Chapter 139

“Your Imperial Majesty.”

“You do not have to say your greetings. It is a long distance.”

Patrizia said it like that, but Petronilla chose to bow her head, as she didn’t want her sister to be negatively affected in any way. Patrizia did not like her sister’s behavior, but she did not stop it, either. Instead, she chose to just stare at the Emperor with an aloof face.

It was Petronilla whose heart was hurt in the process. She hesitated, looking at her sister for some kind of sign, and Patrizia soon set off without a word. Petronilla felt disturbed when she saw the Emperor staring at her sister with eyes that were hard to read.

“Why look with such eyes?”

“Huh?”

“The Emperor.” Petronilla muttered, her voice saying she didn’t like it. “He is the one that did something wrong, too.”

“… This is true. A shameless and incongruent person he is.” Patrizia did not try to deny it, and continued to walk onward. She had no feelings whatsoever for Lucio now. Rather, she was calmer now than when she had first entered the palace.

She had already been hurt so much, so she no longer felt the need to pour her feelings into it anymore.

Honestly speaking, Petronilla felt the results were unfortunate, but this was something she dared not interfere with. Petronilla merely walked behind her sister.

<hr />

However, her leisure did not last long. As always, the Empress’ position dictated an overflowing amount of work. Patrizia frowned, after a long absence of not having done so.

“A birthday celebration, you say.”

“… I am sorry.”

“No. It is not something that you need to apologize for,” Patrizia sighed. It was the Emperor’s birthday. Naturally, his birthday party had to be prepared by Empress Patrizia. However, Patrizia honestly really didn’t want to. She even felt the desire to give Rosemond this job. But that would be truly ridiculous, and Patrizia eventually had to nod her head in agreement.

“Take care of this issue as much as possible on your end. I am only going to be making the payment, so just send over the final draft to me.”

“But Your Majesty, this…”

“I need some rest, Mirya. Not only that…” Patrizia smiled and said to her, “If I cannot even have trust in you, who would I have that I can believe in this wide Empress’ Palace?”

“…”

“Patrizia, you have me.”

At Rafaella’s thoughtless interruption, Patrizia finally burst into laughter, “Ahaha, yes, indeed. I am sorry, Ella. Are you upset?”

“It is a joke, of course. Well, there is one thing you have to do completely on your own.”

“What is it?”

“It is nothing special. The flowers.”

“What do you mean, the flowers?”

“The flowers for the birthday celebration. They are quite meaningful, so it would be hard to dictate that work to others.”

“Birthday flowers. Ah, right,” Patrizia murmured, as if she had forgotten.

In the Marvinus Empire, it was known that on a person’s birthday, the parent presented flowers to that person in the case of being unmarried, and if that person was married, the significant other bestowed flowers that represented the giver’s heart. So, in the case of those that were not married, it was common to receive flowers that were related to love from parents, and for those that were married, flowers that promised eternal love were presented as standard.

Patrizia wanted to present flowers that were filled with curses from her heart, but unfortunately, the flowers were too nice and pure, unlike her. She did not want to embrace such evil with those flowers.

Patrizia contemplated what to do. “Tion…”

“Huh?”

“Carnation. I will go with that.”

“Hmm, well that is surprising?..”

“Why?”

“Is that not a flower that many people usually present between parents and their children?”

“… Right.” Patrizia thought for a moment, and then slowly replied, “Red, pink, and purple ones…”

Those carnation flowers symbolized meanings that were all amazing and beautiful. ‘I love you.’ ‘Wish for your health.’ ‘I love you passionately.’

But Lucio, her Emperor… the flower she wanted to present to him was with the color of the last flower.

“And prepare it by mixing in yellow ones.”

‘I despise you.’ How could she not despise him when he turned the little hope and compassion that remained in her heart into hate?

“That is my heart.”

“With my contempt for you, I will present to you the yellow carnation. You are not a stupid person, so you should know how I am thinking of you, and how much I am despising you. Do not feel reproachful towards this bad woman who curses you even on your most blessed birthday, Lucio.

“His Majesty should know as well.”

It was he who had made her this way!

<hr />

“That women cannot even have children.”

Someone wagged their finger at Patrizia.

“To be an Empress when she is infertile!”

“The Imperial line of the Marvinus Empire will be cut off!”

“She is a woman who will swallow the seed of the Empire!”

Someone with a black face constantly mocked her. Patrizia shook her head with a distorted look while she was surrounded by the people.

“No… That is not my fault…”

But immediately the rebuttal returned to her.

“What do you mean?! Even if your sister, and not you, had become the Empress, the line of the throne could continue without interruption!”

“Are you insane, breaking the line of Marvinus with your own hands?”

“No… No!”

“It’s no use to deny anything. Impudent thing, how dare you try to see the successor in the body of a concubine!”

Anyways, their claim was absurd, because the current Emperor was not a direct heir himself. If they blamed that part on her, they would also have to do so with Empress Alyssa, who had already been dethroned and died. Regrettably, however, Patrizia was not in a state to think about it now.

“No!”

======

Translated by Haeli

Edited by RED