Until The Real One Shows Up​

Slap!

As soon as the ear-splitting sound pierced through the stillness, the crowd fell silent.

Melina dazedly looked up at Anastasia, unconsciously covering her reddened cheek.

Meanwhile, Anastasia stared down at her with contempt and indifference.

“……Your Majesty the Empress.”

“‘Your Majesty the Empress’?”

Anastasia reiterated, her gaze severe.

“I don’t know. Does the young lady really ever see me as the Empress?”

“Wh-What do you mean…”

“You just said it. When looking at me…”

Anastasia smiled coldly and recited what Melina had said earlier.

“A pretty package, but a piece of crap inside.”

“Your Majesty, that’s…”

“Or was that a self-introduction?”

Anastasia asked, glaring at Melina.

When Melina could not answer, she continued.

“Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’ve been taking love for granted, not recognizing what love truly means and how valuable it can be. I think it’s because I’ve been so focused on this so-called ‘childhood friend’.”

Once done talking, Anastasia poured tea directly into an empty teacup on the table.

Then, she turned over the filled cup, pouring the tea over Melina’s head.

“Oh, oh, oh……!”

Unexpectedly soaked by the tea, Melina was startled, her mouth puffing like a goldfish.

The temperature wasn’t enough to burn her, but the feeling of shame scalded Melina.

“In fact, you are a piece of junk who is a traitor and a fool.”

“Your Majesty the Empress!”

Belatedly coming to her senses, Melina screamed.

“What are you doing?!”

“Oh no, there’s going to be bugs in here soon, too.”

Anastasia frowned, waving her hand in front of her nose.

Melina was deeply insulted by the way she was treated like smelly garbage.

“Even the Empress of the Empire can’t insult an aristocrat this way!”

“Insult? That’s funny.”

Anastasia snorted.

“The lady who started these rumors floating around in the social world right now is whining about me insulting her. I find those thoughts scampering in your mind comical.”

“Mo… What?”

Melina refuted Anastasia’s parable with a smile as if she was oblivious to it.

“I didn’t say anything wrong.”

“Nothing wrong? Do you mean to insist that I’m infertile?”

Anastasia asked with a smile.

“So the Goddess is furious because of me severing the bloodline of the royal family?”

“Isn’t that the most well-founded conjecture for now?”

“Can you take responsibility for what you have been saying?”

Anastasia questioned, glancing at Melina.

“The assumption that because I’m infertile, the Goddess is displeased and caused these disasters. Everything?”

“Of course. I never say what I think is wrong. So I’m certain with it.”

“I see.”

Anastasia nodded quietly and said.

“Then once I save the withering Garden of the Goddess, the young lady is assumed to have been talking complete nonsense.”

At that moment, a suggestive smile came up on Anastasia’s face.

“If her wrath led her garden to virtually perish, then, she also wouldn’t let my efforts to revive it succeed, right?”

“Is that so?”

Melina also had a meaningful smile.

Strictly speaking, it was because of the overwhelming confidence she was concealing.

‘It’s absolutely impossible. How can you revive an already bug-infested garden?’

The Goddess’ Garden was already covered with numerous caterpillars.

It was the result of Melina secretly spreading those insects every night.

Moreover, they were deliberately raised in the garden owned by Marquis Lutent and then brought into the Imperial Palace.

“How will you be responsible after I revive the Goddess’s Garden?”

“If that happens, you can punish me as you wish.”

Melina smiled and promised.

“Whatever punishment it is, I’ll take it sweetly.”

“The young lady must not know how grave it is to spread rumors of the Empress’ infertility and dare to associate it with the Goddess.”

Anastasia accentuated.

“There’s nothing to say about your blasphemous act as well as the slander to the royal family.”

“…I suppose so. If I’m wrong.”

Melina stared at Anastasia and asked.

“But what are you going to bet on?”

“…What?”

“I can’t be the only one who bets on something. If I’m not mistaken, how will you take responsibility…”

That was it. Unable to contain her anger, Anastasia raised her hand once again and slapped Melina.

Clap!

Melina’s face turned mercilessly to the side.

Anastasia opened her mouth grimly, staring furiously at Melina.

“I think you’re being arrogant.”

Despite hearing the restrain in her voice while trying to remain unperturbed, everyone still recognized it.

