Chapter 19
The day after what happened with Freya.
Lia stared blankly at the sudden appearance of the maids.
Their hands were full of dresses and various accessories.
“What is all this?”
Lia asked with a clearly displeased expression.
“It’s a gift sent by His Majesty,” one maid answered casually.
“All of this?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Lia had a guess why they had brought it.
The ball would be held soon.
‘But… I don’t think I even said I would attend yet.’
The sudden gift made her frown as she looked at what the maids were holding.
“You don’t like it?”
One maid asked, noticing Lia’s expression.
“It’s too much.”
“Still, His Majesty thought of Your Majesty when he gave it. Even if you don’t like it, it’s better to just accept it.”
The words sounded polite, but the maid’s attitude was not. It was sharp, as if saying, Who are you to like it or not? There was no respect in her gaze. She looked clearly annoyed. It seemed she didn’t like that Lia was receiving the gift.
Lia quietly looked at the maid. Her face seemed familiar.
“I don’t have to take everything, right?”
She spoke as if she would just take a few items.
“There might not be another chance. The Emperor’s favor is fickle, so you never know when it might change. It’s better to accept everything now.”
The maid’s tone was even sharper now, as if saying, How dare you refuse the Emperor’s gift?
But Lia could also see what the maid really thought. Her earlier words confirmed it: the maid was ignoring her.
“That sounds like you’re saying I should quietly accept because who knows when the Emperor’s favor will end.”
“…Do you really think so?”
The maid denied it, pretending not to be the one saying it. She sounded confident even though anyone could hear how it really sounded.
“Now that I look at it, the maids behind you seem familiar too.”
Lia had been carefully studying their faces. She remembered.
The maids who had brought the dresses and jewelry were the same ones who had whispered to each other when she met Freya.
She had already thought that if there was a chance, she would make them pay for that. Now she had the opportunity.
“Did you say that to me back then? That I was acting arrogant because I had the Emperor’s favor? That I insulted a concubine despite being the Empress?”
“We never said that,” the maids strongly denied.
Lia scoffed at their denial. Even that denial seemed to mock the Empress.
It felt like they were trying to make it seem as if she was making trouble out of nothing, just like the original Lia Rna would have done.
It was frustrating. If only there were a recorder in this world, she could have recorded their words to prove that it wasn’t her fault.
“Then let’s just not take all the gifts. If His Majesty asks why, tell him it’s because you didn’t like the maids who brought them.”
Her words were meant to instruct what to say if the Emperor asked, but she knew he would definitely ask once he realized she refused the gift. Then they would have no choice but to tell the truth.
Of course, she wasn’t sure they would tell exactly what she said.
“If that’s the case…”
“No. I’ll go and say it myself.”
She still couldn’t trust the maids.
Lia spoke coldly. She wouldn’t just let it slide.
It wasn’t just one person; everyone around her was acting hostile. She couldn’t ignore it.
She didn’t want to keep facing this kind of hostility. So she decided to show that she was not someone to be underestimated. That anyone who touched her would face consequences.
At least this time, the maids would be careful around her in the future.
Now that she had the Emperor as a strong ally, she didn’t worry about turning the situation around. Even if his favor might disappear someday, for now, he was on her side. She planned to use that to her advantage.
The problem had started because of the Emperor, so it was right for him to resolve it.
With that thought, Lia got up to leave her room.
The maid, startled by the Empress’s attitude, quickly grabbed her.
“Is it okay for a maid to touch the Empress’s body like this?”
Lia spoke coldly, as if to teach her.
“I… I’m sorry!”
The maid quickly let go, bowing deeply and apologizing on the floor.
It would have been better if she had thrown a tantrum and hit them like before. This Empress seemed different.
“You should have known better than to act that way,” Lia said coldly and tried to leave. Her resolve was firm.
“M-Ma’am!”
The other maids also fell to the ground, clinging to her.
At that moment, the door opened. Kartian entered. He frowned at Lia’s cold expression and the maids clinging to her.
