“Grand Duke Martins has requested to see Your Majesty the Empress.”
It wasn't Linel. You idiot, you should expect what you expect.
“The Grand Duke? Right now?”
“Yes, he is waiting in the audience room right now.”
“What’s going on...”
I frowned at the unwelcome guest.
“I asked what the matter was, but he said he would go see Your Majesty the Empress in person and tell you...”
Sharon spoke carefully, sensing my mood.
“Is that all he said?”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
I thought for a moment. Had the Grand Duke heard any news about Princess Resilia from the Shattonil royal family? No matter how much I thought about it, there was no other reason for him to visit the Empress's palace at this late hour.
“If you don’t feel like it, should I tell him to come back tomorrow?"
“No. Is he waiting in the audience room right now?”
“Yes, that is so.”
“It’s not yet time to go to bed, so I think it’ll be okay. Sharon, before we go, could you bring me a shawl to drape over my shoulders?”
Perhaps because it was a cool night, my bare shoulder line felt empty. However, since I was hesitant about changing into a different dress, I asked Sharon to give me a light shawl.
“I’ll bring it right now!”
Sharon went straight to my private dressing room, which led directly to the bedroom. After a while, Sharon brought out a silk shawl and draped it over my shoulders.
“How is it?”
“I like it. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
I felt the soft silk against my bare shoulder as I headed to the audience room to meet Grand Duke Martins.
“Welcome, Your Majesty the Empress. I hope I have disturbed you while you were resting.”
“Why not?”
Grand Duke Martins flinched at my affectionate and patronizing tone.
“I came out because I was curious as to why you came to the Empress’s Palace so late, even though you knew it was an interruption.”
I asked, forcing a smile so as not to reveal my complicated feelings. But my voice sounded somewhat sharp even to me. Grand Duke Martins shrugged and opened his mouth.
“I thought Your Majesty the Empress might be feeling very lonely tonight, so I came here to give you some company.”
You came to me at this hour for just that reason? If you really wanted to appease me, I would go to the training ground right now and tell you to be my swordsmanship partner. Since you always fail the knight exams, you would probably fall down helplessly if I swung my sword a few times.
“You still clench your fist, Your Majesty the Empress?”
Grand Duke Martins looked at my hand and asked.
“Oh, it’s just a habit. Don’t worry about it.”
I said, slightly extending my clenched fist forward. Then, Grand Duke Martins flinched, leaning back even though we were not close. Why? He sat up again and spoke in a low voice.
“I saw you at the royal training ground a few years ago.”
“...Me?”
For a moment, my hands started to sweat.
“Yes, I happened to see Your Majesty the Empress practicing swordsmanship alone.”
“What... did you see?”
I was startled by the Grand Duke's words and asked back. I didn't have time to explain that it wasn't me, that the Grand Duke had mistaken me for someone else.
“Yes, I saw it. I also saw you receiving teachings from Captain Canal.”
“...Ah. Your Highness has seen a very precious scene.”
Seeing that he was even talking about Master Canal, I thought that trying to evade the charges would be useless, so I just admitted it obediently.
“Haha, actually I didn’t see it myself.”
Is this swordsman fool kidding me? I glared at Grand Duke Martins, who immediately changed his words as soon as I admitted it.
“Then who saw me at the training ground?”
“My escort knight saw it. What did he say...? He said that the sight of your swordsmanship under the moonlight was breathtakingly beautiful.”
I was taken aback for a moment but soon pretended to agree.
“Your Highness... you have a truly true subordinate by your side.”
At my words, Grand Duke Martins suddenly started to slap his knee and burst into laughter. He was laughing so hard that I was starting to feel bad. It would be nice to hit the Grand Duke in the face with my fist and make him stop breathing for exactly five seconds. My fist, which had been suppressing my freedom so much lately, was gaining strength.
“I heard from my knight that Your Majesty the Empress is quite capable. I am curious.”
“If you’re curious, I’ll give you a chance to experience it.”
I shyly turned my left wrist. Since I've only used pens my whole life, I'm sure my chin is in bad shape, so in good conscience, I'll use my less powerful left hand to do it.
“Ahaha, thank you.”
Grand Duke Martins raised both hands as if surrendering and looked serious.
