Episode 59

Episode 59: Of Course. It’s That, Isn’t It?

When I arrived at the empress’s residence, “Your Highness!”

Mary, the head maid assigned exclusively to the empress’s household, came running with a loud voice. “Hic—You have no idea how much I missed you!” She clung to me like a family member reuniting after years apart, burying her face against me and sobbing.

Following her lead, the other personal maids crowded in around me, their genuine worry pouring out all at once. Were you hurt on the journey? Did you eat properly? They even said I looked like I’d lost weight.

I held their hands, greeting each one. “Of course I’m fine. I ate well. I didn’t lose weight; I’m just a bit sleepy after such a long trip.”

They probably thought I’d only been to my family’s duchy. For a simple vacation trip, their greetings felt almost too emotional.

“Truly… it’s such a relief you came back safely, Your Highness.”

That was Countess Chloe speaking at my side. She didn’t show it outright, but I could tell she’d worried about me too; her eyes looked just slightly red.

Of course, I’d missed them as well. The feeling of being without the people who were always at my side brought a kind of homesickness that words couldn’t capture. Even when I was being treated like royalty in Calus, I’d often thought of them—whether I was enjoying delicious food or watching their lively festivals, I’d wish they were there to share it with me.

Somewhere along the way, I’d begun to think of the empress’s quarters as home.

I gave them a warm smile. “I stayed away from the palace much longer than planned. I hope you were all doing well while I was gone?”

“Of course! We were all simply waiting for Your Majesty to return.”

“I missed you all, too.”

Their faces lit up at my words.

As they helped me change, I asked about everything that had happened while I was away. What I worried about most, though, was Mary. She was the reason I’d decided I had to go to Calus to solve the drought.

I turned to her. “Mary. How have things been lately? Those awful men didn’t come back, did they?”

I was remembering that day I’d visited her home and found it trashed, with those predatory moneylenders harassing her family.

Mary shook her head emphatically. “Not at all. We didn’t even see a hair of them.”

Apparently, after I left, Leonard had sent people to guard her house for several days so the moneylenders couldn’t even think of showing up.

Leonard must have been more worried than I thought.

Given the cold, ruthless side of him I remembered from the original story—kind only to those he considered his own—it was unexpected. Maybe he helped because she was my maid. I’d have to remember to thank him later.

“My brother was so happy, too. He said over and over he wants to thank Your Majesty in person.”

“That’s kind of him. Tell him I’m grateful for the thought.”

Mary’s words led to the maids opening up, talking eagerly about everything that had happened in the palace.

Funny stories among the servants, new furniture and decorations brought into my residence while I was gone—but more than anything, they were excited about the Emperor’s sudden departure from the palace with the imperial guard.

“The whole palace was in an uproar when His Majesty left!”

“And it wasn’t just himself; he took so many guards with him!”

“Rumors spread like wildfire that there would be a war.”

“Some officials even secretly sent word to their families to flee.”

War?

Honestly, I’d been shocked myself when Jerome showed up with the knights. It wasn’t surprising the palace had read it as a prelude to war with Calus.

“But then—when everyone was terrified—” Mary clapped her hands. “He returned with Your Majesty!”

The other maids nodded eagerly.

“Of course. Of course. That means exactly what we think, right?”

“Yes, yes. Exactly that!”

They exchanged sly glances.

I tilted my head in confusion. Was it really so strange that I came back with the Emperor?

Well… maybe it was strange. Emperor Jerome was famously uninterested in anything concerning his imperial concubine.

But for him to personally lead knights to escort me back…

No wonder the whole palace had been abuzz.

“Even if His Majesty didn’t show it much, he must have been terribly worried about Your Majesty.”

“Of course. Why else would he lead the guard himself to bring you home?”

“Obviously, His Majesty has finally realized how wonderful you are!”

All that fuss over a single escort mission.

I knew better.

Did they really think Jerome went to all that trouble for me?

For an imperial concubine?

Not a chance.

I could be absolutely sure of that.

“So what really happened, Your Majesty?”

Their eyes were sparkling, waiting for the juicy story they imagined existed between me and Jerome.

I felt a little bad; they were going to be so disappointed.

The trip back had been painfully awkward, with a silence so stiff it could have withered any budding plant.

“Nothing special. We just happened to be taking the same road back.”

Their shoulders slumped a little.

I felt like I’d poured cold water on their daydreams.

Countess Chloe, perceptive as ever, changed the subject.

“Your Majesty, the Emperor’s departure was a big topic, but honestly the biggest talk of the palace has been about you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Word is you didn’t go to your family’s duchy at all—you went to Calus.”

My eyes widened. “How did you…?”

Officially, I’d gone to the duchy for rest. That I’d actually crossed into Calus was meant to be a tightly held secret, one I hadn’t even shared with Chloe or Mary.

But they already knew.

“Two days ago, a royal envoy from Calus arrived with a personal letter from their king. He declared he would demolish a dam on the upper river to help relieve our drought.”

So Calus had sent an envoy.

Calus, that man. He acted so nonchalant but moved incredibly fast behind the scenes.

“The envoy also asked that residents along the river relocate temporarily. They said it wouldn’t solve the drought entirely, but it would secure enough drinking water to help greatly. And at the end, the envoy said…” Chloe’s expression turned meaningful. “‘This is thanks entirely to the empress’s diplomatic efforts. Calus honors her and will forever consider her a dear friend of the kingdom.’ That’s what he made very clear.”

Ah.

I nodded slowly.

That explained how they’d found out.

“Right now, praise for Your Majesty is sky-high throughout the palace.”

“They say the drought was so severe even fasting prayers failed, but you didn’t give up. You went yourself to Calus and negotiated.”

“Everyone was astonished when they heard.”

“Especially since the King of Calus has a reputation for arrogance. Yet he declared you a lifelong friend of his kingdom!”

“And Calus has always been hostile to us—even warring with us frequently.”

“How did you do it? Please, tell us what really happened, Your Majesty.”

They were at least as curious about my time in Calus as they were about the Emperor’s escort.

Of course, there were also worried voices.

“We heard you only took Sir Leonard and Cedric with you? What if something had happened?”

“You should have told us at least! We were so worried.”

It really had been reckless to go with just the two of them. There were several dangerous moments.

But without taking that risk, I’d never have gotten this result.

No one would have believed me if I’d simply asked permission to cross the border and negotiate about the drought.

If I’d gone with a whole company of knights, that belligerent King Calus would have reacted sharply, maybe even violently.

So I didn’t regret the decision.

But seeing their worried faces did make me feel a little guilty.

All right. Next time, I’ll at least tell Chloe and Mary.

In a way, it was a relief they already knew about Calus.

I was going to need their help for what came next anyway; at least I wouldn’t have to explain everything from the beginning.

“Thanks to Calus’s cooperation, the worst of the drought will be eased for now. But I don’t think we’re safe yet. This drought will probably continue for some time.”

Their faces tightened at that.

A single new water source wouldn’t solve it all.

“We’ll need special measures to save even a single drop.”

“What should we do?” Countess Chloe asked.

“I’ve been thinking about it on the way back…”

Luckily, I already had some ideas.