#013. I Greet Her Majesty the Empress
Tula had never seen the Empress before, of course. But based on the description Blanche had given—her distinct features and the overpowering presence she radiated—there was no doubt in her mind that the woman standing before her was the Empress.
If not, it would be a major blunder. But if she was right, standing there frozen was even worse. So, Tula took a gamble.
“I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”
“Oh my, no need to be so nervous. There’s no one else watching anyway.”
Empress Riana Enzen Pendleton of the Retaile Empire gave a warm smile to Tula, who had hastily knelt in greeting. It was an innocent smile, surprisingly so for someone who seemed capable of tearing three people apart with her bare hands.
“I heard Princess Blanche is unwell, so I came to see her. Would it be alright to see her face, just for a moment?”
Under normal circumstances, it was unthinkable for the Empress to appear without notice. Her schedule wouldn’t allow it, and it went against all court etiquette.
If not for Riana’s superhuman physical prowess or the fact that Blanche had become Melchizedek’s playmate, this visit would have never happened.
But Blanche, as the Grand Duke’s playmate, was now considered semi-royalty.
That meant the Empress could visit her even if it wasn’t an official schedule, and Riana wasn’t just skilled with a sword—she was also blessed with extraordinary physical abilities.
So when Riana heard that Blanche had fallen ill, she was seized by the thought that if she left her guards behind and quickly slipped away before her luncheon with Count Sheigon, she might be able to see Blanche’s face.
And indeed, by taking off her shoes and sprinting barefoot through the palace, she managed to reach the Emerald Palace, where Blanche was staying, from the Empress’s quarters in just ten minutes.
“Yes, whatever Your Majesty wishes.”
Recalling Blanche’s advice during the Emperor’s previous visit, Tula didn’t oppose her by saying the princess was too ill. Instead, she obediently lowered her gaze.
It seemed that following Blanche’s instructions was the right move, as Riana looked pleased.
“No wonder Princess Blanche’s etiquette is so refined. It must be thanks to her nanny’s good teaching.”
In reality, it was Blanche who had taught Tula, but Tula didn’t correct her.
“Is this a gift from the Grand Duke?”
Looking around gracefully—so elegantly it was hard to believe she was barefoot beneath her dress—Riana asked. Still bent forward, Tula answered,
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Melchi, honestly…”
Her laughter sounded like jade beads rolling on a silver tray.
“First, show them to Princess Blanche, and take whatever she likes. Then send the rest to the Empress’s quarters. I’ll take care of it.”
She truly was the Empress of the Retaile Empire. She understood that handling such a large amount of flowers was more of a burden than the gift itself.
It was too much to just throw away, especially since it came from the Grand Duke.
She saw that instantly and even offered to take care of it at the Empress’s palace—a move so tactful that even Blanche would’ve been impressed.
“I am deeply grateful for your boundless grace.”
“Oh, come now. If she’s the Grand Duke’s playmate, then she’s like a younger sister to me. The princess has gained an older sister—she should feel at ease.”
With that, Riana swiftly moved forward, casually announcing what had originally been planned as a formal declaration: that Blanche was now the Grand Duke’s playmate.
What began as simple curiosity toward a child who wasn’t intimidated by her presence had quickly grown into something more. The more she learned, the more Blanche amazed her.
Even that Melchizedek liked her enough to show such open favor, and the servants around her were surprisingly well-versed in etiquette.
Maybe—yes—maybe Blanche wasn’t just adorable. Maybe she was someone who could be entrusted with greater responsibilities someday.
Just then—
“I greeb Yor Masjesty the Empreth… (I greet Your Majesty the Empress.)”
When Riana opened the door, contemplating Blanche’s future, what she saw was a little girl sitting upright in bed.
“Oh dear. Did I wake you? I just wanted to see your face before leaving.”
She thought Blanche would be asleep. Surprised, Riana widened her eyes. Despite her flushed face, the girl smiled.
