Rondimio, who had awakened by now, naturally embraced Louise’s waist. He was now fully awake but still showed clear signs of fatigue.

Despite the fact that the Rondimio she knew was not someone who tired easily.

“Was attending to my bath yesterday too tiring for you?”

“How could that be? I think I lost some sleep because I had things to think about all night. I’m just glad that you slept well and woke up refreshed.”

“Get a little more rest before you go. I’m worried about you.”

Louise turned her head back and caressed one of Rondimio’s cheeks. As she nestled in his arms, the sweet scent of his skin seemed to grow stronger.

Despite having resolved many times not to love him anymore, wanting to leave Rondimio’s embrace.

She didn’t know what to do about her heart that kept going to him. Even though she had already joined the nobles’ rebellion and consented to actions that would harm him.

“I wonder… if you’re genuinely worried about me.”

What did he mean by asking if she was genuinely worried?

Louise’s ice-blue eyes silently rolled at Rondimio’s puzzling words.

Had he perhaps discovered her?

Deceiving him whom she loved, or rather had loved, was still too difficult and made her feel sorry.

“I am genuinely worried. I truly love Your Majesty the Emperor….”

Louise’s heart was trembling as if it would fall, making it hard to breathe, but Rondimio, unaware of this, just laughed out loud.

What more efforts should she make to avoid raising his suspicions in the future? No matter how much he loved her, he would never forgive her for participating in a plot to kill him.

“If you were genuinely worried about me, you could tell me not to go to work today. I could really do that.”

Louise laid Rondimio back down on the bed, covered him with the blanket, and rose from her seat.

Finding it difficult to look at his face, she wanted to leave the bedroom.

“I can’t do that. Rest a little more before you go. You are the emperor after all.”

“Louise…?”

“I’m going to the art studio. Please don’t follow me in.”

Louise fled to the art studio attached to the bedroom, avoiding him.

It was laughable that her refuge was merely the art studio where she painted his portrait.

Though Rondimio wore a puzzled expression, fortunately he didn’t follow her. After confirming that he had lain back down on the bed, Louise sat in front of a large canvas.

Regardless of her troubled mind, her work on Rondimio’s portrait had progressed quickly since she had finished the basic work.

The chillingly red eyes within eyelashes as long and dense as Louise’s own, who was said to be the most beautiful in the Araceli Empire.

And the red lips and high nose bridge that whispered both lies and love to her.

Even while concentrating on painting his portrait, she kept her senses alert to check if Rondimio, who would be sleeping outside the art studio door, had awakened.

Looking at the portrait that seemed like it could be completed with just a little more work, Louise wiped the red paint from her brush with a clean cloth.

It had been a while since she had painted with oils alone without the attendance of maids. And it had also been a while since she had painted so defenseless, wearing only a pure white negligee.

Since young Louise had secretly painted Rondimio’s portrait every night, she could paint his portrait rather quickly if nothing else.

How could she not know the detailed features of her beloved man’s face?

Click. When she heard the sound of the empress’s palace bedroom door opening, Louise put down the palette and brush she was holding, came out of the art studio, and greeted Rondimio.

“Take care on your way.”

“Ah, I’ll be back. Louise.”

Perhaps he had taken another bath after getting up, as a deeper sweet fragrance emanated from Rondimio’s body.

Louise ran to him, disregarding the paint stains on her negligee.

After showing a momentarily confused look, Rondimio soon embraced Louise tightly with a smile full on his face, then left the bedroom.

Somehow she felt like he had been avoiding her since this morning. It was also strange that the sweet fragrance coming from him somehow felt alien.

And… Rondimio wasn’t the type to leave without greeting her first in the morning. Today he seemed somewhat disorganized.

Louise, who had returned to the art studio and resumed painting, finally rose from her seat with the portrait’s completion just ahead.

She couldn’t concentrate well after the maids, including Margaret, had arrived at the empress’s palace, and she didn’t have time because she was planning to secretly visit the emperor’s office during lunch.

“It’s almost lunchtime, but are you planning to go out?”

