“Was it hard to get here?”
Ines shook her head vigorously. As long as he was at the end, if she had that confidence, she could go no matter how far it was, even if it was something she couldn’t tell him, he couldn’t help but know.
Ines shook her head vigorously. As long as he was at the end, if she had that confidence, she could go no matter how far it was, even if it was something she couldn’t tell him, he couldn’t help but know.
“Tell me. Then I would have taken care of it myself...”
Those were the words Carson had said to Ines when they met again in front of the Supreme Court Justice’s residence after Joseph died. Ines’s emotions were so strong that she finally burst out of her mouth in sobs.
“Did you really want to come here on your own?”
Ines stretched out her trembling arms and wrapped them around his neck. Even in that carriage, Ines wanted to hug Carson like this. She wanted to hug him tightly, without a single gap. She wanted to become one with him without his blemishes. It took her a long time to realize that.
“Yes.”
The two remained as one, unmoving until the red sunset dyed the entire room and darkness filled the surroundings again. The shadows that swayed together remained one as if trying to compensate for the long absence despite their constant movement toward each other.
Time passed quickly as they selected a site for the school and purchased the land around it. Ines decided to build the school on the land of Harbin where the casino had stood.
It was because she wanted to comfort those who had been harmed by the actions of the former Empress and to be the first to bring light to the darkest places.
“It was a very good decision, politically.”
Noah immediately supported Ines’ decision. Of course, she couldn’t say that she had completely ruled out political intentions. Even so, it was still a little embarrassing to hear such words directly.
“If you look closely, the Empress has a lot in common with His Majesty the Emperor.”
Noah continued, not noticing Ines’ embarrassed expression.
“His Majesty is also very political. I feel like I’ve been stabbed more than once or twice.”
“Ahem, is that so?”
“Yes, and you also don’t explain things properly until something is decided.”
Ines felt a little embarrassed and continued to clear her throat. Casey quickly noticed her mood and naturally changed the mood by pouring Noah’s cup of tea.
“Have all the sites for the school been purchased?”
“Oh.”
At Casey’s question, Noah unfolded the documents as if he had remembered something to do.
“Everything except this one has been purchased.”
The place Noah pointed to was a piece of land located southeast of the site chosen for the school. Ines tilted her head at him.
“Why not here yet?”
“You know that part of this land used to be a casino?”
“Of course.”
“The former Empress set fire to the slums and borrowed several people’s names in the process of purchasing the land under her own name.”
That was Noah’s continued explanation. In fact, the owners of the land in the slums were unclear.
To build a casino, land with a clear owner was needed, but it was impossible to buy land and build a casino in the name of the royal family.
So she split the land into several pieces and bought them under the names of her collateral relatives or nobles who supported her.
“That land belongs to a man named Blake, but his identity has not yet been revealed.”
The identities of nobles were mostly sorted out, but in the case of commoners, there were many cases where the family registers were not properly organized. However, the possibility that the person who purchased the land for the casino was a commoner was slim.
“So, does that mean things will be delayed?”
“No. We are actively looking for it, so it will be found soon.”
“What if we don’t find it?”
“If the owner of the land doesn’t show up even after construction begins, the state can take it back. Even if the owner shows up later, we can just pay compensation. In fact, he’s not doing anything on the land, so there’s no problem.”
Ines nodded. After the casino closed, the land and its surroundings were practically empty space. She heard that only a few casino buildings remained, giving off a gloomy atmosphere.
Noah’s kind explanation continued after that.
There was no need to discuss with the nobles about building a school that would be run directly by the imperial family, so the work proceeded secretly and quickly.
However, if it was known that the school was a place for elementary education for commoners, another storm would hit the imperial palace.
Thinking about the nobles who would be angry as if their positions were being taken away at any moment, she was already tired.
However, she had no intention of backing down.
After Noah left, Ines smiled proudly as she looked at the school blueprints that had been completed in two months.
It wasn’t without its problems.
As she kept being greedy, the scale grew bigger than she had expected, and as a result, only half of the funds had been secured. Ines, who was wondering what to do, tapped the ivory handle on her palm.
“Should I sell this?”
