Chapter 22
I sent one of the royal guards to the Empress’s palace with a nod and quickly stepped forward, tugging on the intertwined hands.
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress!”
Bermute’s brave royal guards immediately obeyed.
The balcony, which had been a complete mess, was discreetly tidied up, and I returned alone, sticking close to Xian.
“Your Majesty the Empress, I was wondering where you two had gone, but you’ve returned together so amicably,”
the noblewomen I had befriended at the tea party teased, sending envious glances.
“Oh my, has it gotten this late already? You must have been waiting.”
“Not at all, you arrived right on time.”
I smiled innocently as if I hadn’t noticed the time passing, and moved toward the center where the gifts were stacked.
Finally, the highlight of the evening ball: the gift-opening ceremony.
Ta-da—
The cheerful sound of trumpets rang out, drawing the attention of all the guests—both those dancing and those enjoying refreshments.
In the back corner, I spotted Duke Simand standing between two guards.
His clothes were disheveled, and he was panting as he glared in our direction.
“And what do you plan to do about it?”
After all, the responsibility lies with him. Of course, the outcome is obvious, but for the sake of appearances, wouldn’t private handling be better?
“He’s a duke; he should be smart enough to understand.”
He should know he’s only still alive thanks to my image.
I smiled sweetly at the trembling harasser and, feigning innocence, began the gift-opening ceremony.
“This is a sapphire circlet, a specialty of the Kingdom of Liliana.”
“I offer this gift in celebration of the marriage of His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress, wishing you unchanging happiness.”
“Thank you, Prince Sestin. Please also convey my wishes for the King’s continued health.”
The hall’s atmosphere remained lively, oblivious to the minor chaos.
Since these gifts were being given to the powerful nation of Bermute, every time a dazzling, precious item was revealed, sporadic cheers and applause erupted.
“Oh my, Your Majesty the Empress, you must be so happy.”
“Huh? Why?”
One of the noblewomen I had clicked with whispered.
“All these rare and wondrous gifts, and yet the Emperor is looking only at the Empress.”
Glancing to the side, Xian’s expressionless face was indeed focused solely on me.
“Oh hoho! You’re really showing off newlywed affection! My husband used to do that too—it’s so intense, I envy you.”
…Sister, can’t you see?
Beneath Xian’s cold, expressionless exterior, there was a subtle urgency that only I could recognize.
If I weren’t holding his hand, I would have already dealt with that harasser—the patience was gone.
“What is with this countdown nonsense!”
There was no choice. I went for a speed game.
Like a bomb disposal expert, I linked arms with Xian, sticking close, and ignored the intense gaze he was showering on me as I hurried through the gift-opening ceremony.
“This is a gauntlet capable of blocking a sword attack up to the second level.”
“A diamond imbued with the blessings of Aurora.”
Thankfully, holding him close paid off!
Finally, the last gift was opened safely, and I raised a glass of 297-year-old wine with Xian.
Hot, now only the closing remarks remain!
“Thank you all for blessing the Bermute Empire. I hope the peace of the continent and the friendship among nations will continue…”
“Friendship? That’s a contradiction!”
Everyone nodded at my words, raising their glasses, when a sneering shout cut through.
“Such actions! Ugh!”
The culprit, of course, was Duke Simand. His guards quickly covered his mouth, but murmurs began spreading among the guests.
“What’s happening?”
Seizing the moment, Marquis Lenscul asked, drawing the attention of everyone. Simand, full of bravado, shook off his guards and shouted:
“I can no longer tolerate the deception of the Bermute Empire! I formally demand an apology for today’s incident!”
Perhaps due to his noble lineage with royal blood, Simand had prepared a justification and exuded confidence.
He deliberately chose the moment when everyone’s attention was focused, clearly intending to publicly shame Bermute.
“Just as I suspected.”
Feigning ignorance, I widened my eyes in surprise.
“Earlier, the Empress secretly called me to the balcony to give me a gift. Isn’t that an action anyone could misinterpret as courtship?”
