Chapter 39
“You’re going to stay here for a while?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Good heavens.”
It was a bolt from the blue: Edwin, whom she had only thought came as Lucas’s replacement, would remain in Hexilov until summer ended.
Edwin was one of the few people who had stood by Violet Driphon’s side for a long time. Occasionally running into him was fine, but if she encountered him for several consecutive days, he might realize that Helen was Violet.
Helen swallowed dryly and avoided Edwin’s gaze. But the place she turned to happened to be Liandor’s face, which flustered her even more.
“What, what’s with that expression?”
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
Had she furrowed her brow? Helen hurriedly checked her face with all ten fingers. She felt no wrinkles between her brows, around her eyes, or at the corners of her mouth.
“No. Not you, you.”
Liandor pointed at Helen with his chin, then immediately pointed at Edwin. Helen turned her head following his gesture. She felt she could understand what he meant.
An expression of utter bliss adorned Edwin’s face.
“Calling me ‘you’ right from our first meeting. The mages of Hexilov certainly have no manners.”
“I’ve never had manners. Probably never had any from birth.”
“My lady. You must not be with such a person. It will bring you harm.”
“Who are you to judge me?”
“I am not judging you. I am concerned for my lady’s safety, so mind your own business.”
Edwin’s eyes curved into an arc. He drew an invisible sword and swung it at his enemy.
“Ah, since you’re minding your own business anyway, it would be nice if you could just get lost completely.”
At those words, Liandor looked ready to snap his fingers immediately, and Helen pressed her forehead.
It was said that enemies meet on a single-log bridge—so this was that single-log bridge. Or perhaps she herself was the single-log bridge.
Helen wanted to escape from between the two men. If she couldn’t do that, she wouldn’t mind using the lord’s authority to chase them far away from Hexilov, but unfortunately, that was beyond the lord’s authority.
However,
“Stop it, both of you. Before I ban you from entering the estate.”
As the homeowner, that was a different story.
One of the good things about becoming the Lord of Hexilov was that the villa here had fully become Helen’s property. And so, instead of calling it a villa, she had started calling it the Hexilov Estate, and she was quite fond of it.
The sound of clashing blades rang out. It seemed some knights had already resumed training even though it had only been about ten minutes since Edwin had ordered them to rest.
“Are they the knights who will participate in this year’s magical beast subjugation?”
“Yes. Most are squires, but they will become full knights before participating in the subjugation.”
“I should prepare congratulatory gifts in advance.”
How many had been training earlier?
Helen poked her head out and looked down below. Rather than counting the training squires herself, it would be faster to get the roster from Edwin.
“What should I prepare? It’s my first time giving gifts to so many knights, so….”
“Why are you giving them gifts?”
“There is no need for you to go so far as to give gifts, my lady.”
The two men spoke simultaneously and then looked at each other.
“Well.”
“Rather, it is I who would like to ask.”
Helen took a deep breath and tried to maintain a gentle composure.
“…Shall I really lock the estate doors?”
Since she had worked busily without rest, she had planned to enter a brief seclusion to take a break. But judging by the constant bickering of the two men who clashed at every turn, that rest seemed to have gone out the window. No, she was already drained.
* Sibello
It was the beginning of a languid afternoon. Or perhaps a succession of boring days.
Rosie turned the pages of a book inside a garden filled with the scent of roses. The books inside the palace all contained stale content. Except for works by famous authors so renowned that almost no one in the empire would be unaware of them, romance novels could not be found at all.
“Should I ask Father a favor?”
When she stayed at the Platini estate, she had always lived with romance novels criticized as lacking refinement.
Recalling the past of just a few months ago, she let out a hollow laugh. The young lady who threw such tantrums back then was no more.
Unable to endure the boredom, Rosie placed the book she was reading upside down on the table and called for her maid, Lari.
“Lari. His Majesty must be having a headache over entertaining distinguished guests.”
Lari, having grasped Rosie’s intentions, answered without hesitation.
“They say the meeting will end soon. Shall we go to His Majesty?”
“Since I’m languid, that doesn’t sound bad.”
As she rose from the chair, the pearl necklace around her neck swayed. The slow movement of the large beads was felt clearly.
While tidying her loose strands, Lari cautiously opened her mouth.
“I… Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s just that…”
Because she knew Rosie’s heart, her lips did not easily part, but it was something she needed to know. As someone who served the Empress with all her heart, she could not cover the truth with the shallow thought that her heart would be hurt.