“But, is it a problem that I know how to use a sword?”
“No. It’s not something to hide that women use swordsmanship. Especially in a continent where war is frequent. I know there are quite a few female knight commanders in the Southern Continent.”
“I’ve heard that story too. Although it’s not as much as the Southern Continent, the young ladies of the Kingdom of Shattonil also have to take swordsmanship lessons from a young age.”
“However, there are probably no young ladies who study swordsmanship as consistently as Your Majesty the Empress. And there are even fewer young ladies who are so skilled.”
“That’s true... I guess.”
I was a little nervous. There was nothing wrong with learning swordsmanship, but if it was done secretly and not through the official procedures with royal permission, then it could be a problem. Grand Duke Martins smiled faintly as if he knew what I was worried about and opened his mouth again.
“Your Majesty, that was not something to be hidden.”
But the question was, why did you keep it hidden?
“I have never hidden anything.”
I really had nothing to say in return.
“Then, Your Majesty the Empress was not trying to hide the fact that you knew swordsmanship, but rather the fact that you were an exceptional swordsman?”
“I told you that wasn’t the case.”
When I straightened up, Grand Duke Martin nodded dryly.
“I just clenched my fist and suddenly remembered what I heard from my knight, so I said it. I have no other intentions.”
The Grand Duke of Martins's eyes looked like he was just going to let it go. The Grand Duke often showed me that he was looking at me with a lot of interest. Whenever that happened, I thought that it would look good if there were bruises around his gray eyes. Before I knew it, my left fist went up, and I barely managed to grab my left wrist with my right hand.
“So, Your Majesty, please do not be nervous.”
Was I making a nervous expression just now? In fact, I was at a loss as to how to react to Grand Duke Martins' words. Smiling would make me look nervous, and getting angry would make me look like I was getting angry for no reason.
“Your Highness, it seems you don’t get much sleep?”
I changed the subject a bit.
“No, but since I came to the Lapion Empire, the nights have been a bit difficult.”
“Why?”
I was rather the opposite. After coming to the Lapion Empire, where the temperature was colder than the Kingdom of Shattonil, I woke up less often at dawn.
“Isn’t that natural, since you’re from the Kingdom of Shattonil, which is warmer than here?”
Grand Duke Martins asked me, seemingly puzzled.
“Well, it’s different for everyone.”
“The nights in Lapion seem quite chilly even in early summer. I’ve only heard of it through rumors, but now that I’ve experienced it myself, I sometimes feel a chill running through my body at night.”
Grand Duke Martins said, running his hands over his arms.
“I will order my servants to bring thicker blankets and larger thermal magic stones to the room where the Grand Duke is staying.”
Grand Duke Martins looked at me with a slightly surprised look.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
When I tilted my head, he looked interested.
“Now, you truly are like the Empress of the Lapion Empire. It wasn’t long ago that you were the bathing maid of the kingdom.”
“Now, truly, I am the Empress of the Lapion Empire. For now.”
I felt a strange sense of self-loathing as I added the following. And I was concerned about the way Grand Duke Martins seemed to be looking down on me. If I wanted to faithfully play the role, shouldn’t he refrain from speaking like that? But I also didn’t want to talk back to Grand Duke Martins and argue with him every time. I was just a proxy empress. So if I antagonized Grand Duke Martins, it wouldn’t do me any good in the future. And being friendly with him wouldn’t do me much good either.
“Oh, I guess I’ve been rude again. You should always be careful with your words in front of someone who uses swordsmanship.”
He must have read my annoyed expression and apologized awkwardly.
“Our work?”
“!”
Linel's cold voice pierced the back of my head.
“Oh my! Your Majesty, when will we be able to come to the audience room... !”
Sharon's voice, startled, overlapped with Linel's. My voice seemed to have leaked out through the open door of the audience room. Embarrassed, Grand Duke Martins and I continued to stare at each other. Linel frowned, perhaps because he found that appearance even more suspicious, and looked back and forth between me and the Grand Duke. His neat and handsome features were all wrinkled.
It wasn't Linel. You idiot, you should expect what you expect.
“The Grand Duke? Right now?”
“Yes, he is waiting in the audience room right now.”
“What’s going on...”
I frowned at the unwelcome guest.
