Chapter 28
Unlike Lia’s complicated thoughts, life went on.
Lia diligently finished everything she had to do and visited each department to inform them.
She had already told Chancellor Yusian, but she thought it would be easier for them to understand if she explained it herself in person.
At the visit of Empress Lia, the people in each department were flustered and hurriedly bowed to greet her.
While receiving their greetings, Lia handed out the documents she had brought. At the same time, she explained what was written in them and what needed to be done.
Just listening would not be enough, so she gave them sample ledgers that she had personally revised and written.
She had written the manual in great detail, so she thought this alone would be sufficient.
Contrary to her expectations, the people in charge kept asking questions. As she answered them one by one, a great deal of time passed before she knew it.
Thinking that she had never spoken this much in her life, Lia continued walking.
Her gaze suddenly turned outside the window.
The weather was truly nice.
“Should I go for a walk?”
Now that she thought about it, ever since coming here, she had only stayed in her room, reading books or looking at documents.
She felt that walking in the garden inside the imperial palace did not require Kartian’s permission, so Lia decided to take a walk. Originally, getting some sunlight and walking was good for one’s health.
Walking absentmindedly along the green-colored path, Lia soon arrived somewhere.
Seeing knights gathered together, it seemed to be a training ground. Among them, she saw a familiar face.
It was Baron, the Emperor’s escort knight.
“I haven’t seen him for a while.”
He always seemed to be stuck to the Emperor.
But whether he stayed by the Emperor’s side or not did not matter to her, so Lia tried to continue walking.
The atmosphere among the knights gathered around Baron did not look good, but it was none of her business.
The problem was that when she tried to go back, she realized she did not know the way.
She could just retrace her steps, but she had not walked in a straight line. She had wandered around, so she could not remember which way she had come.
Do I have to ask for help again?
The only people who could help here seemed to be those knights over there.
Lia frowned.
Still, she did not want to go over there and ask for help, so she pretended not to notice and kept walking.
At the end of her steps, she arrived there again.
The atmosphere at the training ground was still bad, and Baron’s face in particular was stiff and cold.
Thinking that she would just keep getting lost if she tried to return alone, Lia had no choice but to walk toward them.
Even if not those knights with the bad mood, she could ask other knights for help.
At that moment, a voice reached Lia’s ears.
“So you acted like you were something just because the Emperor trusted you, and now you’ve become an abandoned puppy.”
A knight said mockingly.
At those words, Baron’s expression hardened even more.
“In the first place, who knows what kind of things you were doing in the back alleys, yet you dare to be a knight. Don’t you know your place? Wouldn’t it be better to know your limits and quietly disappear even now?”
Another knight sneered.
Hearing their conversation, Lia thought,
Seriously, there are people like that everywhere.
Not only now, but Baron had always heard such words. He spent most of his time by the Emperor’s side, so there had simply been no chance until now.
She felt sorry that he was treated like that just because he was a commoner, but she did not want to step in. It was something he had to deal with himself.
Even if she stepped in to help, there was no guarantee he would be grateful.
“Or why don’t you try clinging to the Empress? Who knows? Since her own mother was a commoner who got adopted and became a noble lady, maybe she’ll remember that and lend you a helping hand.”
“Hm? I didn’t know that.”
Lia briefly showed interest when her own story came out of the knight’s mouth.
So the reason Liarna’s treatment was so strange for a duke’s daughter was because even her mother had not originally been a noble?
“Now that I think about it, that mother and daughter are really something. A mere commoner who managed to seduce a noble and become one herself, and then her daughter, who was stuck in the back rooms, managed to seduce His Majesty and rise so high.”
The words were somewhat softened, but the meaning behind them was anything but clean.
“I was going to let the earlier comments slide, but this one crosses the line. And I never seduced anyone. Who seduced whom, exactly?”
Seeing them snicker with lewd smiles, Lia decided she could not let this go.
What kind of damned imperial palace was this, where maids, nobles, knights—everyone was desperate to disrespect the Empress?
She might have ignored it if she had not heard it. But since she had, she could not.
With a cold smile, Lia walked toward the knights surrounding Baron.
At that moment—
“Do not insult Her Majesty the Empress.”
Baron spoke.
He did not like the Empress either, but this kind of disrespect was too much.
How could they say such things about the Empress?
Even if they said it to insult him, such words should never be spoken. Those were filthy words, far beyond the line.
Baron’s expression turned grim.
Hearing that, Lia made a slightly strange expression.
She had not expected Baron to say something that sounded like he was defending her. He had always looked at her so rudely.
Still, that was not the important part.
