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Chapter 49
The empress’s half-hearted smile deepened.
“Did the Cattieron children get some kind of crash course in imperial etiquette?”
There was no depth to it, nothing remotely proper no matter how she looked. Yet, right beside them, Kiera was smiling contentedly as if nothing was wrong.
The empress let out a dry chuckle.
“So it’s true what they say— even a porcupine finds its own children adorable.”
Now she had a good grasp of how Kiera treated her children.
“Thank you for coming, Carte, Sornia.”
But this meeting had a purpose. Even if she disliked the children’s manners, that alone wasn’t enough to cancel it.
“That’s something I can correct slowly over time.”
The empress carefully hid her displeasure.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty.”
The empress fluttered her fan lightly. Truthfully, her mind was still troubled. The emperor himself was hesitant about this marriage proposal.
‘Have you ever heard that the Cattieron bastard is skilled with a sword?’
‘Even so, he’s still a bastard. Surely the legitimate heir will inherit the title.’
‘If he ends up like Herden, he’ll just be a puppet. All the real power lies with Tybern. And don’t you know, Your Majesty? The imperial family can never meddle in the Cattieron succession.’
‘It’s already been months since Tybern Cattieron went missing. I hear the contamination is spreading further south. Do you really believe he’s still alive?’
‘You never know. And I’ve heard Herden Cattieron isn’t all that affectionate toward his own children. What if he changes his mind?’
The emperor’s concerns were valid. If things went wrong, Siela could end up married to a useless husk who wasn’t even a duke. They had to proceed with extreme caution— no matter how sweet a carrot Kiera dangled before them.
“My children were so excited to meet Princess Siela today that they barely slept last night. Isn’t that right, Carte?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The delicate-looking boy smiled brightly and nodded.
The empress gave Siela a gentle push on the back. Siela, still pouting, tilted her head slightly.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Siela. Your name is Carte, right?”
Carte’s eyes sharpened. He had never been addressed so informally by another child before. Still, he knew he was in the imperial palace.
He merely pressed his lips together and nodded.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere between the children, Kiera quickly stepped in.
“I heard you were gracious enough to prepare a meal for us. Before dinner, I have something of urgent importance to discuss. Would it be possible to entrust the children to their nanny and speak privately for a moment?”
The empress glanced at the nanny and then nodded.
Princess Siela’s nanny took the three children away. This was the imperial palace, under many watchful eyes— what could possibly happen?
Kiera, her expression faintly mysterious, placed a jewelry box on the table. It was an ordinary box, but what lay inside was anything but.
“…This is!”
It was a golden turtle, as large as two adult male fists put together.
“They say turtles symbolize longevity, Your Majesty. I prepared this as a token of my wish for your enduring health and well-being.”
The empress swallowed hard. The turtle’s eyes were set with rubies, and its shell was inlaid with thin slices of the highest-grade emeralds.
It was more than enough to enchant the human heart.
“Your sentiment is truly admirable.”
“It also carries my hope that you will look kindly upon our Carte, Your Majesty.”
Kiera smiled sweetly. Pleasing the empress for her son’s sake was nothing at all to her.
“To be honest, our Carte has much to improve. I hope you will watch over him.”
Inwardly, she thought, What’s lacking? If anything, it’s the princess who’s lacking. But outwardly, she hid her thoughts with practiced skill.
The empress smiled warmly— a smile born entirely from the golden turtle’s charm.
“He’s your son. I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’ll be counting on you as well, Duchess.”
The conversation she’d had with the emperor remained buried deep in her heart.
“It’s just an engagement, after all.”
If the situation turned against them, they could break the arrangement as easily as turning over their hand. The children still had many years before adulthood, and the imperial family held absolute power.
Meanwhile, Kiera was determined to push this marriage forward as quickly as possible.
“If I want to get rid of that damned Cattieron bastard, I’ll need the empress’s help. I can’t just sit and watch. It’s better to act before Herden returns.”
Kiera and the empress exchanged knowing smiles.
Spring was slowly approaching.
The Cattieron Trading Company had changed its name— it was now Del Trading.
Viscount Aros looked on proudly at the newly refurbished shop. It was still small for now, but he was certain its size would soon grow.
Word had already spread that the herbs sold at Del were of high quality and rare, drawing crowds.
Most of the customers were wealthy, money-laden patrons.
Among them, a local herbalist had come disguised as a customer. He was the same man who had once pressured Lani and tried to prevent others from selling herbs to her.
Viscount Aros recognized the man’s unpleasant face immediately.
Perhaps to Lani he had been nothing more than a livelihood-threatening villain, but to Aros, he was almost… a benefactor.
After all, it was thanks to him that he’d met Lani in the first place.
Just then, Lani appeared. She had grown a little taller since spring began. Her soft, fluffy cuteness drew people’s eyes without fail.
She wore a simple yet high-quality dress to conceal her connection to the ducal family, which only made her beauty stand out more.
“My lord, these are today’s harvested herbs. Will this be enough to meet the promised supply?”
These were herbs known for brightening and whitening the skin. With the social season in full swing, demand was soaring.
Outdoor gatherings were becoming frequent, and noblewomen were buying up this cream in bulk, causing shortages.
Adding to that, the Duchess of Cattieron had ordered a large amount to distribute as gifts at her upcoming social gathering.
“You’ve worked hard. Phew… as you know, the duchess’s tyranny lately is no joke.”
Viscount Aros lowered his voice so no one else could hear.
“Oh, I don’t mind. Anything that drains money from Aites is fine by me.”
Lani answered cheerfully.
What was strange was that rare herbs were being produced without pause, as if someone had replaced the entire ducal estate with farmland.
“I actually think so too. She’s not our mistress anymore— she’s just another customer.”
He recalled with satisfaction the time he had flatly refused when the duchess had tried to take herbs for free under the Cattieron name.
In the end, even Duchess Kiera had been forced to concede.
‘Then… at least meet the deadline! You can do that much, can’t you?’
Thinking back on that triumphant day, he chatted briefly with Lani.
Lani soon excused herself, saying she had things to buy before heading home.
Once outside, she turned back for a last glance at the building bearing the name Del Trading.
The name Del came from shortening Hider’s Der. No matter how she looked at it, she liked it. Smiling, she started to walk away.
“You— you’re that girl! That wild little thing! You clung to that man like a bat and ruined my business!”
A man suddenly appeared, grabbing Lani’s wrist tightly. She grimaced and let out a short cry.
“Ah! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“You’re coming with me! I’ll teach you some manners!” the man barked.
He intended to threaten her into giving him herbs. The new Del Trading was putting his shop out of business— he had to act before it was too late.
The man began dragging Lani away.
A delivery boy from Del Trading, having seen the scene, bolted inside to find Viscount Aros.
