“So I briefly wondered what it would have been like if I had married the Empress as my father had wanted. It’s a shame that I’m causing myself so much trouble.”
 
His grievance was all too real, and Beatrice thought to herself that she could have been like him.
 
However, she didn’t realize that sympathizing with those who complained about their married lives with her could be disrespectful to his own wife.
 
Those with ulterior motives often approach with sympathy.
 
After that day, her relationship with Isaac relaxed.
 
Isaac would occasionally tell her of the difficulties of his marriage to Isabelle to gain her sympathy, and Beatrice would comfort him and often confide in him.
 
Isaac’s trusted friends gossiped about his affairs, nobles ignored him, and maids acted impurely.
 
She wondered if she was bringing up unnecessary matters, but Isaac earnestly listened to her stories.
 
He even stood by her side at parties and political meetings.
 
Of course, she was no better off without his protection than she had been before, but it was a far cry from Heinrich, who would send her out of the room to fend for herself.
 
“Why don’t you ask the emperor to take care of the maids?”
 
“The emperor has told me to take care of them.”
 
Beatrice shook her head at Isaac’s suggestion. Isaac smirked.
 
“If I had access to the Empress’s bedchamber, I’m sure I could have taken care of it.”
 
“Don’t say such things.”
 
It was a light blow, but Beatrice often wondered what it would have been like if she had married Isaac instead of Heinrich.
 
He would have punished the maids who treated her poorly, and he would have made sure that no one would ever touch her.
 
Isaac laughed softly and then spoke.
 
“I apologize. But…… His Majesty told you to take care of it?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“With all due respect, are you sure you don’t want to take care of it then?”
 
“Take care of… what?”
 
“Well, in layman’s terms, I mean…”
 
Isaac brought his mouth to Beatrice’s ear. His breath hovered near her face, and Beatrice gave a small shudder.
 
“I mean turning it all upside down.”
 
The voice was too clear.
 
It wasn’t long before Heinrich returned. As usual, he came back with a victory report.
 
He locked himself in his office as soon as he returned.
 
The attitude of the maids remained unchanged. Without knocking, they came in under the pretext of airing the room, opened the windows wide, and rudely woke Beatrice up from her huddled position against the cold.
 
“We’ve brought you some water.”
 
At their words, Beatrice managed to sit up. Then she stiffened her face as she saw the cold water brought in.
 
“This is…….”
 
“You seem to be having difficulty waking up, so I have brought you some cool water.”
 
The maid who brought the water said it with a smirk. Those around her chuckled softly. It was an overt mockery.
 
“Close the windows; it’s cold outside. Bring back some hot water. His Majesty is here, and if I catch a cold, won’t you be in trouble too?”
 
Beatrice ordered again, as calmly as she could manage.
 
The maids exchanged mute glances among themselves and then obediently closed the window and left the room.
 
‘That’s all I have to say to the maids.’
 
Isaac advised her to turn everything upside down, but Beatrice couldn’t bring herself to say unpleasant things to others.
 
She lay back down, relieved that she didn’t have to be so angry. It wasn’t long before the door opened again.
 
“We have brought you fresh water, Your Majesty.”
 
The maids brought in hot water, white and steaming.
 
They poured the boiling water straight into the basin, and there were still bubbles on the surface.
 
As Beatrice stiffened her face again, she heard a faint squeaking sound.
 
“Since you said you were cold, we warmed it up for you. Please wash up quickly and go see His Majesty.”
 
The maid said this while holding the basin in front of Beatrice. At that moment, she could keenly feel it.
 
‘I’ve been looked down on all along. These people must have thought my mercy was serviility and were snorting.’
 
There’s no one to protect her in the bedroom, and maybe she’ll spend the rest of her life this way…….
 
‘Handle it yourself.’
 
Those words came to her at that moment. Something surged within her.
 
Beatrice pushed the bedside table aside with all her might.
 
A basin of hot water, makeup, and dry towels flew toward the maids.
 
Boom!
 
“Ouch!”
 
“Ouch, hot……!”
 
With a loud crash, the fraudulent basin hit the floor and shattered.
 
