The Abandoned Empress

Is he also reminiscing about what happened at that time, drinking tea like me? As he is so busy, he might not. Since it was a short rain after a long drought, he would be snowed under with work.

“…Ah.”

“… ”

“Aristia?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Frincia.”

I smiled with appreciation toward the golden-haired woman who looked at me curiously.

When I apologized, softly stroking Luna sleeping in my arms, Frincia smiled gently.

“It looks like you like rain.”

“Ah…Yes.”

In fact, I didn’t like rain, but I just nodded because I didn’t have to feel like correcting her.

As I lifted the mug containing the ruby-colored hibiscus, I noticed the crest of a sword and a rose carved into the white porcelain.

Oh, the Duke Lars family seems to engrave its family crest even on a teacup. My family doesn’t. In some respects, it’s rather scary to engrave a spear and a shield on a teacup.

“I asked you if you were busy. Did I ask you too obvious a question?”

“Oh, no. Well, I was a little busy because a big conference was held as soon as I came back from the summer palace, but I’m not busy now.”

“I see. I’m glad to hear that. Was it fun to stay at the summer palace?”

“The scenery was beautiful, and it was cool. ”

“I envy you. I wish I had a chance to go there next time. Ah, Beatrice, how is your baby doing? I heard she had a cold. ”

“She is okay now. Because of that, I and Ryan had really… ”

I looked down at Luna, who fell asleep on my lap, listening to Beatrice, now called Baroness Feden, having a conversation with Frincia, the former princess of Lisa.

The silver cat, which was a bit heavier than before, shook her body, smacking her mouth. As she was so cute, I patted her back with a smile.

Suddenly, I recalled my father who welcomed me back home in the evening of the day when the big conference took place. He was so nervous because I came back home after crying heartily.

Was it because he knew to some extent what had happened before my return? Or was it because he persistently opposed my being the crown prince’s wife? My father was very worried that I went to see the crown prince at his request.

I remembered how heartbroken I was, seeing his sad expression when he carefully told me about my mother.

My mother, whose story I heard from my father after a long, long time, was like a heroine in a novel. My grandmother, who fell in love with a knight, virtually a commoner without a middle name, allegedly fled in the face of the fierce opposition of Duke Jenna, who tried to make her the wife of the then crown prince, currently the emperor.

But her dreamy time was fleeting. My grandmother, who grew up without knowing a day of hardship, could not find a job or do anything on her own. As a result, the knight became a mercenary to feed my mother and my grandmother. One day he returned as a corpse.

Abandoned in a harsh world with her young daughter, my grandmother got sick from doing various chores. My mother came up to the capital to cure her mother’s illness and visited Duke Jena’s house only to be kicked out. After all, my grandmother died as she couldn’t get proper treatment, and my mother went back to her hometown after her mother’s funeral was over.

On her way back home, however, my mother was ambushed by unidentified thugs. Fortunately, she was rescued by my father who was on a secret inspection tour with the emperor.

That’s the whole story about my mother as told by my father.

I felt that’s why the emperor said that my mother was a great “noble”. Even though my mother’s title was valid during her lifetime only, the knight, my grandfather, was a nobleman.

Because of that, if I had not asked my father carefully, I probably wouldn’t have realized that Duke Jenna was actually my grandmother’s brother. I came to know the reason why my father was so reluctant to tell me about my mother’s family background because I could be offended by Duke Jena, a distant relative of my family.

“You found her, sister-in-law? Oh, you’re here!”

“Come on in, Master.”

When I was lost in thought, tilting my teacup, Carsein, dressed in casual clothes with his dishevelled hair hanging over his shoulders, came into the reception room. Lifting a cup reserved for him, he sat next to me with a smile.

“Hey, you idle assistant! Don’t you know you’ve got lots of work to do. You can’t afford to have free time here for a cup of tea. I can’t tolerate you.”

“…You know what? I have to keep working until the eve of the ball, starting tomorrow.”

“Really? Good for you! Let me go and enjoy the ball.”

I glanced at the red-haired young man smiling brightly at me.

‘You’re so annoying!’

Beatrice, who curiously looked at me pouting at him, said, “Lady Monique, oh Aristia, I’ve never seen you acting like that. It looks like both of you are very close.”

“… Do you think so?” I asked back.

“Well, um… by the way, we have only one week to go before the ball,” said Beatrice.

Frincia, who heard Beatrice, asked me carefully, “You’re right, Beatrice. By the way, Aristia, is the crown prince also attending the ball with Duke Jena’s daughter?”

I said, nodding with a bitter smile, “Yes, actually it’s a ball to celebrate her registry into the Duke Jena family.”

On the day when Duke Jena decided to adopt Jiun as his foster daughter, he invited all the nobles who attended the conference to commemorate the event. The invitations were sent out to them, regardless of their factions. It angered many members of the pro-emperor faction. Besides, the crown prince’s attendance order worried them, who were clenching their teeth as they couldn’t find any legitimate reason to shun the ball. They were dissatisfied with the fact that the crown prince, who seemed to defend her at the conference, said he would host a ball for her at the Imperial Palace.

I didn’t know what his intentions were, but as the ball was held to celebrate Jiun’s registry into the duke’s family, his partner was supposed to be Jiun, the heroine of the day. Because of that, the pro-emperor faction got enraged once again and put pressure on me.

‘But what should I do? There is nothing I can do in this situation. ‘

I stroked Luna’s silver hair lying on my knees, avoiding Beatrice’s eyes, who seemed to look at me sadly.

Carsein, who put down the cup, said with a smile.

“My little girl, are you entering the ball alone?”

“Nope. I will go with my father.”

“Hey, that makes you more lonely. What if he is on duty on that day?”

“Oh, you’re right. Let me ask him.”

“Hey, don’t bother your father who is busy. How about going with me? Let me save you.”

When he said that, Frincia turned to me. Her light pink eyes looked at me quickly.

“Oh, that’s surprising, Master! I didn’t know you were thinking of attending the ball. Good for you! Aristia, why don’t you two go together? ”

“Yeah, that sounds good. They will think you look like a good match.”

As Beatrice chimed in after Frincia, I thought about it for a moment.

‘Well, that would be okay.’

Only

If I ask my father, I’m sure he will certainly change his shift, so I can go to the ball with Carsein. As he doesn’t like to go to balls anyway, I don’t have to give him a burden because of it.

“Okay, thanks, Carsein. ”

“Good. By the way, you have to go back, I think. You told me you’re on duty starting tomorrow.”

“You’re right. Oh, gosh, look at the time. Frincia, Beatrice, I’m sorry. I think I should leave first.”

“No problem, Aristia. Thank you for your time. See you in a week. ”

“See you next time, Aristia.”

Is it because both of them share the fact that they got married and came from a foreign kingdom? As close friends, both of them seemed to have more tea time, so I left after saying goodby to them. I got on the wagon with Carsein who came out of the mansion, insisting he would escort me back home because he couldn’t let me go back alone in bad weather.

He suddenly broke the silence and called me, while looking at the rain outside the window silently, with his chin on his hand.