Chapter 10

The garden of the Second Imperial Prince’s Palace was spacious and meticulously maintained.

Unknown flowering trees grew in every direction, while fish swam leisurely in a small pond. Stepping stones had been laid across the ground at irregular intervals, adding to the garden’s charm.

However, Tamia looked distinctly dissatisfied as she gazed at the beautiful garden.

“Husband.”

“What is the problem this time?”

“There are too many things getting in the way.”

Here, there, everywhere.

It’s absolutely covered in flowering trees.

Tamia grumbled while pointing in every direction.

“I won’t even be able to spar properly here. And these stones on the ground are so uneven that they’re uncomfortable to stand on. The yard in front of our house was wide and neat.”

That’s not neat. It’s barren.

Rather than voicing his thoughts, Leon decided to humor Tamia.

“Of course there’s a separate training ground. However, it’s a little far from the Second Imperial Prince’s Palace. If you want, I could clear this entire garden and turn it into a training ground.”

“!”

The silent screams of the attendants and gardeners standing nearby seemed to shake the entire garden.

“There is a separate training ground? Geez, then there’s no need to clear the garden. I thought this was the only space available.”

“Pheeeeew.”

This time, sighs of relief could be heard from all around.

Just then—

“Her Imperial Majesty the Empress has arrived!”

With the attendant’s loud announcement, the Empress appeared.

Malicia Valentis.

Although she was well over fifty years old, she was a beautiful woman who looked no older than her mid-thirties.

She had tied up her lustrous pink hair neatly and placed a small tiara atop her head.

“I heard that my son had brought home his wife, so I came to see her myself.”

Leon frowned the moment Malicia opened her mouth.

That roundabout way of speaking and that voice always grated on his nerves whenever he heard them.

What she really meant was:

“Why haven’t you come to greet me, and what exactly are you doing here?”

Leon merely gave a perfunctory nod and kept his mouth shut.

Tamia tilted her head.

What? Did the two of them have a fight?

If that’s the case, as the nice person here, I should greet her first!

“I greet the Moon of the Empire! I was planning to come visit you first, but you came all the way here yourself. Her Majesty the Empress must be a very kind person.”

Tamia cheerfully bowed toward Malicia before poking Leon in the side as though seeking his agreement.

But Leon still wouldn’t even meet the Empress’s eyes.

What the heck? They look like they’re on even worse terms than he was with His Majesty earlier!

What’s wrong with this family?

No matter how badly my family fights, we always make up within three days!

“Are you Tamia Arderin?”

Malicia’s question snapped Tamia out of her thoughts.

“No. I’m Tamia Valentis now. I’m married.”

“Ah, Valentis…”

Empress Malicia seemed to ponder that for a moment.

Then, without warning, she slapped the cheek of a servant standing behind Tamia.

Smack!

“……!”

The Second Imperial Prince’s servant, who had been slapped out of nowhere, couldn’t even scream. He simply clutched his cheek with both hands.

“The Imperial Princess is extremely rude. Answering back so bluntly.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t personally lay a hand on an ill-mannered Imperial Princess, so I punished one of her servants instead.”

The atmosphere instantly froze.

…She’s doing that again.

Whenever something displeased her, the Empress had a talent for making everyone around her uncomfortable until she eventually got what she wanted.

Leon was just about to step forward in response to Malicia’s unreasonable behavior when—

“Oh my, Your Majesty! You shouldn’t hit people like that.”

Tamia fussed over her and suddenly grabbed Malicia’s wrist, examining it from every angle.

“Does your wrist hurt? If you hit someone like that, it only makes a loud sound without doing much damage. And you could hurt your wrist, too.”

“……?”

“To hit someone properly, you need to learn how to rotate your torso instead of relying on a flick of the wrist. Would you like me to teach you?”

Malicia was stunned by the completely unexpected response.

Tamia continued kneading and examining the Empress’s hand.

“Oh dear, your skin must be very delicate, too. Your palm is all red. Your Majesty, please don’t do things like this from now on. You’ll ruin those lovely hands.”

“L-Let go of me…!”

Malicia hurriedly yanked her hand away and tried to respond, but Tamia continued without stopping.

