38 - The Bride of the Great Lord is a Warrior from Hell
Grand Duke Tessen's Bride is a Warrior from Hell 38
Marquis Mannors, the Prime Minister, and Lady Mode had hoped that, as the parents of the first Imperial grandchild, they might be allowed to use the vacant Crown Prince's quarters or one of the Princesses' rooms.
At the very least, they thought they would be given a vacant room in front of the public areas that the Imperial Family opened when inviting nobles.
Even if the treatment was very poor, they had guessed that they would be given one of the residences within the Imperial Concubine Palace.
But the Imperial Family's rules were strict.
The Baron of the Imperial Household Department's Administration Office, the Chief Chamberlain, and the Head Maid reported the candidate residences according to etiquette.
The Emperor did not make a separate proposal and chose from the candidates.
This was not all.
The Emperor did not forget to visit Lady Goggins, the mother-to-be, every day, but he slept in the Empress Palace.
The Mannors family considered the Emperor's attitude to be neglectful.
Whenever the Emperor was negligent, only Grand Duke Tessen, who was worried that it would hinder bringing Lady Goggins, properly took care of her.
"Corinth House isn't bad either. I will consult with the Imperial Household Department again. Everyone, leave. Reikart, you stay."
As the ministers left, they knew that the Emperor was flustered.
The Emperor did not usually call members of the Imperial Family privately during political meetings.
It was extremely rare for him to speak informally.
These days, the Imperial Palace was buzzing with talk of Grand Duke Tessen and the prospective Grand Duchess Tessen.
"Are you two some kind of con artist couple?"
When they were alone, the Emperor joked with a serious face.
"I am still unmarried, Your Majesty."
"You have a betrothed, don't you?"
"Betrothal and marriage are different, Your Majesty."
Reikart said nonchalantly.
The Emperor, sitting in the seat of honor, looked at his youngest brother with narrowed eyes.
The Emperor did not voice his suspicions.
It was clear that Alicia Lane was advising Reikart.
The only thing that had changed about his brother was his betrothal to Alicia.
If Reikart had changed as he had without anything happening, the Emperor would have suspected sorcery or black magic.
These days, the Emperor felt the urge to have a private audience with his prospective sister-in-law.
He had a hard time holding back from applauding when Reikart, who had always been upright and stuffy, showed skillful diplomacy.
The prospective sister-in-law with mysterious talents was cute to the Empress.
When she came to the Empress, who had all the wealth and glory in the world, she did not offer pearls, jewels, or paintings by famous artists as bribes, but made candies with strawberries, cherries, or green grapes and handed them to her. She didn't make a lot, just handed over three or four and left.
Your fiancé is strange, do you know that?
She was an elusive figure, seeming both cunning and pure.
His dull youngest brother couldn't possibly know anything.
"Leave now."
The Emperor waved his hand and ordered.
"I will take my leave."
Reikart bowed and turned away.
He seemed happy to be released.
"Reikart."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Which Imperial Concubine does Count Echeveria visit first?"
The Emperor asked as if ambushing him.
"I don't know either. But he said it wasn't Lady Goggins."
Reikart answered as if he had expected it.
The Emperor's expression strangely hardened.
It was difficult to grasp whether Reikart was able to answer as if he had been waiting because Reikart had anticipated it and prepared an answer, or whether Alicia had anticipated it and told him the answer.
The fact that it wasn't Lady Goggins was also unexpected, so a strange sense of foreboding swept over him.
Reikart, don't play with her.
He wanted to say that.
The only Duchess among the Emperor's Imperial Concubines.
Duchess Palz's day began with boredom.
Duchess Palz had a great dream of becoming a librarian at the Imperial Palace library rather than becoming the First Imperial Concubine by bearing an Imperial grandchild.
Ancient books, fountain pens, oak bookshelves, paperweights, pen holders, beautiful papers.
She still considered the things that became more precious as time passed to be the best.
However, she was not ignorant of the Imperial Concubine Palace's situation.
She, who had entered the Imperial Concubine Palace due to her maternal grandfather's greed, was from a great noble family, but she became a Duchess rather than from a powerful family.
Also, she herself had behaved well, so she was able to become a Duchess.
"Who is it?"
Duchess Palz was sitting on a lilac sofa, turning the pages of a book.
She immediately closed the book she was reading.
"Lady Alicia is requesting an audience."
As her beautiful hand reached out to her maid, her close aide helped the Duchess rise.
"Show her in."
"Yes."
The Duchess's face was confused as she headed to the Audience Chamber.
"Is it the first time the prospective Grand Duchess has requested an audience with an Imperial Concubine other than the Empress?"
"Yes, Madam."
"She came to me first, not Mott's wife, or Lorda's wife, or Thierre's wife, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
The Duchess's Audience Chamber was circular.
She sat in her chair and looked at her maid with a bewildered expression.
"What about the Empress?"
"She said she didn't go to the Empress today either and came straight to the Imperial Concubine Palace."
It wasn't even hot yet as it was still early in the morning, but the Duchess fanned herself.
"What could it be?"
"I don't know what it is, but the three Marchionesses will be very jealous."
A cool smile flowed across the Duchess's face at the maid's words.
"Really? They say she looks like an angel. Since I'm the first Imperial Concubine to see her in person, I should speak kindly to her as long as she's not rude."
It was the morning of the eighth day since Alicia Lane had returned to Imperial Capital Baden.
