Duke Brenike
Riella almost took a step back without realizing it, but she clenched her fists and held on.
There was no reason to run away anymore.
She was no longer a criminal, she had strong allies on her side, and—most importantly—she no longer feared them.
“I heard that these maids committed many rude acts while Lady Blinite was staying at the royal palace. So please deal with them as you wish.” The head maid said.
At her stern voice, the maids standing in a line all trembled.
They nudged each other’s backs, pushing one another forward, but none dared to lift their heads before Riella.
“I heard that most of the palace workers ran away after Greta ran away.”
“T-That’s.… we ran away too, but we came back.”
“Why?”
“Because we heard Lady Blinite was returning to the palace… We wanted to beg for forgiveness…”
‘Should I be moved?’
Riella couldn’t help but laugh.
‘The maid who politely called me ‘Lady Blinite’ and didn’t even make eye contact with me was the same maid who had been looking down on me from right behind Greta.’
“Did you really come to beg for my forgiveness?”
“…..!”
“Or are you afraid that, with the princess running away without taking responsibility, you will be caught up in the fallout? That you need my forgiveness to save yourself?”
“T-That’s not it…!”
Some flinched and jumped in fear, while others bit their lips and started sobbing.
Only then did Riella take a closer look.
They were all in a pitiful state.
They had likely been interrogated in the search for the princess and in the effort to expose her hidden crimes.
Just as Riella had suffered unjustly in prison, now their hands were blistered, and their eyes were sunken.
The law of karma is truly cruel and terrifying.
“I’m sorry, Lady Blinite.”
One of the maids collapsed to her knees and started sobbing.
One after another, the rest also fell to the floor, begging.
Looking at that helpless appearance, Riella felt a sense of emptiness.
“If I were still a criminal in chains, would you have apologized to me?”
Her words, devoid of emotion, struck deeper.
The maids’ tearful pleas grew louder.
All kinds of regret were melted into the cries they let out.
Their sobs carry all their regrets—not just for the times they judged and belittled Riella, but also for the days they lived under Greta’s shadow, intoxicated by the vanity that Greta created for them.
“We were wrong. We knew it wasn’t right… but we thought it was okay to live that way.”
“We were thoughtless. We truly regret it.”
Riella’s heart felt heavy.
She couldn’t tell if their tears were truly for her.
But one thing was clear—the punishment meant for the princess was now falling upon them instead.
‘Princess, even these maids are better than you.’
At least they had returned of their own will, knelt down first, and begged for forgiveness.
“The biggest mistake you made was serving the wrong master. How pitiful.… After all, you too were just someone’s people.”
Those words, tinged with empty sorrow, made the head maid flinch even more than the maids did.
“I will take my time to forgive you. I won’t tell you to get up. Even if you served the wrong master, how you conduct yourselves is your own responsibility. So stay there and bear your share of the punishment. And if another opportunity comes, I hope you find a master more worthy of your loyalty.”
Riella said so and turned away from the maids.
“Lady Blinite, are you going to leave like this?”
“Yes.”
Riela took a step toward the head maid, who seemed to have more to say.
“Or should I whip them myself?”
The head maid looked at Riella with eyes filled with resentment at her tone of voice that seemed to demand an answer.
“They are the ones who committed the sins, not me.”
“Yes, I know.”
Yet her eyes held a silent accusation, as if questioning why Riella was directing her anger at the wrong person.
That irritated Riella even more.
“A true superior should guide their subordinates properly—disciplining them before they make mistakes, and taking responsibility when they do. Instead, you threw them to me like offerings and just stood by. Do you really have no fault in this?”
‘You are the worst.’
Riella gave the head maid one last glare before walking away.
Left standing alone, the head maid let out a hollow laugh after a long moment.
* * *
The next day, Herhan woke up and immediately saw Riella lying next to him. He felt relieved and hugged Riella’s shoulder.
“I thought you were gone.”
“Yes?”
“I woke up for a moment… and you weren’t there. It scared me….”
At first, Riella was confused by his words, but then she realized he was talking about last night.
