Chapter 30

Chapter 30

“Imperial territory?”

Lilica’s eyes widened.

She looked up while cleaning the ink bottle in the office, internally wondering what it meant.

Altheos passed her a piece of parchment like the pile of gold coins he’d given her a while ago.

“You’re also a princess, so you should at least own some land. Do your best.”

Land?

Imperial territory?

Lilica shook her head. There are things that she can do and there’s things that she can’t do.

“No, I can’t do it.”

“You haven’t even tried though?”

“Even without trying, I can’t do the things that I can’t do.”

No matter how she thought about it, it was impossible for her. A grin appeared on Altheos’ face.

“Knowing this much is sufficient.”

“What?”

“As long as you know that you can’t do it, it’s fine.”

He extended the parchment to her again. Lilica’s eyes swirled.

“I can’t do it, what will happen to the people that live there? I can’t take responsibility for them.”

“What’s this? So you do know that you have to be responsible for those people.”

“Here,” and he used the end of the rolled up parchment to poke her forehead.

Lilica gulped, and Lat said from beside her.

“You don’t have to do it all by yourself, Princess.”

Lilica looked back at him. Lat spoke.

“It’ll definitely be hard for the princess to govern by yourself. Why don’t you look at those that know how to govern? You can choose someone to seek advice from.”

Lilica’s face turned gloomy. Is there anyone that she can ask for help from?

“Then there’s only Lat…”

At Lilica’s words, Lat blinked and laughed.

“Well, I can also give you some advice. Additionally, the land that the princess would receive, which you’ll be able to tell once you look at it, isn’t anything extraordinary.”

Lilica was relieved to hear that the land wasn’t much.

“Even if you mess it up, the incurred losses wouldn’t be too great.”

“I told you so.”

Altheos poked her forehead with the rolled parchment again, and Lilica received it.

Her hands shook.

Lat watched as she received the scroll. The corners of his mouth drew into an arc.

“Congratulations, my princess.”

For some reason, Lilica felt that she definitely couldn’t accept such congratulations.

“Lat…”

She opened her mouth. Lat waited for her following words quietly.

Lilica looked up at Lat.

“Lat doesn’t think that I’ll do well.”

After spitting it out, Lilica stammered, “Ah,” and explained immediately.

“No, I’m not trying to say anything to Lat. Well, I mean.”

Lilica groaned, wondering how she should explain, while Lat blinked before smiling.

“That’s because very few people are good at it from the get-go. No matter what it is, everyone learns through failure.”

Although it seemed rather plausible, for some reason, it didn’t move Lilica.

She mulled over Lat’s words in detail.

When a person entrusts a matter to another, there is a purpose.

Some employers would speak vaguely because they didn’t know what kind of person they wanted to hire.

At that time, it was also Lilica’s job to think, “Why are they hiring me?”

If she didn’t figure that out, she wouldn’t be able to satisfy her employer.

‘But I don’t think Lat will teach me docilely.’

Was there a hint that he’d given?

Lilica mused over Lat’s words with a hum.

— You can choose someone to seek advice from.

“Ah.”

Lilica glanced back at Altheos. His Majesty’s expression was filled with ‘What,’ and ‘Why’.

Lilica sighed and held onto the parchment tightly with both hands.

“I think it’ll be better to ask Mother for advice.”

Lat smiled.

“That would also be great.”

‘So that was it.’

Lilica smiled broadly at the thought that she managed to discover the right answer. Altheos said.

“It’s alright if you didn’t do that, but there’s nothing I can do if that’s what you want.”

“From various aspects.”

Lat nodded. Lilica kept the parchment properly. She has yet to finish what she had to do, so she intended to finish it all at once.

She checked the tip of the pen meticulously, and washed the dirtied pen tip with water.

She felt rather gratified at the sight of glittering rows of coloured ink bottles as well as clean, delicately patterned pen tips placed side by side.

The trash bin was clean, the folders were also clean, there was sufficient papers and ink.

Lilica stretched with satisfaction. After taking off the apron and collecting the parchment, Lilica tilted her head and approached Lat proudly.

“What’s the matter?”

Lat asked softly.

“About the words I’d said earlier, ‘Lat doesn’t think that I’ll do well.’”

