Chapter 14 – Part 6

“I know it’s presumptuous, but…… Tenere. Is there any reason why she has to be the nanny?”

Like Tenere, Alaina remembered clearly what Laura had said all those years ago.

She knew it wasn’t her place to chime in, but it was hard to keep her mouth shut.

“You didn’t have a great relationship, and I know how important character is to a nanny…….”

“She was young. She must have been about eighteen at the time.”

“Eighteen is practically grown up.”

“I can’t tell you how many mistakes I made even after my coming-of-age ceremony.”

“That’s not the same as…….”

Alaina was about to refute that they were different but then closed her mouth.

Seeing her troubled expression, Tenere gave a small laugh.

“She’s not a bad person.”

“Well… I understand.”

Alaina still didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t like to pry into other people’s affairs repeatedly.

Setting her teacup down, she spoke again.

“I’m sure it’s about time he started sending out his marriage proposal.”

“His letters come every day. I think he wants me to take it easy until the wedding.”

Leonard’s letters came to the Marquisate every morning.

Some were lighthearted greetings about the day’s weather, others asking for her forgiveness.

Other days, it was a long, rambling note about how much he’d missed her since she’d left the palace.

Regardless of the content, they were all filled with affection, so Tenere would sometimes take out his letters and read them over and over again when she was alone.

“It’s a sign of your last bit of freedom. He won’t send you away once you enter the palace.”

Alaina said cheerfully, as if joking. Tenere’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?”

“There were rumors after you left the palace. It was said that the Empress hadn’t really disappeared. His Majesty loved her so much that he secretly locked her in a room.”

“…Goodness.”

Tenere couldn’t hide her embarrassment at the unexpected story. Alaina covered her mouth and laughed.

“How ridiculous, though I suppose it was obvious how much His Majesty loved the Empress.”

“…….”

“He denied it to you over and over again, but eventually, he showed it. As soon as you met again, he bombarded you with all kinds of affectionate gestures. It’s not such an unbelievable story after all.”

The affectionate gesture in the north had its own history, but Tenere doesn’t bother to explain it.

He didn’t want to tell anyone what happened between them.

‘Husband and wife…’

It was a bit amusing to have such thoughts before even receiving the engagement letter.

But the moment she kissed him, she had already given him the answer to his proposal.

So Leonard is excited about the wedding and the gifts.

“…I shouldn’t have said that.”

Feeling embarrassed by her childish thoughts, Tenere couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed as time went on, thinking that she might have accepted too quickly, even if Leonard hadn’t grabbed her skirt or shed tears.

“Just send him on his way. Did you have something else in mind?”

Alaina muttered, but couldn’t hear properly because the child spat out the cookie he was eating all of a sudden.

Tenere hastily wiped the corner of his mouth and chin before speaking.

“……Well, the proposal is going to take a while, anyway, so I thought I’d take Josie on a tour of the eve festivities in the meantime since I won’t be able to roam as freely after the wedding as I can now.”

Even if she wasn’t actually confined to the palace, it was clear that once she became Empress, she would be much busier than she was now.

So aside from wanting a marriage proposal sooner rather than later, she also wanted to enjoy the time she had now with her child.

“It should be fine. His Majesty assigned guards to you.”

“Alaina, would you like to come with us?”

“I’d love to, but… I have to patrol during the festival period.”

Alaina said regretfully.

Having taken the title so abruptly, she didn’t yet have a solid base of support within the marquisate, so she had to show herself as a leader by participating in training with the knights and patrolling with them.

“Soon, I’ll have to inspect my territories too. I’ll be away for a few months after the wedding.”

“It will be tough. Your territory is so vast.”

“Still, it’s such a relief that I received the title safely. Right after inheriting, I even managed to drive out that incompetent butler…”

Their conversation continued long after Laura had taken Joshua down for a nap.

They talked about what they’d been up to, the news of the social scene, the trendy salons, and their friends.

When it was finally time to go, Alaina stood up wistfully.

“Oh, Alaina. I have something I’m curious about.”

Tenere, who had risen from his seat to see her off, spoke up.

Alaina looked back at her questioningly.

“What is it?”

“After you left the capital, Lady Deferac and Lady Oberon were quite friendly to me.”

Tenere remembered how they had welcomed her when she and Leonard had their first dance.

Even after she became empress, they continued to show her favor.

“I wondered if you had asked them to.”

“…Ah.”

Alaina seemed surprised to be asked such a question and scratched her cheek, hesitating to answer.

She hesitated, then smiled.

“Do I have to answer that? I don’t really like to be embarrassed.”

“Then…….”

“Also… They’re not the type of people who would do everything just because I asked. They were genuinely fond of you too.”

The dimples beneath her crescent-shaped eyes popped out sharply.

Tenere nodded slowly.

* * *

The news from the palace arrived on the morning before the eve of the festival.

It was Tenere’s tenth day in the Marquis’s residence.

The festivities usually took place around this time of year to welcome spring, but this time they were to celebrate the return of the prince and empress and the imperial family’s second wedding.

The wedding was planned to take place on the last day of the festival, and the ceremony would be followed by a two-day reception at the Imperial Palace, so the capital would be in a festive mood for nearly a week.

“Where are they?”

“They’re supposed to arrive around eleven o’clock. No, don’t they usually send these things in the afternoon? What’s the rush?”

It was customary to receive documents bearing the emperor’s seal in the same manner as one would receive the emperor himself.

The proposal came much later than expected, but the telegram had been sent so early in the morning that both Tenere and Eric had been up and about.

As soon as they had finished their respective baths, they went to the dressing room to change clothes and do their hair.

Eric finished first, but he didn’t have much time to spare, as it was up to him to get ready for the official.

Shortly after they finished, the butler announced the arrival of the imperial carriage.

Eric went to the front door to greet the official, while Tenere went straight to the parlor with the child in her arms.

Joshua, dressed in a baby suit, wiggled around as if he wanted to wander off on his own, but he quickly calmed down when Laura brought him a doll.

“Finally, a marriage proposal. I was wondering when it would come.”

Laura chattered excitedly.

Tenere was also waiting for a marriage proposal, but she sat stoically, not wanting to show her excitement.

Soon, there was a little commotion outside, and then a knock on the door.

“Your Majesty. …….”

The butler opened the door and stepped into the parlor with a puzzled look on his face.

Seeing his perplexed look, Tenere looked at him curiously.

“What’s the matter?”

“His Majesty is here, Your Majesty.”

“……what?”

At the unexpected news, Tenere stood up from her seat without even realizing it.

The half-open door swung wide.

“…Your Majesty.”

Tenere stood there, speechless at the sight of the large man in front of her.

Recognizing his father, Joshua quickly jumped off the couch and ran to him.

“Daddy!”

“Yes, Josie.”

Leonard swept Joshua into a quick hug.

The boy giggled at seeing his dad after so long.

“What brings you…”

“I’m here to deliver a marriage proposal.”

The answer came as a matter of course.

Tenere looked at his brother, still dumbfounded, standing behind him.

Eric looked dumbfounded, too, as if he hadn’t expected this.

“……I thought you were busy, I didn’t expect you to come like this.”

The voice that came out seemed curt, perhaps trying to hide the joy.

But that didn’t last long. Seeing the child playing and tugging at his father’s face, Tenere couldn’t help but burst into a chuckle.

“You can’t do that, Josie.”

“Ying.”

Tenere quickly tried to pick Joshua up, but the child clung to his father and refused to let go. Leonard kissed Joshua in his arms a few times, then looked back at Tenere.

“I wanted to come earlier, but I was delayed by preparations.”

“I thought you’d changed your mind.”

“Of course not.”