Chapter 26

After greeting Lady Natalie, I was about to leave the scene.

As I turned my back, a small whisper bounced back at me.

"…To turn down Lady Natalie’s kindness, you must be as foolish as to heavily rely on that Gilbert."

The speaker was the overly talkative head chef.

Why was Gilbert’s name mentioned here?

It was an unbearable remark.

"…What do you mean? If you have something to say, why don’t you say it to my face?"

I smiled—like a villainess, with a fully intimidating smile—and asked the head chef.

There was no reason to be kind to someone who deliberately spoke ill of me.

It wasn’t good to be taken for granted, so I decided to give a light warning here.

The head chef, trembling in fear at my father’s smile, which I inherited, was not the only one with a stiff expression; Dears and Lady Natalie also had serious looks, but they showed no sign of remorse.

The head chef’s rudeness was the fault of those in higher positions, and they were also responsible.

"Can you open your mouth and speak? Or do you realize that you were saying things behind my back that you wouldn’t say openly?"

"…I’m sorry…"

The head chef apologized, his face turning red and black.

It was a half-hearted apology, clearly showing his dissatisfaction.

"But this is also…! It’s a statement out of concern for Lady Letitia!!"

"What do you mean?"

"It’s a warning!! Gilbert was a person who was banished from this palace by Lady Natalie’s displeasure!! If you rely on such a shameless person, Lady Letitia’s status will be lowered!!"

"…I’ve never heard that before."

I knew that Gilbert had been fired from his previous job, but I didn’t know he had worked at Lady Natalie’s palace.

I couldn’t get the details of his previous job because of confidentiality.

I was slightly surprised that the information connected here, and Dears spoke up.

"That man, Gilbert, was just a chef, yet he pitied Lady Natalie, saying, 'Such a strong-flavored dish is not good for Lady Natalie’s health; the seasoning should be changed,' and so on. The head chef, Gilan, reported that Gilbert, who didn’t know his place, was not qualified to be in charge of the kitchen in this palace, and he was immediately dismissed. I sympathize with Lady Letitia, who has to rely on such a man."

"…I see. So Gilbert was fired and came to my palace, then."

I’ve only known Gilbert for a short time, but I can feel that he is a skilled chef.

I was curious about why such a top chef lost his previous job, so this was a good find.

Gilbert, though weak, seemed to have pride as a chef.

That’s why he must have spoken up about the overly strong flavors in this palace.

It seems that this was the reason he was targeted by Gilan and dismissed.

"I appreciate the information. …But I value Gilbert’s skills, so there’s no need to worry. ——Lady Natalie."

I looked at Lady Natalie, who had been silent.

"Please tell me one last thing. Now, the head chef, Gilan, said that Gilbert was banished from this palace because of Lady Natalie’s displeasure. Is that true? Did Lady Natalie herself decide to dismiss Gilbert because he was unnecessary?"

"…Yes, that’s correct."

Her tone was as if she had something stuck in her teeth.

However, no more words came out, and Lady Natalie remained silent.

I remember that Lady Natalie, who rarely spoke on her own, was silent even when her aunt, Dears, interrupted her.

Formally, Lady Natalie, as a duchess’s daughter and a candidate for the empress, should be of higher status, but perhaps she has some weakness to Dears?

It was a bit concerning, but it was difficult to press the issue, and I had no choice but to back off.

It was disappointing that she gave a weak response even when I tried to draw out her own will.

Feeling uneasy, I left the palace and headed for the carriage, where a servant who had been waiting presented me with a letter.

"Lady Letitia, you have been summoned by Emperor Glenread. After leaving Lady Natalie’s palace, you are to go to the emperor’s audience room."

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"It’s been a while, my empress. How was your stay at the forest palace?"

The emperor’s voice echoed in the audience room.

The emperor, seated on the throne, was as beautiful as ever, a true handsome man.

His expression was cold, but that only made him more intimidating.

If I hadn’t been immune to handsome men because of my two older brothers, I might have fallen for him.

But my face remained a perfect smile, thanks to the “training”… I mean, the love and discipline from my first brother and the education as a crown princess.

"Thank you for your kind words. I have been living comfortably at the palace without any major inconvenience."

"…Are you satisfied with a palace in such a remote area?"

"Wasn’t it you, Your Majesty, who gave me that palace?"

"Yes, that’s right. Do you have no complaints about me? You’ve been exiled to the depths of the forest, and I, your husband, haven’t visited you. You should have some grievances, shouldn’t you?"

"Not at all. On the contrary, I am very grateful to Your Majesty."

"Hmm?"

The emperor’s blue eyes narrowed, as if urging me to continue and testing me.

"Your Majesty’s absence is out of concern for me. I am only a temporary, decorative empress. If I spent too much time with Your Majesty, people would suspect that we have a romantic relationship."

"Yes, that’s true. Even if it’s just a formality, it’s natural for people to suspect that we are a couple."

"That misunderstanding would be very inconvenient for me. If people mistakenly thought that I had Your Majesty’s favor… Lady Natalie and the other four candidates for empress would certainly be displeased."

If that happened, it was almost certain that harassment would start.

If it only ended with harassment, it would be a relief, but there was a possibility that it could escalate to assassination or worse.

I didn’t want such trouble, and I loved my current peaceful, fluffy life.

"Therefore, Your Majesty’s absence is a blessing for me. Your Majesty understands this, which is why you leave me alone, isn’t it?"

"You seem to have a very high opinion of me just because of that."

"That’s not all. Giving me that palace was also out of consideration to keep me from unnecessary conflicts."

The simple mansion in the depths of the forest, which could hardly be called a palace.

It might seem like neglect, but considering the situation around the emperor, it was the opposite.

"There are four other palaces in the royal castle where the candidates for empress live. In terms of the buildings and locations, the other four palaces are better… If one of the candidates had been exiled to the forest palace and I had been given her palace, I would have been hated for sure."

The four candidates for empress, who are vying for the next empress position, are in a state of détente despite their conflicts.

This is because the emperor neither favors nor neglects any of them.

If the emperor had overturned this situation by taking away a palace from one of the candidates and giving it to me, it would have been a troublesome situation for both me and the emperor.

"…That’s why I have no complaints about the forest palace or the life without Your Majesty’s visits. There will be opportunities for me to stand by Your Majesty’s side at various events and diplomatic occasions… But in other situations, I want to keep my distance from Your Majesty."

"…So you have no intention of seeking my love or favor?"

"Yes, that’s right. This marriage is not based on love or affection but on political circumstances. What I seek from Your Majesty is a healthy distant relationship."

"Distance…"

Did the emperor, who was known to dislike women, look a little dissatisfied?

Perhaps it was uninteresting for him to be set boundaries by a woman.

—Or perhaps.

The emperor might have sensed that the future would not go as I said, that I would remain a decorative empress, without love, and maintain a healthy distant relationship.

Today, I checked and found that the number of bookmarks had exceeded 10,000.

I’m happy that so many people are reading it!

I plan to update every day for a while, so I’ll do my best.