“Yes. I’m going to meet His Majesty the Emperor. Don’t worry, I plan to have lunch with His Majesty.”

Ciel, who only learned of Louise’s plan just before her departure, made a sad face. She might feel disappointed since Louise planned to take only Margaret when visiting the emperor’s palace.

Come to think of it, it was fortunate that Rondimio had behaved in a disorganized manner before leaving this morning. Otherwise, he might have discovered her plan to visit his office.

She needed to suddenly visit his office, pretend to be an innocent woman who knew nothing, rummage through his documents, and extract information that could help the nobles.

“Since the weather is cold, you should dress warmly. Lady Belka. Please give me the shawl made of fox fur.”

“Yes… Miss Miko.”

Ciel, unable to hide her disappointment, helped with the preparations for going out along with Margaret.

Louise rarely had to make special preparations because she usually didn’t go anywhere except the indoor garden within the empress’s palace.

If she went outside the empress’s palace and happened to exchange even a few words with nobles who didn’t support Rondimio, the only one who would get hurt was Louise herself.

Afraid of meeting them, she hadn’t visited her own Lunaris Palace, where she had lived as a princess, even once since marrying Rondimio.

As she left her palace and passed through the path leading to the emperor’s palace, all the gazes of the nobles in the imperial palace focused on Louise.

The problem was that more nobles had been frequenting the imperial palace lately because of efforts to resolve the western drought.

Louise ignored their gazes and quickly walked, wrapping herself tightly in the shawl Rondimio had given her as a gift.

Although their gazes made her uncomfortable, if she mentioned this to Rondimio, he might say he would pluck out their eyeballs.

It was a problem that could be solved by simply not paying attention, but that wasn’t working.

At that moment, a familiar face appeared before Louise, who was walking with her eyes fixed on the floor, forgetting all about the dignity of the Araceli empress.

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Ah… it’s been a while. Marquis Miko.”

Louise raised her head abruptly and greeted the familiar figure.

Among the nobles surrounding the empress, he was the first to greet her, as no one else had done so.

Watching Margaret, who was following behind, glance sideways at her father, Marquis Miko, Louise thought she truly was her father’s daughter.

“Actually, I have something to tell you… are you on your way to meet His Majesty the Emperor now?”

“Yes. I plan to stop by His Majesty’s office and then have lunch together.”

Marquis Miko clearly seemed to want to convey something important, but there were too many nobles nearby to discuss it in depth.

And Marquis Miko’s face seemed to momentarily harden when he heard the empress say she would have lunch with the emperor.

Again, did she appear to be in love with Rondimio?

Louise tightly clenched her hands, unable to tell him that she was having lunch with Rondimio to gather information for the nobles from the emperor’s office.

“I see. If it’s alright with you, may I take my daughter for a while?”

“Oh, of course. Margaret, go ahead.”

Since there was a communication channel through Margaret anyway, she could hear what Marquis Miko wanted to say while receiving her bath attendance at night.

Louise smiled and handed Margaret over to Marquis Miko.

It was common for daughters of high-ranking nobles serving as maids to members of the imperial family to be allowed time with their families when they met.

“I think it would be better to hear about it after dinner, considering the child in your womb. I’ll see you again next time, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Marquis Miko, who had escorted Louise to the main gate of the emperor’s palace, disappeared in the opposite direction with his aides who had been surrounding him from the beginning, along with Margaret.

Upon arriving at the emperor’s palace, Louise couldn’t immediately head to the office.

Prince…?

A single unexpected word held Louise’s footsteps. She thought she had clearly heard the Marquis’s aides discussing her brothers….

Unable to shake off her ominous premonition, Louise entered the emperor’s office.

“Louise? Why are you here….”

Fortunately, her sudden visit to his office was worthwhile, as Rondimio apparently hadn’t noticed at all that she would come here.

Rondimio, who had been struggling with state affairs amidst numerous piles of documents, immediately stood up when he saw her.

Was it really just that he had decided to diligently attend to state affairs?