Chapter 25
25. His Majesty Alexanteri and My Experience
Lord Cyril Rosell, the marquis’s second son, had chestnut-brown hair and blue eyes. His height was about average for a man, and his features were rather youthful for his age.
After returning to my seat, I leaned close and quietly asked His Majesty Alexanteri:
“What kind of person is Lord Cyril?”
“Reisy, it makes me jealous to see you interested in another man.”
“That isn’t what I meant. He seems to be interested in Sophia, so as her elder sister, I thought I should make proper inquiries.”
When I explained my reasoning, His Majesty kindly told me:
“Cyril is the second son of a marquis house. He lost his fiancée—someone he had been promised to since childhood—ten years ago. Since then, he has rejected all talk of marriage or engagement, but it seems he’s taken an interest in Sophia.”
“He lost his fiancée? And after refusing marriage for so long, now he says he feels fate with Sophia…”
I found it a little hard to believe.
Could someone who had loved another so deeply truly change his heart so quickly?
Was his refusal to marry before simply an excuse to remain single and amuse himself?
I glanced up at His Majesty with eyes full of doubt, and he smiled wryly.
“Would you like to speak with him yourself? You have the look of someone terribly worried for Sophia.”
“I would like that.”
Since the day was already taken up by the New Year’s celebration, there was no chance to arrange it then, but His Majesty promised to give me the opportunity to speak with Lord Cyril soon.
The party lasted until midnight, and though I grew tired, I endured it as part of my duties as a candidate for Empress Consort.
When it was finally over, some time past midnight, His Majesty was the first to take his leave. He escorted me out, and we departed together.
We had only danced once, but that was quite enough — I would have been exhausted if we’d danced any more.
I wondered whether Sophia had ended up dancing with Lord Cyril.
Since the newly titled Count Dian family would be staying at the palace another day, I decided I would ask Sophia about it tomorrow.
When I returned to my room in the imperial residence, I took a bath, changed into my nightclothes, and collapsed into bed. The fatigue caught up to me, and I fell fast asleep, dreamless.
When I awoke the next morning, I felt refreshed and joined His Majesty for breakfast.
During breakfast, His Majesty made a suggestion:
“I’m thinking of inviting Sophia and Cyril for tea. What do you think?”
“Lord Cyril? For tea?”
“You want to know more about him, don’t you? I imagine Sophia does too. It might be best for the two of them to speak directly.”
That was true — a conversation would be the fastest way to learn more.
Still, the idea of having Sophia and Lord Cyril in the same room made me feel wary.
Seeing my uneasy expression, His Majesty chuckled softly.
“I’ve known him since childhood, so allow me to defend him a bit — Cyril is earnest, loyal, and not a bad man.”
“He doesn’t secretly indulge in womanizing, does he?”
“No. He’s far too busy to waste time on that sort of thing.”
His firm answer reassured me — but at the same time, a question stirred in my chest.
Among the nobility, most receive bedchamber education. For women, that usually meant being gently told to yield to a husband’s wishes, with vague explanations of what that entailed.
For men, however, it was said that sometimes “practical instruction” was involved — with a woman specifically chosen for the purpose.
At the academy, the “education” I received was more like a botany lesson — how pollen fertilizes a flower’s pistil to produce seeds.
But I had no idea what sort of instruction His Majesty or his retainers might have been given.
I hesitated terribly about whether I could ask such a thing — and yet His Majesty noticed my inner turmoil.
“Reisy, do you have something you’d like to ask? You can tell me anything. We’re going to be husband and wife, after all.”
Even with that encouragement, I couldn’t speak right away. I didn’t know how to phrase it.
After wrestling with myself, I decided to ask honestly.
“Your Majesty… do you, um… have any experience?”
“No. I don’t. I never had any interest in it.”
“None at all!? Truly?”
“You don’t have to worry, Reisy. I understand what happens between a man and a woman — I have the knowledge. But even without experience, everyone begins as a first-timer. There’s no shame in that. And I’ve always believed that I should only share such intimacy with someone I love from the heart. So I’ve never felt regret about not having experience.”
So His Majesty had never received that kind of practical instruction.
I was both relieved and amazed.
“Then… does that mean no one has ever asked you to… bear children?”
“Oh, I’ve been asked constantly — but I refused every time. Tell me, Reisy — could you do such a thing with someone you don’t love?”
He asked it seriously, and I understood. A man as sincere and devoted as His Majesty would instinctively reject such a thing with anyone he did not love.
Even when urged to produce an heir, he had never sought a convenient partner.
That, at least, reassured me deeply.
“And you, Reisy?”
“Of course, I have no experience whatsoever.”
In this country, women are expected to remain chaste until marriage.
It was unthinkable for an unmarried woman to engage in any kind of physical intimacy.
“Even my first kiss was with Your Majesty.”
“And you were my first as well.”
“Wh—what!? Even Your Majesty!?”
I couldn’t help but be astonished, and he added with a small smile:
“Well, kisses on the cheek don’t count. But the first time I kissed someone on the lips — that was you.”
So even kissing was new to him.
Though he had seemed composed, perhaps that was simply because of his maturity.
Feeling a little embarrassed to be discussing such things so early in the morning, I quickly tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.
“Then, let’s have that tea with Sophia and Lord Cyril this afternoon.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
After breakfast, I saw His Majesty off as he went to attend to his duties, then I spent the morning working on patterns in my room.
While the factory in Count Dian’s territory also produced patterns for doll and plush-toy clothing, the ones I was making were special — designs for the wedding outfits His Majesty and I would wear.
Only I could make them.
Sophia had told me that dolls and plush toys dressed in replicas of our wedding attire would surely become a popular trend.
If that were so, I wanted to help support the business myself.
Once I finished, I placed the patterns for His Majesty’s outfit and my own into separate envelopes, along with written notes.
Because it was the New Year, Madame Laval and Madame Montreuil were both busy with social obligations and couldn’t come as tutors.
After lunch, I moved to the music room to practice piano and vocal lessons.
Such things depend on daily discipline.
By the time my practice ended, His Majesty had already returned to the palace.
Since I hadn’t noticed, he came personally to the music room.
“Welcome back, Your Majesty Alexanteri.”
“I’m home, Reisy.”
He embraced me warmly, and I caught the faint scent of his cologne.
When I began to prepare for tea, he gently stopped me.
“Reisy, we still have time. Would you play something for me? I’d like to hear you perform.”
“Then, allow me to play a piece.”
I wasn’t yet fully skilled at the piano, but there were a few songs I could play well.
When I performed one of the pieces I had practiced, His Majesty sat quietly in a chair the maid brought for him, listening intently.
When I finished, he applauded softly, his expression full of warmth.
“You’ve improved a lot, Reisy.”
“I know I should learn more instruments, but this is the best I can do.”
“You play piano and sing — and I love your singing voice, Reisy.”
“Thank you very much.”
To become Empress, one must possess not only knowledge but also musical and artistic grace.
In the arts, my embroidery, sewing, and knitting were sufficient — Madame Laval had assured me so — but in music, I was still only learning piano and could barely read and sing from sheet music.
Whether that would truly suffice to entertain dignitaries from allied or foreign nations, I wasn’t sure.
Still, because His Majesty believed in me, I wanted to keep doing my best.
Learning an instrument is difficult without years of practice since childhood.
I had taught myself to play the piano in my younger days — and now, I felt proud that my past efforts were finally paying off.
