“What, what! Aren’t you going to let this go?”
Melanie screamed, swatting away Catherine's hand that was holding her chin.
'Haa, they're all formidable. I'm worried about Her Majesty the Empress.'
Rosie Adelid was quietly watching the chaotic situation from a corner of the bridal waiting room. She was the last concubine to be chosen, after Catherine, Melanie, and Pecilini. In addition, like Melanie, she was also one of the young ladies who had been chosen as the Empress's maid. Rosie was just a young lady who liked to spend all day reading books and studying healing magic alone in her room in Countess Adelid's mansion.
'If I take my time and build trust, maybe she'll open her heart to me.'
Rosie consoled herself like that. Then, out of nowhere, she heard some shocking news from her father, Count Adelid.
'Rosie, you will now become His Majesty the Emperor's concubine. Such an honor has come to our family! Hahaha, I regret the years I spent grumbling about you being a useless daughter.'
The Emperor's concubine?
“I left my sword behind.”
Linel snorted and picked up the suit jacket he had thrown on the floor.
“...Yes? No, that’s not what I meant...”
“Get out. It’s not fun.”
He turned Catherine around, lifting up the shoulders of her wedding dress.
“You must have gone to the concubine’s quarters by now, right?”
I checked the time, went outside on the terrace, and stood in the cool night breeze. Fortunately, there was no order for the Empress to attend the ceremony today. I don’t know how I spent the afternoon. I had dinner or something, just filled my stomach, and went back to the bedroom early. I walked to the bathroom and let the water and time pass by. Even so, time passed slowly. I kept walking back and forth between the terrace and the bedroom, but it was still not time to go to sleep.
“Who... is here?”
Melanie screamed, swatting away Catherine's hand that was holding her chin.
“Listen carefully. Broken gold coins can be melted down and reused. Gold coins are gold coins. They are on a different level from silver coins.”
Catherine said in an eerie, arrogant voice.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Melanie's nervous voice echoed through the bridal waiting room.
Pecilini, who had been standing there, intimidated by the two people’s tense battle of wits, flinched at Catherine’s sharp gaze. As Catherine had said, Pecilini understood what she had said. Now Catherine’s position was different from Melanie’s.
“What is that?”
Melanie whispered, poking Pecilini's ribs next to her.
“That, that...”
Pecilini trailed off, looking at Catherine’s expression. Catherine, who had been watching this, took a step closer to Melanie and looked her up and down.
Catherine said in an eerie, arrogant voice.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Melanie's nervous voice echoed through the bridal waiting room.
“You recognize Pecillini next to you, but you don't recognize me?”
“What is that?”
Melanie whispered, poking Pecilini's ribs next to her.
“That, that...”
Pecilini trailed off, looking at Catherine’s expression. Catherine, who had been watching this, took a step closer to Melanie and looked her up and down.
“Melanie, let me put it in your language.”
"Ha?"
“I am the first concubine. You are the second concubine. Do you understand this?”
Melanie couldn't really refute the claim, even though it was a hard fact. She just held onto the hem of her wedding dress with both hands, shaking.
“Even if I had broken up with His Majesty, now is the time to mend our ties. So, you are not my opponent in the first place.”
“What, what did you say?”
“You and I had different values from the start anyway.”
As Catherine began to speak harshly, the atmosphere in the bridal waiting room instantly became cold.
“Catherine! Do you think that just because you’ve become the First Concubine, you’ve become an Empress?”
Melanie grabbed Catherine's arm and turned her around, shouting nervously. Just then, the bridal room door opened.
“The ceremony will begin soon.”
It was the Emperor's secretary, Raphael. Raphael, who had delivered the message to the concubines, felt the ominous chill in the bridal waiting room.
“The concubines, please prepare to enter now.”
“Yes.”
Catherine answered Raphael with a leisurely smile.
“Yes, then I will leave this for now...”
A few minutes after Raphael left the bridal waiting room, the sound of an organ playing could be heard inside the priest's chapel.
“Melanie, why don’t you straighten up? You look worse than the Empress when you’re frowning like that.”
