CHAPTER~27
The Empress Class
If I were a seasoned Empress, I might understand, but a newlywed foreign rookie Empress like me wouldn’t start with inspections alongside the Emperor.
Some say that after marriage, people often enjoy when their spouse is out of the house, but I never expected that to apply to me.
It seemed Kallio noticed my reaction.
“Do you like it when I leave the palace?”
“Of course.”
No, that’s not true.
…I wanted to say that, but.
Damn it, the news that Kallio would be away from the palace for a while was so exciting that my inner thoughts slipped out.
“Hmm?”
“Hahaha…”
I awkwardly laughed to cover the situation, but Kallio lifted his chin with a delicate grace.
“Seems I’m getting quite a lot of dislike. I’ll have to behave more nicely and look prettier from now on, huh?”
“Ahaha… no, that’s not—”
Could he really say such a terrifying thing?
Even though I laughed out loud, my back was already sweating.
While I was wondering how to end the conversation, Kallio linked his arm with mine and tapped my arm with his fingers.
After a moment, he curved the corners of his eyes.
“I have a good idea.”
“W-what idea, Your Grace?”
Whatever it is, I wish he wouldn’t think at all.
But Kallio’s subtle smile never left.
“Something pretty to do.”
It would have been lovely if I just quietly stayed as far away as possible. Ignoring that easy option, Kallio stood up from his seat.
Even as he moved away, the sound of Kallio’s laughter echoed in my ears.
***
After the (unnecessary) meeting with Kallio, class began.
Originally, the Empress of the Amir Empire shares part of the Emperor’s state affairs.
To do this, a certain level of accelerated learning was necessary. Besides, there was no former Empress to guide me, and I was a foreigner.
During the first lesson, my assigned teacher looked somewhat worried.
“…Your Majesty, the Empress.”
But the more I attended the class, the more awkward the situation became for me in other ways.
“I feel I have no regrets even if I were to die now.”
Contrary to the gloomy first impression, this teacher had a very wide range of emotions.
“Did I solve the problem incorrectly?”
“No, no… I have taught the previous Crown Prince and the current Emperor before… but Your Majesty, even compared to them, your academic achievements and learning attitude are excellent.”
What kind of suffering did this teacher endure from Kallio and his brother? I only completed my assignments, attended classes diligently, and asked questions when I didn’t understand.
Of course, as a writer, I had some historical knowledge for worldbuilding, and with the body’s natural ‘cheat skills’ for languages and my modern South Korean science and math knowledge, understanding subjects was not difficult.
Memorizing noble names or learning etiquette was slightly tedious, but compared to the 21st-century South Korean drill and mandatory night self-study, it was a walk in the park.
Even without this background, I think I would have received praise for just attending classes and completing assignments diligently.
“In the past, when class started, both brothers were usually out… ah, never mind.”
Hearing the teacher’s past experience, I patted their back.
‘Out there… what were they even doing?’
Unless they were brawling every class, why would the teacher act like this?
The teacher, wiping a faint tear with a finger, clenched their fist.
“I swear, I will ensure Your Majesty can perform all duties without difficulty until my last breath! If anything is difficult, feel free to ask anytime.”
“Wow… thank you.”
I clapped for our passionate teacher Seren with a misty-eyed look.
If I really fled the palace, I felt Seren’s tears of frustration would pour out like a waterfall.
‘What can I do? I have to survive too.’
Aside from that, I had questions while studying.
I raised my hand.
“I have a question about the Empress’s personnel authority…”
Seren, now sparkling with enthusiasm, blinked under the burden, which I avoided while speaking.
“According to the law, the Empress can form a personal guard just like the Emperor. Why is that? In other countries, the monarch commands the army alone.”
“Good question! That’s because even before founding the country, the first Emperor and Empress each had their own military. This tradition passed down to later generations. Nowadays, the law’s effectiveness is faint and rarely used, but…”
In other words, I could select my own personal guard. Useful if I wanted to escape and needed muscle support.
The problem was that Kallio was a conquering ruler, so most palace military or martial forces were under the Emperor.
‘Where do I find a skilled knight not under the Emperor?’
Though happy to hear this, the more I thought about it, the more worried I became.
Then Seren added cheerfully,
“The Emperor cherishes the Empress. He will likely select a capable guard. A fine knight of the Emperor will protect the Empress. Don’t worry too much.”
Let a man who would kill his wife in one night guard me? I’d be dead first in some alley.
I wasn’t sure if Seren truly didn’t know or was pretending out of hope.
‘Enough.’
Stop overthinking. I just need to focus on what I have to do.
I smiled faintly at Seren without a word.
By diligently attending class, I’d finish the crash course for Empress duties, and gradually my authority would increase as I assumed real responsibilities.
But I should have guessed from the way Kallio smiled ominously in the garden that trouble was coming.
***
A few days later, I stood beside a horse with Kallio.
The royal family’s special carriage was gone, leaving me standing among snorting horses.
All thanks to Kallio.
“You don’t look well, Radi. If you’re tired, want to ride with me?”
Just go away, please.
Being next to him alone was exhausting enough.
I had planned to accelerate my escape after Kallio went on inspection, but of course… Kallio had other plans.
‘This is a special instruction for you. When I go on a regional inspection, you will come along.’
He suddenly demanded I accompany him to the “White Desert” inspection from a few days ago.
If it were an ordinary inspection, it might have been bearable, but the White Desert was the old imperial capital.
I had to ride horses and camels across it, as the first Emperor couple had done.
Meanwhile, Kallio wore his infuriatingly cheerful face, pretending to worry about me. The man could not leave me at ease for even a day.
‘Damn it, he could explore the old capital alone. I can’t even work on my palace escape plan!’
Still, I forced a smile for appearances.
Kallio extended his hand.
“Or should I lift you onto your horse myself?”
“Thanks for the consideration, but I can mount by myself, Your Grace.”
Having learned horseback riding from Seren, I climbed the horse with pride.
Kallio, smirking faintly, mounted his own horse.
The hot wind blew flags of the inspection entourage as the line advanced, the Emperor leading in a blunt spike formation.
To reach the White Desert, we had to cross the Red Desert.
The Red Desert appears when leaving the northeast outskirts of the capital.
Frequent massive sandstorms can cover even animal paths, making navigation very difficult.
Without a highly skilled mage, the desert looked like a vast ocean of sand, impossible to traverse.
The entire Red Desert is filled with chaotic magic, rendering compasses useless and most path-finding spells ineffective.
Except for one person.
“This way.”
The Emperor of the Amir Empire had a “special eye.”
The only one in this world.
Kallio could trace signs of human passage even in the Red Desert.
