CH 43

It was the day of Rosetin’s celebration. Now that she’s officially the Emperor’s mistress, everyone is invited to celebrate.

And it was organized by the Empress. I’m supposed to be a generous empress, catering to the emperor’s mistress. I decided to think of it as a good thing.

I didn’t want to be misunderstood that I prepared a humble banquet because I was jealous of Rosetin.

The courtiers had been busy for days preparing for the grand banquet, and so am I, who was in charge of organizing it. I was cosplaying as a benevolent empress, welcoming her husband’s mistress with open arms.

I had ordered the decorations for this day to be even more colorful and grandiose than Lethenia’s wedding.

Ribbons of white silk were made to hang from every tree in the palace. On either side of the entrance to the annex where the banquet hall was located, statues of peacocks were placed to symbolize domestic harmony and the love of the couple.

At the main entrance to Kaelin Palace, where Rosetin would walk out, a large arched bush of red roses was created.

At the entrance to the banquet hall, we hung a banner with the crest of the Bedos family and the imperial crest to symbolize the union of the two families. The decorations were so over-the-top that it was reminiscent of a national wedding, not a mistress reception.

There were hundreds of dishes, all of which were made with the finest ingredients. The silverware, champagne glasses, and even the carpet on the floor were all imported from foreign countries.

With all of this, the reception would appear magnificent and dazzling enough to awe anyone rather than giving them a chance to find fault.

“Come on, we’re running out of time, people!”

The maids, under Stella’s command, fretted over their mending but this was not a very pleasant day for Lethenia.

They seemed to put more effort into their work than usual, as if they saw me as a customer at a hair salon going to her ex-boyfriend’s wedding.

At Stella’s urging, they used makeup that was said to be used by the high ranking ladies in the neighboring country. My skin glowed like honey.

Bathing in water infused with rare and hard-to-find perfumed oils and sweet-smelling flower petals made me feel like butterflies were flying all over my body. The handiwork of the maids and courtiers seemed to be very quick and delicate.

Even my hair was done two or three times longer than usual.

“I’m sure Catalina’s dress this time will be beyond your expectations.”

“No, not today…….”

“Please don’t say no. There’s nothing crueler than not giving someone with natural talent a chance, so please do her honor for once.”

Stella, seeing Catalina’s sincerity, told me not to refuse. She was determined and spent the last few days meeting with Catalina about the dress’ concept.

I recently learned that Catalina is working on a soulful dress to catch my eyes. 

I’ve been thinking about wearing one of her pieces to a formal occasion for a while now. The opportunity for many designers to showcase their skills was at large banquets and other social gatherings where the most prominent nobles gathered.

A day like today, with the Emperor and Empress in attendance, was their dream opportunity, and this time I can’t bring myself to overlook Catalina’s ambitious endeavors.

However, as the day approached, I started to worry about going overboard. Catalina was talented, but regardless, I was not the protagonist of this reception, and will not be in the future.

It was my husband’s mistress’ celebration, and I didn’t want to hear that I, the Empress, had gone to ridiculous lengths to be the main focus.

Soon afterward, Catalina entered the palace, her eyes as ambitious as ever. She went into lengthy explanations about the dress she had newly designed, even though I wasn’t particularly curious about a dress that she was so proud of.

“Should I say that this dress is really a work of art created for the empress, and solely for the empress? I attempted to change the neckline to enhance the empress’ beautiful facial features. Also, I aimed to maintain the empress’s elegant image while infusing youthful vivacity. Following Stella’s advice, I incorporated a sophisticated touch to the retro-inspired design that was popular a decade ago…”

Certainly, Catalina’s new dress was different from the designs we are used to seeing nowadays, and contrary to my fears, it had a classy vibe without being too conspicuous.

The pattern, embroidered with special gold threads, was rather ornate, but the overall color scheme was in deep, dark tones, giving it a calming impression.

The rounded shape of the neckline was different from the usual neckline, with a sharp angle and a slight cleavage to highlight the chest, which made me feel strangely sexy.

It was a dress that reflected my tastes to some extent, but also showed the designer’s ambition.

“Catalina must have worked hard on this. I love it.”

