49. The Night of Patronage (1)

When Edward embraced her, a shiver ran through his whole body. He didn’t want to let go of his arms around her. His feelings were becoming clearer and clearer. That he truly liked Larael—no, that he loved her. Every time he met her, he realized this more and more.

Someday, he wanted to look into her lovely red eyes, close enough to feel her breath, and tell her that he loved her. He wondered what kind of expression Larael would make if she heard those words.

‘Is it still too soon to say that to you? Are you still in the shadow of Herwen?’

But the way she had just looked at him made it certain—she wanted him, too. He was sure of it.

Larael lifted her arm, which had been hanging at her side, and wrapped it around Edward’s waist. Feeling her embrace him back, Edward was overwhelmed with the urge to shower her with kisses.

‘If I do that, things will get out of hand, won’t they?’

Edward was surprised at himself for thinking that way, and his ears turned red as if Larael had caught his thoughts. In the past, he never would have imagined himself having such thoughts so easily.

“Your Majesty, today…”

“Your Highness, it’s time for you to depart.”

A knock sounded at the door, and Sasha’s voice came from outside. Larael stopped what she was about to say.

‘I wanted to tell him I wanted to be with him tonight…’

Edward placed a gentle kiss on Larael’s forehead, patted her shoulder affectionately, and returned to the main palace.

Regretful that she hadn’t said what she wanted to Edward, Larael got into the carriage to head to the patronage event.

***

As Larael entered the hall, the laughter and chatter that had filled the room died away in an instant. She tried not to pay attention to the stares and began looking for the Empress Dowager. But even before she could search, the Empress Dowager approached her with a loud, boisterous laugh. The laughter cut sharply through the silence that had fallen over the hall because of Larael’s entrance.

“Empress Consort!”

Larael turned toward the sound.

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager had already reached Larael, and Larael greeted her with graceful movements. In the midst of all the nobles’ colorful dresses, the pale-colored dress Larael wore stood out all the more.

The noble ladies, who had been watching the meeting between the Empress Dowager and the Empress Consort with cold eyes, gradually turned their attention to the dress Larael was wearing.

The Empress Dowager, greeting Larael more warmly than usual, glanced sideways at her dress.

‘That’s a design I’ve never seen before.’

But when Larael noticed where the Empress Dowager’s gaze was directed, the Empress Dowager quickly turned her head away. She couldn’t afford to give Larael any advantage in this setting—not even a little. Otherwise, there would be no point in having invited Larael.

“I’d like to introduce you around myself, but as you know, I’m the host of this event, so everyone keeps calling for me… Please mingle on your own for a bit.”

With those conciliatory words, the Empress Dowager bustled away.

Of course, even without an introduction, Larael could have named every noble lady stealing glances at her right now.

But none of them approached her first. Larael had expected this. She let out a deep sigh and slowly looked around.

A brief tension hung in the air. Even though it was proper etiquette to greet the Empress first, they waited for her to make the first move. Larael, after looking around, slowly began to walk. With every step she took, the hem of her dress shimmered and rippled softly, like sunlight on gentle waves.

Passing by the nobles surrounding her, she walked toward a man standing by a table in the corner of the hall, holding a glass of champagne.

‘Jojo Assefena.’

Every gaze in the hall was fixed on Larael, and Jojo Assefena couldn’t hide his surprise as she approached him.

When Larael stopped in front of him, Jojo hurriedly set his champagne glass back on the table and bowed to her.

“Y-Your Highness the Empress Consort, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“Are you Jojo Assefena?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Assefena couldn’t lift his head.

“I’ve wanted to meet you. I’ve always wondered who could compose such beautiful music.”

“It’s an honor.”

A smile broke out on Assefena’s previously tense face. So, the Empress Consort had simply wanted to speak to him because she admired his music. He felt silly for having been so nervous.

“Is your wife’s name Corneli Assefena? Did she not come with you today?”

“…Pardon?”

Larael lowered her voice.

“I think you know very well why I mentioned your wife’s name. The person who should have attended today wasn’t you, but your wife.”

Larael recalled reading in the newspaper about the scandalous quarrel between Jojo Assefena and Corneli Assefena.

One day, Jojo’s wife, Corneli Assefena, revealed that Jojo’s works were actually hers. She had continued publishing under his name at his request, but said she could no longer live in his shadow.

The Empress Dowager was furious. Jojo Assefena was an artist sponsored by her, and he was her pride and joy. The Empress Dowager had screamed for him to be dragged before her so she could kill him for disgracing her. Larael had been frightened by the Empress Dowager’s outburst.

In the end, Jojo Assefena disappeared. For a while, the Empress Dowager kept demanding he be brought before her, but eventually she stopped mentioning him. Larael had always wondered if what everyone suspected had truly happened to him, but was too afraid to ask, lest she be cast out by the Empress Dowager herself. Back then, Larael had needed the Empress Dowager desperately.

After that, Corneli Assefena began releasing compositions under her own name, but one day she was found dead, having hanged herself.

When Larael read the brief article about her death in the newspaper, she couldn’t sleep that night. She remembered how the Empress Dowager had seemed especially cheerful the day before. Even though she tried not to make the connection, the image of the Empress Dowager’s smiling face overlapped with the news, making Larael shudder.

Jojo Assefena, sweating and glancing nervously behind Larael, checked to see if anyone had overheard.

‘Did anyone hear what the Empress Consort said?’

Everyone was keeping their distance from Larael, so if they’d heard, there would have been an uproar. Thankfully, it seemed no one else had heard.

‘But how does the Empress Consort know about this?’

The only people who knew were himself and his wife, Corneli.

“I’m not sure what Your Highness is talking about,” Assefena managed to stammer, his lips trembling. At that, a look of contempt appeared on Larael’s face.

“I had hoped to support Corneli, but it’s a shame she’s not here.”

With that, Larael turned away, leaving Assefena speechless, his mouth opening and closing. If the Empress Dowager had been beside her, her reaction would have been something to see.

‘I know so many of your secrets, but it’s a shame I have to keep them hidden,’ Larael thought, looking around at the nobles who watched her as if she were on display.

“Y-Your Highness.”

Assefena’s voice called out from behind her.

Without turning back, Larael walked toward the group of nobles watching her. She approached one of the ladies at the very front.

“Marchioness Rad.”

The Marchioness, who had been glaring at Larael disapprovingly, quickly changed her expression to a pleasant smile and stepped forward to greet her.

“It’s an honor to meet Your Highness the Empress Consort.”

At her sudden change of demeanor, Larael smiled brightly, quietly scoffing to herself.