Casey let out a small laugh at Ines’s monologue.
“Should I call Sir Christian?”
“Do so. We need to discuss ways to secure the funds.”
Ines offered Casey the position of her closest maid, but she stubbornly declined. Her smile, as she shyly smiled, saying that she wanted to dream a little bigger, was quite pleasant to see.
Since she had not yet ascended to the throne as Empress, Ines did not have a closest maid. So Casey decided to assist her for the time being.
Casey was currently studying hard to become a secretary maid. Being a maid was one of the most specialized jobs a woman could have in the empire, so it would take a lot of effort to take on the new position.
“But you look a little tired.”
Ines smiled slightly indifferently at those words.
After she had decided to sit in the empress’s seat, she had only been able to sleep a few nights. As soon as she went to bed, things to do would start to float through her head, and she would often get up to do her work.
These were issues she would never have thought of if she had not learned about the royal affairs as a maid.
And what about the Emperor? Ines thought about it for a moment and lightly rubbed the back of her neck, which must have turned red.
“There are a lot of things to prepare for.”
“Still, you should take care of your health. The wedding is coming up soon, so you should take care of your skin.”
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Ines nodded and bit her lower lip.
“While we’re on the subject, should I call the maids over?”
Ines shook her head slightly. It was necessary, but she was not in the mood to lie down comfortably and be taken care of right now.
The wedding was only two days away. Sometimes, when she sat down and looked around the room, there were many moments when all of this didn’t feel real.
At that moment when she had traveled back in time, she had only dreamed of revenge. As she walked along the road, she had arrived at the Empress’s Palace. Could there be a more unbelievable life?
“You have a lot to worry about, don’t you?”
“I guess..."
Casey put down what she was organizing and sat down across from Ines. She smiled gently as she pushed the snacks Emma had brought in front of Ines. The more she saw her, the more she wanted to be her closest maid.
“Charlotte will enter the palace soon.”
Charlotte had been spending more time outside the palace than inside it these days. She was currently busy surveying the public sentiment in anticipation of Ines’s wedding. According to her, the entire city was in a festive mood as the new Emperor was getting married.
It was hard to believe even when she heard it.
When Ines’s existence was first revealed to the public, her nickname of “Attempted Pulley Murderer” spread quickly through social circles.
Many people were concerned about this, but when Duke Manisut remained silent, the nobles stopped making trouble for her.
But Ines was not worried about the nobles. Carson had risen to the top from the bottom with the support of the people of the empire.
Thinking that Carson would be tarnished because of her, she felt bitter, even though she had been prepared for it.
But surprisingly, what she had worried about did not happen. Instead, people were enthusiastic.
The things she had done became legends among the people.
The story of Ines saving the Princess, directly punishing the guilty, and even the story of her saving people as a temple maid, all of these well-written stories were told like a play, like a fire.
“According to the letter Charlotte sent me today, there seems to be a novel in which Her Majesty the Empress is the main character.”
Ines let out a small sigh. It was half-embarrassing, half-relief.
“How on earth did people find out about what happened at the temple well?”
Those were the words Carson had said to Ines when they met again in front of the Supreme Court Justice’s residence after Joseph died. Ines’s emotions were so strong that she finally burst out of her mouth in sobs.
“Did you really want to come here on your own?”
Ines stretched out her trembling arms and wrapped them around his neck. Even in that carriage, Ines wanted to hug Carson like this. She wanted to hug him tightly, without a single gap. She wanted to become one with him without his blemishes. It took her a long time to realize that.
“Yes.”
The two remained as one, unmoving until the red sunset dyed the entire room and darkness filled the surroundings again. The shadows that swayed together remained one as if trying to compensate for the long absence despite their constant movement toward each other.
***
Time passed quickly as they selected a site for the school and purchased the land around it. Ines decided to build the school on the land of Harbin where the casino had stood.
It was because she wanted to comfort those who had been harmed by the actions of the former Empress and to be the first to bring light to the darkest places.
“It was a very good decision, politically.”
Noah immediately supported Ines’ decision. Of course, she couldn’t say that she had completely ruled out political intentions. Even so, it was still a little embarrassing to hear such words directly.
