Pallides jumped up, waving his hands in protest. Then, he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"In the past, we wouldn't even dare to cry in front of the Captain..."
[Back then, there were too many lives that needed the Captain's attention.]
Minte, who had been listening quietly nearby, supplemented Pallides's explanation.
[We couldn't afford to trouble the Captain with our concerns as well.]
"That's right. But now, it feels a bit more like... we've claimed the Captain for ourselves, and honestly, I'm glad. Unlike the past, it seems the Captain now thinks of us as special too."
I felt a bit bewildered. They were Dullahans who always praised the Captain of the past, so I had never held even the slightest expectation that I might have any aspects superior to her.
To confess more honestly, I was actually jealous of that Captain.
Jealous of her, who received the loyalty of these knights. Jealous of the master of these noble knights, who did not lose their loyalty even after losing their heads.
It was all the more so because I couldn't identify myself with her.
"I'm so glad we met the Captain."
Listening to Pallides's bright words, I quietly lowered my gaze. For some reason, my stomach churned.
I was truly glad that she expressed it as being glad to 'meet' me, not 'meet me again'.
The words lingering on the tip of my tongue, I ultimately could not spit them out.
* * *
The Empress might collapse in five days.
When he received Anelli's contact, Heinri initially found it utterly unbelievable.
Because in the regular check-ups, the Empress's attending physician had always given the opinion that she was healthy and without any issues.
'Does it mean she will be attacked by someone?'
At a time like this?
Heinri calmly ran through in his mind those who might have a motive to attack the Empress. The most significant change in the recent political situation was undoubtedly Heinri's rapid rise.
Unlike the Emperor, who showed a lukewarm response regarding Maxel, the Empress appeared to subtly lend her strength to Heinri, so if anyone harbored discontent, it was most likely someone supporting Maxel.
Even so...
'A person so overflowing with loyalty that they would harm Mother for Maxel's sake?'
Was there anyone who showed such fanatical loyalty to Maxel?
Harboring doubts, Heinri hurriedly made his way to the Empress's palace.
Fortunately, the Empress seemed to have no particular schedule and welcomed Heinri warmly. She then gladly prepared tea and refreshments in the rear garden.
"I am deeply grateful to my prince for not forgetting this mother and coming to visit."
"How could I forget to see Mother? It is only my proper duty."
"This mother already knows that a person's heart is not constant."
Heinri knew it had been a long time since Maxel had set foot in the Empress's palace. Maxel considered the Empress to be of little help to him. This was due to the Emperor's character, who was wary of maternal relatives.
The Empress's family had spent their entire lives lowering themselves before the imperial family. Yet, even after all these long years, the Emperor had no intention of granting them significant power.
Even though the very reason for choosing the current Empress in the first place was because of her humble family.
Naturally, Maxel must have seen and learned from that as well.
"Not everyone is like that."
"Like your heart towards the second daughter of Roam?"
"Mother..."
Heinri gave an embarrassed cough. The Empress, who had been gazing at him kindly, shifted her gaze to the flowers blooming in the garden.
"I thought you might be a bit stubborn."
"Stubborn?"
"Do you know how happy you looked when your eyes were fixed on her?"
A faint blush tinged Heinri's cheeks. He had never heard from another's mouth how he looked when he saw Anelli.
That he looked happy, that he couldn't hide it so well—it was surprising.
"From a mother's perspective, she was... frankly, more a cause for concern than joy. But if you wished it, I would have diligently tried to win her over. The two of you also seemed quite compatible."
"I am grateful for your words alone."
"I heard she disappeared."
"Yes."
"She wished for it, and you granted it, I suppose."
Heinri said nothing. But the Empress smiled faintly, as if she knew everything.
In response to her reaction, Heinri subtly asked.
"You are not angry?"
"Why would I be?"
"...His Majesty said that if she left of her own will, it would be mocking the imperial family."
Of course, it was Heinri who placated the angry Emperor. Saying it was unthinkable she would disappear so suddenly if it were her own will. That the gifts piled up in that palace were still untouched.
That something suspicious seemed afoot, so they would investigate quietly for now.
But the Empress, who asserted that she must have left of her own will, showed not a hint of anger.
"Well, isn't it an all too obvious choice?"
The Empress quietly gazed at a fully bloomed flower. It was a bright yellow flower shaped like stacked stars.
Countless of them gathered, making the sight look like a star-filled sky.
"How tiresome this place must be."
"...Mother."
"Understand. This heart that detests a palace as fleeting as a single season."
It was the first time the Empress had so directly revealed her hostility towards the imperial family and the Emperor.
Heinri was speechless, staring fixedly at his mother. The Empress still had her eyes on the garden.
"I wished for a straightforward love. Not this turbulent imperial palace, but I dreamed of just one person's constant love."