Lia had already reached where the knights were gathered.
The knights, who had been busy mocking Baron and not looking elsewhere, finally noticed Lia’s presence.
They were briefly flustered, wondering if she had heard them, but that was all.
Watching their uneasy behavior calmly, Lia smiled softly. Baron flinched at that smile.
Ignoring Baron, Lia clenched her fist and punched one of the knights in the face.
She could not bring herself to hit maids because they were women, but knights were different. Feeling the dull impact in her fist, Lia slightly frowned.
“I think I didn’t put much strength into it.”
With these slender arms, it was not like it would hurt that much anyway.
However, contrary to her thoughts, the knight staggered back from Lia’s punch.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“You know I’m the Empress. That attitude is rude toward the Empress. I hear that insulting the imperial family can be punished on the spot.”
As she said that, Lia used her foot instead of her fist and kicked the knight. The sound was so loud that the other knights looked shocked.
The knight, who had not expected another blow and was hit directly, glared angrily. His hand twitched as it moved to the hilt of his sword.
“You’re not thinking of drawing that sword against me, are you? Or are you offering it to me, asking me to kill you because you think you’ve done wrong? If that’s the case, I may not kill you, but I can beat you with the scabbard.”
Lia said coldly, sneering.
At her words, the knight lowered his hand from the sword. In a moment of anger, he had moved his hand without thinking, but as a knight, he could not dare do that to the Empress.
He had only spoken those insults because he never thought she was listening.
“So, it sounded like you were saying some very interesting things about me.”
Strictly speaking, it had been about Liarna, but since Lia was currently in Liarna’s body, it could be considered an insult to herself.
“I never said such a thing.”
“Your way of answering is extremely disrespectful. Am I supposed to believe I was hearing things? Just this attitude alone is enough to be a problem.”
Lia said with a cold smile.
At her icy expression, the knight flinched. She felt different from the previous Empress who only caused trouble. There was an overwhelming authority about her, like a true Empress.
“And what are you all doing there?”
Lia briefly glanced at the knight who could not answer, then looked at the others and asked. The other knights looked confused, as if they did not understand.
“I’m asking why you’re not immediately taking away those who dared to insult and disrespect me, the Empress. Or do you expect me to do even that myself?”
Lia said coldly.
Although they served the Emperor, the Empress held no less authority. In the past, they might have ignored her words, but not anymore.
They all knew too well how the Emperor treated the Empress now.
“I trust you understand that I’m not talking about just one person.”
She clearly remembered who said what and how each reacted.
When Lia shot them an impatient, cold look, urging them to act, the hesitant knights had no choice but to drag away the ones who had insulted her.
“Oh, you’re not thinking that I was wrong, are you?”
Lia said coolly to Baron, who was standing there blankly.
She said it because she knew he had never liked her.
“No.”
“And now that we’re at it, I think you’re aware that your own attitude wasn’t much better than theirs.”
“……I apologize.”
At Lia’s quiet but pointed words, Baron bowed his head and apologized. No matter how much he disliked the Empress, it was wrong to show it so openly.
That was something he truly reflected on.
His excessive loyalty to the Emperor had made him rude to the Empress. His interference had gone too far. Since even the Emperor had let it pass, he should not have stepped in.
“I’ll accept the apology. But from now on, I won’t let that kind of attitude slide. You weren’t as bad as them, but your behavior was rude as well.”
At first, she had ignored it, thinking it did not matter. But now, she had changed her mind. If she stayed silent, the endless disrespect would continue.
For a comfortable life while she stayed in the imperial palace, she needed to be more assertive.
Of course, not like the old Liarna— not emotional outbursts, but more rational actions with clear justification.
“……I’ll be careful.”
Baron replied, still unable to adjust to Lia’s changed demeanor.
“That’s something I’ll judge later. For now, could you guide me? I’m lost.”
Lia said confidently, without the slightest embarrassment.
The place Baron guided Lia to was not her room.
It was the library.
She thought there might be information about people like her—those who were possessed—so she decided to look while she had time.
Watching Lia, Baron was deep in thought.
The Lia he saw today was different from before. Her atmosphere, her attitude—everything.
The Empress Baron knew was someone who only caused trouble, shouting and bullying those weaker than herself.
But today was different.
First, she unexpectedly threw a punch at the knights. And after that, everything that followed was completely different from before. She did not throw a hysterical tantrum. Instead, she calmly pointed out their wrongs and punished them through proper procedures.
She did not look down on him for being a commoner, like the other knights did.
“She wasn’t like this before.”
