~Chapter 17~
Samantha had ordered Marick to safely escort the “chick” to the villa and was just wondering if he was doing well when she snapped out of her thoughts.
Standing before her was an imperial etiquette maid.
They were in the waiting room to be granted an audience with the Empress.
From nobles to commoners, anyone meeting royalty had to strictly follow the imperial etiquette protocol.
The etiquette maid was a high-ranking female official who taught such protocols. Even high-ranking nobles could not ignore her teachings.
Thus, when instructing etiquette, she always acted as the superior, and it was natural.
But…
The maid demonstrated the formal greeting to the Empress before Samantha, stepping her right foot back slowly, bending her knee at the perfect angle, with flawless posture and hand placement.
Now that she had shown the demonstration, she should ask the Duchess to follow along…
“That curtsey is flawless. Like you were stamped out of a cookie mold, perfectly identical every time. Are you sure you’re not a cookie, instead of a person?”
Reclining comfortably on the sofa, Samantha chuckled as she praised the maid.
Though it sounded like praise, to the maid it felt different.
She heard it as, If you make me do this tedious etiquette again, I’ll crumble you like a cookie, and so she silently bowed her head deeper in response.
“…It is an honour, Duchess. I deeply thank you for your generous evaluation.”
“Generous? You’re the generous one, putting up with me.”
“….”
“Don’t worry about who I am. Teach etiquette as you normally would. No matter how ingrained it is in muscle memory, procedure is always important. If I were the Empress, I wouldn’t trust an official who makes exceptions for high nobles.”
After all, such was the imperial way.
Royal dignity and authority were built from these small details.
Before she became the Duchess of Kenwulf in the Eastern Empire, Samantha had been born as the youngest imperial princess of the Western Empire and lived her whole life as royalty.
She stood and demonstrated the curtsey.
Though the posture was the same as the maid’s, her every movement overflowed with innate nobility and dignity that only someone royal to their bones could possess.
The etiquette maid bowed her head in deep respect.
“It is perfect, Your Grace.”
“Thank you for your efforts.”
Samantha then headed towards where the Empress awaited.
Normally, she would be received in the official audience hall, but upon hearing the Duchess was requesting an audience, the Empress arranged to meet in her private chambers instead.
When Samantha arrived, the etiquette officials announced her presence with a resounding voice.
“Her Grace the Duchess Samantha Kenwulf, born the youngest imperial princess of the Western Empire, mistress of the vast Edland Plains, founder of Hyde Hall who opened a new chapter of artistic exchange between the two empires, and mother of Duke Ethan Kenwulf, seeks an audience with Her Majesty the Empress!”
As the declaration ended, Samantha walked in with graceful poise.
At the centre of the sunlit chamber sat the Empress, attended by numerous maids.
Some were familiar faces, but many young maids were seeing Samantha for the first time.
Receiving their mixed looks of fear and awe, Samantha performed her curtsey.
“Please rise, Duchess.”
Standing again, Samantha finally met the Empress’ eyes.
“Your Majesty, thank you for granting me this sudden audience.”
The two royals spoke in dignified, formal tones.
Tension crackled through the chamber, so thick that when one of the maids swallowed nervously, the sound was audible.
Understandably so.
No matter how much relations between the Eastern and Western Empires had improved, the meeting of these two women — each representing their empire — could never be casual.
Even after twenty years, the Western Empire remained the dominant power, and the subtle undercurrents between them were inevitable.
Moreover, it had been years since Samantha last visited the palace.
The younger maids had only heard rumours of the Kenwulf Duchess, never seeing her in person.
Samantha was the only Western royal to have married into the Eastern nobility.
Her arrogant demeanour, characteristic of Western royalty, made it hard for them to tear their eyes away.
So much so that they didn’t even hear their mistress speak.
“Hey, are you deaf?”
“Eh? Ah, yes!”
“Leave us.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The startled maids hurried out, and the door shut firmly behind them.
Silence filled the room.
Then, almost simultaneously, both women burst out laughing.
“Puhaha!”
“Ahahaha!”
After laughing uncontrollably for some time, Samantha composed herself and spoke first.
“Still playing the mighty Empress with all your maids around, I see?”
“The palace is too dull otherwise. It’s been ages since I married into this place, yet it never changes.”
Empress Helena replied with a wry smile and gestured for Samantha to sit beside her.
As Samantha sat, Helena quietly gazed at her friend’s face.
Officially, they were the Empress of the Eastern Empire and the Princess of the Western Empire. Few knew that they were also old friends.
Long ago, when Helena, a princess of a small kingdom, married into the empire and became its young Empress, Samantha had arrived around the same time as a new Duchess.
Helena’s first duty as Empress was to “tame” the wild princess Samantha — a daunting task indeed.
Samantha was someone who simply didn’t know the meaning of “being tamed.”
For someone like her to emerge from five years of seclusion and visit with such a bright face… Helena leaned closer.
“You teased my etiquette maid again before coming, didn’t you?”
She referred to the etiquette maid as “my child.”
“Ahaha, how could I resist when she’s so cute?”
“She does look cute with that serious face.”
They laughed warmly, their conversation flowing easily.
Then Samantha brought up her purpose.
“I came to propose a deal, Helena.”
“A deal?”
Both women felt a thrill at the word “deal.”
It brought back memories of twenty years ago, when they were both young and had to secure their positions in a foreign court, engaging in delicate negotiations.
Thinking back to those days, they smiled again.
Samantha spoke.
“I want you to act as chaperone for a debutante this time.”
“You?”
Helena burst out laughing.
Samantha caring about someone’s debut? Proposing a deal for it?
“You don’t have to attend often. Two or three times will suffice.”
For the Empress to attend a debutante ball even once was an extraordinary honour for any young lady.
And Samantha spoke of it as if it were nothing.
Helena replied,
“It’s not difficult. But since you used the word ‘deal,’ I assume there’s something worthy in return, Samantha Kenwulf? You wouldn’t propose a deal to the Empress of the Eastern Empire over something trivial.”
Helena’s words echoed the negotiations of their youth, making Samantha chuckle softly.
“Of course. There’s no way I wouldn’t.”