Catherine taunted, dusting off Melanie's hand that was still holding her arm. Melanie's eyes widened and her lips quivered. Catherine burst into laughter, seeming to like Melanie's anger.
“Shall we go out now?”
Catherine said to her maid. She was the first to walk out towards the bridal chamber door, then looked back at other concubines.
“From this moment on, you’d better be polite to me, the first concubine. If you don’t want to know how spicy my hands are.”
Catherine looked at her three concubines one by one and warned them.
“I am the first concubine. You are the second concubine. Do you understand this?”
Melanie couldn't really refute the claim, even though it was a hard fact. She just held onto the hem of her wedding dress with both hands, shaking.
“Even if I had broken up with His Majesty, now is the time to mend our ties. So, you are not my opponent in the first place.”
“What, what did you say?”
“You and I had different values from the start anyway.”
As Catherine began to speak harshly, the atmosphere in the bridal waiting room instantly became cold.
“Catherine! Do you think that just because you’ve become the First Concubine, you’ve become an Empress?”
Melanie grabbed Catherine's arm and turned her around, shouting nervously. Just then, the bridal room door opened.
“The ceremony will begin soon.”
It was the Emperor's secretary, Raphael. Raphael, who had delivered the message to the concubines, felt the ominous chill in the bridal waiting room.
“The concubines, please prepare to enter now.”
“Yes.”
Catherine answered Raphael with a leisurely smile.
“Yes, then I will leave this for now...”
A few minutes after Raphael left the bridal waiting room, the sound of an organ playing could be heard inside the priest's chapel.
“Melanie, why don’t you straighten up? You look worse than the Empress when you’re frowning like that.”
Catherine taunted, dusting off Melanie's hand that was still holding her arm. Melanie's eyes widened and her lips quivered. Catherine burst into laughter, seeming to like Melanie's anger.
“Shall we go out now?”
Catherine said to her maid. She was the first to walk out towards the bridal chamber door, then looked back at other concubines.
“From this moment on, you’d better be polite to me, the first concubine. If you don’t want to know how spicy my hands are.”
Catherine looked at her three concubines one by one and warned them.
***
'Haa, they're all formidable. I'm worried about Her Majesty the Empress.'
Rosie Adelid was quietly watching the chaotic situation from a corner of the bridal waiting room. She was the last concubine to be chosen, after Catherine, Melanie, and Pecilini. In addition, like Melanie, she was also one of the young ladies who had been chosen as the Empress's maid. Rosie was just a young lady who liked to spend all day reading books and studying healing magic alone in her room in Countess Adelid's mansion.
However, after seeing the Empress's face for the first time at the Emperor's wedding, she decided to become the Empress's maid. Rosie had been working in the dispensary of the 'Dignified Night' clinic run by the healing wizard Big, hiding her noble status. In addition to the aphrodisiacs sold at the clinic, she had also made various magical potions.
The night before the Emperor's national wedding, she worked in the manufacturing room that day as well. The wizard Big's examination room had a door leading to the dispensary, and there was a small window in that door. Rosie first saw the face of Empress Zelda, who had entered the examination room through the small window in the middle of the dispensary door. And the burn scar on her right side. Rosie was greatly surprised to see that burn scar.
Once, she had seen a picture similar to Zelda's burn scar in a book about wyverns written in the ancient language of the Southern Continent. Since she did not know the ancient language of the Southern Continent, she could not tell what the symbol-like picture meant, but it was definitely related to wyverns. In addition, the energy she felt from the Empress was definitely special. Although her skill was not perfect yet, Rosie had acquired the ability to sense the energy of others while studying healing magic. The Empress had an energy that was not felt by ordinary people. Of all the people Rosie had met in the Lapion Empire, only one person had given off such a strong energy. Emperor Linel Gadion Edpa.
Now there was one more person. And they were a couple. Rosie was worried about how the two people with different powerful energies would get along, but at the same time, she was very excited. Standing in the banquet hall with her maids, watching the Emperor and his wife eat together, Rosie could not take her eyes off them. The two people’s different energies met and mixed, creating a new energy, and the two opposing energies clashed and permeated each other, swirling around the two. The reason Rosie wanted to be a maid was not just because of her curiosity about the Empress’s burn scars. Despite the arrogant ministers of Lapion and the prickly noble ladies ignoring her, the Empress remained dignified throughout the state wedding. Rosie felt a strange sense of exhilaration at that sight.