“I asked what the matter was, but he said he would go see Your Majesty the Empress in person and tell you...”
Sharon spoke carefully, sensing my mood.
“Is that all he said?”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
I thought for a moment. Had the Grand Duke heard any news about Princess Resilia from the Shattonil royal family? No matter how much I thought about it, there was no other reason for him to visit the Empress's palace at this late hour.
“If you don’t feel like it, should I tell him to come back tomorrow?"
“No. Is he waiting in the audience room right now?”
“Yes, that is so.”
“It’s not yet time to go to bed, so I think it’ll be okay. Sharon, before we go, could you bring me a shawl to drape over my shoulders?”
Perhaps because it was a cool night, my bare shoulder line felt empty. However, since I was hesitant about changing into a different dress, I asked Sharon to give me a light shawl.
“I’ll bring it right now!”
Sharon went straight to my private dressing room, which led directly to the bedroom. After a while, Sharon brought out a silk shawl and draped it over my shoulders.
“How is it?”
“I like it. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
I felt the soft silk against my bare shoulder as I headed to the audience room to meet Grand Duke Martins.
***
Grand Duke Martins was standing with his back to the darkened window. As I entered, he greeted me with his characteristically relaxed smile and gestures.
“Welcome, Your Majesty the Empress. I hope I have disturbed you while you were resting.”
“Why not?”
Grand Duke Martins flinched at my affectionate and patronizing tone.
“I came out because I was curious as to why you came to the Empress’s Palace so late, even though you knew it was an interruption.”
I asked, forcing a smile so as not to reveal my complicated feelings. But my voice sounded somewhat sharp even to me. Grand Duke Martins shrugged and opened his mouth.
“I thought Your Majesty the Empress might be feeling very lonely tonight, so I came here to give you some company.”
You came to me at this hour for just that reason? If you really wanted to appease me, I would go to the training ground right now and tell you to be my swordsmanship partner. Since you always fail the knight exams, you would probably fall down helplessly if I swung my sword a few times.
“You still clench your fist, Your Majesty the Empress?”
Grand Duke Martins looked at my hand and asked.
“Oh, it’s just a habit. Don’t worry about it.”
I said, slightly extending my clenched fist forward. Then, Grand Duke Martins flinched, leaning back even though we were not close. Why? He sat up again and spoke in a low voice.
“I saw you at the royal training ground a few years ago.”
“...Me?”
For a moment, my hands started to sweat.
“Yes, I happened to see Your Majesty the Empress practicing swordsmanship alone.”
“What... did you see?”
I was startled by the Grand Duke's words and asked back. I didn't have time to explain that it wasn't me, that the Grand Duke had mistaken me for someone else.
“Yes, I saw it. I also saw you receiving teachings from Captain Canal.”
“...Ah. Your Highness has seen a very precious scene.”
Seeing that he was even talking about Master Canal, I thought that trying to evade the charges would be useless, so I just admitted it obediently.
“Haha, actually I didn’t see it myself.”
Is this swordsman fool kidding me? I glared at Grand Duke Martins, who immediately changed his words as soon as I admitted it.
“Then who saw me at the training ground?”
“My escort knight saw it. What did he say...? He said that the sight of your swordsmanship under the moonlight was breathtakingly beautiful.”
I was taken aback for a moment but soon pretended to agree.
“Your Highness... you have a truly true subordinate by your side.”
At my words, Grand Duke Martins suddenly started to slap his knee and burst into laughter. He was laughing so hard that I was starting to feel bad. It would be nice to hit the Grand Duke in the face with my fist and make him stop breathing for exactly five seconds. My fist, which had been suppressing my freedom so much lately, was gaining strength.
“I heard from my knight that Your Majesty the Empress is quite capable. I am curious.”
“If you’re curious, I’ll give you a chance to experience it.”
I shyly turned my left wrist. Since I've only used pens my whole life, I'm sure my chin is in bad shape, so in good conscience, I'll use my less powerful left hand to do it.
“Ahaha, thank you.”
Grand Duke Martins raised both hands as if surrendering and looked serious.
“But, is it a problem that I know how to use a sword?”
“No. It’s not something to hide that women use swordsmanship. Especially in a continent where war is frequent. I know there are quite a few female knight commanders in the Southern Continent.”
