#006. However, There Was One Thing Blanche Overlooked
“Wow…”
The greenhouse I was guided to by a palace maid was nothing short of breathtaking.
Who first came up with the idea of filling a building with blooming flowers? Because of it, the fragrance was trapped inside, making it feel as though I were walking through a giant bouquet. When I looked up, the clear sky showed through the glass ceiling. When I looked down, a riot of colorful blossoms filled my view. But thanks to the abundant green overall, it wasn’t straining on the eyes.
“Amazing, isn’t it? This glass greenhouse was a wedding gift from His Majesty the Emperor to Her Majesty the Empress. It’s the pride of the Empire.”
Whether she adored children or simply wanted to boast about the imperial couple’s affection, the maid explained with a cheerful smile. There was no need to prick at her goodwill, so I expressed my honest admiration.
“Dae-da-na-nae. (Amazing.)”
I had no interest in wealth or luxury, but… something like this? This was nice. I deliberately slowed my steps, walking leisurely and savoring the floral scent.
I wouldn’t be late anyway. And if anyone wanted to nitpick about a three-year-old not arriving early and only showing up right on time—well, they’d just look ridiculous.
Surely, the maid noticed my slowed pace, yet she didn’t rush me.
“Shall I lift you up? So you can see the flowers blooming higher up in the trees?”
She even made that offer. But wandering off for fun seemed inappropriate for a first impression, so I politely declined.
“Ma-eum-man ba-deu-ma. (I’ll take the thought.)”
The maid smiled and slowed her pace to match mine. She was already walking slowly due to our difference in stride length, and now even more so.
Because of our leisurely pace, by the time I reached the central section of the greenhouse where the tea party was being held, most guests had already arrived.
And so, I easily noticed the strange atmosphere.
The greenhouse was enormous—tables were set quite far apart. Each could seat about four or five people, and there didn’t seem to be any indicators of assigned seating. It didn’t appear to be organized by residence or palace wings.
So far, nothing particularly odd.
What was strange… was that one table was left conspicuously empty.
Well, not entirely empty.
If it had been completely vacant, I might’ve thought it was unoccupied simply because people wanted to join others and mingle. But at the exact center of the greenhouse, there was a single table… with just one person seated at it.
From her central location, the craftsmanship of her gown, the elegance of her fingers wrapped around the teacup—I quickly deduced she must be the Empress.
It wasn’t strange that no one else was seated at her table. Perhaps there were unspoken rules or certain people designated to sit with her.
What was strange, though, was how the rest of the royalty seemed to avoid that table entirely.
Aside from that one, no other table had a lone occupant. Everyone else was sitting in groups. And they all averted their gazes as if even looking toward that table would bring trouble.
‘What the…?’
The sunlight was bright, the room warm. The air carried the scent of tea and flowers. The desserts smelled sweet. Ruffles and silk decorated everyone’s formalwear.
And yet the Empress, sitting calmly in the middle, radiated an aura like the distilled essence of it all.
But the atmosphere… something was off. Instead of flocking to her side to flatter and fawn, everyone seemed afraid—like even making eye contact would get them dragged away.
She hadn’t seemed particularly fierce when stopping the Emperor that one time either…
Puzzled, I searched for the most plausible answer.
‘Ah. The difference in power must be overwhelming.’
Of course. This was a country so mighty that dozens of other nations had no choice but to send hostages without so much as a protest. One wrong move, and offending someone like the Empress could spell disaster. It’s understandable people treated her like some kind of plague and kept their distance.
But those were the thoughts of ordinary people.
I understood the hearts of those in power. They always wanted someone to flatter them.
Whether a wise ruler or a tyrant, what separated them wasn’t whether they liked flattery—it was whether they handed over power to their flatterers.
I wasn’t a flatterer myself, but I’d seen them operate up close. I’d also received flattery before.
In other words, I knew how to fawn convincingly. I could flatter the Empress to her heart’s content. And with my decent looks, I could please both her eyes and ears.
“Del-ta jo-so go-map-da. Ha-na deo bu-ta-kae-do del-kka? (Thanks for bringing me. Can I ask one more favor?)”
“Of course. What do you need?”
“Eu-ja-e an-chyeo-ju-gae. (Help me into a chair.)”
With that, I proudly pointed to the central table. I stretched out my entire arm, worried that just using my short fingers might not get the point across.
