CH 26

As Ian’s figure grew closer, I gathered myself and organized my papers. He sat down across from me without a word.

My chest heated up at the sight of his now-familiar cold face. I had to survive by avoiding eye contact as much as possible and saying only what I needed to say.

Otherwise, I felt like I was going to burst into tears or explode in a fit of rage, just like the last time, which made the meeting quite exhausting.

It was a constant struggle to keep all the negative emotions from spilling over. Ian glanced at the refreshments on the tea table and said, 

“I guess your taste buds are back.”

“I’ve been having a sweet tooth lately.”

Ian didn’t say anything in response, just stared at me, and I rolled my eyes unnecessarily, feeling a bit overwhelmed by his warm gaze. He seemed to have come for something.

Well, he won’t come to me without a reason. I was desperate for him to deliver his message and leave. The fact that he was here at this time of night…… probably meant that he wanted to see Rosetin. 

“Oh, if you’re looking for Rosetin……”

“I came to see you.”

Me? My eyes widened in surprise.

“It’s about the Marquis.”

He seemed to have come to talk about Theo. Rumors always traveled fast, exaggerating the truth.

What had happened in the banquet hall had been blown out of proportion by the mouths of many who loved to gossip. As it happened, Empress Lethenia was at the center of the rumor.

To them, it was worse that the Empress had fallen for a handsome man and turned her back on the Emperor than that the Emperor had taken an interest in a new woman. Did you come here to criticize me for that?

As I realized his intentions, my heart began to flutter precariously like a chandelier swaying in the wind.

“I’ve been quite disturbed by the stories that have been circulating lately.”

“Yes, I know. Leaving me, the empress, to dance with another woman was quite careless.”

Ian raised one eyebrow as if to encourage me to continue.

“I had no choice but to drag the Marquis along, lest you be misunderstood as a heartless husband who belittles his wife in public. Did you come to thank me for my consideration of you that day?”

Unconsciously, sarcastic remarks about his behavior flowed out. Ian made a doll-like expression and frowned very slightly.

He’d done that last time, too, and it seemed to be a subtle sign that he was in a bad mood.

“You better stay away from him.”

“Stay out of my love affairs. We agreed to stay out of each other’s business.”

“Love affair…….”

Ian’s smile deepened at the mention of the word ‘love affair’, but his eyes were cold. This expression…… It’s a sign that he’s feeling unpleasant.

I didn’t say anything bad, but he didn’t seem to like the word ‘love affair’.

He opened his mouth dryly again, as if giving a formal greeting to someone he wasn’t very close with. However, the content delivered was not very light.

“From now on, the Marquis will not be allowed to enter the Imperial Palace.”

“…… what?”

“Literally.”

“Why?”

As I waited for his next words, several thoughts raced through my head. Does he mean he’s going to put a restraining order on Theo?

Why? For what reason? And his next words were quite surprising.

“Because I don’t want you to meet him.”

It was a simple and ridiculous reason. But Ian seemed determined not to be swayed by any appeasement.

Theo was one of the people I needed, along with Stella. After all, I still had more research to do on the settlement, and if I wanted to work on ownership quietly, I’d have to go through him.

Despite my bewilderment, I decided to use a calm tone to convey my feelings to him.

“You know I care about Theo. Let’s not be mean to each other’s lovers.”

“…….”

“I swear to heaven, I’ll generously forgive you even if you have hundreds of women and scandals.”

“…….”

Maybe it’s just me. For some reason, his expression seemed to darken.  Perhaps the promiscuous rumors surrounding the Empress’s palace bothered him a lot.

With more sincerity, I told him that I would be careful in the future.

“Of course, I’ll be more careful at such formal occasions. From now on, I will make sure that Theo and I meet in private, where no one is watching, so as not to start any unnecessary rumors.”

His blue eyes scanned me from head to toe. There was something eerie about those eyes.

Oddly enough, I noticed. He had an uncanny talent for making people uncomfortable without doing anything.

“I didn’t know you were so considerate.”

“Besides, you’re about to take Rosetin as your mistress.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because you like Rosetin, don’t you?”

