Chapter 50

Chapter 50

“Ines. You’ve said such strange things that I’ve turned sentimental myself. You asked why I chose His Majesty the Emperor?”

The answer to that question was simple.

“Because he could give me everything I wanted. His Majesty had what the second son of Nagrange did not, and I coveted it to the point of death.”

“What was it?”

“What do you think?”

Thinking it a foolish question, the imperial consort did not bother to put the answer into words. Instead, she clasped Ines’s hands and made a tender request, not as the imperial consort but as an aunt.

“Don’t hate your father too much.”

It was spoken as though she saw straight through Ines’s heart.

“Your father is a man who is somewhat clumsy at expressing himself, isn’t he? He can be a little coercive, but everything my brother does, he does for you.”

“I… I never wanted any of that.”

“I know. But just because you didn’t want it doesn’t mean it isn’t too late by the time you regret it. We learned that only after paying a terribly bitter price. Your father simply doesn’t want to regret anything ever again.”

The only child left by the wife he had loved.

His true heart was that he wanted his daughter, raised without a mother, never to fall behind anyone in anything, and never again to suffer an injustice.

At the bottom of Count Greenwood lay a fatherly love that would do anything the child wanted. The trouble was that, over too long a time, somewhere along the way, purpose and means had become indistinguishable.

“The first Saturday of March. Saint Cristan’s Day is a good day. It pleases me that Duke Angel seems to take such great care of you.”

To the imperial consort, who rejoiced as if it were her own affair, Ines spoke on impulse.

“Aunt. If I said I didn’t want to be engaged… what would you do?”

“Child? Say something that makes sense. Honestly, even as a joke it’s…”

She had been about to go on and say it was too much.

But at the seriousness on Ines’s face, the imperial consort swallowed the rest.

“I did hear from my brother that you’ve been saying strange things often lately. Surely you don’t mean it?”

“I do.”

“Ines. I am the one who knows better than anyone how much you like Duke Angel.”

Wasn’t this the same Ines who, when they last met, had spoken of Duke Angel with sparkling eyes?

“Why on earth are you saying this? I can’t understand the reason.”

“Aunt. I truly don’t want to be engaged to Duke Angel. I mean it, truly.”

“Could it be that you’ve come to like some other man?”

“Of course not…! That’s not it.”

Out of frustration, Ines’s voice rose a little.

“Everyone keeps asking me that, but there is no other man. Quite apart from that, I just don’t want to be engaged.”

But hearing Ines’s words, the imperial consort looked rather relieved.

“I see.”

Nodding, she said,

“In that case, you should go on with the engagement, Ines.”

“Aunt. Did you really hear what I just said?”

“Of course.”

“I’m telling you I don’t want to be engaged to him. I truly don’t want it.”

“The best match in society right now is Duke Angel. I cannot let a position like that be taken from you by some other woman.”

The gentle aunt she had been until a moment ago was nowhere to be seen; in an instant she wore the cold face of the imperial consort.

“Even if you end up discarding it later, it is right to hold it in your hand for now. But if you refuse even the marriage itself, then I will help you.”

Unable to believe those words, Ines gazed into her face for a long while. The imperial consort let out a snort of laughter and tapped Ines’s nose.

“You don’t believe me?”

“You’ll help me, Aunt? Truly?”

“Yes. Just as I was almost a daughter to your mother, though we shared no blood, that is what you are to me. Of course, I did not bear you myself.”

But even as she said it, the imperial consort was certain.

That Ines would never make such a decision.

She looked meek and timid, but in the end that child, too, had been born with Greenwood blood.

The people of House Greenwood had a stubbornness that never yielded when it came to what they wanted.

As her brother was.

As she herself was.

Ines would be the same.

‘Still, it is a little strange.’

Though Ines must know it would be better to explain clearly why she refused the engagement if she wanted help, she did not.

Only now did the imperial consort understand why her brother was racking his brains. The rumor that Duke Angel doted on Ines with utmost devotion had spread across all of society, and yet Ines herself was obstinately insisting she did not want to be engaged.

‘She must be anxious with the engagement ahead.’

Once more, the imperial consort thought in her heart of her sister-in-law. If only she had not died so futilely… how they would have celebrated today.

“Aunt.”

Ines’s voice reached the imperial consort. Seeing her niece’s lips tremble as if she still had something to say, she smiled slightly.

“You seem to have a lot to say today. If so, you might have stopped by before I called you. The food is getting cold. Talk while you eat, Ines.”

But there was no way food would go into her mouth now. Ines hesitated for a moment, drawing out the pause.

“If… that is, promise me. Promise me that even if my marriage is absolutely necessary to my cousin’s future, you will take my side without fail.”

