“His Majesty the Emperor has breakfast appointments with foreign dignitaries today. Most of them are scheduled to return to their countries this week now that the imperial wedding is over.”

“Oh, I see. Should I attend too?”

“No. His Majesty instructed that the Empress should rest rather than attend, considering you must be tired from the wedding ceremony.”

“When did he say that……”

Aristie was inwardly impressed by Khalid’s thoughtfulness. She could feel how he constantly made efforts to care for her despite his busy schedule.

‘He must be just as tired from the wedding. He probably couldn’t sleep properly and must be exhausted.’

By this point, she found herself worrying about Khalid instead. She naturally resolved to do her best in her duties as Empress, if only to lighten his burden.

What should I do first?

While Aristie was contemplating her first task as Empress, Lady Hildebrand offered advice with a smile.

“Let’s start with breakfast.”

* * *

After finishing breakfast, Aristie encountered the man who was most awkward to face after Khalid, standing in front of her door.

It was Zephyros, who would be in charge of her security starting today.

“I will serve you with utmost loyalty, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Zephyros paid his respects to Aristie with a face cleared of yesterday’s distress.

Had he achieved enlightenment after being crushed by anguish? Today, he wore an expression that could be described as cheerful if viewed positively, or simply… empty-minded if viewed negatively.

First Khalid and now Zephyros. How could both men accused of being homosexual lovers look so happy? Was this even possible?

“Um……”

Ironically, Aristie was the one feeling uncomfortable. She hesitantly opened her mouth toward Zephyros, who showed no signs of resentment despite the awkward misunderstanding he suffered because of her.

“Please speak, Your Majesty.”

“I’m truly sorry! You can slap me if you want!”

Aristie squeezed her eyes shut after steeling her resolve. Her posture indicated she was fully prepared to take a proper hit.

Zephyros laughed lightly. He could understand why she was acting this way without having to ask.

“Hit Your Majesty the Empress? That would be absolutely unacceptable. If I did that, His Majesty would beat me, stab me, trample me, throw me away, and then verify whether I was properly dead.”

“I promise. I’ll keep it a secret from His Majesty.”

“I still refuse. Besides, you had warned me about this in advance. I knew what was coming, so it’s fine.”

Zephyros stood firm with his hands behind his back. Aristie had no choice but to open her eyes again.

She couldn’t understand his attitude and asked him,

“Why did you remain silent at the ceremony yesterday? You weren’t planning to participate in my plan originally. It would have been fine if you had denied it.”

It was true. She had thought that even if it turned into a battle over the truth, it would be enough if the public developed doubts about Estelle. She hadn’t expected Zephyros to cooperate through his silence.

“Actually, my lord instructed me before the wedding. He told me to follow whatever Your Majesty did.”

“What? Surely not……”

“It’s true. Well, he probably didn’t anticipate being called homosexual, haha.”

“That……”

Aristie’s eyes dimmed. She never imagined Khalid would give such instructions to Zephyros.

However, that wasn’t the only reason Zephyros had sided with her.

“Plus, there’s another reason. After Your Majesty gave me a hint previously, I thought about it and……”

Zephyros’s eyes suddenly gleamed as he stroked his chin.

“Was that woman the mastermind who tried to create a scandal by associating me with a married woman?”

Though Zephyros simply referred to her as “that woman,” Aristie immediately understood who he meant.

So he finally figured it out.

“……Yes.”

“I knew it!”

Zephyros’s eyes narrowed coldly. His face showed anger.

“When I thought about it that way, everything fell into place—the situation, the timing, everything. Every time I saw that woman, I felt she was about to do something to me.”

“She probably thought you were interfering with her getting close to His Majesty.”

“Did you know she was behind it when you helped with my trial?”

Aristie nodded slightly.

“I only had suspicions.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have gladly helped you, whether as a homosexual or whatever.”

“Because I had no evidence. I learned from His Majesty that it’s difficult to convince someone with logical deduction alone.”

“That damned Majesty…!”

Zephyros inadvertently expressed his outrage before quickly recovering with, “Ah, please pretend you didn’t hear that!”

Not satisfied with just one attempt at damage control, he added further pleas: “This absolutely must not reach His Majesty’s ears! I cannot end my life at this age!” and repeatedly emphasized his point.

