Chapter 43
Where is the Picnic?
While Empress Robina was briefly away,
"My goodness, to give such an absurd gift at a gathering for our children!"
"That's right. Aren't you ashamed to show it to Her Highness the Princess? I must speak to the elders of your family immediately."
"I can't let this go either!"
Ladies, presumably the daughters-in-law of high-ranking noble families, frowned as they looked around the lavish banquet hall and loudly gossiped.
As expected, they didn't care at all that the Imperial Palace maids were present in the banquet hall.
"Haa, for Her Majesty the Empress to give us something like this. How are we supposed to take this home?"
"That's right. Even if our servants see it, we can't exactly say it's a gift from Her Majesty..."
"I know. It's an imperial gift, so we can't just not take it..."
Mrs. Mera, Mrs. Serdin, and Mrs. Bashav were more tolerant than the other noble ladies, but the atmosphere was still not good.
As many complaints arose, Lucia became uncomfortable with the situation.
Just outside the open door, a flamboyant blue dress peeked out.
The ladies at Lucia's table hadn't noticed, but this was the reason why most of the high-ranking noble ladies near the entrance of the banquet hall were openly raising their voices.
It was understandable.
The Empress was confined to a separate palace for gambling and was powerless.
The wisest thing she could do was to be openly criticized, rather than have people sharpening their knives behind her back.
Soon, the Empress's blue fabric quickly disappeared.
Seeing this, the ladies suddenly burst into laughter, causing question marks to appear on the faces of the other ladies who were against her.
Watching this situation, Lucia imagined the Empress's face, which would soon appear with red-rimmed eyes.
'At least one person doesn't have to see that.'
Lucia judged that the atmosphere was already ruined and that it was impossible to decide on a picnic, so she decided to jump off the terrace without being noticed.
She wouldn't be able to leave through the main gate anyway, so she decided to escape in the middle.
"Then, I'll go get some fresh air for a while."
Lucia quietly whispered to Mrs. Mera and Mrs. Serdin and went to the veranda at the edge of the banquet hall.
Then, she jumped and landed gracefully.
Now, she felt relieved from the stuffy, fragrant air, replaced by the familiar scent of the countryside.
'...The scent of the countryside?'
Before she could be startled by the unfamiliar smell and look around,
-Oink!
-Quack~! Quack quack!
-Moo~!
The cries of the livestock, startled by Lucia's sudden appearance, echoed like an alarm.
Pigs, ducks..., cows?
As she looked around, she saw a small barn that seemed to be deliberately hidden by well-trimmed bushes.
'Why is there something like this in the Empress's palace...'
Just then.
-Rustle.
Lucia felt a weight on the hem of her skirt as she stared blankly at the livestock.
"Hng, hngh... Commander."
"..."
Empress Robina, her face stained with tears, had crawled out of the bushes and was holding onto the hem of her skirt.
'I'm doomed.'
.
.
.
-Quack~! Quack quack!
-Oink.
"Isn't it strange? It's like this is the only place I can be."
Lucia was led by Empress Robina and found herself sitting in front of a barn full of livestock.
In front of the bewildered Lucia, the Empress wiped away her tears with her pure and delicate arms, forcing a smile.
"I was just a daughter of an ordinary farming family. I wanted to go to the city, so I found a job at a tavern, and luckily, I was able to sing there."
Her wistful eyes seemed to long for those days.
"I'm tired. I just married for my husband's sake, and I attended every event I was supposed to. Yes, it's a lie to say that I didn't enjoy it at all. But..."
Robina started to cry again, overwhelmed by emotion.
"Ugh."
She suddenly hugged Lucia, and Lucia felt pain in her chest.
"Hic!! But now I'm not allowed to just have fun. Everyone scolds me without even teaching me...!"
"..."
The Empress had unexpectedly ambushed the chest of a swordmaster who had reached the pinnacle of her art.
At this moment, Lucia, colder than a mountain stream, didn't care what state she was in and just wanted to leave.
"That's right. Commander, you would understand, right? Just like you like swordsmanship, I just like fancy parties!"
...How did it come to this?
Lucia was waiting for the right moment to leave, but the Empress, who hadn't had anyone who understood her, couldn't stop talking once she started.
But Empress Robina had chosen the wrong person to confide in.
When there was no response, she finally said,
"Does even the Commander think I'm an idiot? Why! Why don't you understand!? My husband really liked that latest chemise...!"
"...That's enough. I don't want to know about His Majesty's tastes."
Lucia, who really didn't want to hear any more, hardened her face with a strong will and stopped the runaway train.
Only then did the Empress quietly mutter at her firmness.
"I'm sorry for bothering you. But, I want to raise Charles properly. I don't want to leave him as foolish as Crown Prince Airen..."
Lucia felt a strange sense of pity at her insecure tone.
Perhaps it was because she felt a sense of kinship with the Empress, who was an inexperienced parent, and the helplessness she felt about raising children.
Was that why?
Lucia recalled what Vernon had told her and tried to embellish it.
"...Your Majesty, I am not wearing my uniform now. Do you understand why? So, if we dress and act similarly to them, that will ultimately be the way to go for the children."
If Empress Robina had called Lucia "Commander" in a crowded place when she first called her, she might have already been exposed.
But the Empress didn't.
Perhaps it was because she understood Lucia's situation as a parent raising a child of a similar age...
"Huh? I'm wearing a dress too?"
"..."
The Empress blinked her pure eyes as if a happy flower garden was unfolding behind her.