“The Light of the Empire, the noble brilliance, I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”
Even while clinging to Lia, the maids greeted Kartian.
But the Emperor didn’t respond. He was focused on how this situation had happened.
Kartian gave them a cold look.
The maids, already afraid of Lia, shivered at his gaze.
“What is happening here?”
Kartian muttered coldly.
“See, the maids are clinging to me, and I’m angry,” Lia said calmly, as if testing him.
“I-It’s… I disturbed the Empress’s mood…” one maid quickly answered, avoiding the full story.
“I’m not asking you,” Kartian said coldly.
He already knew Lia would not be angry without a reason. He knew the maids wouldn’t admit their faults easily. He also knew the Empress and the maids didn’t get along.
“Lia, what happened?”
He wasn’t scolding her. He just wanted to hear the truth from her.
Lia thought to herself.
He really has changed a bit.
The original Kartian would have assumed everything was his fault without asking. But now, he seemed to trust her judgment.
“That’s all. They were rude to me.”
“Rude?”
Kartian’s face darkened. How dare the maids.
“N-No! We only tried to deliver His Majesty’s gift!”
The maid tried to explain. Lia raised an eyebrow. She knew exactly what they were trying to do.
They wanted to blame her for everything, just like in the original story.
“Right. You delivered it. If I don’t take it, I might not get another gift like this. That’s what you meant, wasn’t it?”
Lia had already been kind enough to let their previous whispers slide.
She wasn’t willing to do it again.
“Is that true?”
“W-We didn’t say that…”
“You didn’t? Why would I lie about hearing it? Do you think you’re so important?”
Lia cut them off coldly. Her words were more intimidating than the previous Empress. The maids flinched.
“Now, Tian. What will you do? I clearly heard it, and they say they never said it.”
Lia asked Kartian casually. It was now up to him to decide who to believe.
Without hesitation, Kartian drew his sword.
“I believe Lia. If you don’t want to die, tell the truth.”
The blade pointed at the maid who denied saying it. She shivered.
“W-We’re sorry… we were foolish to disrespect the Empress…”
Finally, the maid admitted the truth. Once Kartian said he believed Lia, they had no place to hide.
Kartian didn’t plan to let it slide easily.
If he killed them all, the other maids would learn what happens when they disrespect Lia.
He didn’t like killing, but these maids had dared to mistreat her.
Just as Kartian raised his sword, Lia grabbed his arm.
“You’re planning to kill them in my room?”
Her grip wasn’t strong, but it was enough to stop him.
“But… they disrespected you,” Kartian said.
Even though it was partly her fault, Lia stepped in to show consequences.
“No killing. But I want to handle their punishment.”
“…Alright.”
Kartian backed down.
“Stand up.”
Lia said coldly to the maids still on the floor.
The maids slowly got up, watching the Emperor.
Even now, they cared more about his reaction than hers.
Lia raised her hand sharply and slapped a maid’s cheek.
She wouldn’t kill them. Words would do nothing.
Violence wasn’t her style, but for those who didn’t listen, force was necessary.
It reminded her of the previous Empress, which she didn’t like.
“Ah!”
The maid screamed and fell to the floor. Lia smirked.
She hadn’t hit that hard, but the maid overreacted dramatically.
“I don’t need maids who ignore me,” Lia said.
The other maids trembled, fearing they would be next.
“From this moment, you are no longer maids of the Imperial Palace.”
“W-What…!”
“Do you dare object to Lia’s words?”
Kartian’s cold voice stopped them. They had lost their jobs instantly.
Not just that, if this story spread, no noble house would hire them.
The maids clung desperately to Lia’s legs.
“P-Please…! Not that!”
Lia looked down at them coldly. She pushed their hands away and said firmly:
“You must accept the consequences of your actions. Be grateful it ends here.”
Even seeing them cling miserably, she felt no pity.
The maids had ignored the previous Empress and disrespected her. They whispered behind her back and didn’t listen to the Empress at all.
