Chapter 35
The next day, early afternoon.
As soon as Iris expressed her intention to visit, she was promptly summoned to the Empress’s Palace.
Just like before, she was guided by a maid of the Empress’s Palace to the audience chamber where the Empress awaited.
“Her Majesty the Empress is waiting. Please enter.”
The maid, who had escorted her to the door, did not enter with her this time and let Iris go in alone.
Iris quietly bowed to her and stepped through the door opened by the palace attendants.
“I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”
Just as before, Iris greeted her with impeccable etiquette, without a single mistake, and Empress Loberia welcomed her, seated on a sofa, with a softer demeanor than last time.
“Come, Lady Iris.”
“It is an honor to see you again.”
“Enough with the formalities. Sit.”
“Yes.”
As she was told, Iris sat on the sofa opposite, and soon a maid brought out fragrant tea.
Iris waited until the Empress lifted her teacup before touching her own.
“The crystal you gave me was truly effective.”
“I’m so relieved to hear it worked. I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear the news written in your letter.”
“Happy?”
“Yes. How beautiful must the child of the lovely Empress be?”
Iris smiled brightly, acting as if her head were full of flowers.
She knew all too well that with someone of higher status, it was better to appear appropriately foolish than overly clever.
“I really can’t figure you out.”
Empress Loberia let out a faint smile as she brought the teacup to her lips.
‘Well, it doesn’t seem like I’ve gotten on her bad side.’
Iris, too, lifted her teacup and took a sip of the tea.
The sweet aroma was matched by an equally sweet taste that lingered in her mouth.
“So, you must know why I summoned you, don’t you?”
“Well, I’m not quite sure…”
“A bear or a fox…”
The Empress clicked her tongue and said,
“Didn’t you make a request of me back then?”
“Ah, if it’s about that…”
“You asked me to be your chaperone, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You must know that the Crown Prince and I aren’t exactly on good terms.”
“Yes, of course.”
“And besides, haven’t you already made your debut? A chaperone?”
“Though I’ve made my debut, it wasn’t formal, just something that naturally came about through marriage.”
“That’s true. And now that you’re divorced, you likely don’t have any proper backing either.”
“Exactly.”
Iris nodded without showing any particular offense to her pride.
Empress Loberia quietly observed her. A commoner girl praised for her beauty by those around her.
But it was impossible to tell whether she was clever or not, and her true intentions were hard to grasp—an odd girl.
“I, Empress Loberia, do not break a promise once made.”
“Does that mean…?”
“Attend the banquet announcing my pregnancy and stay by my side.”
Empress Loberia, who seemed overjoyed about her pregnancy, spoke to her in a relaxed and gentle tone. Iris nodded with a smile.
“Thank you so much, Your Majesty.”
“No, this time I’m the one who owes you a great debt. So, shouldn’t I repay it?”
“I’m even more grateful for your words.”
“Oh, and…”
The Empress glanced over Iris before continuing.
“I’ll have a dress made for you for that day, so come to the Empress’s Palace until the dress is completed.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll be by my side, so how could I let you wear a shabby dress?”
Iris gave a subtle smile.
‘Shabby…’
But she couldn’t talk back to Empress Loberia.
And in the Empress’s eyes, the dress Iris was wearing must truly have seemed utterly shabby, so she had no retort.
“I didn’t expect you to care about such things…”
“Since you’ve become a lady I must take care of, such matters should pass through my hands. Let’s have your measurements taken today.”
“Today?”
“Yes, everything is already prepared. Now, call in the tailors.”
No sooner had the Empress finished speaking than the door opened, and several tailors filed into the reception room in an orderly line.
Iris was immediately seized by the tailors.
“Y-Your Majesty?”
“If you stay still, they’ll treat you gently.”
For the first time, the Empress’s ho-ho-ho laugh seemed frightening.
“P-Please, be gentle…”
In the end, Iris was dragged into the dress room prepared in the next chamber by the kind hands of the tailors, while the Empress sipped her tea, waiting for them to finish taking her measurements.
