She could swear on her left wrist that it was absolutely not true.
For the record, Blanche was left-handed.
But Blanche just laughed awkwardly, feeling that there was no need to risk her precious wrist for something she had never been asked to do.
“Aha, haha…”
“Oh, by the way, did you know that the Grand Duke’s playmate will be treated like royalty?”
I knew. Melchizedek had told me when he offered our friendship contract.
But Blanche, afraid that Riana’s eyes, already sparkling like jewels, would sparkle even more at the mention of it, lied nonchalantly.
“Weally? (Really?)”
“Yes, so you’ll be moving palaces.”
It was a sudden piece of good news in the midst of a stream of uncomfortable remarks.
Even without it, I had been wanting to ask someone to move me to a different palace, so it was really good news.
I had guessed that the assassination attempt was by Princess Wushian of Chivecha, who shared the Emerald Palace with me, and I found it a bit awkward to share the same palace with a suspected assassin.
“Then the palace will be used more widely, so the number of personnel will increase. Are you okay with that? I heard children at your age are very shy.”
Is a 3-year-old old enough to be shy? I can’t remember, as it’s too long ago when my daughter was three.
In the first place, neither in my previous life nor in this life have I ever lived a life of luxury that would allow me to be shy. I had to work with the generals of the army that I had annihilated and the people who had ruined my family.
So I focused on something else there. ‘The number of personnel will increase.’
It was a very tempting offer, especially since I was already planning to get rid of the personnel who were already there.
If I increased the number of servants, I could arrange them in a way that would not be noticeable and eliminate the spies.
“Yes, its okay. Tank you for your concen. (Yes, it’s okay. Thank you for your concern.)”
Okay, I got what I wanted. So now it’s time to see what the other person’s real purpose is.
After providing a palace and allocating additional personnel, there might be some wishes after all.
The bait came right away.
“Thank you, but that’s nothing. If you’re friends with Melchizedek, you’re as good as family.”
Oh, I was promoted to “as good as family” in 30 seconds from royalty.
It was an ominous statement.
Family. What reason could there be for the empress of the empire and the princess of a small country brought over by her to be family?
I thought about it for a bit and the answer came easily.
Grand Duchess.
So, if I had been a candidate for Grand Duchess, could I have become “as good as family” in 30 seconds?
“Family, dats an exaggewation. (Family, that’s an exaggeration.)”
If this were an ordinary situation, my concerns would be laughable. A princess of a weak country worrying about becoming the wife of an imperial grand duke? And not even a pure-blooded one, but a child adopted from a collateral line to be sent as a hostage?
Even if someone tried to push it through, those around them would stop it, so in normal times, I could put my mind at ease. ─If only there was no age difference between the grand duke and the emperor.
In my eyes, the emperor and empress are in their early twenties, and the grand duke is five years old. Both (the emperor and the Grand Duke) are children born to the previous empress, and the emperor and the current empress do not yet have a child.
This means that the current first heir to the throne is the grand duke, and if the emperor and empress have a child in the future, that crown prince’s biggest rival will be the grand duke.
What if the emperor and empress are worried about that in advance? If they want to prepare a precaution?
Then, marriage to a woman without power is the most effective precaution. It’s a way to take away one of the strongest cards, the alliance of marriage.
If the emperor and empress are thinking that way, I am a very good candidate. The Kingdom of Lamore may not be strong, but it has a long history, and Blanche is truly of Lamorean royal blood.
Although she is adopted from a collateral line, she has good blood, so she has a name, but no power. It’s really a windfall.
‘Of course, that’s the adults’ affairs. The grand duke himself wouldn’t think that way, though.’
And I really didn’t want to have a spouse who was leery of me.
“Tank you for your concen, it seems that you and his Gwace the Gwand Duke aah fewy close. (Thank you for your concern, it seems that you and his Grace the Grand Duke are very close.)”
So if that’s really the purpose of the empress, it’s very problematic. I hoped I was wrong and glanced up. It would be nice if the empress just couldn’t use metaphors.
“Well, there is a bit of an age difference. He feels more like a son than a younger brother. After all, It was also around the time we got married that Melchi was born.”
But the answer that came back only confirmed my suspicions.
A child who is not her biological son, but like a son.
I know what that means. This is because Baek-ryeon was raised hearing such words as, “You’re like my child.”
It is a word that describes a surrogate who is pushed into the position of successor by those who need a successor but do not have a biological child.
