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12. The Girl’s Flower
“Then I’ll report back again tomorrow.”
“Yes. Let’s meet in the morning.”
“Understood.”
After finishing the conversation, I stood up and left the audience chamber, escorted by Rayel and Rose. As the doors closed behind us, I linked arms with Lucius and walked down the long corridor toward the entrance.
As we walked slowly, I glanced up at him, and at the same moment, his gaze lowered, meeting mine.
“Lucius, how was it?”
“What do you mean?”
“The conversation with His Majesty in the audience chamber. You seemed quite surprised—are you okay?”
He appeared calm now, but I wondered if a part of him still felt unsettled. Seeing my worried expression, he gave me a small smile.
“I’m fine. I was surprised, yes, but I expected it to some degree.”
“So, you really support Angelica becoming the Empress?”
“Yes. His Majesty showed such strong resolve. When someone is that sincere, there’s no reason for me to oppose it.”
Perhaps because he knew that Rayel’s feelings were genuine, he accepted it more easily than I had expected. His face relaxed into a relieved smile, and for some reason, a hint of joy flickered across it.
“You look happy.”
“Do I? Tiana, your eyes don’t lie. Actually… I am a little happy.”
“About what?”
“About everything His Majesty said. Nothing like this has happened before, so hearing those words from him truly brings me joy.”
“Ah…”
His bright smile looked genuinely happy. After all, the two of them probably hadn’t been able to speak freely with each other before. The invisible wall between them since birth prevented them from getting close, even though they wanted to. This was likely the first time they had such a private, deep conversation. Seeing his happiness made me feel both joy and a tinge of sorrow. Could there be another pair of siblings who cared so deeply for each other?
“And above all, I’m glad that you thought of both me and Tiana together.”
“Me and Lucius?”
“Yes. You both fall into the category of ‘people I can trust and want to trust.’ That shows His Majesty completely acknowledges Tiana.”
He stopped walking, carefully embraced me, and pressed a kiss to my forehead. I leaned into him, smiling at the gentle gesture, and he held me tighter as he whispered:
“I’m relieved that he seems to have found the same ‘fate’ as I have.”
“I feel the same way. Surely, the two of them are destined for something wonderful.”
“The fact that you can say that with certainty is one reason I trust you. Somehow, it really feels true.”
“You can believe it. Angelica is unquestionably a match for His Majesty. And of course, he is a suitable match for her as well.”
It was only natural that the two of them would be together. Laughing at my firm answer, he nodded and said:
“Understood, Tiana. Don’t worry. If you support Lady Werner, I’ll gladly support her as well. And Count Werner will also be able to serve His Majesty well.”
“Is it okay even though he hasn’t sided with Lucius yet?”
“It’s unfortunate, but if he becomes His Majesty’s man, I’ll feel relieved. He’s trustworthy.”
“That’s good. I’d like to meet Count Werner myself sometime.”
“You’ll probably meet him soon. He seemed very grateful to you for helping Lady Werner recently. He said he’d visit the Archduke’s household soon, so we can meet then.”
“Really? I’m looking forward to it.”
In the original story, he was a proper man and a devoted father. I wondered what he would feel like in person. Since Angelica’s blond hair was said to be inherited from him, I was also curious about his appearance.
As I walked slowly, linked arm in arm with him, the entrance of the Imperial Palace came into view. Just as we were about to get into the waiting carriage, the approaching Marquis Calvino saw us and came forward.
“Oh! It’s been a long time, Your Majesty. And Your Imperial Highness, the Archduchess.”
He greeted us warmly, but Lucius, holding my hand, tensed. Seeing the sudden shift in his demeanor, I stepped slightly ahead, blocking the Marquis, and spoke first:
“It’s been a while, Marquis Calvino. Or should I say, Great-Grandfather?”
“…Hmm. No, well… call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Perhaps surprised by my boldness, he hesitated. I laughed lightly at his awkward throat-clearing, and he looked at me with a curious expression.
“Remarkable. You truly carry yourself as the Archduchess now.”
“Do I? I’ve somewhat adjusted, but I still feel distant from it. I’m glad it looks that way to you.”
“Not at all. You’re already excellent. Truly, you are the one I chose.”
“Thank you. I’ll continue to move forward so that you have no regrets about your choice.”
“Haha! Excellent. I look forward to it, Archduchess.”
