Chapter 45
“Yes, Mama.”
“Do you know how to ride a horse?”
“No, Mama.”
Joanne shook her head.
Horseback riding was for nobles. Among commoners, most never even saw a horse in their lifetime.
Riding was allowed only for a few servants who cared for the noble’s horses or for knights.
So, it was impossible for Joanne, a commoner, to know how to ride.
“Then… do you want to learn?”
“Eh?”
Joanne froze and looked up in surprise.
“It’s better to learn together with someone who also doesn’t know rather than learning alone.”
“B-But… I’m a commoner. Would the steward allow that…?”
“It’s my order. Do you think the steward would dare refuse?”
Giselle’s voice had an edge of irritation.
It annoyed her that every time she expressed her wishes, Joanne or the other maids would argue.
They clearly still didn’t fully recognize her as the Empress.
When would they finally accept her as the true Empress?
Frustrated, Giselle waved her hand impatiently.
“Anyway, go and tell Garden about this quickly.”
“Yes, Mama.”
Joanne didn’t know whether to be happy or upset about this opportunity.
Horseback riding—something she had never even imagined.
But she shrugged soon after.
Well, experiencing noble life didn’t seem so bad.
Of course, Giselle dragging her along probably meant she didn’t want to be embarrassed alone.
“Wait.”
At that moment, Giselle, her face flushed, followed Joanne out of the room.
“Mama?”
“Well…”
Giselle stammered, and Joanne furrowed her brows slightly.
“When you need me, you can just ring the bell.”
“I know that!”
Only then did Giselle realize she had followed the maid outside.
Her face burned with embarrassment.
This kind of thing was for commoners!
Giselle bit her lip.
“I’ll go see Garden too. Take me there.”
“Uh… yes.”
Joanne nodded, thinking she truly had no idea how to handle this whimsical Empress.
A little later…
“…Did you say you want a horse, Mama?”
Garden had to try hard to hide his astonishment.
“Is there any particular reason you suddenly need a horse?”
He narrowed his eyes, wondering if this Empress actually knew how to ride.
“I want to learn horseback riding. We’ll also need to find a riding instructor.”
“Ah, yes. That shouldn’t be difficult. I’ll arrange it by this week.”
“Who will be assigned as the instructor?”
Giselle asked anxiously.
Even the maids refused her sometimes; surely a riding instructor from a noble family would outright reject her.
Thinking that, a wave of embarrassment washed over her.
“I was thinking of assigning one of the knights from the Imperial Guard.”
Garden was of course aware of this situation.
Since a noble riding instructor would certainly refuse, he planned to simply call a knight from the Imperial Guard.
No one in the palace could refuse a direct order.
“…That’s not bad.”
A knight.
Giselle didn’t have any particularly bad memories with knights.
Even when she was a maid in the Grand Duke’s mansion, she had been somewhat friendly with the knights.
Of course, if they flirted, she merely brushed it off lightly.
“Alright, then proceed with that—”
“The horse?”
“Yes, Mama?”
“The horse… what kind of horse will I get?”
Garden blinked rapidly.
“Do you have a specific horse in mind, Mama?”
He asked, curious if the Empress had knowledge of prestigious horse bloodlines, though he thought it unlikely.
Giselle hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
“Can it be similar to His Majesty the Emperor’s horse?”
“Delphi? That level… I’m afraid that would be difficult.”
Garden openly expressed his reluctance.
“Delphi is the empire’s finest horse, and its bloodline is extremely rare. Even direct members of the royal family have a hard time obtaining one.”
In short, it wasn’t the kind of horse she could get.
Giselle clenched her teeth.
“Then how about Her Majesty the Empress’s horse?”
“Buttercup is also a remarkable horse with a prestigious bloodline. Its value is very high. I’m afraid it would exceed the budget allocated for the Empress, Mama. Moreover, since you recently purchased jewels, only half of the budget remains.”
“Then what options do I have?”
Giselle finally raised her voice, unable to contain herself.
“…A horse within the budget, nothing extravagant—”
“You said you want a proper horse.”
Garden forced himself to stay calm.
After twenty years as steward, it had been a long time since he felt such insult.
It wasn’t because of her origins.
No one had ever treated him with such disregard in all his years as steward.
“Then, Mama, perhaps you should request a budget increase from Marquis Lars?”
“…Increase the budget?”
‘Increase’?
Giselle was briefly confused by the unfamiliar word.
Garden noticed and explained gently.
“If you raise the budget allocated to the Empress’s palace, you could invest more in the horse.”
“I see.”
Giselle sighed.
Ern Lars would never give her money.
Even when she was a maid, he disliked her. Becoming Empress hadn’t changed his attitude.
Outwardly, he was polite and courteous.
But his gaze… that gaze never changed.
A strange contempt.
Giselle felt disdain in Ern’s eyes, and it irritated her.
“Why Marquis Lars?”
“He’s the Prime Minister. He manages the palace’s overall budget.”
“Can’t someone else do it?”
“Well… Her Majesty the Empress also manages part of it, but…”
Garden gave her a skeptical look.
Would the Empress even approve if she personally requested a budget increase for a horse?
“Or you could ask His Majesty the Emperor directly.”
At that moment, a page standing behind Garden quietly spoke up.
Giselle quickly turned to look at him.
He looked much younger than Garden but was fairly handsome.
“Artus! This isn’t your place to intervene.”
“I apologize, Steward.”
The page, Artus, smiled gently and bowed, but his gaze remained fixed on Giselle.
Giselle was intrigued by his boldness. Perhaps he was trying to help her.
Daring to oppose Garden.
“You could speak to His Majesty?”
“…Yes, but requesting an audience for such a trivial matter would be inappropriate, Mama.”
“Arrange it.”
“Eh?”
“The audience request. Make it happen.”
Giselle said this triumphantly.
Artus responded with a smile that seemed to understand perfectly.
“Verdi.”
Since meeting Johann at the hunting ground, Annel had been plagued by headaches.
Johann’s assigned task was troubling her.
To ease her suffering, Verdi brought her a cup of tea.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Won’t you drink with me?”
“I’d be happy to.”
Verdi smiled brightly and sat across from Annel.
“Is something troubling you these days, Your Majesty?”
“…You can tell?”
“Even if others can’t, I can. I am your maid, after all.”
“I see…”
Annel forced a smile and sipped her tea.
The warmth spread through her body, and her headache seemed to ease slightly.
“Verdi, have you ever given a gift to someone you like?”
“Someone I like?”
Verdi looked puzzled for a moment, then gave a mischievous smile as if she understood.
“You mean a gift for His Majesty the Emperor!”
“Well, technically, yes…”
Annel felt sorry for Verdi’s innocent expectation.
Verdi hadn’t lost hope in the relationship between a married couple.
She genuinely believed Annel could find happiness.
Even Annel had abandoned such hope, yet it was a kind thought.
“Is this for his birthday? That’s a wonderful idea, Your Majesty.”
“Really?”
“Yes, because your relationship… could use some improvement.”
Verdi said this cautiously.
She had probably been shocked by the tension between the two at the last breakfast.
“Improvement…”
Annel quietly murmured a hopeless word.
Improvement.
Could a relationship with him ever improve?
She recalled Johann at the hunting ground.
As arrogant as ever, impossible to read.
Yet…
“I feel like there’s something I don’t know.”
