Chapter 31.
One was, of course, Lady Sodel, the widow, and the other was Flora.
Following her father’s words, Flora was paying attention to Anel.
It wasn’t unexpected that Anel would attempt to reconcile with Cartar.
But I didn’t expect her to be this proactive.
Since the last time, I’ve been feeling little by little, but Anel was more formidable than I thought.
‘Quiet, yet she does everything she needs to?’
John must have given the order himself. Are they communicating more smoothly than expected?
Flora was nervous.
Actually, she didn’t trust a man’s heart either.
Johannes’ love?
Honestly, it’s impressive if it lasts for a month.
But faith and loyalty are different.
Becoming political partners is more than just a relationship. It’s a solid bond that’s hard to break.
“What is it, Your Highness?” Lady Sodel asked, tense as befitting a lady.
“Can you deliver my gift to the king?”
Gift?
Lady Sodel’s eyes widened.
“I have already received a list of gifts from the Stein royal family….”
“This is a personal gift I am sending to the Kartar royal family.”
Personally? Lady Sodel’s eyes sank at the word.
How should this be interpreted? There is really no ‘personal’ gift. Even considering Anel’s high status, it was too high to simply accept.
If it had political significance, it could be sent in the name of the royal family. But why through me?
Lady Sodel tried to read Anel’s intentions, narrowing her eyes.
“For my longtime friend, could you deliver that gift to the king?”
However, at the mention of a longtime friend, Lady Sodel’s expression began to crumble little by little.
“…What kind of gift, Your Majesty?”
“Just as it is a personal gift, I didn’t bring it here. I want to convey it separately to you. Is that acceptable?”
“Of course… it is.”
Lady Sodel accepted it somewhat bewildered. Anel responded with a smile.
“Your Majesty.”
At that moment, a scraping sound echoed as a chair was dragged.
Unexpectedly, the heads of three women simultaneously turned in that direction.
The person who pushed the chair back and stood up was Jizel.
“You’re really going too far.”
“!”
In a tone that seemed to have forgotten all manners, everyone in the room held their breath.
Even Jizel’s maids.
However, Anel, with a completely unsurprised expression, remained calm.
“What is it that you find excessive, Second Imperial Consort?”
“Do not address me like a maid! I am no longer Her Majesty’s servant; I am now the Second Imperial Consort of this country.”
Gasps and laughter erupted from all directions.
“…It seems that everyone here knows that you are the Second Imperial Consort. Of course, I also know you as such and treat you accordingly.”
“While you say that, I can’t understand why you’ve placed me in such a distant seat. The First Imperial Consort Mama is seated right next to you, and yet I’m placed so far away!”
“Second Imperial Consort.”
Anel covered Jizel’s mouth before she could finish speaking. Jizel felt embarrassed not because of Anel but because she was the cause of her own embarrassment.
“Originally, your place was next to the first empress.”
“!”
At those words, the noblewomen looked at each other with fans covering their mouths.
Jizel’s face was growing redder by the moment.
“But I think you were sent there because you seemed like you would take good care of the other noblewomen. I understood your intentions well, so I’ll let you know to be more considerate from now on.”
Anel spoke smoothly, but everyone present understood the underlying message.
She had been disrespectful to the Countess Sodel, and that led to her demotion.
If she wanted to return to this position, she should refrain from such disrespect in the future.
Perhaps, if Jizel had just understood and returned to her seat, this incident would have become a fascinating topic in social circles.
However, Jizel remembered Johan’s words.
“Your role is to properly ruin the party tomorrow.”
And Jizel couldn’t let go of the role she had been given. Without it, she knew she would end her life as the ignored maid Jizel.
“…It wasn’t my intention. Empress, Her Majesty, instructed me to wear this jewel.”
And so, Jizel resolved to thoroughly ruin the party.
Johannes had no interest in anything these days.
A while ago, when a maid he had seated out of boredom came looking for him, he didn’t even show the slightest interest.
He couldn’t even remember her name properly.
“Please write this for me.”
However, what eventually caught Johannes’s attention was the desperation in the maid’s eyes.
The desperation to carve out her own place.
That desperation eventually stirred something in Johannes’s heart.
It wasn’t that he regarded the maid with any particular favor.
Did he feel some kind of camaraderie? Not at all.
Could Johannes D’Nagher, the man of the world, feel camaraderie with such a maid? Certainly not.
Johannes was just curious if that kind of desperation could be seen in her eyes—nothing more.
“Anel Morata.”
Is it only Samuel Gears that makes you desperate?
A few days ago, Johannes recalled Anel, who had shown desperation for the first time.
No matter how hard she tried to hide it, Johannes saw it all. The desperation to save Samuel, no matter what.
“Your Majesty.”
It was the moment when anger first surged at the desperation of others.
“Lars Marquis and Duke Giers are at the Solis Palace on the other side-”
“How is the party at Devita Palace progressing?”
And so, capricious events kept happening.
Looking at your desperation, strangely enough, I get angry, Anel.
I get strangely angry at you willingly sacrificing your soul for someone unworthy.
“Yes? Devita Palace is currently…”
“You might as well go there. It’s the first official event hosted by the Empress.”
Prime Minister Garden was at a loss in the face of awkwardness.
In fact, he was receiving real-time reports about the commotion happening at Devita Palace.
It seems that the Empress and the Second Empress are clashing significantly.
All because of the jewel bestowed by none other than ‘Her Imperial Majesty.’
Should the instigator of such turmoil really need to attend?
Knowing as someone who had served the previous emperor, Garden was aware that involving the Emperor in such ‘disturbances’ would lead to nothing good.
That was a direct ticket to disaster.
“Lord Lars was kindly requested to attend the meeting, but going to the Solis Palace might be more-”
“Ern Lars has no need for me.”
“If only you hoped I wouldn’t come. Well, over there, they’d prefer to peacefully untangle the Cartar situation’’
Johann knew well of Ern’s pacifist tendencies.
However, Johann wasn’t solely dedicated to seeking peace. If necessary, he would resort to force.
His stance was clear; rather than being led around like a puppet on a leash by a weak nation, he would choose war.
He wasn’t a coward like Emperor Sunhwang.
“How about news regarding the Tea Party?”
“…It seems 2nd Empress Mama is causing quite a disturbance.”
Garden tried his best to find a diplomatic expression and gave up.
Honestly, the term ‘disturbance’ was too mild for what she was doing.
Johann sent a demanding gaze for an explanation.
Garden opened his mouth with a desire to escape.
“2nd Empress Mama brought the ‘Eye of the Sun’ and said it was by His Majesty’s command.”
Heh.
A laugh escaped Johann’s lips. He had been told to stay put, and now they’re selling my name? Seems like they’ve become quite bold.
But that alone wouldn’t cause much of a disturbance.
Johann turned his head as if bored. It was all within the expected range.
“Well, she said it wasn’t by His Majesty’s command… It was by Her Majesty’s command.”
Only then did a peculiar gleam appear in Johann’s eyes, which had been filled with disdain. Oh, the hunting dog that couldn’t earn its keep is quite lively now.
“So what?”
“What?”
Garden asked blankly. So, are you really asking because you’re curious?
Garden already knew that the jewel incident was Johann’s doing. Could he dare to say otherwise?
“So, what’s the Empress’s reaction?”
“Oh, Empress Mama… She…”
“I ordered her to wear that jewel?”
