Chapter 13 - CHAPTER 11. THREE-PARTY ENCOUNTER

Patrizia thought a positive idea from becoming the Empress was the fact that she could freely go to the Imperial Library. Her husband was not interested in her, and the Duchess of Efreni was still helping her with the affairs of the Imperial Household, and so while she didn’t have plenty of time to spare, she wasn’t chased by it either.

Patrizia used the excuse of the bright and sunny weather to leave the Empress Palace and went outside.

The library inside was still quiet, and the librarian seemed to have gone to the restroom as she was nowhere to be seen. Patrizia thought about how she would have worked as a librarian if she hadn’t become Empress, and slowly moved to the bookcases.

As was always the case, Patrizia walked over to the bookcase where the history books were gathered, and at that moment remembered what had happened a few months ago.

About three months ago, she had met Rosemond here. When she thought about it, her mood suddenly soured.

‘Darn it.’

Patrizia, who cursed a bit inside, shook her head to erase her thoughts. Just because she didn’t show it didn’t mean that this situation wasn’t offensive and displeasing.

She made a slightly disgusted expression and went on her tiptoes to lift a hardcover that didn’t seem too thick from the bookcase.

She leaned her head against the bookshelf and proceeded to read the book with a dazed look until she found the next page badly torn.

Thinking she should tell the librarian, Patrizia removed her body from the bookcase and moved towards the entrance. Someone was at the entrance, and she thought perhaps the librarian had returned. She opened her mouth with a soft voice, and soon found out who that someone was, and naturally, her face hardened and it was Rosemond.

Patrizia quickly organized her facial expression. There was no reason why she would look at her and frown in such a manner. She shouldn’t act in such a foolish manner.

” … Not someone I have seen before.”

Rosemond found her and approached her, smiling brightly.

“Oh my, you must have forgotten my face.”

“Ah.”

Patrizia acted nonchalantly as she played along.

“You’re that servant from before. I see. We meet again.”

“…”

Rosemond’s face crinkled ever so finely but soon reverted back to its original state.

One of the best things she was disgustingly good at was managing her facial expressions.

Patrizia laughed as if she didn’t even see the change, although she had.

“Ms. Queeness must have become the Empress.”

“Yes, I had good fortune.”

Fortune, my butt. She couldn’t have been more unfortunate. But it wouldn’t do for her to say it as it was. Even more so, in front of her husband’s mistress.

“But who in the world are you?”

“Are you talking about me?”

“Yes, you. I thought you could be the Emperor’s mother.”

Patrizia smiled cheekily and Rose hardened her face. The only thing she considered as a disadvantage was the fact that she was older than the Emperor.

As her older age was used against her, Rosemond’s mouth muscles convulsed ever so finely. But in Patrizia’s position, it was none of her concern.

“The only one who can look so boldly, with a tight face, at the Empress of the whole country is His Majesty, The Emperor. If not him, then his mother. Since you can’t be the Emperor, I could only think of you as the Empress Dowager… but as you know there isn’t an Empress Dowager at this time.”

Patrizia suddenly stared at Rosemond with dry eyes after speaking so slowly. Even then, Rosemond was quick to stare tightly. Patrizia, who saw this aspect, felt a great deal of anger. No doubt, even when her sister was the Empress, Rosemond would have acted with such haughtiness. She almost bit her lips without knowing, but she stopped herself. That action could also portray her to be weaker.

“Then, who are you?”

“…”

“Please tell me where you belong. Seeing what you’re wearing, you must not be a maid… are you a servant from the Central Palace?”.

There was no way she could tell her where she belonged to. It was because Patrizia had not made a final decision regarding her position. In this situation, Rosemond was not stupid enough to say that she was shamelessly a mistress with her own mouth. Patrizia wondered how Rosemond would respond.

“I will officially greet Your Majesty shortly. Until then…”

“Soon is ‘soon’, I asked right now. Is there any reason you can’t answer right now?”

“…”

Rosemond’s look was bizarre. It was not a smiling expression, or expressionless, it was a look that was somewhere in the middle of the two. Patrizia felt offended by this look and proceeded a little harder.

