Chapter 42
The Parent Empress's Invitation
West of the Imperial Palace, a small, verdant detached palace.
-Tap, tap.
Lucia, having climbed over the wall to avoid being recognized by the guards, casually brushed off her skirt, wondering if any fallen leaves had stuck to it.
After navigating through the garden for a short while, she spotted ladies elegantly holding parasols.
Like colorful flowers in the evergreen garden, they were neatly divided into two groups, creating a symmetrical arrangement in the garden.
"Oh my! Lady Lucia! Welcome. I was wondering how you were doing since we're in different classes!"
"Indeed. Lady Marien just stopped by to say hello, it's a pity you couldn't see her. Perhaps we should arrange a tea party next time."
Mera and Serdin's welcoming greetings drew the attention of the opposing noblewomen.
The Eldarion Kindergarten was divided into beginner, advanced, and graduating classes.
In other words, there were a total of 12 class representatives across the three grades, with high-ranking noblewomen and newly emerging aristocratic wives demarcating their territories.
As Lucia joined the ranks of the emerging group, they began to whisper, keeping her in check.
"That lady with the black hair...?"
"Yes, I think so. I heard from a lady who came and went from that group earlier that her husband died in the war. I wonder which region she's from..."
Their distant whispers reached Lucia's keen ears.
'Which lady came and talked about me? Ah, Marien, perhaps.'
Lucia thought of Marien, who had supposedly just visited, upon hearing their false information.
She seemed to be concerned about revealing that she was the captain of the Black Knights, like the other aces.
'So, that's why she's been pretending not to know since last time.'
Lucia remembered how she had involved Leon from the time of the class representatives, diverting the ladies' attention.
Although she was a talkative and difficult type, Lucia vowed to repay her for her help when everything was revealed someday.
"This place is so wonderful! To have the opportunity to come to this Imperial Palace. My husband has never even been here before. It's all thanks to Princess Charlotte! Hohoho."
While one side was excitedly chattering, the high-ranking aristocratic wives looked down on them with scorn.
"Look at those smiling faces. I wonder if they even know who they're about to meet."
"Hehe, I suppose they wouldn't."
Lucia was bothered by their meaningful words, but just then, the rather strict Head Maid of the detached palace appeared and began the tour.
"Her Majesty the Empress is waiting. Please, follow me."
The two groups of women followed her into the banquet hall.
Whether they were excited or aloof,
they all likely harbored the same wish in their minds, a wish that was clearly evident in their determination.
That wish was for their territories to be chosen as the children's picnic location.
The gatherings where all the kindergarten students came together were the recital and the autumn picnic.
Among them, the autumn picnic, in particular, was a good opportunity to leave the image of their magnificent, golden territories during the harvest season in the minds of the influential aristocratic children.
Moreover, with Princess Charlotte, whom the Caius Emperor cherished dearly, also attending, the atmosphere was bound to be quite fierce.
However, despite the heated atmosphere, the place they were led to was suspiciously strange.
All that could be seen was pitch-black darkness.
It was one thing that the bright and elegant banquet hall that everyone had in mind didn't appear, but this dark space was so devoid of light that nothing could be seen.
Even the light that had entered through the open door was extinguished, and as the small, anxious breaths grew louder,
-Click!
Suddenly, a strong light illuminated the center of the banquet hall.
The ladies, startled by the sudden burst of light, squinted their eyes.
As their vision returned,
"Oh my, what is that?"
Amidst the intense light, a champagne tower made of hundreds of sparkling glasses appeared out of nowhere,
-Pop!
"Eek!"
"Mommy!"
-Trickle, fizzle...
A clown in ridiculous makeup climbed onto each other's shoulders in an instant, popping open a bottle of high-end champagne at the top of the extravagant tower and pouring it down.
Then, coral-colored bubbles cascaded down like sparkling pearls, and with that spectacle as the starting point, cheerful music and dancers appeared on the illuminated stage, performing dances and acrobatics.
It was an atmosphere that was completely inappropriate for an Empress's banquet hall.
Moreover, the faces of the bewildered noblewomen turned serious as they noticed the cards and exotic mahjong on the tables, as well as the hazy smoke emanating from the hookahs.
