Previously
During the carriage ride to the capital, Helio mocks Liliana's low self-worth and touches her hair, hinting that a child would force her kingdom to pay more attention to her. Liliana recalls the original story where her character died after a second pregnancy and resolves to avoid the Emperor to prevent a similar fate.
The moment Liliana woke in the morning and saw warm soup and soft bread set before her, she thought to herself,
‘It’s like I’m in heaven.’
She had braced herself to be ignored or mistreated since she was being held hostage. Yet nothing had troubled her so far beyond having to endure the commoners’ pity back in the border city.
Liliana dipped the bread into the soup and listened as the Emerald Palace maid spoke.
Why the rush when she was enjoying such a delicious meal? Liliana’s brow furrowed faintly.
Liliana nodded, thoroughly pleased. How could such a wonderful mother-in-law exist in this world?
The less she saw of her mother-in-law, the better. In other words, frequent meetings would only lead to an endless stream of nagging about bearing children.
After breakfast, the maids attended to Liliana and dressed her.
Sophia stood chattering by her side, as though her only duty was to keep her company without lifting a finger. Liliana finished dressing while keeping up with Sophia’s rambling.
Naturally, the Empress Dowager’s palace was at least twice the size of the Emerald Palace. There stood a small forest of trees so massive it was hard to tell where they had been brought from or whether they had grown there for decades, and the clear trill of songbirds echoed beneath the lush canopy.
Liliana tried not to look impressed, but she could not stop herself from glancing around.
A whole forest inside the palace grounds… She could not tell if it was meant to be a garden, but it was a true forest! It was unimaginable compared to the palace of Niita.
Liliana managed to steady her trembling gaze and stepped inside the Empress Dowager’s palace.
As she entered the parlor and stood quietly without making a sound, a beautiful, middle-aged woman walked in. Perhaps Helio took after her, for she had blond hair, blue eyes, and a sharp gaze.
Liliana bowed slowly, keeping her eyes demurely lowered in case the woman noticed her darting gaze.
Liliana felt nervous, wondering whether her words and conduct adhered to court etiquette. What passed for proper manners in Niita might well be considered crude here in the Carlo Empire.
Liliana had no desire to earn the hatred of this fierce mother-in-law.
As she sat quietly, the Empress Dowager instructed a maid to pour the tea. Liliana looked down, fixing her eyes solely on the hot steam rising from her cup.
Liliana slowly raised her head and gave a foolish answer before she could stop herself. Then she saw the Empress Dowager smiling a thoroughly charming smile.
In that moment, it became abundantly clear where Helio had inherited his striking features.
Liliana’s face flushed, and she bowed her head again.
There was a trace of bitterness in the Empress Dowager’s voice.
Liliana cautiously raised her head once more, sensing there was no reason to be quite so afraid.
Liliana nodded gently. “Ah.” That, too, had been mentioned in the original story.
The Empress Dowager shared a similar past; like Liliana, she had been a hostage from a neighboring country before becoming empress.
In her youth, the Empress Dowager had often sunk into melancholy, longing for her homeland and yearning to return.
Even after giving birth to Prince Helio, nothing had changed.
Helio had trailed after the mother who always turned away from him, but in the end he gave up, and the rift between them widened with each passing day.
Their relationship remained just as strained now that Helio had ascended the throne and his mother had become the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager took an elegant sip of tea and laughed. Looking at her sharp, bright, round eyes, Liliana wondered if she was regretting the days of her youth—or was it merely her own imagination?
Liliana answered with a tone so steeped in sorrow and loneliness that she sounded on the verge of tears.
It was far wiser not to meet her mother-in-law often! Though she knew this, she had already agreed, and there was no turning back. Still, there seemed no harm in currying favor with someone of power in the imperial palace.
What? A look of confusion crossed Liliana’s face. In the original work, the Empress Dowager resented Helio. Had she not borne him, she might have been cast aside and allowed to return to her homeland.
Yet now, this middle-aged lady before Liliana genuinely seemed to miss her son.
