Chapter 22

Upon reflection, Liliana realized that the protagonist had difficulty getting close to Lucia, even in the original story.

Once Lucia opened her heart, she was very affectionate, even to the point of risking her life. However, knowing this about herself, she deliberately raised high barriers to entry.

And the protagonist of the original story had broken through Lucia’s defenses in this manner:

“Then I will wait until she comes out.”

Patience. And persistence.

Lucia deliberately acted coldly and couldn’t quickly stop someone from persistently approaching her.

The maid didn’t know what to do when Liliana said this and hurried back inside. She walked much faster than before. Though Liliana thought she’d have to wait for a long time…

“Empress Consort Liliana! Princess Lucia will see you now.”

The maid shouted and ran back out without much delay. Liliana widened her eyes and then smiled at Sophia.

Following the maid into the Silver Deer Palace’s reception room, Liliana was greeted by a splendid sight. She heard a voice from behind while admiring and carefully looking around the room.

“What are you looking around for?”

It was a clear and strong voice. Liliana quickly turned to face Lucia and smiled.

“Princess, thank you for making time for me.”

“I said I wouldn’t see you because I had no important matters. Didn’t you notice?“

Lucia’s voice was icy cold, making it hard to believe she was capable of any affection. Liliana, who had hoped to do well, lowered her head in dejection.

“I’m sorry. But I need to prepare for the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet; as you know, I lack knowledge in many areas. I came to ask for your help.”

Lucia looked at Liliana with a startled expression. Liliana peeked up at her and blinked rapidly at the sight.

Despite her frosty demeanor, Lucia was indeed compassionate. Liliana barely showed a sad face, and Lucia already showed signs of agitation.

‘Yes, in that case, I’ll play the pity card!’

Determined, Liliana clasped her hands and looked at Lucia with a plaintive expression. Her eyebrows dropped into a sorrowful arc.

“Lady Gabriel mocked me for hiding my face with a fan a few days ago.“

Lucia pounded the table in shock.

“What have you been doing all this time without learning such things? Even if you were a princess from a foreign land, you should at least know the basic etiquette of the Empire.”

Liliana nodded weakly.

“Of course, my sisters would have learned it all. But my father doesn’t even know my name. The etiquette of the Kingdom of Nieta was something I picked up from the maids and learned by observing.”

Liliana said this to evoke sympathy. However, Lucia’s expression changed instantly.

‘Learned etiquette by observation? Even in a small kingdom, royal etiquette is complex.’

Lucia, raised as a princess, knew this best. Learning royal etiquette by observation alone required exceptional perceptiveness and intelligence.

‘She might be more useful than she appears.‘

‘That’s probably why Helio took a liking to her.’

Lucia sighed and crossed her arms.

“First, sit down. I need to know what you don’t understand.”

At these words, Liliana smiled brightly and grabbed Lucia’s arm. Her face was filled with genuine joy.

“Thank you, Princess. Truly!“

Liliana’s eyes were filled with heartfelt gratitude. Lucia unconsciously uncrossed her arms, and Liliana beamed at her.

‘She looks foolish but also quite endearing.’

Lucia thought her brother Helio might prefer cute girls as she shook her head.

“Firstly, according to royal etiquette, the birthday banquet must be held early in the morning and concluded before sunset. And also…”

As Lucia began to explain, Liliana nodded attentively.

With the two seated closely, engaging in a serious conversation, Sophia, who was pouring tea nearby, smiled warmly—just like the maids at the Empress Dowager’s Palace, who had watched Liliana with affection.

* * *

The Emperor’s bedchamber was quiet, but occasionally, the rustling of blankets could be heard as Helio tossed and turned.

With his eyes closed, he groaned before eventually pulling the bell cord. A servant entered carrying a lantern.

“Light the room.“

“Your Majesty, it’s late.“

“I can’t sleep. I might as well read.”

The servant tried to dissuade him, but Helio was insistent. Eventually, the servant lit the room and withdrew. Helio picked up the book on his nightstand and began reading word by word.

But soon, the day’s fatigue caught up with him, and he had to close the book again. He called the servant back to extinguish the lights and lay down, but that’s when the problem started. Sleep continued to elude him.

“I slept so well when I was with the Empress Consort.”

Helio mumbled to himself and let out a small laugh. Since when had he been unable to sleep without that little woman? It was just an excuse for a sleepless night. But honestly, it seemed like he could sleep well if she were beside him.

