PLML 23

CHAPTER 23

“Why did you call for me?”

“Do you know who stands before you right now?”

“The Archduke and Archduchess.”

In response to his continued insolent tone, Jayna replied with a smile.

“You’re well-informed, Baron James.”

The servant whose name was called—James—visibly flinched. His gaze, which had previously disregarded the Archduchess for being smaller and younger than himself, now wavered.

“Your Highness… how do you know my name…?”

“Isn’t it only natural for an Archduchess to know at least that much?”

With little else to entertain herself with at the ducal estate, Jayna had found enjoyment in reading the newspapers.

The newspapers here didn’t just cover political tensions between nobles—they delved into the private lives of individuals. Jayna found the tell-all gossip columns amusing.

As she read, she was reminded of the entertainment tabloids from her previous life that dug into celebrities’ personal lives.

“Just like Gossip Patch,” she mused.

James was someone she had read about in those very papers.

He was the perfect example of someone who bullied the weak and groveled to the strong. To those more powerful than himself, he was endlessly obsequious. To the weak, he was openly disrespectful.

The Archduke Theoris held little power within the imperial family. The Archduchess Jayna, with her petite frame and gentle appearance, seemed like an easy target. They were supposed to be easy for someone like James.

“I’ve heard you’ve served in the imperial palace for quite some time.”

“…Yes.”

“Then you must be well-versed in imperial etiquette. Has it changed recently without my knowing?”

“…”

James answered with silence.

He knew Jayna was subtly criticizing his lack of proper etiquette. James found it unbearable that a mere puppet Archduchess would dare scold him.

He wasn’t the only one who failed to show respect. In fact, most of the imperial servants treated Theoris with disregard. Even the Emperor turned a blind eye when a child born out of wedlock was treated with contempt.

James also knew about Jayna. Like Theoris, she was born of an affair. Rumor had it she was quiet and mild-tempered.

“Clearly, etiquette has changed. I suppose that’s why a baron thinks he can ignore a question from the Archduchess.”

Jayna’s voice held no anger. Instead, it was eerily calm.

But James could sense it. His instincts, honed by years of bowing to the strong, told him Jayna was not someone to be trifled with.

“Thank you, Sir James. Had it not been for you, I might’ve made a grave mistake in front of His Majesty, unaware of the changes in etiquette.”

A ripple spread across a calm sea. James paled as the tension slowly washed over him.

“Your Highness, I was wrong.”

“Wrong? Nonsense. I’ll be sending someone to commend you shortly.”

Sending someone.

James knew she didn’t mean to commend him. It was a threat, clear as day.

A scene flashed through his mind: someone sent by Jayna severing his head.

James dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor.

“I was wrong, Your Highness. I promise such insolence will never happen again. Please, show mercy just this once.”

Just as Jayna had predicted. A little scare and James was already groveling. She smiled triumphantly.

To Theoris, who was staring blankly at her, Jayna winked and mouthed the words:

“How was that, Theo? I was cool, right?”

Understanding her silent words, Theoris faintly raised the corners of his lips. For the first time since entering the Imperial Capital, his stiff expression relaxed.

James led them to the audience chamber.

Along the way, a few servants and knights gave polite nods. It had been worth it, making James kneel in a busy corridor.

“Establishing dominance really is important.”

Jayna walked confidently, determined not to falter before the Emperor.

“Theoris li Akrana, I have come at Your Majesty’s summons.”

“I see.”

A short response followed by silence.

Despite having summoned him, the Emperor didn’t even offer a polite greeting. He didn’t even say the customary “Raise your head.”

“Then why call him here at all?”

Jayna fumed inside but kept her voice composed as she offered her greeting.

“Jayna Blake presents herself before the sun of the Empire.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Jayna. You may raise your head.”

The Emperor reacted differently than he had with Theoris.

Jayna kept her expression smooth as she lifted her head.

“…Huh?”

Jayna was startled by the Emperor’s appearance.

The Emperor, Nerob Sen Akrana, was, strictly speaking, a villain.

He had abandoned Theoris as a child simply because he was born out of wedlock, turning a blind eye to his suffering.

Looking back, it was absurd.

The Emperor had one Empress and three consorts. Having concubines wasn’t uncommon in this world, but still—it was blatant adultery.

