Chapter 63

When Patrizia allowed her to come in, Rosemond, whose skin was rougher than before, came into her place with pompous steps. Patrizia, tired of her arrogance, lectured her on her attitude.

“You are probably the only one who shows such impolite conduct in the Imperial Palace.”

“What did I do for you to say that, Your Majesty?”

“I am saying, mind your manners. You look very urgently in need of etiquette education.”

At her words, Rosemond couldn’t bear it and shouted.

“The person that needs etiquette education is not me, but the Empress!”

“I?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

She asked Patrizia with a cold expression.

“Why did you cut the budget for Vain Palace?”

“Ah.”

Patrizia was expecting it, but when she finally faced this situation, it felt more strange than she had thought it would be. She replied after she had soothed down her voice.

“Are there any problems?”

“How can the budget suddenly be cut like this? I returned the Baroness title, but I am still His Majesty’s mistress.”

“Yes. You are His Majesty’s “unofficial” mistress. There is no provision in Imperial law to budget for the mistress. I am just doing it according to custom.”

“Then why are you suddenly ignoring custom and doing this arbitrary thing, I’m extremely curious.”

“Of course, Lady Rosemond. Maids were given to the Vain Palace, and as you said, you are no longer a Baroness. So, I just thought it was reasonable to reduce my useless budget as the owner of the Inner Palace.”

Patrizia, who said this, added on something with a displeased expression.

“Not only that, but it is also unprecedented to meet with a mere daughter of a Baron whenever you want, Lady Rosemond. I think that alone is enough to treat you well as His Majesty’s mistress”

“Did you say, daughter of a mere Baron, just now?”

Rosemond laughed and corrected Patrizia’s words.

“Your Majesty, unfortunately, I am no longer Baron Darrow’s daughter. That name now has no meaning for me.”

Patrizia asked, raising one eyebrow.

“What does that mean?”

“My father signed a waiver of parental authority. I will soon be brought in as an adopted daughter of the Duchy of Efreni. So now I’m not, ‘a daughter of a mere Baron, but the daughter of the one of the Empire’s three Prime Ministers.

“So?”

Patrizia asked with a firm face, and Rosemond’s face crumpled.

“I’m asking you to stop doing things that insult me.”

“I do not know when I said I did something insulting, Lady Rosemond. It does not matter to me whether you are a Baron’s daughter or a Duke’s adopted daughter. Whatever you are, I am the noblest woman in this empire, and no woman dares to surpass me. But should someone like myself, have to care about what you say?”

“…”

Unfortunately, Patrizia’s words were all true for Rosemond. Patrizia continued.

“That is even better. Congratulations, Lady Rosemond. Congratulations in advance. From what I know, I heard that the riches of the Duke of Efreni are not small. Then I do not have to increase the budget for Vain Palace. No, I would rather cut it.”

“Your Majesty!”

“Do not shout, Lady Rosemond. If you’re going to be a princess soon, keep your manners and dignity. You must relearn from the nobility about etiquette before being admitted to the Duchy. If it is embarrassing to say that directly to the Duke, I have the intention of showing mercy and tell the Duke myself.”

“No, there is no need for that, Your Majesty.”

Rosemond replied in a hurry.

“Because my father has already promised to attach a tutor to me. So I do not need Your Majesty’s mercy.”

“That is good. The Empress’s position is not so free to care for such trivial matters.”

“…”

“Then is this over now? Hurry and go. I am very busy right now.”

Patrizia said that and then called the maids into the room. To the maids asking what they were called for, Patrizia made the world’s most caring expression and gave them an order.

“Lady Rosemond is returning to Vain Palace, so you all escort her well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Rosemond’s face was hardened by the clear expulsion. However, Patrizia was sitting at her desk again, and reviewing the overwhelmed documents without any interest. Rosemond made a rare smile on her face and soon spoke with a sharp voice to the maids of the Imperial Palace, walking alongside her.

“It’s okay to go. It’s not like I have a broken foot.”

As Rosemond said that, she walked alone with an arrogant face in the world. She could feel the maids of the Empress Palace gossiping behind her, but Rosemond continued to walk gracefully with an expression that said she didn’t care at all. Her mood was ruined because of that brat Patrizia, so she was going to go to the Central Palace, and to purify her mind.

“The bruises are severe, Your Majesty. Your body has not yet fully recovered from the last incident, so please be sure to stay safe.”

“I will. It was my mistake, so stop now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. You must surely take medicine.”

