Chapter 46
I sat on the sofa in the annex, watching the scenery outside while I waited. As expected from the famously cold western region, the snowfall was on a completely different level compared to the capital.
The guest seated across from me on the opposite sofa, the viscountess, set down her teacup and said in a worried tone:
“This doesn’t seem like a good sign.”
“It doesn’t, does it?”
“His Majesty the Emperor said to proceed with the banquet as scheduled, didn’t he?”
“Yes, I received word that he’ll definitely arrive by tomorrow afternoon.”
Even if the banquet were delayed by a few days, no one would dare complain to the Emperor. Yet he insisted on keeping to the schedule and even sent a messenger to confirm it.
The viscountess nodded, saying it was probably for the best.
Personally, I hoped the Emperor would just return to the imperial capital, but I didn’t say it out loud.
‘Still, the Emperor really is just like the Duke of the Borderlands described.’
When I asked the Border Duke for advice through Nata, he sent a letter with brutally honest details about the Emperor — from his looks and personality to his smallest habits. It was so detailed it felt like something that could get you arrested for leaking imperial secrets.
[He is very stubborn. He has a strong sense of honor and ambition, and his competitiveness is fierce.]
[He favors calm and graceful beauties. He values appearance more than personality.]
[He enjoys sweet talk, but is sharp enough to see through it. He despises empty flattery, especially from the incompetent.]
[He likes flashy, extravagant things, so presenting him with treasures might be a good choice. Or perhaps a performance that praises the imperial family… If he had seen that masked martial arts competition last time, he would’ve been delighted.]
When I first read the letter, I thought — isn’t this just a tyrant? A man obsessed with power, honor, wealth, and women?
Yet despite listing all those flaws, the Border Duke still praised him highly:
[As a ruler, his abilities are exceptional. It will be an impressive encounter.]
In other words: his personality is awful, but his competence is outstanding.
Insisting on keeping the year-end banquet on schedule, despite the weather, was typical of such a man. A kind of stubbornness that said: “A little snow won’t stop me.”
‘Well, as long as the toast goes smoothly, I don’t care about his personality.’
Once the banquet was over, I’d never have to meet the Emperor again anyway.
Still, it wasn’t right to keep talking about the Emperor with a guest present, so I changed the topic.
“How has life in the annex been? Is the room too small or uncomfortable?”
“It’s fine, thanks to your consideration. Very comfortable.”
Unlike other nobles, the viscountess was staying in the annex. Since she would be staying at the ducal estate anyway, I figured she’d feel more comfortable in a familiar annex and offered it, and she gladly accepted.
Not because she was uncomfortable around the main family, but to avoid awkward encounters with other nobles — apparently, too many people kept asking her to tutor their children.
“By the way, I heard you’ll be giving the year-end toast yourself?”
“Yes, due to some… complicated circumstances.”
The faces of Helene and Mikhail came to mind. While Mikhail had respected Helene’s wishes, he still seemed uneasy and had visited several times to check on my rehearsal.
“I’m sure you’ll do well.”
“…Thank you.”
Her sincere encouragement felt a little burdensome.
Why did everyone around me have such high expectations? Even Anna had been buzzing with excitement all day because the banquet was finally tomorrow.
Feeling a bit awkward under the viscountess’s kind gaze, I cleared my throat and stood up. Just then, the grandfather clock in the drawing room struck 9 p.m.
“It’s late. We should wrap up for the night. I’ll need to be at the banquet hall from the morning, so please rest well, Viscountess.”
“Yes, thank you.”
After instructing a servant to escort the viscountess, I stepped out of the drawing room. Just before I headed to my bedroom, the viscountess called out to stop me.
“Madam.”
“Yes?”
“Once this banquet is over, many people will start paying attention to you.”
Her expression had turned from gentle to that of a strict teacher.
“From now on, every person you meet, every letter you send, every guest that enters the annex… even those small things will be closely watched. You won’t be able to maintain the same position as before.”
