Chapter 83

To Lia’s great relief, Johann remained busy afterward.

He would often leave the manor early in the morning and return late at night, and for reasons unknown, even visited the ducal castle.

“Hmm hmm, Raffy knows why Daddy is busy these days.”

Rafaella hummed as she lay on the carpet, fitting puzzle pieces together.

“Daddy said it’s a secret, but I don’t have any secrets from Mommy, so what should I do?”

It was like she was singing, hoping someone would ask her.

“Isn’t Mommy curious about why Daddy is so busy~?”

Rafaella sang as she glanced at Lia.

“Why is Daddy busy, Raffy?”

Lia, finding her daughter adorable, suppressed a laugh as she asked.

“Since it’s a secret, I’ll tell only you, Mommy, just a little.”

Rafaella sat up.

It was probably nothing special, but her manner was so cute.

Rafaella came close and cupped her small hands around Lia’s ear.

“You know, Daddy said he’s busy because he wants to live together with you and me, Mommy, so we don’t have to be apart.”

The child whispered her secret into Lia’s ear.

“Hehe.”

Rafaella covered her mouth and giggled after speaking.

“…What? He really said that?”

Lia was flustered by the unexpected revelation.

“Yeah! And he said he’s going to make sure no one can treat you carelessly, Mommy.”

Rafaella put her hands on her hips, pretending to be solemn.

“So Daddy asked me to wait just a little longer.”

“…I see.”

Lia couldn’t understand what her daughter’s words meant.

They would live together, and he wouldn’t let anyone treat her carelessly.

Why?

‘Why is he acting like we’re really a family?’

…At first, he treated her so coldly.

Surely he couldn’t have forgotten the last line of their contract.

[Rafaella von Blumhart’s biological mother must leave the Blumhart ducal residence immediately after Rafaella’s eighth birthday.]

But now he says he wants to live ‘together’?

‘Is it because he needs me for Rafaella’s sake?’

Since his engagement was broken, it probably wasn’t so burdensome for her to keep staying at the manor.

…Maybe even the kiss from a few days ago was a mistake in that context.

Thinking of accepting the mother of his beloved child as part of the family must have made him soften.

‘I should be happy that he’s this sincere for Rafaella, but why does it hurt…?’

Could I really be hurt?

I had promised never to give my heart to him again, so why was I hurt?

Clap clap.

Feeling as if tears might spill, she lightly patted her cheeks with her palms.

“Raffy, should we finish this puzzle together while we wait for Daddy?”

She cleared her throat and spoke to her daughter.

“Okay!”

She would think only of Rafaella.

No other thoughts—just her daughter’s happiness and safety.

Lia kept repeating it to herself so that no stray thoughts could creep in.

* * *

“…Your Majesty, what did you just say?”

Narcissa paused, holding her teacup in the Emperor’s drawing room.

“I said I solved Patrizia’s mistake without much loss to myself.”

The Emperor straightened his chest and stroked his beard as he repeated himself.

“How is that not a loss?”

Clack!

Narcissa bit her teeth and slammed her teacup down on the table.

‘That foolish man!’

What was he so proud of, smiling like that?

“Giving up a territory, allowing a marriage between different social ranks, officially recognizing that woman as a member of the Blumhart family, and granting her access to the Imperial Palace—is that not a loss?”

The Emperor counted off each item of his deal with Johann on his fingers, looking baffled.

“That’s not much of a loss?”

Narcissa shot back sharply.

“W-well, isn’t it?”

He expected some scolding, but as the Interim Empress’s anger grew, the Emperor’s voice grew smaller.

“Haa, how could you do this without even consulting me?”

She lowered her excited voice to its usual calm tone as she asked.

“How could I consult you about every single affair in the palace, Interim Empress?”

The Emperor replied, sounding timid.

“This wasn’t a trivial matter for you to decide alone. It concerned Duke Blumhart, who was Patrizia’s fiancé.”

Narcissa spoke each word as if teaching a child.

‘No wonder he’s so clueless, tsk tsk.’