“Oh, wait. No. I suppose if you want to maintain discipline in the Imperial Palace, you have to endure doing unpleasant things like this. In that case, whenever you need to slap someone from now on, call me. I’ll gladly do it for you, and I’ll make sure it’s a nice, solid hit.”

“W-What are you…?!”

“Of course, I charge a separate travel fee. So make sure you have enough money ready. How about 10 der? Hehe.”

Hmm. I wonder if this much strength will satisfy her?

Tamia brought her palm down on a nearby rock.

The solid stone instantly caved inward, leaving a perfect imprint of her hand.

“……!”

Malicia was so shocked by the sight that she looked as though she might faint.

Then she turned around and fled as quickly as she could.

“Make sure to call me! I’ll be waiting!”

Tamia cheerfully shouted after the retreating Empress.

“Husband.”

Tamia plopped herself down on a bench in the garden and patted the empty seat beside her.

“Come sit here.”

She already looked as though the Imperial Palace garden belonged to her.

When Leon sat down beside her, Tamia lowered her voice and asked,

“Tell me honestly. Neither of those two Majesties is actually your biological parent, right? Did they find you under a bridge?”

“What?”

“There’s no way you’d have such a terrible relationship with your parents otherwise.”

Tamia looked so serious as she reasoned this out that Leon couldn’t help letting out a dry laugh.

“You’re half right, Tamia. The Empress isn’t my biological mother.”

“Really? I knew it! No wonder she seemed so distant!”

“It’s more surprising that there are nobles who don’t know that.”

“Well, I spent much more time rolling around in the dirt with monsters than sitting at a desk…”

Tamia scratched the bridge of her nose awkwardly before asking another question.

“Then is His Majesty your stepfather?”

“No. My father is my biological father.”

He’s worse than a stepfather, though.

Leon bitterly swallowed the rest of the thought.

“Since the subject has come up, I’ll tell you everything. My biological mother died when I was five.”

“Oh… I see.”

“My father blamed me for her death and hated me because of it.”

“What?! Why is that your fault? Did you kill her?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why?”

“She died after being attacked by a monster while traveling with me.”

Tamia blinked twice, clearly unable to understand.

“My father berated me, asking what I had been doing instead of protecting my mother.”

“What the hell?! Is he insane?! How is that your fault? You were only five!”

Tamia shot to her feet in outrage.

“You don’t have to get so angry.”

“Husband, should I go throw His Majesty back into that hole from earlier?”

Leon couldn’t help smiling at the sight of Tamia fuming on his behalf.

“I’m grateful for the offer, at least. But you don’t need to do that.”

“Thanks.”

Tamia quickly sat back down.

“To be honest, I was a little scared you’d actually tell me to go throw him in. Our family would become a family of traitors because of me.”

If you were going to back out so quickly, why did you offer in the first place?

Leon laughed again at Tamia’s honest reaction.

“Husband.”

“Yes?”

“A five-year-old losing to a monster is only natural. So don’t feel guilty.”

“Guilty?”

“Yeah. Things like wondering whether you could have protected her if you’d been stronger, or whether she would still be alive if you hadn’t begged her to go on that trip with you. Those thoughts are all pointless. You were just a tiny little kid.”

Tamia casually demolished the old trauma that had weighed on Leon for years.

“Making someone feel as though something was their fault when it wasn’t is wrong. Don’t pay any more attention to that than you would monster poop. Got it?”

Tamia thumped him on the shoulder.

“Urgh, T-Tamia. I’d appreciate it if you treated me a little more gently from now on.”

“Oh! Sorry. Father always told me to be careful with my strength, too.”

Tamia widened her eyes before gently patting the shoulder she had just struck.

Strangely enough, those rough hands instantly cleansed the dark depths that had been rotting away inside Leon.

It wasn’t my fault…?

Had anyone ever told me that before?

Leon stared blankly at her.

Just then—

“Your Highness, there you are.”

One of the attendants from the Second Imperial Prince’s Palace came rushing toward Leon, breathing heavily.

In his hand was a long golden chain.

“I have come to prepare the tools for the consummation of your marriage, according to Imperial tradition.”

“……H-Husband?”

Tamia’s hand, which had been gently patting Leon’s shoulder, froze in midair.

“D-Do we have to spend our first night together? No, more importantly…”

She swallowed hard before continuing in a trembling voice.

“W-Why do we need a chain to spend our first night together?”