might not be clear enough due to its short length.
“…Pardon?”
The palace servant’s eyes shook fiercely, as if he hadn’t expected me to so confidently ask to sit at the Empress’s table.
“Is it no aIlawet? (Is it not allowed?)”
“N-No, it’s not that it’s not allowed, but…”
Does the Empress discriminate against people based on their status? To the extent that she would dislike even sharing a table?
Well, if that’s the case, I’ll just endure a bit of reprimand. Being three years old is both the biggest obstacle and the greatest shield. What could anyone say about a three-year-old being a bit clueless?
As I continued pointing unwaveringly at the central table, the palace servant eventually yielded.
“Huh? What’s going on?”
The Empress, who had been gracefully enjoying her tea alone, looked up at the presence of the palace servant and me. Her eyes, the color of light leaves, stood out in the greenhouse.
“Mai I sit hee? (May I sit here?)”
The Empress’s green eyes widened slightly as they turned towards me.
“Oh…?”
She didn’t seem displeased, just surprised. What could it be? Is there some unspoken rule about seating arrangements?
At three years old, I didn’t need to know about such things, so I pretended not to and continued looking at the Empress.
“If its awght wis you. (If it’s alright with you.)”
“Oh, sure. If it’s alright, please do.”
The Empress pointed to the chair next to her. Since it was better to flatter from the side rather than directly across, this was good for me.
“A little hwlp, pwease. (A little help, please.)”
Since I was too young to climb onto the chair by myself, I reached out my hands to the palace servant who had guided me. But before the servant could bend down, a hand reached out from the side. It was the Empress.
“Huh…?”
“Oh! My apologies, that was rude of me. Are you alright?”
I was startled by the sudden hand, but the Empress’s apology followed quickly. Yet, I was the one who wanted to ask if she was alright. I looked at the Empress, who was effortlessly lifting me without even bracing her elbow against her body, with astonished eyes.
She can support this weight in this position? With those slender arms?
“Sh-Shair…(Ch-Chair…)”
Although the Empress was holding me steadily without trembling, I felt embarrassed being lifted like that, so I called to the palace servant.
“Yes, yes.”
The palace servant hastily pulled out the chair, and the Empress, realizing it was inappropriate to keep the princess of another country hoisted in the air, gently set me down on the chair.
“Thank you for your help.”
Since she had allowed me to join her and had helped me into the chair, I bowed my head to express my gratitude.
“…Are you alright, Princess?”
But what is this reaction? Seriously, does she have some contagious disease? Does being near her shorten my lifespan or something?
Although I couldn’t see behind her due to my short stature, everyone within my field of vision was looking at us with shocked eyes, which only deepened my unease.
I thought this was a good start, so what did I miss?
* * *
So, Yi Baek-ryeon or Blanche’s judgment wasn’t wrong. Empress Riana Enzen Pendleton of the Retail Empire possessed great power and a benevolent nature. She also loved children, so if Blanche had shown a little bit of cutesiness, she might have been able to share some power with her.
After all, Yi Baek-ryeon knew that even with that small amount of power, Blanche could have achieved everything she desired.
However, there was one thing that Blanche had overlooked. Riana had a secret alias that everyone but Blanche knew.
The former knight commander of the Kiverian Knights and current commander of the Imperial Knights, this woman’s alias was “The Empire’s Greatest Sword.”
Yes, Riana was a genius who could pierce steel and cleave rocks with arms that looked like they had never lifted anything heavier than a teapot.
Whether it was because of this innate problem or some other reason, Riana had exuded the aura of a lion since she was a child.
Even the former Grand Marshal, who had rolled in the mud on the battlefield, once solemnly remarked, “The dignity of a veteran general radiates from the Kiverian Heroine.”
And it was precisely because of this aura that children and animals did not dare to approach Riana.
It was a very unfortunate thing for Riana, who loved children and small animals like a normal lady, but children would burst into tears just by meeting Riana’s eyes, and animals would either flee for their lives or, if they couldn’t, roll over their eyes and faint.
If even the toughest of horses trembled with ears flattened and tails tucked, then it was safe to say it was all over.
This was the reason why the Empress was left pouring teacups by herself at the Empress’s Tea Party. No one wanted to approach Riana, who exuded the aura of a lion.
At best, the nobles of the Retail Empire who had known Riana for a while would have chosen to approach the Empress even at the risk of their fear, but here there were only newcomers who had not been in the Retail Empire for more than two weeks.
It was no wonder that no one had the courage to approach someone they didn’t even know why they were afraid of.
So it was natural that everyone was casting disbelieving glances at Blanche, who had nonchalantly approached Riana, asked if she could sit next to her, and didn’t burst into tears even when she was dangling from Riana’s hand.
But Blanche, who had never been intimidated by the aura of a predator emanating from Riana, who was a veteran general herself, found the situation completely incomprehensible.
That was how the situation of the moment, where Blanche, who was sitting at the Empress’s table, was being met with disbelieving glances, was complete.
* * * *
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