“Before, I didn’t have to wonder as I wasn’t the Imperial Wife before, but now things are different. If you don’t identify yourself now, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. So come on, hurry and tell me.”

Patrizia looked straight at Rosemond and asked, “You, who are you?”

“…I give my greetings. I am Lady Mary La Darrow, from the Baron of Darrow.

“Why is the daughter of Baron Darrow wandering around the palace like this? Lady Rosemond, I know that Baron Darrow is at his estate right now, am I mistaken?”

“Your Majesty’s words are correct.”

“Then that doesn’t explain anything. The reason why you would be here disappears don’t you think?”

“That is…”

She couldn’t speak and kept hesitating instead, and Patrizia looked at this with her eyes dead. While she was wondering how to deal with this situation, someone’s voice suddenly included itself.

“There is no reason it can’t be an explanation.”

A familiar voice. And right now, a voice she definitely didn’t want to hear. Patrizia’s eyes grew larger. The Emperor was coming in from the entrance. When she saw him, Rosemond’s face lit up as if her expression had never been dark previously. Patrizia’s body naturally froze in place.

“…Your Majesty.”

“I lacked explanation back then. So that’s why this…unfortunate incident has been made.”

“Unfortunate incident you say.”

Patrizia repeated the words with a look of disbelief. Unfortunate incident, unfortunate incident he said. Was such a strange situation that she and that woman had met? Was it such a regrettable event?

Patrizia broke the promise to herself and bit her lips in utter misery. If she hadn’t done that, she didn’t know what kind of madness she would throw in that spot.

Patrizia, who had thought that far, laughed emptily at that moment. She consoled herself saying that she had no feelings, and was quiet as she lived on, but that one Rosemond went about stirring everything, and her calm feelings were easily shaken.

The fact that Nilla had changed was not unusual at all.

This kind of situation had been repeating for three years, so she couldn’t remain normal from it.

“I will introduce her. That time I had said I wanted to grant a Baroness title to Lady Rosemond from Baron Darrow. She’s already been in the palace for a year, so the maids could have told you about it, but it seems no one has mentioned it to you.”

“…”

Patrizia seriously became curious about where the Emperor’s shamelessness originated from. How was it possible that he introduced his mistress in front of his proper wife so boldly without being crazy? Even though he was the Emperor, it would have been only right to protect her with basic courtesy.

Patrizia soon fixed her thoughts from this. No, from the beginning it was impossible to even expect such significance from this man.

If he had the slightest mind to keep that kind of courtesy, he wouldn’t act like that to her. Patrizia laughed piteously, thinking it would be easier to just give up. Ah, it was a situation that she couldn’t possibly face without laughing.

“There would be no reason for my maids to alert me of a mistress that hadn’t been recognized for a year.”

” …Then I’ll have to recognize her from now on. Isn’t it so?”

“Whether you like it or not, you would have to, don’t you think? When the title of the Baroness has been granted after all.”

Patrizia, muttering in a cold manner, placed the book she was holding down on the librarian’s desk.

She had visited the library to lift her spirits, but for the time being, she had to stop coming here. She just thought it was better to try to avoid her as much as possible. This time, it wasn’t just one pile of crap but two. If she stepped on it, it was only her loss.

“It isn’t good for Your Majesty’s authority to be seen with your mistress in broad daylight, so you should just stay here. That is if you don’t want to be talked up and down by your subordinates.”

Patrizia turned and left the library with those words without any hesitation.

She had to get rid of those people in front of her eyes as soon as possible for her own mental health. She did not hide her disgusted expression and walked with strength in her high heels on the ground.

If she didn’t express her anger in this way, she would end up breaking the words she had promised to herself from before.

Finally, Rosemond Mary La Darrow became Baroness Rosemond Mary La Phelps. Rosemond moved to a more spacious palace after begging Lucio. Of course, this was only possible with the Empress Patrizia’s permission, but she had surprisingly granted it without a word. However, it was not that Rosemond felt any gratitude to her.

“Congratulations on your promotion, Baroness.”

