Sepia hesitated.
"Hey, don't do this."
"Come here. Hurry."
Sepia looked back at the unfamiliar sound.
She could hear a man and a woman talking and a rustling sound beyond the grass.
'Is there a problem?'
Could it be that a woman was being harassed in the dark forest?
As Sepia was about to head there, Roxanne stopped her.
"Why..."
"Shh, if you go now, we'll be in the way."
It took Sepia a few seconds to understand what he meant.
The only reason she would be out in the garden at this hour was to have a secret meeting with her lover.
As he said, an embarrassing noise soon began to flow out from beyond the bushes.
'That's stupid...'
Sepia's face turned red at the thought of showing off her shameful appearance.
For her, her lover was the last memory from her childhood.
Even though she had married Demios and become his wife, she had never had a secret affair or felt excited.
So it was not strange for her to have the same misunderstandings as now.
However, it was always a personal matter, and there was no way to know what her outward appearance would look like.
He did not laugh at Sepia. Rather...
“This is the perfect place to start a rumor.”
Roxanne held Sepia in her arms.
Only after his firm chest touched her cheek did Sepia realize that she was in his arms.
When she finally looked up, Roxanne was smiling playfully.
“We can’t lose, right?”
“What..."
Sepia was taken aback, and a sound was heard again behind her back.
It wasn’t coming from the bushes.
Another couple, enjoying a secret affair, was walking toward the inner garden.
The sound was getting closer and closer.
Just before she heard mutterings, Roxanne lifted the tip of her chin.
“Please stay still.”
They were close enough that their breaths were intertwined.
If they saw Roxanne and her from behind, they would mistake them for kissing.
A scandal out of necessity.
Wasn’t that what you wanted?
The two lips stopped with a small gap between them.
The footsteps that were approaching Sepia suddenly stopped.
The lover who confirmed the Empress and the Duke mumbled something in embarrassment and changed course and walked down a different path.
Until even that sound could not be heard.
Sepia and he stayed still, keeping their lips apart.
The scandal would spread quickly.
One day? No, it wouldn’t even take half a day.
“It’s gotten colder.”
He was the first to raise his head.
Their lips moved away. However, Sepia was still in Roxanne’s arms.
Until the lights in the banquet hall went out one by one.
It was the fifth day since the victory ceremony began.
The banquet hall was abuzz with scandals about the Empress and the Duke.
The two who had left the hall together two days ago were kissing in the night garden.
The next day as if to prove the rumor from yesterday, the Empress had her first dance with the Duke.
Even after the dance, the two did not leave each other’s side throughout the banquet.
Today again.
Sepia attended the banquet with Roxanne.
It should have been quiet since the victory celebration was coming to an end, but the scandal between the Empress and the Duke rekindled the banquet hall that was about to cool down.
The Duke treated the Empress as naturally as if he was treating an old lover.
Thanks to this, the rumor that the Empress changed the bell every night to attract men also changed.
There was no way the Duke would forgive a male who approached the Empress.
Given the situation, the nobles had no choice but to look back and forth between the Emperor and the Empress.
The Emperor in particular looked uncomfortable.
“He's still watching me.”
Roxanne, standing opposite Sepia, glanced at him.
At the end of his gaze was Demios.
The Emperor pretended not to care and stared at Sepia.
Next to the Emperor who was glaring at the Empress, there was a government official with his name.
The government official made a constant effort to catch the Emperor's attention. Eventually, when his gaze moved, the government official smiled brightly.
Demios, who saw the government official's smiling face, immediately kissed her forehead.
Then, they headed to the dance hall to dance together.
Seeing the Emperor and the government like that, Sepia became increasingly incomprehensible.
'Why is he doing that?'
The Emperor did not show any particular reaction to the rumors surrounding Sepia.
Was he simply acting that way because he did not want to pass on what he had to someone else?
It felt bad as if she was being treated as some kind of ambiguous ornament.
"I want to get some air for a moment."
"Let's go to the balcony."
To avoid the harsh gaze, Sepia and Roxanne headed to the balcony.
The balcony was also a typical place for secret meetings.
However, nothing like what most people would imagine happened.
Small talk.
Drinking low-alcohol champagne.
Looking up at the night sky while feeling the cold night breeze was all there was to it.
It had been a long time since they had such a comfortable conversation.
After all, they didn't even care much about the nobles' reactions.
'Perhaps this would be better for Demios.'
He was the first to raise his head.
Their lips moved away. However, Sepia was still in Roxanne’s arms.
Until the lights in the banquet hall went out one by one.
***
It was the fifth day since the victory ceremony began.
The banquet hall was abuzz with scandals about the Empress and the Duke.