“They say His Majesty has sent Lord Vanz away from the palace.”
The hand that had been stroking her hair lost its way. Both hands dropped down limply with her arms.
“Where?”
“They say he sent him to Hexilov.”
“His Majesty sent Lord Vanz to Hexilov?”
Lari nodded with difficulty, like a frightened sheep. The noble Empress’s voice was pitiful. It trembled so gently that she looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.
“His Majesty truly worries about my family’s safety; I am pleased.”
She took a breath and suppressed the change in her emotions, but Lari, standing beside her, found such an appearance of the Empress nothing but heartbreaking.
“Lari, would you comb my hair again?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
It meant she wanted some time alone. The Empress hid her inner thoughts thus, and the maid who served her turned a blind eye to those thoughts.
Lari left to fetch the comb and the hair oil. Only then did Rosie sink to the ground instead of into the chair. The dress was soiled by dirt scattered here and there in the wind.
“Aack—!”
A rough sound rang out. It was a scream that would have carried beyond the garden if not for the fierce wind blowing from somewhere.
Anxiety crept over her entire body. Rosie wrapped her arms around herself. The soft texture of the dress touched her fingertips.
She was not unaware that today was the first day of the last week of July. That was why she had deliberately summoned the delegation at the appropriate time—so that the Emperor would be unable to go to the planned trip to Hexilov due to unavoidable circumstances.
The Emperor, her husband, Lucas, loved ‘Platini.’ He loved Platini’s enormous wealth, shallow political influence, and Platini’s discarded young lady.
She had realized this cruel truth on the night of the wedding.
She had known it was a marriage without love, but the young lady had held a tiny seed of hope. The seed had sprouted, leaves had unfurled, and it seemed it would bloom into a flower before long, but that night it had rotted away.
“Do not expect love from me. All I can give you is the seat of Empress and the prosperity of House Platini.”
Our first night ended with a few words where that man’s admonishment and threat coexisted, and with absence.
She understood the Emperor. He ruled the millions of the empire with love. And so, with the heart that loved them, he must love me too, as one of them.
She had tried to understand Lucas Driphon. That man was perfect in most every way, making one unable to help but love him. And so, no matter who that man loved, she must not be jealous. To stick by his side forever.
Knowing the correct answer, the fact that Lucas loved Helen gradually drove her mad.
Why the daughter even her father had abandoned, the fake young lady who had lived a solitary life in Hexilov for so long?
At first, she thought it was curiosity. It was natural for one’s eyes to be drawn to unusual things. But one did not usually fall in love with unusual things. For the most part.
“To think he would send Lord Vanz.”
Edwin Vanz. Commander of the 2nd Knight Order, and the escort knight who served the late imperial princess. If the reason the knight who served Violet Driphon had to be sent to Hexilov was because of Helen Platini….
“Rosie, I am Helen Platini. And you are Rosie Platini. We are both members of House Platini.”
“Of course that’s obvious.”
“Why do you think His Majesty sought me? I think His Majesty needs our house. Not me, but Platini’s overflowing wealth.”
“….”
“So, as long as one is a person of House Platini, His Majesty wouldn’t care if it were someone other than me.”
A lie.
His Majesty had not loved her because she was Platini. He had loved her solely because she was Helen Platini.
A person loved by no one receives the love of the person everyone desires.
“It should be me who is loved.”
How could I not wish for your love?
When the noble seat of Empress, House Platini, and even my life all depend on that man’s hands.
Rosie covered her face with both hands. Her skin seemed to burn from a breath hotter than the summer heat.
Lucas achieved whatever he desired. Because he was the Emperor. Whether it was territory, mages with infinite abilities, or love, he would have it all.
Lari returned with quiet steps. She placed the small basket containing the comb and oil next to the overturned book.
And with familiar hands, she helped the seated Rosie back into the chair.
It was a sight she had occasionally seen after entering the palace. Lately, she seemed to suffer often but had prevented them from informing the doctor. She seemed to be worried about unnecessary rumors spreading.
Lari found it even more painful to see the Empress she served in such distress. But she had to pretend not to know. Because that was what was best for her.
“Your Majesty, I brought the oil the delegation brought. They say the scent is very good, so if you apply this, you will feel better.”
“Thank you.”
A false smile draped over Rosie’s face.