~~ Thank you so much for the coffees ~~
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Ian hadn’t rested properly in a while, and today he felt unusually tired.
A nagging voice told him he shouldn’t push himself, but he couldn’t.
There was a lot of work to be done. Duke Bladel, still recovering from his illness, showed no sign of returning to his official duties
He had to take this opportunity to finalize all important matters. Thoughts of Duke Bledel naturally led to Lethenia.
She willingly accepted the official endorsement for the Emperor’s mistress and is sponsoring a newspaper that snipes at the nobility.
She even proposed taking over the management of Brilland Farm from Duke Bledel and suggested holding a charity auction herself.
She has also stopped sending all of the real goods that come into the Empress’ palace to the Duchy.
Each of these things got on her father, Duke Bledel’s nerves. The most worrisome thing was the fact that Mrs. Leven was coming in and out of the duchy of Bledel.
Was Duke Bledel really considering making that little Lucia his Empress? Ian thought that it meant the Duke was willing to crown a new Emperor.
It would be ridiculous to dethrone Lethenia and put his second daughter in her place.
But there was no one left in the House of Cassel who could be a worthy heir. One could only speculate that they had found a distant relative with imperial blood somewhere.
But attempting such a rebellion while Duke Bledel’s health was deteriorating day by day would not only face opposition from the Duke’s faction but even from his own supporters. Ian couldn’t fathom the intentions behind this.
<Just because we’re family doesn’t mean we have to share the same goals. I was never the daughter my father desired.>
It didn’t seem that Duke Bledel cared as much about Lethenia as he had thought.
He was known to be devoted to his wife, and perhaps he treated Lethenia this way because she was the child of his late wife.
If that were true, then Ian’s past cruel actions towards Lethenia would never be forgiven. It made his heart heavy.
He felt lightheaded, as if he might collapse at any moment.
For a moment, his vision darkened. He leaned back in his chair for a moment and closed his eyes. An old memory stirred in his mind.
When he was working late into the night like this, Lethenia used to come to him with tiflin tea.
At first, he didn’t know why she brought it. He didn’t want to know.
It was not until later that he heard from the servants that Tiflin was helpful for a good night’s sleep. But he never drank it in front of her.
Nevertheless, Lethenia dutifully brought the tiflin to him every day, and when he thought of it, he felt the pain again, as if someone had sliced open his chest.
Just then an attendant came in and said
“Her Majesty the Empress is here.”
He opened his closed eyes. He had decided to refuse all private visits for the time being, but the sound of Lethenia’s arrival brought him back to reality.
It had been a long time since Lethenia had visited him. Ever since she lost her memory, Lethenia has always tried to avoid him.
He’d even made up excuses to go see her.
Even when he did get the chance to be with her, it was always uncomfortable and unwelcome, so it was unexpected that she stepped here herself.
She entered the room, but this time she didn’t bring tiflin tea like before.
It didn’t matter; he was just glad to see Lethenia in front of him now.
“Lethenia?”
Lethenia didn’t say anything when she saw him, her face colored with subtle confusion.
She looked uneasy, as if she were in pain.
Lethenia had been near death once before. Recently, she had been sick for several days without an explanation.
As he thought about the possibility of her health deteriorating again, a sense of unease slowly crept over him. He unconsciously placed his hand on her forehead.
She jerked his hand away, startled. He was taken aback, and so was she.
An awkward tension separated them; she was about to turn away.
“Then stay for a while and go.”
Exhaustion had paralyzed his thinking, and the words he should have kept to himself leaked out of his chest, bypassing his brain.
Her eyes narrowed and she asked why. He had no answer.
There really wasn’t a reason.
“Just because.”
Just because. He was speechless. He couldn’t believe he had said it. It was one of those moments where he felt pathetic about himself.
“I was wondering about Theo and the princess of Delua.”
When Claplin’s name came out of Letenia’s mouth, there was a sharp glow in his eyes.
When he thought that her purpose for coming to the Imperial Palace was to inquire about that, a lump formed in his chest.
At that moment, his private conversation with Princess Erita flashed through his mind. The arrogant princess had hit the nail on the head without missing a beat.