As Simand raised his voice, the crowd started murmuring. Encouraged, he continued:
“I thought it was just a playful flirtation between young men and women! Moreover, the Empress is famous for her many romantic entanglements. So I gladly went along, only for the Emperor to suddenly assault me!”
He showed torn clothing and bruises.
“Do you dare harm a foreign guest? You commit unilateral violence without regard for order and then speak of friendship? Apologize publicly here!”
Simand’s outburst caused the hall to become chaotic with whispers.
“What did the Duke just say?”
“Assault? By His Majesty the Emperor?”
From the current facts, I appeared guilty while Simand seemed the victim.
To make matters worse, Xian’s golden eyes flashed dangerously. Seeing this, I enacted my plan.
“It’s truly regrettable that you thought that way.”
I pouted, and Simand beamed with self-righteousness.
“Your Majesty the Empress, apologize to me formally in front of everyone. Then I will consider it a youthful indiscretion between young men and women.”
“I was merely trying to give everyone an unforgettable memory.”
“Such things happen more than once… huh?”
Bang.
Startled by the sudden interruption, all eyes turned.
“Your Majesty the Empress, I’ve arrived as requested.”
Lindo, sent by me, arrived with a bright smile, carrying a box.
Nice, Lindo.
“I couldn’t let you all leave empty-handed after blessing our marriage.”
Smiling, I opened the box Lindo held.
“Thanks to a recent item, my quality of life has improved greatly. So I prepared it for you.”
I revealed combs carved from soft, fine wood.
“You all work hard to fulfill your duties, right? These combs are excellent for relieving stress and fatigue.”
Finally, my secret weapon!
These combs contained Lindo’s special herbal formulation, releasing herbs through the teeth of the comb to relieve insomnia and stabilize mind and body. Unlike the fake comb I had used initially, this one actually worked.
“Oh my, Your Majesty, is this the gift you prepared?”
“I didn’t expect you’d give such a precious item!”
In truth, I had set the stage while collecting hair, subtly hinting I would give gifts to everyone.
“In the end, you just played both drums alone.”
The pupils of Duke Simand and Marquis Lenscul shook.
“Wait… all the gifts are being given?”
“That comb wasn’t just for us?!”
Do you think I’d give gifts to only you two?
Ignoring the two fools, I handed a comb to everyone.
“Duke Halstein, how is it?”
“Oh! Just using it briefly has eased my chronic headache!”
From the testimony of a headache sufferer.
“And Prince Neverland?”
“This is amazing! My chest always felt tight from stress, but now I feel a calm, comfortable relief.”
Even Marquis Lenscul, a friend, tried the comb and felt drowsy.
Simand was flustered.
“That… that can’t be! When I used it, it didn’t do anything!”
Of course! Lindo’s work wasn’t complete then. He had flattered me with a normal comb, and I had let him try an unfinished version on the balcony as a test. Now seeing the real comb, he was understandably stunned.
I smiled sweetly at Simand.
“It’s a shame you misunderstood my intentions. I gave you the same one on the balcony, after all.”
Those who received a comb glared at Simand, some clicking their tongues.
“Why is that Duke running wild alone? Surely the Empress wouldn’t give him a gift alone.”
“Such assumptions! And he made these ridiculous claims just because he got his gift first in another place?”
Simand, convinced I was seducing him, blushed deeply.
In the end, he became the delusional fool, imagining favoritism where there was none.
“I only gave him the comb first because he liked it, without any ulterior motive. Was that reckless?”
Pouting, I watched as the guests, now successfully united and delighted with their miraculous combs, waved off any complaints.
“Whatever do you mean! You acted rashly based on assumptions, not his actual interest!”
“Ah, no, you!”
Even Marquis Lenscul backed me up, and Simand grabbed the back of his neck.
“There’s no helping it. This isn’t the first or second time, right, Duke Simand? Misunderstandings are inevitable.”
How many times have you been fooled to deserve such a misinterpretation?
Emphasizing this, Simand stammered. He had thought he’d been wronged by a cunning woman, but now, officially recognized as a womanizer, he seemed mortally wounded.