Even though she was surrounded by unfriendly Lapion Empire people, and could have easily been intimidated, the Empress did not lose her elegance. Zelda’s bright pink eyes looked warm yet strong. Rosie wanted to become close to Empress Zelda on a human level. However, it seemed like she had already ruined her first impression as a maid. Even during tea time, she did not receive Empress Zelda’s gaze.
'If I take my time and build trust, maybe she'll open her heart to me.'
Rosie consoled herself like that. Then, out of nowhere, she heard some shocking news from her father, Count Adelid.
'Rosie, you will now become His Majesty the Emperor's concubine. Such an honor has come to our family! Hahaha, I regret the years I spent grumbling about you being a useless daughter.'
The Emperor's concubine?
Rosie despaired. She thought that becoming close to the Empress was now completely out of the question. No matter how kind the Empress was, there was no Empress in the entire continent who would open her heart to the concubine the Emperor had taken in. But she couldn't refuse the order of her father, Count Adelid.
Her mother, who was a sorceress, had threatened to burn all the books she had left behind as an inheritance. There were many magic books she had not even opened yet. And the treasures her mother had asked her to protect before she died were in the darkroom. They were the most important things in her life, more important than jewels.
Rosie decided to accept reality and find a way to approach the Empress. It would be easier to approach the Empress if she became the concubine. Although it was uncertain whether she would like her. Because of this, Rosie was thinking of something else while Catherine and Melanie were raising their voices in check.
'What would Her Majesty the Empress be doing now? She must be in a bad mood.'
Rosie had just pulled out the ornate pin her attendant had placed in her hair as a decoration.
“I don’t want to look pretty.”
Rosie had just pulled out the ornate pin her attendant had placed in her hair as a decoration.
“I don’t want to look pretty.”
***
The ceremony held in the chapel of the new building was splendid, but the procedure was simple. When the bride entered, all four concubines entered together. Emperor Linel, who was waiting in front of the high priest to welcome the concubines, greeted them by kissing the back of the concubines’ hands one by one. Linel and the four concubines all knelt in front of the high priest, placed their hands on the temple, recited the words of God’s blessing, and stood up. The magnificent sound of the organ resonated again in the chapel of the new building. The major ministers and attendees from various noble families who attended the ceremony applauded. Linel felt much more uncomfortable with the ceremony with the concubines than with the state wedding with the Empress, whose face he had never met. Both weddings were politically motivated, but the state wedding with the Kingdom of Shattonil was entirely Linel’s will, so he did not feel this awkward. Even as he kissed the four concubines one by one, he could only think of one person.
'Zelda, what is she doing now?'
'Zelda, what is she doing now?'
***
The boring ceremony was over. Linel took a break in the waiting room of the temple chapel before returning to the main palace. As soon as he entered the waiting room, he took off his formal jacket. He unbuttoned his formal shirt and lay down on the sofa. Then he put one arm on his forehead and closed his eyes.
When he closed his eyes, Zelda’s face appeared naturally. She had tasted the pie he had given him ten days ago, opened her rabbit eyes, and raised her thumb. She was cute. No, she was lovely.
The corners of his mouth went up as the frown he had been unconsciously holding disappeared.
“You look happy. I feel relaxed now that the ceremony is over.”
Linel opened his eyes to a familiar yet uncomfortable voice. Catherine was standing in front of the waiting room door, smiling brightly.
“What's going on?”
Linel frowned again and asked in annoyance. His voice was extremely curt for someone who had just had a ceremony with his concubine.
“I was wondering if you knew that according to the hierarchy of the concubines, you should be the first one to go to my bedroom tonight.”
Catherine was offended by the Emperor's unwelcoming attitude, but she did not show it.
“Raphael told me before the ceremony.”
“I see. Hmm, Your Majesty, I don’t know if you remember, but we first met when I was ten in the bedroom.”
The corners of his mouth went up as the frown he had been unconsciously holding disappeared.
