Chapter – 04
The Envoy from Her Mother’s Country (1)
It was the seventh winter since she had come to the great gates.
Ana Rosa clicked her tongue as she looked over the reports brought to her. With the new year, countless people were coming and going from the imperial palace. Just meeting the noblewomen who came to greet her was enough to keep her busy every single day.
And that was not all. As the second Empress of Emperor Mun, she had the duty to ensure that this vast palace, the imperial family within it, and the many court officials and servants who served them all moved smoothly without any trouble.
“Your Majesty, Lady Buryun has arrived.”
“Let her enter.”
At some point, the language of Mun had become more familiar to her than the language of Ausis. Sometimes she would even pause while speaking in her native tongue. It could not be helped. She had not spoken Ausis for nearly half a year.
The same was true for Blanca, who now bore the name Han Buryun.
“Your Majesty.”
Blanca came before Ana Rosa, knelt, and bowed. At first, both of them had felt uncomfortable with someone kneeling in greeting, but now they were used to it.
“Have you returned?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Good. Tell me.”
With the help of a palace maid, Blanca rose and sat across from Ana Rosa.
Ana Rosa looked at the clothes Blanca was wearing. They were splendid and beautiful—silk from the Sawon region, embroidered with lotus flowers and butterflies, something not just anyone in Mun could wear.
Over it, she wore a thick fur vest that reached her knees. Though unmarried, she styled her hair elegantly like a married woman. She was over thirty, and as the Empress’s close aide and a lady of the Mun imperial court, people called her “Lady Han.”
A maid quickly served tea, knowing that whenever the Empress seated someone before her, tea would always be offered.
“Count Menios has arrived.”
Blanca could have spoken in Ausis so the maids would not understand, but she chose not to.
“Count Menios. This is his second time coming to Mun, is it not?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ana Rosa remembered the year she had been sent to this empire as its Empress—seven years ago. She had spent a month on a warship with Count Menios. The memory was still clear.
He had looked down on the young princess and had not even wished to exchange words with her. At the time, she had not fully understood his attitude. But now, after ruling as Empress for seven years, she clearly knew how deeply he had despised her.
He had not seen her as a princess.
He had only seen her as a mere tool of alliance.
And at that time, she had indeed been foolish and weak enough to appear so. She did not wish to argue about that treatment now, but she could not lower her guard. Count Menios was the type of petty man who swallowed what was sweet and spat out what was bitter.
“Did the Count make any demands of you?”
“An awful number of them.”
Blanca ground her teeth, and Ana Rosa burst into laughter. Each time her head moved, the jade ornaments in her hairpin clinked softly.
“Was it that terrible?”
“He asked for a separate residence in Yeongyeon. He claims he needs it for certain matters. He says he wishes to meet Your Majesty, and judging by his tone, he may even request money.”
“When I was married off, it was natural for the Count to be part of the delegation. But for him to leave Casas and come here in peaceful times… that is difficult to understand. Is he not favored by my father? …Lady Min.”
At her call, Lady Min, the senior court lady in charge of the palace, stepped forward and bowed.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Find a house for Count Menios. It should be near the imperial palace, and near the guard post as well. If trouble arises, the Ausis men will be tiresome, so have patrols arranged. And find workers to staff his residence.”
Lady Min easily understood that the Empress’s true intention lay at the end of her words. “Workers” meant spies.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will carry out your command without flaw.”
“If anything is unclear, ask.”
It meant she wanted absolute precision.
“I will keep that in mind.”
With a wave of her hand, Ana Rosa dismissed Lady Min and turned back to Blanca.
“If Count Menios is here, there must be other notable figures in the delegation. Who stood out?”
“First of all, Count Casella. …It seems Count Molina, who usually led the delegation, holds no real power this time.”
Ah.
Ana Rosa smiled and then closed her mouth. Count Casella and Count Menios. That was too grand a group for an ordinary delegation. For what reason had those two come together?
“Lady Han. Tell Count Menios that I will grant him an audience tomorrow morning… No, just say that much. Let us see.”
What matter could have brought those two here?
Count Menios clicked his tongue as he walked. Even seven years ago he had thought this palace was excessively large. Once inside the imperial gates, carriages and horses were forbidden, so he had to walk much farther than usual. It would be more reasonable, like the royal palace of Casas, to make it into one massive building.
‘A barbaric country.’
Though it possessed many luxuries, it was primitive in some ways. Unlike Casas, which already had a water supply system, this nation barely had gas lamps on its streets. Could this country ever develop as much as Ausis? Probably not.
‘Their arrogance will not last many more years.’
He remembered Emperor Mun from seven years ago. The emperor had possessed a mountain-like pressure that had humiliated him beyond repair. He still ground his teeth when he thought of the moment he had been forced to listen as the emperor declared:
“Ana Rosa Isabel la Redrideta shall be appointed Empress, but she shall not bear an heir.”
Later, when the emperor received the delegation separately, the Count had hurried to object—but the emperor silenced him.
“It seems you are the sort of man who could do such a thing with a girl of twelve. I am deeply moved by your patriotism. However, I am the master of this empire. How could I be the same as a common man who must make such pitiful efforts? I hope you understand my words. That was the kindest explanation I can offer.”
It was humiliating. The emperor had practically called him a degenerate—or a man so low he would force himself upon someone unwilling if ordered.
And he had even added that if words were not enough, he would make him understand by other means.
Of course, the Count had not retreated immediately. He had tried many times to renegotiate. But the emperor would not listen. Instead, he had said firmly:
“If you dislike it, we may nullify all the conditions of this alliance.”
The Count’s mission had only been to deliver the princess. He had no authority to change the alliance terms. In the end, he had to remain silent. After returning home, he was severely reprimanded by the king, and his position at court had been unstable for some time.
“No one speaks of the mistake from seven years ago. But that does not mean they have forgotten it. You must make up for it this time.”
He remembered the words of Duke Baliona, Eusebio.
The Duke had sharply pointed out his failure. To the Count, it sounded like a demand to prove his ability.
‘Even if the princess became Empress, she was only nineteen. Still young. And besides…’
He recalled when she had first arrived in this country. She had been terribly frightened.
She had been uneasy about being attended by court ladies of slave origin. She had been anxious about wearing loose clothing that did not bind her body. The rooms were too large, the bed strangely hard, the food unfamiliar. Everything exhausted her.
Even the jewelry was different from that of Ausis. On top of that, she had to learn the language and etiquette of the Mun imperial court. For that foolish princess, it must have been overwhelming.
