Chapter 25
25. Sophia’s Visit
My younger sister Sophia attends a noble academy in the imperial capital.
Since the Dian Viscount family is poor nobility, we don’t have a townhouse or a second residence, so Sophia lives in the school dormitory.
The dormitory isn’t very far from the Imperial Palace.
A letter came from Sophia the day after my birthday tea party, saying she wanted to come visit me.
After the birthday tea party, I had been summoned to His Majesty Aleksanteri’s chambers, and there… I ended up kissing him.
As a candidate for empress, and someone who, if chosen, would be expected to bear children, I had known such things would eventually be unavoidable. Still, even though it was only the lightest brush of lips, I was shaken to the core.
I had been tipsy from wine, but even so, I showed such disgraceful weakness that afterward, I was mortified and afraid to face His Majesty. Yet, since we both live in the palace, I couldn’t avoid him entirely.
Above all, I had to show him Sophia’s letter.
At breakfast, when my gaze fell on His Majesty Aleksanteri’s lips, I felt heat rise to my face and burn red to the tips of my ears, but I managed to calm myself enough to bring up Sophia’s message.
“My younger sister Sophia wishes to see me. Would it be acceptable for her to visit?”
“If she is your sister, then she would also become my sister-in-law. I’d like to join you for tea when she comes—would that be all right?”
“Your Majesty would join us!?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
I couldn’t help raising my voice. Sophia seemed to have a poor impression of His Majesty. She believed I had been tricked into becoming nothing more than a temporary, sham wife for him.
But then… what was the truth?
“Your Majesty, I thought I was merely a makeshift bride, taken only so that you might avoid marriage pressure—since you could not be with the one you truly loved…”
“Absolutely not. You are my only bride, and I have sworn to treasure you alone for all my life.”
“Then… I am truly Your Majesty’s wife?”
“Of course. You are my one and only consort.”
Not long ago, I would have doubted those words. But yesterday, at the tea party, when we stepped onto the terrace and he embraced me, he had wept. Those tears had spoken more eloquently than any vow of how deeply he felt for me.
“Sophia misunderstands. She fears that Your Majesty is merely toying with me.”
“That is not the case. I want to tell her so myself. I will join your tea with her—let us invite her here to the palace this weekend.”
“Is it truly all right for Sophia to be brought into the Imperial Palace?”
“She is your sister, and thus my sister as well. I will welcome her as family.”
Grateful for His Majesty’s generosity in inviting her so specially, I returned to my chambers and wrote Sophia a letter. The message was promptly delivered.
That weekend, a carriage from the palace was sent to her dormitory, and Sophia arrived. When I saw her in a dress befitting the palace, I was relieved—proof that our family was being supported through my engagement to His Majesty.
The moment she entered the tearoom, she flung herself into my arms.
“Dearest Sister, happy birthday! I was not invited to your birthday tea, so I couldn’t celebrate with you that day—but now that you are nineteen, please accept my congratulations.”
“Thank you, Sophia. His Majesty Aleksanteri will be joining us.”
“His Majesty!?”
“He wished to take part in our tea.”
His Majesty arrived a little late, delayed by his duties, but as always he was breathtakingly beautiful. As I gazed at him, Sophia offered her greetings.
“Thank you for inviting me today. I had longed to celebrate my sister’s birthday, so I am very glad for this tea.”
Though politely phrased, her tone carried the clear reproach of I was excluded from the real birthday tea. His Majesty only smiled magnanimously.
“I welcome my dear Lacey’s younger sister. She is truly a splendid bride—Madame Laval, her tutor, praises her excellence constantly.”
“My sister was always top of her class at the academy.”
“Not only that, but here in the palace she sews alongside the court dressmakers, and even tends vegetables in the garden. The servants all adore her.”
“My sister has always been humble and kind to everyone.”
Their conversation sounded ordinary, yet sparks seemed to crackle between them, like unseen lightning. Uneasy, I tried to smooth things over.
“His Majesty values my embroidery greatly. When I first came to the capital for school, I sold my very first handkerchief—and His Majesty was the one who bought it. From then on, he has looked after me.”
“You mean he took an interest in you when you were twelve, Sister?”
Ah. I had said something terrible. It sounded as though His Majesty, at twenty-two, had fallen for me when I was still twelve.
“Strictly speaking, we first met at my debut ball—when I was fifteen.”
“So His Majesty, at twenty-five, noticed my sister at fifteen…”
Oh dear. That, too, sounded unfortunate—painting His Majesty as a man obsessed with very young girls.
“Does Your Majesty prefer very young women?”
“Age is irrelevant. It is only that Lacey is my destiny. And in any case, she is now nineteen.”
“Nineteen—and yet I was not invited to her birthday celebration.”
“Sophia, watch your tone. That was discourteous to His Majesty.”
But His Majesty only laughed.
“It’s all right, Lacey. Since she is your sister, I take no offense. After all, you are my bride.”
“She was my sister before she ever became Your Majesty’s consort.”
“Sophia!”
Why must Sophia oppose him so fiercely? While I sighed, she fixed His Majesty with a glare.
“Why my sister? Surely countless women must have admired you.”
“Perhaps you feel I’ve stolen her from you. But the truth is, I need her. Lacey is my hope, my light.”
“Then may I ask why?”
“You may not believe me, but at first I saw in her the image of my first love. Now, having truly come to know her, I feel I could not live without her.”
Without mention of reincarnation or past lives, His Majesty explained himself in words Sophia could understand. She looked from him to me, then down at our hands.
“Your rings—they match?”
“This is a special thimble I had made for Lacey. Strictly speaking, it isn’t a ring.”
“I see. Then Your Majesty’s feelings for my sister are genuine?”
“Without question.”
“In that case, I have nothing more to say.”
At last Sophia accepted it, and I could breathe in relief.
“Sister, if you are ever mistreated as consort, you may always return to the Dian household.”
“I will see that she never has cause. I will protect her always.”
“I love you, Sister.”
“Thank you, Sophia.”
When the tea was done, I saw Sophia off to her carriage. Standing beside me afterward, His Majesty was quiet until I asked:
“Do you not find Sophia more beautiful than I? Did she not tempt your heart?”
“What? I would never compare you two. To me, you are the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Such sweet words… I could never hope to outmatch His Majesty.
Perhaps someday, he will finally say them plainly to me—
those words: “I love you.”