If he sought her out, she would probably be startled and on guard. But once assured that he wouldn’t touch her, she would quickly relax and fall asleep, breathing softly. He wanted to see her like that.

Listening to her breaths would clear his mind of unnecessary thoughts, calming him down and ensuring peaceful dreams. Even the cruel scenes of the battlefield that sometimes appeared in his dreams would not surface.

Helio finally pulled the bell cord once more. He thought about how bothersome it must be for the attendants, having summoned them three times tonight, but Helio was the Emperor. No one could complain about such a trivial matter.

“You called for me, Your Majesty?”

As expected, the attendant appeared with a consistently respectful attitude. Helio asked him.

“The Emerald Palace?”

The attendant whispered to another servant standing by. That one was responsible for managing the inner palace and reporting to the Emperor. Soon, the attendant answered.

“She is currently in the Silver Deer Palace.“

“At this late hour? Why did she go to the Silver Deer Palace in the first place?“

“Yes, Your Majesty. Didn’t you assign her to organize the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet? It seems she went there for that reason.“

“Ah, right.”

Helio sighed as he lay back down from his half-raised position.

“Just leave her be.”

There was no reason to interrupt her when she was trying so hard. After all, he had assigned her the task in hopes that Liliana would establish her place in the palace.

But what was this empty feeling?

Helio closed his eyes and sank into thought.

* * *

Preparing for the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet took immense effort. Every time Liliana looked distressed, and on the verge of tears, Lucia would say,

“Foundation Day is even tougher; what will you do then?”

Liliana would respond with an aggrieved expression,

“Why would I need to prepare for Foundation Day? That’s the empress’s job.”

It was a clear and reasonable statement, but Lucia would merely shrug.

“No one knows for sure.”

Liliana couldn’t understand why Lucia, usually so brilliant and organized, would make such nonsensical assumptions. Yet, despite her complaints, Liliana was doing a good job.

One attendant had ordered the wrong curtains, and the supplier refused to accept a return.

Lucia thought Liliana would use her royal authority. Despite her delicate appearance, she was born a royal and is now a member of the imperial family.

However, Liliana appropriately punished the attendant and donated the curtains to the slums to be used as blankets.

Then, she rechecked the allocated funds and prepared replacements that, while of lower quality than the originals, still met regulations.

Lucia realized that while Liliana might not be a genius, she had a decent knack for the job. Praising Liliana, she replied confidently, flipping her tied-back hair,

“I’ve always had to manage with limited funds.”

Though it was a sad reason, this experience proved helpful for improvisation.

Furthermore, the residents of the slums, having experienced luxurious curtains as blankets, grew more respectful of Liliana. When asked about it, Liliana responded as if it were obvious.

“I thought about where they would be most needed. Nobles are too picky to need them, and commoners aren’t in such dire need to use curtains as blankets. They don’t even own houses large enough to hang such large curtains.”

Hearing this, Lucia thought once more.

Helio had a reason for entrusting Liliana with the banquet. It wasn’t simply because the empress’s position was vacant.

The banquet they prepared together opened magnificently.

The elegant and beautiful banquet hall, befitting the Empress Dowager’s dignity, left people in awe. But in this world, there are always those who cannot stand others’ success.

As soon as Beatty entered the banquet hall, she clicked her tongue.

“Using such cheap curtains. If it were me, I would have used curtains from N Company.”

A peer noblewoman standing nearby commented thoughtlessly,

“They were going to use those curtains originally. But an attendant made a mistake, I heard.“

“How can you manage your subordinates so poorly that such a mistake happens? That’s entirely her fault.“

“But thanks to that, the Empress Consort is quite popular in the slums now.”

Hearing this, Beatty sneered. Though her voice was small, it was loud enough for those around her to hear.

“Coming from a beggar kingdom, she must feel sorry for the beggars.”

It was a comment no future empress should have made. And Beatty’s remark spread from person to person until it reached the Empress Dowager’s ears.

Hearing it, the Empress Dowager smiled and proposed a toast to everyone. The nobles gathered in the banquet hall raised their glasses to shoulder height.

“First, let us express our gratitude to Princess Lucia and Empress Consort Liliana, who worked hard to celebrate this person’s birthday. And we also hold great respect for Empress Consort Liliana, who has looked after the slums that the royal family and nobles have neglected. We must learn from her example.”

As the Empress Dowager spoke, the gazes split into two.

They looked at Liliana and Beatty, each in a different light.