Chapter 35
35.
“……Ah.”
Paula’s hands paused for a moment as she was refilling the candy jar at Ian’s words.
She soon grabbed another handful of candies from the box and continued.
“The Imperial Palace has been in an uproar because of the poison herb incident, after all. It seems Her Majesty the Empress is keeping an even closer eye on the Prince’s movements.”
Paula spoke in a diplomatic tone, but Ian, who knew the Empress’s true intentions all too well, let out a scoff.
She had already been displeased with Maximilian trailing after Ian like a shadow; now, a perfect excuse to separate the two had presented itself.
Ian found the Empress’s selfish behavior—sowing discord between brothers during such a turbulent time for the palace—utterly distasteful.
“Your Highness?”
Having finished filling the drawer, Paula stood up and called out to Ian with a worried look.
Only then did Ian realize he was scowling.
“Is something troubling you?”
“No, it’s nothing like that….”
Ian waved his hand dismissively.
However, he quickly called out to her again.
“Paula, you said you saw the Empress back when she was young, right?”
Ian had heard rumors that the Empress had once dominated high society.
Though it had been over twenty years, Paula still remembered Carola vividly from those days.
“Yes, Your Highness. Her Majesty—well, Lady Ashford at the time—was the woman who held the attention of the entire social circles. Even I admired her once.”
Paula stole a glance at Ian after speaking, but he merely shrugged as if it were of no consequence.
If she was that captivating, it explained why the Emperor had set his sights on her while his wife was ill.
Reassured by Ian’s reaction, Paula began to delve into her memories in earnest.
“I can say this now, but the day after Lady Ashford had her coming-of-age ceremony, marriage proposals poured in like a flood. I’m not joking; practically every man currently sitting in the House of Nobles probably sent one at least once. They were all rejected quite spectacularly, though.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Ian chuckled, imagining those dignified men sitting solemnly in the House of Nobles.
Encouraged by his response, Paula continued her tales of the past.
She shared trivial anecdotes, like how a certain Marquis once got drunk and went to the Ashford estate to shout his heart out.
“……Eventually, Lady Ashford got so fed up with it all that she took a break from society for about a year. Even after that, her appearances were sporadic, and then, about ten years later, everyone was shocked by the sudden announcement of her marriage to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“What?”
Ian, who had been smiling at the absurd antics of familiar names, suddenly froze.
“The Empress didn’t appear in society for about a year?”
“Yes. She vanished completely without a trace.”
Paula added that it must have been because she was so sick of the men, but for some reason, that one-year gap felt unsettling to Ian.
“When exactly was that?”
“Let me see…. It was probably around the time you were born, Your Highness. I remember she didn’t even show up for your birth celebration.”
“Hmm.”
Ian fell into deep thought.
Of course, it wasn’t rare for people to step away from the social scene. Not everyone enjoyed mingling or attending balls.
However, Ian felt an instinctive urge that he shouldn’t just let this pass.
“Your Highness? Did I say something wrong?”
Paula looked at him
