Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Where is Queen?
I returned to my palace after finishing my work, then slipped into comfortable clothes more quickly than usual. I felt my head throbbing, possibly because of the constant feeling of something bothering me. I was slowly starting to understand my mother's words of "Do not get involved in the affairs of the Emperor and his concubine."
But Mother, even if I try not to care, she keeps appearing in front of me.
"Countess Eliza."
"Yes, Your Majesty.
"About my mother–no, nevermind."
"You want me to bring Duchess Troby?"
"No, it's alright. I'll see her on New Year's anyway."
"You should consult the Duchess if you're feeling uneasy, Your Majesty."
Counsel would probably ease my mind. But if I spoke to her, my mother's mind would be a thorny path from then on, and I didn't want to burden my her with my problems. She already thought about me all the time.
'I'll keep it to myself for now. I can tell her later. Mother must have heard about Rashta anyway.'
"I will. Ah, is Lady Laura alright?"
"Yes. She wants to return to the palace as soon as possible."
"Tell her she can come back whenever he wants. Preferably before New Year's. That way, people won't talk."
"Yes, Your Majesty "
Talking about Laura made me miss her bright energy. The Countess left the room for a moment, and I unpinned the jewels from my hair and placed them on the dresser.
'I'm going to go to bed a little early today.'
I should skip dinner. Instead, I sat at my desk and opened my notebook.
There was the click of the door behind me, but I didn't turn around, thinking it was the Countess. However, the presence stood silent behind my back. That was not what the Countess would do. As I was dipping my pen into the inkwell, I frowned and turned around.
"Your Majesty?"
To my surprise, it was Sovieshu standing behind me. How long had it been since my husband came to the western palace? Rather than being happy at his presence, I looked on anxiously. It was sure to be another difficult conversation with him.
"May I help you, Your Majesty?"
"Why do people change so much?"
Of course it was going to be another uncomfortable encounter. I had a terrible feeling, and wondered if it had anything to do with Sovieshu in my room.
"Change?"
"I heard about the bad things you said to Rashta."
Rashta. A mere small woman. But her name and presence stuck stubbornly to my feet wherever I went.
"What did I say?"
"You said that I would take another concubine after her."
"Rather than trying to be friendly to me, I told her to be friendly with another concubine when she comes."
"!"
"Did I say something wrong?"
"She spoke without malice. Must you act so cynical?"
"…I've changed? You've changed."
"Empress!"
"How many times do I have to repeat that I don't want to get involved with you and your concubine? Yet it does not stop me from hearing about her. If you and Miss Rashta left me be, I wouldn't be so cynical."
"I had to come because it was necessary! If you hadn't said those things to Rashta, I wouldn't have come here!"
I shouted, not from excitement, but from finding something that would hurt Sovieshu the most.
"Did the former emperor ever talk about Countess Sophie to the former empress?"
Sovieshu paled when I brought up the subject of the former emperor's favored lover.
"I didn't know you were such a gossiper."
He gestured his arms around the room.
"This room is full of beautiful furniture, and you can buy anything you want. You are cruel to someone who has lived their life pitifully."
Sovieshu's eyes filled with disappointment.
"She was also a subject of the Empress before she was my concubine. Do you not feel sorry for her?"
"Yes."
As soon as I said that single word, my legs became weak. I hold on to the dressing table to prevent my legs from folding underneath myself, and that was when Countess Eliza came in the room and rushed towards me. She carefully hugged me and comforted me in her arms.
* * *
"Really? The Emperor was angry with the Empress because of Rashta?"
"I think so. They were shouting at the top of their voices."
Cherily gave a bitter smile, and Rashta covered her face with both her hands
"Wow…the Emperor is incredible…"
The other maid, Kisu, continued the story.
"Not only that, but he declared a strict punishment to anyone who brings up the false rumor that you're a runaway slave."
The faces of the two maids blurred behind Rashta's tears.
"The Emperor really loves you, Miss Rashta."
"Yes…"
"Well, how could anyone not love someone so beautiful and innocent?"
"The Emperor and Rashta are like lovers in fairy tales."
"It really is like a fairy tale."
Rashta bowed her head and wiggled her toes shyly.
"Rashta is so happy these days. I feel like I'm dreaming every day."
She was not prepared when a moment later, three servants entered the room to deliver a large swing chair. He mood grew even brighter.
"This is–?"
"This is a gift from the Emperor to Rashta. He said you can sit here without going to the palace."
Unlike the nest chair in the western palace, the fixture and decorations of this chair were all made of jewels, gold, and silver. The cushions and feather-stuffed cushions were made of the finest material and heavenly soft. Rashta burst into tears of joy and exchanged happy looks with her maids.
* * *
I lay crying in bed when I heard a tap on my window. I looked up dully, and to my surprise, I saw the handsome bird hovering outside. I hesitated before opening the window, and the bird hopped onto my bed, picked its wings and stared at me.
"You arrived quickly this time."
I wiped away my tears, and the bird peered at me with its large eyes, like it had seen me crying. It was such a clever bird.
"Is your master near?"
The bird nodded as if it understood my words. I lifted the bird and placed it on my lap, and it froze for a moment and blinked rapidly. I brushed its head then pulled the note from its leg.
– The bird will be named Queen, but keep in mind that he is a male.
It was a short but efficient sentence again. The heaviness in my mind lifted, and I smiled at the words of this stranger who I had neither face nor name for.
"You're a boy?"
The bird flapped his wings as if miffed by my ignorance, but in my defense, I didn't know the difference between the males and females of this species. I patted his head again then went to my desk, and the bird followed. I took out a sheet of paper and wrote a reply.
