Chapter 39. The Emperor’s Summons
The ball hosted by the House of Perge came sooner than expected.
I glanced at the invitation card with only a few weeks left until the event, and casually picked up a sandwich from the table.
Usually, invitations were sent out months in advance, along with a clear concept for the ball so that guests could understand the host’s intentions.
But this one from House Perge was quite different in meaning compared to conventional balls.
It was a spontaneous celebration by the Marchioness of Perge, who was already well-known as a party lover, in honor of my union with Leofric.
Naturally, the Marquess of Perge, a moderate noble and friend of my father’s, had warmly welcomed his wife’s suggestion.
They were always bickering on normal days—why were they suddenly so in sync only in moments like this?
“So, you’re still living together, huh.”
I chuckled to myself, recalling Father staring at Mother’s portrait with a weary face after the Marquess’s visit.
He often muttered how he never imagined he’d be this tormented just because they shared the same swordsmanship teacher.
Either way, I had no choice but to attend the banquet.
“I should ask Betty to send our confirmation tomorrow.”
Just as I finished one sandwich and reached for another, my eyes caught a dazzling envelope clearly standing out among the pile of invitations.
Unlike the others, which were neat and modestly colored, this one was flashy pink with gold embossing—completely over-the-top.
There was no need to even check the sender. I already knew who it was.
It must be for Duchess Alois’s tea party.
Chewing a cookie, I pulled the flamboyant envelope from the pile.
As expected, the sender was Duchess Flora Alois.
Mother of Lloyd—and the Emperor’s sister.
She was also Leofric’s aunt.
Born late to the previous Emperor, she was showered with affection, unlike her brother.
But after the Emperor passed away, she became nothing more than a troublesome noblewoman clinging to past glory.
When her brother was alive, she acted as if she ruled the empire herself. Now, her influence had diminished.
Still, the current Emperor, bound by his father’s will and affection for his only sister, tolerated her behavior just enough not to encourage it.
She was spoiled—always testing boundaries, unable to forget the days when everything went her way.
…Which is why she agreed so quickly when I proposed making her son the Emperor.
She forgot entirely the favors she once received from her father and brother.
This invitation was probably sent so she could brag to other ladies about me—the woman who once desperately clung to her son.
In fact, when I attended one of her tea parties, she treated me as though I were already her daughter-in-law.
Even though, in status, I was the Crown Princess and outranked her, she ordered me around: “Come here,” “Go there,” as if I were her servant.
She wouldn’t stop praising her son and made sure I heard the names of families she was considering as Lloyd’s potential brides.
It was as if she were saying, “If you don’t stay in my good graces, I’ll marry Lloyd to someone else.”
The ironic part? Lloyd didn’t care one bit about his mother’s delusions.
Lloyd, who once dreamed big, and his flower-headed mother—truly a pair cut from the same cloth.
So this time, I might as well attend and crush those ridiculous dreams a little.
Because for both Lloyd and Duchess Alois, it was better to wake up from impossible fantasies sooner rather than later.
I placed the glitzy envelope atop the invitation from House Perge.
That same envelope I’d have Betty send a reply for tomorrow.
The next morning
I’d slept soundly for the first time in a long while and woke up in a great mood.
A refreshing morning—how long had it been?
I gave Betty her instructions, had a light, relaxing breakfast, and the weather was good, too.
Everything seemed perfect—
Until a servant from the Imperial Palace arrived at my residence.
“Your Highness, someone from the Imperial Palace is here.”
It was an unannounced visit.
Just yesterday, when I arrived at the palace, messages had come from both the Emperor’s and Empress’s palaces saying that I should rest and visit later due to the long trip.
Leofric had also reassured me that I could rest at least a day without worry.
Puzzled, I got up from the sofa.
“Show them to the parlor.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Why would someone from the Imperial Palace come all of a sudden?
As I headed to the parlor, I tried to recall whether something like this had happened before my regression.
But everything was different—the honeymoon, the return to the palace—so there was no comparison to draw.
“Greetings, Your Highness. I am Matthew, a servant from the Imperial Palace.”
“Welcome. Did His Majesty send you?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I came bearing a message from His Majesty.”
Without even sitting down, the servant got straight to the point.
I assumed he was in a hurry and didn’t press him to sit.