Moreover, what he saw today clearly showed the dignity of an Empress.
It was truly strange.
Her attitude toward the Emperor had changed, but he had not expected her to change so completely, as if she were a different person. He wondered if he had been wrong all along.
“This is the library.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Lia replied briefly.
That alone surprised Baron again. The previous Empress never thanked anyone. She took all kindness for granted and never apologized for her mistakes.
“Then you may go.”
Lia said indifferently and walked into the library.
Inside, Lia carefully examined the books.
She did not know exactly what kind of book she needed, but she thought that if she read enough, she might find a way to return to her original world.
Originally, she had planned to search seriously after being deposed, but she changed her mind. There was no place with more books and information than the imperial palace, so it would be better to find a way here before that happened.
After spending a long time choosing books, Lia ended up holding an armful. They were heavy for a woman, but not impossible to carry.
“Hm?”
“Your Majesty.”
Lia, who had come out of the library, looked puzzled when she saw Baron still standing there, even though she had told him he could leave.
“I… I’ll carry them for you.”
Even Baron himself seemed awkward saying it and stumbled over his words.
“I didn’t expect kindness like this. Didn’t you dislike me?”
She did not mean anything special by it. She was just surprised and curious.
Still, Baron’s changed attitude made her suspicious. Aside from Kartian, she had never received pure kindness without an agenda here.
“That is… truly, I’m sorry.”
“That’s fine. Whether you like someone or not is your choice. Just keep proper boundaries. Like I said earlier, I won’t ignore further rudeness.”
“Does that mean… it’s fine even if I dislike Your Majesty?”
“Do I really have to care about that? Who someone likes or dislikes is their own business.”
Lia had many friends because of her blunt personality, but also many enemies. She did not care at all.
As long as they did not harm her directly, it did not matter.
Worrying about such things only wasted energy and caused stress.
She had become more proactive here not because it bothered her that they disliked her, but because it made her situation worse. Disliking someone was not the same as gossiping and disrespecting them. That, she would not tolerate.
“……No, that’s not it.”
Baron denied it, but his thoughts were in turmoil.
The Empress he thought he knew felt wrong now. The Empress he saw today was too different for him to understand.
“In my memories, Your Majesty always oppressed those weaker than yourself.”
It might have been rude to say this, but seeing Lia’s changed behavior, Baron spoke carefully.
Lia widened her eyes slightly, surprised that he would say it so directly, then spoke calmly.
“Who knows. Whether she really oppressed them without reason, or whether there was a reason.”
“……Are you saying there was a reason?”
Baron frowned, unable to understand.
Lia hesitated for a moment.
She did not intend to justify those actions. They were not hers to begin with. She just disliked suffering because of the past actions of this body.
So she did not want to make excuses for the past. That was something Liarna should do.
Still, since it had come up, she decided to say a little.
“Think carefully about what kind of situation the Empress was in. And whether she was like that from the very beginning.”
That was all.
She would not go further to defend her.
Some of Liarna’s actions had gone too far, but considering what she had gone through, it was understandable.
Even if she wanted to speak kindly, people had to listen.
Especially after seeing Liarna’s situation through dreams, Lia understood more.
She did not think everything Liarna did was justified, but it was not all her fault either. When Liarna first entered the palace, she had only been sharp and difficult, not someone who violently abused maids.
Things must have gone wrong little by little.
“Thanks for carrying these.”
They had arrived at her room before she knew it. Lia took the books from Baron’s hands and went inside.
Baron, who handed them over without resistance, stared at the closed door, lost in thought.
Think about what kind of situation the Empress was in? Whether she had been like that from the start?
It was years ago, so his memories were unclear. Her current image was so strong that he could not easily recall her past self.
One thing was certain—the Empress’s position in the palace had always been fragile, like a candle about to go out. No one showed her kindness. Everyone just…
Baron’s expression hardened.
It had become so normal over time that he had not thought much about it, but in the palace, the Empress was not truly an Empress. She was Empress in name only—unacknowledged, ignored by everyone. Even the Emperor and everyone in the palace disregarded her.
He had wondered how they could ignore a duke’s daughter so easily, but Duke Seronian, her father, had never stepped in to help her either.
If he had cared even a little, he would have taken action against those who disrespected her.
She had no one on her side.
Was that why she acted so harshly toward people in the palace?
Baron frowned at the conclusion he reached.
It was hard to accept, yet it made sense. If that was the case, then he himself was no different from the others.
He had gone along with the Emperor’s attitude and simply thought badly of her.