She barely suppressed a sigh.

“If that woman comes to the palace arm-in-arm with Duke Blumhart, what will become of Patrizia’s reputation?”

He was the kind of person who only understood if everything was spelled out.

“What’s so wrong with Patrizia’s reputation….”

The Emperor asked with a foolish look.

As if protecting a mere family heirloom was more important than the shame his wife and daughter would suffer.

She had married him for his stupidity, but he still irritated her.

“…And what about my dignity as Interim Empress?”

She fixed her lips and looked straight at the Emperor.

He shrank back, unable to meet her gaze, as if being scolded.

“If Duke Blumhart breaks off his engagement with Patrizia and gets engaged to a mere commoner, how much will the nobles gossip about us behind our backs?”

“…Ah, b-but he even brought the potion Patrizia used as evidence—what was I supposed to do?”

The Emperor scratched his cheek.

“You should have flatly denied it to the Duke, said that such a potion couldn’t possibly be proof.”

The Interim Empress frowned in frustration.

“…You know I’m not as quick-witted as you, Interim Empress.”

The Emperor mumbled, avoiding her eyes like a child being scolded by his mother.

“…Yes, Your Majesty, you’re far too soft-hearted.”

The Interim Empress looked at him with pity and sipped her tea.

“I should have been by your side all along; I was foolish, truly foolish.”

Narcissa no longer wanted to be with the Emperor, who only made her angrier.

She had heard enough and said what she needed to say, so she got up without asking permission.

“No, Interim Empress. If you leave like this without forgiving me, I….”

Before he could finish, the Interim Empress strode out with quick steps.

Since Narcissa had been extremely sensitive and furious for days, the maids and attendants followed her with heavy steps.

Biting her lip all the way back to the Interim Empress’s quarters, Narcissa suddenly turned her head at the bedroom door.

She glared fiercely at Carmen, who was among the maids.

If only she had killed Rafaella’s birth mother that day, the Emperor’s foolish promise would have vanished.

‘You were so confident, but you failed so miserably.’

She had even given her demonic poison to guarantee success!

That day, Duke Blumhart must have realized she was targeting Rafaella’s birth mother.

‘…Now he’ll surely tighten security even more.’

And he might even have learned about the demonic poison.

Even if they tried to use the assassin and the poison as evidence, she could simply deny it.

‘But now, if they get engaged, it will be even harder to kill Rafaella’s birth mother.’

Not just high society, but all of the Capital would focus on the woman who would become a duchess overnight from a commoner.

Narcissa pressed her temples and turned back toward her room.

‘…Why does everything keep going wrong?’

A servant, watching her mood, cautiously opened the bedroom door.

“No one is to come in.”

Her voice was so chilling it sent shivers down their spines.

The maids and servants bowed even deeper, trembling.

* * *

At the same time, Patrizia, who had been confined to her quarters in the Princess’s palace, also heard about the compensation the Emperor had given Johann.

“What! Is that true?”

It was Florian, whose confinement had ended early, who brought her the news.

“Yes. That’s why Mother is so angry right now—the atmosphere in the Interim Empress’s palace is no joke.”

Florian answered as he picked grapes from the table and ate them one by one.

“How could Father give such an absurd compensation!”

Patrizia shouted, overcome with anger.

“You know Father can’t say no and is too soft-hearted, right?”

“Even so! If they really get engaged, how am I supposed to show my face at parties?”

She threw the sofa cushions and table ornaments around in a fit.

“Uwaaaah. What am I supposed to do!”

Then, acting far younger than her age, she burst into loud tears.

Florian watched as if it were someone else’s problem, popping the remaining grapes into his mouth.

If she hadn’t done such things in the first place, none of this would have happened.

True to his nature, he felt no sympathy for his mother or sister’s situation.

‘…Actually, I’m looking forward to seeing her at the party.’

She looked beautiful even in plain clothes, so what kind of aura would she have in splendid attire?

He left the Princess’s palace, thinking he wanted to see Lia at the party as soon as possible.