“I’ve heard that story too. Although it’s not as much as the Southern Continent, the young ladies of the Kingdom of Shattonil also have to take swordsmanship lessons from a young age.”
“However, there are probably no young ladies who study swordsmanship as consistently as Your Majesty the Empress. And there are even fewer young ladies who are so skilled.”
“That’s true... I guess.”
I was a little nervous. There was nothing wrong with learning swordsmanship, but if it was done secretly and not through the official procedures with royal permission, then it could be a problem. Grand Duke Martins smiled faintly as if he knew what I was worried about and opened his mouth again.
“Your Majesty, that was not something to be hidden.”
But the question was, why did you keep it hidden?
“I have never hidden anything.”
I really had nothing to say in return.
“Then, Your Majesty the Empress was not trying to hide the fact that you knew swordsmanship, but rather the fact that you were an exceptional swordsman?”
“I told you that wasn’t the case.”
When I straightened up, Grand Duke Martin nodded dryly.
“I just clenched my fist and suddenly remembered what I heard from my knight, so I said it. I have no other intentions.”
The Grand Duke of Martins's eyes looked like he was just going to let it go. The Grand Duke often showed me that he was looking at me with a lot of interest. Whenever that happened, I thought that it would look good if there were bruises around his gray eyes. Before I knew it, my left fist went up, and I barely managed to grab my left wrist with my right hand.
“So, Your Majesty, please do not be nervous.”
Was I making a nervous expression just now? In fact, I was at a loss as to how to react to Grand Duke Martins' words. Smiling would make me look nervous, and getting angry would make me look like I was getting angry for no reason.
“Your Highness, it seems you don’t get much sleep?”
I changed the subject a bit.
“No, but since I came to the Lapion Empire, the nights have been a bit difficult.”
“Why?”
I was rather the opposite. After coming to the Lapion Empire, where the temperature was colder than the Kingdom of Shattonil, I woke up less often at dawn.
“Isn’t that natural, since you’re from the Kingdom of Shattonil, which is warmer than here?”
Grand Duke Martins asked me, seemingly puzzled.
“Well, it’s different for everyone.”
“The nights in Lapion seem quite chilly even in early summer. I’ve only heard of it through rumors, but now that I’ve experienced it myself, I sometimes feel a chill running through my body at night.”
Grand Duke Martins said, running his hands over his arms.
“I will order my servants to bring thicker blankets and larger thermal magic stones to the room where the Grand Duke is staying.”
Grand Duke Martins looked at me with a slightly surprised look.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
When I tilted my head, he looked interested.
“Now, you truly are like the Empress of the Lapion Empire. It wasn’t long ago that you were the bathing maid of the kingdom.”
“Now, truly, I am the Empress of the Lapion Empire. For now.”
I felt a strange sense of self-loathing as I added the following. And I was concerned about the way Grand Duke Martins seemed to be looking down on me. If I wanted to faithfully play the role, shouldn’t he refrain from speaking like that? But I also didn’t want to talk back to Grand Duke Martins and argue with him every time. I was just a proxy empress. So if I antagonized Grand Duke Martins, it wouldn’t do me any good in the future. And being friendly with him wouldn’t do me much good either.
“Oh, I guess I’ve been rude again. You should always be careful with your words in front of someone who uses swordsmanship.”
He must have read my annoyed expression and apologized awkwardly.
“I would like to fight the Grand Duke in swordsmanship someday, but of course, I won’t have the chance while I am the Empress.”
I unconsciously made a clicking sound with my knuckles out of habit. Grand Duke Martins furrowed his brows as if he really hated the sound. Well, it wasn't my intention to threaten him. It was just that my knuckles were ticklish.
“I actually think it’s not a bad thing for Your Majesty the Empress to remain in that position for a long time. Ha, ha, ha.”
Grand Duke Martins laughed awkwardly. I burst out laughing at the Grand Duke's nervous expression, but then straightened up again and tilted my neck from side to side. The sound of my neck bones resonating pleasantly in the quiet audience room.
“I would like for my companion to leave now.”
“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor will spend the night in the bedroom of one of his concubines.”
Despite my warning, Grand Duke Martins coughed a few times and then began to glance at me.
