Chapter 34
The next day, Lia had tea time with the daughter of Marquis Sarontien. The only one who came to visit her was the marquis’s daughter herself.
“I greet Her Majesty the Empress, the flower of the Empire.”
The marquis’s daughter, dressed beautifully, bowed to Lia. Lia accepted the greeting and gestured for her to sit.
“Thank you very much for accepting my request.”
“It wasn’t anything difficult,” Lia replied calmly.
“First of all, I sincerely apologize for the way I acted toward Your Majesty until now.”
She had not openly ignored Lia, but it was true that she had quietly gone along with the behavior of the other noble ladies.
After what happened at the banquet, she had become cautious. Fortunately, she had not been part of that group and had avoided the Emperor’s punishment.
Now that the Empress’s position had changed, it was necessary to be on her good side.
Lia was no longer the same Empress as before. Within the Imperial Palace, no one could ignore her anymore. Her position had become firm.
“I will accept your apology. As for forgiving you, I will decide after some time.”
A single apology was not enough to overlook everything. She could not forgive so easily.
Even at Lia’s words, the marquis’s daughter did not show any complaint. She simply accepted it, as if it were natural.
From that attitude, Lia understood that at least the young lady had not come with bad intentions. Of course, she would still need to observe her further.
“This is something I specially prepared for our time together, Your Majesty.”
In the basket the young lady brought were simple snacks.
Of course, they could not be compared to the desserts made by the Imperial Palace chefs, but she had brought them as a sign of sincerity toward Lia.
“Cookies.”
“Yes. They may be lacking compared to the palace desserts, but I hope they suit Your Majesty’s taste.”
“I’ll enjoy them.”
As she spoke, Lia picked up one cookie. She took a bite. It was quite good.
The marquis’s daughter carefully watched her reaction.
“Does it suit your taste?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
There was no need to call something bad when it was good, so Lia answered honestly.
Only then did the young lady’s face brighten. Although she had prepared them specially for Lia, she had been quietly nervous about whether they would satisfy someone used to palace food.
“That’s a relief.”
She let out a small sigh, as if she had truly been tense.
Lia watched her calmly and continued eating the cookies. With tea, the sweetness was not too strong. It was just right.
After that, Lia was able to spend a rather pleasant time with the marquis’s daughter. Whether she had truly come to apologize, the young lady was careful not to say anything that might upset Lia.
Because of her behavior, Lia was also able to pass the time without discomfort.
It was a rare situation.
After the recent events, the maids’ attitudes had clearly changed. But she did not know how the noble ladies felt. They had likely become more cautious after the banquet incident, and their image of her must have changed as well. She simply had not met them since then to confirm it.
However, that peaceful situation did not last.
Something no one had expected happened.
It occurred when Lia ate the last cookie. Until then, she had not felt anything strange.
But when she put the final cookie in her mouth and chewed, Lia felt something odd.
She did not know what it was.
By the time she clearly realized it, she had already eaten all the cookies, and some time had passed.
Lia suddenly felt an unknown itchiness, along with dizziness. It became hard to breathe.
As her vision blurred, Lia’s expression hardened.
At the same time, the marquis’s daughter looked shocked and hurriedly called out to her.
“Your Majesty?!”