“No, I sleb so mus I could’n sleeb mo’. Thank yu for bisiting… (No, I slept so much I couldn’t sleep anymore. Thank you for visiting.)”
Well, that was plausible. Riana, who had never once been bedridden herself, easily believed it.
“Is Princess Blanche usually weak? She seems to get sick often.”
Blanche didn’t quite hear everything, but she quickly noticed the Empress’s tone had become more relaxed.
A powerful person being at ease with you was always a good sign. Blanche simply smiled with her feverish cheeks.
“No, I dunn gedd sick dat musch…”
“Then maybe the long journey wore you out?”
Riana reached out to check Blanche’s forehead.
“I’ll send you something good for your health. Eat it, and you’ll feel better.”
“Juss yor thawt iss enough…”
“Oh, don’t be so modest.”
Thinking Blanche was just being polite, Riana playfully poked her cheek—but that wasn’t what Blanche meant.
“A, no, it’s nod dat… juss… righ now…”
Seeing Blanche obviously avoiding eye contact, Riana quickly tried to figure it out. Why would a child refuse health supplements? Bitter taste? She didn’t seem picky.
Then maybe… it was a matter of environment.
Riana thought back to the number of attendants in the Emerald Palace. Only those brought from the Kingdom of Lamore were stationed there—yes, they were a bit short-handed.
With so few people, an extravagant gift could feel like a burden. Even the nanny had looked more troubled than pleased upon seeing Melchizedek’s gift earlier.
“By the way, did you see the flowers Melchi sent?”
But to ask directly if she was refusing the gift due to lack of staff would be unsophisticated. So Riana elegantly changed the subject.
“No?”
“You’ll be surprised when you see them. It’s like he sent an entire botanical garden. He must really like you.”
“I did’n do anythang…”
True. She hadn’t. What could a 3-year-old do in a single meeting? They only shared a meal and spent a few hours together.
So it must be simple affection—perhaps fate?
“The men of that family are like that. Berken—no, His Majesty—surprised me the same way. After we met for the first time, he suddenly sent me a boutique. I wasn’t even out in society yet, and I didn’t need that many dresses.”
What Riana meant was that Blanche shouldn’t feel burdened by Melchizedek’s gift. That’s just how those brothers were when they liked someone.
But Blanche picked up on something more—something Riana didn’t intend to reveal.
Why is she comparing her relationship with the Emperor to my relationship with the Grand Duke?
Blanche straightened up a little. Her body still ached and her head was heavy, but the situation felt too serious to ignore.
“Dat’s vewy kind of him…”
It was a probing remark. But Riana, not expecting political nuance from a 3-year-old, eagerly took the bait.
“Right? People misunderstand them because of how they look, but they’re actually really sweet.”
Blanche wanted to protest. It was one thing for a 5-year-old Grand Duke to propose a “contract friendship,” but the adult Emperor had scolded a sick 3-year-old in the dead of night. Sweet?
Even in this overpowered world, not everything could be excused by ability alone.
And to Blanche, the Emperor was far from kind. What kind of misunderstanding was the Empress under?
“Now dat you menshion id…”
Still, she couldn’t speak ill of someone’s husband to their face. So Blanche quickly put on her most diplomatic tone.
“He looksh warm…”
Of course, she was referring to color tones, not personality.
The two brothers both had blazing red hair and lake-blue eyes—”warm-looking” was technically accurate.
That was how a tactful person like Lee Baek-ryeon navigated social language—never lying, but never telling the whole truth either.
“Oh my, you think so too, Princess Blanche?”
But even that simple remark earned an enthusiastic response.
…That much enthusiasm over such a minor compliment? Had no one ever said anything nice about the Grand Duke or the Emperor before?
Now Blanche was starting to worry about the Retaile Empire in a whole new way.
“Melchi will be thrilled to hear that.”
She’d bet her left wrist that he wouldn’t.
(And for the record, Blanche was left-handed.)
