The Hated Empress Tames the Tyrant

When Arundel raised her head, a beautiful woman with curly red hair was standing in front of her.

It was ‘Bianca’, the woman the young nobles were just talking about.

“Hello.”

“I didn’t recognize you at first, and I’m only now greeting you. My name is Bianca Helen.”

Arundel, who was not in a good mood and was reminded of Zion’s birthday, was not pleased to see Bianca approaching with a greeting.

However, she couldn’t ignore her as she approached with a bright smile.

“I saw you for the first time at the party and I really wanted to see you again. It’s such an honor!”

“Yes…”

“You were so beautiful that day, and up close, you look like a magnolia flower.”

Arundel smiled awkwardly.

It was a bit awkward to hear a line that sounded like a man’s pick-up line from a beautiful woman, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.

She had thought badly of her for being friendly with another woman’s husband that day, but perhaps that was a rash thought.

“What kind of book did you come to see here?”

Arundel, who had run out of things to say, greeted her and tried to quietly exit, but Bianca brought up another topic as if she had no intention of letting Arundel go.

“…I just thought I’d read some history-related books.”

“Is that so! Do you like books?”

“I don’t dislike them.”

“I really like books, so I often come to the library. I hope we can see each other often at the library!”

Bianca was more sociable and friendly than Arundel had thought. It was a bit burdensome to have her constantly talking to her, but it wasn’t a bad…feeling.

“Yes. I think I’ll be coming often for a while, so it would be nice to read books together.”

“Wow! That’s great. What time do you come? I’ll adjust my schedule to yours.”

Bianca smiled beautifully.

Arundel, who had just left the imperial palace a day ago, didn’t know anything or anyone.

Arundel thought it wouldn’t be bad to expand her network this way.

“Huh? Suddenly, there’s a commotion near the entrance of the library.”

At Bianca’s puzzled face, Arundel looked towards the entrance. There was definitely a noisy sound.

“Your Majesty, what brings you to the library…!”

“I came to pick the Empress since I heard she was here.”

It was Zion.

The sudden appearance of Zion caused a commotion in the library. The librarian looked very nervous at the arrival of the emperor, who had rarely visited the library.

“Your Majesty!”

To help the flustered librarian, Arundel quickly approached Zion and called out to him.

The librarian seemed surprised to learn that the young lady he had just guided was the Empress.

“I came to pick you up because you hadn’t returned to the palace by dinner time.”

As expected, Zion had been watching her. He had come all the way here to catch her because she hadn’t returned by dinner time.

“I was just about to leave.”

“We will have dinner together today. There are things to talk about.”

Something to talk about? Arundel was reflexively on guard. It seemed like there was never a good time when Zion brought up a conversation like this.

“Ah, I’ll just say goodbye for a moment.”

Feeling like she had run out and hadn’t even said goodbye to Bianca, Arundel approached her again.

For some reason, Bianca’s face looked pale and drained.

“…Bianca? Are you okay?”

“Yes…Yes! Please go back soon. I’ll see you tomorrow, Your Majesty.”

Bianca smiled awkwardly and excused herself.

“So the person our Empress wanted to say goodbye to was Lady Bianca.”

“…!”

Zion, who had approached unnoticed, spoke with a bright smile.

At that, Arundel’s face fell.

Thinking back to the day of the party, they seemed quite close. It wasn’t a good feeling to see her husband being close with another woman.

But what was strange was Bianca’s attitude. Her face was frozen pale as if she had seen a ghost.

“Ah… Hello, Your Majesty.”

“I received your gift on my birthday.”

A gift? It seemed they had exchanged gifts. But why was the person who gave the gift reacting like that?

At Bianca’s attitude, which seemed like she might faint at any moment, Arundel felt that something was strange about this situation.

“I’m the kind of person who must repay when I receive something.”

“…”

“You can look forward to it. What kind of gift you will receive.”

Zion spoke with a beautiful smile.

Bianca looked as if she would shatter if touched. She looked like a rabbit wrapped around a snake.

It felt like she was looking at her past self.

“Shall we go now?”

Zion, as if nothing had happened, looked at Arundel and urged her with a smile. Arundel, who was unknowingly tense, nodded her head in surprise.

Zion and Arundel, who had left the library, went to the main palace.

Come to think of it, it was her first time at the main palace. It was definitely more splendid and majestic compared to the Empress’s Palace.

Upon entering the main palace, the place Arundel and Zion headed to was the dining room.

In the middle was a beautiful marble table that looked like it could easily seat 20 people, which she had only seen in paintings, and a luxurious crystal chandelier hung above the table.

Arundel was a little upset by the very different environment from the Empress’s Palace.

“Sit here.”

