Chapter 16 - CHAPTER 14. A SUSPICIOUS INVITATION LIST

“…”

Patrizia was momentarily taken aback. The sudden courtesy felt strange, and that person was her husband that had no interest in her. Thank goodness she was not offended by this. If her feelings for him had fallen to this extent, it would have been difficult even if she had a plan to live her days being careful where she breathed. Fortunately, it hasn’t crashed down to that extent yet.

“It would be a lie to say it’s not difficult, but it’s fine.”

“Thank goodness.”

He seemed awkward. Both of them had nothing to say to each other. The couple was barely tied together in appearance only, but he already had a woman he loved, and she had no interest in him. What they shared was that both of them were members of the Imperial Palace. So when the conversation about common interests was over, it was natural that they didn’t have anything else to say.

Of course, he would say whatever he wanted to Rosemond, but not to herself. So their conversation was bound to end there. Patrizia spoke to him with a lifeless face.

“I will make sure that I do not dishonor the Imperial Palace and His Majesty.”

“…”

“So you do not need to worry.”

“…sure.”

He turned his back, leaving only that word. Patrizia did not pay attention to the Emperor that distanced himself. With this, she had kept the utmost respect she could muster, and would be careful so as to not be gossiped about. Patrizia turned her attention to the challenge of the problem in front of her.

THUD.

The sound of the door closing carelessly sounded around.

“The envoys’ wives are entering the palace?”

Rosemond listened attentively to the unexpected news. Glara nodded with a flustered expression and whispered in her ear, “It has just been determined as a fact. It was originally supposed to be only the envoys that visited, but there has been a sudden change.”

At Glara’s words, Rosemond made an expression as if she was thinking of something. Christa. The Empire of Christa … Rosemond, who seemed to chew on that name for a while, spoke with a look as if she had been reminded of something.

“Is the Christa Empire where they don’t eat pork for religious reasons?”

“Ah, yes. That’s correct. They say pigs symbolize their god.”

Glara, who replied to Rosemond’s words, glanced up as if she had suddenly thought of a good idea. She talked to Rosemond with a dark smile on her mouth.

“My Lady, why not use that aspect to our advantage?”

“You’re smart, Glara. You know my thoughts so well.”

She smiled quietly and stroked Glara’s head. Rosemond soon instructed Glara in a secretive voice, “Try to find out what dishes the Empress will prepare for the dinner as soon as possible, Glara. If you can find out anything trivial, do that as well. It is not long before the date that the envoys decide to visit, so we must hurry.”

“Yes, Lady. Please don’t worry.”

After she finished speaking, Rosemond smiled a cheered up smile. Christa Empire was a mighty nation that could square off with the Marvinus Empire. More so, when dealing with religious issues, it would be hard to end things with a simple apology. Hopefully, this one event would be able to bring the Empress down completely.

A woman that brought enormous damage to her own nation, if public opinion was manipulated well, she might even be dethroned. Rosemond laughed in a satisfied manner, imagining a future that had not yet arrived.

“I think it could end up becoming a pretty big event.”

“The steaks that will come out for the supper have been carefully discussed, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Mirya.”

Patrizia looked up and answered, and then gave her attention back again to what she had been working on. Mirya, who was looking at this, asked her with a puzzled look.

“But Your Majesty, what are you doing right now?”

“I’m writing the invitations.”

“Invitations…?”

Mirya looked at the Empress with a look that thought she was random, but Patrizia didn’t give any care, and placed the invitations in their envelopes one by one, and stamped the Empress’ seal with a relaxed look. She handed over several of the invitations to Mirya and said, “The receivers are written on the outside of the envelope. Will you deliver it, Mirya?”

“That’s not difficult, but suddenly an invitation? It has not been long since you opened the tea party.”

“It’s not a tea party invitation. It’s an invitation to the dinner that will happen in a few days. No matter if this is a matter for the Empress alone, I can’t take care of all the women by myself, don’t you think?”

That was true. Mirya gave an accepting look and began to tear open and look at each of the names written on the outside. Marquess Grochester, Marquess Brinkstone, Duchess Vashi, Marquess Divar, Countess Arzeldo, and Duchess Witherford. Mirya’s expression wrinkled without her knowing when she confirmed the last name. She quickly called out to Patrizia.

“Your Majesty.”

“Talk to me.”

“There is a strange name mixed in here.”

“Strange name you say?”

At Mirya’s words, Patrizia looked up and asked her. Then Mirya looked at Patrizia’s face with a disgusted look, raised the envelope in Patrizia’s line of sight as if she was going to argue, and said, “Why in the world is Baroness Phelps’s name here?”

