In all my several lives, this was my first time coming to the Empress's palace.
It was my first time meeting the Empress alone.
Even when I married her own son, Chernosser, the Empress did not call me separately.
I'm a card she's going to use and throw away anyway, so she probably didn't think there was a need to meet.
But it was clear that it was Max who called me now.
Max merchant's main business was a brokerage business that supplied magic stones such as Pura to the Wizard's Tower to make and sell magic tools.
Most of the money earned was used by the Empress to finance her side.
But since I didn't sell Pura, it was worth the trouble.
Of course, they can buy other magic stones, but they are not as efficient as Pura, so they cannot make good magic tools.
Puras generated in other regions were also not as efficient as those generated in the Duchy of Leopold.
That was why the top of Max did not give up and continued to send protest letters to the manager in charge.
For the same reason, I thought the Empress would send me a letter, but nothing came.
Is it because of pride that they don't send it? Or did they just decide to use another magic stone?
I was surprised, but it seemed like she was expecting me to come to the capital and stay still.
Meeting in person and talking will be more influential than sending a letter.
The Empress was drinking tea under a gazebo surrounded by roses showing off their colorful appearance.
The Empress's attire was simpler than when seen in the throne room, but it was still gorgeous.
It feels like she is expressing with her whole body that she is the Empress', the first lady of the empire.
As I climbed up to the gazebo, the Empress put down her teacup and stood up. A smile as bright as a rose bloomed on her face.
“Welcome, Lady Leopold.”
“I meet Your Noble Majesty, the Empress.”
When I greeted her formally, the Empress waved her hand.
“We’re family now, so there’s no need to greet me so formally.”
Family. It was very funny to hear now words that I had not heard in my first life.
“Now, please sit here.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
As I sat down in the seat given to me by the servant, the maid picked up the teapot and filled my teacup.
As I was watching the teacup being filled, the Empress spoke.
“I should first say thank you and apologize.”
The Empress reached out and held my hand tightly.
“I am truly grateful for saving the Crown Prince, and I am truly sorry that I took away the Young Lady’s father because of it.”
Really. She apologizes quickly.
It was February when my father died because of the Crown Prince, and now it is June.
The apple I received after 4 months was as bland as a beer with no steam. I wasn't impressed at all.
Rather, I was angry that I drank such bad beer.
I answered with a bright smile, even as my stomach twisted.
"No."
She withdrew the hand she was holding, pretending to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince is the one who will become the next sun of the empire. Of course, my father would be honored to have saved such a person.”
“I feel relieved you think that way.”
The Empress also smiled in response and held out a cake that looked sweet to me.
“It’s a special cake made by the Empress’s palace’s best chef. I made it especially for you, so try it.”
When I stared at her without eating despite the recommendation, the Empress added,
“The reason I called you today was not because there was a special reason, but because I wanted to have a small talk with you now that we are family.”
She doesn't change her expression at all and she's good at lying.
“So don’t be nervous, you can just relax.”
“I’m really relieved to hear you say that.”
Only then did I continue speaking while holding a fork.
“Actually, I was worried that Your Majesty might have called me because of a problem with the Max upper part.”
I thought for a moment about turning the conversation around and burning out the Empress's sorrow, but I decided not to.
Because it was such a waste to waste my time on such useless things.
“Oh, I see.”
Even though she hit the nail on the head, the Empress spoke calmly without changing her expression at all.
“Although Max Merchant is operated by my parents’ family, it has no relation to me.”
The words, which were entirely filled with lies, were disgusting to listen to.
“Still, I’m a little curious.”
Blue eyes that seemed to embrace the sky touched me.
The Empress has blonde hair and blue eyes, and she looks like a Princess from a fairy tale.
Although her personality wasn't as nice as a Princess's.
“Why don’t you sell Pura on top of Max?”
"Well...”
I trailed off and took a big bite of the cake.
She said it was a specially prepared cake, and it was really delicious. I even wanted to find out the recipe and share it with Duke Leopold's chef.
What was sweeter than that was the look in the Empress's eyes as she anxiously waited for my answer.
Even though I knew the Empress was waiting for an answer, I drank my tea, wiped my mouth with a napkin, and answered.
