That evening, the normally quiet Empress’ Palace was unexpectedly lively.
“His Highness prefers pink.”
“Don’t you think sky blue would look even better on him? How adorable…”
“But really, any color would suit him. He’s just so cute!”
Some maids were busy selecting pajamas for Louis.
“Your Highness, do you like macarons?”
“What? Macarons at this hour! And if the Crown Prince gets a cavity, will you be responsible? Here, try this walnut pie instead.”
“Walnut pie? Do you think His Highness wants some adult snack? I never even glanced at walnuts when I was his age!”
Other maids were fussing over snacks for Louis.
“Your Highness, may I make you a liquid monster? Not too long ago, I learned how to make it from Her Majesty.”
“Not the dough. I’ll make you a paper bird instead.”
“What? A paper bird at night? His favorite is the liquid monster!”
Some maids were eagerly presenting toys.
‘…It’s chaotic.’
It was usually a bit like this, but today especially.
“The Empress’ Palace seems even more vibrant than usual, doesn’t it?” Mrs. Rochester remarked, approaching Anastasia with a smile.
“I think we owe it to the Prince. I haven’t seen them this excited since the Empress was crowned.”
“That’s true,” Anastasia replied, smiling as she watched Louis surrounded by the ladies. “I never expected everyone would be this thrilled.”
“Do you think the Prince is enjoying himself too?”
“…No, I think he’s a bit overwhelmed right now.”
Still, he didn’t seem to mind. His feelings were usually easy to read.
“Has he seen the palace doctor?”
“Yes, and thankfully, his fever is completely gone.”
“Keep a close eye on him for now, though.”
“Of course. We assigned specific maids for him. The competition was intense—everyone wanted the role.”
“They all wanted to be his maid rather than mine? That stings a bit,” Anastasia joked.
“Oh, don’t take it personally. The Prince is adorable.”
That much was true, and Anastasia couldn’t help but smile at Mrs. Rochester’s observation.
To be honest, she wouldn’t mind being Louis’ maid herself.
“Why is he so cute? Every time I see him, I just want to pinch his cheeks.”
“He looks just like His Majesty, the late Emperor.”
Anastasia’s smile faltered briefly at those words.
“And you resemble the Empress’s aunt. She was very striking.”
“…Bloodlines don’t lie.”
Anastasia’s aunt, the older sister of the Duke of Barantes, had been Emperor Alexander’s mother.
“If it weren’t for the oracle, I would never have become the Empress.”
For the Barantes family, whose lineage included Alexander’s mother, Wilhelm, the former Emperor’s son, was undeniably a rival. But with the oracle, the family found itself in a strange position politically, forced to make a choice between their daughter and their nephew.
At that crucial moment, the Duke of Barantes had not taken a specific political stance, leaving them inadvertently neutral.
“There’s still a good chance Wilhelm doesn’t fully trust my father or the Barantes family,” she remarked thoughtfully.
And truly, it was only natural for the Emperor to feel that way.
Even so, Anastasia was certain her father would support her and Wilhelm. It wasn’t just because of his affection for her.
“I was granted legitimacy by the Goddess through the oracle.”
There was no valid reason for her to back Louis.
‘Besides, we need to balance power with the Fontaine family,’ she thought.
It might not even remain a two-party system. The Fontaines, another noble family, would never share power with the House of Barantes if Louis ascended to the throne. For Barantes, starting a taxing political conflict was unnecessary.
Aside from everything else, wouldn’t accusations of treason be enough to ruin them?
‘Anyway, he’s a loyalist,’ she mused. Before her return, she hadn’t known his true intentions without Louis’ support, but even then, he had been fiercely loyal to Wilhelm until the bitter end.
“Perhaps this was the Goddess’ plan all along.”
“What do you mean?”
“Achieving harmony between two opposing forces.”
“…What?”
Anastasia gave a bitter laugh. “I don’t think so.”
After all, the oracle had been wrong before. It was just a hollow idea.
“More than that, I was surprised—the Prince decided to follow the Empress?”
“Yes.”
Anastasia’s mind drifted to that moment earlier in the day.
