Episode 11
Alicia was so surprised that Kaien even knew about tea time that she just stared at him blankly.
“Did I come here for nothing?”
“No, Your Majesty, not at all.”
Alicia answered quickly, and Kaien’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Anes, bring some tea.”
Anes, who had been standing there in shock, finally came to her senses and left to prepare. Soon she returned with tea and simple snacks.
It was the same as Alicia usually drank—mild herb tea and a few seasonal fruits, nothing fancy.
“I don’t know if this will suit Your Majesty’s taste.”
“Fruit tastes the same in the palace as anywhere else.”
Kaien had eaten fruit many times, even in Lubeo. Of course, he hadn’t seen it cut and served so neatly before, but it wasn’t unfamiliar food.
Kaien usually disliked how overly decorated and heavily spiced the food in the palace could be. He liked this simple style.
“The Empress seems to live quite frugally.”
Kaien’s eyes moved over Alicia’s plain indoor dress and the simple refreshments, and he spoke as if complimenting her.
He didn’t seem to realize that she was in indoor clothes because he had come without warning.
“I’m honored by Your Majesty’s words.”
Silence fell again between them. They were husband and wife in name, but they had hardly ever faced each other. It was awkward.
“What is that box?”
Kaien, trying to break the awkwardness, asked a question. His black eyes were looking at a box full of letters from Lukan.
“Ah… I apologize for the messy sight.”
“I asked what it was.”
“They are letters from Lukan. As I told you before… I couldn’t answer them.”
“They don’t look like they’ve even been opened.”
Kaien’s dark eyes stared at Alicia’s face, making her lose her words.
“To be honest, I couldn’t understand the letters even when I read them, so… I stopped opening them.”
Hearing her honest answer, Kaien let out a small laugh. It was such an unfamiliar sound from him that chills ran down Alicia’s back.
“So now the Empress is just like me.”
At first, Kaien had secretly suspected that the Empress might have some hidden plan.
But seeing those unopened letters proved she didn’t.
“I am sorry…” Alicia began carefully when she saw how unusually pleased Kaien looked.
“Since I became ill, I… lack ability.”
“Do not worry,” Kaien replied without hesitation.
“If you do not wish to, you don’t have to send or read letters from Lukan. You don’t even have to receive them at all.”
If Alicia wanted to change her life, she needed to break free from Lukan’s chains. Unexpectedly, the one person who could help her was right in front of her.
“Is that alright…?”
“If anyone asks, I will simply say that I ordered the letters not to be sent because the Empress is unwell.”
For the first time, Kaien was helping Alicia’s life.
And since he would soon return to Lubeo, all she needed was to arrange a divorce, and everything would be perfect.
“Today I had lunch with the nobles. I told them to prepare the meal like the Empress’s banquets, and they all praised it.”
Kaien’s good mood was also because today’s lunch had gone very well. Even though it was simpler than usual, the nobles—who hated rudeness—didn’t see any of Kaien’s old rough manners, so it was a big improvement.
He still remembered the look on Duke Nigel’s face when he saw Kaien calmly wash his hands in prepared water, wipe them with a napkin, and eat using proper utensils. It had been both funny and satisfying.
“What will be served for dinner?”
“…Excuse me?”
Alicia stared at him blankly, unsure she’d heard correctly.
“I asked what dinner in the Empress’s palace will be.”
“That… Anes?”
Anes stepped forward and knelt respectfully.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Tonight’s dinner is a simple meal of seasonal vegetables and veal stew.”
“Good. I feel like eating.”
Alicia prided herself on becoming smarter after coming back to life, but she couldn’t understand what Kaien meant by that.
“If Your Majesty would like to join us, I shall prepare more food. Veal stew goes well with red wine—would that please you?”
Thankfully, Anes understood Kaien’s intention immediately, as expected of an experienced head maid.
“Yes, do that.”
Kaien nodded with satisfaction, drank his tea in one gulp, and stood up.
“Then I will return for dinner.”
Alicia rose automatically and bowed in a daze.
“May you go safely, Your Majesty.”
Kaien left with quick strides.
