PB 13

Chapter 13

“Today’s gifts for Lady Seren.”
A servant bowed politely and gestured toward one side of the parlor. There was a small bouquet, a silk ribbon with wishes of blessing written on it, sugar confections, and tiny glass crafts—many things neatly arranged.

The servants would show Seren the gifts sent from outside the imperial palace once a day, organize them, and then put them away. There was nothing suitable to keep permanently, and edible items were considered dangerous, so they couldn’t touch them. The flowers were so many that the servants and maids divided them among themselves in small amounts.

Yet, the sheer outpouring of blessings could be seen with her own eyes.

“Thank you… this makes me happy.”
Seren was surprised anew every day. All of this could be said to reflect people’s expectations of the empress, which made her feel a little burdened. She herself hadn’t changed, and it didn’t seem she would, yet could she really live up to the role of empress that others expected of her?

When she voiced such worries, Eisbrandt replied as if it were no big deal:

[No matter what others say, it doesn’t matter. You just need to be by my side—that is your role.]

The sweet words brought her a sense of relief. It wasn’t just worry about the future—it also meant that the married life he wanted was simply to be together, side by side, for life.

Besides, these congratulations and blessings brought her joy. Though her friends couldn’t attend, the presence of strangers’ celebrations made her feel less lonely.

The items prepared by the Duchess of Sons also found their place neatly in her dressing room: seasonal outerwear, indoor wear, party dresses, various ceremonial attire, jewels taken from the imperial palace’s treasury, and pretty furniture chosen to suit Seren’s taste.

Seren wasn’t indulgent by nature, but she did like pretty things. Though she felt a bit embarrassed and unfamiliar with it, she nodded obediently when told it was necessary to maintain her dignity.

Wayne Rubarb didn’t show up again until about twenty days later. He entered Seren’s quarters, looked around briefly, and smiled wryly.

“Now it really feels like you’re becoming the empress.”
“Aren’t you worried, Father?”
“Worried about what?”
“Whether I’ll do well as the empress.”
“Isn’t it enough that His Majesty chose you? Or did anyone try to burden you?”
“No, Eis does speak like Father… but—”
“If His Majesty said so, there’s even less reason to worry. All you need to do is hold onto His Majesty’s heart.”

Wayne cleared his throat awkwardly.

“If your mother were alive, she would have been far more helpful than me… Anyway, if you have any concerns, you can always tell me.”
“Yes, Father.”

Though it still didn’t feel real, thinking about her upcoming marriage made Seren’s heart stir at her father’s words.

Wayne handed her a flat wooden box—it was her mother’s jewelry box.

“Here, take this too.”
Seren opened the lid. Since her mother’s death, it had been kept in a safe for a long time, but as a child, she had often sat on her mother’s lap and looked inside.

“Of course it was meant to be passed on to you, but seeing the things His Majesty is giving you makes this look so humble.”
“Humble? I loved this so much.”

Seren smiled as she took out a pearl necklace from the jewelry box. The Rubarb family couldn’t be called wealthy, so besides the wedding ring, there were only a few gold rings and this pearl necklace inside.

“I secretly waited, thinking I’d get it when I became an adult, but I was disappointed when I didn’t.”
“Ahem.”

Wayne cleared his throat again. Seren tilted her head, puzzled.

“I’ll treasure it.”
“What His Majesty gives you is more important. Just keep it for now.”
“No. I’ll wear it whenever I need to.”

Seren said this with a smile and put the pearl necklace around her neck. Though the pearls weren’t very valuable to begin with, and their luster had faded with age, she liked it. Wayne watched her with a sentimental expression.

“If your mother were alive, she would have been truly happy.”
“Yes…”

Seren replied in a slightly trembling voice. She shook her head to shake off the sadness and then spoke:

“Oh, what about my letter box?”
“Why is that so important?”
“It’s my treasure.”

Even as she said this, Seren tilted her head. She knew she had treasured her letter box, but couldn’t remember why.

Wayne personally brought a large cardboard box. Even though there was no need to open it immediately, Seren opened it at once, frowning again. Wasn’t it fuller before? But she wasn’t sure. She picked up a bundle of letters she had tied together and asked confidently:

“Father, did you touch my letters?”

The way they were tied wasn’t how she preferred. Wayne looked blankly and replied nonchalantly:

“Didn’t you organize them?”

Her memory was vague, so she couldn’t argue. Wayne was not the type to inspect her letters… Before, had she tied them this way? It wasn’t that Wayne was suspicious; it was just that this box felt unfamiliar. Something seemed missing.

But Seren didn’t dwell on it for long.

Knock, knock. A servant spoke from outside.

“It’s time, Lady Seren.”
“Ah.”

“Is something wrong?” Wayne asked curiously. Seren blushed slightly.

“I was going to take a walk with Eis, but since you’re here…”
“No, no.”

Wayne quickly waved his hand.

“You’ve received everything and seen each other. Spending time with His Majesty is far more important.”
“But you just arrived. Then, shall we have tea together, the three of us?”

At this, Wayne turned even redder and shook his head. He was too afraid even to imagine having tea with the emperor. He was astonished that Seren could even think of such a thing.

Yet he couldn’t admit he was too scared, so he desperately came up with an excuse.

“I’m busy too. I have things to discuss with the Duchess of Sons.”
“Oh, about the wedding? I should be part of that discussion too.”
“You go ahead. Don’t make His Majesty wait. I’ll see you soon enough.”
“Yes.”

Seren hesitated, but she also didn’t want to make Eisbrandt wait.

Wayne quickly left the room, and Seren rose with her cane immediately afterward. Eisbrandt had offered to come fetch her, but she declined—she wanted to feel what it was like to meet him outside before the wedding.

Unlike the front garden with the flower pavilion, the rear garden was quiet, with few visitors.

Seren walked briskly with her cane. The wind was strong, so the sound of her bells wasn’t audible, but she could feel them brushing lightly against her ankles with each step.

She had thought about removing the anklet, but it was welded in place with no loop to detach, so she would have had to cut it off. Not wanting to damage it, she left it as it was. Perhaps this was part of the “price” Eisbrandt had mentioned.

“Is it… a kind of possessiveness?”

Thinking this filled her with a complex mix of sweet, joyful, and slightly fearful emotions.

Conscious of the bells, she followed the servant across the rear garden through tall trees with dark green foliage. Summer was approaching, but it wasn’t hot yet. The sunlight was pleasant, and the breeze was cool. Perhaps because of the fruit trees, a fragrant scent drifted on the wind.

Then, the trees suddenly opened up, and the view widened. In the center of a spacious clearing stood a massive tree casting a deep green shadow, reaching high into the sky.

“Wow.”

Though the tree itself was impressive, Seren felt her heart race as she saw Eisbrandt standing beneath it, gazing up at it with a contemplative expression.