I clicked my tongue inwardly at his satisfied smile. Who exactly chose whom? Meeting such an unwelcome guest when I was just about to return with Lucius put me in a tricky spot. I wanted to take Lucius’ hand and leave immediately, but I had to restrain myself.
“What brings you… to His Majesty’s palace?”
Lucius carefully approached the Marquis, who had been watching our interaction, and asked. The Marquis, slightly startled, replied:
“I’ve come to report some matters. Recently, His Majesty took a break from state affairs, so a few issues have accumulated.”
“I see. His Majesty is in the audience chamber, so you should go see him.”
“Are you coming from meeting him yourselves?”
“Yes.”
“I understand.”
The Marquis nodded, seeming about to pass by, but then he cautiously brought up another topic:
“By the way, there’s been a strange rumor recently. I heard whispers about an engagement involving Lady Werner. Are you two aware of it?”
“…Yes. That was resolved through Lady Werner’s clarification.”
“Ah, I see. I must have been out of the loop. I’ve been busy lately, so I suppose the news reached me late.”
His casual attitude annoyed me. There was no way he really didn’t know; he was always so well-informed about society and political news. He must have known, but was pretending not to.
“I don’t understand why His Majesty became involved with such a lady. Such crude gossip can only damage his authority.”
“….”
“This is why one’s usual behavior is important, don’t you think?”
His mocking tone revealed that he knew all about the incident between Angelica and Rayel. Of course—he must have conducted a thorough investigation and was deliberately feigning ignorance.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Lucius intervened first:
“Watch your words. Consider your place, Grandfather.”
“Oh, yes. I momentarily forgot where I was, ha ha.”
“Grandfather… no, Marquis Calvino.”
“…? Yes, Your Highness.”
“I’ll say it once more. Speak of His Majesty and Lady Werner with care.”
“….”
“No matter who you are, such behavior is unacceptable. Don’t think I’m merely observing silently.”
Lucius’ firm words shut the Marquis up immediately. Changing how he addressed me while issuing the warning, the Marquis lowered his head:
“…Understood. My apologies, Your Highness.”
“That’s sufficient. I’ll go ahead. We shall meet again.”
“Yes, Your Highness…”
Lucius, clearly displeased, led me past the Marquis and into the carriage. I barely restrained a laugh at the Marquis’ startled expression.
As the carriage departed, leaving the Imperial Palace behind, the Marquis stood silently, watching us go.
“…Hmm.”
The Marquis Calvino’s eyes lingered on the rapidly receding carriage, still unsettled. He pondered the meaning behind Lucius’ unusual warning.
‘His Highness actually said something like that…’
Though he had restrained others before when lines were crossed, this felt different. Even a direct warning carried a different weight now.
‘Before, he didn’t mind how people were mentioned. But this time…’
Lucius had even altered his usual form of address, showing just how much the words had offended him. Why now?
“His Majesty and… Lady Werner…”
He could understand the Emperor’s involvement, but why would Lucius care about Lady Werner too? The Werner family was respectable, and Lady Werner wasn’t particularly remarkable.
The incident with Count Hujet seemed resolved, and this new product was doing well, yet Lucius was so attentive.
‘Also, the Archduchess attended Lady Werner’s tea party, and even helped her at Princess Alexandra’s tea. They seem to get along…’
Perhaps the Archduchess’ favor influenced Lucius. His actions were often affected by her. The growing reputation after the marriage also reflected this.
‘If the Sinadeli incident hadn’t involved the Archduchess, he wouldn’t have cared so much.’
As an Archduke, he didn’t need to personally handle such small-town matters. Passing it to the local nobles would have sufficed. But he didn’t—because of the Archduchess.
He was reportedly often present to observe the recovery firsthand, which had given the Empire’s citizens a favorable impression. That was good, but still…
“Yet something else seems off.”
Hearing him called ‘Marquis’ sounded strange for the first time. His expressions, gaze, and movements seemed different from what I knew. The change felt unsettling. Though this was the outcome he wanted, it wasn’t in the way he desired. Was the Archduchess’ influence really that strong?
“I’ll have to watch more closely… and Lady Werner, yes.”
The rumors involving the Emperor, and the attention on the Werner family and Lady Werner, felt strangely manufactured. The gossip had been overshadowed by the Werner family’s new product. As a result, their reputation, which had been declining, was improving.
‘I need to investigate this carefully.’
There were many points that caught his attention. He could not afford to let them go unnoticed.
