“I should have listened in when my brothers were studying imperial governance….”

“My, does Your Majesty the Empress also want to assist with state affairs?”

“That’s what the empresses of Araceli have done for generations.”

Until now, the empress of Araceli had been chosen from among the intelligent daughters of high-ranking nobles, not someone like Louise who had grown up like a flower in a greenhouse with no knowledge.

Louise chatted with Ciel, who had remained her only maid since her days as a princess and was very close to her.

Then she suddenly looked at Margaret, who was quietly standing in one corner of the empress’s palace.

After meeting Margaret’s father, Marquis Miko, and learning that they were plotting rebellion, Louise had decided to help them.

So every day, she asked Margaret to help with her bath and talked about things related to her.

“Margaret. Would you go to the art studio first and prepare for oil painting?”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Louise watched as Margaret headed to the art studio attached to the empress’s palace, obediently following the empress’s command.

She knew she should share and do everything with her, but somehow it felt a bit awkward.

For instance, genuinely rejoicing about Rondimio’s child growing in her womb… or the possibility of the nobles’ rebellion failing.

In the latter case, despite being something that absolutely should not happen now that Louise was in the same boat, she kept doubting it.

“Please get up carefully. You’re carrying a precious imperial heir.”

“Thank you. But there’s no need to be that careful.”

Louise smiled gratefully at Ciel, who treasured the child that had come after three years, and then headed to the art studio set up inside the empress’s palace.

Oil painting was what Louise had chosen when the imperial physician said she should absolutely rest during early pregnancy, meaning she would have to stay in the empress’s palace for a while.

Oil painting, which took a long time to complete with great effort.

It was what Louise had liked best among the princess’s lessons she had received as a child, and what she had been praised for having the most talent in.

“Ah… Ciel. I left the silver paint in the reception room. Could you bring it for me?”

“Of course, Your Majesty the Empress. Are you continuing the painting you were working on yesterday?”

“Yes. It’s a secret from His Majesty until it’s finished.”

Louise stroked her flat belly and then removed the cloth covering the large canvas in the center of the art studio. She looked at the painting, which still showed only a vague human form.

There were still many unfilled parts to call it someone’s portrait.

This was a portrait whose subject had been decided from the beginning, but it could still be changed sufficiently.

“Are you painting the new emperor…?”

Margaret, who had remained alone in the art studio, asked about the subject of the portrait. Louise hesitated to pick up the palette and brush.

Of course, the subject of the portrait was Rondimio.

Louise had never painted a portrait of anyone other than Rondimio. Although she had painted many oil paintings as a princess, they were all landscapes or still lifes.

Claiming she wasn’t good at portraits, she would only vaguely sketch a human form during the day when the oil painting teacher was present, and then secretly go to the art studio at night to paint Rondimio’s portrait.

Even on the day she had given freedom to Rondimio, who was being abused in the underground prison, Louise had painted his portrait.

“Why. Is there a reason I shouldn’t paint His Majesty’s portrait?”

“That’s not it, but… Your Majesty the Empress clearly said you don’t love the new emperor….”

“Then should I spread rumors that I don’t love His Majesty?”

When Ciel, who had gone to get the silver paint, returned, Margaret firmly shut her mouth.

Louise had answered Margaret as if it were no big deal, but even she herself didn’t understand why she was painting Rondimio’s portrait.

To give Rondimio a final gift?

Because she actually still loved Rondimio?

No, that couldn’t be. If the nobles’ rebellion succeeded, Rondimio couldn’t remain in this world. Wasn’t that why she was freely loving the child in her womb?

Louise was about to put the silver paint that resembled Rondimio’s hair color on her palette when she looked at her belly, which still showed no signs of pregnancy.

The child she had agonized over whether to keep or not was now so precious to her.

It was a child she had waited for such a long time, and she was glad she could now truly cherish it.

A child she would raise safely as the price for betraying Rondimio, its father.

