Chapter 3 – Part 2

Tenere returned to Evan Mansion by carriage as the day brightened. When she left, it felt liberating, as if going on a journey, but as the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, an overwhelming feeling hit her.

Tenere took a deep breath and opened the door. Seeing Eric, who had come out with the servants to greet her, the tears she had been holding back finally burst.

“I’m back, Brother.”

Her calm voice was now drowned in sobs. Eric did not scold her or offer condolences. He simply awkwardly embraced her and patted her gently.

After her tears subsided, Tenere received instructions from Delus Cyan, Leonard’s aide. Delus, avoiding eye contact, calmly conveyed the precautions.

“For your safety, please accompany the knights whenever you go out.”

As the former empress, Tenere had become the subject of unnecessary curiosity. Being a young woman under thirty made her even more of a target.

Tenere, aware of the implications, nodded her head.

“And although it’s not prohibited by His Majesty, I would advise against social activities for the time being. There’s currently a lot of attention on your movements, so it’s best not to attract unnecessary notice.”

“Understood.”

“And in case there are any unforeseen circumstances… Regarding remarriage, I would recommend waiting at least a couple of months…”

“Listen, Sir Cyan…..”

Eric scratched his face.

Talking about the timing of remarriage hinted at potential issues with inheritance.

If, for some reason, Tenere were to remarry while still carrying the emperor’s child, it would create a complicated situation.

Even though the chances of her being pregnant now were minimal, given the long period without conception.

“Even if she’s no longer the empress, she was until yesterday. Isn’t it common sense? If it’s not prohibited by His Majesty, then refrain from unnecessary comments.”

Delus awkwardly smiled at Eric’s sharp words. Tenere gently took Eric’s arm and turned to him.

“Don’t worry. I want to rest at the mansion for a while and I have no intention of remarrying”

Delus, with an apologetic expression, bowed his head. Tenere smiled gently.

“I’ve been living with the Emperor all this time, how could I possibly have eyes for anyone else?”

The words, spoken almost like a joke, did not make Delus smile. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“The maids, the empress’s aides, everyone feels sorry for you.”

“…”

“I feel the same way.”

Delus’s words were sincere. He knew how hard Tenere had worked, coming into the imperial palace with little knowledge, yet she always had a smile in her face.

She was gentle and kind, just like the Emperor himself so it was unsetlling for someone like her to be dethroned.

While some questioned if the treatment of the former empress was too lenient, Delus did not think so.

“If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know. I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Thank you.”

As Delus bowed deeply to express his apologies, Tenere responded with a gentle smile. It was a smile that was not seen during her time in the imperial palace, but one that seemed more at ease.

“…Let’s go inside.”

As Delus returned to the imperial palace, and Eric offered his arm, Tener turned her gaze over the mansion. The mansion where she had lived for twenty years felt strangely unfamiliar.

“…It feels small.”

“Compared to the imperial palace, it’s like a matchbox.”

Tenere mumbled, and Eric jokingly responded. Tenere smiled softly.

She didn’t know if the mansion felt small because of all the time she’d spent in the huge imperial palace or because her frightening father was gone.

* * *

Tenere’s room had been redecorated.

Though not as spacious and luxurious as the empress’s quarters, the room was significantly larger than before, with a plush-looking bed.

Tenere looked at it with a puzzled expression, and Eric chuckled.

“Why, don’t you like your room?”

“No, it’s not that… This should be your room.”

The room Eric led the way to was originally occupied by Ludwig Evan, the head of the family. It was the largest and sunniest room in the manor.

It was supposed to be the room Eric would use when he took over the title.

But Eric shrugged.

“Father’s things are all thrown away, and everything is new. Don’t worry about it.”

“That’s not the problem…….”

Tenere, however, was interrupted by the servants who began to unpack her belongings.

“There is nothing wrong with my old room so I didn’t find the need to use this”

“You’re going to use a room that doesn’t even get enough sunlight? Did you hide something good in there without me knowing?” 

Eric shook his head in disbelief. Tenere did the same.

“Then why don’t I use your room and you use this one?”

“No. I have about five hundred jewels hidden in my room without your knowledge, so I can’t allow you to steal them.”

“…….”

