Chapter 09
9. Addressing Him as His Majesty Aleksanteri
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When I woke up, I found myself in tears.
It isn’t unusual for me to cry in my sleep, but I worried whether my eyes were swollen. After washing my face and dressing, I felt a little better.
Since the clothes I had ordered yesterday were not yet finished, I wore one of the dresses kept in this room’s closet, though it was slightly ill-fitting. Even so, the fabric was of fine quality and the stitching delicate; it felt comfortable against my skin.
Breakfast was in the dining hall, together with His Majesty the Emperor.
“Good morning, Lacey. Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes, I rested peacefully, thank you.”
To be given such a large, soft bed with fluffy bedding—it was just what one would expect in the Imperial Palace. The bed was surely that spacious for the Emperor to share his nights with someone. Thinking about that made me restless, but since I had been brought here for the purpose of bearing His Majesty’s child, it was something I needed to resign myself to.
As I enjoyed the fresh eggs, delicious ham and bacon, salad, and fruit, I noticed His Majesty watching me.
Had I eaten too much?
I thought I had kept to the portion served, but the quantity before me differed from what His Majesty had. I remembered an old rule of etiquette for noble young ladies: “Eat like a little bird—never too much.” They were taught that it was more graceful to eat very little in public.
But I believed good food should be enjoyed properly and that leaving it was wasteful, so I ate heartily.
“I’m glad the palace food suits your taste. You really do eat so delightfully, Lacey—it makes me want to feed you more.”
“The meals here are truly delicious.”
I didn’t need more, but abundant, flavorful dishes filled my heart with warmth.
I wished I could share them with Sophia.
How was she faring since I had been brought here? My precious only sister. I had hoped to find her a good husband, but since I had been chosen by the Emperor, Sophia would now have to take a husband into our household and succeed the family instead.
While I thought of Sophia, His Majesty spoke to me.
“Won’t you start calling me by name?”
“Eh!? I couldn’t possibly!”
The refusal leapt from my lips.
To address the Emperor by name—surely that would be disrespectful? And how would I even do so?
Frozen with my fork in hand, I listened as he gently continued.
“My name is Aleksanteri Luxerion. You knew that, didn’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
He is the one and only Emperor of this realm—who could not know?
But being granted the honor of calling that name only left me confused.
With evident good cheer, His Majesty pressed me.
“‘Aleksanteri’ is fine. Even ‘Alek’ would do.”
“No, it would not do! I could never call you that!”
“So, you won’t call me by name at all? Am I to spend time with you without ever hearing it?”
Again?
What did he mean by that?
Had someone else once refused to call him by name?
Sensing his disappointment, I gathered my courage and tried:
“Ah… Aleksanteri-Heika (Your Majesty Aleksanteri).”
“The ‘Majesty’ is unnecessary.”
“No, it is necessary! You are far too exalted to be addressed so informally.”
I protested desperately.
He sighed softly, then smiled, the corners of his eyes tinged a delicate pink.
“Aleksanteri… hearing you say it makes my name feel special. At last, you’ve spoken it.”
His joy was clear, though I wondered uneasily: was he confusing me with someone else?
The reason he had stubbornly refused marriage until now—could it be that he loved another, but something had prevented their union? And that I had merely been taken in her place? If so… it made sense.
When breakfast was over, a sewing machine was delivered to my room.
An actual treadle sewing machine—I had always dreamed of one.
“Please set it here, near the light. It’s easier to see the stitches.”
The deliverymen obliged, and the room suddenly felt like a workshop. His Majesty remained present during the installation.
He explained, “I dislike the thought of young men entering your chamber. I will stay and watch.”
Though nothing improper could happen with my maid present, he insisted.
“A real sewing machine… I’ve dreamed of this. Thank you so very much.”
“If you wish, I could have an entire sewing room made for you.”
“Oh no, this is more than enough.”
The chamber was spacious; even with the machine, it felt empty.
Placing it by the window reminded me that here, unlike at home, I did not need to worry about saving lamp oil. Still, natural light was best for checking colors and stitches.
“Would you make me a jacket with it?”
“Yes! Since you’ve given me this machine, I’ll gladly accept your first order. What kind of jacket would you like?”
“One that makes me look my very best.”
“But, Aleksanteri-Heika, you already look so handsome as you are…”
The words slipped out before I realized.
Complimenting someone’s appearance wasn’t considered proper manners—I had been taught that beauty was innate and not something to judge.
Yet His Majesty’s face softened.
“So, you see me as handsome… That pleases me.”
Relieved that he wasn’t offended, I continued.
“You often wear white, do you favor that color?”
“No. It’s because producing pure white cloth is difficult, so such fabric is woven exclusively for the Emperor. People are pleased when I wear it. But personally… I prefer blue, and black, and purple.”
Blue, black, and purple. They would surely suit him. Yet I still felt that white trimmed with red and gold suited him best of all.
“I’ll design one based on white, with accent colors.”
“I look forward to it. To wear a jacket made by your hand—that would make me very happy.”
His eyes, glowing with a pinkish hue against his pale skin, showed how truly pleased he was.
Before, his beauty had been too dazzling for me to gaze at directly, but little by little I was growing used to it.
After he left for his duties, I spent the morning selecting fabrics with the palace tailors and ordering sewing supplies.
In the afternoon, Lady Laval arrived to give me lessons in imperial consort education.
The training from the noble academy served me well, though there were gaps to fill, particularly in languages and history.
“Lady Lacey, your manners need no correction. Are you skilled in dancing?”
“I can manage the basics I learned at school, but I’m not practiced.”
“And riding?”
“Riding!? Am I permitted to ride here!?”
Though from a poor viscount’s family, I had been taught horsemanship as part of noble education—and I loved horses dearly. I hadn’t expected to meet them in the palace.
“His Majesty has already procured a horse for you. He said it was in thanks for the jacket.”
“But the jacket was to thank him for the sewing machine…”
“Lady Lacey, you will receive many gifts from now on—both from His Majesty and from the nobility. From His Majesty, it is best simply to accept them with gratitude. From others, consult with him or with me first.”
“Yes, I’ll be sure to. Thank you for the guidance.”
That was right.
I was to become His Majesty’s first consort or concubine. The nobles would naturally try to curry favor. But whether to accept such gifts was not something I could yet judge. For now, I would leave those decisions to His Majesty or Lady Laval.
“By the way, they say His Majesty never betrays a flicker of emotion—cold and merciless. But in truth he is kind, expressive even. It shows that rumors can be misleading.”
“…His kindness and expression are things he shows only before you, Lady Lacey—ah, forgive me, forget I said that. In any case, it is reassuring to see the closeness between you and His Majesty. You even call him by name now.”
“Yes, he asked me to, though I worried it might be disrespectful.”
I thought Lady Laval had implied His Majesty was warm only with me, but my greater concern was whether calling him by name was inappropriate.
“If it is His Majesty’s wish, then fulfilling it is important. I’m sure he was delighted.”
With her assurance, I finally felt I could breathe easy.