In other words, this place was completely and utterly,
no different from an impure performance put on by decadent nobles in some back alley.
However, as if to indicate that this massive chaos was not over, a swing descended from the ceiling.
A beautiful long pink-haired woman sat on the swing like a butterfly, landing gracefully in the center of the stage.
And the stunning beauty spread her slender arms like wings,
"Now, I've prepared this for all of you who are exhausted from childcare! Forget about your roles as parents for a while and take a break!"
She was undoubtedly a woman who should be more elegant, noble, and wise than anyone else in the world, Empress Robina Eldarion.
However, her appearance was completely different from what they had expected, and the noblewomen, who had been keeping their distance from each other, could only stick together like startled chickens in a coop, their pupils trembling.
*
At that same time, at Eldarion Kindergarten.
The Sparrow class was filled with the savory scent of butter.
It was snack time and a mock tea time, and the children's tables were filled with golden pumpkin pie and tangy orange juice poured into teacups.
Under the watchful eye of their teacher, Emily, the children chatted quietly, imitating the tea time of real adults.
And Charles, who was elegantly sipping the orange juice poured into his teacup for practice, said,
"Nia's mother?"
"Yes, she said she's going to see Your Highness's mommy today."
"Oh ho, so that's why the detached palace has been so noisy for the past few days."
Even as Nia answered, she diligently observed the children around her.
It seemed she was anxious about making mistakes, as she had learned a little about dining etiquette from Vernon.
Ivanne, who had been listening to their conversation, asked as she swallowed the last bite of her pumpkin pie,
"Your Highness, is the detached palace the Imperial Palace?"
"Yes. Isn't it? But Nia, you shouldn't hold the teacup with both hands. Like this."
"Yes! Thank you!"
Ivanne also chimed in with Charles's correction.
"Nia. You don't hold the fork in a fist. Like this."
"Okay!!"
Nia learned diligently, her eyes wide, from her kind friends' teachings.
Emily, the teacher who was watching the scene, raised the corners of her mouth warmly after a long time.
'I wish every day could be like today...!'
How could the hotbed of incidents and accidents get along so well, caring for each other like this?
Emily couldn't ask for anything more.
"But then, does Nia's mommy eat even more delicious things than this? I'm jealous!"
Charles's face darkened slightly at Ivanne's words.
"...There aren't that many delicious things. We especially have to watch what we eat."
It was because she remembered the strict face of the Head Maid, the diet manager, who had visited her room yesterday.
But,
"Oh? So you're not going to eat that? Can I eat it?"
Ivanne, whose eyes were drawn to the untouched pumpkin pie rather than her friend's dark face, said.
Charles's face soured at the sight, but since she couldn't eat it anyway, she barely managed to hold back.
However, it wouldn't end here if it was Ivanne.
"I guess you have the same constitution as my mom. My mom gains weight if she eats snacks too. Every time that happens, she makes 'oink oink' sounds, and my mom gets really mad?"
"No, Ivanne, no."
Nia, remembering Julie's scary appearance from the last time, stopped eating and waved her small hand to dissuade her.
Thanks to her cheerful daughter, Juliana's ears must have been itching.
Just then, someone suddenly grabbed their stomach and started laughing.
"Haha! 'Oink oink,' she said, 'oink oink.'"
It was Roy who had burst out laughing after hearing the conversation.
And Charles finally became emotional at the sight.
What the Head Maid had forbidden yesterday was snacks.
She had been gaining weight from the kindergarten meals lately, so she hadn't even touched the delicious-looking pumpkin pie today.
"Roy! Shut your mouth?"
"Haha... Okay."
"Your Highness, you shouldn't bully the weak."
Ivanne swaggered,
"You! Who's the one who always bullies people? Anyway, it's because royals have weak bodies! It's definitely not that kind of problem!"
"What, you look even more 'oink oink' when you're angry. 'Oink oink' Your Highness, 'oink oink'!"
Roy covered his mouth and laughed at Ivanne's teasing.
Charles, even more enraged by the sight, began to chase Ivanne.
"Hey, you! Don't you run away!!!"
But Ivanne was quick to escape.
