Chapter 12 – Part 5

Leonard nodded, and a moment later, a figure in a plain robe stepped into the room.

“Welcome.”

Leonard opened his mouth as the door closed.

Alaina cocked her head and pulled down her hood. She ran her fingers through her half-disheveled hair and glanced towards Tenere.

When their eyes met, Tenere tensed a little, but she smiled nonchalantly and greeted her.

“……It’s been a long time, Lady Salvatore.”

Alaina looked somewhat moved by Tenere’s greeting. However, she quickly returned a polite greeting in accordance with etiquette.

“Alaina Salvator, greetings, Emperor and Empress.”

It was a polite greeting, like that of a seventeen-year-old girl at her debutante ball.

For Leonard, who had become accustomed to skipping greetings with each other, it was somewhat awkward to see them now.

Alaina, too, seemed the same, as she looked at him with a somewhat haughty expression.

“How much does Her Majesty know?”

“Everything I know.”

Leonard replied briefly, and Alaina nodded.

She turned to face Leonard and opened her mouth.

“First things first, Your Majesty. It was my uncle who leaked Empress Beatrice’s letter.”

“…….”

“Because my father made my uncle the temporary marquis, I wasn’t free to enter the office. My uncle said that it had to be confirmed that the Emperor was our blood to save my father.”

“……Keep talking.”

Leonard nodded slowly, as if he had expected this to happen.

Alaina glanced toward Tenere, then back at him.

“As Your Majesty knows, that man did something to me. Moreover, making my uncle lead the marquisate instead of me means he no longer trusts me.”

Unlike her previous visits, Alaina’s energy was more subdued.

Perhaps because of her anxiety about her uncle becoming the marquis.

“All I want is for you to deal with my father once and for all, and for me to inherit the marquisate safely. There is no benefit to me in having my father’s relationship with the late Empress become known.”

“Can you prove it?”

Leonard asked. It was an unexpected question, but also a welcome one.

“It sounds like you have something for me to do.”

“Rather than something to do, it’s something I want you to keep silent about.”

Alaina looked at him as if to ask what he meant.

Tenere, who had been watching, spoke up.

“I’ve seen a grass called Livano in my time in the North, My Lady.”

“…….”

“They said there was nothing wrong with it if a woman ate it, but if a man ate it, it would make him infertile.”

“Then…….”

Alaina narrowed her brow slightly. She recognized the implications of what Tenere was about to say.

“I know it would be a dishonor to you, but the imperial family will compensate you accordingly.”

“And if …… I refuse?”

Alaina looked back at Leonard.

“I could walk out of this door and go around telling everyone what I just heard.”

“Let’s hope not. I don’t want to destroy the Salvatore lineage.”

It was Leonard who spoke firmly.

Alaina let out a bitter laugh.

“Isn’t that a bit harsh for someone who might actually be your sister?”

“I was raised by a man who slit his own parents’ throats, I’m not sure you’d want me as your brother.”

Regardless, since they found out about their parents’s relationship in the past, they had somewhat regarded each other as siblings.

Leonard overlooked Alaina’s somewhat disrespectful demeanor toward him, and Alaina, likewise, often overlooked Leonard’s calm demeanor as he faced her.

“If you can kill my father and I safely inherit the dukedom, then I don’t mind. But it won’t be as easy as it sounds.”

Alaina ran a hand through her wavy red hair.

“As you know, I resemble my father, and if he suddenly becomes infertile, there will undoubtedly be suspicions raised. How do you plan to explain it? “

“Do we really need to explain……?”

It was Tenere who answered. Alaina turned her head to look at her.

When their eyes met, Tenere smiled a little awkwardly.

“Announcing the Marquis’s infertility does not obligate us to prove who the young lady’s father is.”

“Besides, doesn’t your uncle look like the Marquis, too?”

Leonard said. At the mention of Callian, Alaina paused.

“Your uncle would naturally deny it, but if the Marquis is not your father, attention will surely turn to him. Of course, the imperial family will remain silent as to who your father is.”

Fortunately, Isaac Salvatore’s only child was Alaina, and he had no other heir besides his brother Callian.

Moreover, since Alaina was the legitimate child of the deceased Marchioness, if there was the support of the Imperial Family, the succession to the title wouldn’t be impossible.

Especially if Callian were to be treated implicitly as Alaina’s father.

Leonard’s tale left Alaina with a puzzled expression.

After a long moment of silence, she spoke up.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have said anything.”

“…….”

“You know, Your Majesty, that it’s much better to just deal with it without telling me.”

She didn’t need to be told.

Even if Alaina were to suspect Isaac’s infertility, it would be enough for her to claim ignorance.

Even then, she wouldn’t be able to protest.

