Chapter 2 – Part 3

In the novel, the Emperor and the protagonist picked hibiscus flowers and made tea on the spot during their childhood date.

‘That recipe might be too simple.’

After some consideration, I decided to blend a tea inspired by Rote Grütze, a German dessert.

Rote Grütze is a traditional dessert made of red berries and served with cream or vanilla sauce. I would reinterpret it into a tea.

Mix elderberries, red currants, blueberries, and hibiscus petals together. The proportions can be adjusted to taste as long as they are not significantly off.

This blend, being caffeine-free, is perfect for late evenings, making it an ideal choice for now.

Having decided on the tea, I peeked into the downstairs kitchen.

As expected, the kitchen was in complete chaos. Preparing the meal for two instead of one at the last minute had turned it into a battlefield.

‘They’ve just sent up the second main course. There should be some time before the dessert is served.’

I returned to the tea storage room to prepare the Rote Grütze tea.

Then I suddenly remembered what His Highness had been wearing earlier.

“Could he still be dressed like that?”

I didn’t want to imagine what might happen if I couldn’t control my gaze in front of the Empress.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and left the tea storage room with the meticulously prepared tea set.

I pushed the tea trolley into the dining room as usual.

All the other servants had been dismissed, leaving only the Empress and the Crown Prince in the small dining room.

Fortunately, His Highness was now dressed in a more appropriate attire for the Crown Prince.

‘Did he change before the Empress arrived? Either way, it’s a relief.’

I steadied my expression, still haunted by the earlier sight of His Highness in his Southern Kingdom outfit, and began setting up the teacups.

To properly brew the Rote Grütze tea, you need to pour boiling water over it and let it steep for about 8 minutes.

Judging by the progress of the dinner, I had timed it so that the tea would be ready in just about a minute once it was brought to the dining room.

But…

‘Has a minute always been this long?’

Her Majesty the Empress, if you’re going to barge in on the crown prince’s dinner, at least have a proper word with your son.

Instead of engaging in a conversation with her son, the Empress kept staring at me intently.

And His Highness, having a rare opportunity to dine with his mother, should have been catching up on missed conversations, yet he was also fixated on me.

‘Why are they both staring at me!’

Their stares were so intense that I felt tears welling up from the pressure.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last grain of sand fell in the hourglass.

I poured the perfectly brewed Rote Grütze tea into the Empress’s and Crown Prince’s teacups.

The ruby-red hue of the hibiscus glowed like a gem in the white cups.

The room filled with the aroma of hibiscus flowers, enveloped by the sweet scents of red currants and blueberries.

Empress Beatrix reacted with a pleased expression and, to my surprise, addressed me in a remarkably informal manner.

“Child, this is hibiscus, isn’t it?”

I bowed respectfully and answered,

“Yes, Your Majesty. I have blended various fruits centered around hibiscus petals.”

The Empress took a sip and commented again,

“As expected, you have quite a talent.”

“I am honored by your praise.”

The Empress smiled kindly at my stiff posture.

“This is not an audience chamber. You may speak more freely.”

“Th-Thank you.”

Encouraged by her kindness, I dared to lift my head slightly.

Empress Beatrix, the mother of the Crown Prince, looked as though she had stepped out of a history book.

She seemed to embody the dignity and grace of a ruler in human form.

‘Such a stark contrast to the petty and picky Crown Prince…’

The Empress’s hair, once as black as the night, had lightened with age, creating a striking contrast with her deep blue and gold attire.

Her stance was commanding, her presence regal, and her gaze sharp enough to pierce through one’s soul from above.

‘I haven’t had the chance to see Her Majesty this closely since my debutante ball.’

My family, the Count of Marnel, was not a particularly influential house.

Being in her presence again made my fingertips cold with tension. I felt a slight tremor in my body.

At that moment, the Crown Prince addressed the Empress.

“Mother.”

Her intense gaze shifted from me to the Crown Prince.

He continued,

“Aren’t you making everyone uncomfortable? Why did you come without notice?”

What on earth is he saying?

I thought he only spoke so bluntly to the servants of the Crown Prince’s palace, but he was also like this to the Empress?

‘Should I admire his consistency?’

