CH 35

“Well, he must be someone with a sense of duty as a journalist if he’s willing to deal with such sensitive investigations.”

I skimmed through the newspaper articles Stella brought. They pointed out the cruel actions of the nobles, harsh punishments, unfair taxation issues, and even criticized the forced national marriage imposed by Duke Bledel.

“And he’s still alive after writing these articles?”

“He’s technically a foreigner on paper. He grew up in Asha, but his citizenship is Delua. He has been fined and released many times due to the Delua Foreigner Punishment Treaty.”

Furthermore, among his articles, there were some cautiously worded pieces that addressed the human rights issue of Xenos slaves. I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Was it possible to publish the most sensitive issue in Asha like this? Stella noticed my expression and added an explanation.

“Of course, meddling in Xenos affairs in Asha is an absolute taboo. That’s why he was also on the verge of being hanged. Foreigners are no exception when it comes to charges related to treason. I know his parents barely escaped by offering all their property as bribes.”

“He’s got quite a nerve.”

“He is currently managing a small newspaper, but because of the circumstances, they are about to close.”

Stella hesitated and cautiously took a chance.

“However… he’s requesting an audience with Her Majesty the Empress. He wants to see the contracting party with his own eyes.”

“That shouldn’t be too difficult.”

To protect the newspaper that would pour out articles that would provoke the nobles, it had to be publicly known that I, as the Empress, had a connection to him.

Besides, I had been considering frequently summoning him to the Empress’s palace anyway, so his request wasn’t a problem.

***

Now, Rosetin seemed to frequently disappear to spend time with Ian even without my permission. Thanks to that, there was a prevailing atmosphere within the palace that acknowledged Rosetin as the Emperor’s mistress.

Even Stella, who used to view Rosetin with suspicion, seemed to have resigned herself to the situation.

“Oh my, I’ve never seen such a beautiful dress before!”

Bianca, the blue-haired maid, exclaimed as if she had witnessed something extraordinary. Catalina, my passionate new designer, had completed the deep purple dress I had ordered for Rosetin.

It took longer than expected because of the rare gems imported from abroad, but the result was splendid, well worth the wait. It seemed to add an enchanting atmosphere to Rosetin’s innocent and lovely appearance.

Even Stella, who used to be reserved, couldn’t help but be speechless when she saw Rosetin trying on the dress.

“Catalina must have put in a lot of effort.”

“You’re too kind, Your Majesty. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but creating this deep purple dress with the right color was incredibly challenging. I worked on it personally for several nights, without even the assistance of a seamstress…”

Catalina seemed slightly excited by my praise, and she went on in great detail about the production process without being asked. I wasn’t particularly curious, but I silently listened to her story, appreciating her dedication.

Nodding approvingly to her, I pondered Ian’s schedule in my mind once again.

‘He should be at the fountain at this time…’

I decided to write a quick letter while sitting at the table. I didn’t have anything specific to convey, but I needed to come up with something to send to Rosetin. My hand holding the pen was momentarily suspended in the air. What should I write? Now that Rosetin had appeared, if our relationship further deteriorated from this point on, I would be the one facing the most difficulty.

Lately, due to the intensifying emotional changes, there were times when my words and actions didn’t align with my intentions. But regardless, I had to get along well with Rosetin.

I recalled the conversation we had in the Empress’s palace after my risky outing. The atmosphere had been so tense, as if it could explode at any moment.

At that time, Ian was so different from his usual self that I couldn’t grasp what he was thinking. As the chamberlain said, he seems to be really worried about Lethenia but at the same time, he seems to be uncontrollably angry.

Whenever he showed even the slightest hint of anger, I, too, was overwhelmed by an uncontrollable rage driven by Lethenia’s emotions. I wanted to avoid anything that would make my face flush in front of him.

And one thing was certain… he disliked Theo. At some point, whenever Theo was mentioned, he would give off a peculiarly hostile gaze.

I slowly wrote down on the white paper.

「Theo is my person, so I hope you respect him. Otherwise, we will keep colliding with each other. Anyway, I want to get along with you until I leave. Sincerely. – Lethenia」

This was also my honest sentiment. I had some doubts about the reason he disliked Theo.

