Chapter 19
With a soft whoosh, smoke escaped his lips — and Flora’s heart gave a painful twitch.
No need to try so hard, he’d said.
“I called you here today to tell you that,”
Yohan’s expression was endlessly gentle as he spoke.
But that only made Flora’s heart tighten with unease.
“What do you mean, Your Majesty? I am Your Majesty’s consort. If I don’t make an effort—”
“I heard you visited the Empress.”
“…!”
Flora froze in place.
Why bring that up now? She forced a bright smile to hide her fluster.
“Yes. Since I am of lower rank, I thought it only proper to greet Her Majesty the Empress first…”
“Proper, you say.”
Yohan nodded as if he understood everything.
But Flora could tell.
“Don’t trouble yourself, Consort. Just live comfortably here in the palace.”
Yohan remained kind and courteous throughout—
“That is your only duty as consort.”
But he was utterly indifferent to her.
Flora’s face burned with humiliation.
After waiting outside his doors for a week, swallowing her pride, this was the result?
Clutching her skirt tightly, she struggled not to cry.
But tears threatened to spill, so she spoke up.
“…Why is the Empress allowed, but I’m not?”
Yohan’s hand suddenly froze mid-motion.
“You invite the Empress to breakfast, yet I—”
“Consort.”
Yohan sighed deeply, then smiled.
“It seems you did not understand my words.”
That smile was strange —
on one hand, it looked tender, as though he truly cared for her;
on the other—
“I was not making a request.”
It was the smile—
“but giving an order.”
—of a well-fed predator toying with its prey.
“The weather is wonderful today.”
Anel looked up from her book.
The warm sunlight had been too dazzling to read for a while now.
Peaceful days — that’s what she’d been having.
How peaceful life could be, when she didn’t have to see Yohan.
It had been so long since she’d felt this at ease.
At last, she was enjoying the rest she had longed for.
In truth, she had been worried.
If she kept refusing breakfast with him, she’d feared Yohan might force her to attend.
But he hadn’t said a word.
Finally, he had given up.
Of course, with that lofty pride of his, he wouldn’t keep obsessing over her.
It had just been a passing amusement — or perhaps a political maneuver.
Thinking so, she felt relieved.
Anel closed her book and basked in the sunlight.
“Would you like to take a walk, Your Majesty?”
Her new maid, Verdi, asked.
Verdi had come to fill the vacancy left by Giselle.
She also happened to be Anel’s younger cousin,
so Anel could relax around her.
Having even one familiar face in the palace was a comfort.
“A walk?”
“Yes. You haven’t stepped outside the palace once all week. You haven’t received any visitors either.”
Visitors…
Her fingertips stung faintly, as if nicked by a page.
Since Flora’s visit, she had had only one other guest — Giselle.
Anel didn’t know what Giselle had been thinking when she came.
But she didn’t care to know.
She’d pretended to be ill and refused to see her.
The fact that Giselle had become a consort had caused a stir throughout the palace.
Not a court lady — not even a noble’s daughter — but a maid from a noble household!
Everyone found Yohan’s decision baffling,
but none dared to oppose him openly.
After all, they were satisfied enough with that strange choice.
“Well, if it can’t be one of our daughters, better a lowborn consort than a rival noble’s.”
“Exactly. Who would truly acknowledge her anyway?”
The nobles whispered.
They feared Yohan too much to do otherwise,
believing his every decision was a product of cold, precise calculation.
“Alright. Let’s go for a walk,”
said Anel —
the only one not pleased by any of it.
Anel deliberately brought only Verdi with her to the gardens.
The gardens of Devita Palace were connected to those of Potentia Palace —
the two residences practically shared them.
In the past, she had found that so romantic.
Samu had always said they should walk the gardens together every evening.
Even on days they fought — to remind themselves they still walked the same path.
Thinking of Samu made her chest ache again.
“Verdi.”
“Yes, Your Majesty? Do you need something?”
“Have you—”
Have you heard from Prince Samu? Did he return to his lands?
She stopped herself from asking.
It would do her no good to let anyone know she still cared.
“How are the First and Second Consorts? I’ve been neglecting them.”
Verdi quickly waved her hands.
“Don’t even mention it, Your Majesty. This morning, His Majesty finally granted the First Consort an audience! They had breakfast together — the entire palace is abuzz!”
Finally.
Anel smiled faintly.
Things were falling back into place.
If Yohan’s attention was shifting toward Flora, that was perfect.
“You shouldn’t be happy about that, Your Majesty.”
“Perhaps, Verdi. But I am.”
Verdi sighed in frustration.
She knew well that Duke Morata’s exile had been Yohan’s doing —
and that Anel despised him for it.
But even so, staying distant from the Emperor only weakened the Empress’s position.
Already, she’d heard whispers —
some of the maids wanted to transfer to the First Consort’s palace after the breakfast news.
Though, to be fair, they said Consort Flora didn’t look too pleased…
That headstrong consort always did wear a scowl.
The palace staff were hesitant, unsure whose side to take.
The hierarchy within the imperial harem was not yet clear.
At times like this, Her Majesty should be seen getting along with the Emperor,
Verdi thought anxiously.
Avoiding him so openly could only make the Empress lose ground.
“Is there any other news in the palace?”
“Let’s see…”
Verdi thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers.
“Oh! I heard the Second Consort is being terribly mistreated — even in her own quarters.”
She lifted her chin smugly.
“Well, she betrayed Your Majesty to take that position. And since His Majesty shows her no favor, it’s only natural she’s suffering. Serves her right — ungrateful woman.”
“…How is she being mistreated?”
Anel asked quietly, her heart heavy.
After all, Giselle had once been her closest companion.
Whatever she’d done, she was still one of Yohan’s victims too.
“I’m not sure, since few are willing to stay in her palace. But I’ve heard she’s… easily manipulated, not very knowledgeable. She can’t even manage her palace budget properly.”
“The maids don’t help her?”
“Who would serve a lowborn consort out of goodwill, Your Majesty? They’re only there to use her for their own gain.”
Anel fell silent.
She’d expected as much, but hearing it aloud made her heart sink.
“How could this be fixed?”
“What? Your Majesty, surely you’re not worried about her? I even hate calling that woman ‘Lady’!”
“Verdi.”
Even at Anel’s reproachful tone, Verdi only snorted.
“Unless His Majesty takes pity on her himself, there’s nothing to be done. In this palace, power is everything. The First Consort has the Marquis of Rodian behind her, but the Second has no one.”
“His Majesty…”
That was something Anel had no power to change. She sighed.
“I see. Let’s go back and think of—”
Just then, Verdi suddenly lowered her head in a deep bow.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor approaches.”
Anel’s head jerked up — and indeed, there stood Yohan.
Flustered, she quickly curtsied.
“Your Majesty.”