“I’ll have to ask the official in charge why that is.”
“...”
Although it was only a moment, the Empress's expression was slightly distorted.
The Empress took a sip of tea, perhaps trying to calm her mind, and then spoke.
“If you don’t want to tell me, don’t lie and say so honestly.”
“Why do you think I’m lying?”
“There is no way the Lady with the highest decision-making authority would not know that fact.”
“Oh my, you knew that. But why did Max merchant send a letter only to the manager and not to me?”
"That...!”
“There’s no way Max merchant doesn’t know what Your Majesty the Empress knows.”
The Empress tried to say something in response to my question, but I ignored it and continued talking.
Because I didn't ask to hear her answer from the beginning.
“Isn’t it possible that Max merchant knew why I made that decision and didn’t send it to me?”
“..."
“That means that Your Majesty the Empress knows... But, strangely, he's been quiet so far.”
The Empress's expression became even stiffer than before, as she couldn't possibly have known that the person I was talking about was Chernoser.
“...I will apologize for that.”
“An apology is made by the person who did something wrong.”
By rejecting the Empress' s difficult apology with this.
I expressed my intention not to sell Pura on the top of Max until Chernosser apologized.
Of course, even if Chernosser apologized, I had no intention of selling it, but that was for later.
The Empress, who immediately understood the hidden meaning, glared at me with murderous eyes.
I stood up, receiving her gaze with a smile.
“I think it would be best for both of us to end the conversation at this point, so let’s go.”
When the Empress rudely caught me, I tried to laugh at it too, but the Empress did not do that.
As I left the Empress' palace with regret, Sir Aldor, who had been pacing anxiously at the entrance, approached me.
Sir Aldor came with me, but the knights of the Empress' palace blocked him, saying that the guard knights could not enter the palace, so he waited here.
“Are you okay, Miss?”
"It's okay. On the contrary, I feel really good, doesn’t it?”
Sir Aldor looked at my face closely as if to check if what I was saying was true, and then heaved a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately."
After patting Sir Aldor on the shoulder, I returned to the Palace of Spring.
“Miss, you’re back!”
May, who found me, came to me with joy.
Judging by the look on her face, I guess something happened while I was gone.
"Come in."
I left Sir Aldor outside and brought only May into the room.
As soon as May closed the door, she spoke in a low voice.
“While the Young Lady was away, His Highness the Second Prince came.”
“The Second Prince?”
I'm sure he didn't come to apologize to me for what happened with Max.
“What brought him here?”
“He didn’t tell me why he came. Instead...”
May glanced at the tightly closed door and said.
“He will send champagne soon, so he told me to give it to the Young Lady and Her Highness the 4th Prince.”
It's champagne sent by Chernosser.
Just hearing the word gave off a suspicious smell.
By the way, did Chernosser ask May for that?
“Did the Second Prince not know that you were the maid who failed his mission before?”
"Yes. I think he completely forgot.”
Huh, how stupid do you have to be to forget that?
No. May was a maid and Chernosser was the kind of person who would throw her away after using her once, so he might not have paid attention to her from the beginning.
In any case, it was luck that Chernosser did not remember May.
If Chernosser had recognized her, he might have lost his temper for no reason.
At the same time, I thought it was a good idea to recruit May in advance.
If I hadn't done that, I would have eaten the champagne Chernosser sent without knowing anything.
“Did he say anything else other than that?”
"Yes. Oh, he did threaten that if I failed, he wouldn’t leave it alone.”
So, if I want to save May, I must drink champagne.
You're usually stupid, but you're good at being rude in places like this, Chernosser.
“Miss, what should I do...?”
May asked worriedly.
She's worried that she is will get scolded by Chernosser if she just throw away the champagne or make a choice like that.
"Don't worry. Because you won’t get scolded by the Second Prince.”
“Really?”
"Yes."
I've already thought about how I'm going to use that champagne.
“As long as you don’t betray me, I won’t abandon you or anything like that, so don’t worry.”
Only then did May feel relieved, smiling brightly and shaking her head.
"Yes. Only, Young Lady, I will trust and follow you!”
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