~Chapter 152~
The Crown Prince, who was of their age group, was in truth much closer to Dietrich than to Isaac.
With Isaac, he was rather distant.
But with Dietrich, he could at least be called a friend.
“Since His Highness the Crown Prince is returning, won’t there be a large banquet?”
Unaware of Isaac’s sour mood, Seraphina’s eyes sparkled as she continued:
“If a banquet really is held, I sincerely hope you’ll take me as your partner…”
Her pleading tone made Isaac sneer inwardly.
For that arrogant woman to be the one to ask first—it meant even Seraphina was getting desperate these days.
“No, I think it will just be a quiet meal with familiar people.”
Familiar people.
At those words, Seraphina’s heart sank.
That likely meant she would not be invited.
“…I see. Then surely Chief Priest Evans must have been invited, right…?”
“He will probably attend as the representative of the Grand Temple.”
After all, recent events had shown the Imperial family siding with House Claudius.
To keep relations smooth with the Temple, they deliberately extended an invitation to Isaac—since he was in charge of the Temple’s orphanage foundation.
It was merely political theater, a way of saying:
“Now that the Temple’s corruption has been uprooted, there’s no need to suspect them further.”
“Then… what about your partner?”
Summoning her courage, Seraphina asked.
But—
“Well, for a simple dinner, a partner isn’t really necessary.”
Isaac declined politely, drawing a clear line.
He no longer snapped like before—‘Someone like you, going to such a place?’—but the meaning was the same.
“Then… Lady Claudius will attend…?”
“Yes. Oh, and I almost forgot.”
Isaac deliberately struck at Seraphina’s pride with a casual tone.
“Lady Ansi will be attending too.”
“……”
Seraphina’s face twisted miserably.
“If you become a little closer with Her Majesty the Empress, Lady Lopez, I’m sure you’ll receive an Imperial invitation someday as well.”
“…Yes.”
Grinding her teeth, Seraphina forced out her reply.
“Here, let me pour you another cup.”
Isaac filled her half-empty cup once more.
Seraphina swallowed both the warm tea—and the jealousy and inferiority burning up to her throat.
The tea, once fragrant, now tasted strangely bitter.
Sunlight streamed brightly into the office.
The Empress, taking a short break from her busy schedule, looked through the stack of letters.
“Hm… another one from Lady Lopez.”
Picking up the letter, the Empress wore a faintly troubled expression.
Seraphina Lopez.
To be honest, she kept up the connection only out of consideration for the Temple.
Of course, Seraphina’s warm and friendly attitude wasn’t unpleasant.
She was a little vain, but wasn’t that normal for young ladies her age?
The Empress had found her somewhat cute.
“But these letters come too often.”
The Empress was the mother of a vast Empire.
Naturally, she had countless duties to attend to.
She couldn’t keep replying to endless greetings forever.
“Perhaps I should tell her to restrain herself.”
As she frowned in thought, her eyes shifted to the desk.
There stood a vase full of blooming roses.
White petals speckled with red stains—striking, almost haunting in beauty.
And they felt familiar.
Because—
‘Rozanne.’
They were the roses her late friend had once cherished.
[These are the roses my mother loved most. By chance, I found a seedling.
I am sending one to Your Majesty as well.
May these roses bring you joy.]
Remembering the card sent along with the seedling by Rozanne’s only daughter, the Empress breathed in the lush fragrance deeply.
“…Rozanne, your daughter has grown so beautifully.”
Her voice softened with emotion.
“If only you could see Evangeline, all grown now.”
The former Duchess Claudius and the Empress had been childhood friends.
When Rozanne married, the Empress had caught her bouquet.
When the Empress was crushed by duty, Rozanne had comforted her in every way.
A lifelong friend.
Yet Rozanne had passed away so suddenly.
“….”
The Empress opened a drawer.
Her fingers touched a bundle of old letters.
On the envelopes, the sender’s name read: Rozanne von Claudius.
The paper, once white, had faded to ivory with age, polished smooth by years of handling.
The Empress drew one letter at random and read:
[To my dear Agnes,
Hello, Agnes. The weather is cold—are you well?
Thank you for the lemon preserves you sent.
My morning sickness has been awful, but they were just what I needed.
Dietrich pouted, saying he doesn’t want a younger sibling.
But when I asked more, he said if he must have one, he hopes for a little sister. Isn’t that cute?
I don’t mind if it’s a boy or a girl. I just pray the baby will be born healthy.]
It must have been written shortly after she became pregnant with Evangeline.
Rozanne sounded so happy.
As the Empress read slowly, her eyes grew moist with longing.
Then—
“Oh?”
Her eyes widened.
The ink color in Rozanne’s letter looked strangely familiar.
Black with a greenish sheen.
“Hm…”
She frowned, then rummaged through the newer letters.
Among them, Seraphina’s stood out.
“The same ink color?”
Such a distinctive ink—and yet appearing again.
It was odd, but surely that ink wasn’t unique in the world.
The Empress shrugged it off—then froze.
A sharp headache pierced her skull.
“Ugh.”
Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t been feeling well lately.
Her throat was sore, her body feverish…
‘It’s nothing serious.’
Normally she would have summoned her physician at once.
But the symptoms seemed light, and she was far too busy now.
She decided to finish her work first, then call him later.
Besides—
‘My son is finally coming home.’
Her lips curved into a warm smile.
After three long years, she would see her son again.
She intended to prepare the welcoming banquet with the utmost care.
A few days later.
At last, His Highness the Crown Prince returned.
Instead of a grand celebration, the Imperial family chose a simple banquet with only family and close acquaintances.
“Duke Claudius!”
The Crown Prince, meeting him for the first time, was a handsome man with a bright smile.
He resembled His Majesty the Emperor overall, but that broad grin was the Empress’s mirror image.
“I heard the news—you have a lover now?”
Standing beside the Duke, I could only roll my eyes.
At the same time, the Crown Prince clapped the Duke heartily on the shoulder with a booming laugh.
“To think a lady exists who likes a stone-faced Duke like you—we must thank her indeed!”
“Yes. I am grateful.”
“…What?”
For a moment, the Crown Prince looked as if struck dumb.
But the Duke, without twitching a brow, spoke firmly:
“I said I am grateful—to my lover.”