At Ines’s words, the imperial consort’s face stiffened slightly. But she managed her expression, forcing a smile.

‘She must have heard something from my brother.’

Ines was no fool. She must have been frightened by her brother’s movements, meeting with powerful noble houses nearly every other day.

“Really, child. Even without your help, the future of your cousin, the only prince of this country, will be bright without any trouble.”

But Ines’s expression was still dark. In the end, the imperial consort threw up both hands in surrender.

“But if you worry so much, then yes. I promise. Even if it is absolutely necessary to my son’s future, I will take your side. So now, eat something. This is why you’ve lost weight, not eating like this.”

To change the mood, the imperial consort urged Ines to eat once more.

Only then did Ines pick up her fork and knife and begin her meal, reluctantly.

It was food the palace ladies-in-waiting had prepared with care. But her mind was in such turmoil that she could not tell whether the food was going into her mouth or her nose, let alone savor it.

The engagement was a mere two months away.

* * *

The imperial consort saw Ines off to her carriage herself. She did so with all the tender feeling for a niece who hardly ever called at the palace unless summoned.

“Go home and worry about nothing. For now, just prepare well for the engagement ceremony.”

“…Yes.”

“Now, off you go.”

Just as Ines, seen off by the imperial consort, was about to step into the carriage,

“Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress Consort is approaching.”

The head lady-in-waiting quickly came over and informed the imperial consort and Ines. When the imperial consort turned her head, the Empress Consort and a group of people were approaching from the far side.

“Imperial consort.”

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress Consort.”

“I heard you were still unwell after giving birth.”

At those words, the imperial consort said nothing and bowed her head. It was because she had been refusing, on the pretext of illness, the Empress Consort’s order to come and pay her respects after the birth.

For a while the Empress Consort looked down at the imperial consort with cold eyes, then turned her head. When their eyes met, Ines bowed her head deeply.

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress Consort. I am of House Greenwood, the Count’s…”

The Empress Consort cut off Ines, who hurriedly announced herself.

“No introductions are needed. One can tell from the eyes alone that you are of House Greenwood. Isn’t that so, Count Nagrange?”

“It is, Your Majesty the Empress Consort.”

“Now that I look, being aunt and niece, you do share quite a similar air. With such beauty, capturing Duke Angel’s heart must have been no trouble at all.”

Words that were and were not praise were thrown toward Ines.

Just as the imperial consort, bristling, was about to raise her head and demand what that meant, Count Nagrange’s voice came.

“Your Majesty the Empress Consort.”

As Count Nagrange shook his head as if to urge her to observe propriety, the Empress Consort smiled and gave him a glance.

“Ah, I understand. You mean that we must hurry. I was only so glad to see the imperial consort after so long. Imperial consort, and Lady Greenwood, raise your heads.”

The imperial consort lifted her head grudgingly. And her eyes met those of someone as unpleasant to her as the Empress Consort.

“It has been a long time, Your Highness the imperial consort.”

“It has been a long time. I heard you inherited the countship. Congratulations.”

She offered the greeting with a cold face.

Count Nagrange.

He was someone Ines knew as well.

Though he had changed greatly from when he used to visit their home in her childhood and give her aunt flowers.

“It is a position I inherited in my elder brother’s place, so there is still much I lack.”

“Lacking? You are already running the countship quite admirably, are you not?”

The Empress Consort gently placed a hand on Count Nagrange’s shoulder.

“The greetings are done, so shall we go now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Consort.”

“Then return safely, Lady Greenwood.”

The Empress Consort, who had been about to leave after a dry farewell, stopped in her tracks for some reason and turned back to Ines.

“Come to think of it, there was good news for Lady Greenwood too, if I recall.”

To the Empress Consort, who raised the matter pretending not to know when she surely did, the imperial consort replied just as unflappably, without yielding.

“Yes. Last night, her engagement date with Duke Angel was announced.”

“Is that so! My sincere congratulations, Lady Greenwood. Or rather…”

A cold gaze turned toward Ines.

“Should I say, the future Duchess Angel? Joyous events keep piling up for House Greenwood.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Consort.”

“Be careful.”

Lightly crinkling her eyes, the Empress Consort said to Ines,

“The higher a bird flies, the harder it is hurt when it falls. If good things go on, won’t ill fortune come one day?”

“Your Majesty the Empress Consort!”

“Surely House Greenwood, said to bring down even flying birds, would never do such a thing. It was a simple joke, but it seems it did not sound that way to the imperial consort’s ears. Do be careful; if you flare up like that, it may strain a body that has not yet recovered.”

Now that you’re a mother, you ought to learn some restraint.

The Empress Consort smiled gently, as though truly concerned for the imperial consort, and then left, escorted by Count Nagrange.