Chapter 76

Since Liliana was rarely this firm, Lady Liston decided to stop teasing her. After all, there was much to discuss regarding the business.

Lady Liston placed a small box between them on the low table.

“I’ve researched and found that the Duchy of Laove is still producing spirit stones. However, their pride in their spirits makes them reluctant to export them, especially to the Empire. They seem particularly wary of the stones ending up in imperial hands.”

“But you managed to obtain them.”

Lady Liston shrugged her shoulders triumphantly, once again realizing the power of the information network she had built over the years. She spoke lightly as if it were no big deal.

“It wasn’t as difficult as I thought. But more importantly, spirit stones have another incredible advantage.“

When Lady Liston opened the box, six gems, each slightly smaller than a woman’s fist, were revealed. These were the spirit stones Lady Liston had painstakingly gathered. Liliana could tell just by looking at them that each stone had its unique attribute.

The colors of the spirit stones were remarkably vivid, and as she looked closer, it seemed as though the power of the spirits within was stirring.

The wind spirit stone’s hue shifted subtly as if a breeze were blowing inside it, while the water spirit stone deepened in color depending on how it was tilted.

As Liliana marveled at them, Lady Liston smiled in satisfaction.

“Spirit stones are lovely. It would be a shame for them to fade into history just because of their efficiency.”

Lady Liston took out the dark spirit stone and placed it in Liliana’s hand.

At first, it appeared pitch black, but then the dark power swirling within the stone faintly brightened before darkening again, resembling the night sky with a full moon.

At that moment, Liliana heard a faint echo in her mind, like the endless clinking of gold coins.

The first step in their business plan was to connect spirit summoners with spirits, which could only be done by someone with the qualities of a spirit summoner.

Liliana advised Lady Liston to visit Abra, a known spirit summoner.

Fortunately, Abra shared their concerns about the Empire’s spirit summoners, who, despite their innate abilities, had never experienced the joy of meeting a spirit. Additionally, Abra was displeased with the Duchy of Laove’s closed spirit culture, so she accepted Lady Liston’s proposal.

Although their parting with Abra was somewhat awkward, Liliana felt confident in her trustworthiness regarding anything related to spirit arts.

After giving the necessary instructions, Liliana found herself with surprisingly little to do. She decided to focus on matters within the palace that she had neglected. The first of these was visiting the Empress Dowager.

When Liliana appeared before the Empress Dowager wearing a yellow dress, the older woman covered her mouth as she laughed.

“With winter approaching, the Empress Consort still looks like a spring maiden.”

Liliana smiled brightly and lifted the hem of her dress.

“I greet Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager. Despite how it looks, this dress is quite warm.”

Instead of leading Liliana to the drawing room, the Empress Dowager took her to the small forest where Liliana’s ceremony as Empress Consort had been held.

By late autumn, the once lush forest had shed most of its leaves. However, there were still enough leaves clinging to the branches to prevent it from looking bare, and the crunching sound they made underfoot as they walked was pleasant to the ear.

“The forest feels so different in autumn,“ Liliana remarked.

“Yes, the vibrant colors are gorgeous,“ the Empress Dowager replied, her eyes crinkling in a smile as she looked around.

“There was a time when I loved strong trees that could bloom even in winter.“

“Are you referring to the Rhenia tree?”

“Yes. His Majesty gave one to you as a gift, didn’t he?”

Liliana blushed shyly, and the Empress Dowager smiled warmly.

“There was a time when this forest was filled with Rhenia trees. But I wanted to experience the changing seasons at some point, so I transformed part of the forest like this. The sight of falling leaves is wonderful.“

“I love both. My palace has some fallen leaves, but not nearly as many. Seeing the sky tinged with red like this is wonderful.”

Liliana deliberately stepped lightly on the leaves with the tip of her shoe, and the Empress Dowager watched her contentedly.

As they strolled along the path, chatting, Liliana noticed a particularly red and beautifully shaped maple leaf. She remembered how Helio subtly enjoyed receiving such leaves as gifts. She wanted to give him this beautiful leaf but worried they would pass it by if they walked too far.

However, she felt it would be embarrassing to pick up the leaf in front of the Empress Dowager, and her face showed nervousness.

Noticing the sudden decrease in Liliana’s chatter, the Empress Dowager asked with concern, “What’s the matter?“

“Oh, um…”

Liliana wanted to ask if it was okay to pick up the leaf, but she worried it would make her seem childish. Feeling her face flush, she quickly came up with another topic.

“I brought a gift. Would you accept it?“

“Was it so difficult to say that?”

The Empress Dowager laughed with delight, and Liliana breathed a sigh of relief, feeling she had avoided an awkward situation, as she gestured to Sophia.

Sophia handed the Empress Dowager a small box she had been holding. Inside were the six spirit stones Liliana had received from Lady Liston.

“My goodness.”

The Empress Dowager was astonished as she looked at the small, glowing spirit stones inside the box.

The Duchy of Laove had kept the existence of spirit stones so well hidden that even the Empress Dowager, who had been a member of the royal family for a long time, had never seen one in person before.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the light spirit stone, which shone with a brilliant golden hue like the sun yet wasn’t blinding.