Lilica whispered. Lat nodded lightly.

“I didn’t mean anything when I said that. Erm, I know that Lat works hard.”

He was always the last to leave work and the first to enter the palace. The documents were quickly settled and meticulous explanations were given.

“But I found it strange that it was entrusted to me even though you knew I wasn’t capable. Because I’m here, so there’s no way I wouldn’t know that Lat cares about the Empire.”

But can he say things like it’s alright to mess up the fiefdom?

And congratulations?

“That’s why I found it weird.”

Upon hearing Lilica’s words, Lat stared at her and laughed.

“Oh dear, I don’t carry candy around like Tan does.”

“Huh? No, I wasn’t asking for something to eat though?”

Lilica’s face flushed in an instant. Lat hurriedly raised his hand at her reaction.

“No, I don’t mean that the princess is saying such things to get candy. What I meant was, my heart, well, it was to the point where I wanted to give you something.”

His heart felt strangely soft. He felt such feelings towards the princess.

It was really nice knowing that the other party looked straight at him and gave him high praise.

However, the higher his position, the closer such words were to flattery, but this princess’s words didn’t give him such a feeling.

For the first time in a long while, Lat Sandar was simply joyful and apologetic at the same time.

“Thank you, my princess.”

After responding, he turned his head towards Altheos and spoke.

“Even the princess is aware of how I work all day and night, but I feel like crying suddenly when I think about how His Majesty treats me.”

“Do you want a vacation?”

Lat’s face crumpled instantly at Altheos’s words.

“I really want to go on one, but I’m quite afraid of going because I can imagine what things will be like when I return.”

“You have no faith in your lord.”

“That faith was taken away by my lord.”

Lilica smiled slightly at the squabbling duo. She took two or three steps back lightly and bowed with vigour.

“Then I’ll take my leave now.”

“I’ll send you back.”

Altheos rose from his seat. Lat was about to rise from his seat, but he sat back down at this line.

“Please have a safe journey back.”

Altheos strode over and scooped Lilica up.

It has been a while since she gave up on such things, so Lilica settled comfortably within his arms.

In fact, unless she was being carried in someone’s arms frequently, she didn’t dislike it.

‘It’s because if I’m carried around like this frequently, I might not be able to walk around later.’

That was Lilica’s concern. When they left the office, Lauv and Brynn followed behind them like they had been waiting.

Altheos asked Lilica.

“Have you been getting along with Atil?”

“Yes.”

Lilica nodded and added quietly.

“I think so.”

“It’s fine if you think you’re getting along well.”

He said such unusual words while walking down the hallway, and whispered when he was setting her in front of her room.

“We’ll have our first class this evening.”

“!!”

Lilica quickly accepted the slip of paper she was handed.

“Supplies. I’ll pick you up at night.”

Lilica just nodded without being able to say anything. In other words, she was about to attend a magic class.

Altheos chuckled at Lilica, who just nodded with flushed cheeks.

“I’ll be going off then.”

“Have a cup of tea before going?”

Altheos responded to her polite invitation simply.

“I don’t like tea.”

And he disappeared in a flash. Lilica was much more concerned about this evening’s class than with the parchment in her hand.

“Magic class, magic class.”

Her heart raced in her chest. Lilica held the parchment carefully and said,

“I should go over to Mother first.”

* * *

The fire in the grand theatre made the headlines daily.

The illustration depicts how Ludia saved a young maid from the fire bravely.

The popularity of the new empress soared in an instant.

‘Since the benevolent Empress is from the slums, she is aware of the situation and cares about the people.’

Now, what was once a subject of ridicule has turned into the subject of cheers.

Ludia found it rather amusing.

Money was required to make newspapers, and the contents of the newspaper are often determined by the sponsor that provides financial backing.

The imperial family also sponsors several different newspapers. It was the same for other aristocrats.

However, no matter what, the most popular story these days was regarding Ludia.

There were stories about Her Majesty the Empress’s fashion, how uncomfortable crinoline was, and how everyone that was injured were wearing crinoline.

Ludia smiled faintly.

‘Now then, what will be the next move from the young ladies of the aristocratic faction?’

Even if the older noblewomen stuck to crinoline until the end, those that were fashion-conscious would definitely get on board with bustle.

