Solviche turned her eyes. Seeing her, Ariel smiled and stood up. Then she approached her table.

“May I sit?”

Although she didn’t need to ask, Solviche Platanas was astonished as to why she was being asked such a question. She nodded quickly and answered.

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you.”

Ariel sat down next to her. The dress Solviche Platanas was wearing was truly worn out. It seemed to speak of the passing years.

“Can you lend me your ear?”

At these words, Solviche looked at Ariel’s face in surprise. In response, Ariel smiled and leaned close to Solviche’s ear.

“In my experience, ignoring them is the best. Because they will hold onto your response today and use it against you in the future. I’m just adding that Solviche Platanas is a person who lost her mother early, and that your situation is pitiful.”

The reason Ariel expected this was due to her experiences in the corporate world before transmigrating into the novel.

Unable to receive help from her parents, she spent money on buying clothes and eating delicious food to survive.

As a result, her coworkers openly mocked her for her worn-out appearance.

―Is that all the clothes she has?
―Did she put on makeup or not?
―She says she’s poor? I heard she lives in a place like a shantytown…

Sneering and mocking faces. The voices that whispered loudly, as if they wanted to be heard, still lingered in her memory.

At that time, she ignored them. Whether they spoke or not, she remained indifferent, and their taunting quieted down.

‘I guess it wasn’t fun making fun of me.’

Ariel snapped out of her reminiscence and focused on Solviche’s face.

Solviche’s eyes lost their vitality. The mindset of noble youths… Right, even if she tried to understand, it was a kind of thing she couldn’t comprehend.

‘I thought I had the upper hand, but it turned out to be a self-inflicted attack.’

Solviche clenched her fist. She had been too arrogant, it was a real fight.

How can Her Majesty the Empress be so perfect like this?

To know so well about women’s fights.

A sudden light shone in Solviche’s eyes as she looked at Ariel.

“Thank you for your advice.”

If she had been like typical noble youths, she might have blushed and protested.

But Solviche was different.

‘As expected, she is prepared. Ready to accept humbly.’

Ariel was satisfied with Solviche’s response. She patted Solviche Platanas’ shoulder and with a smile on her lips, she told her,

“Come and be my personal maid.”

Solviche’s mouth slowly opened wide. Faced with a reality she had not even anticipated, it felt like a dream.

***

The tea party proceeded relatively amicably with Ariel as the center of attention.

It started after lunch and ended late in the afternoon. The noble madams and young ladies who attended the party, on their way back in the carriage, discussed not the event of the day but evaluated Ariel based on the words they exchanged.

“Her Majesty the Empress is very noble and elegant. From her voice to every action.”

“Not just that, but she mastered swordsmanship as well. She’s truly an impressive person. Hohoho.”

“Since she’s born as the young lady of Marquis Clark, it must not be easy to undertake such adventures.”

They praised the Empress’s graceful gestures and demeanor, but she herself showed little interest in their evaluations.

She was only interested in how well she could groom Solviche.

“Are you tired?”

May followed behind Ariel and asked.

“Yes. I need to change clothes and rest a bit.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ariel led her weary body back to the room and entrusted herself to May’s hands. She took off her dress and put on a nightgown.

May untied Ariel’s hair that had been bound up. Then she brought a large brush and combed her hair.

Feeling the languid sensation of having her hair brushed, Ariel closed her eyes.

“I’m tired.”

“Until His Majesty arrives, please lie down for a while.”

Ariel opened her eyes slightly and got up from her seat heading towards the bed.

‘I just need to close my eyes for a moment.’

As she lay down on the bed, seemingly collapsing, May covered her with a blanket.

***

As the sun set, the room darkened.

In the darkened room where Ariel was curled up on the large bed, a warm breath blew into her ear.

‘It tickles.’

Ariel’s shoulders twitched. It was difficult for her to open her eyes due to fatigue. But she felt the robe she had been wearing getting pulled back, and the lace of her nightgown loosening at the back.

“Ariel…”

Leopold’s voice sounded as if he were groaning her name into her ear.

As his hot lips touched the exposed flesh when her nightgown slipped off, Ariel’s head tilted upwards.

“Hm, Leopold…”

Ariel turned her body. She opened her eyes gently. Confirming that the presence in front of her was Leopold, she closed her eyes again.

Then she wrapped her arms around Leopold’s waist.

He looked down at Ariel, who clung to him without even opening her eyes. Because the lace of her nightgown was loosened by Leopold’s hands, her slender shoulders were exposed.

It still felt unfamiliar. It felt like he was dreaming that she was hugging him voluntarily.

Exhaling a gentle sigh, he ran his hand over her back.

“Hmm… When did you come?”

As he spoke, his lips touched Ariel’s earlobe in the darkness,

“I heard from Richard that the tea party ended well. The women were impressed by Your Majesty’s elegant demeanor.”

He murmured breathlessly. As he spoke, his lips touched Ariel’s earlobe repeatedly before falling away.

Stimulated by this sensation, Ariel opened her closed eyes wide.

Her emerald-colored pupils became darker. Seeing this, Leopold covered her ear with his tongue. Then he nibbled with his front teeth.

“Huh…”

Ariel groaned, contorting her delicate eyebrows.

“I’ve wanted to see you all along. My head has been filled with thoughts of you all day long. How can I make you happy? How should we spend this evening? I wondered.”

“Well? How do you plan to send me away?”

Ariel hung on his neck. Staring into his eyes, desperately hoping he would speak of his desires.

“Sigh….”

He buried his face near her collarbone. It was hard to bear the worry that she might be tired. He forcefully suppressed his desire to swallow everything.

In the end, they were all useless in front of her.

His lips traced up her slender neck. Leopold opened his mouth wide as if to swallow her thick lips along with the breath flowing from her mouth.

Ariel’s arms that were around Leopold’s neck loosened, and soon her white hand delved into the back of his head.

His black hair scattered between her fingers.

***

The two lying on the bed locked eyes. Their pupils still excited from a moment of ecstasy.

Leopold stroked Ariel’s hair. With an affectionate yet rough touch.

“I plan to take a short vacation.”

“Oh? When?”

Ariel was surprised and widened her eyes. His hand slid down to touch her cheek gently and smoothly.

“In a month. When the real summer begins.”

“Are you going alone?”

“Alone? I’m leaving for your sake.”

To worry so adorably. Leopold chuckled silently. And Ariel stared at him intently.

Feeling ticklish in her heart, she momentarily forgot what she wanted to say.

“Why, don’t you want to go?”

“Where are you going?”

“I plan to go to Macglier. Oh, Hyle also wants to come along. I’ll take him to Kolnman, then we’ll go to Macglier. And on the way back, we’ll bring him back to Atlan.”

Perhaps he wanted to spend his remaining life in his hometown, but Leopold thought he couldn’t be left alone due to his advanced age.

Ariel nodded slowly.

“Thank you for agreeing. I feel indebted to my Master, so I also feel more at ease if my Master spends some time in Kolnman. Now, he’s not as he used to be.”

Hyle, whose curse was lifted and his aging rapidly progressed, weakened more and more as time went on.

It was difficult for him to walk alone and even harder for him to carry out daily life.

“I plan to send a caregiver.”

“He’s getting weaker even in his mind.”

But a few days ago, when Ariel went to see Hyle, he shed tears in front of her.

―I feel like I made it hard for you. If I had refused your request from the beginning, you wouldn’t have had to go through such suffering.