“These beautiful gems, what are they, Your Highness?“ the Empress Dowager inquired.

“They’re spirit stones. I came across them while looking into some things and thought they were too precious to keep for myself. I wanted to give them to you, Your Majesty,“ Liliana explained.

“A gem as lovely as this should belong to a younger person,“ the Empress Dowager replied.

“You’re still quite young yourself, Your Majesty,“ Liliana responded, her flattery bringing a subtle smile to the Empress Dowager’s face.

Liliana wasn’t entirely wrong. The Empress Dowager had given birth to Helio at a very young age, so she was still relatively young to have a grown son. And as the mother of the strikingly handsome Helio, she was a beauty in her own right.

As Liliana admired Empress Dowager’s beautiful features, which bore traces of Helio, she remembered something important she needed to say and spoke up.

“Actually, Your Majesty, this isn’t so much a gift as it is a bribe. I have an ulterior motive.”

The Empress Dowager burst out laughing at Liliana’s cautious confession.

“What power do I have, living out here in this quiet place?“

“Don’t say that. You’re the most respected elder of the imperial family.“

“If you keep saying such sweet things, I might start to worry about what grand favor you’ll ask. Go on, tell me.“

“Would you wear these spirit stones for the year-end and New Year’s celebrations?“

“You’re asking me to help debut these gems, right?“ The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes as she looked at Liliana’s earnest expression.

There was no reason to refuse, but seeing Liliana’s anxious face made the Empress Dowager want to drag it out a little longer. She found herself wondering if she had always been this playful. There was a reason her son constantly teased Liliana.

However, when the Empress Dowager saw Liliana’s hopeful eyes, she nodded.

“I was actually looking forward to showing them off myself,“ Liliana admitted with a bashful smile as she linked her arm through the Empress Dowager’s. It wasn’t the most formal gesture, but the Empress Dowager didn’t reprimand her. Instead, she looked pleased.

“I’ve been feeling bored lately, so I invited some actors. They said they would come next week. Would you like to watch with me?“ the Empress Dowager suggested.

“Really? I’d love to! Is it a play?“ Liliana asked, clapping her hands in excitement.

“Yes, but do you prefer opera?“

“I enjoy both. I haven’t seen enough to have a preference.“

“That’s a shame. We’ll have to watch together more often,“ the Empress Dowager said.

As Liliana chatted enthusiastically with the Empress Dowager, she began to notice the sound of footsteps crunching on the leaves behind them. It was just a maid following them, but it made Liliana feel uneasy for some reason. She turned, curious, only to find Helio standing there with a slightly disgruntled expression.

“Y-Your Majesty,“ Liliana stammered.

“Yes?“ the Empress Dowager responded, thinking Liliana was addressing her. But Liliana’s “Your Majesty“ was directed at Helio, not the Empress Dowager.

“You see? When you call everyone ‘Your Majesty,‘ it even confuses the Empress Dowager,“ Helio remarked with a teasing smile.

“Everyone? That’s not true…“ Liliana responded, flustered, as she glanced around to see that the maids were standing far behind, likely because of some order from Helio.

Helio was amused that Liliana was only now noticing him, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. The Empress Dowager also saw her son and looked surprised.

“Your Majesty, how is it that you arrive so quietly?“ the Empress Dowager asked.

Helio’s smile faded as he responded in a formal tone,

“How could I arrive quietly with all these leaves? I made plenty of noise as I came.“

“Don’t joke with me. The emperor of a nation arrives, and no one announces him? Surely, Your Majesty must have ordered them to remain silent,“ the Empress Dowager said, half-joking.

“I came to pay my respects, but since I see you’re already with a daughter-in-law who is better than your own son, I thought it best not to interrupt. So, this intruder shall take his leave,“ Helio replied sarcastically.

Liliana furrowed her brow and glared at Helio, irritated by his attitude. She had encouraged him to reconcile with the Empress Dowager for his own sake, but his behavior made her doubt they would ever get along.

Not wanting to scold the emperor in front of the Empress Dowager, Liliana gave him a meaningful look, which he noticed but deliberately ignored.

“And why that expression?“ Helio asked, feigning ignorance, naturally drawing the Empress Dowager’s attention to Liliana.

Liliana quickly relaxed her frown and waved her hands dismissively.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a sudden breeze…”

It was a silly excuse, and the Empress Dowager quickly caught on. She widened her eyes before laughing in a way that said she couldn’t be bothered with their antics.

She cleared her throat and spoke sternly to Helio,

“The Empress Consort is your only consort, so don’t tease her too much.“

“I merely asked why she looked that way,“ Helio replied, still with a hint of mischief.

“Why do you always act so childish around the Empress Consort?“ the Empress Dowager chided.

“I’m just as curious as you, so I asked her. It seems she still hasn’t found an answer,“ Helio said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

The Empress Dowager didn’t know whether to scold her son for talking back or to praise him for getting along so well with his wife. Ultimately, she left the scene altogether, not wanting to be caught between this childish couple.

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.