The first impression of the angel who had stirred up Imperial Capital was cold.
Her delicate features, soft jawline, and slender figure drew excessively clean lines, exuding a chill.
The cold aura spread thickly from her pale skin, typical of northern great nobles, in her appearance that drew thin and simple lines.
Even though she didn't have the prominent cheekbones or strong-looking jaw that seemed sturdy of northern nobles, her cold impression was strong.
Her abundant black hair with a grayish tint contrasted with her clean skin.
Her rumored purple eyes had a mysterious feeling and classical beauty, attracting attention at once.
A cold, sensitive, and aloof-looking face greeted her with a faint smile.
"Duchess Palz. Alicia Lane greets you. It is an honor to meet you."
When she spoke with a warm and tender voice while smiling, her delicate yet sharp-feeling face quickly softened.
It was a mysterious face that made the atmosphere mellow with a few words spoken in a warm voice.
"Welcome, Lady Alicia."
"I have prepared a small gift to express my gratitude for allowing me to meet you, so please accept it."
Alicia said kindly as she sat in her chair following the Duchess Palz's gesture.
The Duchess's maids brought in the gift they had received from Alicia's servants.
The chest containing the gift was crude and felt old.
"Goodness. I'm happy that you came to find me, but you prepared something like this. May I open it?"
"I hope it pleases you, Madam."
A face armed with a warm voice and a faint smile spoke softly.
The maid, who received the Duchess's gaze, placed the chest on the table and opened it.
As the chest opened, Duchess Palz stirred as if she was about to rise.
"That's...!"
A big smile was on her admiring face.
"I heard that the Duchess likes books, so I brought it because I remembered an old book that I happened to obtain. I don't have enough knowledge to read classics, so I thought it would be better for someone who knows the value of the book to keep it."
The book that Alicia brought was the first edition of 'The Madness of Veccelli' written by Ludovico Bellini, who is considered the best of the classic writers.
As it was the author's early work, the asking price for The Madness of Veccelli was high.
It was known that less than twenty copies of the first edition had been released in the Eastern Continent.
"Lady Alicia. I... I don't know if I can receive something so precious."
"It is my joy just that you accept it."
Alicia really looked like an angel in Duchess Palz's eyes.
"I can't receive it alone. I want to give Lady a gift too. I have a small hobby besides reading, so I have pottery. Let's go see it together."
Being invited to Duchess Palz's pottery room meant that she had become an important friend of hers.
There, the finest pottery was lined up.
Alicia politely avoided the pottery with the most rapidly rising prices and chose Andrea's dawan.
That day, Alicia's gifts were sent to all the Imperial Concubines in the Imperial Palace.
All the Imperial Concubines who opened the gifts thought they had received the best one.
It was rumored in the Imperial Concubine Palace that the Rein Marquis family's young lady had discernment.
Led by Duchess Palz, several people in the Imperial Concubine Palace praised Lady Alicia's beauty.
Warm words towards Alicia overflowed in the Imperial Concubine Palace.
Unlike that, a strange rumor circulated in Imperial Capital Baden.
It quickly spread that Alicia Lane, who had become Grand Duke Tessen's betrothed, was arrogant and self-willed.
A rumor that a certain Lady had shown friendliness to the Grand Duke's betrothed, but Alicia had ignored her and left.
A rumor that in the nobles' room, which was the Imperial Palace waiting room, a certain Lady had greeted Alicia, who was unfamiliar with Imperial Capital, out of concern, but all she had done was create a cold wind and give a short reply.
A rumor that invitations had been sent to the prospective Grand Duchess from various social gatherings, but there had been no reply or attendance.
Rumors about the rude and arrogant prospective Grand Duchess spread quickly along with specific anecdotes.
The rumors that were spreading did not subside easily.
It was about to spread beyond Imperial Capital Baden to the whole country.
"This is not a problem to be taken lightly, Lady."
Judith said, scanning the room lit by candles.
The long table and chairs with large backrests, crafted with care by artisans, boasted a majestic appearance.
One wall of the large room was occupied by a splendid display case.
All of them were too much to put in the sewing workshop.
Dark evening.
Prospective Grand Duchess Alicia Lane was learning to sew with a promising embroidery artisan after finishing her daily routine.
The embroidery artisan who was sponsored by Alicia visited Ludern for an hour or two each day to teach embroidery.
Lady Alicia's sewing skills were rapidly improving with the teaching of the promising embroidery artisan.
"So who is it?"
Even though she had brightly lit all sides, Alicia was frowning and narrowing her eyes with an arrogant expression.
She looked like she was about to bury her face in the palm-sized cloth.
Judith, who was staring at Alicia sewing with her face, sighed.
"Do it with this one."
Judith handed Alicia the cloth she had laid the groundwork for early on and took the crumpled cloth from Alicia's hand.
"I can do it."
"Yes, you can do it. In about 10 years. I hope that you will be able to engrave Lady's signature by this winter."
Judith put her hands together like a devout girl and spoke to the air.
"……."
Alicia watched Judith praying with a very upset face.
Judith, who had finished praying, mercilessly cut off the embroidery that Alicia had done.
"What are you going to do if you know who it is?"
"Well."
Alicia tilted her head, adding only the points to the almost finished embroidery.
Before going to hell, Alicia's life was noisy, but rumors did not spread.
It was an unnoticed life.
