Chapter 28
“Today is the first official event day for Her Majesty the Empress.”
At the entrance of Devita Palace.
The noble ladies invited to the tea party were chatting eagerly with anticipation.
“That’s true.”
As one of the few remaining moderate faction high-ranking nobles in the capital, they naturally had a strong friendship with each other.
As soon as they received the invitations, they sensed the Empress’s intentions.
She wants to use us to somehow reconcile with Cartar and end this tension.
While the Empress’s intentions were quite obvious, they, too, were getting tired of the same old routine involving ducks and chickens.
As long as beef returned, they were more than willing to enjoy such a delightful tea party.
Moreover, witnessing the Empress being bossed around by Cartar’s Ambassador’s wife with two Empresses in awe would be quite amusing.
Most of the noble ladies here had been observing Anelle since she was a child.
For the influential nobles, the guest list was quite predictable.
Anelle, the delicate porcelain doll who had been treated almost like a princess in social circles, was a rarity in that not many had the chance to exchange words with her.
“I plan to wear my emerald earrings during the middle of the tea party when Her Majesty the Empress is rumored to cry.”
“That seems a bit extreme. I’ll choose to wear mine during the three months when I’ll use recuperation as an excuse to avoid any events.”
“Flora Empress will probably take the lead from the middle.”
“Well, she’s been formidable since her maiden days, too.”
The noble ladies gathered and began gossiping about Flora.
“As expected, one must excel in politics. Who would have thought that babbling lady would become Queen Mother?”
“Just the other day, Lady Viscountess was worried about sending her daughter to the Marquis’s third son, saying no one would want her. Now look what happened.”
“Well, it’s the Rodian family after all. Rather than sending their daughter to a humble family, it’s better to let her enter the nunnery. Anyway, it seems like it worked out well. The Rodian Marquis must have gone through a lot.”
Sighing, the ladies resumed their conversation as the maids guided them to the greenhouse where the tea party was taking place.
“Oh my.”
As soon as they entered the greenhouse, they exclaimed in awe.
The indoor garden was filled with white flowers – white roses, lilies, and sprawling Shasta daisies. The tea table was adorned with white ribbons and decorations to match.
“Her Majesty the Empress really prepared well.”
The ladies covered their mouths with fans, exchanging glances.
The seemingly delicate young lady had made quite the preparation.
They thought she would remain ignorant of the world, being raised in luxury. Did Duke Morata thoroughly educate her after all?
The ladies greeted each other properly, but judging by the glances exchanged, it seemed they were all busy assessing the situation.
As the Empress and the Queen Mothers had not yet appeared, the most entertaining elements were still missing.
“Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!”
At that moment, the Empress, whom everyone had eagerly awaited with bated breath, made her appearance.
As if to confirm the rumors that her relationship with the Emperor was not amicable, the Empress was dressed in a modest attire.
While she did not diminish the Empress’s dignity to a significant extent, it was noticeable enough—just the right amount. Of course, given the Empress’s outstanding beauty, there was no awkwardness, but these ladies were social climbers in high society.
The estimate of the necklace around her neck and the tiara adorning her head was calculated in less than a second.
“Thank you all for coming such a long way.”
With a perfect accent and a faint smile, the Empress exchanged glances with the ladies.
The measure of power is money.
If the Emperor truly favored the Empress, these women had no reason to decorate her.
Having roughly grasped the situation, the ladies forced smiles.
“It is an honor to meet the moon of the empire.”
“Today, Your Majesty looks exceptionally beautiful and elegant.”
“How intellectually refined and frugal our Empress is!”
Frugal. Though the words seemed like praise, they were, in reality, a subtle insult.
The ladies’ willing laughter echoed through the greenhouse.
The only one who couldn’t laugh was Anel.
Anel swallowed a bitter smile as she watched these ladies, who only adhered to the ‘bare minimum courtesy.’
She knew why they behaved this way. They expected her to come adorned appropriately.
Anel hadn’t come to play the game naively, pretending not to know.
“Wearing the so-called jewels, there was nothing she couldn’t do.’’
Not long ago, Ern, who had visited the Empress’s Palace, had said such words.
‘The Emperor has handed over the key to the treasures of the imperial family. There is a proclamation that you can use any jewel you desire.’
However, Anel did not do that. The protagonist of today was not her.
Today’s protagonist was Lady Cartar, the wife of Ambassador Cartar, and further, ‘peace.’
“1st Empress Mama, greetings!”
After the appropriate greetings were exchanged, the empresses appeared this time.
First to arrive was 1st Empress Flora.
“Greetings, Empress Your Majesty.”
With a mixture of charm and docility, Flora bowed her head with a smile somewhere between bitterness and sweetness. Her appearance was much more splendid than Anel’s, giving the impression that she was more of an empress.
The noble ladies often whispered that the power of an intermarriage with the imperial family was everything.
No one believed that Johannes had fallen deeply in love with Flora Rodian.
They firmly believed that he was only favoring her household and showing affection.
‘’However, the maids standing behind knew the truth.”
Right, yesterday.
Flora had vented all kinds of grievances to Lord Rhodion, who had quietly come to find her.
It was because Lord Rhodion had ordered her to stay quiet and not utter a word in the imperial palace.
