Chapter 104
Come to think of it, this was Kaiden’s first time visiting the Imperial Palace.
Usually, he had audiences at the eastern annex palace where the Emperor’s office was located.
At Kaiden’s blunt remark openly evaluating the Imperial Palace as unimpressive, the chief attendant struggled to keep his expression in check.
Reina also had to pinch her thigh to suppress her laughter.
“……This way, please.”
As the chief attendant began guiding them, pretending not to have heard, Reina whispered softly to Kaiden from behind.
“When I look at you closely, it feels like you’re being deliberately rude.”
“Was I?”
“How can you say something like that right in front of the chief attendant? It’ll all reach His Majesty’s ears.”
As she whispered anxiously, Kaiden playfully flicked her scrunched-up nose.
“Don’t mind it.”
“Yes?”
“Meurnier and Crensia were originally close friends. Just because I decided to become a vassal doesn’t mean I’m beneath him. The same goes for you.”
“…….”
“And the person I should be mindful of isn’t over there, but over here.”
Kaiden pointed at Reina and grinned.
At that, Reina’s tension suddenly melted away.
Right. Don’t mind it.
No matter how dirty the Emperor’s tricks were, she—who knew the future—was one step ahead.
This time, she would never let go of the people precious to her by her own hand.
“You’re really impossible.”
“Hm. You stop me just fine though. I get stopped by you all the time. Ugh.”
Kaiden, who had been joking, was blocked when Reina smacked his arm.
As the couple bickered while crossing the corridor.
“We’ve arrived.”
The chief attendant announced their arrival and opened the doors to the banquet hall.
The banquet was attended by Siegfried, Isabelle, Reina, and Kaiden.
Once again, Reina was seated across from Siegfried, sitting side by side with Kaiden.
Seeing that the chief attendant personally guided them to their seats, it seemed he had received prior instructions from the Emperor.
Isabelle sat next to Siegfried with a smile, but in truth she was barely concealing her discomfort.
Because Reina was seated in a higher position than herself.
‘That’s a seat I’ve never even sat in.’
The Emperor’s left side was always left empty. Occasionally, Michael would sit there, but only when he had rendered great service as the Minister of External Affairs.
‘I heard she sat there at the last banquet too.’
Being assigned the seat to the Emperor’s left consecutively carried significant meaning.
It was proof that Reina was favored just as much as Siegfried.
Siegfried, too, appeared wary of the excessive favor Reina was receiving.
By now, he was probably turning over possibilities in his head regarding how to deal with Reina.
Would he try to win her over.
Or cut her off at the root here and now.
Since Reina had not made any overt moves yet, he might simply be watching for the time being.
“Reina is not your rival.”
Recalling Siegfried’s words, Isabelle clenched her fist.
She could not agree with him.
In terms of status and appearance, she was not inferior to Reina.
Back then, she had merely been caught off guard and failed to counterattack.
The reason Siegfried valued Isabelle was because she was skilled at political maneuvering.
Subtly ostracizing members of families aligned with his political enemies.
Quietly harassing people was Isabelle’s specialty.
So she intended to show him again—that she was more useful than Reina.
This time, she was confident she would not be discovered.
Just then.
“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”
With the chief attendant’s shout, the doors of the banquet hall were thrown wide open.
As the Emperor arrived, the four of them rose from their seats at once.
Entering the banquet hall with a relaxed air, he glanced around and spoke.
“Oh dear. It seems I’m late again.”
It was a customary remark he always made, despite always appearing last.
At that moment, Isabelle stepped forward and greeted him.
“I greet the Sun of Meurnier. Thanks to your gracious invitation, we siblings were able to enjoy a pleasant conversation for the first time in a while.”
“A conversation, you say. Come to think of it, you and Reina are the same age, aren’t you?”
As the Emperor showed interest, Isabelle smiled brightly and replied.
“Yes. We used to play together often when we were young. After getting married, we couldn’t meet as often, so I was delighted to see her again like this.”
As she implied closeness with Reina, the Emperor’s expression turned intrigued.
Reina deliberately offered no response.
She wasn’t comfortable with Isabelle, but she didn’t want the Emperor to notice their strained relationship.
“It’s been a while.”
As soon as the Emperor took his seat, he spoke to Reina.
“I greet the Sun of Meurnier. Have you been well, Your Majesty?”
When Reina replied with proper decorum, the Emperor let out a hearty laugh.
“You rascal. You exchanged letters with me so often, yet you’re drawing a line again like this.”
It was a noticeably more familiar response compared to how he treated IsabelIsabelle.
Sensing this, Isabelle’s expression faltered for a brief moment.
The Emperor, unbothered, brushed Reina’s shoulder and said.
“I wonder if you’ve been uncomfortable living in the North.”
“Everyone there is very kind, so I’ve been doing well.”
“Still, this place is better than the cold and dangerous North. I’d like you to stay a bit longer—what do you think?”
It was an unspoken pressure telling her not to return to the North.
Reina smiled gently and replied.
“Since Your Majesty is urging me like this, I don’t plan on leaving in a hurry.”
The ominous hundred-year cycle was a concern, but she had already explained the countermeasures to Aiden, so there was no major issue.
When Reina readily agreed, the Emperor grinned.
“Good. It’s also better to have a child here rather than in the North. Is everything well between you and your husband?”
“Yes. We’re making an effort.”
As the exchange between Reina and the Emperor continued, Siegfried’s and Isabelle’s expressions changed by the second.
Isabelle, in particular, failed to completely hide her expression, as it was the first time she had seen the Emperor take such an interest in someone’s private affairs.
“If there’s anything you need while staying here, don’t hesitate to ask. Don’t just show your face at banquets—come visit often.”
“I will, Your Majesty.”
It was around then, when the conversation had warmed up, that
spoke with a radiant smile.
“Actually, I’ve recently taken an interest in flower arranging. To mark this banquet, I prepared flower gifts for everyone.”
At Isabelle’s signal, a maid waiting outside wheeled in a tray holding bouquets.
Reina frowned as she looked at the flowers placed before her.
Seeing this, Isabelle’s smile grew even brighter.
“It just so happened that blue lilies bloomed in the greenhouse. They’re very delicate and difficult to handle, but their dreamy blue petals are beautiful—I heard the founding Emperor liked them best. I personally prepared them because I wanted to show this beauty to everyone here today, so I hope you’ll accept them.”
“Oh? So the blue lilies bloomed this year.”
The Emperor accepted the flowers without much suspicion.
Blue lilies were a rare species that bloomed only once every few years, if that.
They grew exclusively within the Imperial Palace and were also called the ‘Meurnier flower.
Up to this point, it could be seen as Isabelle simply gifting flowers out of goodwill.
The problem was that she also knew Reina had an allergy to blue lilies.
In the past, Isabelle had used blue lilies as a subtle means of tormenting her.
She would deliberately place blue lilies in Reina’s bedroom, or invite her to tea and serve tea brewed with blue lilies.
At the time, Isabelle’s power was so great that Reina had no strength to refuse any of it.
But now, Isabelle’s hostile actions felt more like an opportunity.
Coincidentally, Reina needed a suitable excuse to go to the infirmary.
Thinking Reina was flustered, Isabelle spoke to her.
With a deep smile hanging on her lips, like the blue lily itself.
“I prepared it especially for you, Reina. I wanted to ease your longing for the Imperial Palace, even just a little, when you look at these flowers.”
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