'...It was a coincidence.'
Lucia wasn't confident in persuading others, but after seeing that even Vernon's words didn't work, she decided to just say it directly.
"Imagine showing the children the gift you just gave."
'Honestly, I don't even know what it is yet, but everyone was surprised, so I guess they'll understand.'
If they still don't understand after I say this, I'll just give up.
"Oh my! Show that to the children? I wonder if they'll play cat's cradle with it? Commander, you're asking such a mischievous question... Ah? I see! This is a gathering of parents! What should I do? I gave them such a racy chemise!"
Fortunately, Empress Robina seemed to understand, and her face was flushed with anxiety.
"Commander! What should I do from now on? If Charles hates me again because of today, then... Hic..."
Empress Robina started to cry again, overwhelmed by emotion.
Even though she was a bad mother in the past, she was now trying to repent, and she was desperately trying to look good to her daughter, which was pitiful...
Nevertheless, the Empress had chosen the wrong counselor.
The best answer in Lucia's mind right now was, "Just stay still."
"Just stay still..."
"It's the opening of the Imperial Palace, Mother."
Just as Lucia was about to blurt out those heartless words unconsciously, a young man's voice suddenly rang out.
There was only one person who would call her "Mother," Crown Prince Airen, so Lucia wasn't surprised by his identity.
"The opening of the Imperial Palace? Crown Prince, what are you talking about...?"
"Yes, Mother. Isn't this a meeting about the children's first picnic?"
"Ah, then could it be..."
"That's right. There wouldn't be any parents who wouldn't welcome the idea of showing the children every corner of the Imperial Palace and guiding them, would there?"
Crown Prince Airen smiled brightly and pointed out each point as if explaining it to a child.
Lucia watched his kind demeanor.
She was curiously observing the two pink-haired beauties, marveling at their immortal appearance, which made it seem like there wasn't much of an age difference between the mother and son.
When the Crown Prince finished his explanation, the Empress's face suddenly regained its color.
Then, with sparkling eyes, she playfully patted her son with her soft hands.
"Crown Prince! Why didn't you tell me there was such a method!"
"I told you, but you didn't even pretend to listen, Mother." Was that a glimpse of a tired face with those words written on it?
"Then, then let's go in together quickly. Commander Lucia! No, Mrs. Lucia, right? We're the same parents!"
'Ah, so that's why she called me Mrs. Lucia.'
Anyway, she was lucky.
As the Empress pulled Lucia's hand with a flower-like smile, Airen smiled faintly as he watched the backs of the two.
Back in the lavish banquet hall.
The ladies were already preparing to leave, making Lucia's jump seem pointless.
The Empress hurriedly said as she looked at them.
"Wait, please sit down first. I apologize for the gift. But that chemise is incredibly effective...!"
"Empress Robina. Please say what you have to say."
Lucia stopped the Empress, who was about to stray off the path at the slightest opportunity.
"Ah, that's right! Thank you, Mrs. Lucia? Then I'll suggest a picnic location."
No one reacted to her words.
Instead, they looked at Empress Robina with a skeptical expression, wondering what she would say this time, with a lack of trust.
But,
"That place is none other than the Imperial Palace!"
At the unexpected location, the indifferent faces of the ladies lit up one by one.
The ladies of the newly emerging noble families were so excited about the idea that they even applauded.
Among them, Mrs. Mera raised her hand with sparkling eyes and asked.
"Your Majesty! I am Mrs. Mera Literin, the Baroness. Excuse me, but does that mean that our children will be able to enter the rumored garden that only the imperial family can enter?"
The eyes of the parents widened at her question.
This was because the place was rumored among the nobles to be a secret flower garden that only the imperial family had used since the kingdom era.
"Thank you for asking a good question. Of course! Not only that, but I will prepare for you to be introduced to the institutions throughout the Imperial Palace! And also, would you like to give your opinion?"
The Empress's face, now able to communicate properly, was as pure and cheerful as a child, without a trace of sadness.
The high-ranking noble ladies still frowned at her undignified smile, but they couldn't hide the curiosity that was revealed on their faces one by one.
"I am Mrs. Serdin, the Baroness. How about inviting a popular theater actor for the children these days?"
"A popular play...?"
The Empress blinked, looking like she didn't know what it was.
However, Mrs. Mera spoke with an agreeing look at Mrs. Serdin's words.
"Oh my! Baroness. It seems your child likes it too? My children are making a fuss too. It's so hard to get tickets."
"That's right. I guess... it's impossible?"
The Empress quietly watched their conversation.
Then, with a triumphant face, she pointed to the splendid stage she had created and said,
"Baroness Serdin. Even though I've been resting these days, there's nothing impossible for me in that world."
She was saying that she was now living quietly, but she was once the flower of the stage that no one could surpass.
The continuous stream of opinions, from plays to the Imperial Palace's internal buildings and the guidance of each department, continued in a much more amicable atmosphere than before.
However, one high-ranking noble lady, who had been silently watching this, parted her twisted lips.
"I am Aileen of the Terrin Marquess family. Your Majesty. Leaving aside the theater stage, I am worried that the rest will cause trouble for everyone working in the Imperial Palace. You can't even go outside this separate palace, can you?"
Her words meant, "How can you have the authority to do that when you're in self-reflection for gambling?"
At the Empress's obvious provocation and the truth, the ladies who had been excited by the many conversations began to turn their heads, sensing the situation.