At the words of her maid, Glara, Rosemond looked up smiling slightly and denied it.

“It’s still too early to pop the champagne.”

The position of Baroness was too small for her. She had to be at least a Queen? She smiled coldly and muttered.

“The Empress seemed to be a lot younger. She also seemed to have a fierce side…”

Well, even then she was an Empress that couldn’t get Imperial favor. She laughed as if she was growling, and slowly approached her bed and sat heavily on it. She felt the soft touch of the quilt with her palm, and she soon found herself brainstorming without realizing it.

“My plan is only beginning now.”

From a Baroness to a Duchess, the Empress, and finally Empress Dowager… Rosemond thought about the original plans she wanted and laughed. She was not a fool, so there was no reason she couldn’t deal with that young Empress. Even if the Marquis’s young daughter had become an Empress, she couldn’t overcome Rosemond who had risen from rolling in the mud.

The princess who grew up with love from a harmonious family, how poisonous could she be? No matter how hard a human tried, a monster could not be beaten. Rosemond smirked by raising one side of her mouth, and asked Glara, “Is there no movement on the Empress’s side yet?”

She didn’t think she was going to do anything right away, but it was still too quiet. No matter what, her husband had brought in a mistress, and she wasn’t going to remain stupidly like this. It was something she could not even think about if she been in this situation. She thought this situation might end up being easier, and Rosemond hummed a tune.

“There is no movement yet, my Lady. Maybe she’s scared and shaking because of you.”

“Even if that is the case, we have to remain vigilant. Anyways, she’s the daughter of a Marquis. There will surely be many nobles who will have problems with my background and attack me.”

Her head knew how to use the Emperor’s favor, and that. Beautiful looks and a meticulous personality. She had everything, but only one ingredient, which was concerning her birth, which she could do nothing about. The only complex thing about Rosemond had was that her father was barely a Baron.

“That will all be resolved once you give birth to the heir. Anyways, the Empress is not able to give birth to a child with her body, and His Majesty would rather have his heir be of immediate blood family than a loose blood connection in the family. If the illegitimate child becomes a problem, then we can make something up to destroy the Empress and you become the Empress.”

At Glara’s words, Rosemond nodded and laughed as if they were right.

The third part of the competition concerned health, and anyone could see that it was a ridiculous subject, but she had been the one to change it as part of her strategy. It was a subject that had no precedent, but it was still very relevant, and so it was difficult for the nobles to dispute the subject.

Who would dare to ignore the intention of bringing in a healthy Empress, a strong companion.

“Do not give birth to a child with your mistress. Ha! If she can’t give birth to a child, who will His Majesty have to pass on his rule to a successor? She dares to dream big when she lacks fertility.”

It was because of this that Patrizia was able to become Empress after beating the Lady Tricia. In fact, the health check had been an excuse, and the reality was that it was a decision based on the ability to reproduce.

And unfortunately, Vashi had a very good reproductive ability. If the child she gave birth to was to become the Crown Prince, the Empress had to possess a body that could not have a child.

Anyway, Patrizia was not a daughter from a small family, so it was not hard to put her up as the Empress.

“You’ve done a good job keeping mouths shut in the Palace, haven’t you?”

She had asked just in case, and Glara nodded at her question and spoke.

“Please don’t worry. I’ve said it firmly, so if they value their lives they will keep their mouths shut.”

“If you see any strange movement, remove them unconditionally. No, just kill them all after a little while.”

She felt too suspicious to just leave them alive. If this fact was divulged out, it would become quite difficult for her, and maybe the Empress would be replaced by the original Lady Vashi and not Patrizia.

If that happened, her chances of recovering would be zero. There was no way she could win over the fact that she was the daughter of a Duke, let alone her superior reproductive ability. It would be difficult even if she used the nastiest and dirtiest methods.

“If you kill them right now, someone might get suspicious. You got it?”

“Yes, my Lady. I’ll do it that way.”

With a relaxed look, Rosemond hummed her song and sprayed on the perfume on the dressing table. Soon it would be time for Lucio to come.