Chapter 11
“Um… well…”
Ellen hesitated for a long moment, and Rashid, unable to wait any longer, spoke first.
“Why don’t you at least throw a vase from the Selina Palace?”
“Her Majesty, the Empress, upon hearing that Princess Melisina was coming to the Igreta Empire… didn’t say a single word.”
“…?”
Rashid was taken aback by Ellen’s words. Was she seriously trying to provoke him?
“…So, where is the delegation now?”
“They’ve just crossed the border.”
Instead of responding verbally, Rashid nodded stiffly at Ellen and picked up his pen.
It required significant effort to negotiate with the delegation and resolve border issues smoothly, so he had no time to pay attention to Azelina anymore.
Ellen thought the maids of Selina Palace resembled little baby birds.
They huddled together, chirping incessantly despite their tiny bodies. Moreover, they followed the head maid, Iana, like she was their mother.
Ellen assumed that anyone who had seen the maids of Selina Palace likely thought the same.
“Why does His Excellency keep visiting Selina Palace?”
“Maybe he’s taken a liking to someone among us?”
“Right? I thought so too!”
‘…I can hear everything, you know.’
Ellen occasionally visited Selina Palace to gather information about Azelina from the maids.
She thought Rashid was curious about the Empress lately, but too prideful to investigate personally.
Well, it was part of a secretary’s job to ensure the Emperor could focus on work without unnecessary distractions.
“Um, by the way… does anyone have anything to tell me?”
Ellen wasn’t someone to just sit idly while the little ‘baby birds’ chattered noisily.
As soon as Ellen spoke, the maids, who had been munching on cookies he brought, began speaking one by one.
“Her Majesty, the Empress, has been drinking a lot of black tea lately.”
“She still treats us kindly.”
“Since she hasn’t been going to the Imperial Palace recently, she seems a bit frustrated being only at Selina Palace.”
Ellen diligently recorded their responses in a small notebook. By listening and taking notes carefully, she might pick up something useful.
At that moment, Mabel, who had been quietly nibbling on cookies in the corner, approached and spoke.
“Your Excellency, thank you for giving us such delicious treats so often.”
Ellen simply smiled at Mabel’s gratitude.
These little treats could be given freely, and it was a subtle way of encouraging them to share more about the Empress.
“Um, but…”
Mabel, who had been cautiously observing Ellen, finally spoke.
“Yes?”
“Then, what about His Majesty, the Emperor?”
“His Majesty…?”
“Since we’ve been telling you about the Empress, you should, of course, tell us about His Majesty as well…!”
Mabel’s disappointed expression prompted the other maids nearby to chime in.
Ellen felt cornered, as if she absolutely had to answer.
At the same time, she was bewildered by why the maids were so eager to know about the Emperor, especially since Azelina didn’t seem interested in him at all.
“Um… well, other than that His Majesty has been acting a little odd lately, there’s nothing much to report…”
Ellen scratched her cheek, realizing there wasn’t much unusual except that Rashid often seemed distracted these days.
She recalled the Emperor’s appearance in the office earlier and muttered quietly to herself.
“…If His Majesty were to develop a belated crush, he’d probably get very hurt.”
“Huh?”
“If he works late into the night and wears himself out, it could be a disaster.”
“Oh, right.”
Ellen quickly corrected herself, and Mabel nodded in understanding.
It would be a huge problem if rumors spread that the Emperor had developed a belated crush on an Empress who had long since lost interest in him.
“Come to think of it, the Imperial Palace has been so quiet lately. It’s a bit unsettling.”
“Well, if His Excellency had been here as usual, it might have been even more chaotic.”
“Is that so?”
The maids soon moved on to a new topic, chattering away.
Ellen wanted to warn them that, unlike the quiet Selina Palace, the Imperial Palace was a storm waiting to happen—but she held her tongue.
Unaware of Ellen’s thoughts, the little ‘baby birds’ began chirping even louder.
“Still, there’s no one quite like our Empress!”
“Right? Her personality is a little… but she’s so beautiful.”
“Hey, you guys! Quiet down a little. If the headmistress finds out, we might get scolded.”
One maid pressed her finger to her lips anxiously.