The two who had left the hall together two days ago were kissing in the night garden.
The next day as if to prove the rumor from yesterday, the Empress had her first dance with the Duke.
Even after the dance, the two did not leave each other’s side throughout the banquet.
Today again.
Sepia attended the banquet with Roxanne.
It should have been quiet since the victory celebration was coming to an end, but the scandal between the Empress and the Duke rekindled the banquet hall that was about to cool down.
The Duke treated the Empress as naturally as if he was treating an old lover.
Thanks to this, the rumor that the Empress changed the bell every night to attract men also changed.
There was no way the Duke would forgive a male who approached the Empress.
Given the situation, the nobles had no choice but to look back and forth between the Emperor and the Empress.
The Emperor in particular looked uncomfortable.
“He's still watching me.”
Roxanne, standing opposite Sepia, glanced at him.
At the end of his gaze was Demios.
The Emperor pretended not to care and stared at Sepia.
Next to the Emperor who was glaring at the Empress, there was a government official with his name.
The government official made a constant effort to catch the Emperor's attention. Eventually, when his gaze moved, the government official smiled brightly.
Demios, who saw the government official's smiling face, immediately kissed her forehead.
Then, they headed to the dance hall to dance together.
Seeing the Emperor and the government like that, Sepia became increasingly incomprehensible.
'Why is he doing that?'
The Emperor did not show any particular reaction to the rumors surrounding Sepia.
Was he simply acting that way because he did not want to pass on what he had to someone else?
It felt bad as if she was being treated as some kind of ambiguous ornament.
"I want to get some air for a moment."
"Let's go to the balcony."
To avoid the harsh gaze, Sepia and Roxanne headed to the balcony.
The balcony was also a typical place for secret meetings.
However, nothing like what most people would imagine happened.
Small talk.
Drinking low-alcohol champagne.
Looking up at the night sky while feeling the cold night breeze was all there was to it.
It had been a long time since they had such a comfortable conversation.
After all, they didn't even care much about the nobles' reactions.
'Perhaps this would be better for Demios.'
No matter how famous they were, it was frowned upon for a member of the royal family to have a mistress.
If the Empress had another man, half the attention pointing at them would be dispersed.
Sepia reached for the champagne.
Then the hand holding the bottle first filled the empty glass.
“Do you enjoy drinking?”
“No. But I want to drink a little today.”
The pale ivory liquid was making a pleasant bubble sound.
It had been a long time since she had enjoyed alcohol. She probably wouldn’t get drunk this much, so, would it be okay to drink a little more?
Sepia filled his glass as well.
“Thank you for helping me. I’m worried that you’re having a hard time because of me.”
“Don’t say that. I was the one who asked you to use me.”
The two glasses clanked in the air.
The sweet and sour taste lingered in her mouth.
Even as she poured the champagne, the questions continued.
“Why did you help me?”
Claiming to be the Empress’s mistress.
It was an incident that could have brought great dishonor to his spotless life.
Even if he had guessed that it was simply because they were friends and that he had helped the punitive force, the risk he was taking was too great.
A wolf’s companion is only one.
Roxanne was also a wolf, so he must have known how much it meant.
Now, she had to ask why he helped her.
“I, Roxanne...”
“Your Majesty, this way... Huh?”
It was the moment Sepia put down her glass.
The Emperor and his mistress were seen through the balcony door that suddenly opened.
Sepia and the mistress’s eyes met.
However, the Emperor and mistress had already entered the balcony.
The door closed in the wind.
The four of them, who had kept their distance, were gathered in one space.
She thought it would be good if they just turned around and left.
However, the atmosphere flowed contrary to Sepia’s feelings.
“You don’t even think about hiding it anymore.”
The Emperor, who had been looking back and forth between Sepia and Roxanne, openly criticized the two.
To be exact, it was directed at Sepia.
“Why should I do that?”
It was the same question she had asked when she had danced with the Emperor.
Demios burst into laughter as if he was dumbfounded.
“I’m surprised. Don’t you have any pride as an Empress? Or maybe the Duke saw the Empress’s name?”
He was demanding a legitimate reason from Sepia.
Unlike her, Demios had a valid reason for taking the government.
If he was so curious about the reason, it wouldn’t be bad to tell him.
“You must know about the strange rumors that spread about me.”
The story is that the Empress calls a new male every night.
Demios even knew that those rumors were all false.
“But Your Majesty didn’t correct the rumors. Even though you knew they were false rumors.”
Even as Sepia spoke, the Emperor didn’t make a single excuse.
Not stepping forward after watching everything only served to defend the rumors.
“That’s why I found a way to get rid of the rumors. To protect my pride as Empress.”
