Contract Marriage Rewritten
Chapter 34
As the morning sun rose, the servants of the Empress’s Palace moved quietly and swiftly.
The flustered confusion from when only a handful of maids remained after the sudden change of masters was nowhere to be seen.
Led by the newly appointed head lady-in-waiting and head maid, they established new regulations—staying within the bounds of imperial etiquette while boldly discarding the cumbersome practices left behind by the former Empress.
Abolishing established rules was no easy task. Doing so risked pointless scrutiny and accusations of ignorance and disrespect.
Yet the people currently in the Empress’s Palace reorganized without hesitation, setting up new rules.
The reason they could act so boldly was simple.
‘Her Majesty the Empress declared her full and unconditional support!’
They could not forget the Empress telling them to carry out their work without fear.
“You are here because you possess the capability. If you didn’t, why would each department have recommended you to me so readily?”
With a benevolent smile, the Empress had immediately entrusted them with their duties.
Because of that, everyone assigned to work in the Empress’s Palace was left bewildered. They had fully braced themselves for her to doubt their competence and test them.
The former Empress, after all, was notorious for harshly testing any newcomer.
Whenever newcomers performed their tasks, she would nitpick every little detail to humiliate them, mercilessly crushing their pride.
It was bad enough that a rumor went around saying anyone entering the Empress’s Palace was guaranteed to cry at least three times.
Though they were the finest talents handpicked from each department, every time they stepped into the Empress’s Palace, they shuddered with expressions of sheer despair, as if walking into the jaws of a monster.
Some had even been unable to bear the pressure and ended their own lives. Yet the former Empress took pleasure in that very fact.
For she wished for everyone within the Empress’s Palace to be rendered insignificant, kneeling in submission before her majesty.
In such an atmosphere, no one dared voice a good idea or opinion. Here, staying out of the Empress’s disfavor had been the paramount duty.
The new Empress, however, was entirely different.
Those who had initially walked on eggshells wondering if her demeanor was genuine were now boldly organizing past documents and preparing to report areas for improvement.
“Do not feel pressured. Take your time, and speak to me whenever you are ready to explain. There is no need to rush or be anxious. And make sure you go home on time.”
Not only did she refrain from hounding them for results, but the Empress herself even cared about them leaving work on time.
Faced with such warmth and consideration—so unlike the former Empress—the staff of the Empress’s Palace grew even more fond of the current Empress.
Thus, though it had not been long since a new master arrived, the Empress’s Palace was now brimming with a youthful vigor unseen for decades.
Meanwhile, amidst the bustling palace, the Empress’s office maintained a gentle quiet.
The ladies-in-waiting attending to their tasks cast glances at the vase on the desk today as well.
Inside the vase stood blossoms different from yesterday’s. Naturally, they had been divided from the fresh bouquet the Emperor sent again this morning.
Looking at the freshly cut, fragrant, and vibrant flowers, the ladies-in-waiting could all tell.
That the affection and devotion the Emperor sent toward the Empress ran far deeper than anyone had imagined.
Their gaze shifted naturally from the flowers to the side. Seated at the head of the office was the Empress, the recipient of those flowers.
Though they had seen the Empress hundreds, thousands of times already, every time they turned their heads, they had to swallow the gasps of admiration that threatened to escape.
As expected of Priatra royalty with the blood of the Fairy Tribe flowing in her veins. Beneath the sunlight streaming through the window, her platinum-blonde hair, braided to one side, shimmered exquisitely.
Sitting as if she alone were illuminated by the sunlight, Laniakea was the very embodiment of what people imagined a forest fairy to be.
The only difference from a fairy was that she held a pen in one hand, looking over documents with a deeply serious expression.
Yet a faint trace of unconcealed exhaustion lingered on Laniakea’s face.
It was also an expression akin to the languor that washes over someone on a warm spring afternoon.
The glances sneaking peaks at the Empress drifted down from the face they had been admiring.
It was by no means a chilly day, yet the Empress was dressed in high-collared attire covering her neck.
The moment she shifted, the nape of her neck was briefly exposed, and all those working in the room saw it at once: the deep red marks left upon her skin.
On a day with no particularly demanding work, those marks served as all the explanation needed for why the Empress looked so tired.
