YOUR MAJESTY!
IT WAS JUST AS WE'D EXPECTED. HIS MAJESTY WILL BE APPOINTING THAT GIRL AS HIS MISTRESS!
...HE WILL?
WHILE YOU'VE BEEN BUSY ALL DAY PREPARING FOR THE NEW YEAR'S CEREMONY,
HIS MAJESTY HAS BEEN BUSY PREPARING TO TAKE HER AS HIS MISTRESS!
I HAVE BEEN STEELING MYSELF FOR WHEN SOVIESHU WOULD MAKE THAT GIRL HIS MISTRESS...
...BUT I DIDN'T REALIZED IT WOULD BE THIS FAST.
WHEN WILL SHE BE APPOINTED?
SIGH...
ACCORDING TO THE RUMORS, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BEFORE THE NEW YEAR'S CEREMONY.
AFTER THE PRIME MINISTER HANDS HIS MAJESTY THE NOTARIZED DOCUMENT,
HIS MAJESTY WILL SIGN IT FIRST.
AND THEN YOU SHOULD SIGN BELOW HIM.
I UNDERSTAND...
IT’S JUST THAT I… I DON’T HAVE A SIGNATURE.
ERM ....
OH, DON’T WORRY. YOU CAN MAKE ONE RIGHT NOW.
WELL… I…
OH...!
COULD IT BE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE?
THAT'S NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF.
YOU CAN START LEARNING.
FOR TODAY, I'LL TEACH YOU HOW TO WRITE THE LETTERS OF YOUR NAME.
...OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
HER MAJESTY MIGHT SEND YOU A GIFT.
A GIFT?
THE ROYAL RESIDENCE BELONGS TO THE EMPRESS.
SO ACCORDING TO CUSTOM, THE EMPRESS SENDS THE MISTRESS A WELCOME GIFT TO SHOW THAT SHE RECOGNIZES THE MISTRESS AND ACCEPTS HER INTO THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD.
DO YOU THINK HER MAJESTY WILL GIVE ME A GIFT TOO?
I WILL NOT.
WHAT A RELIEF.
WE WERE AFRAID YOU MIGHT SEND THAT GIRL A GIFT AS CUSTOM DICTATES.
THERE ARE THREE MAIN REASONS AN EMPRESS WOULD SEND A MISTRESS A GIFT.
FIRST, IF THEY ARE FRIENDS. SECOND, IF THE MISTRESS IS A HIGH-RANKING NOBLE.
OR THIRD, IF THE MISTRESS IS OF THE SAME BLOODLINE AS THE EMPRESS.
BUT RASHTA DOESN'T FALL INTO ANY OF THESE CATEGORIES.
SO WHY WOULD I GO OUT OF MY WAY TO SEND HER A GIFT?
AND AM I TO SEND IT ALONG WITH A MESSAGE SAYING, "PLEASE LOOK AFTER MY HUSBAND"? IT'S RIDICULOUS.
DON'T WORRY.
THERE'S NO REASON FOR ME TO SEND HER ONE.
IF ONLY LAURA WAS HERE TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT. WHY, SHE WOULD'VE ABSOLUTELY JUMPED FOR JOY.
OH, THAT'S RIGHT!
IS THE RUMOR TRUE, YOUR MAJESTY?
RUMOR?
THAT THE PRINCE FROM THE WESTERN KINGDOM WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THIS YEAR'S NEW YEAR'S CEREMONY.
I HEARD HE'S ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.
THAT ONE LOOK INTO HIS EYES IS ENOUGH TO CAPTIVATE ANY WOMAN!
BUT I ALSO HEARD HE'S AS STUBBORN AS A MULE.
HE'S CAUGHT UP IN A WHIRLWIND OF RUMORS OF BEING INVOLVED WITH SO MANY WOMEN. YET THE FACT THAT HE HAS FATHERED NO CHILDREN...
...DO YOU THINK THE RUMOR ABOUT HIM BEING A SEEDLESS WATERMELON IS TRUE?
BUT IN ANY CASE, IS HE REALLY COMING?!
OUR PRINCE CHARMING...!
I CAN'T VERIFY THE TRUTH OF THOSE RUMORS,
BUT, YES, HE IS COMING TO THIS YEAR'S NEW YEAR'S CEREMONY.
COME IN.
YOUR MAJESTY, GRAND DUKE RYLAN ROTH OF WINCHESTER SENDS HIS REGARDS WITH A GIFT OF THE FINEST SILKS IN ALL THE EASTERN EMPIRE!
HE'S AT IT AGAIN.
TELL HIM I'M GRATEFUL, BUT THAT JUST HIS REGARDS ARE ENOUGH.
GRAND DUKE RYLAN ROTH OF WINCHESTER IS AN EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBER OF SOVIESHU...
...WHO HAS NO INTEREST IN THE THRONE, BUT HAS A STRONG THIRST FOR POWER.
HE REGULARLY SENDS BRIBES SO HE CAN TRY TO REQUEST SPECIAL FAVORS IN RETURN.
HE'S A DETERMINED ONE, ISN'T HE?
YES, HE IS.
COME, TAKE A BREAK, YOUR MAJESTY. IT'S TEATIME.
SIGH. HOW FRAGRANT.
PARDON THE INTERRUPTION, YOUR MAJESTY.
BUT LADY RASHTA WISHES TO SEE YOU.
...RASHTA?
OH...
...BUT I WISH I DID NOT HAVE TO SEE HER.
SHE MAY ENTER.
YOUR MAJESTY, IT'S SO NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. IT'S ME, RASHTA!
LUCKILY, HIDING MY EMOTIONS IN UNPLEASANT SITUATIONS HAS BECOME SECOND NATURE TO ME.
...UNLIKE THE LAST TIME WE MET, HIS MAJESTY HAS TAKEN YOU AS HIS MISTRESS.
CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU!
SO, WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE?
WHAT BRINGS ME HERE?
?
TO SEE MY SISTER, HER MAJESTY!
...WHAT?
SISTER?
WE'RE SISTERS NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SAME HUSBAND!
WHAT?
SO...
...CAN I CALL YOU BIG SISTER FROM NOW ON?
As the Empress prepares for the New Year Ceremony, she learns that Sovieshu will appoint that girl as his concubine; the appointment is said to take place before the ceremony, with the approved document from the prime minister. In another scene, the illiterate Rashta is told about signatures and the gift custom. The Empress declares that she will not send Rashta a welcome gift. Then, the Western Prince's attendance at the ceremony and the silk gift from Grand Duke Rylan Roth of Winchester are discussed. The chapter ends with Rashta visiting the Empress and wanting to call her big sister since they share the same husband.
Spoiler Warning
Click to reveal