After spending a long time in the art studio painting Rondimio’s portrait, evening had already fallen.

She layered and layered the paint squeezed onto the palette onto the large canvas.

She had been so focused that she hadn’t even noticed the sun, which had been emitting warm light, had begun to disappear.

Louise stared at Rondimio in the large canvas. Except for the silver hair she had painted over several hours, the features didn’t resemble him at all.

“Your Majesty the Empress. You haven’t touched any of the desserts I brought… Please eat at least a little for the child in your womb.”

“What can I do if the child hates desserts too. I’ll have dinner together with His Majesty the Emperor when he arrives shortly.”

“It seems he’s coming late today, so couldn’t you have a light meal first? You’ve only had a few pieces of fruit all day…”

“He must be busy attending to state affairs. He’ll be here soon.”

Louise absentmindedly watched the red sunset through the large window in the art studio before standing up.

After sitting in the same place for hours painting, she felt a tightness in her lower abdomen. She hadn’t intended to paint to the point of burdening the child in her womb.

It was all because Rondimio was later than usual. Although she had hoped he would finish his state affairs before coming, he had never been this late before.

After entrusting the studio cleanup to Margaret who had been with her, Louise took a sip of the warm plain water Ciel had given her.

But the child seemed to hate this too, finding even plain water without any additives unpleasant.

“Ugh….”

“Your morning sickness is so severe…. It upsets me.”

“How long have I waited for this child to come. I can endure this much.”

Louise smiled despite her pale complexion.

A child that asserted its presence so strongly even from the womb somehow reminded her of Rondimio.

Just as she was thinking about him, he finally entered the empress’s palace.

He must have been buried in busy state affairs until just now, as his cravat, which had been neatly tied this morning, was half undone, and his hair, which had been as smooth as silk, was disheveled.

Whatever anyone might say, there was no way the dependable Rondimio had been doing anything other than state affairs, but had he reluctantly completed all the work he truly hated?

He often fled to the empress’s palace when state affairs weren’t going well, but this was the first time he had come like this, which was curious.

Perhaps he was experiencing some change of heart lately….

“I’m sorry, Louise. I came too late. Let’s go have dinner now.”

“What were you so busy with that you came running like this? You could have come slowly.”

“Because you won’t eat or sleep without me.”

“That’s not the case these days….”

Despite her grumbling, Louise obediently accepted Rondimio’s escort and walked to the dining room in the empress’s palace.

Come to think of it, she wasn’t used to eating or sleeping without Rondimio.

Even long ago when he was confined in the underground prison, she would escape from her etiquette lessons every day to fall asleep in his arms and share snacks she had secretly brought.

Three years ago, when she faced her parents’ deaths at her wedding with another man and was married to him as if she had been plundered.

In the end… she shed tears of blood by his side every night.

It had always been Rondimio by Louise’s side, and now there was no one left except him.

“Yes. I thought I would be happy no matter what as long as you were by my side…. If that wasn’t the case, it would be good for you to change like that.”

“Why are you… thinking such things.”

Louise looked at Rondimio, whose expression she couldn’t read, and spoke with a trembling voice. He was someone who lived solely on Louise’s insignificant love, but today he seemed different.

It was also strange that he had been working on state affairs until such a late hour.

Rondimio, completely disregarding the emperor’s formalities, sat next to Louise with a smiling face and cut a well-done steak to place on Louise’s plate.

“Ugh…. I’m sorry. I can’t swallow it.”

“Oh dear. It’s fine, spit it out.”

Rondimio held out his large hand in front of Louise’s lips. Even after spitting out what had upset her stomach, she still felt unwell and eventually vomited the few bites she had managed to eat.

The anxiety that perhaps Rondimio had noticed the nobles’ rebellion.

And the disgust at herself for betraying the man right in front of her made it impossible for her to swallow any food.

Rondimio patted Louise’s back and told her he would get her anything she wanted to eat, but Louise shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty….”

This was an apology filled with sincerity.