Although Eric expressed annoyance, the maids and servants just laughed and continued their work. Tenere realized that the heavy atmosphere of the mansion had lightened.

It was probably due to the absence of the tyrant who always ruled the mansion – her father. Eric treating the servants with ease also played a role.

“Anyway, don’t stay cooped up in one room like a mouse. Don’t you dare.”

“Thank you.”

As Tenere nodded, Eric finally wore a satisfied expression. Once the unpacking was finished, the servants stood before Tenere without any specific tasks.

Having the servants approach her so openly was a bit strange for Tenere, who was used to her father’s oppressive presence.

The housekeeper, who had been fidgeting, spoke up.

“We apologize for everything, miss.”

“…”

“No matter how much the former master was feared, it was our fault that we didn’t take good care of you.”

Her tone was courteous. Tenere glanced at Eric and then looked back at the maids who were bowing their heads.

Tenere didn’t hold any strong resentment toward the servants of the mansion. Her father had never assigned dedicated maids to her, and the maids had mostly avoided her rather than tormenting her without reason.

Moreover, on the days when she attended parties, they even helped her prepare. So, Tenere didn’t feel any animosity towards them.

“I was afraid too, you know. It’s not your fault that you didn’t take good care of me.”

There was no trace of bitterness in Tenere’s voice.

Both Eric and Tenere, as well as everyone in the mansion, had feared Ludwig Evan.

When Tenere expressed her forgiveness, the servants bowed their heads again.

Eric, who had been watching, spoke up.

“So, Tenere, it’s a bit late, but I’m thinking of selecting a personal maid for you.”

“As for that, let’s ask the housekeeper…”

As Tenere was about to respond, someone raised their hand.

“I, I want to serve the lady!”

A maid with neatly combed light brown hair urgently spoke. Tenere and Eric’s gazes turned to her.

“You are?”

“I’m Camilla! I’ll serve the lady with all my heart!”

She had round eyes and a lively voice. Looking at her cute face adorned with freckles, Tenere nodded.

“All right, Camilla. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Thank you!”

Tener unknowingly smiled at Camilla’s cheerful voice.

To avoid falling into unnecessary melancholy, having a cheerful girl would be nice. Eric, too, seemed quite satisfied.

***

Meanwhile, Leonard sat in his study, the pen in his hand moving incessantly. Sometimes it abruptly stopped.

The ink spread on the part where the pen touched the paper, and he would startle, lifting the pen.

‘I loved you.’

Even a brief glance back at the events of the previous night created turmoil in his mind.

He recalled the wet eyes that looked up at him and the gentle voice trembling as it said,

‘I loved you, Your Majesty.’

That one short phrase felt like a heavy weight pressing on a corner of his heart.

“Why. Since when.”

In the short night, Tenere had said “I love you” many times. As if trying to confess everything she hadn’t said before, she declared her love.

She looked at him with eyes that treated him as the most beloved, caressing the most precious thing.

And Leonard had not once responded to her love throughout that night.

He only kissed her every time she declared her love, calling her name several times.

‘Just say something, even if it’s a lie.’

Why was it so difficult?

Every time he parted his lips, it felt as if something was blocking his throat.

‘Don’t let anything shake you.’

The voice in his ear had been heard for a very long time. It was a story that his father, with Emperor Edwin’s urn in front of him, had often told him.

He’d known a grandfather who cared less about protecting a vast empire than winning the heart of an empress from another country and it was only the worst kind of selfishness.

‘You have to think of those you’ve taken on your shoulders.’

The voice ringing in his ears made Leonard lift the pen again.

He was the Emperor of the Empire, guarding something much larger than a single woman’s heart.

The advice he had heard from his father remained unforgettable.

There was a knock at the door.

“Your Imperial Majesty, Marquis Salvatore requests your presence.”

The hand flipping through the papers stopped at the servant’s words. His easy smile turned into a thin line.

Leonard rose from his seat, not bothering to hide his displeasure. He knew his aides were watching, but he didn’t want to be bothered.

“Tell him I’m on my way down.”

It was no wonder Salvatore had come to see him, as if he’d been waiting for the day of Tenere’s departure. But Leonard could not refuse his summons.