Blushing, the ladies-in-waiting quickly returned their eyes to the documents.
In their minds, fleeting glimpses of the Emperor in the Imperial Palace surfaced alongside the rumors circulating the court.
‘Everyone said he was such a cold man.’
He had lived in a monastery as a child and in the northern border region as an adult.
Perhaps because of that, it was said the new Emperor rarely showed emotion and was so taciturn that not a single joke could get through to him.
For that reason, every department in the Imperial Palace was said to tremble with nervousness in his presence.
Assuming that having suddenly become Emperor meant he would be ignorant of much, ministers had marched in triumphantly for an audience, claiming they needed to instruct him.
And it was no longer a secret that a long while later, they had emerged with reddened rims around their eyes, looking as if they were holding back tears.
Though he was an Emperor who terrified even seasoned ministers, such a man dutifully went to the Main Palace on appointed days to embrace the Empress.
And then sent armfuls of fresh flowers every single day, like a man confessing his love.
‘Is His Majesty cold to everyone else, but a warm man only to Her Majesty?’
For some reason, the ladies-in-waiting’s faces flushed even deeper.
Unaware of the maids’ thoughts, Laniakea was rolling an innocent pen between her fingers.
‘I’m going to die of embarrassment.’
Though she desperately pretended not to notice, she had long caught on to the ladies-in-waiting stealing glances at her neck.
When she woke up in the morning and was attended to during her bath, her own face had burned with embarrassment at the sight of the marks left on her neck.
Still, she was fortunate only her neck was visible.
‘Because below the neck was far worse.’
Laniakea set down her pen and touched her chest.
Pressing lightly brought an ambiguous sensation, unsure whether it tickled or throbbed. It was likely because the area was covered in mottled red marks.
Caressing her chest, Laniakea swallowed a small sigh. It was not her imagination that lingering heat, not yet fully cooled, seeped into that breath.
‘Why do I remember every single detail?’
Hyperion had driven her to the brink, to an extent where the word relentless was apt.
Biting her ear, stroking the nape of her neck, clutching her hands.
Though there had been no direct intercourse of the sort people imagined, Laniakea had ended up far more exhausted than on their wedding night.
Each time, as if fully aware of her body’s condition, Hyperion would slowly stroke her stomach.
When she opened her eyes again, Hyperion was not beside her, just like last time.
The only difference was that, unlike before, traces remained showing he had stayed beside her for a long time.
She later learned that Hyperion had departed in the morning. He had stayed with her for at least several hours after she fell asleep.
Having breakfast alone in the Main Palace, Laniakea had felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment.
Yet when she left the Main Palace and returned to the Empress’s Palace, Laniakea realized the reason behind that disappointment.
‘It would have been nice if we ate together.’
Mealtimes with him used to be awkward, but now she felt she would be fine. So wouldn’t it be all right to share a meal?
Tracing her chest once more, Laniakea thought about what lay ahead, as Mr. and Mrs. Ency had instructed.
Holding hands and physical touch were nothing to her now.
Though they had only tried twice, thanks to Hyperion never parting from her for a single second during those times, Laniakea had grown accustomed to him far faster than Mr. and Mrs. Ency had anticipated.
Upon realizing this, Gemma had seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking to Laniakea.
“In that case… shall we try going a bit deeper next time?”
She had not even been able to ask what going deeper meant. What was certain was that next time would undoubtedly be strenuous and exhausting as well. Yet it never felt unpleasant….
Laniakea dug her fingernails lightly into the back of her hand. The faded red mark had been carved deeply into the exact same spot again last night.
Hyperion had undoubtedly made a fresh one.
‘Just what is he going to do next time?’
She would find out next time anyway, but her mind kept lingering on it already.
Just then, the head maid brought in the tea. Hilde rose to receive it, arranged it upon the table, and then approached Laniakea to speak.
“Your Majesty, these are the tea candidates for the banquet that I mentioned this morning.”
At Hilde’s words, Laniakea rose from her seat.
Though called banquet tea, it had to be chosen with care, as it would continue to be served after meals not only in the Empress’s Palace, but in the Main Palace and the Emperor’s Palace as well.
Looking at the dozen or so varieties of tea arranged on the table, Laniakea’s expression grew solemn.
This was not a simple matter of choosing one with good aroma and flavor.