Chapter – 25
The empress let out a faint laugh.
“Such a foolish answer. I heard it very well. Send a caster. Tell him to buy something pretty and expensive. And of course, don’t forget to hand it to her yourself while saying you picked it personally.”
“I will take my leave now.”
The empress did not respond, clearly displeased.
Her son also seemed not to expect a reply and left the room immediately.
‘His father was so gentle and attentive. I wonder who he takes after to end up like that.’
Even if she acted as if she would rip out her liver and gallbladder for him with affection, it still wouldn’t be enough.
What? He’s not interested in accessories?
She didn’t even need to think deeply to reach a conclusion.
So it’s hopeless if he wants to be a loving husband.
No—could he even get married in the first place?
Outside the Imperial Palace — City Streets
After dinner, Prince Jerold and Count Curtis entered a narrow alley to have a casual drink.
The old alley was paved with rough stone slabs that seemed to boast of their age, but recently, streetlamps had been installed here and there, giving the place a rather refined atmosphere.
Jerold pushed open a shabby wooden door set between stone walls.
This place had no signboard and was a tavern Jerold and Curtis visited at least once a week. It was run by the widow of the Gray Owl, who had died five years ago during a mission accident.
Jerold, who entered first, walked a few steps forward, then noticed that Curtis was not following.
……?
Jerold slowly approached the entrance, placing his hand near the dagger at his waist.
Only after peering through the murky small glass window did he remove his hand from the dagger.
Curtis was talking briefly with someone he had happened to meet.
But even while watching that, Jerold’s expression did not relax.
Because the person Curtis was talking to outside was Marquis Cedric Dalbert.
Jerold did not like Cedric.
Of course, conducting maritime trade through the Dalbert family was advantageous in terms of time and cost.
Because of that, he did not spare support in suppressing pirates and intended to maintain good relations for mutual prosperity.
However, the gaze the marquis had directed toward Lady Asha at the ballroom bothered him.
It was not the look of a man who had fallen in love at first sight with a beautiful young lady.
The interest and curiosity were not simple; it was heavier, closer to affection mixed with something like resentment.
Like a man looking at a woman who had been taken from him.
……Annoying.
When he had hardened his expression, suppressing his displeasure, the wooden door opened and Curtis and Cedric entered.
The two immediately approached Jerold’s table.
Curtis spoke first.
“I apologize for being late. I was just about to enter when I ran into a familiar acquaintance outside. I remembered that Your Excellency once said you wanted to meet him, so I brought him along. This is Marquis Cedric Dalbert.”
Then he continued, introducing him to Cedric.
“This is Deputy Prime Minister Jerold Burns.”
Cedric bowed deeply toward Jerold.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Cedric Dalbert.”
Jerold stood up with a very friendly expression, as if he had never thought Cedric was bothersome.
“Oh! I have heard much about your growing reputation these days.”
Jerold and Cedric exchanged polite handshakes and smiled warmly at each other.
Anyone watching would have mistaken them for friends who had not seen each other for a long time.
Of course, Jerold was hiding his true feelings completely, and Cedric was the same.
Cedric did not happen to meet Curtis in the alley of the city at sunset by coincidence.
Curtis was a person who held a palace office in the Crown Prince’s residence, Blossom, and would play an important role in developing the Dalbert territory in the future.
So, naturally, he had mapped out their movements in advance.
It was necessary to increase private encounters under the guise of coincidence and leave a strong impression.
Meeting Curtis after waiting in this alley for two days was lucky enough, but meeting Jerold, the Crown Prince’s right-hand man, was truly a fortune.
Through several conversations with Count Curtis, Cedric had confirmed how deeply the Crown Prince was interested in maritime trade using Dalbert.
So today, he had to clearly make them recognize his usefulness and the value of his territory.
In addition, he should express gratitude for the full support received in suppressing pirates, and raise his worth as a knight loyal to the Crown Prince, the future emperor, and the empire.
Who knows?
Perhaps he might even receive a small palace office in Blossom.
If he became truly a man of the Crown Prince, Dalbert would undoubtedly enjoy unprecedented prosperity.
As his thoughts and desires drifted toward the Blossom palace residence, Asha briefly came to mind, but Cedric forced the beautiful woman trying to fill his mind to the back.
Probably because she was not in sight right now.
Fortunately, he succeeded in pushing Asha out of his mind and focused entirely on his conversation with Jerold.
Inside the Imperial Palace — Asha’s Room
The dinner ended without the “Break up with my son” development Asha had expected.
‘Did I read too many sensational novels? But the original story of this novel wasn’t exactly mild either.’
After all, the title itself was 〈The Captive Life of the Saintess〉.
Moreover, Alrest was a promising future tyrant from the very beginning.
Judging from the title and character keywords, it clearly seemed like an imperial intrigue story would unfold…
But the mother of the tyrant-in-training—the empress of the empire—
The daughter of a humble, insignificant count’s family—didn’t say a single sharp word just because her son was dating her?
Instead, she even gave her a bag filled with money and jewelry?
And even said they should get along well in the future?
Too unrealistic.
Well, it was only natural for things inside a novel to be unrealistic.
But the unexpected gift from the empress, who had grown up as an orphan, gave her a sweet sense of expectation.
Maybe she had found a mother-in-law who wouldn’t necessarily treat her like a daughter, but someone she could live harmoniously with?
She knew the world wasn’t that easy, but still…
Could it be possible?
‘If this story had even a keyword of “healing daily life,” I would have had higher expectations.’
She shook her head as if trying to chase away useless hopes.
The keyword “captivity” was far too harsh for a healing story.
Asha lay down on the bed first and closed her eyes.
Thinking that a soft, fluffy bed and blanket were the best things in the world.
‘It would be nice if I could just roll around like this… but I still have to attend the Empress’s tea party…’
What kind of exhaustion was this?
Seriously, since entering the imperial palace, I haven’t had a single day of rest.
They say overworked people die suddenly…
I’m about to die from overwork.
Just how did imperial captivity even work…?
No matter how she thought about it, she had hooked herself wrongly at the lavender garden of the temple on the day of the matchmaking.
‘Should I just run away tonight, get caught, and narrow my freedom to only the Blossom Palace?’
If that happened, she wouldn’t have to attend balls or tea parties, and since the garden was inside the Blossom Palace, she could still take walks.
Indeed, the Blossom Palace already had a splendid garden, a rear courtyard perfect for picnics, and even a birch forest and a small pond.
She seriously considered pretending to escape in order to be more comfortably “imperial-captive” and fell asleep as if fainting.
After Asha fell asleep without even washing up, Ruby gently wiped off her makeup with a soft cloth and warm cleansing water before quietly leaving the bedroom.
After all the maids had gone off duty and the palace fell completely silent in the early morning.
The space beside Asha’s bedside table distorted strangely.
After a moment, a white envelope appeared from the distorted space and landed on the table.
Then the space returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
The white envelope bore the emblem of the temple.