Regardless of what Helene or Mikhail thought of me, outsiders would begin to recognize me as the Duchess of the Leyton house.
This was different from the celebrations held previously. Giving the year-end toast before the Emperor wasn’t something a mere parasite of the duchy could do.
In other words, more people would begin to see me as the ‘Duchess of the Leyton family.’ With the attention came responsibility.
“Soon, you’ll need to participate in social gatherings as a duchess. Think of this banquet as a stepping stone for that.”
“…I understand.”
Just as she said, I likely wouldn’t be able to avoid high society any longer. Her advice was to use this opportunity to build connections.
“I’ve said too much. Well then, good night.”
The viscountess gave a polite bow and left for her room.
‘I really have a good teacher.’
I quietly thanked her in my heart. Because of her advice, I now felt determined to make this banquet a success.
Meanwhile, Kenneth, the captain of the Imperial Guard, was once again struggling with the Emperor’s stubbornness.
He had repeatedly advised the Emperor to halt the march until the sudden bad weather passed, but the Emperor had snapped:
“If we rest in weather like this, what will the western nobles think of us? They already boast that western winters are harsher.”
Kenneth wanted to yell back and ask who on earth boasted about that, but since he was dealing with the Emperor, he held back his frustration.
As someone who rose from a mere freelance knight to his current status thanks to the Emperor, he should’ve been grateful. But now, as one of the few people who could speak honestly to him, he had to deal with all the headaches too.
High-ranking officials and a few capital nobles marching alongside the Emperor threw silent glances at Kenneth — clearly urging him to stop the Emperor.
But Kenneth had no solution either.
In the end, they braved the snowstorm and pressed on.
Encouraging the soldiers leading the front, Kenneth let out a sigh as he worried about what awaited them.
‘The Leyton Duchy… hopefully nothing goes wrong there.’
Anyone close to the Emperor knew he had a grudge against the Leyton household. It wasn’t just about political positions — with the Eastern region backing him, a conflict with the West had been inevitable.
Kenneth hoped the Emperor wouldn’t actively antagonize the western nobility.
He had seen firsthand how terrifying the Emperor could be. Even the Imperial Palace had once bowed to the Emperor’s fierce will — Kenneth knew just how sharp the Emperor’s fangs were.
‘Will the West surrender first?’
For the western nobility, swallowing their pride and enduring a temporary humiliation might be the best way to survive.
‘Come to think of it, wasn’t the Duchess giving the toast?’
It was already unusual for the Emperor to attend a noble family’s year-end banquet. That alone made the Leyton Duchy’s Duchess, Wilhelmina, a hot topic.
She was the fifth wife of the infamous late Duke and had been forced into marriage by the Emperor to humiliate the Leyton family.
‘Poor thing.’
Though he had only heard a brief description of her, Kenneth could easily imagine how uncomfortable her situation must be.
The daughter of a ruined noble house, practically sold into marriage, now forced to live as the “mother-in-law” of a family she had no connection to — all because of the Emperor’s pressure.
The Emperor hadn’t even provided her any support, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Leyton household treated her like dead weight.
She was completely isolated, deep in enemy territory with no allies.
‘He really can be so cruel sometimes.’
And to top it off, the Emperor had even forced her to give the year-end toast — a move that showed he had no intention of letting go of her yet.
One of the subordinates had remarked that it felt unethical, but the Emperor had calmly replied:
“If what I heard about her is true, she’ll manage just fine.”
What exactly he had heard about Wilhelmina was unclear. And since the Leyton family had accepted the offer, the subordinates had no reason to object.
No one knew what kind of conversation had taken place between them, but it was obvious who the most pitiful person in all this was: the Duchess, who was forced into giving the toast.
‘She’s twenty-five, right? Tsk. If only she had married earlier, none of this would’ve happened. She could’ve had a child by now…’
“Captain.”
“Huh? Oh, yes?”
Lost in thought, Kenneth was snapped back to reality by a junior knight pointing ahead.
“We’ve arrived.”
