Episode 53. It Was Bound to Happen
Maxim knocked on the study door early in the morning.
"Princess, a letter has arrived from the Imperial House."
Martha took it and tore it open. It was an envelope bearing the imperial seal. Inside was a neatly folded letter. When she unfolded it, she found it written briefly and concisely.
I invite Serena, the Princess of Valois, to the Empress's chambers within the Imperial Palace. It is a brief meeting, so please come at your leisure.
Empress Isadora Kreuz.
As Martha set the letter down, she thought. It was bound to happen. It has finally arrived. The Empress summoned her personally. This isn't surveillance yet. She intends to verify our family and me firsthand. To see what the Duke of Valois is up to.
Claude took the letter and read it.
"You can't just go."
"I must go. It bears the Imperial seal; if I don't go, I'll be arrested."
Edward, who had taken the letter from Claude and read it through, looked at Martha with a worried expression.
"Don't go there and act carelessly; be careful and come back safely. I'm worried about sending you off alone."
"Yes. But I also think this might actually be an opportunity."
Claude and Edward looked at Martha at the same time.
"What kind of opportunity?"
"There are things you can only understand by seeing them firsthand."
Three days passed, and it was the day of the Empress's invitation. Martha headed to the Imperial Palace, where the Empress's quarters were located. The moment she entered the entrance to the quarters, Martha thought. She had passed this corridor several times before as a lady-in-waiting. She rarely had any reason to visit the Empress's palace. Back then, she had to keep her head down as she passed, so she couldn't see properly. It is the same corridor, yet she walks through it so differently.
By the way, the walls are all gold. Is it gilded? If it's real gold, should I secretly take some later?
The Empress's reception room. The moment the door opened, Martha looked inside. Empress Isadora Kreuz. She was in her early fifties. Yet, her face made it hard to believe her age. Her bone structure was elegant. Her nose was sharp, and her lips were thin and neat. Her skin was fair and clear. Her face was flawless overall. It was the kind of beauty that wasn't flashy, yet was impossible to take your eyes off.
However, that beauty lacked warmth. Her eyes, in particular, were like that. The shape was pretty. They were long and shadowed. Yet, there was no warmth within them. She was someone who smiled, but her eyes didn't smile. She seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't crumble no matter what hardships she faced. It was the gaze of someone accustomed to looking down on the world from a high vantage point. Nevertheless, despite being close to fifty, her face was such that one could easily mistake her for someone in their twenties, or even their teens.
Martha looked at her and thought, 'Sisters with me? No, wait. People would believe it if the Empress were younger than me. They wouldn't believe it even if I said I was twenty years younger, right? Look at her skin. What do you eat to not age like that? She must be around my mom's age. Does she... eat preservatives? Maybe? Should I ask her on my way back?'
And sitting beside her was Duke Vid Kreuz. Martha looked at him and thought.
'I run into that jerk everywhere I go these days.'
Is she taking sides just because he's her older brother? Were the two of them sitting there waiting from the very beginning? They said it was a simple meeting, but it doesn't look like it will be simple at all.
Just then, Martha's eyes turned toward the Empress's dress. Looking at the Empress's posture, the hem of her dress was slightly caught on the edge of the chair. It was in a position where it looked like it would get caught when she stood up at any moment. The moment Martha saw that, her body moved on its own. She naturally approached the Empress, her hand reaching for the dress. Then she stopped. Oops. She withdrew her hand and muttered to herself.
"This wretched occupational hazard."
The Empress looked at Martha and said.
"You have an interesting side, Princess. Come sit here."
As Martha sat down, she thought, 'She found out I'm an interesting person.' Oh dear.
The tea was served. The Empress personally handed her the tea and asked.
"How does it taste?"
Martha took a sip and froze. It was an incredibly bitter taste, similar to Gentian herbal tea. She tried to maintain her composure while looking at the Empress. She muttered to herself. 'Even the drinks you have are exactly like yourself. Ugh, it's bitter.'
"Do you like it?"
Martha asked, slowly setting her glass down.
"...I think it will be good for my health."
The Empress smiled. The conversation continued. While chatting with the Empress about this and that, the atmosphere was light on the surface. However, sharp edges were being exchanged within.
Every time the Empress spoke, there was a look of weighing something. It was a look trying to gauge what Martha knew and how much she knew. Her Majesty the Empress brought up the topic of the hot springs.
"I heard the Golden Lion Merchant Guild is providing a lot of funding; isn't that a burden for the Duke of Valois?"
Martha muttered to herself. Burden? What burden? It's being built for free. Her Majesty the Empress looked up and asked,
"Princess, what did you just say?"
"Ah, I said it is a heavy burden. I am just grateful. Our Duke's family is taking extra meticulous care of every detail, just in case we make a mistake."