“Anyway, I nearly had my life ruined because of that woman. If not for Your Majesty, I would have disgraced my family name, been branded a scoundrel, and lived in shame.”

Zephyros gritted his teeth at the thought of Estelle.

“That’s why I participated in Your Majesty’s plan. I wanted to get back at that woman too. Though I couldn’t shout, ‘Yes, I am indeed His Majesty’s true lover!'”

“Pfft.”

Aristie burst out laughing.

Perhaps it was because she felt Zephyros was on her side. She had approached him to apologize, but somehow ended up feeling comforted instead.

“Your silence was very effective. That’s why I feel even more sorry. I ended up driving you away from His Majesty’s side……”

“It’s fine.”

Zephyros shrugged as if it were no big deal.

“Rhion will take care of him for now. Besides, he’ll probably call me back soon. He can’t do anything without me—he’d need to wear a bib around his neck.”

Aristie laughed again. Had Zephyros always been this pleasant?

There are sides to people you only see once you become close……

“Having been publicly recognized as his fake lover in front of everyone, that woman won’t be able to meet His Majesty openly for a while. Honestly, thinking about it now, Your Majesty handled it perfectly.”

“Still……”

Aristie still felt heavy-hearted. Though the scandal with the married woman was avoided, she had ended up spreading rumors about Zephyros being homosexual.

“I’m so sorry that you’ve become the subject of such misunderstandings because of me.”

“Ah, you needn’t worry about that. Anyone who knows me wouldn’t believe such rumors.”

Zephyros waved his hand dismissively.

“My acquaintances all know how devoted I am to women. They often tell me to tone it down. But if anyone truly believes His Majesty and I are in that kind of relationship……”

Having reached a point where he seemed to enjoy the misunderstanding, his voice trailed off playfully.

“Let them believe it, I suppose. I’ve always wanted a title others wouldn’t dare claim, and ‘His Majesty’s lover’…… Not bad, is it? Oh, but it would be troublesome if it ended up in the history books, wouldn’t it?”

Aristie smiled gently at Zephyros as he scratched his head. Zephyros made sure Aristie would stop feeling guilty.

“Do you remember when I promised to grant one of your wishes? Consider that wish fulfilled. So please, don’t feel any more guilt. Oh, and.”

Zephyros added, as if something had just occurred to him.

“That woman won’t last long. His Majesty seems to be growing suspicious.”

“What?”

“You can trust my words. It wasn’t natural from the beginning. How should I put it…… He seemed mentally captivated? Ah, not in a romantic way. This is difficult to explain……”

Zephyros furrowed his brow, trying to find the right expression. Aristie could understand what he was trying to say.

But was that really true? For whatever reason, pushing away a woman he had acknowledged would never be easy.

Especially for a man with a strong sense of responsibility like Khalid……

“I know. No need to explain further.”

Aristie replied briefly. Though she had created turbulence between Khalid and Estelle, how that would play out remained to be seen.

For now, she decided to focus on what she needed to do.

That was adapting to life in the imperial palace.

“Then I’ll be in your care from today, Sir Zephyros.”

* * *

In the afternoon, Lady Hildebrand had servants bring the complete volumes of Imperial Laws. They were as thick as encyclopedias and came in six volumes, requiring a cart to transport them.

She had encountered these books a few times as part of her education in the past. However, facing them now as Empress gave her a fresh perspective.

Though she sighed at the formidable thickness of the books, the thought that they would help reduce Khalid’s workload made her willing to tackle them.

“Thank you.”

After the maid placed a glass of water and withdrew, Aristie began studying the volumes in earnest. Upon examination, she found that her instructions and approval were needed not only for the Empress’s palace but for various aspects of imperial palace management.

While the Emperor’s duty was to govern the state, the Empress’s duties were more focused on the imperial palace itself.

‘Once I learn this, it will make things easier in the long run.’

Aristie concentrated on the books with the attitude of a student preparing for an exam. So deeply immersed was she that she didn’t notice the door quietly opening.

Khalid, visiting the Empress’s office, smiled silently at the sight of Aristie absorbed in her books. Just confirming her presence in the palace filled his heart.

He left the room as quietly as he had entered.

For a while, only the regular sound of turning pages echoed through the office.