As Lucio nodded to show he knew, only then did the Imperial physician withdraw his face from the Central Palace with a relieved expression. Rosemond was entering the room when she came across the physician and made a puzzled expression.

“Your Majesty?”

“Ah, Rose. You arrived.”

“Yes. But suddenly why is the physician…?”

Rosemond asked in a voice full of worry.

“You’re not sick, are you, Your Majesty?”

“No, Rose. I am fine.”

He quickly switched topics.

“What do you mean fine? It should be a serious condition if you call the physician…”

“I am really fine. Have you been to Baron’s?”

“… Yes.”

Rosemond smiled with a bitter expression and told him the result.

“The Baron agreed to the waiver of parental rights. This is the proof.”

Rosemond said this and presented him with a signed contract of the waiver. Lucio nodded his head when he received it.

“Perhaps the Duke of Efreni will officially announce that I will be brought in as an adopted daughter soon. Then I will no longer be a daughter of a mere Baron, but a noble Duke’s daughter.”

“… You seem to be obsessed with status.”

“Is it not natural, Lucio? Only then can I love you to my heart’s content without any restrictions.”

Rosemond said that and left a small kiss on Lucio’s forehead. Lucio’s expression of accepting it wasn’t as sweet as it used to be, but since Rosemond closed her eyes and kissed him, she couldn’t notice that much.

“When I become the daughter of the Duke, it will be easier to enter the Empress Palace.”

“…”

Lucio said nothing, but Rosemond accepted it as positive silence. She soon began to whine like a child, as if she had not been talking seriously just moments before.

“Right, by the way, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, Rose.”

“The Empress is really too much.”

As she acted like a baby by inflating her cheeks and expressing dissatisfaction, Lucio asked, showing interest.

“What is going on?”

“Well, she has cut the budget for the Vain Palace.”

Half of it too. Wasn’t it really too much? At Rosemond’s words, Lucio thought about something for a moment and soon spoke in a nonchalant voice.

“The expenses for the Vain Palace has been quite high. It is not an excessive cut? Even if it was cut in half, you and the maids should not be lacking in funds.”

“… Yes?”

It was then Rosemond finally noticed something strange. For the first time now, Lucio defended Patrizia in front of her. “Not her!” Rosemond asked him with a shocked face.

“Lucio… Are you serious?”

“I do not want to be frugal, but overspending on luxury is not good. Moreover, the finances these days…”

“Your Majesty!”

Rosemond shouted with a shocked expression. Discussing finances in front of her. He was an Emperor who had never done that, even once. Rosemond asked with a trembling voice.

“Suddenly… Why are you suddenly like this, Your Majesty?”

“What do you mean suddenly, Rose. Your expenditures have been excessive since long before.”

He spoke in a serious tone.

“But it was just not officially pointed out. In any case, the mistress is an informal position related to the Emperor, and excessive spending on luxury is not good. What is more, your status is not even a Baroness now.”

“…”

Rosemond looked at Lucio with a resentful expression on her face and soon left the Central Palace. Anyone who looked at her would know she was angry as she rolled her feet out and disappeared from where he was, and when he finally left alone, Lucio muttered to himself while letting out a long sigh.

“Nevertheless, this should be the correct way.”

“How can he do that to me?!”

Rosemond returned to Vain Palace and shouted in anger. This was really ridiculous. How could Lucio betray her in this way? She steamed over this and threw the items that were on the table. With a clinking sound, the pieces of glass bounced everywhere. Glara, who was watching her by her side, closed her eyes tightly.

“Lady, please be composed.”

“Composed? Do I look like I can be composed? I’m pretty sure anyone can see and confirm that His Majesty’s favor is not the same as before!”

She threw the glass once again with a shout. The glass bottle she threw barely managed to not hit Glara. She vomited out her breaths and put her hand on her chest. Perhaps there was no job as extreme as being Rosemond’s maid.

“It is clear that His Majesty has stuck to that brat’s side while I was away!”

Rosemond, who expressed anger even while using slang, soon transformed into a cool expression. At this sudden change of expression, Glara was confused about what to do to adjust to Rosemond. Rosemond said in a sharp voice.

“Glara, put in some communication to the Duke of Efreni right away.”

“For what reason…”

“There is only one reason! Ask them to finish the adoption process as soon as possible. Hurry!”

“Yes, yes. Lady, I will do that, so please calm down.”

Glara asked her to calm her, but Rosemond still seemed angry. Glara quickly hurried out of the Vain Palace to prevent further fires.