Chapter 9 - CHAPTER 8 PART 1. LIVE AS IF YOU AREN’T THERE

Patrizia stared up at Lucio with an expression showing that she was out of her mind.

“You should get up.”

“Sister, what in the world were you shocked by? Did you see this man, your ex-husband?”

Patrizia’s face turned pale at the moment of her rising hypothesis.

“No way… she couldn’t have seen it.”

The Emperor and Rosemond look together.

She wanted to grab his collar by the neck and ask, but that was purely her wish. Reality would never tolerate it. Even more, it would never be acceptable for Patrizia who was to become Empress.

Patrizia was forced to take his hand. Patrizia broke her lips to that cruel and shameful truth. It would be blasphemous not to grab the hand offered by the Emperor.

A woman who will be Empress could not commit such an injustice to her husband and Emperor. All kinds of logic and manners floated in her head as she warned herself not to commit any action that could be criticized.

But her inside was completely different. She internally cursed with harsh words that she would normally never say.

“…Thank you.”

She had to say thank you for the hands that she didn’t appreciate. The fact of this was worse, but there was nothing she could do about it.

The Emperor did not have any words to say to her words of thanks. Patrizia did not expect any reaction, so she limped with her injured foot and slowly approached her sister’s bed. With every step to Petronilla, the next step was heavier and harder.

“Older sister…”

Clear tears flowed from her eyes and fell off onto the white sheet. She once again wanted to cry, but at least not where the Emperor was. She instead overcame that by clenching the sheet strongly.

~Creeaak.

Lucio, who had intently been looking at the two sisters, soon turned his back and left the room. When she heard the door shut, Patrizia cried out loud. Wah wah, like a child.

Fortunately, Petronilla regained consciousness before midnight. Petronilla found Patrizia sleeping folded over on the bed she was laying in. This sight in front of her was a reminder of what she had witnessed earlier and she felt a pain in her chest.

Alas, her poor sister. She carefully stroked her sister, who was asleep, with a sad face. A Prince on a white horse, yes, she didn’t wish this much. But at least… She had hoped this wouldn’t happen before marriage…

Petronilla finally dropped a tear. A drop of her clear tears rolled down her cheek and fell into her dress.

“Mmmmm…”

Patrizia opened her eyes making small noises as she felt a hand stroking her head. She faced her younger sister, wiping away her tears. She didn’t want to get caught in such a state. She didn’t want to buy her sister’s worries when she would be Empress soon. So she addressed her sister in a more cheerful voice.

“Got up, Lizzy?”

“…Sister.”

Oh, her sister’s voice was so heavy. What happened? She wondered if she had seen the same thing she saw. Petronilla gave Patrizia an indifferent look that did not reveal her feeling of heart rattling and said, “You slept very well. You’re very tired, these days?”

“…No. It’s okay. If you woke up you should have woken me.”

“You slept too well. I couldn’t do that.”

Petronilla slowly stroked her sister’s head. This behavior could never be done again after she became Empress. So she had to do it all right now. Petronilla opened her mouth in a sweet voice, “Lizzy, I hope you become happy.”

“…”

“That, is it my greed?”

“…I’m happy.”

There’s no reason why she could not be happy. Petronilla noticed when she saw her sister who pretended to be fine. She already knew more than she herself knew. Petronilla’s chest was crushed once again with that thought.

“I have an older sister, mother, and father. I’m happy now, Nilla.”

“Lizzy, I’m not saying that…”

Petronilla tried to say something more but soon gave up. It was presumptuous. Now she was to be a married woman, and it was crossing the line to talk about her marriage. Yet … she couldn’t help but feel her heart hurt.

“No, Lizzy. You’re smart, pretty, and kind, so you’ll definitely be happy.”

Her older sister was alive, and she was happy with that fact. Patrizia replied simply while not being able to say these thoughts out loud.

“Thank you, sister. You will be happy as well.”

Petronilla returned home the next day. Petronilla, who returned to the Duchy, wanted to tell her parents the truth about all that had happened, but couldn’t. Petronilla’s mouth did not open.

How could she talk about this? Her sister was about to get married, and he already has a lover? And it seemed like an unusual relationship? Petronilla could never do that. This was something that she couldn’t do. In the end, what she had seen that day had to be buried in Petronilla’s chest alone.

Two months passed quickly. Patrizia was busy being educated during that time. The Empress’s classes were harder than she had thought, but Patrizia did well without a word. If she had a point of difference with Rosemond, this was it.

She was formally educated to be the Empress and became Empress herself, while Rosemond had been a mistress and then became Empress. At least she never wanted to be pushed out of the traditional and authentic part. It was a matter of her pride and determination to maintain this above all else.

And for a long time, during those two months, Lucio never looked for Patrizia. So it was only once that Patrizia personally saw her husband’s face before their marriage when Petronilla had fainted in the palace. In fact, even at that time, they had not been alone as the two of them.

Patrizia, of course, didn’t really care about that. There was nothing to be hurt about because of the fact that she had already known, and even more, because she didn’t love him, she didn’t mind not seeing him for the rest of her life. There were no regrets.

So two months passed in that manner.