It was a very old piece of gossip. The woman the Emperor desired. But the woman who did not desire the Emperor.
A fairy-tale-like story floating around some tavern, its truth unknown.
"A futile old dream."
The Empress sighed softly and withdrew her gaze from the garden. With a calm face, she drank her tea and looked at Heinri.
"It's a relief that at least one child who takes after me remains."
It was a smile I had always thought was simply affectionate. But at this very moment, Heinri realized the Empress's smile was not affectionate.
"It's a relief you are a child who can respect the freedom of the one you love."
That smile arose not from peace, but from resignation.
"It's a relief that I... take after Mother."
At Heinri's answer, the Empress's smile grew even brighter. This time, her voice held pure delight and joy.
"I am thinking of visiting my maternal family soon. It's been a long time, so I intended to move quietly, but if it's alright, would you join me?"
"Your maternal family?"
"Yes. The date is probably..."
The Empress paused for a moment, trying to recall. Frowning in thought, she finally remembered the date and said in a bright voice.
"In five days."
Heinri's pupils widened slightly.
He stared fixedly at the Empress, who wore an excited expression like a girl's, saying it was a rare visit. Then, he subtly lowered his gaze and answered calmly.
"Yes, I would like to accompany you."
Through the lightly swaying tea, Heinri saw his own stiff expression.
Five days later. His heart grew cold at those words.
* * *
Lilia stayed at the mansion the entire time, just as she had boldly declared.
Furthermore, as if she did not wish to go against anyone's feelings, she treated everyone with consistently affectionate and gentle manners.
Seeing this, the servants seemed to easily open their hearts, but according to the Dullahans' spying, she was mainly garnering sympathy.
And once again, the villainess at the opposite pole was me. It seemed my past image still lingered among the servants.
'Since I tormented Lilia so openly.'
In their eyes, I was clearly still the 'second young lady who ran amok.'
Amidst this, an atmosphere of avoiding me formed among the servants. Surprisingly, this was not created by Lilia.
"To think my sister would do such a thing. She must be quite desperate."
If it weren't for Mother's gag order causing the servants to keep silent about my existence, she seemed ready to even instigate spreading bad rumors outside.
Of course, that kind of petty behind-the-scenes maneuvering by my sister was the type despised by Mother or Father. Especially for a minor duke, it was too much like a street thug's trick, and Father's disappointment was immense.
However, Father did not summon my sister separately to scold her. Instead, he only told me, 'She lost something she desperately wanted, so you should endure it.'
"Endure it."
She lost something she desperately wanted, so I should endure it.
Hearing that, how could I not laugh?
I really laughed brightly and agreed. All too easily.
Perhaps sensing a minor duke's magnanimity in my answer, Father tentatively entrusted me with a small task. It was the work of inspecting the collateral branches of the Roam family.
Since Roam's bloodline was so noble, even collateral branches were sometimes expelled according to strict standards, and he handed that selection over to me.
Since Father would review my selections anyway, it was just a test to see how accurate my judgment was.
The task itself wasn't of great importance, and having anticipated he would give this to me for some time, I wasn't surprised.
'Actually, I was waiting for it.'
This was also work I needed. Because these documents...
"Anelli!"
...were documents that my Phrygian sister absolutely had to see.
Today as well, I glanced at my Phrygian sister who entered without knocking and turned my attention back to the documents.
Having heard that I received work from Father, my sister rudely strode right up to my desk.
"He gave you work, and it's just this kind of trivial task?"
"Even without your supervision, I intend to apply myself diligently in my own way. So don't worry, and you focus on polishing your external beauty. You're about to become a bride soon."
At my words, my sister frowned. But instead of getting angry, she glanced at the documents placed on the desk.
Her gaze fell precisely on the very document I wanted her to see.
"What are these documents over here?"
"As you can see, families to be excluded from the collateral line."
"...Is that so?"
"Why? Do they not seem worthy of exclusion? To me, it seems there's not even a trace of Roam's blood left in them."
"Indeed, there probably isn't a trace of Roam's blood left."
The Kendal barony written in the documents were people too distantly related to be considered of the same bloodline, a family Father was clearly going to filter out this time.
But they had wealth and connections built up over many years by touting themselves as Roam collaterals.
Moreover, they lived lavishly as prominent figures in their region. Meaning their influence was surprisingly quite substantial.
"Ah, come to think of it, I believe Baron Kendal attended this year's banquet, so he must still be in the capital. I should process this quickly and deliver the news before he leaves."
Muttering as if to myself, my Phrygian sister's eyes gleamed.
"...Shall I help?"
At her eager reaction, I struggled to swallow a laugh.
Of course, naturally you should help. That's why I showed it to you.