CH 71

Who is the Fake Bride? (13)

But Lucy did not show any expression and soon bowed politely. And just as she was about to leave the room, Erita suddenly called her back.

“Oh yes! Bring in the merchants together too—as soon as possible.”

“……What?”

“And call for all of the merchants in Rakain and also the Principals, as well as the merchants of the Seroif Empire.”

“Why would the merchants suddenly get……”

“If you are given any orders, obey them. Why are you questioning back? I’m thinking of changing the rooms altogether. I can’t stay here anymore because it’s just so tacky. I can’t stand it at all.”

Erita snapped coldly at Lucy, then added while looking around the room with a disdainful stare.

“It’s just like an ignorant and barbaric country……”

“Oh no, Empress!”

Count McGree hurried to stop Erita as he turned blue by the words that stuck out of her mouth. Then, Erita merely looked at him as if she had done nothing wrong at all. However, his reproachful gaze had eventually forced her to speak to Lucy once again.

“I don’t really mean it in a bad way. It’s just that this place doesn’t truly suit my taste, all right? So, call for the merchants quickly. And honestly, don’t you think it’s already amazing that I’ve endured it so far?”

“…I will obey your orders.”

Lucy then replied with a stern look on her face. The warmth had already disappeared from her eyes when she gazed back at Erita. Instead, what remained in her eyes was a bit of confusion, disbelief and betrayal.

Nevertheless, she stepped down without adding any more words in continuation. Then, only after Lucy had finally gone out of the room, Erita asked Count McGree hastily.

“Where is the girl right now?”

“Right at the inside of the accommodation that had been set up at the Palace. She can’t even shout since her whole body is still stiff due to the medicine.”

“I’m glad to hear that…… Anyway, I don’t want to be seen by the people on the side of Seroif. Don’t forget that this is still the Palace of Seroif, Count McGree.”

Erita opened her mouth as she queried him. Then, as Count McGree listened to her, he twitched his mouth before he gave a response.

“Of course, I hope you don’t forget about this too, Princess. You had gone too far in front of the Head Maid before. What if someone were to have doubts……”

“Count McGree, you seem to be mistaken.”

Erita suddenly cut Count McGree’s words off right in the middle as she tapped the armrest with her fingertips and opened her mouth once again.

“What do you mean, ‘Princess’? You’re the one who has forgotten, are you not? Do you think I’m still here as the Rakain’s Princess?”

“Oh, well—that’s……”

Count McGree was embarrassed by her sudden change of tone and straight away opened his mouth when he felt the need to make an excuse. Nevertheless, she didn’t give him a single chance to talk at all.

“Empress.”

“……”

“That’s what you should be calling me. I’ve been polite to you all the time, so you must have been mistaken.”

Erita snorted and gave him a cold stare in return. Count McGree was faced with that cold look and gulped.

The Royal Daughter, who was already used to being selfish back in Rakain, had now become the Empress of Seroif Empire—so, how powerful it must have been then.

It was only then did he finally come to his senses. As she had said, the woman in front of him was no longer the Royal Daughter of Rakain, but the Empress of Seroif. In other words, it meant that the proposal could be decided here itself.

“……I’m sorry, Empress. I didn’t think too much. Please forgive me with a generous heart.”

Count McGree bowed his head and asked for forgiveness. He then continued in an apologetic tone.

“I’m just worried about my loyalty to the Rakain people as well as my concern for the Empress…”

“That’s an unnecessary worry, Count McGree. Who would have known the fact that the Royal Daughter of Rakain has a twin over here? I never even knew the Emperor of the Empire. So, who would even doubt me? No matter what I do, no matter how different I look from that girl, no one will ever doubt it. They would just think that my personality went under a change all of a sudden.”

Erita replied with a confident look. Then, she buried herself deep in the backrest and raised the corners of her mouth.

It felt good to see Count McGree bowing his head like that in front of her as he was always acting politely towards her but still, he had been secretly trying to teach her as well.

‘There is already a gap between the Princess of Rakain and the Empress of Seroif.’

So, even if she were to start off doing something all of a sudden, the Count would never make a protest in return.

‘It really is nothing. What I’m really going to have is a whole lot more than just this.’

Erita gleamed greedily. Count McGree, who had been looking at that opportunity along with an uncomfortable mind while staring at it, began to open his mouth carefully.

“Then, I think I should get going. I have to see if there’s any problem with the ‘Princess’ who is now hidden in that place……”

“Oh, let us do that. Of course you should. You must not be seen until you are finally gone out of this place.”

As soon as the story of Roelin came out, Erita nodded in agreement with him. Count McGree instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

Along with the thought of never seeing this unruly Princess ever again.

“…Empress? Oh! You don’t have to rise at all.”

He wondered why would this arrogant Royal Daughter try to even see him off. The Count eventually stood up and uttered in surprise as soon as he saw Erita attempted to follow her to the door as well.

“Let’s leave together.”

“……What?”

“I’m thinking of going to His Majesty anyway. I was going to take a walk with him earlier, but I hurt my hand and couldn’t do so.”

Erita smiled while talking about the Emperor in duch a friendly tone as if they had already been a married couple for a long time.

Count McGree made a sour expression for a moment before he changed his expression in an instant.