The Empress looked at Martha with a slightly displeased expression. Vid Kreuz leaned forward as he continued the conversation about the hot springs.
"Once completed, it will be one of the finest hot springs in the Empire. Our workers are pouring their hearts and souls into it."
The tone was strange. It was as if he could have said 'our hot spring' rather than 'our workers.'
It was a tone that spoke as if the Valois ducal family's hot spring were about to become his own. Martha muttered softly to herself.
"He really thinks he can take it."
Duke Kreuz raised his eyebrows and asked.
"Princess, what did you just say?"
"Ah, yes, no, whatever! That hot spring land, whatever! It's nothing, but you've helped me like this... I don't know what to say."
Duke Kreuz looked at Martha. Then he met the Empress's eyes. The Empress then took a sip of tea. Martha thought to herself, 'Ah, why do my inner thoughts keep leaking out today?' I wonder if I'll be arrested for treason at this rate. Be careful, very careful.
Anyway, the Empress seems to have a lot of interest in the hot springs, too. As expected, it wasn't Duke Kreuz's plan alone. The Empress must have already known everything about the hot springs. Funding the hot springs must have been her idea as well. And the Empress seems to think that the hot springs will eventually belong to the Kreuz family. The Golden Lion Merchant Guild's plan is practically the Empress's decision.
Martha left her seat under the pretext of going to the restroom. While walking down the hallway, she remembered she had forgotten her handkerchief and was returning when she heard the voices of the Empress and Duke Kreuz, causing her to stop. Duke Kreuz's voice leaked out.
"Doesn't it seem like Princess Valois has noticed something?"
"Even if she has noticed. There is no evidence."
"Have you recovered the sword?"
Her Majesty the Empress was silent for a moment, then spoke calmly.
"I have taken care of that. Don't worry."
Hearing this, Martha thought. 'Dealt with it? Does she not know yet that the Imperial Sword has been handed over to His Majesty the Emperor?' Or is she saying that knowing full well?
Either way, certainly, Her Majesty the Empress is directly involved in this matter. She knows everything. But at that moment, she heard footsteps. Martha froze. She must not be caught. Just then, someone grabbed Martha's arm. She was dragged behind a curtain in the corner of the hallway. It was the Crown Prince.
Crown Prince Pierre Moncler put his index finger to his lips and gave her a look that said.
"Be quiet."
The door to the next room opened, and footsteps were heard in the hallway. Then, people passed by. The Crown Prince looked at Martha and asked in a low voice.
"Are you alright?"
"Thanks to you."
"What are you doing here?"
"Just passing by."
The Crown Prince looked at Martha. His gaze held a hint of knowledge. It was the look of someone who knew she wasn't just passing by. Yet, he did not ask any further.
"Always be careful, Princess."
As she emerged from behind the curtain, Martha said.
"Anyway, I really need to go to the restroom."
The Crown Prince rose and followed behind Martha.
"I'll go with you."
Martha stopped in her tracks as she looked at the Crown Prince.
"Why? Are you going to pull me down all the way to my underwear?"
The Crown Prince stopped. Martha was already walking toward the entrance of the restroom. The Crown Prince was about to follow when he looked up at the sign. It was the women's restroom. The Crown Prince's face turned red.
As Martha went inside, she said without looking back.
"You don't have to wait, Your Highness."
When she came out of the restroom, the Crown Prince was standing in the hallway.
"Were you waiting?"
"I was worried about the Princess."
Martha looked at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince. Twenty-three years old. She had thought he was gentle on the outside but calculating on the inside... but this look in his eyes now was not calculating. It was a look of genuine concern for Martha.
Martha thought. I had seen this child before when I used to frequent the palace. Was it when he was not even ten? He was a child who used to run around in the hallway, fall down, and cry. I wiped the wound on his knee. That fellow who was like a grandson to me.
The Crown Prince stared intently at Martha.
"Princess, you have been getting too close to dangerous situations lately."
"Nothing like that, Your Highness."
"You would be safer if I were by your side."
Martha looked at the Crown Prince and asked.
"Your Highness, how old are you?"
"Twenty-three."
"Then you are in your prime."
The Crown Prince looked at Martha and asked.
"And you, Princess?"
"I am quite old."
"You are nineteen."
Martha thought to herself. My body is nineteen, but my heart is eighty. The Crown Prince continued speaking while looking at Martha.
"You were different from the first time I saw you. Compared to the other young ladies."
"Thank you, Your Highness. But at your age, everyone feels that way."
The Crown Prince paused.
"What do you mean?"
Martha said with a smile.
"You will understand as you live."
She thought to herself. It feels like watching a grandchild's antics. It is cute, but. Prince Leon would get angry if I told him.
