The Remarried Empress — Chapter 2

I WAS TOLD THAT YOU FOUND A SLAVE DURING YOUR HUNTING TRIP AND BROUGHT HER BACK...

IS IT TRUE?

AH.

WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT FROM?

WHERE I HEARD IT FROM ISN'T IMPORTANT. SO, IS IT TRUE?

YOUR MAJESTY?

ENOUGH.

WE HAVE A MERE TWO MEALS TOGETHER EACH WEEK.

THERE MUST BE MANY OTHER TOPICS WE CAN DISCUSS. IS THAT SO IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW?

AH.

THAT TONE IS A WARNING.

IT MEANS I SHOULD IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM QUESTION HIM ANY FURTHER.

AS EXPECTED...

SOMETHING'S AMISS.

YOUR MAJESTY...

DID HIS MAJESTY SAY SOMETHING?

NO,

HE JUST...

...DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THE MATTER.

IF HE HADN'T SAID ANYTHING, I'M SURE YOU WOULDN'T LOOK AS GLOOMY AS YOU DO, YOUR MAJESTY.

IT'S OKAY! PLEASE TELL US, YOUR MAJESTY, SO WE CAN BE PREPARED AS WELL!

HIS MAJESTY SAID THE GIRL WAS ACCIDENTALLY CAUGHT IN ONE OF HIS TRAPS.

HE SAID SHE'S NOT A RUNAWAY SLAVE, AND THAT HE ONLY BROUGHT HER BACK TO MAKE SURE SHE'S NURSED BACK TO FULL HEALTH AS IT WAS ONLY PROPER THAT HE DID.

BUT HE WAS ALSO DISPLEASED THAT I CONTINUED TO ASK ABOUT IT.

WHAT?!

YOUR MAJESTY! THAT'S EXACTLY HOW MY FATHER BEHAVED IN THE EARLY STAGES OF HIS AFFAIR.

NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS ABOUT IT! THAT'S EXACTLY HOW MEN BEHAVE EARLY ON WHEN THEY BEGIN TO CHEAT!

AND ONE OF THE TELLTALE SIGNS IS WHEN THEY BECOME DEFENSIVE AND BEGIN TO RAISE THEIR VOICES!

IF HE'S ONLY DOING WHAT'S PROPER, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY DISPLEASE HIM ABOUT DISCUSSING THE MATTER?!

COME, COME...

NOW, NOW. I THINK YOU SHOULD GO OUTSIDE AND COOL YOUR HEAD, LAURA.

YOUR MAJESTY.

COME, A FRAGRANT CUP OF TEA SHOULD SOOTHE YOU.

HIS MAJESTY MUST MERELY BE FASCINATED THAT A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WAS CAUGHT IN HIS TRAP. I'M SURE THIS IS ONLY FLEETING.

COUNTESS...

MY MOTHER ONCE TOLD ME...

...THAT I MUSTN'T BE HURT EVEN IF HIS MAJESTY BRINGS ANOTHER WOMAN TO BE HIS MISTRESS.

BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A COMMON OCCURRENCE, SHE ADVISED ME NOT TO EXPECT ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM HIS MAJESTY.

EVEN IF HIS MAJESTY HAS MISTRESSES, THEY ARE MERELY MISTRESSES. I AM THE EMPRESS.

AND IT'S NOT AS IF HIS MAJESTY AND I ARE A PAIR OF STAR-CROSSED LOVERS.

BUT...

WHY IS IT THAT I FEEL SO HOLLOW INSIDE?

IN THEORY, I SHOULD BE FINE...

MY DEAR EMPRESS...

YOU WERE HIS BETROTHED SINCE YOUR CHILDHOOD, AND NOW YOU ARE HUSBAND AND WIFE.

IT'S ONLY NATURAL THAT YOU FEEL THE WAY YOU DO.

THEN...

...WILL HIS MAJESTY FEEL THIS HOLLOW INSIDE IF I HAVE ANOTHER MAN BY MY SIDE?

NEVER MIND. THERE'S NO REASON I'D EVER HAVE TO SEE HER IN PERSON, IS THERE?

OF COURSE NOT.

EVEN IF THAT SLAVE DOES BECOME HIS MISTRESS, SHE CANNOT FREQUENT PLACES OF BUSINESS OR SOCIAL CIRCLES.

YES, THAT'S RIGHT.

EVERY YEAR, A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SLAVES ARE REINSTATED TO COMMONER STATUS, BUT THIS PRIVILEGE IS NEVER ALLOWED FOR RUNAWAY SLAVES.

100 YEARS!

A PERSON BECOMES A SLAVE WHEN THEY OR THEIR PRECEDING GENERATION HAS COMMITTED A CRIME DESERVING OF A LIFE SENTENCE. A SLAVE WHO HAS RUN AWAY IS CONSIDERED A FUGITIVE SINCE THEY FLED WITHOUT PAYING THE PRICE FOR THEIR CRIME.

SO EVEN IF SOVIESHU TAKES HER AS HIS MISTRESS,

IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR HER TO MAKE A DEBUT INTO HIGH SOCIETY.

COUNTESS ELIZA IS RIGHT.

IT'S ONLY NATURAL THAT I FEEL SHOCKED AND SOMEWHAT EMPTY INSIDE ABOUT MY HUSBAND HAVING A MISTRESS.

BUT I SHOULDN'T ALLOW MYSELF TO BECOME MORE IMPASSIONED THAN THIS.

THE GIRL SHALL LIVE HER LIFE, HIS MAJESTY SHALL LIVE HIS, AND I SHALL LIVE MINE.

AND BESIDES, IT IS ONLY I WHO CAN BE THE EMPRESS OF THE EASTERN EMPIRE.

SO, HIS MAJESTY VISITS HER EVERY DAY?

I HEARD HE PERSONALLY BRINGS HER MEALS TO HER.

OH MY. SOMEONE AS IMPASSIVE AS HIS MAJESTY? HOW UNUSUAL.

IT'S ALL ANYONE'S TALKING ABOUT LATELY...

I SHOULD CLOSE MY EYES AND EARS TO ALL THE WHISPERINGS.

AND THERE'S NO REASON FOR ME TO SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO THAT GOSSIP.

IS THAT HER?

SHH! NO, LADY RASHTA!

OH!

HELLO!