Chapter 4
4. His Majesty Aleksanteri’s Birthday Celebration
His Majesty Aleksanteri’s birthday celebration was held with magnificent splendor.
It was a national event—nobles from all over the country had gathered, and royal families and dignitaries from vassal states had come as well.
Had Lady Laval not taught me beforehand who was who, I would have been completely bewildered.
His Majesty Aleksanteri sat upon the throne, and I was seated in the chair beside him.
Ordinarily, that seat was reserved for the emperor’s consort.
But since His Majesty had not yet married, I, as his chosen fiancée, was allowed to sit there in her stead.
One by one, nobles, royal guests, and foreign dignitaries came forward to offer words of celebration.
The morning had been spent in a rush of preparations, and His Majesty had warned me that the ceremony might stretch on so long that we might not have time for lunch.
So, I had made sure to eat a proper breakfast. Thanks to that, I was able to sit by his side without my stomach rumbling in embarrassment.
The endless parade of congratulatory words finally came to an end.
His Majesty offered polite thanks to each guest, while his aide, Sir Julius, recorded the gifts and accepted them on his behalf.
Because the throne sat several steps above the floor, there was no physical contact between the emperor and those paying their respects; the courtiers and royals all remained kneeling as they spoke.
At last, the greetings concluded.
Glasses filled with drink were handed to us.
His Majesty stood, and I rose with him, mirroring his movements for the ceremonial toast.
“Thank you all for gathering to celebrate my birthday today,” His Majesty declared. “This summer, I shall wed Lady Reisie of House Dian. It is my intention to make her Empress.”
It was the first time His Majesty had publicly announced that he would make me his empress.
My heart pounded—would there be resistance, murmurs, dissent?
Instead, joyous cheers erupted throughout the hall.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live the future Empress!”
“His Majesty will finally welcome his Empress—how wonderful!”
“Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, future Empress!”
It seemed… I was being received favorably.
Still, this was the nobility’s world; I knew too well that such kindness might be only a mask.
Keeping that in mind, I smiled gracefully, lifted my glass, and joined in the toast.
Then His Majesty stepped closer and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“Don’t drink that wine,” he whispered.
“Huh? Y-yes…”
“I don’t want anyone else to see my sweet Reisie drunk.”
The words, murmured against my ear, made me nearly jump. Somehow, I managed a reply.
When I glanced down, I realized my glass indeed contained red wine.
I was not good with alcohol—had he not warned me, I might have made a fool of myself.
Grateful, I merely touched the glass to my lips and then handed it back to the attendant without drinking.
When His Majesty’s speech concluded, he led me to the balcony.
From there, I could see crowds of citizens gathered beyond the castle walls.
“I thank you all for celebrating my birth,” His Majesty declared in a commanding voice. “This summer, I shall welcome my Empress. Together, we will strive to make this nation ever more prosperous.”
His voice rang out clear and dignified, and the crowd below roared:
“Long live the Emperor!”
Prompted by His Majesty, I too waved to them.
Then came another shout—
“Long live the Empress!”
I wasn’t the Empress yet, but hearing the people acknowledge me so warmly filled me with hope for the future.
After showing ourselves on the balcony, we moved to the banquet hall for the dinner feast.
It was rather early in the evening, but since I’d had no lunch, I was quite hungry.
Even so, the endless stream of nobles, royals, and dignitaries coming to offer greetings left me no time to eat.
Before I knew it, the servants had taken away my untouched plate, and I felt a pang of disappointment.
Of course, I knew the food would be passed on to the palace staff and not wasted.
Still, I had been hungry and wanted to taste it myself.
If becoming Empress meant enduring this kind of thing more often, I couldn’t help feeling a little downhearted.
After the banquet came the ball.
His Majesty invited me to dance.
Being guided by him was effortless and graceful—it was pure joy to follow his lead.
During our dance, all others were forbidden to step onto the floor.
The two of us alone moved across the grand ballroom, the eyes of the entire assembly upon us.
When the dance ended, we returned to the seats prepared for the Emperor.
There were small finger foods and confections laid out on the table.
I looked toward His Majesty for permission; he nodded slightly, so I relaxed and helped myself to some quiche and sandwiches.
While I ate, His Majesty only sipped his wine, not touching any of the food.
Then, the Dowager Empress approached.
“Your Majesty, I hear you’ve announced Lady Reisie as your future Empress,” she said warmly.
I paused mid-bite and set down my fork, taking a sip of tea to steady myself.
“I had always intended to,” His Majesty replied calmly, “but it took some groundwork to ensure the announcement would be well-received.”
“Lady Reisie is quite popular among the people now,” the Dowager Empress remarked.
“I am?” I blurted in surprise.
Groundwork? What did he mean by that?
When I looked at His Majesty, he was smiling in that mischievous way of his.
“I merely spread word of how Reisie supported the creation of doll and toy workshops,” he explained, “and how she added dormitories to encourage women’s employment. The elevation of House Dian to a higher rank made sure the nobles took notice as well.”
“But… I haven’t done anything so grand,” I protested softly.
“You’ve done much more than you think,” he said gently. “You even proposed redistributing imperial duties, preventing too much power from concentrating in the throne alone.”
“I didn’t mean it that way…”
“Intent aside, the result remains. It’s your accomplishment, Reisie.”
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.
It was strange to be praised for things I’d never consciously done.
Still, perhaps such achievements were necessary if I was to be acknowledged as Empress.
“It’s good to be humble,” the Dowager Empress told me kindly, “but as the future Empress, you must also carry yourself with pride. When I became Empress, there were factions who opposed me. His Majesty surely wishes to spare you such struggles.”
Her words struck me. I looked up at His Majesty’s divine profile beside me.
He must have been thinking of my future all along.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “I’ll try to carry myself with greater confidence.”
“That’s the spirit,” the Dowager Empress smiled. “Remember—no one but you belongs at His Majesty’s side.”
Perhaps she, too, had once strengthened her heart with the same thought.
As the former Empress herself, she likely understood my position better than anyone.
And so, I made a quiet vow to myself:
One day, I would stand beside His Majesty Aleksanteri, proud and unshaken, able to say with confidence—
I am the Empress.