<With all due respect, Emperor, do you intend to allow your wife to run to her paramour?>
<Isn’t the princess being a bit too rude? Do you think this place is any different from Delua?>
Despite the cold warning from the neighboring emperor, the princess continued to speak without blinking.
<My mother always told me that things between men and women are more easily fractured over the smallest of things.>
<…….>
<Please allow me to keep Lord Claflin by my side the entire time I am in Asha. If rumors spread as if it’s a fact that we’re engaged, it would be even better. Then the situation the Emperor desires will create itself.>
Funny how such ridiculous words from the princess so easily stirred his complicated mind.
He ultimately conveyed those words, which were far from the truth, to Lord Claflin.
<Princess Erita, please refrain from going in and out of the Empress’ palace. We wouldn’t want the Empress to suffer any consequences because of your engagement rumors.>
Ian felt a sense of shame at his shameful behavior.
And yet, to Lethenia, whose mind was filled with thoughts of Claflin, he had spoken words that were not true, wrapped in the guise of truth.
“If he really doesn’t want it, how should we see the fact that he’s been constantly by the princess’ side and hasn’t even shown his face at the empress’ palace?”
He was despicably taking advantage of a situation that had been created by his own willful acquiescence. Lethenia’s face slowly faded into sadness.
He hated that she was so sensitive to Theo Claflin.
The words he shouldn’t have said to her came out of his mouth.
“Lethenia.”
“…….”
“He can’t be with you if you’re like this.”
“…….”
“Because the more you do this, the angrier you make me.”
He knew that saying these things would only make Lethenia loathe him even more, but he found himself saying impulsive things he wouldn’t normally have said.
As if all the controls holding him back had broken down. Her violet eyes flashed with anger at him.
Bitterness washed over him at the realization that his conversation with Lethenia had been interrupted yet again.
“I…… Your Majesty, Miss Bedos has come.”
Rosetin’s unexpected visit immediately cooled down the tense atmosphere in the room. Rosetin’s presence always reminded him of his guilt over Lethenia.
That’s why he couldn’t hold on to Lethenia as she left as if she had been waiting for her. Rosetin had been coming to the imperial palace every day lately.
With the same tiflin tea that Lethenia always brought him.
Ian couldn’t help but wonder if she was doing it on purpose. He wondered if she’d heard about Lethenia somewhere and had decided to imitate her. Moreover, he was finding it harder and harder to look at Rosetin as time went on.
Rosetin’s stubborn demeanor prompted an attendant to re-enter the room and inform him of the situation. Ian nodded, uncomfortable with Rosetin’s stubbornness.
Then Rosetin entered, carrying a tray. Once again, her eyes were filled with dark emotion.
Ian watched her with a cold gaze as she approached the desk in his office. She silently placed the tray on the desk.
She poured hot water over the tea leaves. As it steamed, the fragrant aroma of tiffin filled the room.
Rosetin stared at the tea as if lost in thought, and then she spoke without looking at Ian.
“Please have a drink.”
“Rosetin.”
“Yes.”
“I thought I told you not to cross the line.”
Rosetin slowly turned her head and locked eyes with him.
“It’s just tea.”
“…….”
“I didn’t mean anything else, don’t get me wrong.”
With those words, Rosetin quietly left the room. No resentful glances directed at him, no pitiful cries.
She simply poured him a cup of tea and disappeared. Her departure was as uneventful as when she had stubbornly declared she wouldn’t move a step if not allowed to see him.
He took a sip of the tiflin that Rosetin had left behind. It was a little bitter.
Was this what tiflin tea tasted like?
The warmth of the tea warmed his body. But the lump in his throat wouldn’t go away.
Meeting Rosetin always brought back memories of a regrettable past that left him with a heavy sense of dread. It soon led to irrational imaginations that shattered his peace of mind.
Vivid images of Lethenia, who had been neglected by her family and worn down by his indifference even after their marriage, played in his mind.
He knew it couldn’t be true, but a strange premonition tortured him relentlessly.
Maybe Lethenia really tried to leave him that day.
The tiflin tea grew cold as he sat there, unmoved.