Sighing at his own foolishness, Baron started walking again. To calm his complicated thoughts, he felt he needed to train at the training ground. He needed time to整理 his thoughts and see if he was right.
But before he could reach the training ground, he met Kartian.
“I greet the light of the Empire, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.”
“It’s been a while.”
Kartian said indifferently.
After Baron showed disrespect toward Lia, Kartian had distanced himself from him, moving separately unless necessary.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Seeing the Emperor after so long, Baron replied quietly, feeling strangely excited.
“I heard there was an incident at the training ground.”
“……Yes.”
“What happened?”
Kartian had heard the general situation through reports and from the knights who were taken to prison, but he needed a more objective and detailed account.
They had softened the story to lessen their own guilt.
“That is…”
Baron hesitated, then explained everything he had seen.
How the knights provoked him first, what they said, how Lia heard it, and what actions she took afterward.
He told everything in detail.
When he finished, killing intent surged from Kartian.
“So that’s how it was.”
Kartian muttered coldly.
He had heard that the knights insulted the Empress, but not in such detail.
He had already felt great anger at the word “insult,” but words like that—
This was not just an insult.
He had never planned to let it end lightly, but now there was no way he could overlook it. He would strip them of their knighthood and make sure they could never wield a sword again.
Thinking of the hurt Lia must have felt, this was still not enough.
How dare they, not even knowing who the Empress was.
Even if they were young and ignorant.
The chilling aura overwhelmed Baron, who did not know what to do. Baron was an excellent knight himself, but Kartian’s pressure was too much even for him.
“So what did you do? You didn’t just stand there after hearing that, did you?”
Even if Baron had not spoken the insults himself, staying silent would make him an accomplice.
“I told them not to insult Her Majesty the Empress.”
“Did you? Then that’s fortunate. At least you weren’t foolish enough to stay silent.”
Kartian said coldly.
With that, he turned to leave.
“Y-Your Majesty.”
“What is it?”
He needed to see Lia as soon as possible to comfort her. Why was Baron stopping him now?
Irritation crossed Kartian’s face.
“Did you know, Your Majesty?”
“Know what?”
“That all of the Empress’s actions had reasons.”
That the image he had of her might have been a twisted prejudice born from narrow thinking.
“At least the Lia I know is not a woman who would do such things without reason.”
Kartian had not known Lia long, nor did he know everything about her, but he was certain of that.
After hearing what happened between Lia and the knights, Kartian had gone to see her, yet he had hesitated to open the door. He spoke indifferently in front of Baron, but inside, it was different.
In the first place, it was his own attitude that had put her in such situations.
The more time passed, the more he stayed by her side, the more his past actions weighed on him.
Did he even have the right to blame anyone? Everything had started because of him.
Why had he not realized it back then? Why had he failed to truly see her?
If he had paid even a little attention to Lia, if he had looked at her purely without prejudice, he would not have treated her that way.
Now, even if he wanted to fix things, the rift was too deep. The deeply ingrained atmosphere would not disappear easily just because he changed.
Wanting her heart in such a situation felt selfish.
What felt even more selfish was that, knowing all this, he still did not give up and tried to win her heart.
At the same time, he felt confused about his past actions.
Was it simply because she was the daughter of the noble faction’s leader?
That reason no longer made sense to him now.
What was even stranger were his feelings toward Freya.
After losing his memory, Kartian felt an inexplicable hostility and rejection toward Freya. He knew it was wrong, but he could not help it.
Every time he saw Freya, negative emotions surged uncontrollably. The more he tried to suppress them, the stronger they became.
It was as if someone was deliberately manipulating him to feel that way toward Freya.
“Ha…”
Unable to hold it in, Kartian let out a sigh.
Nothing was going the way he wanted. Nothing was being resolved properly.
His deep guilt toward Lia.
His inexplicable hostility and rejection toward Freya.
Those intense emotions churned inside him.
What was he supposed to do?
What could he do to make up for her past, and how could he return everything to how it should be?
He felt suffocated. He had never felt this trapped before.
One thing was certain—he had to change.
From beginning to end, everything about himself.
With those thoughts, Kartian finally opened the door, stopping the maid who tried to announce him.
Inside the room, Lia was sitting on a chair, reading a book.
“You’re here?”
She closed the book and spoke quietly.
“Yeah.”
Kartian replied softly, watching her carefully.
Seeing him do that, Lia looked puzzled, wondering why he was checking her expression again.
“I… heard about what happened today.”
“Ah.”
Lia nodded. She had expected that.
She had not thought he would come so quickly, but then again, maybe it was natural. She had always been his priority.
“Yes, that happened.”
“……I’m sorry.”