From the beginning, wasn’t this day the reason she’d pushed forward the bustle style forcibly?

The imperial faction and the aristocratic faction were divided by the style of their outfits. It made the influence of high society obvious to the eyes.

‘If everyone wears a bustle now, it’ll be my victory.’

It would seem like high society has bowed its head before the empress.

Ludia folded the newspaper with a gleeful smile, and the head lady-in-waiting announced Lilica’s arrival.

“Let her come in.”

Ludia said while putting the newspaper aside.

Soon, Lilica entered with light steps.

“Mother.”

With a cute curtsy, Lilica sat next to her mother.

Ludia hugged Lilica once naturally, and then let her go. Lilica spoke with a smile.

“Normally, I would have also hugged you tightly, but I’m holding this today.”

“What is it?”

Ludia tilted her head. Lilica extended the parchment out to her.

“Earlier, His Majesty bestowed me imperial territory.”

Ludia stiffened in place instantly.

The people around them also paused momentarily and turned their gazes at the parchment simultaneously.

Ludia asked.

“Imperial territory? To you? All of a sudden like this?”

“Yes, I also found it rather strange…… I’m not entirely sure, but I want to leave it to Mother. I’m young, so Mother can manage it on my behalf, right?”

Lilica handed over the parchment to Ludia. Ludia opened the parchment roughly.

‘Goodness.’

The contents of the parchment, which had the emperor’s seal, were brief.

It was about bestowing a portion of the imperial territory to Lilica.

Ludia bit her lip and asked.

“Was the Chancellor also present?”

“Yes, Lat said congratulations.”

Ludia forced a laugh at Lilica’s words.

She wanted to crumple up the parchment immediately, but she held it in.

‘No way.’

She scrutinised the name of the fief again.

It was a barren land in the north, as expected of imperial territory.

Under normal circumstances, harvest yields can’t be expected.

‘If Uva comes back soon.’

Ludia smiled.

“The Duke of Barat will fly into a fit at the meeting.”

Ludia muttered just like that. Several incidents that were irritating to the aristocratic faction kept happening.

Of course, she was at the forefront, but what should she do when even Lilica was being used?

‘It’ll be better not to take my eyes off Lat Sandar.’

A traitor.

Putting it in this way makes it a simple and concise accusation.

It was a big deal that the empire’s chancellor pretended to be the emperor and cooperated with the rebels.

‘But the reason behind that is still unknown.’

At that time, she didn’t know why, and now, she still doesn’t know.

Regardless of treason or whatever, Ludia intended to run away with Lilica as soon as Atil came of age, but shouldn’t she preserve his life until then?

“Lily, did you, perhaps, hear any alarm bells ringing because of Lat?”

“No, not at all.”

Lilica whispered with a serious expression.

“Does Lat also need a talisman?”

“No, then in that case, it should be fine.”

With a grin, Ludia flung the parchment onto the table.

Lilica looked at that and turned her gaze back towards Ludia.

“Mother, I want to ask you a question.”

“Mm, what is it?”

As Ludia passed the snack that the head lady-in-waiting brought over to Lilica’s hand, she asked.

“My conversational partner, can Fjord also be one too?”

“Fjord Barat? As your conversational partner?”

“Yes, is that okay?”

Ludia agonised over Lilica’s words and turned her gaze towards the parchment.

Since something like that appeared from that side, this side should also be able to do as it pleases.

“Of course. Mom will send a letter over.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Wow.”

Lilica cheered and hugged Ludia tightly. Ludia laughed.

“Are you that happy? Which part of Fjord makes Lily that happy? Indeed, Barats are naturally endowed with the ability to enchant people.”

Lilica tilted her head like she was asking what that meant, and at that, Ludia lifted her teacup and explained.

“It is said that the founder of the Barat family was an extremely beautiful flower. A flower that attracts and eats people with its sweet scent and appearance.”

At the words, Lilica recalled Fjord. She spoke.

“But in my eyes, Mother is more beautiful.”

Ludia smiled broadly.

“Oh, my, this child.”

Her mother, who chuckled and sipped her tea, was as beautiful as a picture.

Lilica sighed as she watched that scene like she was bewitched.

‘If only I were like my mom.’

If only I had blonde hair.