After he disappeared, Alicia raised her head with the same dazed expression.
“…What conversation did we just have?”
“His Majesty said he would have dinner here again tonight,” Anes said proudly.
Alicia had spoken about divorce before, but Anes didn’t know the real reason, so to her, seeing the couple getting along was the best outcome.
“Why?” Alicia asked honestly.
“It is natural between husband and wife.”
Anes was confident, but Alicia felt confused.
“I mean, why… all of a sudden?”
In her past life, even after more than ten years as his wife, there had never been anything like this.
“Because His Majesty stayed in Lubeo, you were apart. But you are still husband and wife.”
But that wasn’t the answer Alicia wanted. What bothered her more was Kaien’s attitude earlier—how he seemed to be protecting her from Lukan.
“…The only thing that changed is that I stopped following Lukan’s words.”
As far as Kaien knew, that was the only change.
Yet just that one thing had made him join her for dinner two nights in a row. All those hard years in her previous life suddenly felt meaningless.
“Anes, cancel tonight’s dinner.”
“…Pardon?”
“I am sick.”
Alicia said it calmly.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Looking at Anes’s innocent round eyes, Alicia gave a small smile.
“I plan to have a fever. About an hour before dinner should be perfect.”
“Ah…”
Finally understanding, Anes nodded slowly.
She had always thought she knew everything about Alicia, but after Alicia’s illness, there were many things she didn’t know.
“Anes.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Earlier… His Majesty didn’t show any sign of… liking me, did he? Even a little?”
Her pink lips were lovely even while asking seriously. Even in Anes’s eyes, she looked beautiful, so how could Kaien not notice?
“More than liking, Your Majesty.”
Those jewel‑bright blue eyes stared at Anes. Her rosy cheeks and noble features—Kaien must have seen them too.
“When I saw him by your side earlier, his eyes were looking at you fondly.”
Alicia let out a short laugh.
“No way.”
She waved her hand as if to deny it. She really didn’t seem to know.
But whether they admitted it or not, Kaien’s gaze held more than liking; there was a man’s curiosity, too.
“I swear it is true, Your Majesty.”
“No, it’s not.”
Anes stood before her with a very serious face.
“Your Majesty, I swear on my years of experience… it is true.”
Alicia’s smile faded.
“…No, it isn’t.”
“It is.”
“Hah…” Alicia let out a confused breath.
In her plan for a new life, Kaien didn’t even exist. But something was going wrong.
“No. Not. Anyway… no.”
She didn’t wish for love.
She only ever wanted a little care, respect, or kindness.
But in her last life, she had longed and begged for it until she gave up in pain.
After her sudden, meaningless death, she woke in this strange world as the Empress, and it had taken her a long, lonely time to accept it.
It had taken her more than ten years to give up even the tiniest piece of Kaien’s heart… so why now? Why was he looking at her like that?
“In marriage, nothing is absolute. And truly, there’s no reason for you two to be apart anymore. Even if there once was… not now.”
“You’re saying he became interested in me just because I went against Lukan?”
“For him, that is a very big change.”
At Anes’s wise reply, Alicia set down her teacup with a sharp sound.
It was true. She had denied and abandoned the world she once lived in.
When she first woke up as Alicia, she had followed Lukan’s words because she felt she had no choice but to adapt.
But after returning to this time, she had made a choice she could never have made before.
“Haa… this is unexpected.”
That choice had changed Kaien’s actions. Maybe not love, but she had drawn his attention in a good way.
“Your Majesty.”
Howard, the chief attendant, appeared at the door after overhearing them.
“I met Lord Miller, His Majesty’s chief attendant. He said that during lunch with the nobles, His Majesty showed such elegant dining manners that everyone was amazed.”
Oh no.
Now Alicia understood why Kaien had been in such a good mood earlier. And at the same time, she sighed, realizing she might have done something unnecessary.
“His Majesty was very pleased with himself as well.”
Alicia felt a headache coming on.
She planned to leave this palace and live freely, but Kaien’s growing interest was poison to that plan.
Thankfully, they hadn’t spent much time together yet. There was still a chance to return to being strangers.
Hopefully… definitely.