“Ahah.”

Patrizia muttered, ‘I was wondering what,’ with an insignificant expression. Of course, with this situation, all Mirya could do was get upset to the point of explosion. She felt like she was the only one getting mad at this situation. Had Her Majesty perhaps gone crazy? She felt frustrated and asked, “Your Majesty, it’s a mistake, isn’t it?”

“No, not a mistake.”

“Your Majesty!”

It was pretty shocking to hear Mirya raising her voice, as she never did. Patrizia smiled as if she was calm and did or didn’t understand her feelings, and told Mirya, “You don’t need to be sensitive, Mirya. It’s not a mistake, it’s not being crazy.”

“…”

Mirya, looking as if she had been caught, gave an empty cough and Patrizia laughed as if nothing was wrong.

“Of course, I myself and noblewomen will be attending this gathering, and the Baroness Phelps attending does go against tradition. But … anyways, she is after all His Majesty’s mistress, and also… I have something to show you.”

She didn’t know what in the world she could be showing. She could surely show herself lending to her anger exploding.

The presence of Rosemond, the mere Baroness intruding, could not happen from Mirya’s point of view. She still gave Patrizia a voice of discontent with her unhappy face.

“I understand Your Majesty’s desire to show your authority and dignity to Baroness Phelps, this doesn’t fit formally. How can you invite a mere Baroness to a gathering only a Marquess level or above will attend? Not only that, as you said she is His Majesty’s mistress. What would the envoys’ wives think of you in this situation?”

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask then. What would happen in their country in cases such as this? It would be helpful to actually ask for advice.”

“Your Majesty!”

For a joke that didn’t sound like a joke, Mirya made a grouchy face and yelled. Normally she wasn’t like this, but she had suddenly changed her personality. Mirya asked her with a look that showed she really could not understand.

“And if things don’t go along as you think it will, what would you do?”

“That would also be my luck too. Isn’t that right?”

At Patrizia’s cool voice, Mirya was at a loss for words. She had always acted predictably before concerning the next move, but these days, she seemed a bit strange.

It was difficult for Mirya to understand Patrizia’s intentions even at the end, but Patrizia was surprisingly stubborn about this part, and so she decided to just shut her mouth closed. She sighed briefly internally and changed the topic.

“Oh yea, I didn’t see Knight Rafaella around today. She has always kept to Your Majesty’s side protecting you.”

“Ahah. There is nothing to worry about. I’ve been directing some things a little bit about this meeting that’s being planned. She’ll probably be back late in the evening. Don’t give it much mind.”

Patrizia replied calmly and soon changed the topic, “By the way, I’ve been thinking about this all day and I’m hungry. Mirya, could you bring over a snack before you leave to spread the invitations around?”

The invitation that Mirya surely said belonged to her was received with an expression that showed how unexpected it was. The maid that had delivered the invitation didn’t seem unpleasant, so it really must have been true.

“What is that, my Lady?”

Naturally, Glara showed an interest in the invitation, and Rosemond looked at the Empress’s seal for a while with an uncomfortable expression and answered, “An invitation has come from the Empress Palace.”

“An invitation? But the tea party was only some time ago.”

“We’ll know after reading it.”

Rosemond ripped open the letter with a rough hand and slowly read the words within it. Her mouth muscles soon began to tremble, as if it was the start of a spasm. Glara, who was watching all of this got nervous. She wasn’t going to become hysterical again this time, was she?

“Ah, ahahahahahahah.”

Glara stared at Rosemond laughing like a madwoman with an anxious look. Please let the contents in that letter not be intended to provoke her. Glara asked her master carefully.

“What… is it about that you are acting that way, my Lady?”

“Ahaha, Glara. Oh, my goodness, look at this.”

She gave Glara the invitation with an expression that showed nothing could be as funny as this. Glara, who received the invitation from her with a bewildered look, read it calmly. But she didn’t laugh like Rosemond had.

“My lady… is being invited to this dinner, it says.”

“That young thing sure is impudent. Don’t you think it’s her intention to remind me of my situation before everyone?”

She laughed eerily and snatched the invitation back from Glara. Then, without any hesitation whatsoever, she tore it apart while muttering, “I have to go. I must go.”

She had to go and see with her own eyes what would happen, and what suffering would arise. She smiled deeply as if she was amused just by the very thought. Glara also smiled and spoke up, “I have handled everything as you had ordered, my Lady.”

“Yeah. Good job.”

She scattered the pieces of finely torn paper on the floor. Even though these were tiny little pieces of paper that had almost nothing to tread on, she didn’t care and stepped on them as much as she could. As if the invitation could become Patrizia.