Melina had completely cleaved Anastasia’s patience who had struggled to restrain her emotions while maintaining her dignity as the Empress.

“Thinking she already has the right to do anything, is the young lady behaving rudely to me now? Anyone who sees it would think that the Young Miss is the Emperor’s fiancée.”

“Your Majesty, how could I—!”

“No. You have no such right to do this before me, the Empress. Even if you’re the Emperor’s lady-in-waiting, how dare you!”

Her statement overpowered Melina’s plea. Anastasia called out to Mrs. Rochester, who was standing behind her.

“Mrs. Rochester.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Have Lady Lutent stay in her room and don’t let her come out. From today until she says differently, she’s to keep a low profile. Tell that to Lord Colton.”

“Your Majesty, what is this?!”

Melina immediately protested.

“You can’t do this to me. I am His Majesty’s maid, not Her Majesty’s! You can’t command me!”

“I think the Lady is mistaken about something.”

Anastasia sneered down at Melina.

“Even if I am infertile and the Goddess is angry, as the young lady said, none of the Lady’s actions can be justified. What kind of court lady dares to maliciously talk about the palace and discredit the royal family?”

Melina had nothing to say at Anastasia’s words.

Anastasia was right. It was a grievous act for a court lady – who directly served the Imperial family – to publicly make detrimental remarks related to them.

The family could be torn apart for such defamation.

Of course, despite the risk, Melina gambled purely to rattle Anastasia’s position.

However, she had no excuses for whatever punishment she may receive against Anastasia’s authority.

“It’s an insult to the Imperial family in itself. I’ve remained passive all this time because I wondered how far would the young lady continue to behave barbarically. But I see it now. We must hurry and exterminate the bugs that ravage the palace.”

“Your Majesty!”

“When you talk about my maid’s education level, I found it awe-inspiring. Did the Marquis of Lutent taught you to be like this? Brazenly gossiping about your superiors?”

Anastasia rebuked Melina as if every word she dared to say was vexing.

“Once I save the Garden of the Goddess, I will directly mention this to the Emperor and have him punish his maid. Knowing this, I find myself comforted that a mouse has been eliminated.”

“Call the Emperor, please. You can’t do this without his permission!”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Anastasia replied with a smile.

“There are so many eyes here. Someone will surely tell His Majesty what happened today. Don’t you think so?”

Dropping these words, Anastasia glanced at the ladies who attended Melina’s tea party.

When their eyes met with the Empress’, all the young ladies hurriedly lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact.

It was clear to them who was holding the power.

Anastasia gave a low laugh.

“Oh, this is troubling, Melina. No one wanted to testify for you.”

Although rumored to have become softhearted, the Empress was now showcasing her formidable temperament. Therefore, those who were skeptical about this rumor would be laughing when today’s news came out.

“I wonder how many good friends the young lady has.”

“Your Majesty the Empress!”

“Take her right away. It’s too loud.”

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty…! Eup!”

Melina kept screaming until the maids eventually covered her mouth and took her away.

All that was left was Anastasia and the attendees of the tea party.

“Oh, no. I didn’t mean to ruin the tea party.”

As if Anastasia wasn’t angry just now, she quickly displayed a sweet smile on her gorgeous face.

“Now, do you want me to join you?”

The casual question shook everyone and hurriedly opened their mouths.

“Oh, no, Your Majesty! I was just about to go!”

“Yes, yes…! I just remembered that I had an urgent appointment.…!”

“Me too! We’ll then be on our way, Your Majesty!”

After hurriedly saying their goodbyes to her, they quickly left. Meanwhile, left only with her people, Anastasia smiled. 

“Amazing! Her Majesty is so beautiful!”

Selene, who was watching from behind, cheered with sparkling eyes.

“It was like the Goddess coming down to defeat her enemies! How majestic you were when you slapped Lady Lutent in the face…!”

“No need for that. It’s embarrassing. It’s just me, Selene.”

“But you were really, really cool! If the other ladies heard what happened today, they’ll react the same way as I do.”

She didn’t think so. Maybe their reaction would be more intense than Selene’s?

Anastasia smiled awkwardly and then told Selene.

“Well, shall we go now?”

“Yes, I’ll take you to the Empress’ Palace!”

“No, not there.”

Anastasia gracefully smiled and corrected her.

“We’ll go save the Garden of the Goddess.”

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