As the children, who had been teaching dining etiquette until just now, ran around fiercely, Emily, who was watching them, swallowed her tears once again today.
*
After the extravagant and bewildering stage of the banquet hall ended, the high-ranking noblewomen who were class representatives, who had been seated in a daze, soon began to whisper secretly.
"How could she possibly decorate such a vulgar banquet hall?"
"I know, right? Her origins will always show, won't they?"
"That's right. How could someone who still can't even leave this detached palace because of her gambling addiction!"
That's right.
Although it wasn't to the same extent as Lucia, about whom rumors had been circulating for 10 long years, this Empress had also been the subject of various rumors due to her gambling addiction, and no one had seen her outside this detached palace for 3 years.
Lucia recalled what she had heard from the Caius Emperor about Empress Robina, whom she had heard about endlessly from him at one point.
At the time, the Caius Emperor had first met Empress Robina when he had gone undercover to the most famous bar in the capital.
The Emperor fell in love at first sight with her, the single flower on the stage of that extravagant tavern. Or rather, he was a prince of the kingdom back then.
He made a promise of marriage with her, young and ablaze with love, even creating a child. Naturally, he faced opposition from the nobles who rejected a commoner, and what he did then was to establish the Empire.
He diverted the nobles' attention with that grand ambition, and in his long-term plan, he left the Empress's seat vacant to make her his Imperial Concubine.
This incident clearly showed how reckless he could be when he occasionally decided to act foolishly with determination, despite his seemingly insignificant nature.
But perhaps it was because he cherished her too much?
Although she became an Imperial Concubine, she was not properly taught due to the overwhelming love, causing her to make mistake after mistake. It was inevitable that the noble ladies would disregard her, as she had no authority as the mistress of the Empire.
Although the rising powers don't seem to know it well.
"Lu, Lady Lucia. Is this really a gathering? Is this how it's usually done?"
"The royals must enjoy this kind of culture. I've never been invited to a place like this before, so I'm a little, flustered... Hehe..."
Unfortunately, even Mera and Serdin, who were the mainstays of the rising powers, were intimidated by the approaching atmosphere and instinctively clung to Lucia.
It seemed that the only one they could rely on was her, who remained indifferent.
At that moment, the Imperial Concubine, still on the stage, rang her champagne glass. All eyes were drawn to the clear sound.
"Ladies, do you know that our Princess Charlotte has become much brighter since she started kindergarten? Not only in deciding the picnic location, but also with a grateful heart, we have prepared something. Bring them here quickly."
Beautifully dimpled cheeks, smooth and elegant nose, and golden eyes with a sweet, melting smile.
If the Crown Prince hadn't been born with an appearance so similar to hers, wouldn't one believe that she, at 38, was still enjoying her prime?
But indeed, the gods are fair.
Imperial Concubine Robina, like Lucia, seemed unaware of this uncomfortable atmosphere.
But then, suddenly, someone jumped up from their seat in surprise.
-Clang!
The sound of the chair falling backward echoed through the banquet hall.
"Yo, Your Imperial Concubine Highness! If this is a joke, you've gone too far!"
"Goodness! How embarrassing...!"
"Oh my!! Wh, what is this...!"
Their faces flushed, they recoiled from the gift given by the Imperial Concubine as if they had seen something dirty.
'What on earth is inside...? Huh? What is this?'
When Lucia opened the gift, there it was.
On top of a box filled with white roses, there was something that couldn't be called a chemise, a small piece of red cloth the size of a palm, with strings, patterns, and lace.
But Lucia, who had no idea what it was, picked them up and examined them from side to side,
"Good heavens! Madam!"
"O, oh my!!! Pl, please put it down quickly!"
"......"
Before she could even examine it closely, Mera and Serdin rushed over and closed the box.
"Hoh ho ho, are you all still maidens? It's the latest chemise from a foreign country! Quite alluring, isn't it? Now that the children have grown up a bit, shouldn't our nights be precious too?"
...A gift from the royal family, racy lingerie?
And at a gathering to discuss the children's picnic?
The gasps of the dumbfounded noble ladies, at the Imperial Concubine's coy wink, began to echo one by one throughout the banquet hall.
