Empress Patricia had an appearance that anyone would acknowledge as Demian’s mother.
She, too, had luscious golden hair.
As I continued looking at her sitting across from me, this thought naturally came to mind.
‘Would Demian look like that if dressed as a woman?’
Since he said he would be my loyal servant, wouldn’t it be fine to make him dress as a woman? Somehow, I felt my mouth watering.
“It hasn’t been long since the big incident, yet you’ve brought me a gift.”
Empress Patricia glanced at the bouquet casually placed beside her.
It was a special bouquet I had prepared, made by an esper who could use the ability of “Best Flower Arrangement.”
The bouquet was not only beautiful in shape, but the fragrance of the flowers also lasted for a very long time.
The flowers even emitted a faint glow at night, so some people used them instead of lighting.
No matter how much money one had, it was something impossible to obtain without connections to espers.
Demian had actively used his position as a center director to quickly procure the bouquet.
According to him, Empress Patricia liked flowers.
So we expected her to be very satisfied with that special bouquet.
But she wasn’t even touching the bouquet.
For someone who should be grateful, her treatment of the gift seemed quite displeased.
‘Did she expect a more valuable gift?’
I put on a good-natured smile that could hide my thoughts.
“Of course, I had to prepare something. You helped me and you’re Prince Demian’s mother.”
I subtly hinted that the relationship between him and me was not ordinary.
Of course! Although I hadn’t forgiven Demian yet, Empress Patricia was assuming that Demian and my relationship was quite deep.
In such circumstances, if I treated Demian coldly, how troublesome would it be for him?
Separate from forgiveness, I didn’t want to trouble him.
But despite my friendly smile, Empress Patricia crossed her legs haughtily and looked down at me sharply.
“I’ve done some research about you. You’ve lived a difficult life.”
“Yes, I’ve lived a very hard life. During that time, Prince Demian helped me a lot.”
“You haven’t chosen that boy, hoping to live luxuriously by depending on Demian or to escape your difficult life, have you?”
“Of course not. I only found out yesterday that Duncan and Prince Demian are the same person.”
“Looking at the bouquet you brought… it seems you like luxury?”
I finally understood why Empress Patricia had been lukewarm about our gift.
She seemed worried that I might be using her son, or that my character might be lacking.
‘I was worried she might mistreat Demian because they don’t get along, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.’
She seemed to love her son in her own way. The flaw was that her love was excessive and self-centered.
I answered Empress Patricia honestly.
While I wanted to win her favor, I didn’t want to flatter her with lies about staying away from luxury or wanting to live frugally.
I, too, wanted to indulge in luxury within my means.
After all, I was the “difficult” Yerena who couldn’t even eat properly and barely had the chance to wear dresses.
Living a difficult life was now dreadful to me.
“Rather than saying I like luxury, I’m the type who adapts to please the person I want to impress.”
One of Empress Patricia’s eyebrows rose.
She seemed to immediately grasp what I was trying to say and found it quite interesting.
“You want to impress me?”
“Yes.”
“Is that how you stole our child’s heart? Demian never knew any woman except his mother.”
I shook my head and answered honestly again.
“No. Prince Demian is the only one I didn’t treat that way.”
When I worked as a guide at Chelsea Center, I tried to please the three bullies.
Falling out of their favor was directly related to my survival, so I sometimes spoke lies to them.
Even if I disliked something, I pretended to like it, adapting to them.
But I rarely did that with Duncan or the Guildmaster.
In front of them, I existed purely as myself without pretense or affectation.
“Hmm.”
Making a sound that made her thoughts unreadable, Empress Patricia asked the next question.
“What would you do if I opposed you and tried to introduce a better woman to Demian?”
At that, Demian, who had been silent all along, shouted.
“Mother!”
It was a cry filled with the determination that while he might tolerate other things, he would never accept being introduced to another woman.
I squeezed his hand, which I had been holding even as we sat side by side on the sofa.
It meant everything would be alright.
“I cannot back down like this. I will prove that I am necessary for Prince Demian.”
Silence flowed for a while.
I didn’t avoid Empress Patricia’s sharp gaze.
This eye contact too felt like a test to gauge if I was suitable as her son’s partner.
If I avoided or lowered my gaze, Empress Patricia would likely be disappointed in me immediately.
Eventually, her lips parted.
“Hmm. I like you.”
Was that… a pass?
“May I stay by Prince Demian’s side?”
“For now?”
A smile formed on Empress Patricia’s lips for the first time after speaking ambiguously.
She finally pulled the bouquet she had long ignored into her arms.
“Though a bit late, I really like the bouquet. Thank you.”
Empress Patricia’s face with a smile was like a masterpiece painting.
I was so surprised by her beauty that I slightly parted my lips and stared blankly.
It seemed the rumors that she rose to the pinnacle of power solely with her beauty and charm were not exaggerations.
“Demian might think I’m a bad mother, but I have never once denied that I am Demian’s mother.”
“….”
“I wish for Demian to be happy now. Though it might be too late. Hoho.”
“Mother…”
Demian called out to Empress Patricia but seemed unable to gauge what to say next.
“On the day Demian left the palace, abandoning everything, I thought I should change a bit too. There was clearly my responsibility in the fact that a boy who was only weak-hearted had become somewhat twisted.”
“Mother, then will you also give up on me ascending to the emperor’s throne?”
At that question, Empress Patricia’s face wrinkled terribly.
“What are you saying? Separate from your happiness, you must become the emperor.”
“Even if I become unhappy by becoming the emperor?”
“That’s why I’ve allowed Lady Yerena. Won’t the happiness you gain by choosing her offset the unhappiness that will come to you later?”
I was a bit impressed inwardly.
The fact that she allowed me, who seemed utterly inadequate in her eyes, was the result of calculations that considered the very distant future and her own gain.
At that moment, Empress Patricia’s gaze turned to me.
“Can you make our Demian the emperor, Lady?”
“I will only wish for Prince Demian’s happiness. I won’t help with anything that will make the Prince unhappy. Even if it displeases Your Highness.”
I thought a harsh rebuke might come back.
I expected to hear something like, “How dare someone like you say such things and think you can stay by my son’s side?”
But what came back was a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha, I do like that backbone of yours.”
Is it okay for now?
I moistened my lips, which had dried up without my noticing, with the tip of my tongue.
“Your backbone is similar to mine. Because of that, someday you’ll think the same as me.”
“I…”
I tried to respond further, but Empress Patricia cut me off.
“I’ve prepared something that can change your mind.”
“What?”
Empress Patricia spoke to the lady-in-waiting standing behind her.
“Bring what I’ve prepared.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
What she prepared?
When I looked at Demian, he also slightly shook his head as if he didn’t know what it was.
Not long after, the closed door opened wide.
And the person who appeared was someone I hadn’t expected to meet again like this.
“Be-Benjamin?”
Benjamin was wearing shackles on both arms and legs. Just like how I had worn shackles at the Duke’s residence.
And he was limping on both legs, perhaps because the gunshot wounds hadn’t healed.
His face that I encountered was extremely pale.
“Look at the state of the precious son of the Vicente Duke family. Isn’t he in tatters?”
“….”
“If Demian becomes emperor, he can not only reduce the young master to tatters but also kill him. That’s what power is.”
I couldn’t say anything and just swallowed dryly.
“I heard Benjamin gave you a lot of trouble. Don’t you hate him enough to want to kill him?”
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Ravingcrow1118
I know Empress Patricia is a bit selfish for wanting Damien to inherit the throne, but she makes a great argument for the throne. Only as emperor could Damien completely protect Yerena from the three troublemakers.