“Your Majesty.”
“…”
“Your Majesty…?”
“Ah.”
The ink from the pen in front of me had thoroughly soaked the paper.
I dozed off. Until a moment ago, I was busily writing letters of greetings to the nobles who had attended the successful inauguration of the magic steam locomotive, but I fell asleep while contemplating.
Noticing that I was awake and straightened up, my aide smiled slightly.
Hiul, the latest to join as my aide, was the youngest but quite stubborn. Originally busy with external affairs, he often ran errands, but a recent accident injuring his arm shifted him to internal duties for recovery.
The letter I had half-written, each character painstakingly crafted, now needed rewriting due to the smeared ink.
I pushed the ruined letter aside and placed my pen on a fresh sheet of paper.
“…”
However, I couldn’t continue writing and put the pen down after washing my face with my hands. Although I didn’t have a fever today, my body felt as heavy as wet cotton, similar to yesterday.
“Perhaps Your Majesty should rest a bit before continuing.”
“That might be best. It seems the sunlight felt too warm.”
“Shall I have some tea brought in?”
“No need. I’ll just rest for a bit.”
“That’s not really resting, Your Majesty. Please sit comfortably on the sofa.”
Unlike the maid, who was still gauging my mood, the aides often nagged me. Especially Hiul, who was definitely on Valery’s side. If I showed even slight signs of poor health, he immediately reported it and watched over me.
When we first met, it wasn’t like this, but as we spent more time together recently, his nagging had increased.
“…Alright, I understand. You don’t have to look at me like that. I’m really just feeling drowsy.”
“I will tell them to bring tea.”
“Yes, thank you.”
It felt like I was somehow roped into this again.
I glanced back at Hiul too late; he just offered a kind smile. With his sleek black hair neatly swept back and his elongated eyes appearing rather cold, he was actually a warm-hearted person.
“It seems Your Majesty is really embracing spring.”
“Seems so.”
Just like now.
As Hiul suggested, sitting comfortably on the sofa seemed to stave off the drowsiness that was about to overpower me. Come to think of it, I had dozed off while reading a book yesterday while waiting for Valery.
Did I do too much work?
While spring brought many events, was it busier than last winter?
It wasn’t.
* * *
“I think we need to consider expanding the academy. What do you think, Your Majesty?”
“…”
Marchioness Juri del Chartero and a few other noble ladies were at their regular meeting. We shared a formal meal and had a light conversation before moving to another room for tea to continue our discussions.
“Your Majesty.” Juri, who was sitting beside me, leaned in and called me briefly.
“Hmm? Ah… sorry. What were we discussing?”
As I regained my focus, the countess to my left was looking at me.
“We were discussing the potential expansion of the academy linked with the educational institutions.”
“Ah, yes. Hiul has prepared some notes on that.”
Massaging my temples due to a migraine, I startled and gestured for Hiul. He handed over the documents he had prepared based on previous discussions, and I brushed my forehead.
The headache that had been troubling me since the meal had suddenly cleared. It was fortunate, as I needed to concentrate on the important matters being discussed.
After the two-hour tea session, the ladies had all left. Juri followed behind me.
“Isn’t Marchioness busy today?”
“It’s fine. I’ve been working at the imperial palace all morning and afternoon.”
“I hope they don’t say I’m a tyrannical Empress.”
“Why would they? By the way, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?”
As we entered the hallway, the sunlight that had been streaming down disappeared.
“You’ve looked unwell all day, Your Majesty. Are you alright?”
“Um, I had a bit of a headache. I’ve been feeling unusually sleepy lately too. Is my stamina decreasing?”
“Hmm, you’re not particularly fond of physical activity, are you?”
I glanced at Juri as we walked. She looked worried, though she was trying to joke.
“Still, I don’t think you’ve ever been this low on energy before. Have you seen a doctor?”
“It’s nothing serious. Just feeling a bit off. Aside from a slight fever this morning… It’s a waste of resources. Maybe because it’s spring, but I also have little appetite. The tea that Marchioness gifted me is somewhat bearable though.”
“Really. That’s what the imperial palace doctors are for. How many years have I been saying… Ah…?” Juri stopped mid-sentence.
I continued walking and talking without noticing she had stopped, then felt something was off and stopped too. Turning around, I saw Juri with a somewhat startled expression.
“Why?”
As if she had a revelation, she quickly approached me as I urged her. Then she whispered softly, just for my ears. “Your Majesty, perhaps…”
“There’s no one around. What’s with the secrecy…?”
“Perhaps…”
Juri kept whispering rapidly in my ear. I frowned and tilted my head as I listened.
“No way.”
“See? You’re not sure. You always skip your regular check-ups because you’re busy, right? It’s only once a week. What’s so hard about that?”
“No, but…” I trailed off, unable to finish my thought.
Now that I think about it, I hadn’t really kept track of my cycle. While Juri often nagged, she consistently made sure the doctor checked on my health. I usually had brief conversations, but I didn’t hide anything and received immediate medical attention if there was any issue. Except for Valery, I generally didn’t like being touched, so the doctor adjusted accordingly. But I had never had any issues until now.
Hearing Juri’s words, I suddenly felt a shock as if I had been struck. Because I had always had a cold constitution and hadn’t taken special care, skipping periods was almost routine for me.
After marrying Valery, both my body and mind had recovered, and since the year before last, Valery had been particularly attentive, and I had even gained some weight. Naturally, my health improved just like anyone else’s, but still, children did not come easily. I wanted to create a family as much as Valery loved me, but I couldn’t express my apologies because it hadn’t happened as I wished. Valery, noticing this, reassured me that just being the two of us was enough happiness.
Now that I think about it, my cycle has been regular for almost a year. Why didn’t I think of that?
As I stood still, Juri gently patted my arm. “It would be good to check, Your Majesty.” Her words were serious, but her eyes were those of the usual friend.
I nodded in response. But somewhere in my chest, I felt a pounding, as if my heart was racing.
Unconsciously nervous, I swallowed hard.