“If you look closely, the Empress has a lot in common with His Majesty the Emperor.”
Noah continued, not noticing Ines’ embarrassed expression.
“His Majesty is also very political. I feel like I’ve been stabbed more than once or twice.”
“Ahem, is that so?”
“Yes, and you also don’t explain things properly until something is decided.”
Ines felt a little embarrassed and continued to clear her throat. Casey quickly noticed her mood and naturally changed the mood by pouring Noah’s cup of tea.
“Have all the sites for the school been purchased?”
“Oh.”
At Casey’s question, Noah unfolded the documents as if he had remembered something to do.
“Everything except this one has been purchased.”
The place Noah pointed to was a piece of land located southeast of the site chosen for the school. Ines tilted her head at him.
“Why not here yet?”
“You know that part of this land used to be a casino?”
“Of course.”
“The former Empress set fire to the slums and borrowed several people’s names in the process of purchasing the land under her own name.”
That was Noah’s continued explanation. In fact, the owners of the land in the slums were unclear.
To build a casino, land with a clear owner was needed, but it was impossible to buy land and build a casino in the name of the royal family.
So she split the land into several pieces and bought them under the names of her collateral relatives or nobles who supported her.
“That land belongs to a man named Blake, but his identity has not yet been revealed.”
The identities of nobles were mostly sorted out, but in the case of commoners, there were many cases where the family registers were not properly organized. However, the possibility that the person who purchased the land for the casino was a commoner was slim.
“So, does that mean things will be delayed?”
“No. We are actively looking for it, so it will be found soon.”
“What if we don’t find it?”
“If the owner of the land doesn’t show up even after construction begins, the state can take it back. Even if the owner shows up later, we can just pay compensation. In fact, he’s not doing anything on the land, so there’s no problem.”
Ines nodded. After the casino closed, the land and its surroundings were practically empty space. She heard that only a few casino buildings remained, giving off a gloomy atmosphere.
Noah’s kind explanation continued after that.
There was no need to discuss with the nobles about building a school that would be run directly by the imperial family, so the work proceeded secretly and quickly.
However, if it was known that the school was a place for elementary education for commoners, another storm would hit the imperial palace.
Thinking about the nobles who would be angry as if their positions were being taken away at any moment, she was already tired.
However, she had no intention of backing down.
After Noah left, Ines smiled proudly as she looked at the school blueprints that had been completed in two months.
It wasn’t without its problems.
As she kept being greedy, the scale grew bigger than she had expected, and as a result, only half of the funds had been secured. Ines, who was wondering what to do, tapped the ivory handle on her palm.
“Should I sell this?”
Casey let out a small laugh at Ines’s monologue.
“Should I call Sir Christian?”
“Do so. We need to discuss ways to secure the funds.”
Ines offered Casey the position of her closest maid, but she stubbornly declined. Her smile, as she shyly smiled, saying that she wanted to dream a little bigger, was quite pleasant to see.
Since she had not yet ascended to the throne as Empress, Ines did not have a closest maid. So Casey decided to assist her for the time being.
Casey was currently studying hard to become a secretary maid. Being a maid was one of the most specialized jobs a woman could have in the empire, so it would take a lot of effort to take on the new position.
“But you look a little tired.”
Ines smiled slightly indifferently at those words.
After she had decided to sit in the empress’s seat, she had only been able to sleep a few nights. As soon as she went to bed, things to do would start to float through her head, and she would often get up to do her work.
These were issues she would never have thought of if she had not learned about the royal affairs as a maid.
And what about the Emperor? Ines thought about it for a moment and lightly rubbed the back of her neck, which must have turned red.
“There are a lot of things to prepare for.”
“Still, you should take care of your health. The wedding is coming up soon, so you should take care of your skin.”
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Ines nodded and bit her lower lip.
“While we’re on the subject, should I call the maids over?”
Ines shook her head slightly. It was necessary, but she was not in the mood to lie down comfortably and be taken care of right now.
The wedding was only two days away. Sometimes, when she sat down and looked around the room, there were many moments when all of this didn’t feel real.
