CH 39

RJR11-14 minutes 12.11.2023

“Ah… what?”

It was a very drowsy voice. At first glance, the voice was soft, but it had a soft and loose feel that made it difficult to guess its age.

“Did the Marquis step away?”

“So it is, saint.”

“I am indeed. I got hit with some bird poop.”

The beautiful young man who was called a saint wrinkled the bridge of his nose. He was as handsome as he was beautiful. It was a face that seemed to captivate me without even realizing it.

“So what should we do now? There is no way to find out the empress’s secret except through the mouth of the marquis.”

Those who politely folded their hands in front of the young man were high-ranking priests. It had a strange appearance. There was no place where the class system was as strict as the shrine. He left home as a child and suffered as a servant for over ten years before becoming a priest. After living the difficult life of a priest for about twenty years, he was able to become a priest. The number of positions for high-ranking priests was limited to thirteen. In other words, no one among the thirteen could become a high-ranking priest unless he died. Therefore, most of the high-ranking priests were grumpy old men who had spent their entire lives in the temple, and the priests below them were treated as little more than foot wipers. However, in front of the young man, it felt like the high-ranking priests had become old shoes.

“Ah… I almost know what the secret is. But this is a temple and you are priests, right? You can’t just ask to take off a woman’s underwear. What if I get misunderstood as a pervert?”

“Yes…? Cow, underwear… Did you say that?”

Looking at the confused high-ranking priests, the young man smiled as smoothly as if he had been greased.

“Huh. Once you take it off, you’ll see. I wonder if there is no way to remove it.”

The high-ranking priests exchanged embarrassed glances and bowed.

“If that’s the case, we’ll…”

“Yes, I know. I didn’t expect you guys to be particularly useful… Ah, but tell me one thing. How do I take off the royal family’s clothes?”

“That’s it… If it were clothes, I would change them every day.”

“Tsk. Other than changing clothes. You mean there has to be something to take it off?”

“That… Umm… therefore…”

After putting our old heads together for a while, a solution emerged. She often had to take off her clothes when making new clothes. And at the same time, there was a rumor that the imperial tailor was busy coming and going every day in the imperial palace to make new clothes for the empress.

“Okay. That will do.”

The young man’s eyes sparkled. His bright green eyes, which were usually light green, briefly revealed a golden color at times like this. However, the place where the young man was was very dark, and the old eyes of the high-ranking priests who had a hard time with the young man did not notice the momentary change.

“Bring the imperial tailor. I need to get you ready, so as quickly as possible. And without the imperial palace knowing.”

The high-ranking priests looked embarrassed.

“I will do my best, but it may be a bit difficult. Unless the tailor himself comes forward to cooperate with the temple… Besides, it somehow seems like the emperor has one eye on this side.”

“I am indeed. He came out like this as soon as he said he didn’t expect to be useful. Okay, then. I’ll take care of it. Everyone, go out.”

“Saint. What does it mean to take care of it yourself…?”

The young man erased his greasy smile and completely changed his expression.

“Do I really have to ask that?”

“Huh… Ah, no. I won’t ask.”

When the laughter disappeared, the young man no longer looked relaxed or drowsy. It was as scary as a monster made of ice.

“Get out. And tell my children to come.”

“…All right.”

The high-ranking priests retreated and left the young man’s room. After a while, people wearing white armor appeared in front of the young man.

“Did you call me, father?”

“Okay.”

The boots, cape, and all-white outfit with a blood-red cross drawn only on the left chest looked more like fanatics than knights.

“Get the imperial tailor. We need to make him cooperate, so take Shik-sol as a hostage. You only need one hostage. Kill the rest in front of everyone. That way you can listen well.”

“I receive orders.”

The knights bent their knees.

“Saint Malik, father of those who know the truth.”

* * *

“Your Majesty has now passed away.”

Yvette cautiously opened her mouth. To the outside world, Lasilia was currently suffering from a severe cold. The Emperor, who had planned to stay in the next room for two months, was forced to return to the imperial palace. He seemed to instinctively realize that this was not the time to blatantly make promises. However, despite the fact that he had returned, the Emperor visited the empress’ palace five or six times a day. His justification was to visit the sick. And each time, he was rejected again and again. Because of this, there were endless eyewitness accounts in the imperial palace saying that they felt sorry for His Majesty and could not bear to see him. Yvette was one of those people. Just looking at her appearance, it looks like the emperor would cut off the heads of people who dared to say the word ‘refusal’, but when he heard that the empress had refused to visit her in hospital, she just slumped her shoulders and said, she turned around without saying anything. It was even more unfortunate that she only lowered the corners of her eyes with her usual expressionless expression.

“Uh… You’ve been coughing a lot lately, Your Majesty.”

Yvette gathered her courage and spoke out.

“So… I think His Majesty the Emperor could come visit us in hospital, but…”

“Not yet.”