‘Empress Mama, Please lend an ear to the advice that comes from my sincere heart, thinking of Mama.’
‘So, just tell me the reason, please!’
In fact, Flora was angrier than anyone else in the palace right now.
It was understandable that Johannes sought only the empress.
After all, the Morata Ducal House was a very prestigious family, almost a treasure of the imperial and ducal families.
Anel Morata was a masterpiece, raised as an empress, a collaboration between the imperial family and the ducal house.
Yes, she could endure that even a hundred times over.
Moreover, there was a difference in status between the empress and the empress consort.
There was no reason for her to endure it.
But,
‘Do I have to endure being a servant-born as well?’
“When Johann was heard to have visited Gezel late at night, Flora couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitterness, as if she wanted to bite her tongue and die.’’
She went so far as to make sure that Gezel couldn’t even enter the morning assembly herself. Did she really have to go and find the maid personally?
Moreover, the next day, calling the maid to the breakfast table where the Empress and Duke Gears were present.
Flora had no intention of acknowledging Gezel as a fellow Empress like herself.
Gezel was nothing more than a hastily appointed ‘paper doll’ to avoid leaving the position of the second empress vacant.
A scarecrow created by Johann to break the Empress’s spirit.
However, considering the current situation, it seemed to be the opposite.
The Emperor never sought the empress, even once.
In this situation, doesn’t she seem like a paper doll forcibly placed there by Lord Rodian?
‘Considering the current situation, it doesn’t look good, Mama.’
Lord Rodian said, suppressing the frustration rising from his heart.
Some time ago, what Ern Lars said at the Ges Salong sounded very dangerous.
‘Look here, Ern. What on earth is the Emperor thinking? He surely doesn’t have any intention of keeping that woman in his heart, does he?’
It wasn’t that Lord Rodian wasn’t frustrated. Having put aside his pride in the face of the bursting situation, Ern answered seriously.
‘I don’t know everything about the Emperor’s feelings, But one thing is for sure.’
In response to Ern’s words, all the aristocrats in the Gesh Salon pricked up their ears.
Because it was the words of Ern, the closest confidant of the emperor.
“The Emperor is not in a good mood these days. This is the worst I’ve seen him, so it’s better not to provoke him at all for a while. It means not creating any problems in the first place.”
Upon hearing these words, Lord Rodian felt a chill in his chest.
If Flora, in her foolishness, were to get involved in some trouble and incur the wrath of the mad emperor, what would happen?
Lord Rodian vividly remembered the handsome emperor, who, as soon as he sat on the imperial throne, had ordered the execution of hundreds without batting an eye.
While Johannes was a quiet figure during his time as a duke – at best, he was known for mingling with a few women – he had mercilessly killed hundreds without a single blink.
Though it was unthinkable for him to kill the empress, Rodian couldn’t completely dismiss the slim possibility.
This was especially true when it came to the issue of his only daughter.
Therefore, he immediately rushed to Flora and sternly admonished her.
To unquestionably obey, and obey completely. He instructed her not to create any disturbance at all.
“Then are you telling me to bow my head to a servant?”
“No, that’s not what I meant, Mama.”
Lord Rodian gathered the last remnants of his patience and spoke.
“At least don’t show any favoritism towards the empress. If we have to choose someone relatively sane in the palace, it would probably be the empress.”
The maid, who had taken the empress’s place after abandoning her mistress, was in no state of mind.
Just saying that the emperor, who had seated the maid in the empress’s place, was not in his right mind did not explain the situation.
In Lord Rodian’s eyes, the only person in the palace who seemed to have a clear mind amid the chaotic situation was Anel.
Considering the sincerity in resolving the Kartar issue amid this tumultuous situation, there seemed to be no one genuinely concerned other than the empress.
“We will obtain any gem you desire, so please calm your temper.”
“What I want is not some gem—!”
“Yes, Mama. Why would I say such a thing without knowing? This father has endured twice the years you have lived within the palace.”
Lord Rodian’s eyes sharpened.
As befitting the nickname “Hyena of the Political Circle,” his ruthlessness was evident.
“The power struggle in the palace is different from the social circles. Social circles must keep up with the rapidly changing trends, running madly to keep up with the hundreds or thousands involved. However, the imperial family is composed of very few people. At most, there are just a dozen or so.”
“What are you saying?”
“Simply enduring and surviving for a long time in such a place means you are a winner.”
Endure. Endure and wait for the right moment. Now is not the time. This father will surely create the opportunity, so lower your head now.
Lord Rodian earnestly pleaded.
In the end, it convinced Flora. It was a reasonable argument.
In return, Flora received all the precious gems from Lord Rodian.
The result was the jewels she adorned herself with now.
Suppressing her anger, Flora reluctantly bowed her head.
“I greet the esteemed moon of the empire.”
Her much more polite demeanor surprised the noble ladies, whose eyes widened.
That troublemaker bowed so gracefully?
Witnessing such an unexpected spectacle, those who had come to see an amusing scene were left unsure how to react.
Flora Rodian, that Flora, bowing so politely?
Moreover, to the notorious empress who had fallen from grace?
However, the real amusement had yet to begin.
“Second Empress, Mama!”
The one known as the treasure of the empire, Jezel.
“!”
Wore the ‘Eye of the Sun’ around her neck.
