8.

Even after several days, no letter arrived. For a day or two, she thought the carrier pigeons needed time, but as a week was nearly up, her nerves were on edge whenever a servant entered.

“My lady, the repairs to the quarters are almost complete. Some furniture was old, so the Internal Affairs Department has agreed to provide new pieces.”

Seeing the head chamberlain’s empty hands without a letter again today, Elia nodded. She felt deflated, thinking the few words she had courageously written seemed to have been in vain, but she couldn’t show it.

“The princess must be exhausted in body and mind, so prepare everything so she experiences no inconvenience when she arrives.”

“Yes. Lady Themis knows the princess’s preferences well and is checking everything meticulously.”

“With Marienne’s skills, we can trust her.”

A knock sounded on the half-open door. Elia, who had recently become sensitive to knocks, looked up to see head chamberlain Victor entering with some paper bundle.

“Is it a letter? From His Majesty?”

Elia had no idea how red her cheeks had become or how her expression had brightened.

“It’s His Majesty’s order.”

Elia nodded at those words. There was a significant difference between a letter written by Rockfort himself and his orders. The former never came despite her waiting, while the latter arrived punctually every day.

“Please review it.”

Victor respectfully presented the letter. Elia quickly read the brief contents.

“That’s a relief. The princess’s divorce proceedings are complete, and she’s already departed for the empire…… I wonder how long it will take?”

“She’ll be traveling by carriage, so it will probably take at least three or four days. As long as it doesn’t rain…… there is a main road connecting the Grand Duchy and the empire.”

“Besides that, I think we need one more new preparation.”

Elia looked again at the end of the letter she had just read. It contained news that Leticia’s daughter, who would soon turn three, would accompany her on this journey.

Typically, even when a political marriage dissolves, children remain with their father. She couldn’t know the circumstances, but the situation seemed quite complicated.

“The princess is bringing her daughter.”

Even the experienced Victor seemed somewhat surprised by these words. Like Elia, he apparently understood this was an unusual occurrence.

“It says she’s nearly three years old, so we’ll need quarters and items for the child. Tell Marienne to hand over her current duties to Hannah for now and focus on preparing to welcome the princess and her daughter.”

“Yes. The princess will be pleased by your generous heart, my lady.”

After Victor paid his respects and left, only Dain remained by Elia’s side.

“Will she really be pleased……”

A woman’s heart is best understood by another woman.

“Why do you say such things?”

The usually taciturn Dain asked carefully.

“Of course, I hope she’ll be pleased, but…… the princess is returning home with difficulty after a painful marriage. Moreover, even though it’s her daughter, it seems too easy for them to give up a child of grand ducal blood.”

If Leticia’s child had been a boy, it could have caused various problems, but this arrangement seemed possible because it was a daughter.

Yet even for a daughter, considering her value for future political marriages in noble families, it still seemed strange.

“It feels as if…… she’s unnecessary to the Grand Ducal family.”

The Grand Duke of Ern had married not just any princess, but the emperor’s only blood sister. The significance of such a condition in a political marriage was beyond question.

And what about the daughter? It was obvious how valuable the daughter of a Grand Duke and an imperial princess would be in the future, yet her return seemed suspiciously easy, which bothered Elia.

“I don’t know the details, but I can understand…… that the princess must have been in a very painful situation.”

Elia knew the signs of a failed marriage better than anyone. No matter how politically bound the relationship was, if a husband placed no value on his wife, she was no different from a decorative statue received from an allied country.

The fact that the princess could return now was evidence of how miserable that marriage must have been.

“I want to comfort her, but it will be difficult.”

Elia was thinking of her past self. Of herself guarding the increasingly desolate empress’s quarters, letting time pass meaninglessly.

“Everyone, when the princess arrives, soothe the palace people well so she can stay comfortably……”

“Yes. However…… taking care of yourself, my lady, must come first.”

Coming from Dain, who had protected Elia since childhood, these words resonated deeply.

“Yes, I will.”

“Then, I’ll send in Cyril and Mona. They’re waiting as it’s time for your hot compress.”

“……Hmm.”

It was Elia’s habit to slightly push out her lower lip when hearing something she didn’t like.

“You must follow the imperial physician’s prescription well for faster recovery.”

Seeing Elia’s habit that hadn’t changed since childhood, Dain spoke kindly.

“It’s too hot. It feels like I’m boiling my feet in boiling water.”

Only Dain and Hannah, who had been with her since childhood, could hear such informal speech from her.

