Chapter 1 (2/2)

“Well, I want to go outside the palace, but my sisters won’t let me go. Let’s just go for a walk, huh?”

“Your sisters?”

“Yeah, I mean those sisters who take care of me. Phew! Do you know how scary they are? I don’t know why there are people here who are older than me. They make me uncomfortable. ”

I blankly looked at the empress as she grabbed my wrist blindly, saying something like the ‘eastern land of courtesy.’ I felt very unpleasant, but there was something more offensive than that. Sisters? If they were taking care of her, they would be called maids, not sisters.

I heard the rumors that the emperor was kind and generous to people around her. Was it because of her actions like this?

I let out a sigh. It was a due virtue for masters to treat their servants tenderly and warmly, but there is a limit to everything. If a person is indulged by his supervisor’s too generous treatment, it is his supervisor’s fault.

Of course, it was definitely necessary for the empress to be kind and warm to her maids so feel comfortable and regard her as a good empress.

‘But why doesn’t she know that it is presumptuous for the maids to meddle in the emperor’s actions as the first lady of the empire?’

I felt that maybe I should discipline the maids again. In that case, I would have more work to do.

“Isn’t this place so pretty?”

Although the empress was slender, she was very strong. Led by her, I arrived at the empress’s private garden, hiding my unpleasant feelings. It was a place that the late emperor, who doted on me, often invited me to when I was young. It was also the place I met Rublis for the first time, who I thought would be my better half for the rest of my life.

<Sweetie, Aristia! My lovely daughter-in-law!>

The wind was blowing through the colorful flowers and fresh greenery of the garden.

I felt as if I could hear his familiar voice somewhere from this familiar garden where I could walk easily even with my eyes closed. I was suddenly moved to tears.

Those good old days when I thought I would be happy with everybody flashed through my mind in the blink of an eye.

<You always worked hard. Are you happy now in God’s arms, Your Majesty? I really want to see you today.>

“Tia? Are you okay?”

“… I’m fine. I’m sorry to have worried you, Your Highness.”

The girl looked at me, tilting her head to the side. I clicked my tongue in my heart.

‘You still need more self-discipline, Aristia. No matter how deeply you miss the late emperor, how come you are showing your feelings in front of others?’ I thought to myself.

“What are you thinking about? Did something bad happen to you? ”

“No. I was just thinking about what I dearly missed. ”

Her expression, which I thought was always bright, suddenly grew dark.

“What you missed…”

“…”

“Mom, Dad, even my naughty brother, Jisu… I miss them so much.”

Oh, I see. Probably she has a family, too. I hear she is eighteen years old this year. Like me, she is still missing her family. I have a father, though he is brusque, but she doesn’t have any family here. Suddenly, she was separated from her family, and became an empress regardless of her will. She is probably a victim.