The Empress responded to his complaint,

“Notice? What for? Adding another plate to what you’re already eating shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”

“…”

Empress, that seems a bit much.

“Anyway, it’s been a while since I enjoyed a good tea. My father was quite fond of hibiscus tea.”

The Empress’s father would be the previous Emperor.

The Empress continued,

“When he was courting my mother, they used to walk in the summer garden and make hibiscus tea together.”

Strangely enough, this story sounded familiar. I was puzzled.

Where have I heard this story before?

The Crown Prince once again opposed what Her Majesty was saying.

“Where exactly is this story from?”

“Why, it was when your grandfather was young and stayed in the Western Kingdom for quite a while, long before he joined the battle for the throne.”

“What? Didn’t Grandfather meet Grandmother only after he ascended to the throne?”

“Now that I think about it, you wouldn’t know. The two were actually in a relationship since they were young.”

“……Wasn’t Grandmother remarried when she entered into the state marriage? I heard she was the Duchess of Roshid before marrying Grandfather.”

Even I was confused by the story I was hearing.

‘So, the Dowager Empress originally dated the former Emperor, but for some reason, she married the Duke of Roshid, divorced him, and then remarried the former Emperor?’

Their love story was indeed quite tumultuous.

How did the former Duke of Roshid get involved in all this? He must have had a tough time too.

But this really sounds familiar.

“Wait, is this possibly…”

Isn’t this the plot of “The Emperor is obsessed with the Duchess who was in the marriage of convenience with the terminally Ill Duke “?

The story where a powerless prince, staying in a foreign country, falls head over heels for the protagonist, awakens through the power of love, eventually seizes the throne, and then becomes obsessively attached to the protagonist who doesn’t recognize him, finally barging into the contract marriage ceremony between the protagonist and the terminally ill duke to stop it?

I perked up my ears.

Then, Her Majesty said,

“There are very complicated circumstances. If I were to tell the whole story, it could easily fill a book.”

That book already seems to exist.

And I feel like I just got a spoiler from Your Majesty about the contents of that book.

Is the male lead of ‘The Great Depression’ the tyrant emperor, not the wealthy duke?

Was this not fiction but a true story, author?!

After that, I barely remembered how I served the tea.

I stood dazed until Her Majesty finished her post-meal tea time, and then I cleaned up the empty teacups and teapot and returned to the tea storage room.

Then I left work.

I trudged back to my room and sneaked a peek at the last page of ‘The Great Depression’.

“Wow, it’s exactly as His Majesty said. The protagonist ends up remarrying the tyrant emperor!”

Calming my surprised heart, I pondered.

Could there really be so many overlapping details just by coincidence?

“It might be a novel inspired by real events.”

And then I got curious.

“Who exactly wrote this book?”

I meticulously checked the cover and title page, but there was nothing but a cute pen name, “StrawberryChoco.” There were no clues to deduce the author’s identity.

“Wait, my diary friend might know!”

They have good information since they’re the heir to a merchant group.

Last time, they even told me something like a state secret.

I took out my diary from the drawer, picked up a pen, and wrote to my diary friend.

[Hey, my diary friend.]

After waiting for a while, my friend’s response appeared silently in the diary.

[That’s right, I’m your friend.]

Sometimes he talks like a chatbot.

Anyway, I asked my friend what I was curious about.

[Have you ever heard of a book called “The Emperor is obsessed with the Duchess who was in the marriage of convenience with the terminally Ill Duke”?]

Then my diary friend paused for a moment before responding.

[A terminally ill…duke?]

I could almost feel their surprise through the diary.

Maybe the title was too much for my friend who hasn’t had any romantic experiences yet.

I scratched my cheek with my finger, feeling embarrassed.

[Yes, that’s the title of the book. It’s the most popular book in the capital right now!]

[It’s my first time hearing about it. What’s it about?]

[It’s about a protagonist who contracts marriage with a wealthy but terminally ill duke, and the emperor becomes obsessed with them.]

[Is that so….]

[I was wondering if you might know who wrote it.]

[Shall I find out?]

[No, you don’t need to go that far.]

If he already knew, that’d be one thing, but I couldn’t burden my already busy friend with more tasks.

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