I nodded, thinking it was best to just get to the point.
“His Majesty wishes to see you.”
“…Me? Right now?”
The visit was sudden enough, but the message was even more so.
Startled, I blurted out a messy sentence.
As the servant confirmed with a steady voice, I quickly composed myself and began thinking.
There had to be a reason for such a sudden summons.
But hesitation before the Emperor’s command could easily be taken as rude.
I stood up and asked the servant,
“Should I go immediately? Is it alright to go as I am?”
“His Majesty said he would be grateful for your presence in any state.”
“How generous.”
Then there was no need to hesitate.
I glanced at my dress—it wasn’t overly casual, but not formal either—then stepped forward.
As I walked, I briefly wondered if Leofric had been summoned too, but quickly pushed the thought away.
Whether he was summoned or not didn’t really matter.
What mattered was why the Emperor, who had once been content to have occasional meals with his son and daughter-in-law before my regression, now wanted to see me all of a sudden.
I followed the servant, speculating about possible reasons.
The Emperor’s palace wasn’t far from my detached palace.
Though called the “Detached Palace,” it was simply adjacent to the main palace where the offices and residences of the Emperor and Empress were located.
It had traditionally been the residence of crown princes or royal children who never ascended the throne.
When I arrived at the Emperor’s palace after a short walk, I noticed—thankfully or not—there was already another guest.
“Ah, our daughter-in-law has arrived.”
The moment I entered the room, a strange address hit my ears.
I had never once been called that before—either in the past or since returning.
“…Greetings, Your Majesties.”
Because of that, my greeting was delayed by a beat.
The unfamiliar term startled me, and seeing who was with the Emperor made me even more tense.
“Welcome, Crown Princess. His Majesty insisted on seeing you alone, but I was too stubborn to stay away.”
“No, Your Majesty the Empress. I should have come to greet you first. My apologies.”
The Empress, an entirely unexpected guest, smiled kindly and offered me a seat.
“You needed rest, after all. His Majesty was the one who got impatient and asked you to come, so I joined as well.”
“Thanks to your consideration, I was able to rest well.”
And I hope you’ll feel free to speak comfortably with me.
As I said this while sitting down, the Empress beamed like a young girl.
“Shall we, then? I was so worried because Leofric kept threatening us to behave, but now that you’ve given us permission, thank you.”
The Empress even clapped softly, and the Emperor smiled warmly.
“We just wanted to see our daughter-in-law, so we asked gently, but Leofric told us not to bother you. Still, as his parents, we couldn’t help ourselves and sent someone anyway.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty. I’m grateful you called me. I’ll always be happy to come.”
“Our daughter-in-law is so kind.”
The Emperor chuckled softly.
The Empress also smiled warmly.
Perhaps they really just wanted to meet the Crown Princess?
That thought helped ease the tension I’d been feeling.
Then I noticed how warmly they smiled, and suddenly…
“You two… look very much alike.”
The words slipped out before I knew it.
Do couples in love begin to resemble each other, even in the way they smile?
At my comment, the Emperor and Empress looked at each other and burst into laughter.
“Of course. Married couples grow alike over time.”
“Maybe you and Leofric will too.”
The Emperor and Empress spoke one after the other.
I nodded at the Emperor’s words, but could only offer a stiff smile to the Empress.
She probably meant it as a compliment, but…
Leofric and I—we were nothing alike in temperament, thoughts, or even future plans.
…We were even considering separation.
I tried not to let the bitter thought show and forced a polite thank you.
“Honestly, when Leofric said he wanted to marry Vermerian, we were very worried.”
“We told him: don’t marry for power, marry only if it’s your heart’s desire.”
“Power is important, but our son’s happiness matters more.”
“Yes. But still, we worried about how you felt about the marriage.”
“But now that we’ve met you, we feel much more at ease.”
The Empress began, and the Emperor chimed in seamlessly.
The way they spoke, almost as one, felt neither awkward nor unnatural.
Was this what a couple looked like after spending a lifetime together?
I found myself focusing less on what they said, and more on how they looked together.
If I were ever to share my life and heart with someone, I would want it to be like this.
And perhaps that’s why Leofric kept trying to draw me closer—because he’d grown up watching this.