“I was surprised, too.”
It wasn’t just her. Olivia’s shocked expression had been memorable, but those words…
“There’s something I want to check.”
Just before Olivia was dragged away, Anastasia had heard Louis mutter something softly. ‘What does he want to check?’ She pondered it but couldn’t decipher his meaning. ‘If I asked, would he answer? Probably not.’
Anastasia’s curiosity grew.
“You handled things well with the Crown Prince, but I still have a few concerns,” Mrs. Rochester remarked.
Anastasia turned to look at her.
“Since arriving from the islands, Fontaine has been actively reaching out to nobles—she’s stirring up quite a bit socially.”
“She’s using her position as duchess to push Prince Louis as the next Emperor,” Anastasia responded.
“Yes, and rumors are being reignited. That’s part of her strategy.” Mrs. Rochester sighed. “I’m worried she’ll spin today’s events as Your Majesty’s interference.”
“There’s a plan in place for that. I’ll need to discuss it with the Emperor, but…” Anastasia replied with a poised smile. “In any case, don’t worry.”
Mrs. Rochester paused, watching Anastasia thoughtfully instead of responding. Anastasia tilted her head. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s just… unfamiliar.”
Anastasia laughed at her words.
“You look like an Empress.”
“You realize that’s quite a rude thing to say, don’t you?”
“I do, but I never thought I’d see the day.” Mrs. Rochester gave a warm smile. “You’ve truly grown into a remarkable Empress. I couldn’t have imagined it just a year ago.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, and you’ll only become even better.”
Anastasia felt a dry tension in her throat at those words, knowing she would be leaving soon.
“…I’m going to go put Louis to sleep.”
Feeling an odd sensation she couldn’t quite place, Anastasia quickly wrapped up the conversation with Mrs. Rochester and moved over to Louis. He was still surrounded by maids, all chatting animatedly. The sight lifted her spirits, and she chuckled as she intervened.
“All right, everyone, let’s step back now. The prince is still recovering and needs his rest.”
“Oh, apologies, Your Majesty,” one maid said sheepishly.
“His Highness is just so cute that…we’ve been rude,” another added.
The maids quickly retreated, leaving the room quiet. Anastasia took a seat by Louis’s bed and smiled at him.
“Was it too loud for you? I’m sorry about that. Everyone just finds the Prince quite charming.”
“Charming? Me?”
“Oh, my dear Louis, you’re very charming,” Anastasia replied warmly.
Without thinking, she leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead but stopped abruptly, catching herself just in time. Oops, she almost slipped again.
“…What were you going to do?” Louis asked, noticing her hesitation.
Caught, Anastasia gave a small, awkward smile. “I’m sorry. I’m also one of those people who thinks Louis is lovely… well, I almost kissed you on the forehead.”
“…”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t actually do it, though… Can you forgive me?”
“You can do it.”
Huh? Anastasia’s eyes widened as she looked at Louis. Did she hear that right?
“Kiss, you can do it.”
“Oh…” She blinked in surprise.
Was this real? As she tried to process it, Louis spoke again, his voice soft.
“…Not now, next time.”
Then, looking flustered, he pulled the blanket over his eyes.
‘Oh, that’s adorable.’
Anastasia had to hold back the impulse to say, ‘Can’t we do it now, not next time?’ as she resisted the urge to give Louis a kiss. He was simply too endearing, a sweetness that was almost overwhelming.
“All right, next time then,” she replied with a soft smile and nodded. “How’s your body feeling?”
“Better now.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” She patted his head gently, her smile sincere. “Remember, here in the Empress’ Palace, there’s no pressure to study. Just focus on resting, all right?”
Louis gave a quiet nod, and Anastasia’s heart warmed at the sight. She didn’t ask him why he had chosen to stay with her. Maybe he didn’t even know himself. There are countless things people do without explanation, and if adults have these impulses, children do even more so.
Even if there was a reason, Anastasia wasn’t sure Louis would share it, and, to her, it didn’t really matter.
“Good night, Louis.”
What truly mattered was that Louis had chosen her.
That was everything she needed.