It was their own fault. Just because the Empress’s power had fallen didn’t mean they could disrespect anyone.
Even now, they were more focused on escaping punishment than reflecting on their actions.
She was only a little disappointed it ended here.
She could have grabbed their hair or punished them more, but she didn’t want to waste the effort.
“Pack your things and leave immediately.”
The maids hesitated. Kartian called the guards to drag them out. He whispered to take them to prison.
Lia watched the maids being dragged away coldly.
At least for now, they would no longer disrespect her. One event wouldn’t completely change their behavior, but it was a start.
“Lia, I’m sorry.”
Kartian muttered beside her.
Lia didn’t respond. She didn’t care if it was empty words. He should feel sorry.
“I see you do understand,” she said.
Kartian bowed his head, ashamed. This was his fault.
Seeing it in person was worse than hearing about it. Even with the Empress in front of them, the maids had no fear.
He wouldn’t stop at just sending them to prison. They needed to fully understand their mistake.
And more importantly, he gave Lia authority over them.
“…From now on, Lia will have authority over all the maids in the palace. All hiring and firing decisions must go through her.”
Power was necessary to have control. Even if he protected her, without power, she would be stuck in the same position.
“Understood,” Lia said calmly.
She didn’t want more work, but this was necessary to prevent future problems.
Kartian then called the head maid. She was nervous under his gaze.
“You are not the only one here,” Kartian said coldly. She bowed politely, showing respect to the Empress.
“From now on, all authority over the maids you managed goes to Empress Lia. All employment and dismissal must be approved by her.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
Even the head maid had not truly recognized Lia as Empress before. But she wasn’t foolish enough to disobey the Emperor.
After the head maid left, Kartian softened his expression and watched Lia.
“This was originally yours, so I won’t say thank you.”
“I know. I’m not doing this for thanks.”
Kartian muttered sadly.
“I just wanted to fix everything I did wrong in the past.”
It was already late. He should have acted earlier.
He regretted being cold to Lia. He should have ensured she could live comfortably in the palace.
He had been a good Emperor to others, but a terrible husband.
He had treated his Empress poorly.
Lia quietly watched him struggle with guilt.
Even with memory loss, he still had to face the consequences. Past or present, he was still Kartian to her.
“…I’m sorry, sorry, Lia.”
Kartian apologized again. Words alone wouldn’t earn forgiveness.
“I hope you always remember that,” Lia said.
Even if his feelings changed later, she didn’t want the past to repeat.
“Okay, I will.”
Lia probably wouldn’t believe him, but this was all he could say.
Kartian hoped he wouldn’t regain his memory soon, and even if he did, that his actions would remain the same.
Lia said nothing. She didn’t warn him that the future was uncertain.
She also decided to accept only a few gifts.
She didn’t plan to refuse everything. After her deposition, she would need some wealth for a comfortable life.
“Why…?”
Lia said there were too many gifts, but for Kartian, it wasn’t enough. He had never given her a proper gift before. Now he was trying to make up for it.
“They’re too many,” she said.
“…Did you get angry at me? You probably did. I was really bad in the past,” Kartian muttered sadly.
Lia frowned. She was indeed upset at his past self. But she refused the gifts simply because there were too many.
“Fine, I’ll take all of them.”
She didn’t want to argue anymore. After all, she wouldn’t take them when she left, so it didn’t matter now.
“…Okay.”
Kartian still looked downcast. Lia didn’t try to comfort him.
“And I’ll attend the ball.”
“…You will?”
He seemed surprised she decided so.
“After thinking about it, I think it’s better if I attend.”
She realized she needed to improve her position as the Empress to make her situation in the palace better.
“I’ll protect you.”
So she would no longer be ignored or treated badly.
“Do as you like,” Lia said, nodding.
“Okay, okay.”
Even with her indifferent response, Kartian smiled.
“I’ll really, really do my best.”
Lia nodded casually, not knowing what he meant, but it was better than him saying he couldn’t do it.
