At that, Adele smiled and shook her head. While she was drinking tea, the sun set and darkness set in. Adele leaned against the darkness that embraced her back. She lowered her eyes, her eyes deeply sunken. Her mother’s words were engraved in her mind.

“Bend over. Sometimes you need to know how to sleep. Your standard is not the standard of the world.”

What could be wrong? Where did it go wrong? What was missing?

You are smart. But the world is a place where the smart build and the wise win. So act wisely.

It is because she is powerless that she has to endure the insults and rudeness of the emperor and his mistress, and that she has no choice but to hand out a few pennies to those in need.

What is the smart thing her empress can do to gain her power here? In fact, Adele always knew how to be ‘wise’. She just didn’t put it into action. At least, Gottrov and Ehmont, where they had their own people, were completely different worlds. Recalling the emperor’s face made her stomach ache with repulsion, but Adele forcibly stepped on her heart.

“Hey, Mrs. Giggs.”

Mrs. Giggs, who had lit the last lamp, safely extinguished the ember in her hand and sat down gracefully on the sofa across from the Empress.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Adele asked softly, closing and opening her eyes.

“What kind of person is His Majesty the Emperor?”

****

An evening not too ambitious, but not too early. Adele requested a meeting with the emperor. The suggestion was from Mrs. Giggs.

“Your Majesty, it is dinner time, so if we go now, we could have a light conversation over dinner. It could be a smart move to get along here,” said Mrs. Giggs.

Adele agreed with Mrs. Giggs. She knew it was important to get along with the emperor first. As soon as he arrived, she experienced a bad feeling, but she couldn’t even protest properly. If it had been Adelaide Gottrov, she might not have made the effort to get along with Karl Ulrich. But this is Ehmont. Adelaide was no longer Gottrov’s princess. She had no advantage in rejecting the emperor now.

Adele accepted Mrs. Giggs’ proposal and asked for a meeting with the emperor. Like her mother said, she encouraged herself to bend down and bow down. She threw away all the dresses that reminded her of the previous empress. Instead, she wore a light navy blue dress that Mrs. Giggs, had recommended, her hair in a side braid. Her bare neck was missing. Mrs. Giggs also applied light makeup to Adele’s face, and she looked beautiful.

“You are beautiful,” Mrs. Giggs sincerely praised Adele. Her reflection in the mirror was beautiful even when she saw herself. But strangely in a dirty mood, Adele bit her lip and lowered her gaze.

“Why is that, Her Majesty the Empress?” asked Mrs. Giggs.

“… … nothing,” replied Adele.

The empress rose energetically from her seat as if she had never done that before and strode out of the empress’ palace. She was anxious about what would happen if the emperor refused to meet with her.

“Then I really feel bad… … .”

“Yes?” asked Mrs. Giggs.

“I didn’t say anything,” said Adele.

As Adele and Mrs. Giggs arrived at the palace, the empress felt a sense of unease in her stomach. She had learned some curse words in the Ehmont language, and they kept popping up in her mind, causing her trouble. The attendant who greeted them looked at the empress suspiciously as she dropped her pretense. Despite her discomfort, Adele maintained her poise and kept her head high. Her braided hair, powdered face, and bare nape added to her regal appearance. The wind brushed through her neck, giving her goosebumps.

Finally, the door that seemed unlikely to open, opened, and an attendant appeared, bowing his head politely.

“Welcome, Your Majesty.”

Karl listened to the attendant’s report about the empress and nonchalantly dismissed her attendants. As he left his desk and settled onto the couch to receive his guest, the attendant opened the door, and in walked the empress with an elegant figure.



Karl’s attention was immediately drawn to her simple achromatic dress, a far cry from her usual bold red empress’s attire. Her black hair was styled to one side, exposing the nape of her neck and collarbones. Her natural pallor was emphasized in the dimly lit room, drawing his gaze to her collarbones that were accentuated by the flickering lanterns. Her golden eyes and clear red lips completed the captivating sight, and Karl found himself momentarily lost in her beauty.

As she took a seat opposite him, he asked in a hushed voice, “What brings you to me tonight?”