At that moment when she had traveled back in time, she had only dreamed of revenge. As she walked along the road, she had arrived at the Empress’s Palace. Could there be a more unbelievable life?
“You have a lot to worry about, don’t you?”
“I guess..."
Casey put down what she was organizing and sat down across from Ines. She smiled gently as she pushed the snacks Emma had brought in front of Ines. The more she saw her, the more she wanted to be her closest maid.
“Charlotte will enter the palace soon.”
Charlotte had been spending more time outside the palace than inside it these days. She was currently busy surveying the public sentiment in anticipation of Ines’s wedding. According to her, the entire city was in a festive mood as the new Emperor was getting married.
It was hard to believe even when she heard it.
When Ines’s existence was first revealed to the public, her nickname of “Attempted Pulley Murderer” spread quickly through social circles.
Many people were concerned about this, but when Duke Manisut remained silent, the nobles stopped making trouble for her.
But Ines was not worried about the nobles. Carson had risen to the top from the bottom with the support of the people of the empire.
Thinking that Carson would be tarnished because of her, she felt bitter, even though she had been prepared for it.
But surprisingly, what she had worried about did not happen. Instead, people were enthusiastic.
The things she had done became legends among the people.
The story of Ines saving the Princess, directly punishing the guilty, and even the story of her saving people as a temple maid, all of these well-written stories were told like a play, like a fire.
“According to the letter Charlotte sent me today, there seems to be a novel in which Her Majesty the Empress is the main character.”
Ines let out a small sigh. It was half-embarrassing, half-relief.
“How on earth did people find out about what happened at the temple well?”
She was curious about the source, but it wasn’t easy to find out.
“I heard that story too. Is it true that you saved drowning people on a day when heavy rain was pouring down?”
“It is true, but it was not that great.”
“Don’t say such humble words. Your Majesty needs to be more proud and reveal yourself. All the royal family members are representatives of the goddess Heclesia. I believe that.”
Ines shook her head as if she could not stop herself.
“I believed it more after meeting Your Majesty the Empress.”
Casey’s voice trembled slightly as she confessed. She sometimes brought up the story of the dress shop where she had met Ines. She said that whenever she thought about what her life would have been like if she had refused to meet Ines that day, her heart would sink to the floor.
“I’ll probably be in that novel. People say that the story of Your Majesty becoming a maid from a servant is the most popular.”
Casey blushed like a girl reading a romance novel. Ines couldn’t help but laugh heartily at that sight.
At that moment, when she heard that a guest had arrived, she put down the snack she was holding and stood up from her seat. Soon, a red-haired young man entered the office.
“You’re here.”
Marcus bowed his head and bowed to Ines.
“Please stop using honorifics toward me, Your Majesty.”
“Not yet, not yet. I’m just an empress-to-be who hasn’t even had a wedding.”
It took a lot of effort to talk to Casey. She should have gotten used to it as soon as possible, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounds.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I heard that story too. Is it true that you saved drowning people on a day when heavy rain was pouring down?”
“It is true, but it was not that great.”
“Don’t say such humble words. Your Majesty needs to be more proud and reveal yourself. All the royal family members are representatives of the goddess Heclesia. I believe that.”
Ines shook her head as if she could not stop herself.
“I believed it more after meeting Your Majesty the Empress.”
Casey’s voice trembled slightly as she confessed. She sometimes brought up the story of the dress shop where she had met Ines. She said that whenever she thought about what her life would have been like if she had refused to meet Ines that day, her heart would sink to the floor.
“I’ll probably be in that novel. People say that the story of Your Majesty becoming a maid from a servant is the most popular.”
Casey blushed like a girl reading a romance novel. Ines couldn’t help but laugh heartily at that sight.
At that moment, when she heard that a guest had arrived, she put down the snack she was holding and stood up from her seat. Soon, a red-haired young man entered the office.
“You’re here.”
Marcus bowed his head and bowed to Ines.
“Please stop using honorifics toward me, Your Majesty.”
“Not yet, not yet. I’m just an empress-to-be who hasn’t even had a wedding.”
It took a lot of effort to talk to Casey. She should have gotten used to it as soon as possible, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounds.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
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