Watching the maids busy with cookies, Ellen let her thoughts wander lightly.
Princess Melisina, after crossing the border, arrived at the Igreta Imperial Palace two weeks later and only recovered her condition after a few days of rest.
In the evening, a maid brought dinner but accidentally spilled water, soaking her dress.
Riga, Melisina’s head maid, went to fetch a new dress but didn’t return no matter how long they waited.
Worried, Melisina wandered around the palace.
She saw many knights, but none seemed particularly concerned about her.
Though it would make sense for them to be suspicious of a stranger walking freely in the palace, strangely, they weren’t.
‘…Are they used to this kind of situation?’
After all, many foreign royals must have stayed here under similar circumstances, half as hostages.
So even the knights had no choice but to accept the presence of an unfamiliar foreigner.
Melisina, taking it lightly, set out to look for Riga in earnest.
Meanwhile, Azelina, strolling near the palace, happened to spot Princess Melisina.
Seeing Melisina again, someone she had faced until her own death, stirred complex feelings within her.
“I never schemed against anyone, so why do they immediately suspect me of harassing Princess Melisina? Do they think I was jealous? Yes, I was jealous of her, but I never caused her harm.”
A memory flashed, and Azelina came to an abrupt stop.
At that moment, Melisina turned and unexpectedly noticed Azelina.
“Glory to the Igreta Empire, I greet Her Majesty, the Empress.”
Without hesitation, Melisina bowed politely to Azelina.
Azelina reluctantly returned a slight bow.
“Pleasure to meet you, Princess Melisina.”
“And you know who I am?”
“Who wouldn’t know that the First Princess of the Ophilia Kingdom is coming to the Igreta Empire with the delegation?”
Azelina didn’t feel entirely comfortable observing Melisina’s gentle demeanor.
Of course, the Melisina in front of her had done nothing wrong.
But Azelina still vividly remembered the times when Melisina looked at her with a pitiful, accusatory gaze, blaming her for things she hadn’t done.
“Why are you out here alone?”
“I was walking around looking for my maid.”
“You must have walked a lot if this is as far as you’ve come from your residence.”
Azelina’s words slipped out before she could stop herself, leaving her slightly embarrassed.
But Melisina merely smiled, seemingly unfazed. She surely knew Azelina’s tone was teasing.
As always, Melisina had a peculiar talent for making people feel uneasy.
Azelina, feeling awkward, turned her head away.
Selina Palace.
“Your Excellency, if it’s too much trouble, you could… just not go.”
“I’ve already sent my reply saying I will attend.”
Seeing Iana staring at her with tearful eyes, Azelina forced a smile.
She knew well that visiting the Evangelich Marquis’ residence wouldn’t be particularly enjoyable. But since she had already sent the reply, there was no turning back.
She could understand Iana’s genuine concern but couldn’t cancel on the day itself.
“…Still…”
Iana gently held Azelina’s hand, her eyes already glistening with tears.
“…Really.”
Azelina gave a bitter smile as she looked at Iana.
The afternoon was crisp as Azelina headed to the Evangelich Marquis’ residence.
Following the attendants, she entered a side building behind the main residence.
Many young ladies were already gathered, busy socializing.
“Ah, Her Majesty, the Empress!”
Rosena, sitting at the center table, greeted Azelina politely first.
Azelina then exchanged formal greetings with the other young ladies, most of whom had previously harbored ill will toward her.
“Hm.”
Sipping tea, Azelina quietly observed the young ladies, who seemed busy networking.
Those who accidentally met her eyes flinched, but she smiled at them without concern.
“….”
Why did the Evangelich young ladies invite the Empress to such an event?
There was an underlying awkwardness among them, naturally caused by Azelina.
It wasn’t just that she appeared at a social gathering without hesitation.
Her serene smile, refreshing and bright demeanor, and unfamiliar presence made her unrecognizable from the Empress they once knew.
So it was only natural that their gazes kept drifting toward her.
“Oh, by the way, I’ve heard people talking about the Empress a lot these days.”
When the word ‘Empress’ was mentioned in their friendly conversation, all the young ladies’ eyes immediately focused on Azelina as if waiting for a reaction.