It seemed that he harbored stronger animosity than simply not liking the union between the Empress, who hails from Bledel, and the heir of a cherished family.

Considering Marquis Claplin, he wouldn’t drive him for far too long. It could be misconstrued as the Emperor rejecting the Claplin family.

Was it a strategy to empower Bedos, to make them the center of the Emperor’s faction? However, Bedos already held significant influence and exercised great power within the Emperor’s faction.

If even Claplin were pushed aside, it would soon become a situation where Bedos, who would eventually be connected to the imperial family, would possess too much power. It would be like having a second Bladel.

Ian wouldn’t overlook such an obvious fact. It was an absurd idea, but a strange thought suddenly came to mind.

Somehow… It seemed like he was secretly concerned about Lethenia. No, that couldn’t be. I shook my head, deciding to set aside these complicated thoughts.

No matter how hard I thought about it, there was no clear answer. Anyway, all I can do right now is act as a catalyst for the story to flow naturally.

“Rosetin, deliver this to His Majesty the Emperor.”

Rosetin took the letter and looked at it silently. I felt as if her gaze was slightly different from usual.

There was a faint, empty look in her eyes that seemed somewhat sad and cold. I couldn’t explain why I felt that way. Was I mistaken?

“Is something the matter?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

Rosetin replied calmly, with a slightly lowered head, as if nothing was wrong.

“Wait, Rosetin.”

I suddenly called her, remembering something from the original story. Rosetin stopped walking out at the sudden call and looked at me softly.

“Make sure to meet the Emperor’s eyes.”

“…….”

“Then His Majesty will be pleased.”

At my words, Rosetin spat out meaningful words in a voice that was barely audible.

“You seem to know a lot about him.”

Perhaps sensing my puzzled gaze, Rosetin immediately smiled lightly and spoke.

“I will keep your advice in mind, Your Majesty.”

As Rosetin left, Stella, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up.

“If she goes now, she’ll probably be back tomorrow, won’t she?”

Her feelings towards Rosetin still didn’t seem favorable. The corners of her pouty mouth were alert to the woman being mentioned as the emperor’s mistress.

“Well, that’s possible. I don’t want to bother myself with every little thing now.”

“Your Majesty is also very… By the way, they say clothes are like wings, and she was already a beautiful princess, but wearing elegant attire truly accentuated her beauty. However…”

Stella paused for a moment while speaking, her expression becoming somewhat puzzled. Then she slowly continued.

“Doesn’t Rosetin… resemble her Majesty?”

“What are you talking about?”

I raised an eyebrow at Stella’s sudden remark. Upon her words, I tried to recall Rosetin’s face, who had been with us until a moment ago. There was not a single resemblance to Lethenia in her lovely, fairy-like appearance.

However, Stella’s reaction wasn’t completely unreasonable. Even I had a moment where I thought of Lethenia when looking at her.

Stella replied with a thoughtful expression, as if she was still carefully considering something.

“Your Majesty also often wears purple attire. When I saw her in that dress, she somehow resembled Your Majesty. Before, her appearance was so different that I didn’t notice, but now there’s something in the atmosphere and gestures that feels familiar…”

“…….”

“Well, to be precise… It’s more like… she resembles your highness’ former self. After suffering greatly, you have changed so much… to the point where it feels like you’re a completely different person…”

As I thought of certain ambiguous aspects of Rosetin’s demeanor, my expression grew increasingly serious. And then, startled, Stella quickly corrected herself.

“Oh, well, of course, in my eyes, Your Majesty is a goddess of beauty, possessing the utmost beauty on Earth that would make anyone weep! To say that Rosetin resembles you, I must question the state of my eyes, hmph.”

Stella’s face contorted as she quickly reversed her words, and a soft laugh escaped my lips. It was a bit strange, but ultimately, Ian and Rosetin’s pink-tinted romance was progressing smoothly. If Rosetin truly acted like Lethenia, such a thing would never have happened. Ian fell in love with a completely different image of a heroine, far from the hated Lethenia.