– I didn't know he was male. An unexpected surprise.
I rolled up the note and tied it to the bird's leg, then glanced at the calendar. The New Year's celebrations were just around the corner. Some of the guests would start arriving early tomorrow at the palace…
The owner of the bird was already nearby. Would they come tomorrow?
* * *
The next morning, the lord and lady of the Lux region arrived, as well as other distinguished guests from the neighboring countries. The guests' reception were divided for either me, Sovieshu, or the foreign minister. Most of the time, they went to Sovieshu.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! There is an arrival from the Western Kingdom!"
"If it's the Western Kingdom…"
"Yes, I believe it's Prince Heinley."
The Prince was one of the few guests I had to personally greet. I nodded and stood up, and the officials supervising the guest list followed suit. I gestured to them to sit down, then walked towards a large mirror, arranged my dress, and went to the reception room.
Prince Heinley was the younger brother of the king of the West, and the second son of their father. However, Heinley was the heir to the throne as the king had no children, despite already having a queen and three official concubines.
Rumors abounded that because of the king's infertility and poor physical condition these days, Prince Heinley would likely inherit the throne. In spite of that, the Western Kingdom was already similar in size and power to the Eastern Empire. Of course, I would go and welcome the special guest myself.
I entered the White Rose room, and when I looked at the delegation I stopped breathing when I saw the man at the head.
I had often heard rumors about this man's beautiful appearance. As soon as one entered into high society, one could not escape talk of Prince Heinley. Word was that he was a womanzier, he had a violent personality, he was indescribably handsome. He killed or backstabbed people with a smile on his face, or that it wasn't that the king of the Western Kingdom was incapable of having children, but that the Prince killed each of them. I could not decipher from all the rumors whether Prince Heinley was a womanizer or a cruel person.
But one thing was certain. His appearance. He…he really was beautiful. His blonde hair fell into soft, tousled waves on his face, and his lips curved into a delicate bow. He bore a strong neck and broad shoulders, but what was most striking about him were his mysterious violet eyes.
'Even if he were to stand in the corner with his mouth shut, he would stir all kinds of rumors.'
I stood opposite of Prince Heinley, admiring him as surreptitiously as I could. He was only a prince, but he was from the esteemed Western Kingdom, and so I treated him with the respect of a crown prince.
I stood across from him, but before I could say anything, Prince Heinley bent one knee and reached out his hand like a knight swearing a vow of loyalty. I gave him my hand, upon which he placed a gentle kiss. But the difference between the knights was clear. The knights lowered their eyes or stared towards the front as they gave a kiss of loyalty. This man, however, stared straight into my eyes and held my gaze captive.
"It's an honor to meet you, Empress."
He released my hand and smiled, and I felt my stomach knot for some reason. I thought the rumor that he was cruel was more true than the one of him being a womanizer, as I saw no lechery in his eyes.
Instead, he was like an eagle observing me from above, despite the fact that he was kneeling before me.
"It's an honor to meet you as well, Prince Heinley."
I wouldn't let myself be crushed by him, of course. I wore a dignified expression born through years of training. He smiled softly and rose to his knees.
"It must have been a difficult journey, and I hope you will rest and enjoy it here until New Year's Day."
"I've always heard praise for the imperial palace of the Eastern Empire. It's very beautiful."
"I hope you will find it pleasing."
The prince's eyes squinted in a smile at the ceremonial greeting.
"I am already pleased."
* * *
The amount of work required from me was halved after the arrival of the special guests, and most of what was left was for the celebrations themselves. I finished my work earlier than usual and returned to the western palace. Laura, who returned to her position as my lady-in-waiting, quickly approached me.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty. How was he? How was Prince Heinley? Is he beautiful like the rumors say?"
The other ladies-in-waiting approached in interest, teacups in hand. They set them down in various corners like the window frame, on the dresser, on the tea table, then went to work in helping me change.
"I heard that the Grand Duke Chrome fainted when he saw Prince Heinley. Is that really true?"
"I heard a famous theater actress went on a date with him once, then chased him for three years."
Although the ladies-in-waiting would see him in a few days, they could not bear their patience. I replied to satiate their craving, remembering Prince Heinley's steady gaze, purple eyes and sharp charisma that could be felt from a distance.
"He was the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Without a doubt."
Laura let out a small scream of exclamation.
"Wow. I can't wait to see him. What was his voice like?"
"It's the best voice I've ever heard."
It was not an exaggeration. The ladies put their hands on their hearts while swooning.
"I'm already looking forward to what gossip the handsome prince will bring."
"I'm sure many are already thinking about it."
While they were curious about Prince Heinley's appearance, they were also looking forward to the drama he would bring. I smiled as I listened to their conversation, when there was a tap on the window. It was Queen, rapping the glass with his beak.
"Are you here already?"
I opened the window, and he landed on the sill and blinked at me. Now that I thought about it, Queen also had gold feathers and purple eyes. It was hard to imagine that he could survive in the wild with such conspicuous colors…Suddenly, I worried if it was alright to use a bird like this as a messenger.
Queen held out his foot as if he wanted me to read the note as soon as possible. I opened the note and sat at my desk, while the ladies-in-waiting occupied themselves in feeding Queen. The handwriting was familiar, the message playful.
– I have arrived at the Imperial Palace. Do you know who I am?
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
agatharoza
agatharoza This is a free-to-read book. Not to be monetized in any form. Original work was published by Alphatart. This is the English translation of it. My Korean is rather poorly thus forgive any false translation. I just love this book so much that I hope more people will enjoy it and support the author. The English version is being turned into a comic series in Webtoon.