About ten minutes later.
“Your Majesty, we’ve taken all the measurements, and now you just need to choose the design.”
“Iris, come here.”
“Y-Yes…”
For some reason, Iris, exhausted from just having her measurements taken, trudged over and sat beside the Empress.
The Empress scrutinized the dress designs presented by the palace attendants with a hawk-like gaze, pointing at each page.
“For the top, this design. For the bottom, the one on the left. Use the lace from the bottom one. And make the shoulders open.”
Before Iris could offer any opinion, the Empress swiftly selected designs that would suit her. It seemed being an Empress wasn’t something just anyone could do.
‘I’ve never seen a dress catalog this extensive—it’s making my head spin.’
Even during her marriage, she had often looked at dress catalogs, but seeing such a vast array of designs and fabrics for the first time left her speechless, stumbling over her words.
The Empress clicked her tongue.
“You’ve been in high society for a while, so how can you be so naive? You’re not some country bumpkin.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“Never mind, I didn’t expect much anyway.”
“Haha, I’m sorry…”
Iris decided to keep her mouth shut and just smile brightly.
After about an hour of back-and-forth, Iris’s dress design was finally settled.
“Then I’ll take my leave now.”
As the tailors were about to leave, Iris’s eyes suddenly caught a finished dress among the designs being organized. A refined dark green dress looked calm and elegant.
‘I think they said the former Empress wore a dress like this.’
When Iris picked it up, the Empress said,
“You don’t completely lack an eye for things. That’s the dress I’ll be wearing this time.”
“This one?”
“Yes.”
The dress was beautiful. But for the flamboyant, rose-like Empress Loberia, it felt too understated.
Rather than highlighting her beauty, it seemed to dull it, and Iris couldn’t help but slightly furrow her brow.
“How about using this design but opening the shoulders and changing the color to purple? And adding a green brooch in the center of the chest…”
As she spoke while examining the dress, she suddenly noticed the silence around her and looked up to find everyone staring at her. Even the Empress.
The Empress, seemingly displeased, had her brow furrowed, and Iris realized her mistake.
The current Empress had been imitating the former Empress, hadn’t she?
“How dare you meddle with my dress?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I made a mistake.”
“Fine. I’ll let it slide this time…”
“But, Your Majesty.”
Iris quietly picked up the dress sketch and sat closer to the Empress.
The Empress, unaccustomed to Iris sitting so close, slightly leaned back.
“Opening the shoulders would make Your Majesty’s beautiful hair stand out more. And the brooch would sparkle even more with Your Majesty’s eyes.”
“…I told you not to open your mouth!”
“I only said it because I couldn’t bear to see it, Your Majesty. You’re a beauty suited for something splendid. The dress itself is excellent, but it’s like wearing someone else’s clothes.”
“What do you know…!”
Finally, the Empress raised her voice. But Iris didn’t back down and said to her,
“Now that I think about it, didn’t Your Majesty wear a purple dress when you first met His Majesty the Emperor?”
“…”
“Since it’s a special day, wouldn’t His Majesty be pleased if you wore a dress similar to the one from when you first met?”
At Iris’s smiling words, the Empress couldn’t get angry and instead looked deep in thought.
Indeed, the reason the current Empress imitated the former Empress was due to Loberia’s misunderstanding that the Emperor couldn’t forget the former Empress.
‘Of course, it’s true that the former Empress and His Majesty had a good relationship.’
But that didn’t mean Loberia didn’t love the current Empress, Loberia.
‘No, wasn’t he rather troubled because he kept seeing the former Empress in Loberia, who was imitating her?’
It seemed like it had been briefly mentioned somewhere, or perhaps not.
“His Majesty will surely be pleased.”
“What do you, of all people, know about His Majesty…?”
“I know at least that His Majesty loves Your Majesty.”
For a moment, the Empress was at a loss for words.
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