“…Pardon?”
The maid’s eyes shook. She clearly hadn’t expected me to so confidently demand a seat at the Empress’s table.
“An-daena? (Can’t I?)”
“N-no, it’s not that… it’s just…”
What, did the Empress discriminate based on status? Would she be upset at even sharing a table?
Well, if she was, I’d just get scolded. My age—three—was both my biggest hurdle and my greatest shield. What could they do to a clueless three-year-old?
As I stood firm and kept pointing, the maid finally gave in.
“Hm? What’s going on?”
The Empress, enjoying her tea alone, looked up as the maid approached with me in tow. Her eyes were the soft green of young leaves—glowing even in this radiant greenhouse.
“Ja-ri-e an-ja-do del-ga-yo. (May I sit here?)”
Her eyes widened a little and focused on me.
“Ah…?”
She didn’t look displeased. Just surprised. Was there some unspoken rule about table seating I wasn’t aware of?
But I was three. I didn’t need to know about things like that. So I just kept looking at her.
“Gen-chan-eu-shi-da-myeon. (If it’s okay with you.)”
“Oh. Yes, if you’d like to.”
She gestured to the seat next to her.
Perfect. Flattering someone was more effective from the side than across the table.
“Do-um-eul, jom. (A little help, please.)”
Too small to climb up myself, I held out my hands to the maid. But before she could bend down, another hand reached out—the Empress’s.
“Ah…?”
“Oh! My, that was rude of me. Are you okay?”
She apologized, but I was the one who wanted to ask if she was okay.
I stared in surprise as she lifted me effortlessly, without even bracing her elbow against her side.
She can support this weight in that position? With those delicate arms?
“Eu… eu-ja-reul… (Ch-chair…)”
Though she showed no signs of strain, I felt awkward being hoisted like this. I called out to the maid.
“Y-yes!”
The maid quickly pulled out a chair, and the Empress gently set me down.
“Do-um gam-sa-ham-ni-da. (Thank you for the help.)”
I gave a polite bow. She had, after all, allowed me to join her.
“…Are you okay, Princess?”
Okay? What did she mean? Was I sick or something?
I couldn’t see behind me due to my height, but everyone within my vision was staring with stunned expressions. That made me feel even more uneasy.
I’d thought this was a great start. So what exactly had I missed?
* *
Yi Baek-ryeon—Blanche’s true identity—wasn’t wrong in her judgment.
The Empress of the Letail Empire, Rihanna Enzen Pendleton, held vast power and possessed a gentle nature. She also liked children. A little charm might have won Blanche some political favor.
And someone like Yi Baek-ryeon could have done a lot with even a small sliver of influence.
However, there was one thing Blanche had overlooked.
Rihanna had a certain nickname—one everyone else knew, but Blanche didn’t.
As the former commander of the Kaibrahan Knights and current leader of the Imperial Guard, Rihanna was known as:
“The Empire’s Greatest Sword.”
That’s right. Despite arms that looked like they’d never lifted anything heavier than a teapot, Rihanna was a prodigy who could pierce steel and split stone.
Whether it was because of her natural aura or something else, Rihanna had projected the energy of a lion from a young age.
One famed general, who had fought in countless battles, once said:
“Lady Kaibrahan radiates the dignity of a seasoned war veteran.”
Because of this fierce energy, children and animals couldn’t approach her.
Though Rihanna herself adored small creatures, they cried just from making eye contact with her. Animals either ran in terror or fainted on the spot.
Even fighting dogs in the arena trembled and tucked their tails in her presence.
So, the real reason she always drank tea alone at her tea parties?
No one dared sit with her.
Perhaps nobles who had known Rihanna longer could steel themselves and approach her with flattery. But the guests here were all new arrivals, none of whom had been in Letail for even two weeks.
Who would have the guts to approach someone so terrifying—for reasons they didn’t even understand?
So when Blanche casually walked up to Rihanna, asked to sit beside her, and didn’t burst into tears after being lifted into her arms…
Naturally, everyone stared in disbelief.
But as someone who had lived a hundred lives and was once a seasoned warrior herself, Blanche felt no fear toward Rihanna’s lion-like aura. She treated her like a normal lady.
And thus, the scene of Blanche casually taking a seat beside the Empress—while everyone else gaped in horror—was complete.