I stepped out for a bit in the evening. You must have woken up then.”
“Hmm… maybe. Or maybe not?”
‘Pfft. Even the emperor talks in his sleep.’
Riella smiled as she gazed at Herhan, who was mumbling slowly with his eyes closed.
“Where did you go?”
“Just send Lou home. And met some people from the past… got into a little fight.”
“A fight?”
Herhan opened one eye slightly, as if winking.
“Yes.”
Though whether it counted as a ‘fight’ was debatable.
“So you won?”
“Hmm…”
Riella hesitated and then answered.
“Maybe?”
“……Good job.”
Half-asleep, Herhan chuckled and stroked her hair.
As she buried herself in his arms, Riella thought about that again.
She had told Greta’s maids to bear their punishment on their own and that she would forgive them slowly.
The maids had deliberately followed her to a place visible from Riella’s bedroom window and knelt there all night.
They spent the night begging, occasionally collapsing into brief naps, only to jolt awake and kneel again.
After confirming that the sun had fully risen, Riella ordered a nearby knight to send them away.
Only then did Riella feel some relief.
‘Wouldn’t it be possible to call this a ‘win’?’
‘That head maid is still a problem, though…..’
Just then—
“Your Majesty, are you still sleeping?”
There was a knock on the door.
Herhan was still asleep, so Riella went out to greet Asion after getting dressed neatly.
“What is it? There’s nothing on the schedule today, is there?”
“Something urgent has come up.”
It wasn’t even the Imperial Palace—what urgent matter could arise for the Emperor in the Riota Royal Palace?
“Duke Brenike has arrived and requested an official audience with His Majesty.”
* * *
“I didn’t know the Duke would come so suddenly. Didn’t you say that he ignored Your Majesty’s summons order?”
Riella spoke from the side of the Emperor, who was hastily preparing.
She couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed.
The Duke of Brenike had personally traveled to the Empire to meet the Emperor not long ago but had shown little interest in Herhan’s regency orders.
This time it was the same.
Although Herhan had informed him in advance of his arrival at the palace and ordered him to be summoned, Duke Brenike ignored him and did not show up.
But now, all of a sudden.
“If the Duke has changed his mind, that’s a good thing.”
“But it’s annoying.”
“Annoying? How so?”
“Your Majesty is a good person, but he acts like he’s testing you.”
At those words, Herhan burst into a pleasant laugh.
“Choosing a new ruler is no simple matter. Moreover, Duke Brenike is a citizen of the kingdom, and I intend to appoint Duke Brenike as regent, so it is a matter that Duke Brenike must naturally be careful about.”
“…..I suppose.”
“In fact, I’m surprised he decided so quickly. I thought it would take a few more weeks.”
Herhan tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders.
‘Well… if His Majesty is fine with it, then I guess it’s okay….’
Riella tried to calm her mind and went out with Herhan.
Imperial knights led them to the meeting room where the Duke of Brenike was waiting.
Riella accompanied Herhan as empress in an official capacity, walking hand-in-hand with him.
Though Herhan seemed unconcerned, Riella resolved to remain completely silent to avoid making any mistakes.
She took that vow quite seriously—
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Huh? You… You’re the head maid from yesterday?”
The woman who had worn a simple gray dress and thrown the maids at her feet just the day before now stood before them in an elegant purple dress, bowing gracefully.
“I am Duke Brenike. I have come to carry out the orders of His Majesty the Emperor.”
* * *
Seated at the negotiation table, Duke Brenike remained composed and dignified throughout the discussion.
As a former businesswoman, she was both meticulous and diplomatic, knowing how to assert her demands without being rude.
As Riella watched the serious look on her face as she meticulously reviewed and discussed the complicated documents the Empire had presented, Riella inwardly scolded herself.
‘So His Majesty’s chosen regent is a woman… I assumed the Duke would be a man. How foolish of me…’
Riella felt embarrassed and ashamed.
At the same time, she couldn’t shake off a sense of betrayal.
‘So she lied about being a head maid.’
Last night’s events were probably meant to test Riella.
Thinking about it that way, She started to feel a little annoyed again.
