CH 88

Tea Party and Lorschel (2)

Kergel grumbled with a calm expression as he watched the Chief of Staff was still holding back his laughter.

“I don’t really know why they invited her to a tea party when they didn’t even attend the Empress’s debut ceremony before.”

“However, isn’t it just amazing that the Empress still wants to be generous with these people as she embraces them in her arms?”

The Chief of Staff looked at Kergel who was still complaining as he smiled quietly and responded. It was a consideration from an old servant for an embarrassed Lord. Kergel glanced at the attendant before he let out a cough again and soon clicked his tongue.

“It looks like the Chief of Staff appeared to be very happy.”

“Of course, I am. How can it not be so from a servant’s point of view when we have gotten ourselves such a wise Empress?”

To be honest, the Chief of Staff’s words were not just lip service. He wouldn’t make a fuss by saying things he didn’t even mean just for the sake of saving the Emperor some embarrassment. Rather, there was a deep sense of sincerity in his words. The Chief of Staff was genuinely happy and relieved.

And so was Heinez.

“I’m just grateful that the Empress has taken care of everything that we haven’t even thought about before.”

While organizing the report that Heinez had presented to Kergel, he nodded and agreed with the Chief of Staff as well.

Then, Bert suddenly intervened in the conversation.

“There were various excuses for not attending the hunting competition. Like she was sick……”

Bert twitched his mouth and straight away moved on along with a sarcastic tone.

“I hope that they don’t just make any excuses and speak honestly instead. Hunting with a woman’s body—they can’t even participate in such an ignorant event! So, that’s it. Who could believe that only women from the Duchy would make the same exact excuse every time they hold hunting competitions or martial arts meetings?”

“They must be tired from telling all those obvious lies.”

Kergel smirked back in a mocking tone. Bert eventually proceeded to frown and shook his head.

“I don’t like it anyway. If they didn’t like the custom of Seroif, they shouldn’t have been married to a man from here in the first place. Or maybe they should try to adapt with everything themselves.”

Kergel could sympathize with Bert’s accusations to some extent.

The majority of those who did not attend the hunting competition, which Roelin had first appeared in society, were those women from the Duchy.

They still refused to abandon their way of life back in the Duchy despite having been married to a Seroif man and becoming an imperial citizen.

A prime example to that was the rejection of those events such as the hunting contests and martial arts meetings.

Their common sense had only been the fact that it was simply unacceptable for a woman to hunt and wield a sword.

“If I were in the shoes of the Empress, I would remember all the women who hadn’t been present at that time. Then, let alone the tea party, I wouldn’t leave them alone later too. But instead, she could even hold a tea party for them.”

It was a Bert-like remark that could be seen as a rumor in having a grudge. Heinez listened in silence before he burst out laughing and began to open his mouth.

“And that’s why the Empress is just so amazing. As His Majesty had said, they were absent from Empress’s first social debut and she was generous to them as she even invited them to a tea party herself. Thanks to this, she was able to capture the somewhat chaotic atmosphere of the Imperial Family. That was a rather smart decision.”

“…well.”

Kergel’s expression as he was listening to Heinez eventually relaxed a little.

It was true that the atmosphere of the Royal Family became cluttered right after Roelin’s real identity had been revealed.

And it was undeniable to say that the existence of the non-officially acknowledged twin Princess of Rakain  had emerged with different this and that as well.

In particular, there was a lot of talk amongst the people from Pazolan or the Duchy of Kaizen too. Of course, no one was truly brave enough to speak openly about the Empress still.

‘If they had really done that, he, himself, would have never let it all go.’

Bert’s voice could then be heard once again in Kergel’s ear, which was rather indifferent to the idea, but if Heinez or the other officials had caught on to it, they would have definitely freaked out.

“That’s right. There’s a vast difference like heaven and earth between the ignorant His Majesty—who used to call upon and beat up all the disobedient officials into the utter smoke screen in the name of revamping the atmosphere—and the wise and merciful Empress.”

“……”

One of Kergel’s eyebrows began to rise. At the same time, Heinez and the Chief of Staff barely managed their facial expressions to hold back their laughter. Then, Heinez tried opening his mouth to deal with the current situation, albeit belatedly.

“Bert, however, His Majesty……”

“Yes, that’s right, Bert. Unlike me, the Queen is very wise and merciful.”

Kergel interrupted Heinez and blurted out. Then, he turned his eyes before he looked out of the window. None of the people here noticed that the place where his eyes were facing had been the garden of the Empress’s Palace.

The garden where the tea party was already in full swing.

To be honest, there was no change in the kind of disapproval even now. No matter how much his subjects had been praising Roelin for being wise and even if that was ultimately true, a part of his mind was still warped.

What a bunch of great people they had been.

Kergel frowned again while feeling very angry inside.