Lasilia deliberately cut her off coldly. It was better for her not to see the Emperor now.

“Ah… I see. I understand.”

Yvette lowered her head with a sullen expression. It wasn’t my intention, but somehow she felt sorry on his face.

“It would be better for the princess to go out in case she catches a cold. I will be alone.”

Then Yvette was startled and threw up her hands.

“Oh! What are you saying, Your Majesty? You’re sick, so of course you need someone to take care of you! If my mouth is the problem, I won’t be the first to say a word from now on!”

“You can say that much. Aside from that, it’s because I don’t feel at peace. I’ll call you when I need to, so until then, rest easy. Don’t you need time to take care of her younger siblings?”

“Ah… If so, yes. Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.”

Lasilia nodded her head. As Yvette left the bedroom, she looked behind her in succession.

“But Your Majesty, you must call me whenever you need me. Of course.”

“You do not have to worry. I will do that.”

“Yes. Do not forget it.”

Yvette left the aesthetic bedroom. Now that she was alone, Lasilia comforted her confused emotions.

“We have to go back before the problem gets bigger… She can’t just wait in Del’arta for the priest to come.”

Now there was a way to contact us first. She didn’t know that if she asked Pipi a favor, the birds would deliver the letter. However, it was a method she didn’t really like. The long journey, which would take two months even by carriage, would be difficult for the birds. And it bothered her that she was asking Fifi for a way to leave Eliaden.

“I think you won’t like it. When I find out what kind of letter it is. But I can’t lie to Pipi.”

What would Pipi do when she finds out she was a fake? Would he get angry? Should she be sad? Or would she try to find a real companion? She had only been living in someone else’s body for less than a month, but there were already things that were difficult to let go of. If she was to lock herself in that windowless, dark, quiet room again, she would think of the things here. She would miss it even though she knew it was not hers.

“But that’s the only way.”

Pipi was a smart bird, so one day he would understand his situation. Lasilia, she thought, was just getting up from her bed to write a letter to her vicar of Del’arta.

Knock, knock!

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

Yvette, who had just left the bedroom, returned. Her cheeks flushed all of a sudden. It seemed like something good had happened.

“I know you’re unwell… Because it’s urgent. The imperial tailor requested an audience, saying the measurements he took at that time seemed to be incorrect.”

“Hmm…?”

Lasilia tilted her head for a moment.

‘Was it that urgent?’

Yvette looked at him with both hands clasped together. It seemed like it meant not to refuse.

“Didn’t you tell the tailor I had a cold?”

“Of course it is, but we can’t make clothes without measuring them… Uh, then that means Her Majesty’s new clothes will be delayed by that much.”

“…then.”

It would be okay to just take the measurements again for a moment. The Emperor said his cold was serious, but in fact, as Yvette said, he was almost completely cured.

“Then I’ll see you in the living room.”

“Yes-yes! Your Majesty the Empress!”

Yvette’s voice came out much brighter. He seemed really happy that he had not turned down the imperial tailor.

* * *

“Your measurements have changed a lot recently, Your Majesty.”

These were the words of the imperial tailor. He had tape measures of different thickness wrapped around his arm and carefully measured his body here and there.

“If this happens, your clothes won’t come out right. I’ll have to measure everything again.”

“Is it?”

She just thought it must be because the tailor was like that.

“Indeed, I would like you to take off her outer garment. I have to measure the numbers.”

“Outer clothes…?”

It was a request that had not been made before. Lasilia looked at the imperial tailor as if it was something new. It was clearly the same face. But it felt different then. His cheeks were as red as Yvette’s.

“Oh, I see. Your Majesty, please open your arms and I will take them off.”

Yvette suddenly approached. Lasilia shook her head.

“Wait a minute, princess. Take off her outer clothes. Is that really necessary? And I think it’s not in line with imperial etiquette.”

“Uh…? Ah, I see. Anyone who can touch the clothes of the royal family…”

Then the tailor intervened.

“No, Your Majesty. It’s essential for making clothes.”

Then Yvette also nodded vigorously.

“Oh, that’s right. Because making clothes for Her Majesty the Empress is the most important job! It might be against etiquette, but shouldn’t I just be aware of it? Then I will unbutton it, Your Majesty.”

“Princess Shriden. I haven’t agreed yet,”

Tuk!

Yvette moved her hands impatiently, causing the top buttonhole to open and the button to fall off.

“Oh my. It would have been fine if you had stayed still. Please raise your arms, Your Majesty.”

“Princess…?”

At this point, she couldn’t help but feel that something was strange. Normal Yvette would never have behaved like this. Even if it wasn’t a big deal that a button fell off, she would have felt incredibly guilty.

“Put down your clothes and look at me. Tell me what happened before I get the tailor.”

“What happened…”

Yvette’s eyes were bloodshot as she looked at me. It’s suspicious that it’s because she worked too hard on sewing.