Would it be an overreaction to read this as the emperor saying he would take away her ability to govern the inner palace if she didn’t demonstrate her capabilities in this palace building?

Rockfort’s signature was written at the bottom of the letter. It meant that no matter how infuriating the contents, this letter couldn’t be carelessly discarded.

“Hannah, prepare a sturdy box with a lock to store letters addressed to me. Keep it thoroughly protected so that no one can touch it.”

“Yes, my lady. I heard there are items the princess used in the next room, so there might be something used for the same purpose. I’ll look for it now. It’s time for your medicine, shall I bring refreshments as well?”

Elia nodded.

“But wait.”

Considering the gazes of Rockfort and the palace servants, it was important to establish herself quickly.

“Dain, go out and help Hannah. And call the maids working in this palace building to pay their respects to Hannah. Among them……”

Elia paused briefly, recalling the maids from the ducal residence in the past. The common traits of diligent maids with a sense of responsibility for their tasks.

“Have the maid with the cleanest apron and clothes but the most worn-down heels prepare the refreshments.”

The first step was always important. It began with finding people who would follow Elia wholeheartedly in this place.

Also, she didn’t want to show Hannah, her head lady-in-waiting, bustling about preparing tea in an unfamiliar kitchen.

“What? But my lady, alone in this room……”

“I want to be alone for a while. It won’t take long, will it?”

“Understood.”

Left alone, Elia traced Rockfort’s signature with her finger. The marks where the pen nib had fiercely scratched the paper felt bumpy under her fingertips.

“Rock…… fort.”

Her lips paused unconsciously as she murmured his name.

She couldn’t understand what this feeling was. It was a name she had never dared to call before out of fear, but now she even felt a strange sense of familiarity.

“Rockfort.”

Although she was merely muttering to herself when alone, the feeling of his name on her lips was unfamiliar and strange.

“Lips……”

Unconsciously, Elia traced her own lips with her finger.

Remembering that this was where his lips had touched when he lifted the veil at the engagement ceremony without giving her time to blink, her heart pounded again.

“No.”

She bit her lip firmly. She didn’t understand why such a brief moment remained so vivid.

That moment when their lips touched, from his closed eyes with their neat eyelashes to his noble nose bridge, to the warmth his lips contained……

She hated how it kept tormenting her, as if knocking on her heart, tickling it.

“I hate him, that’s why.”

Other truths locked deep inside weren’t important.

“I can only resent him. All that pain was real.”

Elia knew herself well enough to know if she was capable of harboring resentment.

But there was no need to tell the whole truth. The world had acted this way first, so Elia too would move forward asserting the answers she wanted in order to survive.

“I…… must not hope anymore. For his heart, his attention, his love.”

She didn’t want to stake everything on a man’s heart that was more fleeting than the seasons.

— I, Rockfort Petrion, will not let go of this hand I hold.

“I never wanted such promises, nor will I expect him to be kept. They mean nothing to me.”

He was the master of this world, but Elia would not live by simply obeying him.

“Now I’ll protect what’s mine with my own strength. I won’t easily give up my happiness again.”

She would become an empress who wouldn’t waver for anyone, not even the emperor.

“Even if it’s the second time.”

Not as the wife of a man named Rockfort, not as a pitiful soul swayed by his emotions, but as someone who could live entirely by her own strength.

“I just need to become the only one.”

She felt as if a long tunnel had finally ended.

Elia had at last found the answer for herself.

* * *

Jayden appeared before Rockfort, who was drinking tea in his office, and paid his respects. The violet eyes that glanced at him seemed full of curiosity.

“As Your Majesty commanded, we’ve escorted Lady Theon to the palace quarters where the Princess was staying.”

Contrary to Rockfort’s expectation as he rested his chin on his hand to hear the story, Jayden closed his mouth.

“……And?”

At Rockfort’s unexpected question, Jayden could only blink.

“That’s…… all, Your Majesty.”

At this tactless response, Rockfort’s eyebrows immediately furrowed.

“What do you mean ‘all’? Did you not explain what kind of place that palace is, and how deep my consideration and grace are?”

“I carried out the protocol exactly as Your Majesty ordered.”