Ian didn’t answer, and I took that as an affirmative.

“Even if you’re not quite there yet, Rosetin is a good candidate for your mistress. Count Bedos’ growing power will be of great benefit to you.”

“I didn’t realize you were so concerned about politics.”

“Anyway, whoever you bring in as a mistress or fall in love with, I will overlook it. I hope you do the same.”

Ian didn’t say anything else, just stood still and looked into my eyes. His eyes, the color of the cold ocean, tried to pierce my mind again.

Reflexively, I looked away. This time, I thought, I’d better try to persuade him in a different direction.

“If I’m going to be the subject of a dirty rumor, it’s not a bad thing for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“People will point fingers at Empress Lethenia, and they’ll point fingers at the Bledel family as well. I’m still more of a daughter of the Bledel family than a member of the Asha imperial family, aren’t I?”

“Well, I was speaking to the Empress, who is my wife, not a lady of Bledel.”

“You never thought of me as your wife.”

I snorted back, and he shut up.

“Tell me the truth. Isn’t it good for you that I’m embarrassing the Bledel family?”

Ian’s expression grew harder and harder, but I didn’t care and continued with my next words.

“I want people to continue to think of me as separate from the imperial family.”

“Why?”

“I hope whatever I do in the future doesn’t hurt you.”

“Does that mean you want to keep the Marquis by your side?”

“That’s right.”

At that moment he rose from his seat. I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he was very angry about something.

“My decision remains unchanged, Lethenia.”

“That’s…”

He walked away without hearing another word from me. I don’t know, but I felt strange as if I had made a huge mistake.

Rosetin had adjusted to her role as a maid in the Empress’s palace better than I had expected. Thanks to Stella’s meticulous and strict instruction, she quickly found her place in the line of duty and didn’t seem to be uncomfortable with the awkwardness of palace life.

What’s interesting is that Rosetin doesn’t seem to be a particularly friendly person, but people around her seem to have a good feeling about her even when she doesn’t do anything. The protagonist’s buff is unavoidable.

It was unimaginable for the blunt and arrogant Lethenia. People were scared when Empress Lethenia laughed, but when Rosetin laughed, they laughed with her. Stella was an exception.

She knew that Ian had a special place in Rosetin’s heart because of what had happened in the banquet hall, and she wasn’t exactly friendly with her. When Rosetin went to get dessert, Stella whispered in my ear.

“I’ve noticed that Rosetin is very interested in His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Really?”

“She seems to have his schedule all figured out already, and whenever she’s away, she’s always near where he is. People would think she was a maid in the Emperor’s Palace.”

“Well, they look good together.”

Stella’s face twisted at the sight of my calm expression.

“You shouldn’t talk like it’s someone else’s business.”

“Who am I to stop what happens between a man and a woman?”

“You have to stop it somehow, and besides, Rosetin is a young lady of the House of Bedos, so be on your guard.”

Rosetin was not only the favorite of the emperor, but also the princess of a highly retarded family.

If such a woman were to become his mistress, it would be me, the Empress, who would be most troubled. The perceptive Stella did not seem to take her presence lightly.

“Fortunately, the Emperor doesn’t seem to have Rosetin particularly on his mind.”

“What do you mean?”

I waited for Stella’s next words with a look of incomprehension on my face.

“I happened to see Rosetin hanging out near the fountain, and His Majesty the Emperor was nearby. He seemed to have dropped his entourage and was taking a stroll by himself…… But I saw it clearly, His Majesty looked at her and walked right past her.”

The more I listened to Stella, the more uneasy I felt. She leaned her head as if to reason something and brought out her thoughts.

“You know, ever since the birthday banquet, rumors have been rife that Rosetin was going to be the Emperor’s mistress, and for a while, she and Count Bedos were often in and out of the palace. But I have a feeling that it was a made-up situation.”

“…….”

“They say you can pretend to like something you don’t like, but it’s hard to like something you don’t like. The look I saw in His Majesty’s eyes then was somehow different. If he really liked Rosetin, he wouldn’t have such a cold look.”