Surprisingly, Zion gave up his seat and guided Arundel, who was wondering where to sit because there were too many seats.

Once seated, she was facing Sion. It was a different feeling from eating at the Empress’s Palace.

“You met Royden today.”

Arundel, who was watching the steam rising from the delicious soup, raised her head at the uncomfortable conversation and looked at Zion.

“You’ve been watching me.”

“Why did you meet Royden?”

“Royden and I are friends. Is it wrong to meet a friend?”

If she had to define her relationship with Royden, that was it. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if Royden thought the same way.

Zion’s gaze was cold, perhaps not liking Arundel’s answer.

“Do you think you can be friends with Royden? That’s funny.”

At Rion’s scoff, Arundel’s irritation surged.

“You gave me freedom! What kind of freedom is it if I can’t even meet people as I please!”

“If you don’t like it, you can be locked up in the Empress’s Palace again.”

At his twisted attitude, Arundel’s anger rose, but if she kept going like this, it would only lead to another fight.

She had to be wiser.

“I understand. I won’t meet him.”

Arundel obediently agreed.

For now, she had to back down.

If she further stimulated his obsession and possessiveness, she might really be locked up again. People should be good at controlling their pace.

Zion’s cold atmosphere loosened a bit, perhaps satisfied with Arundel’s answer.

“How was your day today?”

Arundel threw a light topic at Zion to change the subject.

But his reaction was strange. He stopped eating and stared at Arundel.

“…Why are you asking that?”

“Why am I asking? I’m just curious!”

Zion seemed to not understand Arundel’s question.

His slightly furrowed brow seemed to be trying to understand Arundel’s intention of the question.

“Why are you asking such a question without reason.”

“I’m curious! Where have you been, how was your day, was there anything difficult!”

Zion seemed to have no questions resolved at Arundel’s explanation.

“How about you?”

Zion asked in return. Arundel rolled her eyes here and there, recalling her day.

“It was really fun!”

“What part?”

“Exploring the imperial palace. It’s all new to me. The people at the training ground were interesting, and I really liked the library. I’ve never seen a library with so many books!”

Arundel chattered on about what happened today, as if writing a daily diary.

When Zion didn’t react at all to her story, Arundel, feeling embarrassed, stopped talking.

“Why did you stop?”

“I feel like I’m the only one talking too much.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’ve been around a lot.”

Arundel looked at Zion again, her eyes shining.

“Now you have to tell me about your day.”

At Arundel’s request, Zion was silent. He seemed to be thinking.

“There’s nothing to know.”

Failure.

Still, Arundel found the situation interesting. Zion, who had always been scary, now looked like a child.

He was flustered by a question he was experiencing for the first time. For him, who had parted with his family at an early age, no one had ever asked him how his day was.

Thinking about it, Arundel’s heart felt a little bitter.

“Let’s have a meal together tomorrow, too!”

Arundel said to Zion with a smile. Although it was a small part, she wanted to teach him such feelings.

The fact that someone asks about the day, the fact that there is someone to eat with every meal.

Although it was a small part, it seemed to be a factor that would change him.

“…If I’m not busy.”

He answered coldly, but Zion, avoiding his gaze, seemed to find this situation awkward.

Arundel laughed cunningly inside. Now she felt like she could read him a little.

After finishing his meal, Arundel patted her full stomach.

The meal was so delicious, it couldn’t be compared to the meals at the Empress’s Palace.

Even if it wasn’t Zion, with this quality, she would want to come here and eat every day.

“There’s an event tomorrow that we have to attend together.”

Arundel, who was patting his stomach, looked at Zion.

“…With me?”

Zion nodded.

Even though she had become free, Arundel was a little flustered by the sudden treatment as an empress.

“The Crown Prince of the Shalbon Kingdom is visiting to participate in a ceremony to announce the harmony with the Croyden Empire.”

If it was the Shalbon Kingdom, it was a country she had read about in the history book earlier.

The Shalbon Kingdom was not large in scale, but it was known as a wealthy and technologically advanced country because it was very rich in resources.

Most of the iron ore of the Croyden Empire was also imported from the Shalbon Kingdom, so it was a country that relied heavily on resources.

The Crown Prince of the Shalbon Kingdom would be quite an important guest.

“In the Shalbon royal palace, there’s a ridiculous etiquette that a couple must accompany each other when receiving guests.”

But why does he look so unhappy…?

While speaking, Arundel looked at Zion’s expression, which seemed very annoyed. Sion’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

“I’ll send a carriage tomorrow afternoon, so be ready.”

Arundel nodded her head.

It was her first time attending an official event, so she was worried that she might make a mistake.

Therefore, Arundel decided to wake up early tomorrow morning and read a book about etiquette in the library.