Side Story 7. One Person’s Share

The jeweler was skilled.

I couldn’t help but marvel as I turned the neatly repaired compass from various angles.

“It’s like new. Did they even polish it to make it shine?”

As I was looking at it for a while, Faye, who was brushing my hair, glanced over with curiosity.

“Is that the famous compass that ‘has kept Sir Andantino in the Imperial Palace for a month’?”

“Y-Yes.”

Somehow, that’s how the rumor had spread.

I nodded awkwardly, thinking of Mihail who was still hanging around the Imperial Palace without leaving. Well, Claude was naturally still here too.

Anyway, back to Mihail’s story, it seemed he had been bragging about the compass to everyone he met.

I only found out this morning.

I heard it by chance when I went out for a walk after a long time.

<There’s something more important than that.>

<Oh? What might that be?>

<…The compass, you say?>

Mihail, chatting with a nobleman, looked extremely pleased.

By the way, why is he packaging it so glamorously? It was just bought from a street shop!

I was dumbfounded, but decided not to join that conversation.

Anyway, the nobles who were both pleased and intrigued by Mihail’s long stay approached him one by one to ask questions, and the compass story came up naturally.

And so, the compass bought from an unnamed shop in an eastern desert city had somehow become a precious treasure unparalleled in the world.

“Sigh.”

And that treasure had now returned to its owner, me. Just this morning.

“Why the sigh, Your Majesty?”

“Just… it seems someone has an exceptional talent for increasing the value of things.”

“Huh? Who?”

“There’s such a person.”

I thought he was only good at increasing the value of relics, but it seemed that even ordinary items turned into expensive goods after passing through Mihail.

Well.

Regardless of its actual value, it is indeed precious to me.

I smiled softly while stroking the smoothly restored rim of the compass. The time when I raced through the desert gauging directions with this felt like a distant memory.

I don’t need it anymore.

I should only take it out occasionally, as I promised Johann.

“Could you put it in that drawer over there?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The newly arrived maid received the compass with both hands and walked gracefully to where I pointed. Then she placed it in the drawer with extreme care, as if handling fragile glass pieces. Her attitude was like enshrining a national treasure.

“……”

This is all because Mihail has been exaggerating.

He’s so sentimental.

I inwardly clicked my tongue and looked in the mirror.

After endless physical conversations with Johann, I finally came out after a very long time. So honestly, I was feeling a bit… no, very embarrassed right now. Though I was pretending to be calm on the outside.

“There’s no need to dress up too much for going to the office.”

Faye, who got to dress me up after a long time, was excitedly showing off her skills. But there was no banquet, nor any social gathering like a tea party.

I was planning to just shut myself in the office alone, so what was the point of dressing up so prettily? It felt like such a waste that I should go somewhere.

“There are so many watching eyes in the Imperial Palace.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. This is the basics, the basics.”

“Hmm… This is the basics, you say?”

This is too much, Faye.

It looked like I could go to a ball without being out of place. However, having come out of the bedroom after several weeks, I decided not to say anything.

I should let her dress me up to her heart’s content when there’s an opportunity, yes.

Honestly, it wasn’t entirely my fault that I came out after such a long time. I had told Johann several times in between that we should go out now.

But each time, Johann silenced my mouth with his lips and showed off his infinite stamina. And so I fell asleep exhausted…

Well.

We brought food to eat in the bedroom, bathed together in the tub, lay face to face and chatted. And before we knew it, days had passed.

We didn’t do anything special, but time flew by so quickly. Or did we? Maybe we did extremely special things and that’s why time passed in a daze.

We lived like a man and woman returned to their primal state without a single thread on, so it couldn’t be called ordinary.

The acts Johann and I shared were full of primitive things, unlike the luxurious and dignified atmosphere of the decorated bedroom.

Ahem.

I’ll stop here because it’s embarrassing.

“Just bring some fruit to the office.”

I got up from the dressing table and left the room. When I went for a walk this morning, it felt awkward to walk, but now it’s a bit better.

I had been living too lazily, so I needed to get back into the daily routine.

I didn’t think Ionia would have given me any proper work, but I had strongly told Johann this morning that I wanted to really help with substantial work from today, so there should be something, right?

Thinking that, I moved my steps.

* * *

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Unexpectedly, Ionia was in the office. And Johann, who had gone to the meeting this morning, was also there.

“How long have you been waiting?”

I asked, feeling a bit sorry.

The very person who had insisted on finally doing some work had arrived last.

I thought there would only be documents lying around, but if I had known the two of them were here, I would have hurried more.

“Just a moment ago.”

The answer came from Johann.

He was slightly perched on the dark oak desk in the center of the office. Johann tapped the desk with his long fingers as he spoke.

“I wanted to teach the first lesson myself.”

“I came to supervise.”

Ionia straightened her back and flashed stern eyes.

She told me to do my best as an Empress before, and now she’s here to make sure I don’t slack off…

Reading the inner thoughts reflected in my eyes, Ionia cleared her throat slightly and continued.

“I believe you’ve enjoyed it enough by now.”

“…Could you not say it so bluntly?”

I’m still not immune to embarrassment, you know?

But my distress seemed to be none of Ionia’s concern. She looked at Johann and me alternately and said in a clear voice.

“It’s been three weeks and ten days.”

Her resolute voice clearly conveyed what she meant. Despite her own threat to produce an heir within a year, and despite the honeymoon being naturally passionate, there was a mix of admiration and criticism in her voice, wondering how we could really be cooped up in the bedroom for a whole month.

Right.

I’m sorry.

I didn’t know a month had passed either.

Somehow, all the embarrassing things I had done with Johann during that time came to mind, and I felt my cheeks heating up. I could almost see the muscular body under Johann’s perfectly dressed clothes.

I’m going crazy.

Get a grip, Seraphina.

There must be an undead clinging to my mind. I needed to purify my thoughts.

“What kind of work should I take on, Miss Ionia?”

I changed the subject, afraid of being caught thinking lewd thoughts.

“Before that, Your Majesty.”

Ionia opened her mouth in a stern voice. It was the kind of voice used when scolding someone. I unconsciously tensed up a bit.

“Yes?”

“How long are you going to use honorifics with me? Lower your speech.”

“Ah.”

I could do this with people I was meeting for the first time, but it was difficult with people I already knew. But there was nothing I couldn’t do in front of Ionia’s fierce gaze.

“I understand.”

“From now on, you’ll be meeting ministers and hosting social gatherings. Don’t create opportunities for criticism by accidentally using honorifics with me in front of people.”

“I’ll try.”

I answered very awkwardly.

I can do it if I try, I can do it.

If I think of it as for Johann’s sake, changing my speech pattern is nothing. There are quite a few nobles watching with sharp eyes to find fault with me, and I couldn’t let Johann be criticized along with me for my improper conduct.

Ionia nodded with a satisfied smile.

Good.

Passed the speech pattern change test.

Now, shall we start work?

I sat down at the desk where Johann was perched. So many thin papers were piled up here.

“I’ve brought just a few light agenda items.”

“I see.”

I answered with a slight smile.

Is this just a few?

Overwhelmed by Johann’s casual tone as if this was just a practice game, I had to force strength into the corners of my lips to maintain my smile. Judging by Johann’s expression, there wasn’t even a grain of playfulness. He seriously meant he had brought just a little.

Come to think of it, I remember seeing mountains of documents piled up in Johann’s office before…

I became solemn.

This amount of documents really is just a practice game.

Ah, why is the path of an Empress so long and difficult?

I want to properly do my share as one person, but it doesn’t look easy at all.