She had repeatedly refused the Emperor’s summons, only to secretly appear and put Riella through a test.
‘So what’s the result? Did I pass the test?’
“Do you have any other requests, Duke?”
By then, Herhan and the Duke had nearly concluded their negotiations.
“No, this will suffice. Once the cabinet is formed, we will discuss it further and submit a report. For now, securing funds for national recovery is the most pressing matter.”
“Oh, regarding that—”
Herhan put down the document and looked straight at the duke.
“The Empire will provide financial aid.”
“That…!”
“You’ll need it until the tax system stabilizes.”
“…….I will decline.”
Even though it was a situation where she should have just accepted it, the duke shook her head with a heavy expression.
“I cannot accept funding without a clear justification or collateral. Otherwise, it may be used against me in the future.”
Herhan hesitated at the unexpected refusal, but before he could respond, Riela spoke up.
“Use me as your justification and collateral, Duke.”
The Duke lifted her gaze, her light brown eyes filled with curiosity.
Looking into her gentle brown eyes, Riella took a calming breath.
Whether the Duke had been a head maid or not, whether she had tested Riella or not—none of that mattered.
What she showed to Greta’s maids yesterday was her true feelings, and here too, she just has to do everything she can with all her heart.
“As you know, I will soon become the Empress of the Empire. I am also currently the ambassador of the Riota Kingdom. As both an official with the authority to propose external support and as the future Empress with ties to this kingdom, I will personally oversee aid to Riota. The public will accept it without issue. Would that still be difficult for you?”
“……”
There was silence for a moment.
The Duke, who had seemed unwilling to compromise, finally let out a quiet sigh.
“No, Your Majesty. I think that is sufficient justification.”
“……”
“Then I will gratefully accept the Empire’s support.”
The negotiations ended like that.
The remaining details would be coordinated over time by the Empire’s ministers and the regency cabinet of Duke Brenike.
Now, all that was left was for the Emperor and the Duke to shake hands, solidifying their alliance.
“Duke Brenike, I thought you would refuse my orders.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I intended to do so.”
Even at that time, Duke Brenike calmly answered Herhan’s sudden question.
“I thought that the Feodorna royal family or the Elschweig Empire’s imperial family, were just ambitious people with different names. I didn’t want to become another puppet of power. I couldn’t trust the empire because there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t destroy this country.”
“I see.”
It was an expected yet rather audacious response.
Herhan responded with a leisurely smile and asked back.
“But why did you change your mind?”
“Ah. Her Majesty the Empress will know that.”
In an instant, everyone’s eyes in the meeting room turned to Riella.
Caught off guard, Riella suddenly felt anxious and confused.
It was true that she had interacted with Duke Brenike in some way, but she had never tried to persuade her.
“Her Majesty scolded me.”
“What? Riella did?”
Herhan, who had been calm the whole time, asked in surprise at the unexpected name.
Riela opened her mouth in shock, her expression one of utter disbelief.
‘When did I ever do that?!’
Yet, Duke Brenike, with a gentle smile, continued speaking.
“She taught me that even when a ruler makes a mistake, the people who serve them are also partly responsible for allowing it. But even so, as human beings, they deserve forgiveness and a chance to get back on their feet. As someone who had long turned a blind eye to the degeneration of my country, I felt deeply ashamed.”
Before the Duke, Herhan and Riella exchanged a brief whisper.
“Did you really say that, Riella?”
“Ah… I think I might have said something similar….”
Duke Brenike approached the flustered Riella.
Riela accepted the handshake the Duke offered.
Surprisingly, her hand was soft and warm.
“I hope that Her Majesty the Empress’s wish to find a good new master applies to me as well.”
“Of course! You’re lucky. Our Emperor is an incredibly great person.”
For the first time, the Duke’s stiff lips curved into a radiant smile.
The woman, once seen as strict and eccentric, now looked truly beautiful.
The mother of this land, and another person who will become the people of Herhan.
“I look forward to seeing the world the two of you will create. I will help you with all my heart.”
With that, she bowed her head in humility.
* * *