“There’s no way any sane man wouldn’t fall in love with it. Truly, it can’t even be compared to Lady Bedos…”

Catalina stopped while talking, perhaps because she thought it was a mistake. The maid’s eyes also changed darkly at the words.

There was awkward silence, but the sharp-eyed Stella naturally shifted the subject.

“Your Majesty, you look so beautiful.”

In the full-length mirror, someone other than the ghostly Lethenia stood there. They had paid great attention to the makeup, appearing brighter and more vibrant than usual, making Lethenia look her original age.

It had taken more than six hours of work. The other extra maid said.

“Now it’s time for you to head to the banquet hall.”

I got up from my seat and headed to the banquet hall where the main characters would be.

*****

“Her Majesty the Empress is entering!”

The music in the banquet hall stopped as the servant announced the Empress’ arrival. Everyone’s eyes stayed in one place. I walked slowly down the stairs.

Ian was sitting at the center table, with Rosetin standing to his left, and to his right was the Empress’ seat.

Even though today was Rosetin’s day, only the Empress was allowed to sit next to the Emperor. No matter how beloved the mistress may be, no one could sit on equal footing with the Empress.

Ian’s blatant intentions sent a wave of bad feelings through my stomach. I calmly took a deep breath and headed to where they were.

Everyone in the banquet hall kept their eyes on me until I sat down.

As I approached them and saw Rosetin, I felt a strange sensation: she looked more noble than ever.

From her dress and hair accessories to her makeup style, and even her composed posture next to Ian. It was as if… she resembled the Empress. I took my seat and surveyed the banquet hall.

As expected, Theo was nowhere to be seen, and the crowd was definitely smaller than at Lethenia’s birthday banquet. While the Empress’s birthday banquet was an opportunity for ambassadors from other countries to attend and work together on diplomatic matters, receiving the emperor’s mistress was not a special occasion.

Instead, the banquet hall was at the peak of splendor, although not to the extent of Lethenia’s birthday celebration. Still, it seemed that this level of grandeur wouldn’t give rise to rumors that Rosetin had been mistreated.

As I was sitting looking at the banquet hall, several noble ladies, including Countess Bedos, approached the center table. They bowed briefly to the Emperor and Empress and greeted Rosetin warmly.

“Miss Bedos, congratulations on becoming a member of the Imperial Family.”

“His Majesty the Emperor and you fell in love at first sight. How romantic!”

One of the ladies spoke in a slightly louder voice, for others to hear.

“Lady Bedos, you look so regal today, a stranger would mistake you for someone higher than a mistress. They say the position makes a man, and I’m looking forward to seeing you in the future.”

Rosetin, although became a mistress, she’s a lady from a count’s family. In Asha, if a mistress was a commoner, they were expected to live in the emperor’s good graces and be removed when they were old enough.

However, if one was a noblewoman, especially from a high-ranking and powerful noble family, it was not difficult to ascend to the position of Empress.

To speak of this in front of me, the Empress, is to confront the Duchy of Bledel head-on. The husbands of the noble ladies before me were surely staunch supporters of the Emperor.

Ian showed no particular reaction to their conversation. Seeing this, the noble ladies became even more excited, and the conversation became more overt.

“The Emperor’s favor is extraordinary, so it’s only a matter of time before an heir is considered. Hoho.”

“I look forward to hearing the good news for the two of you.”

In Asha, if one’s mother had noble status, even if it was from a mistress, they could be recognized as the Emperor’s legitimate child.

That left open the possibility that a child of the mistress could become a crown prince. Unlike the ladies, who were full of expectations, Rosetin’s eyes were emotionless and she spoke to them moderately.

“I am merely grateful to be in the presence of His Majesty the Emperor.”

This time, the ladies complimented her on her modesty, and the conversation continued. It was then.

“Hmm, someone might think she’s the empress even though she’s just a lowly mistress.”

Off in the distance, a grim-faced girl glared at Rosetin. A haughty girl with dazzling platinum blonde hair and dark wine-colored eyes resembled her mother.

I could tell at a glance. Lucia Bledel, the only one who could hurl such pointed words at the noblewomen older than her own mother.