Someone was hit in the forehead with a toiletry bottle, and someone else was splashed with hot water.
 
Beatrice scrambled to her feet, watching them retreat. The maid, who had been doused, sat back and covered her face.
 
“Is it hot?”
 
“Woe, woe, Empress…….”
 
“Will I have to ask you the same question four or five times before you answer?”
 
She asked coldly, and Beatrice held her by the hair and pushed her backward.
 
“Kuck!”
 
“Oh my, it must have been really hot. You got it on your face too, what should we do about that?”
 
One of the maid’s cheeks flushed red. Beatrice lightly teased her and then pushed her to the ground.
 
When she looked up, she saw the panicked expressions on their faces.
 
“What are you doing? Bring in fresh water.”
 
With a cold command, the maid who met her gaze hurriedly left the room and brought in a new basin.
 
It was not a bad temperature, but Beatrice slammed it down again.
 
Then, looking at the pale-faced maids, she said,
 
“I don’t like the basin. Bring another one.”
 
Beatrice pushed five basins in total.
 
The maids’ footsteps didn’t please her, and the towels were too stiff. After fixing these details, she pointed out the fearful expressions in the end.
 
“You were all giggling about what was so funny earlier, but why are your facial expressions like this?”
 
The maids hunched their shoulders. One of them quickly knelt down.
 
“Forgive us, Your Majesty the Empress.”
 
It was the one who had brought the hot water. She was closest, so she was covered in hot water, one cheek still gaping open.
 
“What are you asking forgiveness for, silly girl? For bringing me water so hot it burned my face, for daring to open the door without my master’s permission, for waking me from my sleep, for making me wear a torn dress?”
 
“…….”
 
“Or is it about deliberately opening the door wide while holding up the clothes? Or the time you did something I didn’t ask you to do and then claimed it was my order? Or the time you laughed among yourselves as you watched me struggle?”
 
“Well, we were wrong. We were wrong.”
 
“I have shown you mercy, and you crawl on endlessly.  Get up, Jane. And you, come closer.”
 
Beatrice commanded, and the maid, who had been watching from the corner of her eye, crept closer.
 
It was a maid who giggled while deliberately splashing water on her face while helping her take a bath.
 
“Slap her in the face. You are close to me, so I’m sure you won’t say you didn’t hear it again.”
 
When Heinrich arrived at Beatrice’s chamber upon hearing the commotion in the empress’s quarters, it was in disarray.
 
The floor was a mess with broken vessels, and the scent of crushed roses filled the air, enough to give him a headache.
 
And Beatrice was sitting on the bed, slapping her maid’s cheek.
 
She looked at the sobbing face and said it coldly.
 
“What are you not smiling at?”
 
When the maid stopped sobbing and raised the corner of her mouth, Beatrice raised her hand again, as if she had been waiting.
 
With a sharp, harsh sound, the maid’s head snapped around.
 
Heinrich, seeing this, burst into the room.
 
“What do you think you’re doing, Empress?”
 
A rough hand seized her wrist. Beatrice opened her mouth to speak when she saw the small crease between his eyebrows.
 
“It’s nothing,” she said. “I’m punishing my maids for their unruly behavior.”
 
“…….”
 
“When I asked for your help, you told me to take care of it myself, but I didn’t expect you to come to me like this.”
 
Heinrich did not respond to Beatrice’s words; he merely grabbed her wrist and turned his head to command.
 
“…Summon the guards.”
 
“Your Majesty. The Empress… … Ugh… … .”
 
The maids on the floor sobbed and cried as if they believed the emperor would save them.
 
Beatrice strained to free her grasping hands, but the stone-hard body refused to budge.
 
A glance at his stern face sent a shiver down her spine. She was afraid he’d be angry with her right then and there.
 
“You told me handle it myself.”
 
“…….”
 
“I’m doing as you instructed, so why…!”
 
“I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”
 
With those words, Beatrice’s body relaxed.
 
Heinrich let go of her wrist. Her palm landed on the bed with a thud.
 
“Why did you do things yourself when you could have had someone else do them?”