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Chapter 72
“That is…”
Perhaps because it was something he hadn’t even considered, Marquis Prowell’s answer trailed off uncertainly.
The dowager marchioness’s health wasn’t good enough for her to keep traveling to and from the imperial palace. In the past few days, she had grown even more frail.
Marquis Prowell himself had been busy dealing with the aftermath of the recent incident and all the secondary consequences that followed.
That meant only one person was left behind at the Prowell estate — Betty.
‘She said she wanted to see you in person.’
Since even the Empress herself had expressed a desire to see her, Betty had plenty of reason to visit the palace. She also had the most free time.
The more Marquis Prowell thought about it, the more he began to agree with Betty’s idea.
“Other than you, there’s no one of trustworthy standing who can move freely in and out of Her Majesty the Empress’s quarters.”
“But Edmund, if she starts coming and going from the palace, she’ll stand out right away…”
“I’ll be fine.”
The dowager marchioness seemed unwilling to let Betty go, desperate to protect her.
It was understandable. She hadn’t been able to protect her other granddaughter — the one far away in the palace — from almost getting caught up in something terrible.
Betty could sense her grandmother’s heart, wanting at least one of them to be somewhere safe.
“I want to do what I can too. It’s not that hard to go see Her Majesty the Empress.”
Her identity being revealed to others was something that was bound to happen sooner or later. This was only moving up the schedule a little. It didn’t matter.
“Are you really sure about this?”
“What’s wrong with visiting my cousin?”
Betty said lightly. That title still felt awkward on her tongue, but speaking casually made it sound like less of a big deal.
“You’re right. It’d be silly to stop you if you’re so willing to go yourself.”
In the end, it was Marquis Prowell who gave in first. Rubbing his furrowed brow, he turned to the dowager marchioness.
“Mother, Betty wants to go herself, and Janine will be glad to see her.”
Mentioning both names together left the dowager marchioness looking like she had no choice but to give in.
“…Then I’ll teach you the etiquette you must observe in the imperial palace. Especially since you may have to appear before His Majesty the Emperor.”
It was a gentle form of permission. Betty smiled and nodded.
“You’ve arrived.”
Marquis Prowell lifted his head mid-conversation with Betty as the carriage came to a stop.
“I have to attend a council meeting, so this is where our paths part.”
“Yes. Then I’ll see you later.”
When Betty instinctively tried to step out first, the marquis stopped her and quickly got down himself.
He turned around and offered his hand.
“It would be rather rude of me to let you climb out on your own when I’m right here.”
“…Ah, right. I forgot.”
“I’ll keep that a secret from your grandmother.”
His tone was playful, his wink clearly meant to ease her tension.
Betty smiled awkwardly. Forgetting something as basic as proper courtesy was embarrassing.
Even though she’d studied all the rules of etiquette by heart, it would take time to get used to these small gestures in practice.
‘Maybe if I wore these dresses more often, I’d get used to it faster.’
That thought hit her just as she nearly tripped over her skirt while stepping down, holding the marquis’s hand.
And this was the simplest dress she owned — yet it still got in the way.
As Betty fussed with the hem of her skirt, checking that it was properly arranged, the marquis commented mildly,
“You’ll need a personal maid soon.”
“I’m fine for now. I thought I could handle it quickly, but I guess not.”
All of Betty’s standards came from observing Vivian. And though Vivian had her quirks, she was surprisingly self-sufficient.
Whether because she frequently dismissed her maids or because she didn’t trust them, Vivian never seemed flustered by things as small as a skirt hem.
“Don’t try to do everything perfectly from the start. No one’s here to find fault.”
“Grandmother probably would.”
Betty joked, recalling her earlier remark, and the marquis chuckled.
“You shouldn’t try to avoid Mother’s scolding. You just accept it humbly. In that sense—”
But his laughter faded quickly.
As they approached the entrance of the building, they both noticed a knight standing there.
Clad in full armor, he looked ready for battle, one hand resting sternly on his sword hilt.
“Aren’t you from the Imperial Knights?”
Even though his cloak wasn’t visible from behind, the marquis recognized him instantly. And the knight recognized the marquis as well.
“Marquis, His Majesty the Emperor has ordered that, starting today, the Imperial Knights will guard Her Majesty the Empress’s quarters.”
“…I see.”
The knight nodded respectfully, but his gaze soon fell on Betty, a hint of suspicion flickering in his eyes.
“And this lady is…?”
“She’s my niece — Her Majesty the Empress’s cousin.”
“Her Majesty’s cousin? Forgive me, I wasn’t aware…”
Betty felt a twinge of discomfort. Somehow, she had the feeling getting through the gates wouldn’t be easy today.
But then, from a distance, a familiar voice rang out.
“Sir Heath, it’s fine. Let them through — I know her.”
Walking toward them with dignified grace was the Empress herself, looking a little thinner than before.
Her green eyes were as warm as ever as they fell on Betty.
“Father, Betty. I forgot to send word ahead. I should’ve asked one of my maids to deliver the message, but… as you can see, things are rather bare here.”
Indeed, there was no attendant by her side.
‘Did she really dismiss every single one of her maids?’
Betty had overheard that, but hadn’t thought it was literally true. Wouldn’t that make daily life incredibly inconvenient?
“Your Majesty, surely you should have at least one maid by your side,” said the marquis, sounding uneasy.
“It’s fine. I still have a few servant girls for menial work. And honestly, it’s more comfortable this way — I’d rather avoid another incident caused by hasty hires.”
The Empress sighed lightly, then smiled again as she turned to Betty.
“I heard you wanted to visit me first. Come on in — we have so much to talk about.”
“Betty, if you return to the marquisate later…”
“…I’ll send a palace carriage with her, Father. Don’t worry.”
At that, Marquis Prowell stepped back and inclined his head politely.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“See you again soon.”
It was a reserved, almost formal exchange between father and daughter, but Betty could see the affection behind it — a deliberate formality.
The Empress — Janine — extended her hand toward Betty. As Betty stepped closer, Janine clasped her hand warmly, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“I was so surprised when I learned you were part of our family. Seeing you like this makes it feel real.”
“Me too. I honestly never expected it.”
“Looking back, I suppose it was fate that you met our grandmother here of all places.”
As they walked, everyone they passed stepped aside and bowed respectfully.
Standing beside the Empress — the second most powerful person in the Empire — Betty finally began to feel the weight of her position.
“Your Majesty, I…”
But her attempt at polite address was quickly stopped by the Empress.
“In private, just call me Janine, or Sister Janine. Hardly anyone does these days, so I can’t waste the chance.”
“But that feels far too rude…”
“Then shall I make it an order?”
The Empress laughed brightly as they entered what looked like an office.
“I’m joking. But really — be comfortable around me. I’m sure Grandmother and Father both told you the same, but I mean it. I want us to be close.”
“…Yes. Sister Janine.”
“I’d love if you dropped the formality a bit more, but I suppose that’s asking too much.”
Still smiling, Janine took a seat behind a distant desk and gestured for Betty to sit opposite her.
“Come sit here. I’ve fallen a little behind on my work, so I’ll have to multitask while we talk.”
“I’m not interrupting, am I?”
“Interrupting? You’ve made my day better. I might actually finish faster now.”
Still smiling, the Empress picked up her quill. Betty quietly sat down, glancing around the serene room.
Through the open windows came the sound of birdsong, and in the spacious, spotless chamber, a tranquil silence lingered.
It was peaceful — but at the same time, Betty couldn’t help imagining how lonely it must feel for the Empress to sit in this vast, empty space all alone.