“I wouldn’t want to recklessly discard my faith in my comrade.”

Leonard responded in a light tone.

Alaina laughed softly.

“Aren’t you feeling weak thinking of me as your younger brother? ”

“Perhaps a little.”

Still, it was a relationship where they might share the same father.

Besides, he’d been cooperating with her all along, so she couldn’t just abandon him.

Of course, the main reason was that she didn’t know what he would do if she let things go on without telling him.

Whether she realized it or not, Alaina smiled mischievously.

“Then is it okay for me to call you brother in private? ”

“…….”

“It’s not like you’re going to make an impression.”

At Alaina’s words, Tenere glanced over at Leonard, but he was as calm as ever.

Seeing his sudden change in expression, Alaina chuckled as if amused.

Tenere spoke up.

“……Thank you for your cooperation, Lady Alaina.”

At the casual greeting, Alaina looked at Tenere without answering.

The stare made Tenere feel a little nervous, and she turned to face her.

“…I told you before. As long as I receive the title, it doesn’t matter.”

“…….”

“I heard you’ve been staying in the North… I’m relieved you’ve returned safely.”

There was no hostility in Alaina’s voice.

Rather, it seemed a bit awkward and even a bit embarrassing.

It was a strange sight for Tenere, who could only remember her chin held high in defiance.

“I thought we’d have a lot to talk about when we met, but…… but it might be a bit difficult to talk at length since I sneaked out.”

“…….”

“Well, since you don’t seem to like hunting, maybe we could go horseback riding next time you’re free, play chess, or maybe play pretend.”

As she finished speaking, Alaina raised the corners of her mouth playfully at the last word.

When Tenere nodded wordlessly, she slowly pushed herself to her feet.

Before turning around, Alaina took out a small box from her pocket and handed it to Tenere.

“……It’s not much of a gift.”

“It’s…….”

“I’ll take my leave now. See you on the day of the trial, Emperor and Empress.”

Alaina bowed as politely as she had on her way in and pulled her hood back up.

The door opened, and a waiting servant led her out.

***
Just when she thought the day was getting better, flakes of snow fell from the dark night sky.

Alaina, sitting in the carriage, leaned her chin against her hand and looked out of the window.

She remembered the nervous look on her face.

‘Her hands were badly bruised…….’

She wondered if she had taken good care of herself, if she hadn’t suffered enough in the cold north, giving birth, and raising a child.

‘……If he had gone after him when she first ran away, she wouldn’t have had to suffer.’

She had many questions about how she had been doing all this time, whether she truly couldn’t remember her, but everything changed after her father’s death.

Alaina stared out the window in a daze. The imperial palace was getting farther and farther away through the salt-scattered snowflakes.

* * *

She was like a lily.

That was her first impression of Tenere.

Long wheat-colored hair, jewel-like violet eyes, taller than her peers, and a pale smile.

She wasn’t overdressed compared to the children around her, but her uncharacteristically calm demeanor immediately caught Alaina’s attention.

She’d always had a thing for pretty things.

“I’m Tenere Evan.”

The girl’s voice was croaky.

But the name made young Alaina frown inwardly.

There was no way she didn’t know that name.

Didn’t she listen to the maids whispering that her mother’s death was caused by the Marchioness Evan, with whom she was close?

Looking back now, it might have stemmed from the disdain towards Lady Evan, the former Lady of Evan from the Partona lineage, but young Alaina couldn’t see the daughter in a good light.

She was far from a bizarre herb or an unusual spell, but she was still the daughter of the woman who killed her mother.

Before Alaina could express her discontent, other children introduced themselves.

Names she couldn’t remember now.

“Thank you all for accepting the invitation. I hope you have a good time.”

After the introductions, polite exchanges followed.

The children, both the noble’s children and those brought by their parents, were eager to imitate an adult social gathering, even though it was really just a bunch of kids in a room to play.

Sweets, cakes, and cups of hot chocolate were placed in front of each child.

At home, these were treats that everyone would beg for more of, but at a party like this, there was bound to be a bit of a fight.

“I mostly drink black tea at home….”

It was Alaina who said that.

In the world of children, appearing even slightly more adult-like was more important than anything else, and boasting about drinking strong black tea instead of hot chocolate was one such effort.

After Alaina’s comment, a lot of kids started drinking black tea.

Of course, these children mostly grimaced after tasting black tea once or twice, or they brewed it very lightly, or they added plenty of milk to it when drinking.

But none of the proud noble children wanted to be the losers in this competition.

Suddenly, several of the children raised their hands and ordered that black tea be brought instead of chocolate.

The butler, watching the scene, asked if anyone wanted to change the tea, and most of the children raised their hands. Except for one.

“I…… prefer chocolate.”

It was Tenere who said that.