Just then, a lady-in-waiting to the Empress appeared in the hallway.
"You were here. The Empress is worried because you haven't returned for so long."
Martha looked at the Crown Prince and nodded in greeting.
"I must go now."
"Take care."
The Crown Prince quietly added, watching Martha walk away.
"I would like to see you again, Princess."
Martha thought to herself. My grandson is being playful. When she returned to the reception room, the Empress was sitting alone. Duke Kreuz was absent. The Empress looked up at Martha and said.
"Princess... did you poop?"
Martha froze. The Empress remained composed.
"This is the first time someone has taken this long."
Martha bowed her head respectfully with a shy expression.
"Your Majesty, how could you speak so bluntly... I have come willingly to exert myself to pray for Your Majesty's prosperity."
The Empress looked at Martha and chuckled.
"You are an interesting Princess."
As she sat down, she thought to herself. Is she really talking like that because she finds it amusing? Saying something is amusing is actually scarier. The Empress began to speak slowly.
"The Princess of Valois is active in society these days; her business is going well, and she's even building a hot spring. It seems like everything is going well."
"Thank you."
"But when you're on the move too busily, sometimes unexpected things happen."
As Martha listened, she thought to herself. It's a threat. A subtle threat. It's a warning not to run wild. Martha replied with a laugh.
"Indeed. We must be careful when traveling."
"The Duke of Valois is the Imperial Household's number one retainer, after all. I always keep that in mind."
"It is reassuring to hear you say that, Your Majesty"
"Please do feel reassured. Tell me anytime if you face any difficulties."
Martha muttered to herself. Oh, you fool. You are the one causing trouble. The Empress looked up and asked.
"My Lady, what did you just say?"
"Ah, I said thank you for saying that."
The Empress looked at Martha. Something flashed in her eyes. This Lady is something else entirely. There was a moment of silence. The Empress slowly set down the tea and said.
"But, My Lady, may I ask you just one thing?"
"Of course."
The Empress stared intently at Martha.
"You know what it means that the Duke of Valois is the Imperial Household's number one retainer, don't you?"
"Of course."
"Being a retainer of the Imperial Family means sharing the same fate as the Imperial Family. If the Imperial Family wavers, you waver with them; if the Imperial Family collapses, you collapse with them."
Martha thought as she listened. If the Imperial Family collapses. What does that even mean? That the Imperial Family is collapsing.
The Empress took a sip of tea and spoke.
"That is why it matters which side you stand on, Princess. It is not too late."
Martha thought as she listened. It matters which side you stand on. It is not too late. This is not a threat. It is a warning and an attempt at persuasion. The Empress is trying to pull me to her side. She is telling me not to stand on His Majesty the Emperor's side. The remark that it is not too late must mean that if I make a decision now, she will spare my life.
Martha smiled as she looked at the Empress.
"The Dukedom of Valois has always stood on the right side. It will continue to do so. I trust that you will guide us along the right path."
The Empress looked at Martha. Her gaze had changed. Guidance to the right path. The Empress must know which side those words imply. Her Majesty the Empress spoke with a smile.
"Indeed. We must stand on the right side. I will lead you well. I am glad to see that the Duke of Valois seems poised to become a reliable retainer in the future."
"I also think Your Majesty the Empress is a reliable person."
Though His Majesty the Emperor is even more reliable. I can't say that. Just smile. Enjoy this moment, Your Majesty the Empress.
The Empress smiles, looking at Martha with satisfaction. However, that smile was even more detestable than before. As Martha accepted it, she thought. The Empress might have interpreted my answer as me taking her side. I have actually bought myself time. While the Empress is feeling this safe, I must take everything I can.
Martha walked out of her quarters. The corridor was long. It smelled of the Imperial Palace. The smell of old wood, the smell of cold stone. It was the exact same smell as when Martha passed through this corridor as a lady-in-waiting.
Martha thought. Your Majesty the Empress is handling all the affairs of the Golden Lion Merchant Guild. She is certainly involved in this. I heard it with my own ears and saw it with my own eyes. She firmly believes that the hot springs will belong to Kreuz. And to me, which side... I would stand.
First, I'll put her at ease, and then I'll deliver a massive blow to the back of her head
[Lucy's Secret Shock Journal Episode 53]
The Princess met with the Empress today.
Upon seeing the Empress's dress stuck in the chair, she instinctively moved, then stopped, muttering, "This wretched occupational hazard."
Isn't your job to be a princess, Princess? They say she almost got caught talking to herself three times today. She narrowly escaped danger all three times. She is an amazing person.
The Empress asked, "Did you poop?" The Princess replied, "I exerted myself a bit to pray for the Empress's wealth."
Her expression was heavy when she returned. However, it wasn't a wavering look. She looked like someone who had resolved to win.
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