“So the children he had from his own affairs are fine, but Theoris, born of the Empress’s affair, is unacceptable? Hypocrisy at its finest.”

Jayna had expected him to look cruel and cold-hearted—like Count Hans, whose face practically dripped with greed.

But he didn’t.

He looked just like his portraits—gentle and kind.

Golden hair more radiant than a field of blooming rapeseed flowers. Eyes like twin suns, warm and dazzling. Eyes that curved gently, making him appear endlessly harmless.

He looked exactly like someone known in history as the Empire’s greatest Emperor—praised for his generosity and remarkable capability.

“Was your journey here difficult?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“I apologize for calling you here without giving you time to rest. My schedule is full, and I couldn’t meet with you another day. I hope you understand.”

“It’s quite all right, Your Majesty.”

His tone was kind and full of concern. His gaze truly seemed apologetic—at least, toward Jayna.

Jayna glanced sideways at Theoris. He remained indifferent. Even when the Emperor, who had spoken coldly to him, turned gentle with Jayna, he showed no reaction.

“I heard your wishes weren’t considered in this marriage.”

“You’re only realizing that now?”

“The northern region of Seronia isn’t ideal for a young lady. I failed to consider that. Though it’s late, I’d like to make up for my mistake.”

“…Oh?”

Jayna felt a flicker of hope.

Perhaps the Emperor had truly changed his mind.

“This wasn’t in the original game storyline… but then again, I’ve already deviated by bringing the cotton candy with me. Maybe the Emperor’s had a change of heart too.”

“Lady Jayna, I will prepare a residence for you in southern Seronia. Would you be willing to stay there?”

“…What the hell kind of insane offer is that?”

“Nowadays, many couples live apart. Theoris, wouldn’t it be better for your wife to live safely in the south, away from the dangerous duchy?”

Indeed, the southern part of Seronia was much safer and more pleasant than the harsh northern region, which froze over every winter.

Some even said the south, where monsters grew weaker at the borders, was a land blessed by the goddess.

The offer, on the surface, sounded generous. A place in the coveted south, where land was expensive and access limited to highly meritorious nobles.

If only the offer hadn’t been directed solely at Jayna.

From beside her came the faint sound of teeth grinding. Theoris’s gaze, fixed on the floor, had turned icy.

“Well, I can’t just refuse outright. I need to phrase it carefully…”

Just as Jayna was choosing her words, a familiar choice box appeared:

• [(Accept) Thank you, Your Majesty!]
• [(Decline) I can’t leave Theoris behind.]
• [(Hesitate)]

“Why are all the choices such garbage?”

“At this point, the game’s just messing with me on purpose.”

Jayna remembered this choice. It didn’t originally appear in this context.

In the game, it showed up much later—after Jayna saved a young princess from a monster attack. At that time, the Emperor had made a similar offer.

But this was far earlier in the story.

“So that’s how they want to play it?”

Jayna decided to throw caution to the wind. The Emperor clearly didn’t care about Theoris’s feelings and only said what he wanted—why should she hold back?

“I’m still an Archduchess. He’s not going to kill me just because I defied him. He has an image to maintain.”

“No.”

Normally, rejecting the Emperor would require a formal preamble like “Thank you for your kind offer, but…”

But Jayna’s response was immediate and unfiltered. The Emperor blinked in surprise.

“I prefer the north. I have no desire to leave my home.”

She glanced lovingly at the visibly relieved Theoris and continued.

“And I don’t want to be separated from my husband. I can’t live without Theoris.”

Both the Emperor and Theoris stared at her, eyes wide.

The Emperor then chuckled softly.

“It’s good to see such affection between husband and wife. What about Theoris do you find so endearing?”

From his expression alone, he looked like a proud father doting on his beloved son.

“The scariest people are the ones who smile while sharpening knives behind their backs.”

Fortunately, the Emperor had yet to show his teeth to Jayna.

Jayna responded brightly, like an innocent young lady.

“This might sound shallow, but I like handsome men with nice bodies. I’ve never seen anyone as handsome as Theoris.”

The Emperor laughed heartily.

“Indeed, he inherited his father’s looks.”

But his smiling eyes had grown noticeably colder.