“The imperial physician……”

“I know, it only feels that way because I’m not fully healed, and it’s actually just warm water. I’ve put my hand in it too.”

It seemed fine when she put her hand in, but when she immersed her painful foot, it felt almost as if the water was boiling.

But the start of this new treatment was a good sign. It meant her recovery was progressing.

“Um, Dain……”

“Yes, my lady.”

Elia hesitated for a moment, but felt she could speak if it was to Dain.

“Do you remember when I received His Majesty’s letter by carrier pigeon before?”

“Yes.”

“And that I sent a reply?”

“Yes.”

“And that no reply has come since then?”

Ah, only then did Dain realize his mistress’s adorable worry.

“The front lines must be busy. His Majesty’s personal letters haven’t arrived anywhere yet. All the letters arriving now are written by his aides.”

“Ah, I see.”

They say unburdening one’s worries lightens the heart, and hearing Dain’s definitive words improved her mood, knowing her letter hadn’t been the only one ignored.

“You must be busy, you can go now.”

“Yes. I’ll send in the ladies-in-waiting.”

After Dain withdrew, two young ladies-in-waiting came in with items needed for the hot compress and carefully attended to Elia. When the bandages and splint were removed, even to the n*ked eye, the swelling in her shin had almost completely subsided.

“You’ve really improved a lot.”

The lady-in-waiting, Mona, said with a bright smile. Mona and Cyril were ladies-in-waiting of the same age from lower noble families. With their brown hair and similar appearances, some mistook them for sisters.

“Oh, the bandage is wet! I’m sorry!”

“Mona. You memorized the order. My lady, I’ve brought new bandages, please forgive us.”

But their personalities were completely different—Mona was very bright, while Cyril was very composed. Yes…… very much so, with nothing in between.

“Minor things are fine.”

Elia, with her foot immersed in hot water up to her ankle, spoke while enduring the pain.

“Would you tell me some stories from outside?”

She needed to focus elsewhere to forget this pain.

For Mona, this was the most exciting moment. It was certainly pleasing that such a noble lady would listen to her chatter.

“They say the majesty of the new empress’s quarters being built is incredible. Especially using marble from the north, it’s white, subtle, soft yet elegant appearance is exquisite……”

Mona chattered away with a dreamy expression. Cyril, as if not hearing a word, silently prepared new bandages and splints. More than the story, Elia found the stark contrast between the two amusing.

“By the way, I heard it might be a bit noisy tomorrow.”

When Cyril spoke, it was always about important matters.

“I heard they plan to level and smooth the road in front of these quarters.”

“Yes, I heard that too. So that the range where you can comfortably stroll will increase, my lady…… especially so you can directly observe the construction of the empress’s quarters.”

Suddenly, a memory surfaced. Of Rockfort lifting her without asking and of seeing the construction of the empress’s quarters while precariously held in his arms.

“Well…… it will be unnecessary once His Majesty returns. After hearing the story of His Majesty carrying you in his arms to visit the empress’s quarters, everyone really……”

Like a young girl, Mona’s cheeks reddened. Amusingly, so did Elia’s, the person involved.

“Mona, the towel.”

Fortunately, the blunt Cyril unintentionally helped Elia. The two now skillfully attended to her, then paid their respects and left the room.

“I thought spring was supposed to be short.”

Outside the window, it was still the same spring as when Rockfort had been there. The scent of lilac on the breeze was the same too.

“I guess that’s not always true.”

Even after dying once and returning, there were emotions she didn’t understand. Like the countless feelings that arose whenever she thought of Rockfort now.

Brilliant colors were flowing into Elia’s world, which had been entirely monochrome.

It was a spring where her heart beat so fiercely she feared it might stop.

* * *

Several more days quickly passed. Rockfort’s letter still hadn’t arrived, but as her expectations gradually diminished, her heart no longer raced when the head chamberlain visited as it had before.

“My lady, did you sleep well?”

“Good morning, Hannah.”

“Cyril will bring water for washing. I’ll prepare breakfast.”

“Alright.”

Life in the imperial palace, once unfamiliar, was now becoming routine.

When morning came, she would open her eyes, wash her face with water in a silver basin while still in bed, empty the plates meticulously prepared by Marienne, then drink tonics and tea.

That alone made the morning fly by.

“The imperial physician will be here soon.”

After being examined and treated, the head chamberlain would come to share news from outside, and Marienne would update her on the empress’s quarters and these quarters.

Sometimes Elia’s opinion was needed, but mostly it was just time flowing naturally.