CH 142

Irene’s eyes fluttered open and she blinked slowly. She realized she was lying on a fluffy mattress. There was a soft rustling of the bedsheet and it smelled of sunlight. Extending her arms out into a stretch, she let out a satisfying yawn. The good night’s sleep had refreshed her, but there was an odd throbbing in her knees. Puzzled, she wondered if she had somehow bumped them while tossing in bed. She lowered an arm to massage the soreness, when suddenly everything came flooding back to her.

“That woman!” Irene exclaimed. Her eyes widened as she snapped awake. Her hand moved to the spot on her neck where she’d felt a prick before slipping into unconsciousness. Who was that woman? It was her first time hearing that voice. Irene hurriedly sat up and tried to get down from the bed.

“I see you have woken,” a low voice spoke.

“Your… Majesty?” Only then did Irene notice that Cecile sat in a chair next to the bed. ‘Since when had she been there?’ The empress was still dressed in the outfit she’d worn to the casino. Irene thought she couldn’t have been out for that long, that is, until she caught sight of the window. ‘It’s already night time?’ Her face darkened. They’d arrived at the casino just past noon, but judging by the night sky, she must’ve been out cold for at least six hours.

‘How long has the empress been here? Where is this place?’ Irene was still disoriented. There were no maids or imperial attendants about, and the only people in the room were herself and the empress. She struggled to grasp the situation, and her eyes shifted around the room until it landed on the scepter on the side table.

‘Huh? It’s crooked?’ The shiny and flawless scepter that the empress had taken with her to the casino now sported a large scratch down the middle, and even seemed slightly bent out of shape… as if it’d been used like a bat. ‘No, that couldn’t be possible. Who would use a regalia of all things to do something like that?’

Cecile coughed lightly. “How are you feeling?” she asked, discreetly shifting to obscure Irene’s view.

Irene wanted to keep examining the scepter, but thought it would be better to get a handle on the events of the day. “I feel fine, Your Majesty. I had a very good rest,” she said reassuringly. Irene rolled her neck, as if to prove she was in fine form. Cr-cr-crick! There was a satisfying crack in her joints.

“That certainly appears to be the case,” Cecile nodded thoughtfully.

“Yes, indeed.” It’d been a while since Irene enjoyed such a pleasant rest. She had been a little tired lately. The last few days were especially hectic. Irene expended all her energy into coaching the empress ahead of her casino excursion. It had been admittedly tough on the empress, but the same held true for her too.

On top of that, curious about the management of the empress’s palace, Irene had wandered about inspecting the grounds and questioning the attendants when she wasn’t tutoring the empress. As future master of the palace, it would be good to get a handle on the situation now. Her investigation’s results were astonishing to say the least. ‘Neither His Majesty nor the empress have managed the place! How could they be so lackadaisical!’

The empress’s palace was renowned for its grandeur, and required regular upkeep and care to maintain its pristine beauty. To Irene’s horror, within minutes she began spotting various things falling into disrepair.

“Right there. The wallpaper appears to be peeling? And are those water marks I see as well?” Irene said, pointing to a corner.

“But Lady Irene, you must understand, this is the ceiling of the cellar…” The attendants reacted grumpily and made excuses when Irene began pointing out the faults. When she dared the attendants to repeat themselves, they fell silent and hung their heads dejectedly. They had a feeling that it would only be more difficult from here on out.

Little did Irene know that she would experience an even greater shock when she reached the palace’s storage room. There was a mountain-sized pile of items stacked haphazardly at the entrance, the majority of which were left unwrapped.

“What? She just had them thrown in?” Irene asked.

“Yes, milady, since His Majesty sent far too many gifts…” the attendant explained.

“Even so, you’re telling me these presents were just thoughtlessly piled up like this?”

Irene was beyond frustrated. How could they neglect these precious items? What would happen if one were to disappear? With these thoughts looming over her, Irene desperately squeezed time into her schedule to set the palace in order in between her tutoring sessions with Cecile. She told herself the effort was a worthwhile investment for her comfortable life in the future. After all, wasn’t this a surefire way to familiarize herself with everything she’d need to know once she was crowned empress? This was also the perfect opportunity to show Estian what a meticulous and qualified empress she could be.

“Lady Irene.” Cecile’s voice snapped Irene out of her thoughts. Her tone was heavy and somber, quite different from the empress’s normal manner when addressing Irene.

“Your… Majesty,” Irene said awkwardly, “I’m still a bit dazed from my tumble down the stairs. Could you tell me what happened with Princess Yuliana?”

“You need not be concerned about Yuliana. It ended well.”

“I see. Thank goodness,” Irene nodded slowly. There was a dark expression on the empress’s face, so Irene was curious about what had transpired while she was indisposed. Then, if everything ended well, what was the cause of the empress’s dark countenance? Was there another problem?

“Lady Irene,” Cecile repeated.

“Please speak, Your Majesty,” Irene replied. She felt uneasy about the empress’s hesitant attitude. What could the empress possibly wish to discuss? She watched Cecile gathering her thoughts, and clench her fists with resolve.

“This may sound sudden, but I ask that you give up being my handmaiden,” Cecile said.