“...That method was to use Duke Leopold?”
“Yes.”
Sepia’s beautiful face suddenly distorted at her words.
“You’re amazing, Empress. I didn’t know you had that kind of ability. Rather, this feels worse than the rumors.”
I must have told you to stay away from the Duke.
His gaze was saying that.
However, Sepia had no reason to stay away from the Duke. Even if it was the Emperor’s order.
The confrontation between the Emperor and the Empress continued.
When no one was willing to step aside, Roxanne spoke.
“I was the one who made the first suggestion to the Empress.”
“...What did you say?”
“If I were to step forward, no one would dare to treat the Empress carelessly.”
Didn’t you see that too?
The trash panting at the Empress.
Roxanne’s eyes were saying that.
“As a member of the empire, I was only protecting the mother of the country.”
You abandoned the woman you should have protected.
Roxanne’s eyes criticized the Emperor.
Soon, Roxanne’s gaze turned to Titi.
“...So Your Majesty, you should also look into the source of the rumors. You never know where the next rumor will lead.”
If the Empress had another man, half the attention pointing at them would be dispersed.
Sepia reached for the champagne.
Then the hand holding the bottle first filled the empty glass.
“Do you enjoy drinking?”
“No. But I want to drink a little today.”
The pale ivory liquid was making a pleasant bubble sound.
It had been a long time since she had enjoyed alcohol. She probably wouldn’t get drunk this much, so, would it be okay to drink a little more?
Sepia filled his glass as well.
“Thank you for helping me. I’m worried that you’re having a hard time because of me.”
“Don’t say that. I was the one who asked you to use me.”
The two glasses clanked in the air.
The sweet and sour taste lingered in her mouth.
Even as she poured the champagne, the questions continued.
“Why did you help me?”
Claiming to be the Empress’s mistress.
It was an incident that could have brought great dishonor to his spotless life.
Even if he had guessed that it was simply because they were friends and that he had helped the punitive force, the risk he was taking was too great.
A wolf’s companion is only one.
Roxanne was also a wolf, so he must have known how much it meant.
Now, she had to ask why he helped her.
“I, Roxanne...”
“Your Majesty, this way... Huh?”
It was the moment Sepia put down her glass.
The Emperor and his mistress were seen through the balcony door that suddenly opened.
Sepia and the mistress’s eyes met.
However, the Emperor and mistress had already entered the balcony.
The door closed in the wind.
The four of them, who had kept their distance, were gathered in one space.
She thought it would be good if they just turned around and left.
However, the atmosphere flowed contrary to Sepia’s feelings.
“You don’t even think about hiding it anymore.”
The Emperor, who had been looking back and forth between Sepia and Roxanne, openly criticized the two.
To be exact, it was directed at Sepia.
“Why should I do that?”
It was the same question she had asked when she had danced with the Emperor.
Demios burst into laughter as if he was dumbfounded.
“I’m surprised. Don’t you have any pride as an Empress? Or maybe the Duke saw the Empress’s name?”
He was demanding a legitimate reason from Sepia.
Unlike her, Demios had a valid reason for taking the government.
If he was so curious about the reason, it wouldn’t be bad to tell him.
“You must know about the strange rumors that spread about me.”
The story is that the Empress calls a new male every night.
Demios even knew that those rumors were all false.
“But Your Majesty didn’t correct the rumors. Even though you knew they were false rumors.”
Even as Sepia spoke, the Emperor didn’t make a single excuse.
Not stepping forward after watching everything only served to defend the rumors.
“That’s why I found a way to get rid of the rumors. To protect my pride as Empress.”
“...That method was to use Duke Leopold?”
“Yes.”
Sepia’s beautiful face suddenly distorted at her words.
“You’re amazing, Empress. I didn’t know you had that kind of ability. Rather, this feels worse than the rumors.”
I must have told you to stay away from the Duke.
His gaze was saying that.
However, Sepia had no reason to stay away from the Duke. Even if it was the Emperor’s order.
The confrontation between the Emperor and the Empress continued.
When no one was willing to step aside, Roxanne spoke.
“I was the one who made the first suggestion to the Empress.”
“...What did you say?”
“If I were to step forward, no one would dare to treat the Empress carelessly.”
Didn’t you see that too?
The trash panting at the Empress.
Roxanne’s eyes were saying that.
“As a member of the empire, I was only protecting the mother of the country.”
You abandoned the woman you should have protected.
Roxanne’s eyes criticized the Emperor.
Soon, Roxanne’s gaze turned to Titi.
“...So Your Majesty, you should also look into the source of the rumors. You never know where the next rumor will lead.”
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