“You look happy. I feel relaxed now that the ceremony is over.”
Linel opened his eyes to a familiar yet uncomfortable voice. Catherine was standing in front of the waiting room door, smiling brightly.
“What's going on?”
Linel frowned again and asked in annoyance. His voice was extremely curt for someone who had just had a ceremony with his concubine.
“I was wondering if you knew that according to the hierarchy of the concubines, you should be the first one to go to my bedroom tonight.”
Catherine was offended by the Emperor's unwelcoming attitude, but she did not show it.
“Raphael told me before the ceremony.”
“I see. Hmm, Your Majesty, I don’t know if you remember, but we first met when I was ten in the bedroom.”
“Was it like that?”
“Yes, at that time, Your Majesty came to the hunting grounds near our duchy with His Majesty the former Emperor and stayed for a night at the Duke’s castle.”
“Oh, I think I remember that too.”
Linel responded dryly.
“When you came to my room to play, you were a little boy, but Your Majesty, whom I will see in your bedroom tonight, is now...”
His eyes, now grown up, looked sexy yet dangerous like a hungry beast. Catherine smiled seductively, staring at his well-toned upper body muscles through his unbuttoned shirt. Linel glanced down at the body that Catherine was staring at, then looked back at her. His eyes seemed to be filled with protest, saying, 'What are you staring at right now?' Catherine pretended to shyly look away.
“If you’ve had a good look around, you can leave now.”
“You’ve changed a lot. When we were engaged, your body wasn’t so beastly...”
“The problem is that I have lost my patience like an animal.”
He approached Catherine with a growl. Catherine, who saw him approaching, slowly lowered the shoulder line of her wedding dress. She felt as if her body would melt at any moment when Linel came closer to her. Even though it was a waiting room, she would not be able to refuse him even if he coveted her now.
“Show me here. What an impatient beast... you look like.”
“Oh, I think I remember that too.”
Linel responded dryly.
“When you came to my room to play, you were a little boy, but Your Majesty, whom I will see in your bedroom tonight, is now...”
His eyes, now grown up, looked sexy yet dangerous like a hungry beast. Catherine smiled seductively, staring at his well-toned upper body muscles through his unbuttoned shirt. Linel glanced down at the body that Catherine was staring at, then looked back at her. His eyes seemed to be filled with protest, saying, 'What are you staring at right now?' Catherine pretended to shyly look away.
“If you’ve had a good look around, you can leave now.”
“You’ve changed a lot. When we were engaged, your body wasn’t so beastly...”
“The problem is that I have lost my patience like an animal.”
He approached Catherine with a growl. Catherine, who saw him approaching, slowly lowered the shoulder line of her wedding dress. She felt as if her body would melt at any moment when Linel came closer to her. Even though it was a waiting room, she would not be able to refuse him even if he coveted her now.
“Show me here. What an impatient beast... you look like.”
“I left my sword behind.”
Linel snorted and picked up the suit jacket he had thrown on the floor.
“...Yes? No, that’s not what I meant...”
“Get out. It’s not fun.”
He turned Catherine around, lifting up the shoulders of her wedding dress.
***
“You must have gone to the concubine’s quarters by now, right?”
I checked the time, went outside on the terrace, and stood in the cool night breeze. Fortunately, there was no order for the Empress to attend the ceremony today. I don’t know how I spent the afternoon. I had dinner or something, just filled my stomach, and went back to the bedroom early. I walked to the bathroom and let the water and time pass by. Even so, time passed slowly. I kept walking back and forth between the terrace and the bedroom, but it was still not time to go to sleep.
At that moment, Sharon’s voice leaked in from outside the bedroom door.
“Is it now? Oh, yes. It is not yet time for her to sleep. Please wait a moment. I will report to Her Majesty the Empress.”
Who could have come to visit me tonight?
Who could have come to visit me tonight?
By any chance... A strange sense of anticipation rose within me. The voices stopped and a knock was heard immediately. When I ordered them to come in, Sharon opened the bedroom door.
“I, Your Majesty the Empress...”
“I, Your Majesty the Empress...”
“Who... is here?”
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