“And you didn’t even bring me a message?”

“Ah…… yes…… The lady said she was tired and wanted to cancel the remaining schedule to rest, so I withdrew.”

How truly insolent and outrageous……

Rockfort habitually started to utter those words but stopped. He had the absurd thought that Elia might laugh at him if she saw him like this.

“She’s been bedridden for a long time, and she must have been tired after traveling around the capital in a carriage today.”

“Traveling around the capital?”

The conversation kept turning into a  one-sided questioning.

“The lady said she wanted to see the capital scenery after a long time, so we took the main road, which took a bit longer.”

Huh, Rockfort let out a short laugh and relaxed his furrowed expression.

She was still insolent and outrageous, but there was no one more interesting than her right now, so he was glad he hadn’t killed her.

“You traveled around the capital but still made it on time?”

“Halfway through, the lady said she’d seen enough and asked to go to the Imperial Palace.”

“Where was that?”

“After leaving the ducal residence, we drove through the noble district…… I believe it was around where the river begins.”

This wasn’t a coincidence but an action with some intent.

If Rockfort’s guess was correct, Elia was even smarter and more interesting than he had anticipated. Perfectly suited for the position of empress.

“Tell the imperial physician to do everything possible to hasten the lady’s recovery.”

He was already looking forward to seeing what more interesting things would happen when Elia regained freedom in her legs and stood up.

“It seems there was no need to leave a letter after all.”

“Pardon?”

Jayden was an excellent knight with martial skills rivaling Rockfort’s, but he was somewhat slow on the uptake. Charitably put, he was steadfast and loyal, but at times like this, his obtuseness was unavoidable.

“Never mind. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”

Rockfort rose to his feet. Since Elia had announced her entry to the palace so spectacularly, he needed to move faster than planned.

In a way, he’d been outmaneuvered, but that feeling wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes. But where to……”

Tsk, Rockfort clicked his tongue and strode out of his office. Jayden quickly followed his steps.

It was only after some time that he realized Rockfort was approaching the former emperor’s quarters.

“What are you looking at?”

“I’m surprised Your Majesty came here first.”

“I’m not here because I want to be.”

Rockfort came to urge the former emperor to leave quickly for the Seira territory.

Moving those heavy steps would require paying a bit more of a price, but with Elia already in the palace, it was better than seeing the former emperor interfere.

“Thanks to someone, I’m quite busy.”

Jayden, still understanding nothing, just nodded. Rockfort patted his shoulder and reluctantly made his way to the former emperor’s quarters.

* * *

After a brief rest, Elia looked around the quarters where she would be staying. As Jayden had introduced, it was where the Princess had stayed, and every corner was beautiful and showed signs of careful maintenance.

“The palace quarters are beautiful, but the garden is truly magnificent.”

Even in spring, the wind grew cold as sunset fell. Elia gazed at the garden, wrapped in the cashmere that Hannah had carefully draped around her.

“It’s smaller than the garden at the ducal residence, isn’t it?”

While the Theon ducal residence’s garden was also splendid and grand, this place had its own unique charm.

“I prefer this kind of garden.”

A small pond, lamps carved with intricate patterns, flowers clustered together that would bloom and wither with the seasons, and a few old trees casting beautiful shadows.

“It seems the lady and the princess have similar tastes.”

Elia slowly nodded at Hannah’s words.

“Princess Leticia…… became the Grand Duchess of Ern, right?”

“Yes. That’s what I heard. According to a maid who looked after this place, even though the owner left, they’ve been sweeping and cleaning every day to maintain the quarters.”

“How admirable.”

“I found a maid as you specified, and she knows everything. How did you come up with that idea?”

As Elia had instructed, they found a maid whose appearance was fairly neat but whose shoe heels were worn down, and she turned out to know everything about managing these quarters.

“There were many maids at the ducal residence too. Some are lazy and cut corners, but others quietly do their share and more, keeping the household running properly…… Those people would be constantly moving about, so their shoe heels would inevitably wear down.”

Hannah was secretly impressed by Elia’s insight. Most noble ladies wouldn’t even spare a glance for a mere maid rather than a lady-in-waiting, but Elia already understood the principles of managing a large household.