“...Yes, it’s a natural procedure.”
It was a natural procedure, but it was a problem because my feelings were not natural.
“Your expression is quite unpleasant.”
A mean human being. I glanced at the sharp Duke Martins. He avoided my eyes, but his mouth continued to play.
“I guess it’s probably time for His Majesty to go to his bedroom and have a glass of wine and chat with his concubine.”
“...”
“Oh, is it already past time to talk?”
“What do you want to say, Your Highness?”
I asked with a deliberately sleepy expression, pulling the silk shawl I was wearing a little further forward.
“It’s exactly as I said at the beginning. Even though you are the acting Empress, I thought you might be feeling a little under the weather tonight, so I just wanted to be your companion.”
“Do you look like a bystander disguised as a friend?”
“Haha, that’s impossible.”
“If you’ve seen my reactions, then you can go back and go to sleep.”
As I got up from the sofa, Grand Duke Martins also stood up with me with a helpless expression.
I unconsciously made a clicking sound with my knuckles out of habit. Grand Duke Martins furrowed his brows as if he really hated the sound. Well, it wasn't my intention to threaten him. It was just that my knuckles were ticklish.
“I actually think it’s not a bad thing for Your Majesty the Empress to remain in that position for a long time. Ha, ha, ha.”
Grand Duke Martins laughed awkwardly. I burst out laughing at the Grand Duke's nervous expression, but then straightened up again and tilted my neck from side to side. The sound of my neck bones resonating pleasantly in the quiet audience room.
“I would like for my companion to leave now.”
“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor will spend the night in the bedroom of one of his concubines.”
Despite my warning, Grand Duke Martins coughed a few times and then began to glance at me.
“...Yes, it’s a natural procedure.”
It was a natural procedure, but it was a problem because my feelings were not natural.
“Your expression is quite unpleasant.”
A mean human being. I glanced at the sharp Duke Martins. He avoided my eyes, but his mouth continued to play.
“I guess it’s probably time for His Majesty to go to his bedroom and have a glass of wine and chat with his concubine.”
“...”
“Oh, is it already past time to talk?”
“What do you want to say, Your Highness?”
I asked with a deliberately sleepy expression, pulling the silk shawl I was wearing a little further forward.
“It’s exactly as I said at the beginning. Even though you are the acting Empress, I thought you might be feeling a little under the weather tonight, so I just wanted to be your companion.”
“Do you look like a bystander disguised as a friend?”
“Haha, that’s impossible.”
“If you’ve seen my reactions, then you can go back and go to sleep.”
As I got up from the sofa, Grand Duke Martins also stood up with me with a helpless expression.
Knock knock!
At that moment, Sharon opened the door to the audience room in a hurry and came in.
“Your Majesty the Empress! His Majesty the Emperor is in the bedroom right now!”
“Bedroom... my bedroom?!”
"Yes!"
What on earth could possibly be happening that he came to the Empress's Palace on the day he was having a ceremony with his concubines? Only one thought came to my mind at that moment.
'Surely, my identity... has he found out? Has he really been caught this time?'
It seemed that I wasn't the only one who had that thought. When I turned my gaze to Grand Duke Martins, he was also looking at me with a rather surprised expression.
“Your Majesty, has His Majesty come to know of our work...”
“Bedroom... my bedroom?!”
"Yes!"
What on earth could possibly be happening that he came to the Empress's Palace on the day he was having a ceremony with his concubines? Only one thought came to my mind at that moment.
'Surely, my identity... has he found out? Has he really been caught this time?'
It seemed that I wasn't the only one who had that thought. When I turned my gaze to Grand Duke Martins, he was also looking at me with a rather surprised expression.
“Your Majesty, has His Majesty come to know of our work...”
“Our work?”
“!”
Linel's cold voice pierced the back of my head.
“Oh my! Your Majesty, when will we be able to come to the audience room... !”
Sharon's voice, startled, overlapped with Linel's. My voice seemed to have leaked out through the open door of the audience room. Embarrassed, Grand Duke Martins and I continued to stare at each other. Linel frowned, perhaps because he found that appearance even more suspicious, and looked back and forth between me and the Grand Duke. His neat and handsome features were all wrinkled.
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