“I think I’m getting tired of hearing that.”
It was natural for him to apologize, but hearing it every time was a bit much.
“But it’s my fault.”
He had no excuse. It was his own doing. Everything he was facing now.
“You can’t say it’s entirely your fault.”
After all, those who acted did so themselves, even if the atmosphere had influenced them.
She was not trying to ease his guilt or take his side. She was simply stating the facts.
Being a third party in Liarna’s body, Lia could view everything objectively.
“……I really want to do well. I really want to treat you well.”
Kartian said sincerely.
“What can you do? Life is like that.”
It is easy to make mistakes, but fixing them takes far more time and effort.
“Lia… you’re really a kind woman.”
She was far too good for him. Every time he looked at her, his own shortcomings felt glaring.
“So what will happen to those knights?”
“I’ll strip them of their knighthood. And after that…”
Kartian trailed off. He did not want to tell her unpleasant details.
“I see. Then at least I won’t have to see them again.”
“Yeah. I’ll make sure of it.”
Kartian said firmly.
“Alright.”
Lia nodded indifferently.
“Did it hurt a lot? Were you hurt badly?”
Kartian looked as if he himself had been hurt.
“Well…”
She had not been hurt or pained. She had felt annoyed, but that was all. Those words had been aimed at Liarna, not herself.
Since she clearly separated herself from Liarna, the words had not affected her deeply.
If they had insulted her own parents, it would not have ended so lightly.
Just one punch and one kick—it felt insufficient.
The most disappointing thing was this body.
If it were her original body, she could have hit much harder. Why was it so unnecessarily weak?
“……Lia.”
Misunderstanding her words, Kartian approached her with pity in his eyes and hugged her lightly. It was a gentle, ticklish touch.
Held like that, Lia looked confused.
Whatever he was thinking, this was unnecessary.
Being hugged was awkward, so she pushed him away.
“……”
Kartian stepped back obediently, then spoke again.
“Lia, you haven’t gone outside since coming here, have you?”
“……That’s true.”
Since possessing this body, she had never gone outside the palace.
“Then… shall we go outside sometime?”
If they disguised themselves and brought knights, it should be fine.
Kartian wanted to do everything for Lia. He wanted her to enjoy what she had missed and to rest.
The palace was an uncomfortable, tiring place for her. Leaving it, even briefly, might be good.
“Outside?”
“Yeah. If you want to. Staying here all the time is suffocating.”
Lia thought about it.
She had never felt particularly suffocated—the palace was huge, with gardens. But hearing him say that, she suddenly wanted to see outside.
Knowing the outside world would help later, when she was deposed and left the palace.
“Alright. But you’re not suggesting we go right now, are you?”
“That’s… not what I mean. When you have time.”
“I might have time, but what about you? You must be busy. You’re not planning to skip work, are you?”
Lia said sternly.
“Uh…”
Kartian flinched. He had been planning to go whenever she was free.
Seeing that, Lia looked firm.
“What kind of book is that?”
Kartian sat down and pointed at the book on the table.
“A book.”
“……”
He meant what kind of book.
Kartian muttered.
But Lia did not answer.
What was she supposed to say?
That she was looking for a way to return to Korea?
“Lia, what do you think it would’ve been like if I weren’t the Emperor?”
It was an abrupt topic, but something he often wondered.
“Then you wouldn’t be the Emperor.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
Kartian pouted.
“Are you imitating a duck?”
With his thick lips pushed out, he really looked like one.
“Do you like ducks?”
“No. I hate birds.”
Lia truly hated birds, especially their plump bodies. For the same reason, she also hated plump spiders.
“Then it’s not a duck.”
“I didn’t say it was.”
“Then it’s not a duck imitation either.”
If Lia disliked ducks, he disliked even imitating them.
“What I mean is, there’s no ‘if.’ There are only things that happened and things that didn’t. I don’t care about what didn’t happen.”
Lia said firmly.
“But… wouldn’t things have been different? Between us.”
Kartian muttered.
“I don’t think so. This didn’t happen just because you’re the Emperor. The root cause was your attitude.”
Kartian had nothing to say.
“And if you weren’t the Emperor, I wouldn’t have married you in the first place.”
Duke Liarna’s father wanted her to become Empress and bear the Emperor’s child. If Kartian weren’t Emperor, the marriage wouldn’t have happened.
“……I don’t like that.”
Kartian blurted out in shock.
The thought of Lia not being his wife made him dizzy.
“That’s why it’s not worth thinking about.”
Lia concluded.
“…Yeah.”
Kartian nodded weakly.