If they are lucky enough when those have no biological children, they can become a successor and seize power as they have been educated, but if a biological child is born, they are the children who must return their place to their biological child as if nothing had happened.
So, in a word, it’s a word that describes a spare.
The empress, who had confirmed my suspicions, got up after a little more conversation, saying she had a luncheon appointment.
“I’ll call a doctor, so take care of yourself.”
The hard fingertips of her calloused hands stroked my forehead and caressed my cheeks. Her smiling face was kind and gentle.
But even the kind ones can be cruel when necessary. No need to go far, I, who was told that I could live without law, did I not abandon everyone and choose my daughter at the last moment?
People always have a moment when they can be so cruel.
“Tank you for fisting. (Thank you for visiting.)”
I smiled back and bowed my head.
I could hear the empress talking to Tula about something related to personnel in a loud voice.
I lay down on my side and rested my cheek on the pillow. I lay there for a while in thought.
For now, there is no hurry. A spare must be ready until it is certain that a spare is not needed.
So, the real danger lies after the Emperor and Empress have a child of their own.
“It wood be best kf the Gwand Duke simply lemained happy. (It would be best if the Grand Duke simply remained happy.)”
So if the Emperor and Empress continue to have no children and the Grand Duke remains the next heir, I have nothing to worry about.
This would really be the best-case scenario. The Grand Duke would be happy and so would I.
But the problem is that I can’t trust my future to luck.
“Are you alright, Princess?”
I looked quietly at Tula, who had come to check on me after she finished talking to the Empress.
“What’s the matter? Do you need anything?”
…This is a very tedious task. It means that I have to come up with all sorts of countermeasures for each time period in order to prepare for something that may or may not happen, and if it does, I don’t know when it will happen.
Of course, just because it’s tedious doesn’t mean it’s impossible, so I can prepare for it.
“Are you very tired? As you mentioned before, I deliberately didn’t stop her, but maybe I shouldn’t have?”
But for that, Tula needs to do something.
“Tua. (Tula).”
I tried to sound as firm as possible, but my voice was hoarse and it didn’t seem to have much effect.
“Yes, Princess. What can I do for you?”
I opened my trembling mouth and gave an order to Tula, who was smiling warmly, not tense at all.
“Copy dhe etiket book tree times while I west. (Copy the etiquette book three times while I rest.)”
“…Yes?”
Tula’s pupils shook violently at the unexpected request.
I had been teaching Tula etiquette before, but I had only been teaching her myself, not setting aside time for her to study separately like this. So it was a natural reaction.
But there was nothing I could do. Even after ten years, I would still be 13 years old. To prepare for that unknown time, I needed a different public face, and the only one who could do that was Tula, who hadn’t sold my information.
“I well sheck. (I will check.)”
Tula’s burden will be heavy for the time being, but it will get better once the personnels are hired. I hoped for that and lay down on the bed again, giving Tula a sharp look.
* * *
While Blanche was burdened with worries, Riana was walking down the hallway with an excited spring in her step.
─Blanche’s prediction was spot on. Riana thought Blanche was a very suitable match as Melchizedek’s wife.
However, while the conclusion was correct, the reasoning was entirely different. Riana wasn’t trying to use Blanche to keep Melchizedek in check.
Unlike Blanche’s misunderstanding that she would have seen her background, Riana made the decision after seeing Blanche herself. Seeing Blanche’s abilities.
Riana valued Blanche’s courage in not being intimidated by her, her ability to handle the few servants with grace, and most importantly, how easily she had gotten along with Melchizedek.
‘Well, I guess it’s over if Melchi refuses even if I like her. But still, sending such a gift after just one day of meeting must mean something special, right?’
It might be a stretch to see a five-year-old sending flowers to a three-year-old as a sign of a suitable marriage partner, but this judgment came from Riana herself, who had met her husband Berken at five and eventually married him.
Additionally, considering that nobles and royals often arranged betrothals even before birth, Riana didn’t find anything strange about planning a marriage between a five-year-old and a three-year-old.
‘Even if an engagement happens later, I should make my intentions known.’
A potential Grand Duchess candidate, favored by the Empress, would undoubtedly be treated better than an ordinary playmate for the Grand Duke.
Thus, Riana, with pure goodwill, decided to inform others that she intended to push Blanche as a candidate for Grand Duchess.
If Blanche had known, she would have fainted and stayed unconscious for about three days due to the sheer shock of such an announcement.
* * * *
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