Liliana’s eyes went wide at the announcement. As she drew back in her seat, flustered, the Empress Dowager turned to her in surprise.
Decades of life in the palace had made the Empress Dowager exceptionally perceptive. Seeing through the young, unpracticed woman before her was as effortless as gazing into a pool of clear water.
She had heard reports of romantic exchanges and several lively incidents between the two, but perhaps they had been exaggerated. After a moment’s thought, the Empress Dowager decided to let the flustered girl go.
Liliana was genuinely thrilled, her face brightening like a flower bursting into bloom. She could hardly believe the Empress Dowager had read her so easily.
The Empress Dowager found herself quite fond of this innocent young girl she had met after so long.
When the Empress Dowager nodded, Liliana bowed, gathered the hem of her skirts, and hurried out of the parlor.
Shortly after Liliana left, Helio entered the parlor.
Helio curled his lip as he watched his mother, who was already enjoying her tea.
The Empress Dowager looked at Helio and spoke calmly.
Having delivered his brief, formal greeting, Helio turned to take his leave. It was a visit meant purely to keep up appearances.
Ordinarily, the Empress Dowager would not have cared whether the Emperor walked out or not.
Having just seen the little princess scurry away like a rabbit, the Empress Dowager wanted to engage her son in conversation somehow.
She watched Helio with a tense expression, as though she had just staked everything on a gamble.
Helio gave a dry, incredulous laugh and asked sharply,
The Empress Dowager held Helio’s gaze for a moment, then slowly lowered her eyes to her teacup. Since Liliana’s departure, the tea had begun to grow cold.
She pushed the chilled cup aside.
Helio’s expression hardened, and his voice dropped lower and colder than usual.
It was a stark contrast to how he spoke with Liliana, but the Empress Dowager appeared accustomed to his demeanor.
She gestured for a maid to place a fresh cup of tea before Helio. He tilted his head and crossed his arms, watching her movements.
The Empress Dowager let out a derisive snort as she spoke.
Helio frowned, brushing back the golden strands falling over his forehead. Finding the situation utterly incomprehensible, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and scoffed.
Helio flinched as if her words were utterly preposterous, then repeated what he had said before.
Helio left the Empress Dowager’s palace without touching the tea in front of him. A maid stepped toward the Empress Dowager to offer comfort.
The Empress Dowager shook her head with a bitter smile.
❈❈❈
Liliana hurried her steps toward the Emerald Palace. Her heart had begun racing the moment she heard Helio was coming, and it refused to settle down.
She was terrified of what that madman might say if he came looking for her, but fortunately, it seemed he would linger a bit longer at the Empress Dowager’s palace.
No matter how strained their relationship was, she was still his mother, and he was expected to greet her properly.
Thinking on that, she felt a twinge of pity for the Empress Dowager. Still, it was undeniable that she had neglected Helio in her youth, so it was not a matter one could easily interfere in. Nor did Liliana have any right to meddle.
Liliana gave her head a brisk shake as she walked. Finally, the entrance of the Emerald Palace came into view.
Her lingering worries melted away at the thought of the cozy bed waiting for her. Her pace quickened, forcing the maids to hasten their steps just to keep up.
One of the maids called out, trying to stop her. Liliana, who had practically been jogging, came to an abrupt halt.
The maids trailing behind slammed on the brakes, tumbling into one another with loud yelps of “Ah!” Liliana looked back and chuckled, finding the spectacle amusing.
The maids flushed red and turned their gazes forward to see what had brought the princess to a stop.
A woman stood before the Emerald Palace. Tall, slender, and strikingly beautiful, she wore her alluring red hair piled high, radiating an unmistakable air of elegance.
Liliana leaned in and whispered to the maid beside her.
The maid lifted her gaze to the woman’s face, then quickly cast her eyes downward.
Liliana tilted her head. Having arrived only two days ago, she knew next to nothing about the empire. She tried digging through her memory, but nothing from the original story came to mind.
Seeing that Liliana was entirely in the dark, the maid leaned close and whispered again.
“Rumors suggest she is… a candidate for the position of Empress.”